Annlyel James 
Is Leslye Headland about to give us the first love story between two Dark Side users in The Acolyte?
Is romance blossoming in The Acolyte? Star Wars is an exciting franchise because so many ingredients make it one of the most popular franchises in entertainment history. Beyond the lightsabers and the iconic villains, however, there was a narrative constant in George Lucas’ original and prequel trilogies: the love stories. In the original trilogy, Lucas crafted a (now-problematic) love triangle between Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo. It was an essential piece of the story. One of the most iconic moments in the franchise is when Leia confesses her love for Han when he’s about to be put into carbonite. Solo famously responds, “I know.” In the prequel trilogy, the driving point of Anakin’s fall to the dark side is his forbidden romance with Senator Padme Amidala.
THE REYLO PHENOMENON
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and the sequel trilogy was made, audiences were provided new romantic storylines to latch onto. Whether you shipped Rey with Finn, liked Rose and Finn, or thought that Finn and Poe should become Endgame, there were tidbits and storylines throughout the sequels to give fans a helping of romance that has become custom with this franchise. Of course, the most blatant romance in the sequel trilogy, no matter how problematic it sometimes got, was between Rey and Kylo Ren. Their sexual tension reached all-time highs in 2017’s The Last Jedi, which spurred the growth of the Reylo movement.
The chemistry between the two characters is electric. As a proud Reylo shipper, I remember getting so excited about their romantic prospects. Of course, all of that excitement was dashed when The Rise of Skywalker depicted their connection as less than enjoyable, ending in an awkward “kiss of gratitude” that still is cringeworthy to watch.
ROMANCE IN THE GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…
Since The Rise of Skywalker, romance has been nearly non-existent in this franchise. The Mandalorian, the story about the Mandalorian bounty hunter who became the loving father to the franchise’s cutest character, Grogu, has almost no romance whatsoever. Episode 4 in the first season had Din Djarin meet a pretty farmer lady he seemed romantically interested in. But since then, romance has been the last thing on the Mandalorian’s mind.
The Book of Boba Fett had no romantic subplots whatsoever. Andor has tried to include some romance here and there, but it’s somewhat sparse and ultimately forgettable. Cassian Andor’s relationship with Bix Caleen seemed a bit romantically inclined. There’s the romance between Val and Cinta and the budding romance between Imperials Syril and Deedra. But each of these relationships isn’t a significant storyline. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, two stories filled with Force users, had no inclination for romance. People latched onto the chemistry between Sabine Wren and Shin Hati, but there wasn’t any actual romance baked into the plot.
ROMANCE IN THE DNA!
As a Star Wars fan who understands that romance is part of the franchise’s DNA, the lack of love over the past nine years has been jarring. Then came along The Acolyte. The series has lit a fire in the Star Wars community for its unabashed sexual tension between Osha and The Stranger.
The most recent episode, “Teach/Corrupt,” is a field day for anyone who’s wanted a little more spice in the recipe. The scenes between Osha and The Stranger are hands down some of the sexiest in Star Wars. The characters often stare into one another’s eyes and find a common thread that binds them both: their troubled pasts with the Jedi. Their bond, which accelerated quickly in that episode, is filled with romantic tension. I couldn’t be more excited about the implications.
A DARK SIDE LOVE STORY?
Is Leslye Headland about to give us the first love story between two Dark Side users? Are we finally going to get a different story in this franchise? The answer isn’t solid, considering that we’ve been let down before with the romantic subplot between Rey and Kylo Ren. That said, it’s nice to have that will-they, won’t-they conversation in Star Wars again.
Romance is crucial to this franchise, and Headland has revived it splendidly.
The first six episodes of The Acolyte are streaming on Disney Plus now.
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Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
