Fans who debated over whether there was a romantic connection between Rylo Ren and Rey or if audiences were reading too much into their dynamic have an answer. In a soon-to-be-released interview withStar Wars: The Last Jedidirector Rian Johnson, the filmmaker confirmed that he always viewed Kylo Ren and Rey’s relationship as romantic.
Following the interview, USA Today’s Sariah Wilson excitedly took to Twitter to assure fans ofKylo and Rey’s relationship that the romantic tensionaudiences perceived between the opponents were entirely intentional. “If anybody questions whether or not Reylo were meant to be romantic, you can stop speculating. Rian absolutely saw them as a romance,” Wilson wrote. “I mean, there was more to their stories and growth and arcs, but that he saw them as romantic and intimate.”
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This news should come as no surprise to any viewers ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as the climax of the film cemented Kylo and Rey’s story arc with a kiss. However, despite this seemingly clear-cut confirmation of Kylo and Rey’s romance, the novelization ofThe Rise of Skywalkerinsisted that the kiss was not romantic, leaving some fans confused as to the film’s intentions. Notably, J.J. Abrams returned to the franchise to directStar Wars:The Rise of Skywalkerand there may be some discrepancies between Johnson and Abrams' views on the Kylo-Rey relationship. Due to the shift in directors between the two films, as well as the surrounding controversy in between productions, some fans speculated that “Reylo’s” kiss was merely Abrams' means of neatly tying up the Kylo-Rey storyline, before moving on to new territory.
InStar Wars: The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson explored the connection between Kylo and Rey by highlighting the parallels between the Light and the Dark Sides of the force. Through the opponents' bond, Johnson paved the way for a potential “team-up” between the two perspectives. InStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, this team-up was cemented when Kylo and Rey worked together to defeat Emperor Palpatine.
However, in trueStar Warsfashion, this triumph ended with a tragic twist, as Kylo sacrificed his life force to save Rey. HadJohnson directedThe Rise of Skywalker, there’s no telling whether or not he would have kept Kylo alive in order to continue to explore Reylo’s unlikely bond.
While Johnson certainly has his detractors, it will be interesting to see howhe proceeds in his upcomingStar Warstrilogy. Fans can only hope that Wilson’s interview, which is set to be released in full in the next few weeks, will continue to shed more light on Johnson’s directorial intentions.
