For five long years, the word “Reylo” waged war against the old Star Wars fandom through a trilogy of segmented films. The term – used to identify the complex subtitle relationship between Rey Skywalker and Kylo Ren in Star Wars sequential trilogy – has never been easy. It has been a barometer of fandom, drawing a hard line between Reylo’s diehard TV stations and anti-hatred that has shown legitimate criticism.
Ever since featured the couple in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Reylo has enjoyed the shame of love or hate that is reserved only for the most controversial topics. Despite the backlash, Reylo was Tumblr’s most famous ship in 2020, achieving the top spot on the platform’s list of best boats in the year under review. The list lists, like Spotify Wrapped, the most talked about a couple of the year, whether the discussion is positive or negative. But that year, the ship’s popularity dropped dramatically, with many quieter Star Wars ships taking their place on the Tumblr platform.
On the latest list of the best ships on the site, Reylo drops to number 48, a surprising drop considering what the fandom eats with mating. When Reylo first fell out of hiding, three other couples came on the list for the first time. “Dinluke” for Din Djarin and Luke Skywalker from Mandalorians got 24th place. The din-show fandom usually wanders off with a host of characters he interacts with. Still, the bounty hunter’s fateful hunt with Luke through the two seasons has left a lasting impression. It is now the most famous ship, not only for Din but also for Star Wars Tumblr.
“Codywan,” the dark couple Obi-Wan Kenobi and his clone commander Cody, sits solidly at number 84. The ship became famous for The Clone Wars and has received constant support after bringing the series to its latest season in 2020. Finally, “Obikin, “another controversial couple – albeit with less attention than Reylo – for Kenobi and his fallen padawan, Anakin Skywalker.
No wonder this transition to male couples is fandom, as there are so many prominent female characters in Star Wars. Gay ships are usually becoming more popular on social media, a model that Tumblr deliberately refers to. “POV: You’re looking at a list of only 24% male / female couples,” says a statement at the lid of the list of the best ship. It was even more surprising that a man-and-woman ship like Reylo arrived so early, especially considering the number of parallel pairs like Finnpoe, Reyrose, and even Kylux, not to mention the dubious promises made by Reylo. The freight forwarder first.
Tumblr is not the most orthodox way to track Reylo’s popularity. Still, her annual track record signals a dramatic turning point for the ship that nearly shook the Star Wars fandom. If so, what is the blame for Reylos’ waning influence? Part of this may be due to the directors’ conflicting views of the couple. Director Rian Johnson strongly supports the ship. Her portrayal of the couple in The Last Jedi seemed to confirm doubts about the romance of The Force Awakens. Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams, who directed the first and final part of the sequel trilogy, downgraded Rey and Kylos’ chemistry as a dynamic “in-laws.” Star Wars’ native dark themes have not stopped for long, but times are different now than when Luke and Leia’s brother was revealed in Return of the Jedi.
The trilogy’s end could become a sequel, and its dark and final end for Kylo Ren could contribute to the shipwreck. Kylo died soon after sacrificing himself for Rey in The Rise of Skywalker (and shared a confused kiss with him). Reyes and Kylo Stans felt dizzy and a little treacherous about Kylo / Ben’s fate.
The Star Wars fandom seems to focus on characters still alive or have their mobilization across the galaxy far and wide, including characters from The Mandalorian, the Clone Wars series, and the upcoming Wan Kenobi Obi project. Mando’s third season is still a long way off, so it’s wise for fans of the show to take their time with a new serial and compelling ship like Dinluke. And with Kenobi popping up on the horizon and promising to be together for a long time.
