In a Gay Galaxy Far, Far Away: 9 ‘Star Wars’ Characters Who We’ve Decided Are Queer

It’s subtle, but if you look past the lightsabers and space fights, you might start to notice that the long-ago, far-away galaxy is pretty queer. Even JJ Abrams has said in past interviews, “It seems insanely narrow-minded and counterintuitive to say that there wouldn’t be a homosexual character in that world.” We tend to agree. Star Wars queer characters are a given.

The Star Wars universe is a pretty big place, so it’s only natural that it would have several LGBTQ characters within it, even if the characters’ sexuality isn’t overt in the films themselves.

Here’s our (tongue-in-cheek) list of 9 Star Wars queer characters:

1. Luke Skywalker: Bisexual Space Wizard?

The Jedi are expected to remain celibate, but they do occasionally have romantic interests (like Anakin Skywalker, whose doofy heterosexual relationship doomed the galaxy). We know Luke likes the girls (including, uh, his sister), but it turns out his lightsaber might swing both ways.

When a fan wrote to Mark Hamill to ask him if Luke was bisexual, the actor replied, “Luke is whatever the audience wants him to be, so you can decide for yourself.”

So effectively Mark Hamill confirmed that all of your slash fiction is canon.

2. Jabba the Hutt: Intersex Crime Lord

In many portrayals throughout the Star Wars universe, the Hutt race is entirely intersex. So in addition to flouting the law and society’s restrictive beauty standards, Jabba also crushes the gender binary. Way to go! (Too bad Jabba is evil.)

3. Rey: Space Ace

Maybe it’s just George Lucas’s inability to portray human sexuality, but Rey from the new trilogy seems pretty asexual.

We know she’s busy surviving and all, but come on: she’s surrounded by gorgeous resistance fighters and she’d rather play with a little spherical droid. She’s the space opera equivalent of a cat lady, and we love her for it.

4. Poe Dameron and 5. Finn, aka the Best Couple Ever

Poe and Finn are clearly a couple. Clearly.

No one says it out loud, but that sensuous lip bite and smoky glance Poe gives Finn when they reunite speaks volumes. Plus, they share clothing. Straight guys might lend each other a jacket every now and then, but not their entire outfit, ya know?

THATS ACTUALLY POE'S WHOLE FUCKIN OUTFIT. @ STAR WARS YALL AINT SLICK pic.twitter.com/jslBGeJkGk

— maxwell (@amorassofpixelz) April 14, 2017

6. Chirrut and 7. Baze: Interfaith Husbands

Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus are a Force-aligned monk and his personal protector who appear in Rogue One. Wookieepedia describes them as “lifelong friends,” but one writer from Vulture suggests there’s more going on:

Whenever Chirrut launches into a spiel about the Force, a bemused Baze treats him like a spouse telling the umpteenth iteration of a well-worn anecdote.

I enjoyed their old-married-couple vibe, though I didn’t think much of it until a sweet little moment where Baze tells Chirrut that he doesn’t need the Force if he’s got him — something that a protective friend might say to his peer, of course, but also the kind of sentiment you’d end an interstellar Valentine’s Day note with.

Plus, the pair follow the standard “queer couples must come to a tragic end” trope, so there’s that.

8. C-3PO: Golden Gay Protocol Droid

There is absolutely no way to write this list without talking about C-3PO. The character’s portrayal as an über-gay droid runs stereotypical much of the time (he’s fussy and effeminate and talks like a Morrissey song lyric), but hey, the original trilogy began in the ‘70s. Plus, he probably has whatever the robot equivalent of PTSD is from being disassembled so many times.

9. R2D2: Pansexual, Agender

Of all the Star Wars queer characters, this little rolling trash can-shaped droid is quietly the queerest in the universe. He hits all the boxes: more or less agender, he whips that data probe out at every opportunity and he usually saves the galaxy as a result. The LGBTQ community would be proud to have R2D2 as one of our own.

What do you think of our list of Star Wars queer characters? Did we miss any you think belong on the list?

This story was originally published on April 17, 2017