I think it’s widely believed that Reylos are upset because Ben died. While absolutely true that we’re devastated that he was not given the opportunity to live, love and be loved, and atone for his actions, we are heartbroken for Rey.

It was a narrative CHOICE to make them a dyad. The writers chose this, and either chose to a) not consider, or b) not to care about how the consequences of that choice would affect their heroine going forward

Let’s sit with the term dyad within the SW universe for a sec

Rey and Ben can canonically see, hear, and touch each other across time and space. They can feel what the other is feeling. They have a unique understanding of one another. They are the SW equivalent of soulmates.

This is their words, not mine.

To sum up, the writers decided that they were to be bond mates, and that Ben would die and Rey would live.

That choice should then beg the question, what happens to a force user who loses their bond mate?

I can’t find the tweet, but I recall Pablo saying something to the effect of losing a bond mate is like losing a limb. Its absence will always be felt.

And if that is what it’s like to lose a bond mate, how much more so would it be like to lose a dyad partner?

You’re probably wondering what my point is, and it’s this: Rey is missing her other half. Her other half! That is not something you just “get over”! That’s not a void that can be easily filled with purpose, duty, and the love of friends and family.

“So you’d rather she just be miserable and alone and sad forever?” Of course not! But to not allow her time to grieve, or discuss, or even acknowledge that loss is not only unrealistic, it’s incredibly cruel.

It’s established that she has these wonderful friendships, and yet she’s not allowed to be honest with them about this indescribable loss she’s experienced.

And here’s why that’s a problem: it means she a) doesn’t trust them enough to talk about it with them openly, b) has compartmentalized the entire event, refusing to deal with it which is extremely unhealthy, or c) isn’t affected by it at all which makes her heartless and callous

For better or worse, these story decisions have been made. So how does Rey, and by extension we, move forward? I see three options

Option 1: Continue the current course. Have her bottle everything up, and never bring up Ben again

Pros: Could make for an interesting darkside plotline, repeating the mistakes of the past Jedi and such

Cons: Rey loses the characteristics we love about her, she’s just a vessel

Option 2: #savebensolo Reunite the dyad

Pros: Rey is not alone, Ben can help her bring and maintain balance in the force. The Skywalker legacy does not end in tragedy

Cons: They’d need to make another movie and walk back stuff, which I don’t believe they’re interested in doing

Option 3: Acknowledge Ben’s sacrifice, let Rey grieve

Pros: completes the myth, allows Rey to be both human and a Jedi. Let’s her, and by extension us, heal and move forward

Cons: Women experiencing complicated emotions is hard and scary, it’s depressing and uncomfortable /s

Recommendation: Option 3

Only by acknowledging Ben’s sacrifice and openly talking about the profound connection she shared with him will she (and we) be able to accept his loss, acknowledge and deal with the pain of that, and move forward.

Her complete lack of reaction at the end of TROS can reasonably be explained as her being in shock.

But, if they intend to continue her story in the future, her loss and pain must be addressed or else she, and those that love her, will never be able to move on in a healthy way.

For the record, I would legit weep for joy if they decided to bring Ben back. But if I’m honest, I don’t really trust anyone but Rian, Adam, Daisy, and maybe Dave Filoni to do that story justice. And since that is looking less and less likely to happen, I recommend option 3.