How Can Anyone Even Say That Rey Didn’t Have Feelings For Ben Solo? I Won’t Even Go Back To TLJ Because

How can anyone even say that Rey didn’t have feelings for Ben Solo? I won’t even go back to TLJ because that’s been discussed plenty, but she literally says in TRoS:

“I did want to take your hand. Ben’s hand.”

Rey has always loved Ben Solo, but she knew she could never be with him while he was still self-destructive and hiding behind the persona of Kylo Ren.

Her love declaration for the real man behind the mask is the turning point for Ben. He makes amends with his father and decides to kill Kylo Ren for once and for all.

And when he comes back for her, this is the look on her face. She sheds a tear and smiles because she’s not alone anymore. Ben Solo came back for her. Tell me how this isn’t the face of someone who is completely and utterly in love?

(x)

Ben has been the only one who Rey has ever looked at like this. This much love in her eyes has always been exclusive to Ben Solo (that’s why when this shot appeared in the trailer we all knew right away that she was looking at him).

And when she comes back to life and finds herself in Ben’s arms, this is her reaction:

(x)

She has the biggest smile as she whispers his name, because the man she loves just saved her, they are both alive and they can finally be together. Look how soft she is - this is a Rey we have never seen before. This is a happy, fulfilled Rey.

She then tenderly touches his cheek, because she’s been craving to touch Ben Solo again ever since they touched hands. It’s almost like she can’t believe that he’s there with her, that he’s real and that she finally gets to be with him.

And here, look at her cheeks and her eyes in this GIF:

 (x)

You can tell that she keeps smiling at him and taking small glances at his lips the whole time.

Look how genuinely happy and hopeful she is just before she kisses him. And I repeat, she is the one who takes the initiative to KISS him. And she does it because she loves him and has been wanting to kiss him for a long time. 

And she smiles into the kiss. Because she’s feeling the love pouring from it in every single bone of her body.

(x)

And when they finally pull apart, this is the way she’s looking at him. She sighs, probably trying to catch her breath because her heart is beating super fast. All of this while having the biggest hearteyes. 

And then she looks at his lips again. She wants to go for round 2:

But then she realizes that something’s wrong, that his life is fading away from the Force and you can feel her heart breaking just by the expression on her face.

It was dirty and nonsensical that this was basically the only reaction we got out of her to his death, but that’s in line with this film not being able to stop for a second and let the characters breathe and feel. And they knew they couldn’t end this with the protagonist crying and looking sad AF, because they wanted to sell this ending as something happy and hopeful instead of the tragedy that it is, so they just shoved all of Rey’s pain and mourning aside. 

Adam’s acting has been praised a lot (and rightfully so, he’s terrific), but I think Daisy was equally amazing in this scene and was absolutely playing a head over heels in love with Ben Solo Rey in this moment.

So is there really any doubt that Rey loved Ben just as much as he loved her? Please.

Ben Solo is the love of Rey’s life, the man she loved and will always love. And that is canon.