I wrote a story about Star Wars, Reylo, and the inbreeding coefficient in the Startup — Medium’s largest active publication.

Science vs. Star Wars: Cousin Kylo and the inbreeding coefficient

Here’s a teaser:

Hopeless romantics, myself included, wait with bated breath for the final installment of the 9-episode-long saga of the rise and fall (and rise again) of the Skywalker dynasty, but not because we care what happens to the Resistance or to the First Order or even what happens to some of our favorite supporting characters. (But if Chewbacca dies, I walk).

No, we’re really here for “Reylo.”

A portmanteau for the ages, “Reylo” combines “Rey” — the name of the Resistance’s scrappy heroine — with “Kylo” Ren, aka Ben Solo — the troubled space boi who kills his dad, Han. Star Wars episodes 7 and 8 tease a possible romantic connection between the two characters, through intimate Force-chats and lightsaber-wielding teamwork.

Some fans love to ship “Reylo,” while others love to hate it. With Episode 9 just around the corner, long-dormant “Reylo” reddit threads, fanfic forums, and Twitter memes are waking up, and I’m reminded that many of us are pondering the same question that’s at the heart of Episodes 7–9: are Rey and Kylo related?

Kylo Ren is the son of Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker’s sister, while Rey’s mysterious parentage and her natural aptitude with the Force hint at familial ties to the Skywalker dynasty (what’s her midichlorian count, anyway?).

So, what if — as many hypothesize — Rey is actually Luke Skywalker’s daughter, secreted away on a remote desert planet?

This would make Rey and Kylo first cousins and our Reylo dreams would be dashed.

Or… would they?

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