‘Star Wars Resistance’ Outs Orka and Flix as Franchise’s First Openly Gay Couple
In a gay galaxy far, far away, the Disney Channel original animated series “Star Wars Resistance” is lightyears ahead of the rest of the franchise’s live-action counterparts: Orka and Flix, the duo operating the Office of Acquisitions in the Colossus, are in fact an openly gay couple. Not only are they gay lovers — they’re two different species. The leggier Flix is a Gozzo, while the stouter Orka is a Chadra-Fan.
Their relationship status was confirmed by “Star Wars Resistance” executive producers Athena Portillo, Justin Ridge, and Brandon Auman, who appeared on an episode of the podcast “Coffee With Kenobi” hosted by Drew Taylor.
“I think it’s safe to say they’re an item, absolutely,” Ridge said. “They’re absolutely a gay couple and we’re proud of that. We love Flix and Orka.” Bobby Moynihan voices Orka, and his boyfriend Flix is voiced by Jim Rash.
Fans evidently gathered that Orka and Flix were an item back in the season one episode of “Resistance” titled “Dangerous Business,” in which they discuss going to visit Flix’s mother. (Check out the clip below.)
It’s been an open question over when “Star Wars” was going to step it up, if at all, with LGBTQ visibility ever since J.J. Abrams affirmed, back in the days of “The Force Awakens,” his commitment to fostering more inclusion for queer characters throughout the series. Mostly baseless fan theories swirl about that Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) are secretly shtupping in the “Skywalker Saga.”
Ahead of 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” it was confirmed by co-writer Jonathan Kasdan that Lando Calrissian (played by Donald Glover) is pansexual. During an Entertainment Weekly interview, Glover weighed in about the character’s sexuality to say, “How can you not be pansexual in space? There are so many things to have sex with. I didn’t think that was that weird. Yeah, he’s coming on to everybody. It just didn’t seem that weird to me ‘cause I feel like if you’re in space it’s kind of like, the door is open! It’s like, no, only guys or girls. No, it’s anything. This thing is literally a blob. Are you a man or a woman? Like, who cares? Have good time out here.”
It was also observed in 2016’s “Rogue One” that Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) had some old married couple vibes going on. (Former Vulture scribe Kyle Buchanan convincingly made the case.)
The second and final season of “Star Was Resistance” premieres Sunday, October 6.