Poe Dameron's space jewelry has a swoon-worthy romantic backstory

Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Such is the magnetism of Oscar Isaac that we shipped Poe Dameron with basically anyone who shared screentime with him in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

But two movies into Poe's story, we're still waiting for him to get a clearly defined love interest. Apparently, so is he.

Observant viewers may have noticed the Resistance pilot sporting a ring on a chain around his neck. You can see it in the Last Jedi IMAX poster if you look real close:

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Well, according to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi Visual Dictionary, that piece of jewelry has a special significance.

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Yep, that ring was his mom's wedding band, and he's hoping to "share it someday with the right partner." Awww. And here we thought our crush on Poe couldn't get any bigger.

The choice of wording there is noteworthy, too. As pointed out above, "partner" is a gender-neutral term, and Poe's sexual orientation has never been confirmed in the canon.

In theory, then, this theoretical love interest could be of any gender. That's especially interesting given how many fans believe (or hope) that Poe has a thing for Finn.

(And no, despite what John Boyega has to say, The Last Jedi doesn't actually confirm anything about "which way it's going." It only confirms that Rose has eyes for Finn. Finn's feelings remain up for debate.)

Like so many other blockbuster franchises, Star Wars has dragged its feet when it comes to LGBTQ characters onscreen. It's one thing for Mark Hamill to say Luke's orientation is open to interpretation by fans, or for a tie-in novel to hint that Laura Dern's Holdo could be queer.

But visibly, explicitly queer characters? That's something these films have yet to show us.

Fans have definitely noticed the dearth of queer characters in Star Wars. So have the filmmakers, whether it's Kathleen Kennedy calling for "many more gay people" in the galaxy, or Rian Johnson saying that queer representation is something "we need to do."

The good news is that there's an easy fix. Star Wars can just, y'know, put a gay character in a movie.

For what it's worth, Episode IX director J.J. Abrams has insisted that "of course" there will be gay characters in future Star Wars movies. "When I talk about inclusivity it’s not excluding gay characters."

Of course, he made that promise in 2016, after The Force Awakens hit theaters but before he knew he'd be back to direct Episode IX. It remains to be seen whether he'll actually keep that promise – or do what so many other filmmakers have before him, and pay lip service to the idea while quietly passing the buck.

If Abrams does decide to make good on it – well, Poe Dameron is right there, ring in hand, smoldering at everyone, just waiting to meet the right person of an unspecified gender.

C'mon, Abrams. Don't leave the guy hanging.