Willow: A sequel we’re actually thankful for

Completely new to the world of Willow, when we first heard that Disney+ was going to release a sequel series to Ron Howard and George Lucas’ 1988 fantasy film of the same name and that it would have major queer representation, we were skeptical, to say the least.

We know what ‘representation’ generally looks like in Disney productions; it’s well known that you can’t expect too much from anything that comes with the ‘Family Friendly’ stamp of approval from Mickey Mouse’s parent company. But not even 20 minutes into the first episode, Willow makes it 100% clear that the show will be special and that one of the main romantic plot lines that the audience will be able to enjoy in its 8-episodes run, is, in fact, sapphic. And we’re not going to lie, we screamed with excitement at the realization that the rumors were true.

It’s rare to find sapphic representation on mainstream television and even rarer on Disney-owned productions. Willow seems to be the exception to the rule with a queer main character who not only has a same-sex love interest but also is someone who doesn’t fall into stereotypes. Additionally, her sexuality isn’t the only defining aspect of her character. 

The show goes one step even further and also features a set of cleverly coded queer characters that give the story a very rainbow-inclusive feel that we absolutely adored. So yes, folks, Willow is every bit as queer as the Internet says with a sapphic love story at the center of its plot. But let’s dig a little deeper into this Lucasfilm fantasy world, shall we?

Willow, a recap of the past and present

If, like us, you’re completely new to the world of Willow, don’t worry, you don’t need to have prior knowledge of the story to enjoy the series. Disney+ Willow does a very good job of giving its audience a quick rundown of the events that took place in the 80s movie so that new and returning folks alike can fully understand or remember the story and the role old and new characters will have in this new adventure.

In the original movie, as in any good fantasy, there’s a prophecy that says that a child born bearing a special rune will bring about Queen Bavmorda’s (Jean Marsh) downfall. Despite the Queen’s best efforts, the baby (who is a girl named Elora Danan) manages to survive and ends up in the hands of two unlikely heroes – the film and show’s namesake sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) and a boastful mercenary swordsman named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) – who embark on an adventure to save her, destroy the Queen, and free the Kingdom of Tir Asleen from its curse.

Willow (TV) picks up almost 20 years after this with Queen Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) now ruling Tir Asleen after having turned against her own mother, Queen Bavmorda, to join Willow and her soon-to-be-husband Madmartigan on their quest to save Elora. Narrated by Sorsha herself, the series quickly establishes itself by informing the audience what happened to the baby and how her true identity was concealed from everyone (including herself) to protect her and the Kingdom.

As it turns out, shortly after returning home from their first adventure, Willow had a vision that one day an ancient evil known as the Gales would rise again and destroy the future Empress (aka Elora), bringing with it a new dark age. Queen Sorsha then decided that the best thing they could do for Tir Asleen’s future was to hide Elora away despite Willow’s desire to train her in the arts of magic from an early age.

But Willow’s vision was clear and the time to face the Gales finally comes when a group of magical creatures attack the castle at night and kidnap one of Queen Sorsha and the now-missing King Madmartigan’s twin children, Prince Airk (Dempsey Bryk), to take him to a place past the Shattered Sea where no one dares to follow. But dare they must if they want to see the prince alive again, so Princess Kit (Ruby Cruz), along with her best friend (and girlfriend-to-be) Jade (Erin Kellyman), assemble a party of misfits to go on a quest to rescue the princess’ brother. But this is a dangerous quest, so Queen Sorsha advises them that to succeed they must first find Willow and enlist his aid.

And that’s how this new adventure begins.

Kit and Jade, a beautiful friends-to-lovers story

Following the path that the film followed, our new set of characters resembles a good D&D campaign and we absolutely loved that. There are characters who are powerful and skilled right off the bat, but also a couple more who find out how special they are along the way, which helps keep the show moving and the audiences guessing how they’ll all come together in the end to save Airk.

But this is a queer magazine, so while we’d love to talk in more detail about the main plot of the show, the twists and turns, and how entertaining it actually is, we want to focus a bit more on the romantic aspect of it. More specifically in the budding romance between Kit and Jade, aka our new favorite couple. Because they are absolutely adorable!

At the beginning of the story, we meet Kit and Jade during a training scene on a cliff as the two face off on top of some rocks. The scene itself is perfect because it makes it evidently clear that although these two are just ‘best friends’ at that point, something more powerful is blossoming between them – and it’s glorious.

Before all hell breaks lose and our heroes are forced to leave to save Prince Airk, Kit and Jade are somewhat at odds with each other. Kit is a princess and her mother has arranged a marriage for her to Prince Graydon of Galladoorn (Tony Revolori) to unite the Kingdoms, and Jade is leaving Tir Asleen to train to become the first-ever female Knight of Galladoorn – something she’s dreamed of her whole life. So any chance for these two to actually act on their feelings for each other seems impossible.

But Kit doesn’t want to be a princess or marry Prince Graydon, she wants to go on adventures like she believes her father did once. So, before her family can force her into a loveless marriage, she decides to run away. Kit hadn’t taken the news that Jade was leaving to become a knight very well, so before leaving, she goes to her friend’s quarters to tell her that she believes she’ll make a wonderful knight and to say goodbye to her, she kisses her right on the mouth *squeals*

Jade loves Kit, that’s painfully obvious, but she takes her sense of duty and honor very seriously, and while her feelings for the princess are clear to her, she doesn’t want to give up on the opportunity to make her dream come true. But before they can actually talk about what’s going to happen to them or address the elephant in the room, the castle comes under siege, and the mission to rescue Kit’s twin brother begins.

Honestly, we thought that Willow – being a Disney production – was going to either sweep Kit and Jade’s feelings for each other under the rug in order to develop the main plot or at best very subtlely address their relationship and leave what they meant to each other to the public’s interpretation – nothing too graphic. But we were wrong, folks!

We don’t want to spoil the story for you because y’all deserve to see it unfold in all its gay glory, but suffice it to say, it’s right there at the forefront of it all and it’s absolutely brilliant. The chemistry between these two is next level and all their scenes together, especially after episode 5, are absolutely perfect. So if you are here for the queer representation, we have a feeling that you’re going to adore these two badass ladies. 100% guaranteed. 

Overall, Willow is a series that we think a lot of people could enjoy whether they tune in for the queer representation or not. It’s a fantasy series full of action, love, friendship, and beautiful landscapes. Like its predecessor, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which helps balance the humor with the seriousness of the story.

And although we agree with some critics that some aspects of the show seem a bit campy, we think it’s important to remember that this show, like many reboots we’ve seen of late, is geared towards newer generations. Does that mean that old fans of the franchise can’t watch it? Absolutely not, but it’s important to remember this because if you’re here expecting to see the same Willow you saw back in 1988, then we have to warn you that you won’t find it.

But anygays, we really hope we get to see more of Willow in the near future (Disney, give us a second season please!), because this story is far from over and we’re dying to know what’s in store for all our favorite characters, especially after that ending.

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All episodes of Willow are available to stream exclusively on Disney+. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff!