#they are soulmates they have fallen in love on every planet thats why ajak was like OK go tell her how you feel

[winterseige]

As a person who connected with Ikersi I am giving my two cents!

They're a classic case of "love isn't enough". They love each other. Practically flaunt their relationship in everyone's faces when they're together because they're that wrapped up in each other and don't care about anyone else.

I want to know which part of the movie where they flaunt each other when they’re together, and they did not care about anyone else but themselves. Cause during the flashbacks we see them together alone only during the scene in the rocks, the other times they were together was when they were at the village and they weren’t wrapped up in each other because all the time they were interacting with the humans and learning about their culture. And the other major ikersi moment was the wedding in which I understand is their day and it isn’t weddings supposed to be for the couple? They are the highlight because they are getting married. And if they did not care about anyone else why even invite the other eternals to the wedding. Saying that they don’t care about anyone else when Ikaris even had to reassure Ajak that his feelings won’t affect their mission, in my opinion dismissing how they love the other eternals.

But it's not enough. At their core, Sersi and Ikaris are very different people and motivated by very different things. Eventually those things get in the way and they have to let each other go. They simply don't share enough common ground in terms of ideals to make things work which is why ultimately they break up.

If we talk about "core" then we talk about the sole reason that they were made and it was to defend creatures from the deviants in that case they shouldn't even be that different. I agree that at some level they both are different people motivated by different things, Ikaris was designed as a loyal soldier and I think that’s one of the reasons Ajak chose to tell him about the emergence, this is ultimately I believe the reason why they separated. Ikaris said that he left because he couldn’t lie to Sersi and couldn’t bear to see her get hurt when the time comes that they have to let the people of the earth die. Saying that they don’t have common ground when at the very beginning Ikaris was willing to be with the people and to learn about them and their language. Which at the beginning I can see that he did that for Sersi but who are we to say that he won’t eventually love the humans if he had the chance? But he isolated himself because what if he did have the connection with the humans, then he would be hurt himself right?

Sersi loves the humans. Is practically one of them, that's how much she loves living among them and being with them. They fascinate her and she respects them undlessly. Ikaris couldn't care less. He sees them as lesser or expendable.

He is designed that way! They all are. And aren’t humans really less and expendable? We live short and weak as hell, if I was an eternal I would think that way as well, it is what differs Sersi from other eternals because of her love for humans on the moment she saw the planet. But saying that Ikaris couldn’t REALLY care less about the humans is a bit stretch when at the beginning he was learning how pottery, learning about their language and then we see in this scene,

we see him assure the child that she’s safe. He could have left and not have done that but he did. And Ikaris isolated himself because again, he was burnded by the emergence, he had to leave the only person that gives him joy and the chance to know and interact with humans because it would have been too painful. He was beginning to care, if it’s by Sersi’s influence then what of it? Who are people to say he couldn’t change his views when the knowledge of the emergence stopped him to have this strong attachment to humans.

Sersi is unable to understand Ikaris loyalty to Arishem.

He said sorry, she knew why. I thought this was enough to let the viewers know that Sersi understood why he did what he had to do. Sersi approached Ikaris here, she was the one who consoled him and even touched their foreheads together.

Ikaris is unable to understand Sersi's love of the humans.

??????? He doesn’t??? He knew how Sersi loved the humans, I think it's even one of the reasons why he was drawn to her, because it gives him a bit of humanity to him as well, he knew well enough that if she knew about the emergence and could not do anything about it, she would SUFFER.

At the end they reach a point where they respect each other but the love they have has changed.

This is funny to me because at the end, Ikaris didn’t even laser eye beam, couldn't even hold his energy on his eyes because guess what… his love is still the same, he reminisced the love that they had and the love that he has for her. He loved her enough to sacrifice his loyalty to Arishem for HER….. have we missed that part?? In Sersi's perspective her love might have changed and I couldnt not blame her for that, she was the one who got left, she was the one who waited for Ikaris to come back but he didnt and to be angry about that is valid. But to say that Ikaris love has changed defeats the purpose of the flashback cause he still very much love her. And we also have this scene when he said he don't mind leaving the world but he only wishes he would remember her and even confesses that he still loves her so, his love has not changed.

Can't help thinking about the major differences between the three Eternals couples and how, in a way, they're all both parallels and foils for each other.

Sersi and Ikaris are the main couple of the film but the fact that they don't work together is also plain. I mean everyone points out their lack of chemistry but I can't help but feel like that was the point.

They're a classic case of "love isn't enough". They love each other. Practically flaunt their relationship in everyone's faces when they're together because they're that wrapped up in each other and don't care about anyone else. But it's not enough. At their core, Sersi and Ikaris are very different people and motivated by very different things. Eventually those things get in the way and they have to let each other go. They simply don't share enough common ground in terms of ideals to make things work which is why ultimately they break up. Sersi isn't even all that sad about the separation and we know it's been a while so obviously that's the reason but even so, there's an acceptance in her even when she meets Ikaris again. It's an acceptance that things are over and that they're better off that way too.

Sersi loves the humans. Is practically one of them, that's how much she loves living among them and being with them. They fascinate her and she respects them undlessly. Ikaris couldn't care less. He sees them as lesser or expendable. He can tolerate being around them for Sersi but it's not enough for him to change his views on them. He loves her so he does this thing for her except it's not something as simple as sharing a hobby. To Sersi these humans are important. To Ikaris they are not. There is a fundamental divide between ideals here that love simply cannot bridge. They have love. But they do not have understanding. Sersi is unable to understand Ikaris loyalty to Arishem. Ikaris is unable to understand Sersi's love of the humans. And even without understanding, they do not have respect for each others choices, not because they don't want to, but because their choices are on such opposite sides of the spectrum that reaching a middle ground is impossible.

At the end they reach a point where they respect each other but the love they have has changed. They cannot walk the same path and so they turn away from each other and go to walk their own.

Then we have Druig and Makkari.

In a way they're closest to Sersi and Ikaris. Druig is a lot like Ikaris in how stubborn he is and how strongly he stands his ground. But he's a lot like Sersi too in how much he loves the humans and values them for their humanity. Makkari is also Sersi. She loves the humans too. But she loves what they create more and like Ikaris she cannot understand them in why they destroy what they create. But Makkari not understanding the humans doesn't lessen her compassion for them. And Druig not trusting the humans to their own devices doesn't lessen his respect for them as a whole.

In their case, love is enough. Because they have common values. They can weather a separation that comes from a disagreement on this fundamental ideal because they share enough of their other ideals to make it work. Makkari doesn't believe the humans should be controlled. Druig agrees to an extent. It's why he doesn't take over the whole world as he tells Sersi. But he needs his peace of mind and to do that he does control some of them. Makkari respects that is his decision even if she doesn't agree with it.

Everyone says they're best friends to lovers which is true. They are. They know each other inside out. They know each other's highs and lows and support them through it (the "Stay strong" scene). Their relationship is still new in a way or hasn't even really begun which is why they're still playful and childish with each other. They're youthful in their love because it's what they both are. Playful and mischievous. Both like teasing and tricking and playing around. Their personalities mesh in that way as well. They have their differences, but they accept those about each other. They don't just have love. They have understanding and respect for each others choices as well. That's why they work, unlike Sersi and Ikaris. They're able to reach a middle ground even with their disagreement. They have taken the time to grow in themselves apart form each other and come back together when they are ready to grow together. They respect themselves and each other enough to understand that they needed that time apart and once they have come into themselves enough, they are ready to prioritize their relationship together. If they had not done that they would have crashed and burned.

And finally we have Gilgamesh and Thena.

These two can be juxtaposed really nicely with Sersi and Ikaris because unlike those two who are married in name, Gil and Thena are married in action. The whole "In sickness and in health" vow is reminiscent of their relationship because Gilgamesh spends his entire time on Earth after their mission caring for Thena. He says he would "do it again, on every planet." meaning he does not regret it and even if it is difficult (because caring for an ill person is always difficult) he thinks it is worth it. That their relationship is worth it.

Thena and Gilgamesh are two people who love each other, understand each other inside and out and are on the exact same page. She's a warrior goddess and he's a warrior god. Their specializations/powers are matching. They are in perfect harmony even in battle and afterwards they help dust each other off and walk away from the wreckage.

Gilgamesh holding his hand out for Thena after they finish fighting off the deviant in the beginning of the film is very gentlemanly behavior which kind of parallels with Ikaris' propriety in approaching too, further drawing out both the similarities and differences between them.

Gil and Thena are the actual married couple. They have spent every high and low together. They are not just best friendsike Druig and Makkari but they are more because they have grown together and with each other and accommodated each other's growth. We don't see it but it's woven into that relationship. They are strong alone but together they are unstoppable. Their every move is coordinated because they have known each other so long they are so finely in tune with each other and so even if they aren't married in name, we can see they are married in actions.

The Eternals are split into Thinkers and Fighters and its important to note the dichotomy of these in the couples too.

Sersi and Ikaris are a Thinker and Fighter.

Druig and Makkari are a Thinker and Fighter.

Thena and Gilgamesh are Fighter and Fighter.

Drukkari and Ikersi are the same in this regard. They're not exactly on the same page with each other however, as mentioned earlier, Drukkari have an acceptance of each other's choices that Ikersi do not have. This fundament difference in how they go about their relationships is what makes them last. Gilgathena tho, are the exact same category. They're both Fighters, representative of them being on the exact same page completely.

All three couples have their differences from each other but all three also draw remarkable similarities as well which contrast each other enough to act as foils.

Which is why, it's easy to see that Sersi and Ikaris are the couple who tried but couldn't make it work, Druig and Makkari are the couple who know how to settle their differences enough to make it work and Thena and Gilgamesh are the couple who have already withstood the test of time to enforce the strength of their relationship.

I just think it's beautiful that, whether intentional or not, for all the different types of love discussed in Eternals already, there's this clear contrast in all types of romantic love depicted too.

The wizened love that depicts constancy and a long age spent together.

The playful intense love that depicts youth and freshness but something you build to last.

And the worn and weary love that was once bright but now weathered to a good friendship and deep respect but can be nothing more.

Anyway that's just something I had in mind so I wrote up this little think piece. Wouldkbe to hear other opinions on this as well.