I’ve been trying to figure out why Swan Queen always felt more real to me than Captain Swan, and I think it comes down to this:
Emma didn’t just need someone who loved her…she needed someone who understood her.
With Hook, it always felt like Emma was being loved for who she should be. The hero. The saviour. The “good” person. And whenever she struggled or pulled away, it created tension like she wasn’t meeting that version of herself. Even in big moments like the Dark Swan arc, his reaction came from hurt and anger rather than understanding. It felt like pressure for her to be someone, instead of space to just be herself.
But with Regina, it was completely different.
Regina understood Emma’s darkness because she had lived it. She didn’t expect Emma to be perfect or “good” all the time. Regina saw all of her, and stayed anyway. Emma didn’t have to explain herself in the same way. There was this unspoken understanding between them that just… existed.
And the show knew that. Emma literally says Regina is the one who understands her, even when she has Hook and her parents in her life.
When you look at their actions:
– Regina goes with Emma to find Lily
– Regina risks everything to save her in the Wish Realm
– Emma trusts Regina with the dagger and goes dark for her
That kind of trust doesn’t come from romance being written in…it comes from a relationship being built. With Hook, a lot of it felt like we were told it was this epic love story. With Regina, we were shown a deep connection built over time.
So I don’t think it’s really about “which ship is better”. For me it’s about emotional compatibility.
Emma and Regina felt like two people who truly saw each other. And once you notice that, it’s hard not to feel like that was the relationship that made the most sense.
