The Barbie movie took the world by storm and fan theories are pouring in left and right. Especially Barbie and Ken's relationship is a topic that needs further explanation, but not every theory is PG-13.
First things first: if you haven't seen Barbie yet, what are you even doing? Eh, I mean – beware of slight spoilers!
Because you see, Barbie and Ken's relationship is a huge plot point in the movie. Barbie's not interested at all in Ken's advances, frustrating him to no end. Fans have been speculating about the reasons for that, and one theory is actually kind of disturbing. Let's call it the Game of Thrones theory.
Barbie And Ken Are Based On Siblings
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken surely make a pretty gorgeous looking couple in the movie, making Barbie a lot stronger than me – I couldn't resist if Ryan Gosling asked me to stay the night.
Except if he was my brother. Ruth Handler's iconic dolls were named after real people: her children Barbara and Ken. Keep it in the family, huh?
Don't worry, though: canonically, Barbie and Ken are not related, neither in "real life" nor in Barbieland, so there's nothing going on there that should spark concern. It's a whole plot point that there's nothing going on, in fact. There's another theory to explain that that makes a whole lot more sense than being siblings, though!
Viral TikTok Theory Explains Barbie And Ken's Relationship (Or Lack Thereof)
TikTok user callmeashbash points out a throwaway line in the movie that could explain why Barbie isn't interested in Ken romantically and her theory has since gone viral.
@callmeashbash I'm going to watch this again this week. Who's with me #barbiemovie #kenandbarbie #gloriaandbarbie
original sound - AshBash
And it does make sense: Gloria's consciousness is directly linked to Barbie's, sparking her identity crisis in the first place. At one point, Gloria shares that she never had a Ken doll. And if Gloria doesn't need a Ken doll, why would Barbie need a Ken?
Barbie's lack of interest in Ken wasn't really explained in the movie, even though Ken was literally designed to be her boyfriend. The linked-consciousness thing actually is a pretty good guess as to why that is, though.
But don't forget that Barbie's a strong, independent woman in her own right! And also don't forget Ken's respect for Barbie's decision – he's (K)enough without her as well.