Scroll of Joxer, The Lionhearted.

[potedeiabard]

So, I wanted to talk about Gabrielle's relationship to Joxer and his status as a soulmate*.

*Note: this is a highly debated thing, but it's not necessarily canon unlike Xena and Gabrielle's status as SOULMATES. Him being a soulmate is more of a headcanon!



A lot of people have debated against calling Joxer as a soulmate to Xena and Gabrielle. There's a multitude of reasons and things, but most of the time it's because people not believing that soulmates could be more than romantic in a sense. As stated before, Mun believes in the idea of soulmates -- not necessarily romantically -- and believes Joxer is a part of Xena and Gabrielle, even if not constant.

Undeniably, Xena and Gabrielle have a bond so strong they're entertwined as lovers throughout history while Joxer and Gabrielle/Xena are friends. There's the distinction, they are just friends. Gabrielle, Xena and Joxer are buddies, and they've been seen together in some reincarnations -- though with different (ish) personas. I personally have a lot of gripes about how the writers handled Joxer in itself (and how they missed a great opportunity to make a male character that challenged many preconceived notions of what a hero was -- namely Iolaus and Herc, but I'm not here for this, yet), but I'm glad they kept Joxer a friend in general, even if they at times tested the waters with a possible romance brewing up between the blonde bard and the lionhearted dopey. Well, actually, sometimes it enraged me when Joxer was made to be creepier, but I digress.

Here's the thing, it happened. They kissed once or twice, Gabrielle was under the influence of Cupid's arrows when she was in love with him, but he genuinely fell for her over time which was a really sad ending for the comedic episode this was in. His attraction to Xena and Gabrielle was something that never came to be more than a friendship and like in the gif above, Gabrielle explains that she doesn't love Joxer the way he wants. He comes in terms with it, a bit clumsily, but he does. After that, he remains a loyal friend that preserves them and their stories in a tavern in Sicily. He moves on with his life, but he devotes to keep their deeds and memories alive for the ages to come.

Back on topic. What does Gabrielle feel about Joxer? At times, she was a bit mean to him -- for the 'Haha' of the show, naturally -- but when danger came time and time again she defended and cared for Joxer, she also respected him and his bravery, despite not being proficient in battle. His desire to be and do good was something Gabrielle saw. He did everything he could for Xena and Gabrielle and even understood their relationship (when the writers weren't trying to make him a toxic weird friend), rather than trying to break them up or maliciously pit them against one another. He was there, he was a friend and a helper, a young man trying to find his footing in a world surrounded by violence. Gabrielle believes in Xena plenty, she believes in the good of a lot of people, and she also believes in Joxer. She loves Joxer, but she does not love him in the same length she loves Xena. That's the important part to note.

I hope that explains everything.


TL;DR is Joxer is a soulmate but not really on the same level as Gabrielle and Xena. He's a loyal friend to them both, often set to remain as just a friend. It's not the usual definition of Soulmate, but rather a broader one.