MCU: 5 Reasons Natasha & Yelena Are The Best Siblings (& 5 Why It’s Gamora & Nebula)

Content Warning: This article contains references to abuse and violence

The Marvel Cinematic Universe heavily invests in the concept of family, with many pairs of siblings present, including T’Challa and Shuri, Thor and Loki, Nebula and Gamora, and Natasha and Yelena. The latter two pairings are known mainly for being adoptive siblings raised in a harsh environment, where they were forced to train as assassins.

Although both sets of siblings initially had strained relationships as they closed themselves off, they did eventually let their guards down in front of the audience, allowing them to see how much they loved one another. All things considered, both pairs of sisters had times where their familial love brought the best out of them and it’s worth taking a deeper look into why Natasha/Yelena and Gamora/Nebula have one of the best (albeit complex) sibling relationships.

10 Natasha/Yelena: Their Fight Styles Are Synchronized

With there being so many similarities between the two sisters, many MCU fans can’t seem to figure out if it’s Natasha or Yelena that makes the better spy. As seen in Black Widow, they have the same fighting style and are even synchronized when battling each other.

However, when it came to working together, this trait benefitted them greatly as it was this kind of harmony that allowed the duo to take down their enemies without having to deal with saving the other. They also linked up well to become a fearsome team that could fight droves just by themselves. Nebula and Gamora were shown training together in Avengers: Endgame in 2014, but it was clear that neither was willing to let up their strategy and it resulted in a show of one-upmanship.

9 Gamora/Nebula: They Were Never Truly Estranged

Although Nebula claimed to hate being around Gamora, the truth is that they were always together, save for a couple of months between the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Even after Gamora joined the Guardians, she made a significant effort to win Nebula’s trust back and did just that after the conflict with Ego.

No matter how much they have quarreled, the sisters were a team for the most part. This was also seen when they fought for Thanos, as the siblings were always paired together. Natasha and Yelena were estranged for a very long time, especially since they were separated when they were children and Yelena seemed to blame Natasha for abandoning her.

8 Natasha/Yelena: Love For Yelena Allowed Natasha To Redeem Herself

There were numerous unanswered questions about Natasha Romanoff before Black Widow, with the mystery of Budapest being the most striking one. It was revealed that she had harmed Dreykov’s daughter, Antonia, in her attempt to kill him – a memory she had tried to suppress from her conscience for years.

It was after reconnecting with Yelena and becoming protective of her sister that Natasha realized how much she had hurt Antonia and redeemed herself by removing Antonia’s mind control. Her sister’s love empowered Natasha to make up for past sins, which showed the kind of impact their relationship had on her morality.

7 Gamora/Nebula: They Were Each Other’s Support Through Trying Times

Neither Gamora nor Nebula would have survived the upbringing they received from Thanos had it not been for their bond. Although the Black Order were also their siblings, none of them had any affection or support to provide, while Nebula and Gamora endured the harsh training by relying on each other to retain their emotions.

This is in contrast to Natasha and Yelena, where Natasha wasn’t involved in Yelena’s life by the time their Black Widow training started. It’s a notable achievement on Gamora and Nebula’s part that they could have a sibling relationship considering they were daughters of the Mad Titan.

6 Natasha/Yelena: There’s More Laughter In Their Relationship

The Black Widow siblings are more entertaining to follow due to their knack for pulling each other’s legs. They enjoyed happy times during their three-year period as a proper family while retaining this fun energy, even after they became spies.

It was evident in the way Yelena teased Natasha about her superhero pose and the latter poking fun at Yelena’s childish attitude. Had circumstances not driven them apart, the sisters would have had a well-rounded relationship with lots of joyous memories. Gamora and Nebula’s dynamic has been comedic for viewers because of Nebula’s awkward attitude and Gamora’s exasperation toward it, but their relationship in-universe hasn’t been filled with laughter.

5 Gamora/Nebula: They Can Open Up To Each Other Over Their Grief

For two people who were trained to rid themselves of their emotions, Gamora and Nebula certainly defied this order by embracing their grief. After reconciling, Gamora encouraged her sister to share her deep-seated sadness of Thanos’ abuse, which allowed Nebula to be vulnerable for once and led to her change for the better.

This turned up once again when Nebula appealed to the time-traveling Gamora in Avengers: Endgame, which enabled the latter to turn on Thanos and join the heroes. Natasha and Yelena only reached this point by the end of Black Widow.

4 Natasha/Yelena: They Learned To Love Through Their Bond

Yelena was shown mourning Natasha’s demise following the Blip. This was a moment of vulnerability from Yelena, as she lost the person who had essentially taught her how to feel.

The sisters didn’t have any biological family they knew of and their early memories were with each other. Since the only genuine bond they had was with each other, it meant that Natasha and Yelena’s familial love was how they learned what this emotion felt like. While Gamora and Nebula’s relationship is just as strong and true as Natasha and Yelena’s, they are only discovering this connection now.  

3 Gamora/Nebula: They Go To Any Length To Save Each Other

Thanos’ Snap wouldn’t have been possible had Gamora not given up the location of Vormir, as she had to save Nebula from his torture. Similarly, Nebula became stranded on Titan as a result of following Thanos there in hopes of finding Gamora and even tussled with her extremely powerful father over it.

The greatest indication of their limitless care for one another was when Nebula killed her time-traveled variant to save Gamora. Yelena and Natasha would definitely have done the same after their reconciliation but they didn’t interfere in each other’s lives when either was under threat before the events of Black Widow.

2 Natasha/Yelena: They’re Not Codependent

While her future appearances will answer more questions about Yelena’s Black Widow, it’s clear that her relationship with Natasha wasn’t about relying on her completely. The siblings could function independently while their presence in each other’s lives was a splendid bonus that brought the calm of family.

The downside of Gamora and Nebula’s relationship was that they could be left feeling lost and confused when separated, with Gamora relying on the Guardians to fill the absence of Nebula and the latter becoming too much like a killing machine when on their own. However, that’s not to say it will stay this way. With the Guardians set to make appearances in Thor 4 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it is likely the writer will develop their characters further.

1 Gamora/Nebula: They Shaped Each Other’s Personalities

Gamora and Nebula didn’t really know who they were since Thanos took them in at such a young age. This means that whatever personality they ended up happening was shaped through their interactions, as Gamora became more of a protective older sister figure while Nebula was the fiery, younger variant.

Natasha and Yelena craved their time as a family but it lasted only three years and their eventual tough personalities were due to their training as Black Widows and field experience, not because of each other. To this end, Nebula and Gamora have their relationship to thank for ultimately making them the people they’ve become.

About The Author

Saim Cheeda
(1351 Articles Published)

Saim Cheeda is an entertainment writer covering all of Film, TV, Gaming and Books. He’s been a writer for Valnet since 2017, contributing 500+ articles for The Gamer, The Things, Game Rant, Comic Book Resources and Screen Rant. Apart from freelance writing, Saim is a lifestyle blogger, co-owning the blog 3 States Apart.

http://3statesapart.com

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