Despite the long history Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes have shared, the recent events in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier have revealed that Sam Wilson makes a much better friend and partner for Bucky than Steve ever did. Aside from the fact that Steve made the decision to abandon Bucky whenever he needed him most, the relationship between Steve and Bucky always felt a little off-balance, even when they weren’t trying to beat each other up in the streets of Washington DC.

When Steve discovered Bucky was actually The Winter Soldier, he took on Bucky’s reformation as if Bucky was a charity case that Steve needed to fix. Steve was always the great hero that everyone looked up to, while Bucky was seen as the bad guy in everyone else’s story, despite being a victim himself. Bucky’s complicated history as The Winter Soldier was never something he would be able to let go of in the presence of Steve, even though they had a long-standing friendship far before Bucky was taken prisoner by Hydra. In fact, Bucky’s relationship with Steve in the 1940s is one of the major problem areas these supersoldiers needed to overcome, but were never given the chance to since Steve made the decision to leave his best friend behind. 

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When Steve found Bucky, he was constantly searching for the version of James Buchanan Barnes that lived during World War II. Although that bond played a crucial part in releasing Bucky from Hydra’s influence, Steve was never able to see the new version of Bucky that was living right in front of him. Sam acknowledges that Bucky has gone through an ungodly amount of trauma and manipulation, which means he doesn’t have any expectations for Bucky to be the person he was during the 1940s. There are no previous attachments shared between Sam and Bucky from a different lifetime, meaning that the Bucky Barnes fans see during the 21st century is the same Bucky Barnes that Sam welcomes into his home during The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.  

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes The Winter Soldier

When Bucky was with Steve in previous films, such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Captain America: Civil War, his image was always tarnished in the eyes of the other heroes. Being with Steve means that Bucky was always going to be the villain who killed Tony Stark’s parents, the assassin who shot Natasha straight through the torso, or even the dedicated sergeant who followed Captain America into the battle against Hydra many moons ago.

The truth is that none of these things are relevant to Bucky anymore, because he’s undergone so much drastic change in the last century and in the short amount of time fans see play out in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Even though Sam and Bucky’s previous relationship with each other was far from pleasant, Sam harbors no resentment or holds Bucky to any standards. He fully embraces the James Barnes standing next to him in the line of fire, and more importantly, Sam knows that Bucky’s journey towards healing is something he must tackle on his own terms. 

When Steve made the decision to reunite with Peggy in Avengers: Endgame and leave Bucky behind, he was forgetting that Bucky has done just as much for him as he has done for Bucky. For starters, Bucky was one of the main reasons Steve decided to enlist in the war and take the supersoldier serum. Steve wanted to be in the line of fire with his best friend and serve his country as nobly as Bucky has done.

bucky falls in captain america the first avenger

Bucky has saved Steve’s life on numerous occasions, whether that be protecting him from the big guys who wanted to take a piece out of the scrawny blonde kid from Brooklyn in the 1940s or offering his support to Steve after his mother died in Captain America: The First Avenger. Even when Bucky was The Winter Soldier, he saved Steve from drowning after the pair were sent exploding in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Bucky also helped Steve defeat Tony in Captain America: Civil War, which was a crucial turning point for Steve.

Bucky has been there for Steve through it all, even when he wasn't in control of himself, yet Steve still makes the decision to leave him behind now that Bucky is free from Hydra completely. Sam wasted no time in putting his faith in Bucky and offering advice when needed, even though their previous relationship was far from friendly.

Sam’s willingness to let Bucky move on from the person he was in the past and become someone else entirely his own is proof that he understands Bucky better than anyone has. Now that Bucky is finally able to be an equal with someone he respects, not just a loyal soldier or a hated villain, his transformation into becoming the hero fans know he truly is will be easier than ever, all thanks to Sam Wilson.  

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