Another Top 10 TV Couple Breakup Scenes

Ben and Leslie have got to be one of the cutest couples in TV history, and their breakup at the beginning of season four was just as sweet as they are. There was no dramatic blow out here- the pair knew that in order for Leslie to advance her career, they couldn’t be together because it would be a conflict of interest. Ben gets Leslie a “Knope 2012” button and they both know that it has to end. Despite the fact that this breakup is a mutual decision, it’s still heartbreaking to watch. Thank goodness the “Parks and Rec” writers couldn’t keep them apart for long.

The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode “Tabula Rasa” is one of the show’s best and most memorable, but it also contains one of the show’s most difficult breakup scenes. The showrunners were working on writing one of the earliest lesbian relationships on TV, and they made Willow and Tara struggle as Willow’s magical practices got out of control. Willow vows to stop using magic for a week to prove that she can, but when Willow breaks her promise, Tara leaves her. The Michelle Branch song playing in the background of this scene makes it all the more emotional in the most 2000s way possible.

If you were hit hard by your first breakup, you can definitely relate to this entry. Rory and Dean seemed like the perfect couple, and when they were celebrating an important anniversary Dean took the moment to tell Rory he loved her. When she couldn’t say it back however, he ended things with her. Rory is at first in denial about her feelings and is all business in her manner of dealing with the break up, despite Lorelai’s attempts to convince her to wallow accordingly. It’s only a matter of time however, and when Rory finally faces her feelings, her mom is thankfully there to comfort her, making for an emotional moment.

It was clear from early on that these two were meant to be together, but just like most other TV couples, there had to be a few bumps along the way. At the end of season three, Nick and Jess start talking about the future, and realize that they’ve had pretty dramatically different visions of how the coming years look. Despite the fact that they love each other more than they’ve ever loved anyone before, they decide to break up because that seems to be the only thing they have in common. Seeing a couple end things when they still have such strong feelings for one another is totally heartbreaking.

The world of Westeros isn’t necessarily known for its romantic subplots, but one of the sweetest couples to emerge from this dark and violent place is Jon and Ygritte. The crow and wildling had forces working against them from the very beginning because of the very different worlds they came from. When it finally comes time for them to part ways, Ygritte manages to get in one more version of her iconic line, before Jon tells her that he still loves her. She doesn’t stand down however, and shoots him several times with her bow and arrow. Now that’s one seriously messy break up.

As far as TV shows go, there are few as emotionally fraught as this one. “One Tree Hill” is full of devastating moments, but Brooke and Lucas’ second breakup has got to be one of the worst, despite the fact that we always kinda knew he’d end up with Peyton. Peyton was one of the major reasons that this relationship didn’t work out, first because of their affair and then because of the kiss she shared with Lucas during the school shooting. In the end though, Brooke ended things with Lucas for her own reasons, and assured him that it was about much more than just Peyton.

Elena and Stefan were the OG “Vampire Diaries” couple, and you can knock yourselves out debating Stelena VS Delena in the comments. But you can’t deny that this relationship was one that had us hooked, and left us devastated when it ended. These two called it quits more than once, but the break up that really gutted us was the one that took place near the beginning of season two, when Elena decides that they need to part ways for the greater good. This scene is nearly impossible to watch and every time we watch it we’re just as teary eyed as the characters.

There were a lot of fan favorite couples on “Glee”, but perhaps none was more beloved than this one. From the very beginning of their courtship, viewers loved these two together, and we continued to root for them even as their journey encountered obstacle after obstacle. While they actually had a couple of serious breakups, the first one remains the one that hit us hardest. In season four, Kurt and Blaine have been doing long distance, and Blaine suddenly admits that he has been unfaithful because he was lonely without Kurt. We can all imagine how hurtful this would be, and Chris Colfer’s acting in this scene is outstanding.

We knew from the very beginning that Chuck wasn’t exactly the most stand-up guy, but we couldn’t help but root for him and Blair to make it work. Things take a dark turn in season three however when Chuck is at risk of losing his prized hotel, and Jack says that he will give it to him as long as get gets to spend a night with Blair. Just the fact that Chuck would even entertain this idea is understandably enough to make Blair furious, and she leaves him. Of course, we knew it couldn’t actually be the end for these two, and sure enough, by the series finale, they got their happily ever after.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Monica Geller & Richard Burke
“Friends” (1994-2004)

Spencer Hastings & Toby Cavanaugh
“Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)

Eric Forman & Donna Pinciotti
“That 70's Show” (1998-2006)

Callie Torres & Arizona Robbins
“Grey's Anatomy” (2005-)

Don & Betty Draper
“Mad Men” (2007-15)

In the very first episode of “How I Met Your Mother”, Lily and Marshall get engaged, and then go on to be basically #relationshipgoals for the rest of the series. There is one major blip however, at the end of season one when Lily chooses to go to San Francisco to pursue her artistic passions, leaving Marshall behind. The breakup is a shocking one, because fans couldn’t believe that these two would actually call it quits. The beginning of season two is also awful to watch, as we see Marshall trying to get over Lily and failing miserably. Barney and Robin’s breakup was also tough to watch, despite the fact that they obviously weren’t meant to be.