Top 10 Memorable Barney & Robin Moments

We may not have seen this pairing coming, but it surprisingly really worked. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Barney & Robin Moments on “How I Met Your Mother.”


For this list, we’ll be looking at the cutest, funniest, and most touching moments between Barney and Robin, one of “How I Met Your Mother’s” most inconsistent and incompatible yet adorable couples.

“Natural History”



It’s episodes like this that make Barney and Robin so endearing. When Ted and the gang are invited to a posh, upper class gala at the Natural History Museum, Barney and Robin decide to forgo socializing and pull off various pranks throughout the museum. These include touching contests and Barney dressing as a pharaoh. However, once they are brought to the security office, Barney discovers that his Uncle Jerry had signed himself as Barney’s father on the visitor form. The episode contains both care-free hilarity and a personal revelation that serves to bring Barney and Robin closer on a personal level.

“Miracles”

Well, this came out of nowhere. By this point, the show had barely hinted at a serious Barney/Robin relationship or their true feelings for each other (aside from a brief fling). That all changed with the third season finale. After Barney is hit by a bus and confined to a hospital bed, Marshall and Lily joke about what Barney saw as his life flashed before his eyes. They joke about the usual things while Barney slyly looks towards Robin. It’s a longing look that suggests his true love, and it served as one of the first (if not THE first) indication that Barney had true romantic feelings for his friend.

“Farhampton”

One of the beautiful things about this show is how it handles the character of Barney, and this episode is a perfect representation of his complexities. Barney reveals that he has seemingly destroyed all the evidence of his and Robin’s relationship to ensure Quinn’s loyalty. It makes us think that Barney is heartless and selfish, traits that he has shown in the past. However, he later gives Robin a key to a storage locker where she discovers everything he claims that he threw away. It’s another adorable instance that shows Barney’s sweetness. While he may want to move on, it’s clear that he still cares about Robin’s feelings and the time they spent together.

“The Best Man”

Now this is what you call chemistry. The seventh season premiere sees Robin fretting about Barney and Nora, much to Lily’s disappointment. Once Lily orders Robin to tell Barney her true feelings, she approaches him with the secret only to be pulled into a dance. And what a terrific dance it is. Barney and Robin are perfectly coordinated and synchronized, and they pull off some respectable moves. It’s a ton of fun to watch and the music is incredibly catchy, but there’s still an undercurrent of sadness, especially when they finish dancing and clearly want to kiss. Damn it Nora, why did you have to call!?

“The Leap”

While Barney longingly glanced at Robin in the season three finale, it wasn’t until the end of the fourth season that we truly got some forward momentum on the whole Barney/Robin storyline. After Barney confronts Robin at the hospital about a potential relationship, Robin declares that she is too much trouble for him. But Barney doesn’t back down, and proceeds to give a short but pleasant speech about wanting the trouble and how the “trouble doesn’t seem so troubling” with her. It’s a sweet little speech that cements Barney’s love for Robin and finally kickstarts the entire relationship. It makes our hearts melt every time.

“Sandcastles in the Sand”

And here we come to that brief fling we mentioned earlier. Throughout the entire episode, Barney fights tooth and nail to get his hands on “Sandcastles in the Sand”, the rumored artistic follow-up to “Let’s Go to the Mall”. The end of the episode finds both Robin and Barney distraught – Robin over being dumped by Simon, and Barney over not being able to find the elusive music video. This leads to Robin inviting Barney to her apartment where they end up making out on the couch. It was a huge surprise that threw a major wrench into their dynamic, even though nothing much would come of it until later.

“Splitsville”

If you never thought that Barney and Robin belonged together, your mind was certainly changed after this gorgeous speech. After Nick sways Robin into staying with him, Barney arrives at the restaurant and gives an absolutely heartbreaking speech to Robin about how much he loves her. He covers how he never felt love before Robin came along before revealing (much to Robin’s surprise) how much of a hold she has on his heart. Not only is the speech beautiful and touching, but it exemplifies Barney’s character development. We watched Barney go from heartless womanizer to a man hopelessly in love, and it was a joyous and often heartbreaking adventure.

“Tick Tick Tick”

Man, Barney can really break your heart. Throughout the seventh season episode “Tick Tick Tick”, Barney and Robin attempt to tell their significant others that they cheated on them. And while Barney eventually goes through with it and breaks up with Nora, Robin fails to tell Kevin. After Robin and Kevin walk into the bar together, a heartbroken Barney leaves to collect the rose petals he had placed on Robin’s bed. It’s one of those rare moments that make you feel horrible for Barney, and we just wanted to reach through the television and give him a big hug.

“Zip, Zip, Zip”

Robin and Barney had chemistry from the very beginning. The first season episode “Zip, Zip, Zip” sees Robin going out with Barney for some “bro-ings on around town.” This involves suiting up, smoking cigars, playing laser tag, and acting as wingmen for each other before going back to Robin’s. While there, Barney tries to initiate sex before Robin reveals her feelings for Ted. The scenes of the two playfully hanging out are cute and enjoyable, and the fact that Barney tries sleeping with Robin shows early signs of chemistry, even if it’s purely sexual. And the fact that Robin tells her secret to Barney shows trust, a major sign of a deep personal connection.





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



At Tim Hortons

“Duel Citizenship”




Barney Stops Robin from Being Deported

“The Possimpible”




Cab Kiss

“Disaster Averted”

Various Episodes

“The Robin” encompasses all that makes Robin and Barney’s relationship so adorable. The ploy of “The Robin” is a thing of sheer brilliance, and the final step, which sees Barney kneeling in front of Robin, is enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. The fact that Barney enacted this incredibly long and complex play solely for Robin proves his devotion and love, and it makes us all wish we had our own Barney. This was the culmination of countless hours of TV, and it was everything we hoped it would be. Plus it led to the amazing Canada-themed rehearsal dinner and eventual wedding. And with this, every real-world proposal has been rendered disappointing.