Top 10 Shocking How I Met Your Mother Moments

In this season two episode, Robin mysteriously reveals that she doesn’t go to malls. Why is that? Well, could it be because she doesn’t want to be recognized by fans of her more, *ahem*, mature projects? Or could it be because she was once married in one? Okay, neither Barney nor Marshall’s suggestions sound that plausible, but we never would’ve guessed the real reason, either. In one of arguably the best and most hilarious surprises in the series, we learn that Robin was a Canadian teen pop star called Robin Sparkles. This reveal laid the groundwork for two iconic “HIMYM” running gags. Also, much like the gang, we can’t get enough of “Let’s Go To The Mall.”

Lily and Marshall’s once rock-solid bond begins to crumble as Lily contemplates the road not taken. But this is Marshmallow and Lilypad; they can get through anything, right? Sadly, no. Ted returns home ecstatic after officially getting together with Robin, only to find Marshall alone and devastated, holding an engagement ring. We were shook! Still, we knew these two were meant to be, and it would only be a matter of time until they were back together. However, what did surprise us was Barney’s instrumental role in making that happen. Still, you’d think Marshall would remember some of that pain when he accepted the judgeship role without talking to his wife first.

A brush with the past reveals that Barney hasn’t always been the suit-wearing, catchphrase-spouting, whiskey-drinking, laser tag-playing womanizer we came to know throughout the series. In fact, he couldn’t have been more opposite. Still, throughout the episode, he offers snippets of his history, shedding light on the events that shaped the man he eventually became. Honestly, it’s hard to decide what’s more surprising—witnessing such a different side of him or observing his transformation. The surprises don’t end there, either. In the final season, he unveils the last piece of his intricate revenge plot against the guy his girlfriend left him for. Oh, and we finally learn what he does for a living.

Barney yearns for a father figure so badly that, for a while, he allows himself to believe that Bob Barker is his dad. Of course, deep down, he knows that’s not true and considers reconnecting with his actual dad. Just as we thought this storyline would forever remain a loose end, who should show up at his door? We believe we can speak for us all when we say we were astonished when Jerome Whittaker not only reenters Barney’s life but is revealed to have been known as “Uncle Jerry” during Barney’s upbringing. As they begin building a relationship, Barney grapples with the realization that his half-siblings had the childhood he longed for.

Robin has made it clear that she does not see kids in her future. But, as she learns in a devastating blow, there’s a big difference between not wanting them and being unable to have them. Still, in an unexpected twist, we see her narrate this story to her two children, making us believe that fate reopens that door somewhere down the line. But in another jolt, we learn that these kids are just a fabrication of Robin’s imagination as she processes this life-altering news. If the shock that Robin can’t have kids felt like a gut punch, this moment felt like the kind that knocks you to your knees.

We all had opinions on Stella and Ted’s relationship, but let’s face it— their engagement and wedding were rashly impulsive decisions. So, we’d say that, yeah, this would’ve been a good time to pull out the ‘ol intervention banner. Perhaps if they had, they would’ve saved Ted the heartache of being stood up on his wedding day. But when you think about it, the clues were already there; after all, isn’t it Stella who said something about exes and “unresolved feelings?” On the big day, Ted is left heartbroken, holding Stella’s note while his friends rally around him. And where is Stella? Sailing away from Shelter Island with her ex, Tony.

In the final episode, Barney tries to one-up his “Perfect Week,” as seen in season five, with a “Perfect Month.” As the month comes to a close, the final woman— or “number 31” as he calls her— drops some life-changing news. Now, the last time Barney found himself in this predicament, he celebrated the false alarm by inventing a new holiday called “Not a Father’s Day.” But he sure won’t be celebrating that anymore! Given Barney’s, let’s call it, lifestyle choice, it seemed inevitable that this could happen at some point. What we couldn’t have seen coming, though, is Barney’s mindblowing transformation from the first moment he lays eyes on his daughter.

Barney and Robin hooking up wasn’t initially on our “HIMYM” bingo cards, but once they did, their relationship became a rollercoaster of twists. After their breakup, both move on to other relationships and Barney’s even getting married! But to whom? Nora? Quinn? Hands up if you saw Robin as the blushing bride because we didn’t, and our jaws hit the ground faster than anyone could say, “I Do.” But how did we get here? Well, it was all one big elaborate final play ending with an engagement. We imagine we also weren’t the only ones who’d barely scooped their jaws back into place before the couple dropped them again by announcing their divorce.

Apologies if we’re rehashing old wounds, but you have to admit, this plot point was pretty shocking—even more so when we learned that the clues had been there all along. For nine seasons, we followed Ted through the highs and lows of love, expecting it all to culminate with his dream woman, the mother of his children. Instead, they introduce Tracy, make us root for her and her relationship with Ted, and then…. Adding to the blow, we learn that for a show called “How I Met Your Mother,” Ted’s story isn’t even really about the mother! Love it or hate it, many fans are still reeling from the sting of this last-minute twist.

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

The Runaway Bride, “The Magician's Code, Part 2”
We Were All Rooting for Ted & Victoria but We Weren’t Expecting That

Barney Gets Hit by a Bus, “Miracles”
An Unexpected Turn Swerves Ted & Barney’s Friendship onto a New Path

Barney’s Everlasting Second, “Tick Tick Tick”
Just as We Thought the Stars Had Aligned for Barney & Robin

Lily Discovers Ted Plans to Leave New York, “Something New”
Ted Hopes His Heartache Will Be a Breeze in the Windy City

Tracy’s Boyfriend Dies on Her 21st Birthday, “How Your Mother Met Me”
Her Whole World Is Rocked & We Were Pretty Shaken Too

In one of the cleverest “How I Met Your Mother” episodes, the writers sneakily included a countdown leading to the titular bad news. Given that Lily and Marshall are dealing with potential fertility issues, we anticipated it would revolve around that. So, as the countdown reached zero, we held our breaths in anticipation of a major revelation. Little did we expect it to be as devastating as it turned out to be. “HIMYM” superfans might be aware that Jason Segel didn't see the final version of the script before filming so he had no idea what he'd be responding to. His reaction is totally improvised, making his shock as authentic as ours.

Which “How I Met Your Mother” moment still has you shook? Don’t “wait for it,” tell us in the comments