Top 20 Friends Who Fall in Love in TV Shows

The show might have started with the Stefan-Elena dynamic, but over time, more organic romances evolved. In Stefan’s case, Caroline remains the one person he can lean on while most of his other relationships fail. Unlike other couples on the show, Caroline and Stefan’s romance takes years to build up, as their friendship remains firm throughout twists and turns in their vampiric lives. It’s only after going through thick and thin that feelings begin to develop, as Stefan and Caroline realize how much they need each other. For a show about supernatural creatures and world-threatening events, this pairing gives a surprisingly realistic portrayal of friendship blossoming into love.

A common trope in police procedurals is the pairing of partners who can’t stand each other. Of course, when it comes to a designated romance, it’s all about when they’ll fall in love. Castle and Beckett start out at odds, mainly because of his smug attitude. However, once Beckett sees how much Castle loves his family and the genuine care he has for her, she views him in a new light. Their friendship never quite loses its banter, but it’s the trust they have in each other that becomes its defining factor. After constant “Will they?/Won’t they?” vibes, the two finally acknowledge their feelings. By the end, this crime-fighting duo comes a long way from where they started.

Another police procedural couple with a lot of baggage, Bones and Booth couldn’t be more different. While their initial antagonism doesn’t last long, it takes a while before they accept each other’s differences and form a friendship. As they solve crimes and defeat bad guys, their contrasting personalities begin to make sense. It becomes clear that there’s something there, even if they avoid addressing it. Over the show’s first six seasons, the tug-of-war between wanting and not wanting to be together keeps us hooked. Their eventual relationship is far from easy, but the pair shows us why their love runs so deep. Whether as friends, lovers, or parents, Booth and Bones are a constant work in progress and we’re all here for it.

We’ve mentioned couples that fit the “opposites attract” trope, but these two are peas in a pod. Fitz and Simmons are introduced as best friends, having met back in S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. Everything about their connection makes sense, from pals to lovers. Their brilliant minds are complemented by their adorably nerdy personalities – at least when the show begins. Battles against aliens and monsters, and being separated by time itself take a heavy toll on the duo. However, their trials and tribulations push Fitz and Simmons to take the next step, as their love proves boundless. In a show where characters routinely fight for their lives, “FitzSimmons” is unbreakable.

When it comes to romance, both Rick and Michonne have had it bad. After losing their previous partners, the two have no intention of getting involved. Still, their hard-hitting personalities and survivalist natures spark mutual respect. Taking on the undead and human enemies is easier when each has the other by their side. Before they know it, these zombie fighters give in to an unspoken attraction. The pair becomes “The Walking Dead’s” primary couple after Glenn and Maggie meet a tragic end. But Rick and Michonne’s dynamic goes beyond simple action. The strength of their relationship survives through a near-decade separation before finally finding their way back to one another.

The first two seasons of this sitcom revolve around Leonard’s hopeless feelings for Penny. And while it was love at first sight, he does build a genuine friendship with her over time. Penny’s outgoing nature and social skills get Leonard out of his shell, while his care and support help Penny through her struggles to make it on her own. Although initially hesitant, their relationship progresses naturally over the long-running show, as the two overcome individual commitment issues together. Sure, their relationship is unorthodox on paper (and the show makes a lot of jokes at their expense). But Leonard and Penny ultimately complete one another, finding the kind of happiness that none of their other relationships could provide.

There’s nothing like young love, even one that starts with a literal punch to the gut. Although she’s the tough girl of Point Place, Donna has a soft spot for Eric, the resident nice guy. While the rest of their friends engage in kooky antics, Donna and Eric serve as the mature ones of the group. The pair spends most of the series as a couple, yet it feels more like two friends who happen to be dating. Despite a few bumps on the road, we know that Eric and Donna are meant to be together. This is confirmed in the sequel series, where they show up as a married couple still going strong.

Based on their first interaction, it’s a wonder how these two ever became friends, let alone a couple. But there’s a fine line between love and hate, and this pair defines it. Initially butting heads because of their job roles, Leslie and Ben grow to admire each other’s dedication. The switch from antagonism to friendship is surprisingly easy, paving the way for a romance. As with many other sitcom couples, misunderstandings and miscommunication threaten their relationship. Fortunately, they overcome these issues and are obviously in it for the long haul. Along with marrying and having children, their relationship changes the course of the country’s future. Not bad for two people who couldn’t stand each other when they first met.

For younger audiences, this was arguably the biggest live-action pairing that everyone shipped. They’re great as best friends and as a potential romance, and “iCarly” keeps this energy going throughout its run. Freddie carries the torch for Carly through most of the show while she sees him more as a friend. Whether used as the setup for a joke or a serious storyline, Carly and Freddie’s dynamic just works. The tension between them goes beyond the confines of a sitcom, as the show keeps teasing an official relationship for the pair. Because of this, the smallest of interactions carries weight. The original series ends with yet another hint at a possible future, and the sequel cements it: Carly and Freddie were always endgame.

Everyone loves a good will-they-won’t-they couple, right? As the definitive teen soap of the late ‘90s, one should know to expect the theme of forbidden love to pop up sooner or later. These two have been best friends since childhood, and it’s pretty early on in the show’s run that they must confront their feelings for one another. The relationship brings all the complicated feelings that can come from dating a friend, with the added strain of the show’s dramatic themes. Through ups and downs, the relationship ends multiple times. But by the show’s end, they are still close friends. That counts.

If you ever have two characters who are friends, coworkers, and share great chemistry . . . you can bet they won’t be friends for long. Such is the case with these two leads from “The Mindy Project.” During the show’s first season, the titular ob/gyn searched for love, while trying to ignore the sparks she shared with her co-worker and close friend. But it’s hard to resist your heart, and the two would become entwined in a rocky relationship lasting nearly half of the show’s run. They would break up, have a baby, become engaged, and break up again before finally committing for good in the show’s series finale. Better late than never.

The attraction that these two new doctors felt for each other was almost immediate, though they’d go through several ups and downs before starting a healthy relationship. During their early years at Sacred Heart, J.D. and Elliot would struggle to commit to one another. They eventually formed a strong friendship instead, often helping each other with work, and even romance. It wasn’t until they both grew as individuals that they were able to begin the relationship they both deserved, which eventually led to marriage and a family. Their own strange and neurotic personalities always complimented each other, so it was only a matter of time before they wound up together.

Before they’re friends, Jake and Amy are rivals. And we get plenty of hilarious back-and-forth out of it early in the series. Underneath all the insults and shows of one-upmanship, they respect each other’s passion for seeking justice. Once their emotional vulnerability is out in the open, Jake and Amy can’t deny their feelings. For a relationship whose foundation is based on a silly rivalry, it really brings the best out of them. They push each other to be better without compromising their quirks and habits. Watching them progress from rivals to friends and ultimately a married couple is heartwarming.

This relationship goes a bit further than “best friend” territory. She’s an awesome crime fighter, and he’s her bumbling sidekick who she’s known her whole life. As this was a kid’s show, we wouldn’t have been surprised if their relationship was kept platonic. But Disney decided to include the emotions and feelings that can come from two friends spending so much time together. While most of their missions were spent focusing on the tasks at hand, they were forced to examine their real feelings during the show’s third season. Their vastly different personalities always played well off each other, and their romance during the fourth and final season felt completely natural.

We’re still upset about this one. Over the course of the show’s nine-year run, these two formed a strong bond through their lack of wanting to settle down. It was touching to see Barney go from untethered bachelor to romantic lead through his complicated feelings for his best friend’s ex-girlfriend. Their fiery personalities may have resulted in some bumpy situations when they first dated, but when it came time to confront their feelings, they couldn’t deny them. The show’s final season took place over their wedding weekend and explored all the nooks and crannies of their relationship. That’s why it came as such a gut punch when the finale revealed that it didn’t work out.

If you grew up watching ABC’s TGIF lineup in the ‘90s, chances are your view of love was defined by this adorable couple. When the show begins during their final year in middle school, childhood friends Corey and Topanga are harboring some serious crushes for each other. It isn’t until high school that they begin dating, and eventually embark on the love of a lifetime. Throughout the majority of the show, their relationship is shown to be pure, heartwarming goodness. The couple continued to grow together through college, and the recent spin-off series showed them happily married, with a family. Sometimes, it really is that simple.

In the case of these two lovebirds, opposites definitely attract. In the close-knit town of Stars Hollow, the quirky single mom became great friends with the town’s grumpy yet lovable diner owner. Her bubbly charm paired well with his curmudgeonly demeanor, and fans ached to see them end up together, for four years. But adult life is complicated and the two would have many hurdles to go over, such as her ex-husband, before they could truly be together. It may have taken some time, but the Netflix sequel series showed the two finally getting married.

Since this show about the quirkiest woman ever is essentially a rom-com in TV form, it was only a matter of time before she ended up with one of her male co-stars. Though she formed strong bonds with each of her new roommates, the chemistry between Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson was too fantastic to resist. Jess would often push Nick to confront his fear of responsibility, as a friend and later as a girlfriend. The two would go through a break up, though they would reunite after realizing there was no one else for them. Their weird personalities complimented each other perfectly, and the two were married by the end of the show.

While we wouldn’t have this couple without the UK’s Tim & Dawn, it’s the US version that we fell in love with. Jim actually had to settle for being just friends with Pam as she was engaged to Roy. That wouldn’t stop them from having obvious feelings for one another, and in the show’s Season 3 finale, we would all get what we wanted. Their friendship laid the groundwork for one of the best relationships seen on television. Both characters are incredibly charming in their own right and it was an absolute joy to watch them grow from co-workers to so, so much more.

Ross and Rachel are the “It” couple, but Monica and Chandler have a better story. These two friends had seen many relationships fail before they got together and they were all the better for it. Throughout the show’s first few seasons, we watched as they hilariously maneuvered through life’s ups and downs. It came as a surprise when they first got together, but their relationship would soon become the heart and soul of the show. Not only do they accept each other’s weaknesses, but they love each other because of them. He would grow from his fear of commitment while she would become more accepting of change. It’s now impossible to think of this groundbreaking sitcom without also remembering the love of Monica and Chandler.

Which TV couple do you love to ship? Let us know in the comments.