One of the best things about literature, romantic or otherwise, is when two people just click. In addition to emotionally investing in our favorite characters, there is so much to be learned and admired in the dynamics of functional couples who are idealized and immortalized on paper or on the big screen – regardless of whether or not they actually exist. With February inching towards us and love in the air, here is my list of the ultimate couples in books, movies, and on TV.
1. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, from Harry Potter:
“And he knew that at that moment, they understood each other perfectly, and when he told her what he was going to do now, she would not say ‘be careful’ or ‘don’t do it’, but she would accept his decision because she would not have expected anything less of him.” –Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry and Ginny are both emotionally strong and fierce people who understand each other perfectly. They have similar values and interests (i.e. Quidditch, hatred of the Dark Arts, bravery), and are incredibly passionate about each other, which brings warmth and compatibility to their relationship. Ginny is the only person who truly understands Harry, having also personally encountered and survived Voldemort at the young age of eleven. Ginny is the only person who can calm Harry down once he enters one of his angsty rages, and she isn’t afraid to tell him when to cut it out and look at the big picture. She is the last thought on his mind before he dies and the person he longs for most during the hunt for Voldemort’s Horcruxes. They are both powerhouses on their own, never depending on the other, but complementing the other and working together wonderfully for a common goal.
2. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, from The Hunger Games:
After the awful experiences that Katniss experiences in the first round of the Hunger Games, only Peeta is capable of understanding and supporting her – having lived through them himself. These two have shared so much together and balance each other out perfectly. Peeta is the one Katniss calls for in the middle of the night when she wakes from a nightmare, and his patience and kindness always find a way to calms her quick temper and fiery spirit. Even Katniss admits, “what I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.”
“‘My nightmares are usually about losing you,’ he says. ‘I’m okay once I realize you’re here.’”- Catching Fire
3. Elizabeth Bennett and William Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice:
The development of this relationship was so subtle that it felt real – like something that could happen outside of a book. It was not a fairytale get-together with immediate passion and chemisty. This relationship was based on intelligence and getting to know each other steadily, which is the way that most relationships realistically start. Both were strong, smart, and independent people before meeting each other, and very gradually discovered their similarities and attractive characteristics, making for a solid relationship based on lots of common ground.
4. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, from Gone With The Wind:
The vibrant, witty exchange between these two is possibly my favourite to watch. Scarlett and Rhett have a great love-hate relationship, fighting and making love in a classic passionate attraction-repulsion dynamic. But their personalities scream for each other the entire way through. Both are very headstrong, very tough and cunning, and are not afraid to defy social mannerisms. Rhett is the only person who accepts and understands Scarlett’s wild side from the very beginning, from her almost evil streak of manipulation to her temper tantrums. He loves her throughout and when they are together, they can truly be themselves – their saucy, conniving, socially unacceptable selves.
5. Carl and Ellie Fredricksen, from Up:
Carl and Ellie are a normal contemporary couple, journeying through the daily challenges of life brings such as buying furniture together, finding enjoyable careers, and still taking the time every so often to relax and have a date night (or picnic!). This relationship is fuelled by mutual love and the desire to create a content, comfortable life together. Carl and Ellie have similar interests and are content with the simple joys of life that are often overlooked, such as reading together or trying to find shapes in the cloud. When Ellie has a miscarriage and their first dream of a white, picket fence with children and predictability comes to a halt, Ellie and Carl work on a new dream together – of adventure and Paradise Falls.
“You don’t talk much… I like you!”- Up
6. Lily and Marshall, from How I Met Your Mother:
In the midst of hook-up culture and relationship screw-ups, Lily and Marshall prove to all their friends that true love is possible. Watching Lily and Marshall evolve from just a fun, casual college relationship to raising a family together was one of my favorite parts about this show. This is a couple willing to sacrifice and work through troubles to discover themselves (like that time Lily left for half a season) and still come back to pick up where they left off. Lily and Marshall laugh through every personal failure with the knowledge that they will be there for each other at the end of the day, and that is enough. With their high-fives, support for each other’s interests, ability to communicate without words, avoid Barney’s attempts to see Lily’s boobs and similar sense of humor, they click so well. Lily and Marshall understand every bit of each other without words and are a clear example that that special someone is out there, and a college relationship can become more than just a hookup.
“That’s love, bitch.” –How I Met Your Mother
7. Hiccup and Astrid, from How to Train Your Dragon 2
I’ve heard love described as two people running towards each other in a field of flowers. For me, however, I think it’s more like two people running hand in hand in the same direction. There is a crucial difference: in the first picture, the relationship and the partner are the focus, but in the second, the relationship is helping both people to advance towards their goals and grow together. No other couple demonstrates this as well as Hiccup and Astrid. It is clear from their moments together that they care greatly about each other and are happy to be together.
Hiccup and Astrid are supportive and understanding of each other’s fears, wishes, and goals. They work together a lot, but they aren’t overprotective of each other because both are equally competent — a fact they both know and respect. This respect of space in a relationship is a huge breakthrough in pop culture. So many romantic movies have a theme of being saved or being protected by a loved one (Twilight, anybody?) which lends itself to messages such as being dependent on a significant other or being unable to function without said significant other.
With Hiccup and Astrid, their love strengthens each other in every aspect of life. Whether they are physically together or not, they know their partner will always be there. Their relationship makes them better people, in order to do what they individually need and want. They are the best versions of themselves, with and because of each other. At the end of the day, at the end of the fight, they are there together as a great source of comfort, stability, support, and joy.
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