It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend and everyone’s scrounging around to find that last-minute bae to share the romance with. If you can’t find anyone in person, we’ve counted down 10 fictional baes you’ll have just as good a time spending time with.
1. Serena van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl)
Think about luxury. Think about worldliness. Think about experiences that seem impossible for you to access. And now think of the beautiful blonde long-legged goddess who’s got all of that. I’m not saying Serena is perfect because she’s fabulously wealthy and can open you up to new horizons; I’m saying she herself has experienced all these incredible things, giving her the life experience atypical of most her age and an interesting worldliness about her that you probably won’t find on your small college campus. Serena is my top pick for bae not just because I’ve got a huge crush on her but because she’s just as compassionate as she is fascinating – she’ll care about you and support you through thick and thin and keep you entertained with wild stories of a weekend Paris rendezvous in the process.
2. The Sk8er Boi (Sk8er Boi)
He was a skater boy. She said see you later, boy. Avril Lavigne captured the minds of America with this unforgettable tune, but I doubt even she realized that, in the process, she’d created one of the raddest baes pop culture has seen. The titular Sk8er Boi demonstrates an impressive array of emotional growth throughout the song; starting off as a skater denied by a snob, instead of pursuing an unhealthy fixation on the object of his affection, he demonstrates maturity enough to move on with his life, eventually proving her wrong through use of a personally motivating drive, culminating with his success as a rock star. He’s emotionally healthy, very driven and he’s a rock star – when will your bae ever?
3. Kitty Pryde (Marvel Comics)
Kitty Pryde isn’t just some comic book nerd’s fantasy chick; Kitty Pryde is a woman who’s evolved over decades from a young, naïve, scared girl to a powerful leader amongst the X-Men. Compassionate where it counts, what makes Kitty Pryde a phenomenal bae is the relationship experience she carries already: from a rocky relationship with an older guy to a whirlwind engagement to the guy known as Star-Lord, Kitty has demonstrated continual emotional growth and an incredible capacity for emotional love. She knows enough about love and has been through enough to guarantee that she’ll be the best mutant bae you could ever imagine.
4. Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Cross Disney properties with a series of Japanese role-playing games and what do you get? Only one of the all-time greatest video game baes to grace our consoles. Sora’s entire quest – the entire plot of a series of games – is his devotion to his friends. After the destruction of his home, he’s relentlessly searching for his close friend and rival, Riku, and his romantic interest, Kairi; even when he learns that Riku has turned to the side of darkness and that Kairi is virtually comatose having lost her heart, Sora’s strength and eternal optimism – which stem from his close friendships with these two – lead him to refuse to give up on Riku and to find any way to save Kairi. His empathy is what eventually saved Riku, and upon learning that Kairi’s heart was resting in his own, he sacrificed himself to bring her back. And that’s just the first game. How many other baes will take care of your heart and then basically kill themselves to return it to you? Even in this story, with all the Disney elements of it, there’s an unrelenting platonic and romantic affection that you’d be hard-pressed to find in anyone – and you’d be lucky to find them in a bae.
5. Cher Horowitz (Clueless)
I don’t want to call Cher a poor bae’s Serena van der Woodsen; she’s not. There are some similarities in terms of popularity, reputation and appreciation of good style, but when it comes down to it, the biggest separation between the two is Cher’s intense level of empathy towards those she encounters. Cher, the naturally good-natured and empathetic problem-solver with a big closet and a bigger heart, is Serena on a human level; she’s approachable, invested in her social relationships, and when push comes to shove a lover. Cher is both your best friend and your bae all rolled into one.
6. George-Michael Bluth (Arrested Development)
The boy with the impeccable internal clock, a dead-end job at a banana stand and an unrequited crush on his cousin – if that isn’t first-class bae material, I don’t know what is. Say what you will about his possibly incestuous romantic affixations – emphasis on the probably; his family is messed up – but George-Michael is as dependable as the internal clock fostered from the womb. Loyal, dependable and willing to give anyone a chance – including a rather dull girl whose name escapes me and everyone who has ever met her – George-Michael is the type of steadfast, loving partner everyone deserves. If he can nurture a crush on his “cousin” for years, he’ll never mess up an actually healthy relationship.
7. Marie Cardona (The Stranger)
If you haven’t read The Stranger, the existentialist book that changed literary genres forever, you need to get on that – it’s one of those books that everyone should read. It’s that good; not The–Great–Gatsby-high-school-English-class good, but actually good. Without going into too many spoilers, Marie is a woman who has a very healthy relationship with the main protagonist, Meursault, who struggles to acutely convey traditional romantic affection and has a unique world perception; instead of challenging him to meet her perceptions of a romantic partnership, Marie instead accepts Meursault, and the two find their own way to appropriately love each other. Marie going the extra mile instead of turning and running makes her a bae supreme.
8. Cory Matthews (Boy Meets World)
Cory Matthews meets Topanga Lawrence. The rest is history. If you’re reading this right now I’d say that there’s a very good chance you grew up watching their long, passionate romance develop, so I’m not going to explain exactly how and why Cory is one of the top baes – we all know that he is. He was passionate and steadfast in his love, he constantly refused to give up on a relationship with the person he knew to be his soulmate, and I still haven’t mentioned his relationship with Topanga yet. Not only was Cory able to balance the perfect friendship with Shawn, he was able to eventually marry the love of his life and have two beautiful children together. He’s currently mentoring his children and their friends the way Mr. Feeny once mentored him and his; he’s definitely proven he deserves a spot on this list.
9. The Ancient Mariner (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
I know what you’re thinking – The Ancient Mariner? Really? …Really? Yes, really, and I’m going to need you to hear me out on this. True, the man shot an albatross, faced the deaths of his entire crew, was haunted by spirits, and then held a wedding guest spellbound by the story. This doesn’t necessarily scream “yas bae slay me!!!” and it’s not supposed to. The Ancient Mariner isn’t the type of bae who will take you out on a whirlwind romance, marry you and give you the fairytale ending; The Ancient Mariner knows more than his fair share about salvation, and he’s the bae that you turn to after you’ve been hurt. He might not be a romantic partner but if you ever get down about something you did or something that was done to you, turn to this maritime bae to help ease your conscience. Really, a relationship that helps you sustain your emotional health is all that you could ask for in a bae.
10. Wendy (Wendy’s)
Who’s always there for you until 10 p.m. closing time, unless your drive-thru remains open in the wee a.m.? Wendy. Who’s going to be there for you in virtually every city across the continental United States? Wendy. Who will give you free Wi-Fi and a place to charge your phone when you really need it? Wendy. And who’s always prepared to keep you refreshed with a Frosty™ or a new 4 for $4 deal, featuring a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink so that customers can now get a quality meal at an affordable price? That’s right. Wendy. Enough said.