OTP or No-TP? Nine Fictional Couples Who Shouldn’t Have Happened
There is no fandom without ‘shipping. But what about the ships that should never have sailed? Who are the worst couples in fandom?
Fandom is bursting with examples of fictional couples that could have been. But there are plenty of romances that did happen and failed to make us feel the love.
Some are a product of their time– some are just lazy writing. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, let’s look at some loves that stink.
9. Harley Quinn & the Joker
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Okay, this one makes it onto the list on a technicality. In fact, it’s a shining example of how to take relationship garbage and spin it into character gold.
It was clear from her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series that Harley was way too good for the Joker. The relationship was abusive, but part of Harley’s schtick was crawling back to the jerk.
But that was the old Harley. Then, she kicked him to the curb in both the comics and in live-action. Even better– Birds of Prey and the adult animated series Harley Quinn didn’t retcon the relationship.
And because film and comics didn’t try to erase Harley’s past, they truly emancipated Harley Quinn. Liberating herself from the Joker is an integral part of Harley’s character. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
8. Ron & Hermione from Harry Potter
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
These two just feel like an odd fit. It’s hard to do the odd-couple thing well. The constant bickering is cute when you’re in the balcony of The Muppet Show Tonight, but it’s not exactly romantic spread across a 7-book series.
The films do a much better job of warming up the Ron and Hermione ship. But at the end of the day, you’re still trying to sell me on two drastically different people who aren’t necessarily complementary.
Now, plenty of people feel like Harry and Ginny are the real Harry Potter No-TP. I don’t hate Harry and Ginny together, I just like to imagine a future where Harry decides to live a quiet life, leaving Ginny the headliner in that relationship. 10/10 will read that fanfic.
I think the real question here is how are these 17-year-olds all meeting their lifetime partners before even graduating school?! While I’d love to live in the fantasy world of Harry Potter, I believe every fictional character has the right to make questionable dating decisions in their 20s.
7. Wonder Woman & Steve Trevor
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Listen, I’m okay with the classic Diana-Steve lore. But DC’s live-action Wonder Woman: 1984 just ruined these two for me.
The idea that Diana would fall in love with the first man she meets is a stretch. But sure, Steve proved himself to be noble and brave, worthy qualities for anyone making pillow-talk with Wonder Woman.
But any sense of honor these two had as a couple went out the window in Wonder Woman: 1984. As a die-hard Wonder Woman fan, I refuse to believe Diana would condone violating a stranger’s body– even if her 40-year-long-dead boyfriend was wearing the skin-suit.
So thanks for ruining Diana and Steve, Warner Bros. Are you happy now?
6. Martha & Mickey from Doctor Who
Courtesy of the BBC
This match-up felt lazy to a lot of fans. It’s a classic “pare the spares” moment.
It sits particularly awkwardly when you consider the general throw-away treatment both characters faced in their plot lines. And the fact that they were the only two recurring Black characters didn’t age well, either.
Perhaps the romance would have been a little more lovable with any kind of backstory about how the two met. But instead, Martha cracks a joke about Mickey, laughing at the fact that she married “a doctor that disappears off to strange places”.
The Doctor’s rebound from Rose rebounds by marrying Rose’s rejected boyfriend? I love a small circle of friends and lovers, but Martha and Mickey both deserved better story-wise.
5. Kylo Ren & Rey from Star Wars
Courtesy of Lucas Films
When the first movie came out, lots of people suspected that Rey was a Skywalker. We also found out that Kylo Ren was an Organa-Solo, so plenty of us left the theater thinking they were cousins.
But haha! There’s a Dark-Force Daddy reveal that reveals a non-incestuous relationship! I see what you did there, Star Wars! Are you clever, or just kinda gross?
All that weirdness aside, I absolutely abhor the whole “romantic love as a Deux ex Machina“. These two and their weird Force-soulmate status make a whole mess of Force dynamics previously seen in Star Wars.
More importantly, they steal the spotlight from the real true love that should have been. We all know Finn and Poe were the real deal.
4. Han & Leia from Star Wars
Courtesy of Lucas Films
And while we’re on the topic of Star Wars having no game, I’ll go ahead and say it. Leia was way too good for Han.
Okay, maybe that’s an oversimplification. However, I absolutely believe that when the original trilogy was the only Star Wars trilogy, these two were horribly matched. Han’s constantly dismissive of this absolute badass and she’s not having it– until she is, and they’re smoochin’.
I love Han. He basically invented the Cocky Flyboy trope. But I like the idea of Han being a big ol’ Galaxy slut, and his good friend Leia giving him an affectionately hard time about it.
Meanwhile, she’d be in a relationship with someone more supportive, someone wiser, someone more like… her brother Luke? I quit you, Star Wars– you’ve ruined romance.
3. Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones
Courtesy of HBO
Do I even need to explain this one? Thanks, HBO, we all remember dramatic irony and Greek mythology.
But never mind the incest. Did I just say that? Yeah, let’s set that aside for a moment.
This romance is the beginning of the end for two characters that fans really loved. Both Jon and Daeni melted the hearts of GoT fans, and it didn’t take dragon fire to do it. They were genuinely great characters.
Daenerys “NBD, we inter-family marry all the time” Targaryen was clearly on the no-no path before this happened. But the writers didn’t have to drag Jon down with her.
Am I bitter about the death of Ygrette, Jon’s OTP? Yes. Yes, I am. But there’s also the incest.
2. Anakin & Padme from Star Wars
Courtesy of Lucas Films
Look, George Lucas clearly will never moonlight as a romance novelist. So what makes this the worst Star Wars pairing? The story doesn’t even try to imply that they’re related!
On the surface, there is the age difference between the two. But it’s not the number of years that concern me. Anakin is written as an immature teenager, while Padme is clearly the adult in their interaction. It feels like the makings of a bad sci-fi episode of Law & Order: SVU.
To make it worse, these two characters have the chemistry of dried glue when they’re together. It’s like watching George Lucas do a very uncomfortable “now kiss” for an entire movie.
1. Buffy & Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Look, we all know that Buffy only featured two good relationships in the whole show: Willow & Tara (duh) and Giles’ season 4 friends-with-benefits relationship with Olivia. Get it, library man.
But outside of that, everything is all “love is pain” and “all these male characters are a deep reflection of an abuser’s psyche“.
So when I say that Buffy and Spike’s relationship is categorically The Worst™, know that it was a high-competition title. In fact, by season 6’s attempted rape scene, you’ll find yourself looking back fondly on Angel’s secretive and intense cradle-robbing.
I actually love every aspect of Spike’s character outside of his obsession with Buffy. But with every rewatch, turning his character into an apology story for sexual assault feels more nefarious.
