From Side Quests to True Love – The Best Video Game Couples of All Time
Reaper is back! and today we’re diving into…video games. Where we can live out our wildest fantasies, slay dragons, save the world, and, most importantly, fall in love with fictional characters because real-life relationships are just too much effort. While most games are all about grinding levels and hoarding loot like a rabid raccoon, some give us heart-melting, emotionally devastating, and often spicy romances that make us forget how single we are. So buckle up, because we’re diving into the best video game couples that have ever graced our screens. Get ready for an overload of passion, betrayal, and more will-they-won’t-they tension than a Netflix drama.
Geralt & Yennefer – The Witcher Series
If there’s one thing Geralt of Rivia is good at (aside from monster-slaying and brooding), it’s making us all feel painfully single. His relationship with Yennefer is what happens when an emotionally unavailable man and an extremely powerful, equally emotionally unavailable sorceress collide in a chaotic explosion of destiny, magic, and terrible life choices. Their love story is messy, passionate, and packed with enough magical fireworks to make Hogwarts jealous. You can try to romance Triss in The Witcher 3, but deep down, you know Yen is the queen who owns his soul.
Nathan & Elena – Uncharted Series
Picture this: You’re an adventurous, wisecracking treasure hunter who can survive impossible falls, gunfights, and exploding buildings. Who do you fall for? A badass, fearless journalist who can match your sarcasm word-for-word. Nathan and Elena’s relationship is peak action-movie romance, complete with witty banter, tension-filled arguments, and enough death-defying stunts to make the Fast & Furious franchise jealous. They fight, they make up, they actually grow as a couple, and somehow, despite all the explosions, their biggest fights are over normal couple things like mortgage payments. Iconic.
Joker & Makoto – Persona 5
Joker might be leading a double life as a rebellious Phantom Thief, but the real heist is how he stole Makoto’s heart. This student council president goes from being a no-nonsense, by-the-books overachiever to a total badass biker chick with a heart of gold. Their romance is the perfect blend of awkward high school crush and Bonnie-and-Clyde-style rebellion, proving that sometimes, love is just about finding someone who will ride into battle with you against corrupt politicians. Relationship goals, honestly.
Cloud & Tifa – Final Fantasy VII
Oh, look, it’s the most hotly debated love triangle in gaming history. Cloud might have his whole emo, spiky-haired, Mako-infused brooding thing going on, but Tifa has been the real ride-or-die since day one. She’s the childhood friend who stuck by him through thick and thin, literally patched him up when he was falling apart, and still had the patience to deal with his moody existential crises. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. Also, they practically confirmed they hooked up under the Highwind. So, yeah. End of debate.
Arthur & Mary – Red Dead Redemption 2
Nothing hurts quite like Red Dead Redemption 2 ripping your heart out with Arthur Morgan’s tragic story. And nothing stings more than his romance with Mary Linton, the one that got away. While Arthur might be a rugged outlaw with a questionable moral compass, Mary is the one person who saw the real him before the world turned him into a legend. Their love story is bittersweet, filled with regret, and if you didn’t at least tear up during their final meeting, congratulations, you have no soul.
Max & Chloe – Life is Strange
What’s better than a game that emotionally scars you for life? A game that emotionally scars you with one of the most beautifully tragic love stories ever. Max and Chloe’s relationship is built on childhood memories, second chances, and some extremely questionable time-traveling decisions. You can play it as just friends, but let’s be honest, the romance route is where the magic happens. Whether you choose to save Arcadia Bay or let it all burn, one thing’s for sure: these two are endgame in every timeline.
Ezio & Sofia – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Ezio Auditore spent most of his youth being a legendary flirt and parkouring across rooftops like a medieval Spider-Man. But when he finally settled down, it was with the intelligent and independent Sofia Sartor. Unlike his previous tragic romances (RIP Cristina), this one didn’t end in total disaster. She loved him not for his Assassin skills, but for the man he became. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see an assassin actually get a happy ending for once.
Leon & Ada – Resident Evil Series
Oh look, another “we definitely have feelings for each other but also might shoot each other in the face” couple. Leon Kennedy, our favorite himbo with a gun, and Ada Wong, the ultimate femme fatale, have been dancing around their feelings for years. Their chemistry is electric, their flirtation is top-tier, and their constant betrayals are just the right amount of toxic. Leon deserves better, but we all know he’ll never stop simping for her. And honestly, we can’t blame him.
Shepard & Garrus – Mass Effect Series
Space may be vast and terrifying, but at least you can romance a badass alien sniper who will calibrate your heart. Garrus Vakarian is the ultimate best friend turned lover, proving that intergalactic relationships are superior. Whether you played Paragon or Renegade, the one true right choice was choosing this Turian king as your partner in love and in battle. Also, their romance arc is one of the most wholesome and rewarding things BioWare has ever given us. Fight me on this.
Mario & Peach – The OG Simp Couple
We couldn’t make a list without the most iconic, albeit questionable, relationship in gaming. Mario has spent decades busting his ass to save Peach from Bowser, only to get a half-hearted kiss on the nose and a cake as a reward. Sis, at least give the man some commitment! The day Mario finally snaps and ghost-peppers Peach for leaving him on read while hanging with Bowser will be the day Nintendo finally breaks the internet.
Final Thoughts – Who Needs Real Love Anyway?
If there’s one thing video games have taught us, it’s that love is complicated, messy, and sometimes involves assassins, space battles, or literal time travel. But hey, at least we get to experience these romances without the horror of dating apps and awkward small talk. So next time someone asks why you’re still single, just tell them you’re waiting for your Yennefer, your Garrus, or your Makoto. And if they don’t get it? Well, they’re probably an NPC anyway.
