How I Met Your Mother has gone down in history as one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. Focusing on a group of five incredibly close friends as they work their way through life’s ups and downs, the show was funny, heartfelt, and entertaining throughout.
Of course, as is the nature of a show like this, there were plenty of relationships within it. Long before we got to ’the mother,’ we saw Ted Mosby go through plenty of failed relationships. However, even though some of them really made no sense, there were plenty of his girlfriends who you felt could be the one.
It wasn’t just Ted who had some awesome relationships during the show either. The rest of the group all got in on that action and within this list, we will take a look back and rank the 10 best couples from the show.
Ted & Zoey
They might have started out as enemies, but it was through that they ended up bonding. That’s why this relationship was so good because it proves that sometimes love can conquer all, as they put their personal issues aside to be together.
It wasn’t one of Ted’s longest relationships on the show, but it certainly was a fun one while it lasted. They worked well together because they were so passionate about everything, even if they didn’t end up going the distance.
Barney & Nora
Barney had very few meaningful relationships throughout How I Met Your Mother, mainly because of how his character was by nature. Being happy enough to go from one woman to another, he rarely settled down. However, his relationship with Nora was a change for him, as she seemed to get the best out of him.
Nora seemed to be able to see through Barney’s behavior, which is why they were able to work together. Happily looking after him when he was sick, it seemed like he had struck gold as they clicked perfectly. That was until he cheated on her.
Ted & Trudy
Trudy was someone that Ted Mosby managed to click with at the bar while he was trying to get over Robin. The two of them went together well and it led to the famous pineapple storyline, which is one of the funniest in How I Met Your Mother’s history.
Unfortunately, this relationship never gets too much time to be explored because Ted simply isn’t over Robin at this point. She climbs out of his window when Ted decides to hide her from Robin, with this relationship just happening at the wrong time.
Ted & Stella
Stella was one of the people that Ted really fell for throughout How I Met Your Mother, to the point where he actually proposed to her. Their relationship was a great one as they got along so well, and Stella was incredibly confident, having a strong personality that fit in well with such a tight group.
However, there were unfortunately just too many complications in the way of this relationship for it to ever last, with the distance and Ted not wanting to move playing the biggest part. In the end, the proposal was a step too far for this relationship, and it was doomed from that point onwards.
Barney & Quinn
Barney had a few relationships throughout the show, but he didn’t actually commit to many of them. Quinn was different in that regard, as they actually moved in together. This is why their relationship was a good one as it saw a new side of Barney be highlighted.
While it was clear things weren’t going to last long-term, simply due to his nature, it was fun while it lasted. Quinn brought the best out of Barney and she was tons of fun to be around at the same time. They clearly did love each other and they had an infectious charm about themselves when they were together.
Barney & Robin
On paper, the idea of this couple happening seems like it wouldn’t work in the slightest, but in reality, it worked very well. This had the possibility to go down the Rachel and Joey route of being wrong, but because of the brilliant chemistry that the characters had together, it felt natural.
Robin was happy to act as one of the guys, but remain the ideal woman at the same time. Because Robin knew all of Barney’s history and classic tricks, she was also able to really make him commit. Because the couple was given such a focus, the show was really able to commit to their story as well, which certainly helped in developing the relationship onscreen.
Ted & Robin
One of the most important relationships throughout the entire show is between Ted and Robin. This is the first romance that Ted was desperate to have, despite them starting out as just friends. However, the fact he had to work for it helped make fans attach even more when they finally got together.
They were a couple that had tons of love for each other and really tried to make things work during their time together. While it didn’t work out (until the very end), they were infectious with their energy, always making each other laugh, and they really did feel like a perfect couple.
Ted & Tracy
The relationship that the entire show was built upon was between Ted and Tracy (the mother), and it certainly didn’t disappoint. There was an incredible amount of pressure on this relationship to be a good one, and due to the great work of Cristin Milioti as Tracy, it coped with that.
Tracy had to be a fantastic character, otherwise, the entire show would have felt flat for the final season. Despite the ridiculous ending that she (and the show in general) was given, the love between her and Ted beamed off the screen. Fitting in with the group to perfection, all while bringing her own spirit and charisma to the show, this was a relationship that most fans wish we saw a little more of.
Ted & Victoria
Is it bad that we have Ted’s relationship with Victoria above the eventual mother and Robin, who are his two main loves? Either way, this is where the relationship is going and it deserves to be so high. The romance between the two was clear to see from the incredible wedding scene between them, and from there, things only got better.
Originally, if the show hadn’t have been picked up for further seasons, Victoria was actually going to be the mother, which is why she was written so strongly. This explains why their romance is so great because it had to be good enough for them to potentially marry. Their chemistry was off the charts and they just had a sweetness about them.
Marshall & Lilly
This show might all be about Ted Mosby trying to meet his eventual wife, but he didn’t have the best relationship on the show. That honor quite comfortably goes to Marshall and his Lilly pad, who are the definition of couple goals throughout the show.
This pair are together right from the start and we see all the ups and downs of their relationship. With marriage, birth, and family death all impacting them. Yet they always remain strong, have each other’s backs and constantly make each other smile. Clearly very passionately in love with one another, there’s nothing not to love about this couple.
