Top 20 Romantic Couples in Geekdom (10 Canon/10 Fanon): 2015 Edition

Usually everyone here at LGG&F gets along really well. We bond over our mutual love of justice and all things geek! But once in a while, chaos comes to our serene nerd community. When all of the good we try to do is abandoned and our writer’s room deteriorates into madness…

Actual depiction of our writer’s room.
(gif via imgarcade)

I am, of course, speaking about Valentine’s Day, that heinous holiday that sends us all into a shipping frenzy as our authors nominate and then vote on ships for our Top 20 Romantic Couples in Geekdom (10 Canon/10 Fanon) list. It is now my duty as Empress of LGG&F to present to you this year’s bloodstained list. So put on your shipping goggles and prepare yourself for the 2015 Top 20 Romantic Couples in Geekdom!

(gif via gillianeberry)

Canon:

1. Korra/Asami (Legend of Korra)

(art by bevsi)

Noodle: When Korra first met Asami, they were rivals in love with the same boy. The beautiful engineering genius and overall badass Asami didn’t seem altogether trustworthy, but soon proved herself and they became friends. Hints and signs started appearing that the two of them were closer than to each other than to Mako and Bolin. My little shipper heart melted when we found out that Asami was the only one Korra wrote to during her absence. Yet it was a very unlikely ship to become canon, given how afraid people are still to include LGBTQ+ characters in children’s media. But against all odds, in the end Korra and Asami, two bisexual women of color, did walk into the sunset (or, the spirit world) together, and it was beautiful.

2. Steve Rogers/Peggy Carter (MCU)

Luce: Captain America: The First Avenger was kind of a cheesy crapshoot of a movie, but it gave us Peggy Carter, and boy has Marvel’s Agent Carter delivered on her potential. Peggy is a no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners kind of reckless, and Steve is every bit as bullheaded as she is. In Captain America the two of them were unstoppable—I only wish they’d gotten more time together. I think the Cold War would have gone very differently.

3. Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

art by joannathemad

Stinekey: The love story of Harry Potter’s Ron and Hermione is so much more than a simple case of opposites attract. Hermione is the logical head of the Trio; Ron is the passionate heart. Over the course of the series it becomes clear that they have much more in common than not. They’re both brave and loyal Gryffindors, leaders in their own right. They both have to grow up to become worthy of each other. Ron learns to be self-confident and stop living in the shadow of Harry and his older brothers. Hermione learns to be less critical of others, and that sometimes there are more important things than being right. Hermione gives Ron structure, and Ron is a living reminder that friendship and bravery are more important than books and cleverness. Above all, the couple shows us that the hero doesn’t need to get the girl; it can even be much more satisfying when he doesn’t.

4. Four Inner Senshi/Four Generals of the Dark Kingdom (Sailor Moon Crystal)

Syng: At long last, after years (decades!) of fan speculation, the Sailor Moon Crystal anime has finally confirmed what the Sailor Moon manga only hinted at: during the height of Silver Millennium 1000 years ago, the four inner Sailor Senshi—Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter—paired up with Prince Endymion’s guardian knights who would later go on to become the four brainwashed generals (a.k.a Shitennou) of the Dark Kingdom—Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite (don’t worry; they got better from their brainwashing). For once it’s not just Sailor Moon who gets a star-crossed love story! These fan-favorite pairings weren’t as developed as they could have been in the fast-moving Crystal anime, but now, new possibilities abound!

5. Billy Kaplan/Teddy Altman (Young Avengers)

Mikely: Never did true love come so easily to a pair of nerd boys. Billy Kaplan takes up Willow Rosenberg’s mantle representing the society of Wiccan Jews, and Teddy Altman is a half-Kree, half-Skrull shapeshifter. They seem to be from two different worlds, yes, but that can’t disrupt their perfect unison when asked their favorite character on Game of Thrones: “Tyrion Lannister”. They will not keep your secrets, at least not from each other.

6. Derek Hale/Braeden (Teen Wolf)

via chamberofspoilers

Lady Geek Girl: The Mr. & Mrs. Smith of Beacon Hills, Derek and Braeden are a beautiful interracial couple who will totally kick your ass and look like supermodels while they do it. Braeden is a former U.S Marshal and now one of the best supernatural bounty hunters, and Derek is a werewolf with issues. After Derek loses his powers and Braeden nearly dies, the two bond and fall in love. Now they are a powerhouse couple in Beacon Hills that you don’t want to fuck with.

7. Sarek/Amanda Grayson (Star Trek)

art by carrinth

Lady Geek Girl: Though later on in Star Trek various other Vulcan/human pairings pop up, you always have to pay homage to the first. Sarek, the stoic and noble Vulcan Ambassador who never cracks a smile, and Amanda Grayson, the talented, intelligent, and emotive human teacher met on Earth and fell deeply in love. These two are ridiculously cute together, while Sarek tries to deny any emotion it’s obvious that his love for Amanda is deep and real. Amanda and Sarek denied all convention by marrying and living on a very xenophobic Vulcan. They stayed together and were deeply in love despite any shit that people gave them, and of course their union would eventually lead to our favorite Vulcan of all—Spock!

8. Stiles/Malia (Teen Wolf)

via tuningpp

Ace: Malia and Stiles work well together, and who can argue otherwise? Stiles is fun, upbeat, smart, a bit of an asshole—and so is Malia, so they’re perfect for each other. The two of them first start a relationship after they’re both institutionalized for what turns out to be supernatural reasons. Malia spent a good portion of her childhood trapped in the body of a coyote, and now that she’s a human again she doesn’t fit in. Most people don’t understand her, but Stiles does. And Stiles knows exactly what to say and do to help her with her struggles. As two people whose lives were turned upside down due to the supernatural, they have a lot to relate to, and seriously, have you seen them cuddle at night?

9. Malaya/Ultra Car (Shortpacked)

Dom: This couple brings me joy for a few reasons. There is a lot at play with their diversity, but to sum it up quickly: interracial, interspecies (human/robot), lesbian couple whose main thing in common is their disdain for all other humans. Additionally, their relationship has gotten them both to soften up some with their negative outlooks on everyone else.

10. (tie) Cal Morrison/Sarah Manning (Orphan Black)

Luce: As Cosima says, Sarah’s the wild one, and Sarah has apparently left a bunch of jilted marks in her wake on her way to becoming the Sarah we know and love. I was thrilled when Cal (re-)entered the picture—we might not know that much about him, but he’s proven himself a capable, caring father to Kira, and he’s more than willing to put up with Sarah’s grifter history. And Sarah’s still clearly very into him. Hopefully in Season 3 these two crazy kids will give it another go.

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10. (tie) Kate/Maggie (DC Comics/Batwoman)

Saika: DC canon may have sabotaged their relationship, first making it so they couldn’t get married, and then breaking them up entirely, but Kate and Maggie will always be together in my heart. Both of them are working to make Gotham better—Maggie as a police officer and Kate as Batwoman, and they make each other better when they’re together. Also, they totally win for most romantic revealing-your-super-identity-and-proposing-at-the-same-time scene.

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Fanon:

1. Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli (Agent Carter)

(gif via martinellies)

Noodle: What could be more perfect—they’re basically living the coffee shop AU! Angie is there after Peggy comes in after a long day and they talk and somehow their relationship quietly progresses to Angie inviting Peggy over for a bottle of schnapps and they (pretty much) move in together, just as friends, of course, but they’re not fooling anyone. Angie fancies Peggy and Peggy likes Angie, and they need to kiss already.

2. Remus Lupin/Sirius Black (Harry Potter)

Ace: Remember the end of Goblet of Fire, after Voldemort rose to power for a second time? Now remember when Remus went to lie low at Sirius’s place? Just how low did you think they lay? If fanfiction is any indication, it was pretty low. Remus and Sirius have been the best of friends since childhood, and it’s no wonder that they get along so well. As a werewolf, Remus faces some serious prejudice from the rest of the wizarding world, and Sirius comes from a pureblood supremacist family that eventually disowns him when he doesn’t agree with their point of view. So it’s not like they don’t have a lot in common. Is it too much to ask for them to work through their problems together and find love in the process?

3. Toph/Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Syng: When we found out in Legend of Korra that Toph’s daughter Lin dated Sokka’s nephew Tenzin, we thought the Tokka ship had been scuttled for good. But then, the fourth season of Legend of Korra rekindled all our Tokka hopes when it was revealed that Toph’s two daughters had different fathers! Lin’s father was some random dude named Kanto with no relation to Sokka’s family, leaving Lin free to date Tenzin. But there’s still a possibility that the father of Toph’s other daughter, Suyin, was Sokka! Throughout most of AtLA, Toph had a cute unrequited crush on Sokka, and the comics have continued with those hints. Perhaps, at some point, later in life, the two came together. It must have been a short-lived affair, because Toph’s children never knew their fathers, and Toph don’t need no man around. Both characters have their own version of “carefree” that compliments each other beautifully, and we would love to see how that would play out. The Tokka ship sails again!

4. Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Luce: I’m not so sure this belongs in the fanon category. I mean, Sam was one of the first people that Steve opened up to once he got out of the ice, and he was the first one that Steve sought out when he needed someone he could trust without question. For his part, Sam gets right back in the fight when Steve asks him to, despite having lost close friends to war before. And presumably, before Captain America: Civil War comes out, they’re going to be running around Europe together looking for Bucky. I mean, anything could happen.

5. Legolas/Gimli (Lord of the Rings)

Saika: “Two families, both alike in dignity, in fair Middle-earth where we lay our scene…” okay, I’ll stop quoting Shakespeare and control myself. But listen. Legolas and Gimli come from races that hate and mistrust each other deeply, and end up liking each other so much that Gimli is given special leave by the Valar to travel across the sea with Legolas when the Elf goes West. It’s not that big of a jump to add a little romance in there. And think of the meeting-the-parents shenanigans that happened pre-ocean travel! Real talk, though: this pairing is almost nearly canon, and if one of them were a lady, you can bet your boots it’d be framed romantically (in the movies, at least).

6. Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

(art by liuyuchi)

Pan: Steve and Bucky: they’re with each other ’til the end of the line, amirite? Before Bucky fell off a train and Steve was turned into a Capsicle, these two were inseparable—it’s not much of a stretch to imagine that they had romantic feelings for each other but had to keep them on the down low thanks to what the fanfics call “period-accurate homophobia”. Now that both of them are awake in the 21^st century, they can finally be together—once Steve, y’know, finds him again, and once Bucky, y’know, comes to grips with the whole “years of horrific Soviet brainwashing” thing.

7. Kira Yukimura/Malia Hale (Teen Wolf)

Lady Geek Girl: Even when Malia was stuck in the form of a coyote she couldn’t leave Kira alone. Kira is socially awkward and Malia is… well, Malia is even more socially awkward, but together the two seem to even each other out. Malia and Kira have each other’s backs, and the badass kitsune and the werecoyote are a force to be reckoned with. Kira and Malia are beautiful, strong, and brave, whether they are dancing sexily together or fighting off evil assassins. And really, we all need an awesome lesbian couple with supernatural powers who fight monsters and assassins.

8. Zelda/Midna (Legend of Zelda)

Ace: Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, and Midna, the princess of the Twilight realm, are absolutely perfect for each other. Both of them are caught up in the battle of good vs evil and both of them are trying to save their own kingdoms. It’s not much of a stretch to assume that they managed to find each other in the process. Hell, at one point, Zelda even sacrifices herself to save Midna’s life. Of course they love each other.

9. Tamika Flynn/Intern Dana (Welcome to Night Vale)

(art by zenamiarts)

Stinekey: From the thrillingly weird and wildly popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale, Tamika Flynn and Dana Cardinal are two heroes in the town of Night Vale. Neither really quite gets a full physical description, and the fandom responded accordingly. Both voiced by women of color, you can find Tamikas and Danas that are Black, white, Native American, Muslim, and more in fan art. Tamika commands an army of children against reptilian librarians and leads the Night Vale rebellion against the StrexCorp corporate overlords. Her favorite weapon is literacy. Dana is the most successful of all the Night Vale Public Radio Interns, escaping death and parallel universes to become the newest Mayor of Night Vale. She brings her own masked army from the parallel universe to the rebellion against StrexCorp. Both are strong young leaders with a passion for their little desert town. It’s only natural that they’d be together!

10. Katniss Everdeen/Johanna Mason (Hunger Games)

Saika: Most fans of The Hunger Games will agree: the most tedious thing to come out of its popularity was the media’s focus on the Peeta/Katniss/Gale love triangle, when that was seriously not what readers were supposed to care about. The Katniss/Johanna pairing neatly sidesteps that issue, and adds some extra complexity to the story: two badass but damaged queer girls who hate the Capitol as much as they like each other, fighting for freedom from the system that fucked them over in the first place. I can dig it.

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Did your favorite ship make the cut? Who do you love on our list and who do you wish was on our list? Let us know in the comments!

Need more ships in your life? Check out our lists from 2012, 2013, and 2014 or dig into our fanfiction recs for a good story or three. And as always, have a happy Valentine’s Day!

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