It’s February once more, and around this time of year, the air is filled not only with the sweet scent of chocolates and flowers but also with the warm feeling of love. People everywhere celebrate their love in a myriad of ways, most notably with their special someones. Naturally, we here at Ungeek also decided to commemorate Hearts Day, in a way we know best: by sharing our most favorite couples from the realm of anime and video games. Here is our selected list of 20 pairings, in no particular order (warning – potential spoilers ahead):
- Mario and Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros.)
Mario and Princess Peach are easily one of the most recognizable and classic couples in video game history. Since the days of the Famicom all the way to this year’s Nintendo Switch, the Italian plumber and the mushroom princess are going strong and show no signs of stopping.
- Alex and Luna (Lunar: Silver Star Story)
Lunar: Silver Star Story is a Playstation RPG classic, and Alex and Luna are also a classic RPG couple. From their humble beginnings in the village of Burg, they are launched into an epic adventure to save the world and discover their intertwined destinies.
- Mitsuki and Eichi (Full Moon wo Sagashite)
There’s no other way to describe this pair but tragic. Diagnosed with a terminal throat cancer, 12-year-old Mitsuki enlists the help of two shinigami (gods of death) to fulfill her promise of becoming a famous singer to her childhood sweetheart Eichi, who moved to America with his adoptive family. Mitsuki goes a long way as the singer Full Moon, but does she know that only tragedy will wait for her at the end of the road?
- Tsumiki and Io (Acchi Kocchi)
Acchi Kocchi (or Place to Place) is one of the more recent slice-of-life anime series I’ve watched, and one of the main themes of the story is the “it’s complicated” relationship between the cat-ear-sprouting Tsumiki (no, that’s not Konata from Lucky Star) and the stoic-yet-cool Io.
- Guybrush and Elaine (The Curse of Monkey Island)
Guybrush Threepwood (definitely one of the more unique names in gaming history) has always had a big crush on Elaine Marley, the sexy island governor. He’s always there to rescue her from the undead pirate LeChuck, albeit she’s quite capable of doing that by herself. Elaine eventually falls in love with Guybrush, and at the end of The Curse of Monkey Island the two get married and go on a three-month honeymoon.
- Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher (Uncharted)
Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher start out as an unusual pair. Nathan first cons Elena into paying for his expedition under false pretenses, and then later on he abandons her since she might jeopardize his quest for El Dorado. However, since Elena’s a TV journalist, she’s can’t be got rid of that easily. Eventually the two become an item and Nathan promises Elena a good story for her show.
- Ryuushi and Kozue/Saki/Nanako/Chiyuri/Natsume (Mahoraba: Heartful Days)
Having a girlfriend can be difficult. Having a girlfriend with five split personalities can get crazy. That’s how Shiratori Ryuushi felt at first when he moved into Narutaki Apartments and met Aoba Kozue along with her four other personalities. Over time Ryuushi gets used to living in the apartments, and develops an unusual relationship with Kozue.
- Tomoyo and Nagisa (Clannad)
Key Visual Arts specializes in creating visual novels and anime with all the feels, and Clannad is one of their most poignant storylines. In the anime version of Clannad, the male protagonist Tomoyo meets the sickly Nagisa at school, and over 52 episodes of emotional roller coasters they grow from friends to a stable family.
- Snake and Meryl (Metal Gear Solid)
Love grows even in the battlefield, as Solid Snake and Meryl will attest. This couple’s romance follows a rocky road, as Meryl tries to kill Snake in a mind-controlled state and then she gets strapped to a nuclear bomb by Sniper Wolf. If you play your cards right, though, they’ll get the ending they deserve, riding a snowmobile into the sunset.
- Sonic and Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog is not exempt from the clutches of love, although most of the time it’s Amy Rose who’s chasing Sonic. One could say it’s unrequited love, but Sonic will surely come to Amy’s rescue in her time of need.
- Madoka and Homura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
MadoHomu may be an unconventional ship, but there’s no doubt that it has sailed. Madoka meets the enigmatic Homura in class one day, who warns her against making a magical girl contract with the catlike Kyubey. It turns out that Homura is a time traveler from the future who has undergone multiple parallel timelines to save Madoka from the painful fate that awaits all magical girls. Now, that’s dedication.
- Ash and Pikachu (Pokemon)
Ash and Pikachu share a very deep friendship, and with everything that they have gone through, there’s no doubt their bonds go beyond just Trainer and Pokemon. Remember that scene from the first movie where Pikachu keeps trying to revive Ash with successive Thundershocks? I think that speaks for itself.
- Rathalos and Rathian (Monster Hunter)
Not all couples have to be human. Monster Hunter proves that with its wyvern family of Rathalos and Rathian. Dubbed the King of the Skies and the Queen of the Earth, these two fire-breathing dragons are almost always found together, especially when hunters raid their nest for a valuable Wyvern Egg.
- Link and Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)
Link and Zelda are definitely one of the most popular couples to hit the game consoles. Their popularity makes them fan favorites not only in the video game universe but also with the fan fiction and cosplay universe.
- Kirito and Asuna (Sword Art Online)
The Black Swordsman and The Flash of Sword Art Online are undoubtedly in love with each other. Starting from the first floor of the Aincrad when they first partied together, Kirito and Asuna’s relationship grew until they got married in-game. They are so tied together that one cannot live without the other, which led to them protecting and driving each other through life-threatening battles.
- Sakura and Shaoran (Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa Chronicle)
The pair of Sakura and Shaoran are a perfect example of love that transcends space and time. Whether they are capturing Clow Cards in Cardcaptor Sakura or searching for Sakura’s wings in Tsubasa Chronicle, their love for each other remains unshakeable.
- Mercy and Genji (Overwatch)
Blizzard appears to lean towards the pairing of the angelic healer Mercy and cyborg swordsman Genji, especially with the release of the Christmas comics where they send each other letters and with the Valentine’s Day audio clips where they share chocolate. Hopefully we’ll see more “eMerGenji” in the near future.
- Meimi Haneoka/Saint Tail and Asuka Jr. (Kaito Saint Tail)
The star-crossed couple of Meimi Haneoka and Asuka Jr. from the anime Kaito Saint Tail is definitely my “one true pair”. By day, Meimi and Asuka are students at St. Paulia School; by night, Meimi becomes the phantom thief Saint Tail who is relentlessly chased by Asuka (who’s aspiring to become a detective).
- Squall and Rinoa (Final Fantasy 8)
Final Fantasy (FF) has given us a fair share of couples, from Cloud/Aerith to Tidus/Yuna. The storyline from FF8, featuring Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly, is one of the most epic romance stories from the FF universe, and “Eyes on Me” remains a classic ballad in the hearts of FF fans everywhere.
- Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru and Sailor Moon/Usagi (Sailormoon)
Does this pair even need an introduction? This is like the Superman and Lois Lane of the anime universe. The already-famous couple was reintroduced in the Sailor Moon Crystal remake and has lost none of its popularity since the 90s.
Thanks for reading our short list of anime and video game couples! There are a lot more ships out there – hopefully your “one true pair” made it to this list! Have a happy Hearts Day!
Special thanks to Brian for helping a lot with the video game selections.