In the past, few games made room for romance or couples. Most were focused on action: moving from left to right, jumping over pits and defeating enemies. Even when the goal of the adventure was to rescue a loved one, the game itself almost never explored that relationship. Romance existed, but it was always secondary.In some cases, it appeared briefly right at the start of the adventure, as in Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. In others, we would only see the person our character loved again at the end of the game, usually during the final boss fight, as happened in Super Mario, where the princess was always in another castle.Today, the situation is very different. Games began telling far more complex stories, and relationships stopped being merely a reward at the end of an adventure to become an important part of the narrative and, in some cases, the story's very focus. So, whether in older games or newer releases, couples have always been present in video games. Some became iconic, others helped break taboos, and some simply won players over with their charm. Let's revisit ten of gaming's most interesting couples and understand why they left such a lasting mark.Jumpman and PaulineCreated in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, Mario, then known as Jumpman, had a girlfriend named Pauline who needed to be rescued from the gorilla Donkey Kong. It was the first documented story of a couple in video games. Unfortunately, it was not necessarily the most original, since Donkey Kong was born from an unsuccessful attempt to create a Popeye game.Mario breaking up with Pauline by the Dorkly channelWhen Nintendo could not secure the rights to the sailor for the game, it changed strategy and created new characters. It swapped out some sprites and colors, turning Olive Oyl into Pauline and Bluto into Donkey Kong. Pauline was later replaced, and today she is the mayor of Donkey City and sings for her citizens. Mario still helps her from time to time, but the relationship is over.Chloe and MaxOne of the first LGBTQIA+ couples to officially appear in a game. Life is Strange, released in 2015 and published by Square Enix, tells an extremely moving story full of twists and choices that make a difference at the end of the game. We follow Max Caulfield, a young photography student who returns to her hometown after years away and reunites with her childhood friend, Chloe Price, while searching for someone who has disappeared.Max has the strange ability to rewind time by a few seconds and helps Chloe with her investigation, as well as saving her life several times. At the end, a hurricane is about to destroy the town of Arcadia Bay, and Max must choose between saving the town and everyone in it or her friend/girlfriend Chloe. Although Max can choose to romance a boy, her romance with Chloe became one of the franchise's most famous hallmarks and was revisited in Life is Strange: Reunion.Sonic and Amy RoseAlthough SEGA has never officially made them a couple, Amy Rose clearly cares deeply for the hedgehog, and while Sonic does not have romantic feelings for her, he cares a lot about Amy and puts himself at risk for her. They are the kind of couple already established in the eyes of fans, even though they have never been canonized in the games. Amy Rose first appeared in Sonic CD, released for the SEGA CD in 1992.Amy was reading tarot cards when she saw that she would have good luck and meet Sonic that day. And that is exactly what happened. Sonic ran toward Little Planet, a natural satellite of the planet where the Time Stones are located, which allow someone to travel through time. Robotnik goes to Little Planet to take the Stones, and his latest invention, Metal Sonic, kidnaps Amy. In the end, Amy and Sonic are not officially a couple, but one day Sonic will stop running from her. We only hope that, when that happens, it will not be too late.Mario and PeachFor years, Super Mario and his brother Luigi saved Princess Peach and received a piece of cake and a kiss on the nose, until Nintendo, through the company's hyperlink{daily messaging app}, stated that they are not a couple but very good friends. Princess Peach, or Toadstool, is one of the most famous female characters in the role of the "damsel in distress," kidnapped by Bowser, the villainous king of the Koopas.For years, we all viewed Mario and Peach as a couple, and they became one of gaming's leading pairs, even marrying at the end of Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo, which makes Miyamoto's statement rather surprising (not so much if we consider that she marries Luigi as well if we finish the game with him).It is a surprising statement, much like others he has made that dismantled everything we believed about Mario, such as the fact that he is only around 20 years old and is not a plumber. All that is left is for him to say that Mario is not Italian!Andy Bogard and Mai ShiranuiWhen we think of classic fighting games, romance is the last thing that comes to mind. In general, fighting games focus far more on combos, moves, stories of martial artists constantly proving themselves in battle, and violence.Andy and Mai are the first fighting-game characters on record to be in a romantic relationship in the known history of video games (if there was some very obscure game released earlier, I at least could not find any record of it. If there was, leave it in the comments), with Mai calling herself "Andy's fiancée."To this day, in Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, it is unclear whether they got married, but Mai continues to tease Andy and Andy continues to avoid public displays of affection, making them a fun couple to follow.Liu Kang and KitanaIf it was already difficult to imagine romantic relationships in fighting games such as Fatal Fury and Street Fighter, imagine finding romance in Mortal Kombat. Yet there are some. Mileena and Rain formed a political alliance in MK 11. Mileena and Tanya, in 2023's Mortal Kombat 1, are in a forbidden romance that defies Ungadi law and royal traditions. Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade got married and had Cassie Cage. But the most famous pairing is undoubtedly Liu Kang and Kitana.The champion of Earthrealm led the Edenian princess to rebel against her "father," Shao Kahn, and challenge the tyrannical conqueror, eventually becoming one of the most valuable allies of Earthrealm's kombatants. Many twists have taken place since she was introduced in 1993's Mortal Kombat II, but it was established from the start that Kitana and Liu Kang care for each other. They separated for the greater good of the Realms in MK 4 Gold, until they married in the Netherrealm in Mortal Kombat 11 and became king and queen. The only problem is this: a couple's fight always ends in a fatality.Tracer and EmilyThis couple sparked hyperlink{controversy} when it was revealed, along with a great deal of hate from Overwatch players.Tracer is, in every respect, a character with traits designed to appeal to the male gaze, and taking that away from them was, at the time, a "major crime" in these players' eyes, committed by Blizzard with the release of the hyperlink{Reflections comic}, a Christmas special that reveals Tracer is a lesbian and has a girlfriend named Emily.In the comic, Tracer races against the clock to find the perfect gift, running through stores and looking for Winston to help her, and eventually finds a scarf that she gives to her girlfriend Emily.Over time, other Overwatch characters, such as Soldier 76, were also revealed to be LGBTQIA+, but Tracer was the one who crawled first so they could run afterward.Nathan and ElenaThe Uncharted series is built as much around its central relationship as its action. Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher are one of those famous video game couples whose dynamic shapes every adventure, from the ruins of Drake's Fortune to the emotional challenges of A Thief's End.What makes them stand out among video game couples is how naturally their bond evolves throughout the series. Not just through the cutscenes, but in the way they talk during a chase, argue after a near miss and, ultimately, choose each other time and again.Elena challenges Nathan's recklessness with intelligence and conviction, holding him accountable in a way that makes both characters feel real. Nathan's loyalty and humor keep their bond alive even when his choices hurt it, and their story across several games gives every reunion and conflict genuine emotional weight.Players connect with Nathan and Elena because their relationship develops naturally over time, adding emotional stakes to every escape, fight and final decision. Video game couples rarely feel so grounded or so human.Ellie and DinaIn The Last of Us Part II, Ellie and Dina represent one of gaming's least conventional love stories, and that is precisely why they matter. Their relationship unfolds amid pain, anger and violence, not safety. When they dance in Jackson or joke during patrol, those moments hit harder because the world around them offers almost no gentleness.What makes them one of gaming's most moving couples is how ordinary their connection feels. Dina teases Ellie about her journal. Ellie awkwardly tries to express what she is feeling. They talk about music, fear and what the future might be like if survival were not the only priority. They are small conversations, but they build something real.Their farm scenes later in the story are quiet and domestic, almost fragile, and that fragility makes it impossible to ignore the underlying tension. Many players compare their emotional weight to the best action RPG narratives, although its structure remains firmly action-focused.Ellie and Dina's relationship offers rare moments of affection in this difficult setting. Dina provides emotional grounding, humor and support, making Ellie's choices feel heavier and more personal. Ellie and Dina are one of the most emotionally honest couples in video games. Their tenderness hits harder precisely because everything around them tries to take it away.
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