The Hottest Supernatural Romances: ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live,’ ‘Ghost’ & More
Hey there, lovers! Join us in our 10-day countdown of the 100 Hottest Onscreen Romances — from both television and film, comedy and drama — culminating on Valentine’s Day. Plus, sound off on your pick for the hottest TV couple of all time in our poll! And be sure to check out TV Insider’s February 2024 issue, currently on newsstands, or purchase it online here. You can also subscribe to TV Insider Magazine here now.
Welcome to Day Three of our 100 Hottest Onscreen Romances countdown. Today, we focus on the supernatural love stories that get the blood pumping. The upcoming The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live continues the burning love story between The Walking Dead‘s beloved Rick and Michonne (Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira). Other TV and cinematic classics, like True Blood and Ghost, have also made the ranking. If there’s one pattern to be found in this lineup, it’s the vampires. Scroll through our favorite supernatural romances below.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (AMC, AMC+)
The zombie franchise’s star-crossed, blood-splattered lovers—former leader Rick Grimes (Lincoln) and his warrior wife Michonne (Gurira)—finally reunite in this new six-episode series. But first, they need to fight their way back into each other’s arms. The postapocalyptic power couple—known as “Richonne” by fans—caught feelings during Dead’s sixth season. But in Season 9, the fairy tale was over, and the two were catastrophically split up. While Michonne believed her love to be dead, he was actually abducted by a mysterious organization.
When she learned Rick was maybe still out there, Michonne set out on a desperate search for her soulmate. Scott M. Gimple, the Walking Dead Universe’s chief content officer, says that, in this new series, “We start at dark places, in dark situations.” But we know these survivors will hold each other again in the light.Their mission reminds Gimple of what he calls the “most romantic” moment from TWD, in Season 7’s “Rock in the Road.”
“Rick and Michonne raced down the freeway, each in their own cars connected by a chain, slicing through thousands of walkers. [They were] two formidable equals—in love, confident and steely—cutting through the world together,” Gimple says. “That moment was a love story and one of our biggest action scenes simultaneously. We try fusing it all [in Ones]: love, action, drama.” — Emily Aslanian
The Vampire Diaries Peacock (Max)
It isn’t always blood that the vampires are after—sometimes it’s the heart. On The CW’s 2009–17 hit, Nina Dobrev played Elena Gilbert, a teen who, having lost both parents in a car crash, slowly heals as she falls for a 161-year-old vampire, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). And then she falls for his older brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder)! Stefan was selfless and earnest; Damon, impulsive and self-destructive—Elena had crazy chemistry with both. This was a love triangle for the ages.
Lucifer (Netflix)
Seems right that the overlord of Hell would end up a modern-day nightclub owner. At his Los Angeles haunt, Tom Ellis’ suave Lucifer Morningstar met lots of women, but he was truly intrigued by an LAPD homicide detective, Chloe Decker (Lauren German), if only because she was the rare human who resisted his charms. This was, fittingly, a slow burn of a relationship: They didn’t even get horizontal until Season 5 of the 2016–21 series, in a lusty encounter that found them atop a piano, against a wall, then finally in the bedroom.
True Blood (Max, Hulu)
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: A vampire walks into a bar and grill…and Bon Temps, Louisiana, gets 20 degrees sultrier when he locks eyes with the waitress. This R-rated 2008–14 drama gave us the unlikely duo of telepathic Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and courtly blood-sucker Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Utterly believable as soulmates, the two leads came together in real life, wedding in 2010!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Hulu)
The Slayer was one in a long line of women chosen by fate to battle evil in Joss Whedon’s cult classic (1997–2003). Which made it all the more bittersweet when the high schooler developed profound feelings for a vampire—albeit one cursed with a soul. At one point, after the two kissed, we saw Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) crucifix burned into Angel’s (David Boreanaz) chest. And in a stunning development, when they finally made love, he experienced true happiness—and turned dark again. How star-crossed can you get?
A Discovery of Witches (AMC+, Shudder, Sundance Now)
A witch and a vampire? This coupling is about as forbidden as it gets, but American academic Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) and Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), a British biochemist, cannot deny their connection as they work together to protect a bewitched manuscript and learn its secrets. “As long as Diana and I are alive,” he says in this 2019–22 fantasy, “we will never be parted. Never!”
Pushing Daisies (Max)
Romance isn’t supposed to involve not touching your beloved because you will kill her. In this fractured 2007–09 fairy tale, pie-maker Ned (Lee Pace) can reanimate the dead with a tap—but if he taps a second time, that person dies permanently. This is clearly a stumbling block in his relationship with Chuck (Anna Friel), the murdered love of his life whom he’s revived. They find adorable, clever ways to show affection, though, like kissing through plastic wrap and dancing in full beekeepers’ outfits.
Ghost (Max)
Patrick Swayze’s ghostly husband tries to save wife Demi Moore from a corrupt coworker.
Somewhere in Time (Freevee)
Christopher Reeve travels back to 1912 to woo Jane Seymour.
