12 Shows With the Best Love Triangles

The WB show all about the growing pains that come with transitioning from adolesence into adulthood followed various aspects of that chapter in life, including the complicated relationships that come with it. Primarily, these romantic tensions surrounded Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) who was torn between Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) and Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson), two young men she grew up with. While her love for Dawson stemmed from friendship, Joey’s relationship with Pacey was a little more volatile as the pair’s usual dynamic included bickering.

The WB classic Felicity focused heavily on the titular character’s romantic ups and downs as she followed her high school crush Ben (Scott Speedman) to college. But when something sparks between Felicity and Noel Crane (Scott Foley) there’s more to consider, teeing up one of TV’s most memorable love triangles.

The CW’s telenovela-level dramedy starring Gina Rodriguez put her character Jane Villanueva in an unusual circumstance when she found herself artificially inseminated by accident. The virgin’s road the romance was also unusual as she was primarily torn between two men, the wealthy Rafael Solano (Justin Baldoni) and cop Michael Cordero Jr. (Brett Dier). Through breakups, marriages, faked deaths, and more, there was a lot for Jane to weigh when it came to her suitors.

While Starz’s mega-hit centers around the epic love story of World War II combat nurse Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and 18th-century Highlander Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), their romance in earlier seasons was always followed by the shadow of her first husband Frank (Tobias Menzies). Celebrating their love with a trip to Inverness, Claire finds herself separated from Frank when she inexplicably travels through time at the standing stones of Craigh Na Dun. As Claire is introduced to Jamie, she can’t help but feel torn between the two men and time.

The late ’90s TV classic following slayer Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) chronicled her badass pursuits, as well as the romantic dynamics between her and two very different vampires, Angel (David Boreanaz) and Spike (James Marsters). While Angel’s initially an ally, Spike serves as an antagonist until he isn’t, making for an interesting journey.

This delightful beachy binge from showrunner and author Jenny Han follows a transformative time 16-year-old Belly (Lola Tung) has at the fictional Cousins Beach where she spends every summer with her mother Laurel (Jackie Chung) and brother Steven (Sean Kaufman) at the home of her mother’s best friend Susannah (Rachel Blanchard). There she spends time with Susannah’s boys, longtime crush Conrad (Christopher Briney) and best friend Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). As the summers unfold Belly finds herself torn between the brothers unexpectedly.

Netflix’s raunchy teen comedy deals with plenty of intricate relationships, but one that certainly stands out in the crowd is the tension between Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa) and Adam Groff (Connor Swindells). While Adam was a bully to Eric at the beginning of the show, he soon let his true feelings show, but fears of his public image being altered kept Adam closeted. Frustrated by Adam’s inability to publicly show affection, Eric turned to new student Rahim (Sami Outalbali). Despite Eric and Adam later becoming a couple, the three have been inextricably tied together since Season 2.

This overlooked MTV gem followed the trials and tribulations of teen Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards) who, after an unfortunate accident that many perceive to be a suicide attempt, gains buckets of unwanted popularity. The situation impacts her early relationship with crush Matty McKibben (Beau Mirchoff) who wants to keep their hookups secret, eventually leading her into the arms of golden retriever-like jock Jake Rosatti (Brett Davern). Comedic chaos ensues and the question of who Jenna should choose to be with looms large.

Nothing screams romance more than the idea of eternal love, and teen Elena (Nina Dobrev) certainly has choices in this supernatural drama. One of the show’s defining aspects was her love triangle with vampire brothers, kind-hearted Stefan (Paul Wesley), and bad boy Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

From creators Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, this series hinges on the romantic inclinations of teen Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). The overachieving student quickly sets some lofty and lusty goals at the start of her Sophomore year, setting older athlete Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet) in her sights. Things get a little side-tracked when sparks begin flying between her academic rival Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison), leading to the series-long debate, Team Paxton or Team Ben?

For any fan who tuned into Shondaland’s DC-set drama, they’ll never forget the first White House rendezvous between political fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and married president Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn). It was so wrong, it had to be right. Right? It certainly seemed so until operative Jake Ballard (Scott Foley) stepped in, confusing, not only Olivia but viewers alike. The back-and-forth dynamic was must-see TV when the show was airing from 2012 to 2018.

While this dramedy about mother-daughter duo Lorelei (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), followed the ups and downs of their close bond, it also explored young love. Whether it was Rory’s first boyfriend Dean (Jared Padalecki), Luke’s (Scott Patterson) broody and bookish nephew Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), or rich bad boy Logan (Matt Czuchry), fans were divided over who they thought she belonged with.