Is it safe for us to assume that at one point in your life of pop culture, you’ve pondered the question of “what if those two characters got together in a relationship?” We think it is.
Fans of pop culture have been looking to fictional characters for ages while hoping and praying for a relationship to work out in the end. Many fail, but there are those few that end up standing the test of time and making audiences more than satisfied. We thought we would look over a few of the ships that sailed throughout pop culture recently.
First of all, let’s look at the definition of shipping (no, not like shipping your Loot Crate)
Shipping (verb): the desire by fans for two or more people, either real-life people or fictional characters (in film, literature, television etc.) to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise.
Shipping can happen in almost any format of media: Movies, television, books, even in podcasts. Our list below has a little bit of everything you can think of! Let’s dive right in.
Carlos and Cecil from Welcome to Night Vale
((Night Vale Presents))
All hail the Glow Cloud and this mighty ship. Dwelling in that small town where mysterious lights pass overhead while the residents pretend to sleep, the relationship between the voice of Night Vale, Cecil, and the resident Scientist, Carlos, was one that was brewing for a while, spanning episode after episode of the podcast from creators Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. There were subtle hints placed in episodes, unabashed pining from the mind of Cecil over the airwaves, and a whole lot of love from the community. So seeing, no…hearing this ship, made me all sorts of happy inside.
Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley & Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley from Harry Potter
((Warner Bros. Pictures))
This one has been a hotly contest ship since the inklings of relationships were introduced within the Harry Potter novels, so why not start it off at the top of this list! There are sides of the fandom that much prefer the idea of Harry and Hermione as a couple, while the other side prefers the canon relationship that is Harry and Ginny. On top of that, the end of the seventh novel confirms all relationships as readers (later, moviegoers) see the children of both Harry and Ginny as well as Hermione and Ron. I was always on the side of Harry/Ginny and Hermione/Ron, but I can’t stop someone from shipping what they want to ship!
Korra and Asami from The Legend of Korra
((Nickelodeon))
This relationship started off as one that I personally did not expect while watching the next evolution in the Last Airbender series. Korra and Asami started off as two people who respected one another. I wouldn’t call them “friends” from the very start, but I wouldn’t dare to call them “enemies” either. These two exceptionally strong-willed female protagonists grew in leaps and bounds both independently and together, resulting in a close bond that no one could dare doubt. Plus, that vacation in the Spirit World looked nothing short of amazing.
Bender and Lucy Liu from Futurama
Robots need love too, especially in the future. So why not the all-around badass that is Lucy Liu? According to the Infosphere, her head was rescued by Bender in the year 3003, in which they soon after began dating. Her current status is not known, but we can only hope that she and Bender are quite the happy couple (much to Fry’s chagrin.)
Fry and Leela from Futurama
((Comedy Central))
While Bender may be having his own relationship with the head of Lucy Liu, fans of Futurama have a different relationship to put their energy into. No, I’m not talking about Zapp Brannigan and Velour- I’m talking about Fry and Leela. The relationship between Fry and Leela has been one of the continuing plotlines throughout the entirety of the series, with their feelings (or lack of feelings) weaving themselves throughout. I happen to agree with a few (read as ALL) of the selections on this list of “8 Times Fry and Leela’s Relationship Made You Ugly Cry.” From the chalky taste of those Valentine’s Day hearts to time jumps and even musicals made via the Robot Devil’s hands, this pair was one we could not leave out, not in a million years.
“Please don’t stop playing, Fry, I want to hear how it ends.”
Monica and Chandler from Friends
Could they be any cuter? If you were a fan of Friends during its ten-season run, you would know that relationships came and went, especially in Joey’s case. There are those who love their Ross and Rachel, but I’m of the camp that is a fan of Monica and Chandler. Why? Just saying “Oh come on, look at them!” isn’t quite enough, is it? The couple, also known as “Mondler,” started at the end of season 4 but have a past going all the way back to their teenage years. It wouldn’t be Friends without some backstory, right? As a couple, they have their ups and they have their downs, but most of all, they just are as normal as a couple living their lives. I think that makes them all the more relatable and solidifies them into this list!
Simon and Kaylee from Firefly and Serenity
((Universal Pictures))
Firefly and Serenity had so many great relationships that it was hard to just pick one out of the many. I stuck with Simon and Kaylee because it’s so pure and awkward that it’s almost too good to really pass up talking about. With characters that come from two separate worlds of being- Simon being from the echelons of the Alliance and Kaylee being the sturdy mechanic for the Serenity, it seems like these two shouldn’t be the pair that they are. But from first meeting when the good surgeon comes aboard the ship, it seemed like the signs for shipping were all there. As the show progressed, so did their friendship, ultimately until the moment displayed in the gif from Serenity, where the promise of their relationship stokes the fire of living within Ms. Frye.
Like a leaf on the wind, we watched this ship soar. Pardon the pun, the relationship just washed over me. Okay, pardon that pun too.
Who is your OTP (one true pairing?) Have a ship that you think most people don’t know of? Let us know in the comments or by tweeting @Lootcrate with the hashtag #TDCShips
