Top 10 Best Cartoon TV Couples of 2020
#10: Elliot & Diane Birch “Big Mouth” (2017 -)
In some ways, Elliot and Diane really are your typical cartoon parents - doing everything they can to support their kids while also embarrassing them at every possible opportunity. But they’re also hugely modern, taking a sex-positive, self-esteem focused approach to parenting that emphasizes being comfortable in your own skin and treating others with respect above all else. And because of how fully they embrace these values in their own lives, they have a happy, supportive romance of their own - even if they tend to share a little too much of it at times.
#9: Troy Sandoval & Benson Mekler “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts” (2020)
Like a lot of great fantasy and sci-fi series, the real drama in “Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts” is often less about the strange creatures that we encounter along the adventure, and more about the simple, human drama going on between the main characters. The deft touch with which it handles the more intimate moments was fully on display in Benson’s incredibly chill coming out scene, and this continued into his blossoming relationship with Troy. Their whole dynamic, from Benson’s awkward early attempts to impress Troy, to their parting kiss, is just heart-warmingly wholesome.
#8: Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Adrien Agreste “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” (2015-)
Remember how Peter Parker’s love life was always a complete mess because, on top of dealing with the everyday pressures of being a high-schooler in love, he was spending half his time fighting crime? Well, imagine how crazy things get when both partners have a secret identity that the other one is totally unaware of! Ladybug and Cat Noir’s relationship is an excellent mess, a “will they, won’t they” story full of near-misses and almost moments as they try to find love from behind a mask. But come on, who doesn’t love a crime fighting couple?
#7: Howard & Harold McBride “The Loud House” (2016-)
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Howard and Harold’s introduction to a series already bustling with big personalities caused a ratings surge for a couple of reasons. As the first ever married gay couple to appear on a Nickolodeon animated series, they were pretty groundbreaking. And, as a cartoon couple, they were just plain loveable - they offer their son, Clyde, plenty of affection and attention, providing a calm counterpoint to the manic Loud house. And they compliment each other perfectly, with Harold’s more laid-back approach counterbalancing Howard’s neurotic tendencies. They're the sort of couple that immediately makes viewers wish they would adopt them too.
#6: Beast Boy & Raven “Teen Titans Go!” (2013-)
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Beast Boy and Raven’s romance follows a pretty typical TV template: harboring long-running crushes on each other but never quite finding themselves able to admit their feelings at the same time. Of course, in other ways, it’s nothing like your standard TV romance - he’s a metahuman able to transform into animals and she’s a half-demon with superpowers, so their romance does have certain unusual obstacles. Still, even if their relationship spends more time off than on, the friction between them ensures that sparks are always flying. And hey, they almost got married!
#5: Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy “Harley Quinn” (2019-)
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Harely Quinn might have originally popped up as the right-hand gal of a certain clown prince, but the latest animated series gave her the chance to find someone who was a better fit for her. Naturally though, she gravitates straight towards another supervillain - Poison Ivy. Their romance isn’t much less destructive than hers and Joker’s was, and it mostly consists of drunken hook-ups and crime sprees, but there are also moments when it seems like they might actually be good for each other. It’s weird to feel like you have a stake in the love life of two evildoers, but damn if they don’t make one hilarious couple.
#4: Princess Bubblegum & Marceline the Vampire Queen “Adventure Time: Distant Lands” (2020-)
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Like a lot of non-hetero relationships in cartoons, the connection between Princess Bubblegum and Marecline was often kept a little bit opaque. Fans were quick to ship them, but the show mostly restricted itself to merely hinting at the true nature of their relationship for a long time - showing Princess Bubblegum asleep in a shirt given to her by Marceline, but never going so far as to confirm that their dynamic was romantic. It actually took all the way to the series finale before the two finally confessed their true feelings. Thankfully, the Distant Lands specials provided the perfect chance to explore their relationship in more detail, giving fans a proper look at a relationship they’d been desperate to see more of for years.
#3: Luz Noceda & Amity Blight “The Owl House” (2020-)
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The Disney Channel and the parents that rely on it have often seemed to be in a bit of a panic about how to introduce young kids to the concept of queer relationships. “The Owl House” offers an answer so simple that they must feel silly for not thinking of it before now: have a witch-in-training realise her true feelings for her classmate while the two battle a shapeshifting monster, of course! After seeing off the nefarious Grom by dancing together, Luz is still unaware of Amity’s crush on her - so they aren’t exactly a “couple” as of yet, but that definitely seems to be on the cards for future episodes. After all, the couple that slays together, stays together.
#2: Bob & Linda Belcher “Bob’s Burgers” (2011-)
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If you were looking for a duo to base your romantic hopes around, Bob and Linda might seem like an odd pick. They’re a pretty run-of-the-mill married couple after all, struggling to keep their burger resto afloat and their kids in check, leaving little time or energy for romance. So their relationship isn’t the steamiest, but it is one of the strongest - they’re equal partners in everything, dividing the workload and supporting each other through it all. They take turns getting drunk, messing up and pursuing weird dreams, they always have each other's backs and they constantly make each other laugh. Most people’s dream relationship might not look much like the Belchers, but maybe we’d all be happier if they did.
#1: Adora & Catra “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” (2018-20)
This reboot of the ‘80s series has quickly become one of the most joyful pieces of LGBTQ+ representation to be found anywhere on the small screen. From Bow’s charming dads, Lance and George, to the non-binary character, Double Trouble, the series has gone out of its way to show off the whole dazzling rainbow spectrum of gender and sexual identities.The romantic relationship between our hero Adora and her arch-nemesis Catra put this matter at the very heart of the show, making for a classic “opposites attract” tale. Watching them figure out who they were as their feelings for each other changed also makes for invaluable viewing for anyone trying to get a handle on their own identity.
