Top 10 Good Girl/Bad Boy TV Couples
#10: Steven Hyde & Jackie Burckhart “That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
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He’d probably prefer that we use the term zen, but Hyde was the ‘70s coolest bad boy. He didn’t care about school, he hated “the Man”, and he only seemingly took off those sweet aviators to kiss his girlfriend, Jackie Burkhart. Jackie, on the other hand, was practically a princess, at least according to her. She was from a rich family, took pride in her appearance, and was a popular student. Their relationship may have started out as a simple opposites attract hook-up, but they grew to really love and appreciate each other. They accepted each other’s faults and truly brought the best out of each other. Forget Fez. Jackie and Hyde forever.
#9: Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf “Gossip Girl” (2007-12)
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On the surface, Blair was pretty much your stereotypical good girl, bad attitude type. A prim and proper rich witch. But deep down, she had a dark side. She was really a kind of evil genius with her constant schemes. And Chuck was… a monster. He screwed around endlessly, mistreated towards women, and was ruthless in his attempts to get what he wanted. They simultaneously brought out the best and worst in each other. This couple has become beloved in pop culture, because, in spite of all the hell they brought down on the people around them and even each other; they fit perfectly together. They both just turned out to be the same kind of nutty.
#8: Jordan Catalano & Angela Chase “My So-Called Life” (1994-95)
Jordan was your typical too-cool-for-school type. He was held back twice because of a learning disability and had some serious family issues, but he had a good heart. Angela was mostly a nice girl, but she seemed to let others get her in trouble quite a bit. The two had a will-they won't-they for the entire series that left us all quaking with anticipation. They had a few steamy make out sessions, but were only official for one episode. Too bad for us the show only lasted one season and we didn’t really get to see too much of them as a couple, but it was great while it lasted.
#7: Tim Riggins & Lyla Garrity “Friday Night Lights” (2006-11)
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Tim was mostly a drunken playboy who never really got his life together and Lyla was his exact opposite. She was from a wealthy family, she had great grades, and a highly respectable reputation. That is, until Tim Riggins sunk his hooks into her. Tim Riggins was the kind of guy you’d ruin your life over, and Lyla almost did. Lyla helped Tim grow as a person, and Tim allowed Lyla to deviate from playing the role everyone expected of her. Ultimately, they realized they weren’t really right for each other. Their relationship was a beautiful disaster.
#6: Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)
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Talk about opposites attracting! These two didn't even like each other at first. He was a vampire out for vengeance against his brother, who just happened to be Elena's boyfriend at the time. But their relationship slowly grew into friendship, and then more than that. Hot off of the new wave vampire craze launched, in part, by “Twilight” the year before, these two quickly became a fan favorite couple. They had that whole vampire and human, forbidden love thing that drove young audiences crazy - and the back and forth love triangle made the relationship even more enticing.
#5: Dylan McKay & Brenda Walsh “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000)
Top 10 Memorable Dylan McKay Moments
This couple is one for the ages. They’re probably one of the first to come to mind when you think bad boy and good girl relationships produced out of teen dramas. Dylan was another too cool for school kind of bad boy and Brenda was smart and ambitious. They had this kind of wild, feverish romance that lasted a lifetime. Through so many ups and downs, including a love triangle with Brenda’s best friend, Kelly, and Dylan’s long struggle with addiction, they always somehow managed to find their way back to each other time and time again.
#4: Jess Mariano & Rory Gilmore “Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)
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Dean might have been the perfect first boyfriend, but Rory, apparently, had a thing for bad boys. Rory was a bookish, introverted type who inevitably fell for the resident rebel. Jess had a seriously bad attitude, was wildly disrespectful to pretty much everyone he met, had a major chip on his shoulder, and a knack for getting into trouble. But they had a lot of important things in common, like their love of books, and they just really understood each other. Many people are still willing to die on the hill that Jess was Rory’s best boyfriend. And Jess might have been Rory’s first bad boy, but he wasn’t her last. She continued her streak with a very different kind of bad boy, Logan.
#3: Logan Echolls & Veronica Mars “Veronica Mars” (2004-19)
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Logans just always seem to find trouble, don’t they? Logan Echolls was a very troubled young man. He had a violent streak, he was jealous, and seemed to only care about himself. But when you really think about Logan’s teenage life, it’s really a wonder he wasn’t more screwed up. Veronica was a crusader for the underdog and was literally addicted to helping people. On paper, it makes no sense, but they had common trauma that brought them together, and true love that kept them coming back to each other again and again. They always had each other's backs and they could verbally spar forever. Their ship name is LoVe, for crying out loud. And Logan’s speech about their story would prove to be true.
#2: Nathan Scott & Haley James Scott “One Tree Hill” (2003-12)
Top 10 Nathan & Haley Moments on One Tree Hill
Nathan and Haley are the epitome of the bad boy/good girl relationship. Nathan was a rich privileged kid, and the popular star of the basketball team who seemingly got away with everything, but deep down, he had a heart of gold. And Haley is the shy, nerdy girl who faded into the background, but had a secret adventurous side. They really helped each other become better people. Granted, Nathan needed a lot more work. He was often a huge jerk just because he could be. But he also helped Haley come out of her shell and go after her dreams unapologetically. And no matter what troubles came their way, they found a way to attack them together and come out the other side stronger. Naley are major couple goals. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. James "Sawyer" Ford & Juliet Burke, “Lost” (2004-10) The Con Man & the Doctor Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, “Riverdale” (2017-) The Serpent King & Queen Catherine Chandler & Vincent Keller, “Beauty & the Beast” (2012-16) The Monster and the Huntress Sookie Stackhouse & Bill Compton, “True Blood” (2008-14) An Interspecies Love Story Zoe Hart & Wade Kinsella, “Hart of Dixie” (2011-15) The Playboy & the Girl Next Door
#1: Buffy Summers & Angel “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
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Angel’s past as Angelus is described as his being one of the most vicious vampires in history, so he is the bad boy of bad boys. But he's a bad boy with a soul. Constantly brooding and skulking around with the spiked hair and the dark coat, he had it all. Buffy was definitely a badass, but she still falls into the category of good girl. Her mom always thought she was constantly getting into trouble, but she was out there saving the world. They had an intense and dangerous love that transcended life and death. Arguably, Spike may have been the better bad boy for Buffy. We’re not taking sides here, but feel free to argue amongst yourselves.
