Top 20 TV Couple Breakup Scenes
#20: Ben Wyatt & Leslie Knope “Parks and Recreation” (2009-15)
Top 10 Most Hilarious Parks and Recreation Moments
Ben and Leslie have got to be one of the cutest couples in TV history, and their breakup at the beginning of season four was just as sweet as they are. There was no dramatic blow out here- the pair knew that in order for Leslie to advance her career, they couldn’t be together because it would be a conflict of interest. Ben gets Leslie a “Knope 2012” button and they both know that it has to end. Despite the fact that this breakup is a mutual decision, it’s still heartbreaking to watch. Thank goodness the “Parks and Rec” writers couldn’t keep them apart for long.
#19: Willow Rosenberg & Tara Maclay “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1996-2003)
The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode “Tabula Rasa” is one of the show’s best and most memorable, but it also contains one of the show’s most difficult breakup scenes. The showrunners were working on writing one of the earliest lesbian relationships on TV, and they made Willow and Tara struggle as Willow’s magical practices got out of control. Willow vows to stop using magic for a week to prove that she can, but when Willow breaks her promise, Tara leaves her. The Michelle Branch song playing in the background of this scene makes it all the more emotional in the most 2000s way possible.
#18: Rory Gilmore & Dean Forester “Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)
Top 10 Rory Gilmore Moments That Make Us Yell at Our TVs
If you were hit hard by your first breakup, you can definitely relate to this entry. Rory and Dean seemed like the perfect couple, and when they were celebrating an important anniversary Dean took the moment to tell Rory he loved her. When she couldn’t say it back however, he ended things with her. Rory is at first in denial about her feelings and is all business in her manner of dealing with the break up, despite Lorelai’s attempts to convince her to wallow accordingly. It’s only a matter of time however, and when Rory finally faces her feelings, her mom is thankfully there to comfort her, making for an emotional moment.
#17: Jessica Day & Nick Miller “New Girl” (2011-18)
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It was clear from early on that these two were meant to be together, but just like most other TV couples, there had to be a few bumps along the way. At the end of season three, Nick and Jess start talking about the future, and realize that they’ve had pretty dramatically different visions of how the coming years look. Despite the fact that they love each other more than they’ve ever loved anyone before, they decide to break up because that seems to be the only thing they have in common. Seeing a couple end things when they still have such strong feelings for one another is totally heartbreaking.
#16: Jon Snow & Ygritte “Game of Thrones” (2011-)
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The world of Westeros isn’t necessarily known for its romantic subplots, but one of the sweetest couples to emerge from this dark and violent place is Jon and Ygritte. The crow and wildling had forces working against them from the very beginning because of the very different worlds they came from. When it finally comes time for them to part ways, Ygritte manages to get in one more version of her iconic line, before Jon tells her that he still loves her. She doesn’t stand down however, and shoots him several times with her bow and arrow. Now that’s one seriously messy break up.
#15: Brooke Davis & Lucas Scott “One Tree Hill” (2003-12)
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As far as TV shows go, there are few as emotionally fraught as this one. “One Tree Hill” is full of devastating moments, but Brooke and Lucas’ second breakup has got to be one of the worst, despite the fact that we always kinda knew he’d end up with Peyton. Peyton was one of the major reasons that this relationship didn’t work out, first because of their affair and then because of the kiss she shared with Lucas during the school lockdown. In the end though, Brooke ended things with Lucas for her own reasons, and assured him that it was about much more than just Peyton.
#14: Elena Gilbert & Stefan Salvatore “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)
Top 10 Unforgettable Damon & Elena Moments
Elena and Stefan were the OG “Vampire Diaries” couple, and you can knock yourselves out debating Stelena VS Delena in the comments. But you can’t deny that this relationship was one that had us hooked, and left us devastated when it ended. These two called it quits more than once, but the break up that really gutted us was the one that took place near the beginning of season two, when Elena decides that they need to part ways for the greater good. This scene is nearly impossible to watch and every time we watch it we’re just as teary eyed as the characters.
#13: Kurt Hummel & Blaine Anderson “Glee” (2009-15)
Top 10 Unforgettable Kurt & Blaine Moments on Glee
There were a lot of fan favorite couples on “Glee”, but perhaps none was more beloved than this one. From the very beginning of their courtship, viewers loved these two together, and we continued to root for them even as their journey encountered obstacle after obstacle. While they actually had a couple of serious breakups, the first one remains the one that hit us hardest. In season four, Kurt and Blaine have been doing long distance, and Blaine suddenly admits that he has been unfaithful because he was lonely without Kurt. We can all imagine how hurtful this would be, and Chris Colfer’s acting in this scene is outstanding.
#12: Blair Waldorf & Chuck Bass “Gossip Girl” (2007-12)
Top 10 Unforgettable Chuck and Blair Moments
We knew from the very beginning that Chuck wasn’t exactly the most stand-up guy, but we couldn’t help but root for him and Blair to make it work. Things take a dark turn in season three however when Chuck is at risk of losing his prized hotel, and Jack says that he will give it to him as long as get gets to spend a night with Blair. Just the fact that Chuck would even entertain this idea is understandably enough to make Blair furious, and she leaves him. Of course, we knew it couldn’t actually be the end for these two, and sure enough, by the series finale, they got their happily ever after.
#11: Lily Aldrin & Marshall Eriksen “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
In the very first episode of “How I Met Your Mother”, Lily and Marshall get engaged, and then go on to be basically #relationshipgoals for the rest of the series. There is one major blip however, at the end of season one when Lily chooses to go to San Francisco to pursue her artistic passions, leaving Marshall behind. The breakup is a shocking one, because fans couldn’t believe that these two would actually call it quits. The beginning of season two is also awful to watch, as we see Marshall trying to get over Lily and failing miserably. Barney and Robin’s breakup was also tough to watch, despite the fact that they obviously weren’t meant to be.
#10: Dylan McKay and Brenda Walsh “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000)
Top 10 Memorable Dylan McKay Moments
Love begins to blossom between these two high school students during the first season of this iconic teen drama. Their relationship faces a major hurdle when Brenda fears that she may be pregnant. Although it turns out she isn’t, Brenda feels that things are moving too fast and breaks things off with Dylan. For the next few years, it appears that the young couple may potentially get back together. However, any hope for their reconciliation is shattered, when Dylan has an affair with Kelly, Brenda’s best friend. As you can probably guess, Brenda doesn’t take the news well.
#9: Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
From its pilot episode, this sitcom established that Robin wouldn’t be the mother of Ted’s children. Despite wanting different things out of life, Ted and Robin entered a committed relationship for a whole season nevertheless. Although the audience knew this wouldn’t last, there’s no denying these two characters shared marvelous chemistry. Watching them inevitably break up made us feel bluer than the French horn. Ted and Robin would rekindle their romance in the series finale. By that point, however, we were all kind of rooting for Ted to live happily ever after with the mother.
#8: Mindy Lahiri and Danny Castellano “The Mindy Project” (2012-)
Top 10 Mindy Project Moments
Mindy views her life as if it were a romantic comedy. Of course, no rom-com would be complete without a tear-jerking breakup. Just as they start to address their feelings for each other, Danny informs Mindy that he wants to keep their relationship a secret. Mindy gives Danny an ultimatum: they can either become a real couple or call things off. This backfires, as Danny doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. Yeah, we’ve all heard that one before. Fortunately, it doesn’t take too long for Danny and Mindy to finally reconcile at the top of the Empire State Building, borrowing from the classic rom-com “Sleepless in Seattle,” in true Mindy fashion.
#7: Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts “The O.C.” (2003-07)
Top 10 Best Seth & Summer Moments on The O.C.
Seth and Summer were easily everyone’s favorite couple on “The O.C.,” making this breakup especially painful to endure. After Summer gets into Brown, she decides to stay behind with Seth, who got rejected. Only wanting the best for his girlfriend, Seth breaks up with Summer so she can move on to greater things. Even after Summer makes a grand romantic gesture, Seth still insists that he doesn’t love her anymore. While he had good intentions, lying to Summer remains one of Seth’s most debatable choices. At least the truth comes out in time and the two get their happy ending.
#6: Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-)
Sharing an on-again, off-again relationship since the first episode of “Pretty Little Liars,” Aria and Ezra’s romance has been a true emotional rollercoaster. With Aria leaving for college towards the end of season five, the couple comes to the mutual decision to make a clean break. The end of Ezria left shippers everywhere stricken with grief. At the same time, their breakup proved to be surprisingly identifiable. It also exemplified Aria’s growth, leaving high school behind and becoming an adult. Besides, we have a feeling that things aren’t entirely over between these two just yet.
#5: Joey Potter and Pacey Witter “Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003)
Top 10 Pacey & Joey Moments from Dawson’s Creek
As far as we’re concerned, Joey, Pacey, and Dawson are still the ultimate TV love triangle. Joey would eventually choose Team Pacey, but their relationship wasn’t smooth sailing from there on. With college on the horizon, Pacey starts to fear that he’s not good enough for Joey. He unleashes his insecurities in the middle of senior prom, furiously rocking the boat. Infuriated by her boyfriend’s public outburst, Joey tells him to go to hell and abandons the ship. This might’ve given some hope to those who were championing Team Dawson. In the end, though, Joey and Pacey rein as the creek’s definitive couple.
#4: Cristina Yang and Preston Burke “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
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Although (xref) Callie and Arizona’s breakup hit us hard, the end of Christina and Preston’s relationship was an even bigger bombshell. It was a rocky road to the altar for this couple and their nuptials didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. Seeing that his apprehensive bride clearly isn’t ready for marriage, Burke calls off their wedding. Of course the real reason was because actor Isaiah Washington got fired. Unable to breathe in her dress, Christina is left with a broken heart that can’t be mended through modern medicine. While her romance with Preston wasn’t built to last, Cristina’s friendship with Meredith would remain unbreakable.
#3: Buffy Summers and Angel “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
Top 10 Unforgettable Buffy the Vampire Slayer Moments
Buffy and Angel made for a great team, and an even greater power couple. Seeing how one is an ageless vampire and the other is the vampire slayer, though, their relationship naturally had its complications. Knowing that he’ll only cause Buffy more pain, Angel makes the difficult decision to break up with her and move away. Buffy can’t believe this news and the audience is just as crushed, but at least Angel is now free to pursue his own spinoff series. Both of their shows concluded without a romantic reconciliation, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed Buffy and Angel end up together in the comics.
#2: Carrie Bradshaw and Aidan Shaw “Sex and the City” (1998-2004)
While Carrie and Mr. Big split up numerous times, it was her second breakup with Aidan that left us bawling. After she accepted Aidan’s marriage proposal, it looked like Carrie Bradshaw was officially spoken for. Alas, their engagement would only last a couple episodes. Where Aidan is 100% ready for marriage, Carrie is unsure she’ll ever be ready to tie the knot. It doesn’t help that Aidan could never fully trust Carrie after her affair. Unable to reach a compromise, their relationship comes to a bitter end. Well, at least it’s better than getting broken up with via post-it note.
#1: Ross Geller and Rachel Green “Friends” (1994-2004)
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While Ross and Rachel’s breakup stands out as one of the most dramatic moments on “Friends,” it also incorporated a fair deal of humor to balance things out. Part of it derives from Rachel’s animosity towards Ross after learning he slept with another woman. We also get some strong comedy from the rest of the cast, who have been trapped inside a neighboring bedroom. Ultimately, however, the fight works up to a devastating conclusion in which Rachel tells Ross it’s over. Several years later, the two finally sorted their feelings out in the series finale. For the record, though, we still don’t know whether they were on a break or not.
