Biggest How I Met Your Mother Couples Ranked From Worst to Best
At its heart, How I Met Your Mother is about who ends up with whom. Apartments switch, careers shift, and years pass, but the relationships are what keep fans debating long after the finale. Some couples felt forced or frustrated. Others just worked. From the messiest matches to the most satisfying love stories, here’s a ranking from worst to best.
Ted & Jeanette
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Jeanette Peterson shows up in Season 8 of How I Met Your Mother and quickly admits she had been stalking Ted Mosby before they met. That alone sets the tone. Their relationship moves forward anyway, despite repeated arguments, broken boundaries, and obvious incompatibility. Even Future Ted later describes her as his final mistake. The pairing mainly highlights Ted’s pattern of ignoring clear warning signs.
Ted & Karen
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Karen is Ted’s recurring bad habit. She cheats, insults everyone, and treats him like an accessory, yet he keeps going back to her from college through Season 4. Longevity tricks Ted into thinking it means something. It does not. Familiar pain still hurts, even when you recognize it immediately every single time.
Robin & Nick
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Robin Scherbatsky and Nick Podarutti mostly run on physical attraction. He looks the part and keeps things light, which works at first. The problem shows up once real conversations and expectations enter the picture. Nick struggles to engage on a deeper level, and the gap becomes obvious. By the time they break up in Season 8, it feels more expected than surprising.
Robin & Don
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Don feels fine until the moment he chooses himself. Robin commits fully, even turning down a job opportunity for their future. Don accepts the same job without hesitation. That choice ends everything. He never becomes terrible; he just becomes incompatible with what she actually needs when things stop being hypothetical and start affecting real-life decisions.
Ted & Stella
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Ted rushes into this one with blind optimism. Stella clearly says she cannot change her life, and he pretends that it will magically resolve itself. Disagreements pile up fast, from friends to living arrangements to the wedding. Leaving Ted at the altar hurts, but it tracks. Every warning sign was spoken aloud early and then ignored with impressive confidence.
Barney & Quinn
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Finally, a funny duo that actually makes sense together. They match ambition and stubbornness, which keeps things balanced. Sadly, the engagement falls apart once trust becomes the focus, especially around money and control. That collapse hurts because everything else works. Love is there, but suspicion wins.
Barney & Robin
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Barney Stinson and Robin Scherbatsky remain one of the most debated couples on How I Met Your Mother because, at times, they genuinely seem compatible. Their first relationship ends quickly. The second grows more intentionally, shaped by experience and clearer expectations. They commit to marriage, yet their careers continue pulling them in different directions. In the end, timing and priorities matter more than chemistry, which is why their story still divides fans.
Ted & Tracy
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Tracy McConnell arrives late in How I Met Your Mother but fits in almost instantly, even before she officially meets Ted Mosby. That detail matters. Their relationship feels steady and natural. Marriage and children follow, and later, illness changes the direction of their story. What stands out is that their connection remains solid throughout. Together, they represent the kind of partnership Ted had been searching for.
Robin & Ted
Credit: IMDb
A messy, emotional relationship that somehow worked out in the end. Ted falls for Robin immediately, and while their timing is terrible for years, the connection never disappears. They grow separately, living full lives, but eventually meet again when their priorities finally align. By the finale, both want the same things, making their reunion feel earned rather than impulsive.
Marshall & Lily
Credit: IMDb
This is the steady one everyone compares the others to. They meet in college, break up, reunite, marry, and raise three kids together. Mistakes happen, especially when careers clash, but they talk instead of running. That consistency makes them believable. While others chase perfect moments, Marshall and Lily build a life slowly, with effort, compromise, jokes, and long-term commitment. Through it all, we were simply happy to be in the ride.