10 Male-Female Duos Who Don’t Fall in Love

Of all the feelings you can experience, love is the most coveted. Screenwriters seem to think so, at least, as many insert romances into virtually every story. If circumstances pair a male and female character together, the odds are that they’ll end up in love. This journey can, admittedly, be sweet, but it’s also predictable and occasionally unnatural. Often, the writers seem to throw their characters together to fulfill a quota. Then again, some brave souls take another road.

Certain stories avoid such recycled romanticism. The characters may still partner to accomplish shared objectives. They may even love each other in a platonic way. However, they don’t feel the need to take the next step. Instead, they make the unspoken decision to remain friends. That choice might disappoint any romantics in the audience, but it’s an immensely refreshing departure from the norm.

Related: 10 Most Convincing Duet Performances by Non-Couples

10 Alex Murphy & Anne Lewis

These guys are two diamonds in the rough. Both Alex Murphy and Anne Lewis are conscientious, capable cops in a dingy dystopia in RoboCop (1987). When the precinct partners them together, it’s a match made in heaven. That said, he’s a husband and father while she sees him as a valued comrade. It’s that friendship that comes into play later.

After Murphy’s death and subsequent resurrection as Robocop, Lewis is instrumental in restoring his humanity. She still sees him as a family man instead of a soulless machine. As such, she takes it upon herself to help him reckon with his lingering memories. It’s these moments with loved ones that remind him of his true identity. Moreover, it’s Lewis’s prior friendship that leads to that recovery. There’s no point in either of them jeopardizing that friendship. Romance isn’t on the table because it never was before his transformation.^[1]

9 Uhtred & Hild

Uhtred of Bebbanburg is a horndog. Throughout The Last Kingdom (2015-2022), he moves from one woman to the next—partly because many of them either die or go beyond his reach. Once he rescues a nun and recruits her to his ragtag band, it seems he’ll go down a similar road. However, though grateful, Hild makes it clear she gives herself only to God. That’s not to say she doesn’t care for Uhtred.

On the contrary, she quickly becomes his closest friend. Hild fights by the warrior’s side as he struggles to reclaim his homeland. She initially does this to repay him for saving her life, but she comes to respect his sense of devotion. That respect pushes her to prop him up at his lowest points. She even treks across the country to find help when he’s sold into slavery. That kindness doesn’t go unnoticed, as Uhtred makes it constantly clear how dear she is to him. In his words, she’s “too good a woman for God alone.”^[2]

8 Max & Furiosa

Few people know the Wasteland’s horrors better than Max and Furiosa. The Mad Max movies take these happy souls and put them through the wringer. Max is a cop who loses his family and friends to a ruthless biker gang, while Furiosa is a child who’s orphaned and kidnapped by a would-be warlord. That said, their trauma only pushes them to overcome their enemies, ultimately becoming ruthless killing machines to survive. By the time they finally meet up in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), they could both use a little love.

Sadly, romance isn’t in the cards. Both Max and Furiosa have both loved and lost. At this point, neither of them believes they deserve it, nor do they want it. Instead, their quest is about redemption. Helping the younger generation find a better life becomes their way of atoning for their actions. That shared need to balance the scales prompts them both to protect their charge with everything they have. Rather than love, the ordeal gives them hope.^[3]

7 Woody & Jessie

Talk about defying your design. Woody thinks he’s a one-of-a-kind cowboy toy, but he’s actually part of a set. Also in that set is Jessie, the yodeling cowgirl. You’d think dolls who were literally made for each other would get together, but that’s the predictable route. Toy Story has never been predictable.

In Toy Story 2 (1999), Woody and Jessie do form an unbreakable bond, but it’s akin to a sibling relationship. That makes sense, given their status as companion toys, but it also arises naturally from what they teach each other. Through her experiences, he better understands the trauma a toy can face. Yet he also gives her a renewed sense of purpose by bringing her into his makeshift family. The process reminds both of them that a toy’s greatest joy is being loved by a kid.^[4]

6 Davis Quinton & Karen Pelly

Set in a town where nothing happens, Corner Gas (2004–2009) has a lackadaisical attitude toward pretty much everything. That goes for the police force, which consists of two people: David Quinton and Karen Pelly. These two spend most of their shifts doing nothing. They might get the occasional call about a minor nuisance, but that’s on a good day. Instead, they must constantly find fresh ways to amuse themselves. Those calm, quiet conditions might normally cause a romance to blossom. Alas, no.

These cops are completely different people. Karen is a bundle of energy who yearns for actual police work, while Davis is a lazy lug unfamiliar with half his tools. Granted, they balance one another out, leading to slightly better officers, but their bond never progresses beyond partnership. They see enough of each other at work.^[5]

5 Arthur Morgan & Sadie Adler

As a lifelong outlaw, Arthur Morgan struggles to believe in anything else. This indecision makes him feel lost once he grows disillusioned with his leader’s actions. Imagine his surprise when Sadie Adler enters the picture. Rescued from a rival rabble, this widowed woman joins the gang and quickly becomes one of its toughest members. Her violent attitude stems from a need to avenge her husband, but her inherent devotion drives her to fiercely protect her newfound friends. Consequently, she and Arthur do most of the heavy lifting in Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018).

These two gunslingers almost singlehandedly keep the group afloat. They respect each other’s sense of honor, which is how they can so easily work together. That said, their dynamic never approaches romance. What’s arguably more important is how their efforts let them finally find meaning in life. She gets closure for her late beau while he discovers his self-worth beyond robbing and killing. Those revelations are more precious than any loot.^[6]

4 Ted Conkaffey & Amanda Pharrell

Outcasts often find solace in each other. Such is the case in Troppo (2022- ) with Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell. A wrongly accused cop and an accidental killer, respectively, these two misfits reluctantly come together to solve shady murder cases. Before long, they have a productive private detective business, becoming better people in doing so.

These inexplicable PIs want the best for one another. Each sees a fellow broken soul in the other, but they both recognize it’s not their fault. Because of that, they strive to repair the damage. Ted discovers who drugged Amanda on the night of her killing, clearing the way for real recovery. On the other hand, Amanda unearths who framed Ted so that he can reunite with his family. Essentially, they’re pushing each other out of their shared pit of self-pity. Striking up a love affair would just be counterproductive to that aim.^[7]

3 Benjamin Sisko & Jadzia Dax

Star Trek’s wealth of aliens often leads to unorthodox character dynamics. Benjamin Sisko knows that well. This Starfleet officer already has a storied history when he arrives in Deep Space Nine. A pleasant surprise comes when his former mentor joins his crew, but said mentor has since gone from male to female. Dax is a Trill, a race of beings devoted to sluglike symbionts. As each host reaches the end of its life, scientists move the symbiont to another, which gains the memories of all the predecessors. In short, Curzon Dax is now Jadzia Dax.

This swap makes for a friendship, both familiar and different. Jadzia has a wealth of knowledge from her previous life, so Sisko still looks to her for guidance. However, her younger age makes her more of a colleague than a mentor. This new dynamic, in turn, lets her confide in him about personal issues that never came up before. Their ensuing bond is a warm one, albeit strictly limited to friendship. Due to their history, romance would be uncomfortable for even Star Trek to explore.^[8]

2 Harry Potter & Luna Lovegood

From the second enters Hogwarts School, Harry Potter stands apart. The unassuming kid is the sole survivor of a serial-killing sorcerer, forever tied to the villain through a curse. That misfortune sometimes causes other students to treat him like a freak. The only one more ostracized is Luna Lovegood. Her off-kilter taste in clothing, reading, and general conversation repels most folks, but she doesn’t mind. It’s here where she truly helps.

Luna is there for Harry when no one else is. They’re not physically attracted to each other, but their shared experiences give them a heartfelt connection. Even his closest friends can’t understand what it means to be a pariah. On the other hand, Luna shows him that it’s not that bad. Never once do the pranks and jabs seem to register with her; she just keeps pursuing her interests without a care in the world. This behavior brings Harry out of his slump, encouraging him to see value in the unconventional. It’s no wonder that he brings her into his misfit circle. Now, they can both feel accepted.^[9]

1 Goku & Bulma

Childhood friendships sometimes spring into adult love, but not here. Dragon Ball begins with a preteen martial artist named Goku living a solitary life in the mountains. A city girl called Bulma comes to his home searching for the mystical Dragon Balls, and she persuades the pint-sized powerhouse to join her quest. She initially intends to use him like the gullible idiot he is. Thankfully, she’s not that cruel.

Goku’s great strength stands in stark contrast with his purity, which Bulma grows to admire. Introducing him to the wider world, she feels obligated to aid the kid in any way she can. He’s consequently grateful for her guidance, lending a sibling dynamic to their relationship. Goku is like the little brother that Bulma never had. Even when they both grow up, she still sees him as an oblivious boy. Of course, that’s easy since he still acts like it.^[10]