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{{trope}}
[[File:
▲[[File:Flintstones_alpha_beta_6025.jpg|link=The Flintstones (Animation)|right| On your left, [[Alpha Couple|the couple the show is named after]]: [[The Flintstones (Animation)|The Flintstones]]. On your right... emmm... the other couple: The Rubbles.<ref>''(Note: Couple importance is directly proportional to their height)''</ref>]]
{{quote|'''Rachel:''' You were our [[I Love Lucy|Fred and Ethel Mertz]]!
|''[[The Story of Us]]''}}
Present in the backdrop of many Romantic Comedies and Dramas with [[The Hero]] of the story looking at wooing their [[Love Interest]], to provide a [[Foil]] to his/her efforts you will see one of their closest friends have a remarkably easier time getting together. This "simpler" pairing is the Beta Couple.
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Has absolutely nothing to do with [[The Mountain Goats|The Alpha Couple]], surprisingly.
{{examples
* Kazu and Emily from ''[[
▲== Anime & Manga ==
▲* Kazu and Emily from ''[[Air Gear (Manga)|Air Gear]]'' as well as Agito and Yayoi, who had already reached a level of intimacy that far surpasses Kazu and Emily.
* Lots of couples in ''[[Eureka Seven]]''. Namely Holland x Talho, Ray x Charles, Sakuya x Norb. Dominic x Anemone is probably the most popular.
* Though there are several couples in ''[[Clover]]'' the only seemingly happy pairing {{spoiler|in which both members are still alive at the present time}} are the [[Yaoi Guys]] Gingetsu and Ran {{spoiler|and even they are probably doomed in about five years}}.
* Akane Higurashi and Kazuya Kurauchi act as a Beta Couple to the [[Love Triangle]] in the ''[[Mai-HiME (
** And also to an extent in the anime: {{spoiler|1=the scene where both Akane and Mai use their CHILDS makes it clear they are very similar. Akane is then defeated by someone she thought was a friend (Miyu), resulting in Kazuya's demise. Same thing happens to Mai (she gets attacked by Shiho, with whom she was friends before Shiho found out she was a contender for Yuuichi's heart, then Shiho's child gets destroyed by a brainwashed Mikoto, killing Yuuichi).}}
* Several couples in ''[[Marmalade Boy]]'', but specially Ginta Suoh and Arimi Suzuki (who had previously [[Operation: Jealousy|tried to break Yuu and Miki up]], but [[Pair the Spares|found solace with each other when it failed]]) , as well as [[Hot for Student|Meiko Akizuki and Namura-sensei.]]
* Miroku and Sango from ''[[Inuyasha]]'', Though they have only a ''slightly'' easier time of it than the Alpha Couple.
* The scarily fervent matchmaker friends to the leads of ''[[Lovely Complex]]''.
* Akane and Subaru provide some much-needed sweet romance in the midst of [[Love Martyr|Hatsumi]] and [[Bastard Boyfriend|Ryoki]]'s twisted relationship in ''[[Hot Gimmick]]''.
* Souichi and Morinaga (the first wants to keep it [[Just Friends]], the second is hoping for a [[Relationship Upgrade]]) in ''Challengers''. The mangaka enjoyed writing about them enough to eventually give them their own [[Spin
** Through you have to admit that it is everything but easier for them, to the point where you could consider Tomoe and Kurokawa the
* Yamazaki and Chiharu (Zachary and Chelsea in the English dub) from ''[[
* Yuki and Sojiroh to a varying extent in the manga and J-Drama of ''[[Hana Yori Dango]]''.
* Junko and Kyosuke in ''[[Nana]]''.
* Tsuyoshi and Aya, classmates of Alpha Couple Sana and Akito in ''[[Kodomo no Omocha]]''.
* Roy Focker and Claudia LaSalle in ''[[Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'', and Ozma Lee and Cathy Glass in ''[[Macross Frontier]]'', who play
* Haruka/Sailor Uranus and Michiru/Sailor Neptune from ''[[Sailor Moon]]''. Interestingly, they are probably more stable and certainly more mature than the Alpha Couple consisting of Usagi/Sailor Moon and Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen. And they're [[Schoolgirl Lesbians|lesbians]]. Given the release period, early to mid 90's, this was very, very subversive.
* Ogata Matake (Oga-chan) and Tanaka Eita in ''[[Shakugan no Shana]]'' and ''[[Shakugan no Shana]] Second''. Also serving as a Beta Couple to the [[Love Triangle]] of Yoshida, Shana, and Yuji. (Although adding Ike in sort of makes it a [[Love Dodecahedron]].)
* From ''[[Mars (
* Austria and Hungary (despite being "divorced"... it's complicated) are this to [[Ho Yay|Germany and North Italy]] in the Valentines strip of ''[[
* ''[[
** Oghi and Villetta, kind of beta for Suzaku/Euphie, but actually the only couple which ends well {{spoiler|(not that Suzaku stopped loving Euphie: she dies)}}.
* Konoka and Setsuna in ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', and to some degree, Natsumi and Kotarō.
** It's almost a subversion, as Konoka and Setsuna are pretty much the only confirmed [[Official Couple]] at this point (well, other than {{spoiler|Nagi and Arika}}). Negi/Asuna is still swamped in [[UST]], [[Will They or Won't They?]], and is only one piece of a massive [[Love Dodecahedron]].
** As of chapter 262, {{spoiler|Natsumi/Kotarō ''definitely'' counts as canon. Kiss, pactio, etc. Wow.}}
*** As of the conclusion of the manga, {{spoiler|Natsumi/Kotarō are set in stone, given that they get married in the epilogue. Konoka and Setsuna are left up in the air however as the epilogue states they both married in the same year, it just doesn't say to each other (though it is implied).}}
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** And the fact that we see that {{spoiler|one of Amelia's wristbands is tied to Zel's canteen in the credits of the last episode of the third season.}}
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' - Toji Suzuhara and Hikari Horaki. Though the school-characters are usually on the periphery of the story while the main cast is fighting giant aliens, Toji and Hikari develop a relationship (of sorts) in episodes 17 to 18. Despite the fact that Hikari is the strict class president and Toji is the class jock, they both make the first steps towards a relationship fairly maturely...in stark contrast to how "primary couple" Shinji and Asuka are barely able to communicate at all. Hikari even discusses with Asuka that she's attracted to Toji, though in the same conversation Asuka balks at the suggestion that she even likes Shinji. Meanwhile, Toji refers to Asuka and Shinji's bickering as "another fight with the newlyweds", causing them both to blush with embarrassment.
* ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' has somewhat of an inversion. The main protagonists Sakura and Syaoran were actually the ones with the more simplified relationship as opposed to the [[Ho Yay|ambiguously canon]]
* {{spoiler|Nanami and Yuzuru}} in ''[[Dance in
* Orie and Hinako from ''[[Aoi Hana]]'', who Fumi sees as having the ideal happy lesbian relationship.
* In ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro
* ''[[
* The ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'' series' non [[Les Yay]] couples, Chrono/Amy and Erio/Caro. Note that Erio and Caro fall for each other very fast. One reason is because they are still kids.
* In ''[[
* ''[[Tenshi
* ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'': Caldina/Lafarga and Fuu/Ferio.
* Amue and Ryo Shirogane in ''[[
* ''[[Detective Conan]]'' has Heiji/Kazuha, as well as Makoto/Sonoko and Takagi/Miwako.
* Rosalie/Bernard in ''[[
* [[Badass Bookworm|Ox]] and [[Cute Witch|Kim]] of ''[[Soul Eater]]'', although right now they're the ''only'' couple.
* Yuuji and Shouko in ''[[Baka to Test
* ''[[Hyper Police]]'' uses this trope later on in the series when Tommy and Poe hook up. Tommy is already Banten's wingman, and Poe takes Natsuki under her wing (And her slippers, yeouch!) to try and save her relationship.
* Duero and Parfait in ''[[Vandread]]''. Considering that he's a medic and she's a mechanic onboard a [[Living Ship]], their jobs allow them to be close at all times. [[No Hugging, No Kissing|Not that they ever do anything beyond compliments and awkward touches...]] especially because they both grew up in societies that shunned the other gender as subhuman, leaving them unable to come to terms with their feelings.
== Comic Books ==
* Post-issue #50 in [[Archie Comics]]' ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (
** Some argue they ascended to [[Official Couple]] after Sonic and Sally broke up, especially following their wedding in issue #174. Possibilities for a beta couple after that include Knuckles and Julie-Su, and Tails and Fiona before Fiona's [[Face Heel Turn]]. However, Sonic and Sally have begun warming back up to each other in recent issues, which may restore the original order at some later point.
==
* Taniguchi and Yanagimoto in ''[[Kyon
* [[Harry Potter (
* Surprisingly, pops up very late in ''[[
* [[Lucky Star|Tsukasa and Miyuki]] in ''[[
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh!|Kaiba and Yugi]] in ''[[Decks Fall
* In a lot of ''[[Naruto]]'' fanfiction that puts Naruto and Hinata in the spotlight, Sasuke and Sakura are usually the
** For those who don't particularly like Sasuke and Sakura, there are a lot of other pairings that can step up to the plate.
* In the ''Sailor Moon'' fanfic ''[[Isekai by Moonlight]]'', Urawa Ryo(u) gets a promotion from two-episode wonder to become half of the story's Beta Couple, alongside his canon love interest Sailor Mercury.
== Films -- Animation ==
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* ''[[Mulan]] 2'' had not one, but ''three'' Beta Couples. Sheesh.
** Don't forget Mulan's parents.
* From the ''[[Cinderella (Disney film)|Cinderella]]'' sequels, we have Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia and the local baker.
* ''[[Alpha and Omega]]'' has Garth and Lilly, who were spending time together while the Western pack desperately searches for Kate before a pack war starts. While Kate and Humphrey, who were darted and trucked to Idaho and struggling to get back to Jasper, falling in love along the way, Garth and Lilly find themselves hitting it off beautifully. In fact, it gets to the point where the Western pack Alpha prince would be more than happy having Lilly substitute for Kate, even though Lilly is an Omega.
* Tulio and Linda in ''[[Rio]]''.
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== Films -- Live Action ==
* Albert and Allegra in ''[[Hitch]]''.
* Marie and Jess in ''[[When Harry Met Sally...]]''.
* ''[[
** Even more ironic (and plays the trope straight) considering John and Claire didn't hook up until they were forced to be in the same room with each other during Jerry and Gloria's ''wedding'' as the best man and maid of honor.
* Chad and Taylor in ''[[High School Musical]]''.
** And in ''High School Musical 3'', Ryan and Kelsi.
* Kit and Ace in ''Failure to Launch''.
* Maida and Killjoy, in ''[[
* Megan and Joe Dayton (Bonnie Hunt and Jim Belushi) from ''Return to Me''.
* Rusty and Willard (to main couple Ren and Arielle) in ''[[Footloose]]''.
* Lucas Belvaux has made a trilogy of movies (a comedy, drama and thriller) re-telling the same few days from three perspectives. Each of the three couples was the alpha couple in one of them and a beta couple in the two others.
* Jacqueline/Capt. Laurent to Danielle/Prince Henry in ''[[Ever After (
* Dianne and David in ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]''. In the end, it turns out to be more complicated than this.
* In a way, Jack the Bartender and Annie from the movie ''[[Penelope]]''.
* Orville and Echo in ''[[Clint Eastwood|Every Which Way But Loose]]''.
* Martin and Chessy in the 1998 version of ''[[The Parent Trap (1961 film)|The Parent Trap]]''.
* Rizzo and Kenickie in ''[[Grease]]'' are a [[Slap Slap Kiss]] version.
* Rob and Carrie in ''[[Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]].''
* ''A Kind of Loving'' begins with the wedding of Christine and David, and they provide a tranquil counterpoint to the stormy relationship of Vic and Ingrid throughout.
* In ''[[The Time
* The 1998 made-for-television film ''[[Merlin
* Most [[Porn
* Ezra and Emma in ''[[The Haunted Mansion (
* [[Ingrid Bergman]]'s character's older sister and brother-in-law in ''Indiscreet'' are the beta couple to Ingrid and [[Cary Grant]].
* Manny and Gina in ''[[Scarface]]''
* Balraj and Jaya in ''[[
* [[Down With Love]]'s Vikki Hiller and Peter MacMannus's relationship revolves around Barbara Novak and Catcher Block.
* [[Enchanted]]'s Career woman Nancy with the pantsuits and glasses, might lose Robert to the fairy tale princess Giselle, but it's okay when she ends up with the prince.
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== Literature ==
* ''[[Twilight (
* Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon to Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars of ''[[Sense and Sensibility (
* Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]''; the [[Official Couple]] (the girl who falls for a charismatic [[Casanova]] before [[Wrong Guy First|discovering his true colors]] before growing to esteem and appreciate a worthy man) and
** Jane and Bingley are a humorous example because they're only the
* Sparhawk and Kalten in [[David Eddings]]' ''[[Elenium]]'' and ''Tamuli'' series. Sparhawk marries Queen Ehlana and Kalten falls for her personal maid Alean. Also Melidere and Stragen, and Talen and Danae, and Sephrenia and Vanion.
** David Eddings ''loves'' this trope. It's taken to a ridiculous extreme in the ''[[Belgariad]]/Malloreon'': {{spoiler|Hettar and Adara, Silk and Velvet, Durnik and Polgara, Mandorallen and Nerina, Lelldorin and Ariana, 'Zakath and Cyradis, Relg and Taiba, Beldin and Vella, a reunited Belgarath and Poledra}}... granted, for those who love happy-ever-after cliches, early Eddings is made to order.
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* Sonya/Nikolai/Maria are the [[Love Triangle|Beta Triangle]] of ''[[War and Peace]]'', with Nikolai/Maria going on to become the full-fledged Beta Couple.
* Kitty and Levin in ''[[Anna Karenina]]'', to the Alpha Couple of Anna and Vronsky.
* Charisse and Gomez appear to be the
* Faramir and Eowyn in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. More present in the book than [[The Film of the Book]]. {{spoiler|Aragorn even makes them Prince and Princess of Ithilien, a province of Gondor.}}
* From [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s [[Vorkosigan Saga]]:
** There's a weird case in ''Barrayar''. Aral and Cordelia Vorkosigan, in all other respects the book's protagonists, play
** Mark and Kareen in ''A Civil Campaign'', both as secondary to Miles and Ekaterin, and [[A Worldwide Punomenon|due to the planet where they're attending school.]]
** Miles and Ekaterin play beta couple to Taura and Roic in Winterfair Gifts
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* Conaire and Caitlin are a classic Beta Couple in Jules Watson's ''The White Mare''. He's the hero's right-hand man and she's the heroine's best friend, and their relationship is ''far'' less complicated than that of the main couple.
* Spook and Beldre in ''[[Mistborn]]'', though Spook was originally a [[Mauve Shirt]] that got promoted to main character in the third book.
* [[The Lancer|Mari]] and {{spoiler|Prince Kieran}} in ''[[Salamander]]''. {{spoiler|It's an unusual example because he's a [[Well
* Sachar and Anisya in ''[[Oblomov]]''.
* Nino Sechetti and Lola Nirdlinger in ''[[Double Indemnity]]''.
* The duchesse de Nevers and Coconnas fill the spot in ''[[
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* On ''[[The Nanny]]'', Niles and CC play this role after they [[Pair the Spares|were hooked up together]]. They were quite a fun Beta Couple since they hated each-other as much as they were in love, so they were always attacking the other.
* On ''[[
** Since then, Jeff and Annie have ascended to Alpha Couple (as of early season three in the [[Will They or Won't They?]] stage), while the show seems to be setting up [[Pair the Spares|Troy/Britta]] as the Beta Couple.
* ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'': Howard and Bernardette to main couple Leonard and Penny.
** Later, Sheldon and Amy
* In ''[[That
* Fred and Ethel Mertz in ''[[I Love Lucy]]'', television's original
** Don't forget Ed and Trixie Norton from ''[[The Honeymooners]]''!
* Turk and Carla in ''[[Scrubs]]''. At multiple times J.D. has mentioned that they act as a unit giving advice to others, to the point in one fantasy based episode they were portrayed as a two-headed witch.
** One could argue that Turk is in both the Alpha AND Beta Couple, if you consider the Alpha Couple to be [[Ho Yay|Turk and JD]].
* In ''[[Lie to Me (TV series)|Lie to Me]]'', Torres and Loker are now confirmed to be this, to Lightman and Foster's Alpha.
* Monica and Chandler become this couple (to main couple Ross and Rachel) in the later seasons of ''[[Friends]]''.
** Eventually Phoebe and Mike.
* ''[[
** On ''[[
*** To be specific, Gunn and Fred were the Beta Couple on their own during seasons 3 and 4. While Angel and Cordy were trying to figure out that they were in love with each other in the third season and god knows what happened to Cordy in the fourth, Gunn and Fred had a fairly stable relationship from the time they got together until "Supersymmetry".
* Although there wasn't any one official couple for the show, Jed and Abby, on ''[[The West Wing]]'' are this trope to ''everyone'' else, as they were [[Happily Married]] with the ups and downs of a normal, well-adjusted couple (or as normal as possible for a President and First Lady). This was in contrast to [[Will They or Won't They?|Josh and Donna]], [[Dating Catwoman|CJ and Danny]], [[Amicably Divorced|Toby and Andi]], [[Belligerent Sexual Tension|Sam and Ainsley]], [[Bodyguard Crush|CJ and Simon]], [[The Masochism Tango|Josh and Amy]], [[Meddling Parents|Sam and Mallory]], [[Married to
** Except for {{spoiler|Josh/Donna and CJ/Danny}} of course, who were upgraded to [[Official Couple]] and ended up together in the final season.
* ''[[
** Appear to have broken up when Tasha's actor went off to become a lingerie model, leaving Tasha as a [[Brother Chuck]] for season 4..
* Stanley and Mimi in ''[[Jericho]]''. Oddly enough however, their pairing became the only major romance of focus throughout most of season one and all of season two pummeling the hell out of the pretty much forgotten (by the writers) Heather/Jake/Emily triangle, which from a story-telling standpoint, should've been the romance arc of focus.
* Slater and Jessie on ''[[Saved
* Chris and Shaz in ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]''
* Helo and Athena in ''[[Battlestar Galactica
* One could say ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' has a Beta Couple (Marshall and Lily), but no real Alpha couple. Alternately, if you say Marshall and Lily are the Alpha couple, then Ted and Robin were the Beta couple at least in the first two seasons.
** Or you could say that Marshall and Lily are the Beta couple while Ted and Current Love Interest is the Alpha Couple.
** Marshall and Lily are definitely the Beta Couple - aside from a brief break-up, their relationship has been very smooth and they frequently offer advice to others. The Alpha couple was probably Ted/Robin with their [[Will They or Won't They?]] and various [[Romantic False Lead|RomanticFalseLeads]] in the first two seasons, and after their inevitable break-up, [[Fan
* For the first two seasons of ''[[The OC]]'', Seth and Summer were the
* Patrick and Sally on ''[[Coupling]]''.
** Arguably, Steve and Susan are the Beta couple, as they're the ones in a more or less constant ([[Belligerent Sexual Tension|if also constantly bickering]]) relationship. Patrick and Sally, even as secondary characters, are the ones who struggle through their possible relationship.
* On ''[[Yes, Dear]]'', it depends on the episode. It's twice as likely Greg and Kim serve the position than Jimmy and Christine, however.
* Arthur and Morgana have a [[Will They or Won't They?]] that mirrors Merlin and Gwen's in the first Series of ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]''. But in Series 3, Arthur and Morgana are revealed to be {{spoiler|brother and sister}}, so it's pretty unlikely to become canon! It should be noted, however, that it hasn't stopped the shippers. In fact, you could argue that almost ''every'' potential Beta-pairing (including Gwen/Lancelot, Merlin/Morgana, and particularly [[Ho Yay|Arthur/Merlin]]) is more popular among fans than the Arthur/Gwen coupling.
* D'Argo and Chiana in ''[[
* Smithy and Nessa in ''[[Gavin and Stacey]]''. However, in later seasons Gavin and Stacey's relationship stabilises considerably, while Smithy and Nessa's provides most of the drama, essentially making the eponymous Gavin and Stacey the
* Found on ''[[Chuck]]'': Both Morgan/Anna (and later Morgan/ {{spoiler|Alex}}) and Captain Awesome/Ellie are
** Subverted somewhat because, although the Chuck/Sarah UST is a storyline, their relationship is fake, and therefore the
*** Not anymore...
* ''[[Firefly]]'' has Zoe and Wash, a married couple, as the
* Angela/Hodgins to Booth/Brennan on ''[[Bones]]''... though Booth/Brennan aren't really a couple... yet. (ok, rumors about the season finale). Angela/Hodgins are in many ways the LESS stable couple.
** [[The Woobie|Doc]] [[Hollywood Nerd|Sweets]] and [[Cloudcuckoolander|Dai]][[Genius Ditz|asy.]]
** {{spoiler|"The Witch in the Wardrobe" sounded somewhat surprising (but much-loved) wedding bells for Angela and Hodgins, after several episodes of rekindled feelings. As of the fifth season finale, they're on honeymoon in Paris.}}
* In ''[[True Blood]]'', Sam and Tara are an off-again, on-again
** Lately them seem to have been replaced by Hoyt and Jessica. Who also mirror the alpha couple's human-vampire relationship.
*** Hoyt and Jessica are broken up as of Season 4. It would seem the Beta Couple is now Arlene and Terry.
* Will and Djaq from the 2006 series of ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]''. Their relationship ends up being much more successful than Robin and Marian's.
** Yes, but Robin/Marian takes place over two seasons, with a back story as well, while as cute as Will/Djaq was, we only saw them together in a two-part season finale. Their relationship made sense, but I just didn't see that many clues of their mutual attraction beforehand.
* In ''[[Mad About You]]'', Fran and Mark (although in a "what not to do" sense), and later in the series, Debbie and Joan. Or alternatively, one could consider Paul and Jamie to be the
* In ''[[Skins]]'', despite its numerous couples in every generation, only Grace/Rich in Generation 3 truly fit this trope, as they've had relatively smooth sailing compared to every other possible coupling in their cast. In the previous generations, both ''intended'' Beta Couples (Sid/Cassie and Naomi/Emily) proved to be far more popular than their generations' Alpha Couples (Tony/Michelle and the Freddie/Effy/Cook [[Fan Nickname|Triangle of Doom]]), and thus were promoted to Alpha status in their second series, with the attendant [[Conflict Ball
** The third generation is still an odd example; while Rich/Grace fit the Beta Couple dynamic, there is no real Alpha Couple, more of an Alpha [[Love Dodecahedron]] of Mini/Nick/Liv/Matty/Franky. Matty/Franky probably have the best claim to the title in season five, though who knows what season six will bring. Although, as in the first two generations, the Beta Couple (Rich/Grace) have proved miles more popular than the near-universally-derided Matty/Franky, it is unlikely that Rich/Grace will be promoted to Alpha Couple. [[Fan
** One could argue that Chris/Jal became the
* In venezuelan telenovela ''Cosita Rica'' (2003), although Diego Luj?and Paula C were the alpha couple, her respectives
** This is a pretty common phenomenon in Latinamerican telenovelas, in where the actors who play the beta couple (depending of the public's reaction) are allowed to play the main characters in subsequent telenovelas. Sometimes, several beta couples are included in the same telenovela.
* Twist and Brian are the Beta Couple to Tim and Daisy's Alpha in ''Spaced''
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** Debatable, seeing as Paul {{spoiler|died, and was then imprinted as another one of Echo's personalities}} which is pretty high up on the commitment scale, though does make one wonder how or if that UST will be resolved. Also, it is somewhat implied that it was already resolved {{spoiler|during the years between The Hollow Man and Epitaph One/Two}}
** Interesting in that, during the first season, most thought that Paul and Mellie would be the Beta to Echo and Alpha's... well... Alpha.
** Actually, it's pretty common for the Beta Couple to get further than the main couple, as well as having a simpler and faster relationship. Look at ''[[Friends]]'', ''[[
* Michael and Maria on ''[[Roswell]]'', respectively the best friends of [[Official Couple|Max and Liz]] and as another [[Interspecies Romance|alien-human-hybrid/human relationship]], embody this trope, in getting together first and with less angst, and typically providing more comedy with their [["Shut Up" Kiss|totally different kind of relationship]], but somewhat subvert it, acting more as a a reverse barometer- when they were doing well, Max/Liz usually weren't, and vice versa.
* John Doggett and Monica Reyes on ''[[The X-Files]]'' could be considered the beta couple to Mulder and Scully's alpha, though their relationship and UST started mostly after Mulder and Scully were already an established couple. Unforunately for fans of the ship, the show didn't run long enough with them as head investigators of the X-Files for their relationship to be fully established (though there was a good dose of shippiness in season 9); it is unclear what became of them after the series finale. They did not appear in ''[[
* ''[[
* Billy Bob and Mavis Davis in ''[[Hearts Afire]]''.
* Curtis and Alisha during the first season of ''[[
** Come the second season, things change entirely, with {{spoiler|Alisha and Simon}} becoming the alpha couple (both in-universe and in the eyes of the fandom), and Nathan and Kelly's awkward almost-romance [[Ship Sinking|fizzling out as they decide to just be friends]] - although they're still a hugely popular pairing among fans, so whether this is ''really'' the end for them has yet to be seen.
* Adam and Jennifer (engaged to be married) in [[Rules of Engagement (TV series)|Rules of Engagement]] to the main, married couple Audrey and Jeff.
* Cal and Chloe on ''[[
* Sookie and Jackson in ''[[Gilmore Girls]]''
* Harper and Zeke have developed an adorable relationship on ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]''. The [[Unfortunate Implications]] of their relationship stems from the fact that they are the respective sidekicks of [[Brother
** [[Incest Subtext]] notwithstanding, ''Wizards'' normally has two Alpha Couples: Alex and whomever she is dating, and Justin and whomever ''he'' is dating. True to form, Harper and Zeke (who got together at the end of season 2) have outlasted their best friends' more passionate but more fleeting relationships.
* Caroline and Matt were one to [[Official Couple|Stefan and Elena]] on ''[[The Vampire Diaries]]''.
* Piper and Leo in ''[[
* As of season 3, {{spoiler|Lanie and Esposito}}, Alexis and Ashley, and Ryan and Jenny count as Beta Couples to the alpha couple, [[Castle]] and Beckett.
* On ''[[Glee]]'', Artie/Tina was this for the first season, compared to the Rachel/Finn/Quinn/Puck mess and Terri/Will/Emma. In the second season, after breaking up with Artie over the summer, Tina and ''new'' boyfriend Mike became this, compared to the Rachel/Finn/Quinn/''Sam'' mess and Holly/Will/Emma/Carl. In the second half of the season, Puck/Lauren and later {{spoiler|Kurt/Blaine}} have also assumed this role.
* ''[[Leverage]]'' has Hardison and Parker to Nate and Sophie. Hardison and Parker have minor problems, but mostly as a result of Parker being [[The Woobie|emotionally troubled.]]
* Once Angela was added to ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' in season five, Shawn and Angela became this to Cory and Topanga, except when they break up during season six.
* On ''[[
* Tristan and Isolde on ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' serve as the catalyst for getting Arthur and Guinevere back together.
* On ''[[Married...
* Lary and Megan on [[Numb3rs]].
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== Theatre ==
* Thanks to [[The Zeroth Law of Trope Examples]], this is [[Older Than Steam]]:
** Gratiano and Nerissa from ''[[
** ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' plays with the conventions. Initially, Claudio and Hero are the happy beta couple, and Beatrice and Benedick are the bickering alphas. The rest of the cast decides to trick B&B into admitting their love for each other, with amazingly quick
** ''[[As You Like It]]'' goes all the way to ''four'' couples, but Rosalind and Orlando are pretty clearly Couple A.
** And ''[[
** Sir Toby and Maria in ''[[Twelfth Night]]''. Sebastian and Olivia,
** Helena and Demetrius in ''[[A Midsummer
** Bianca and Lucentio in ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' who are played by
** Valentine and Silvia in ''[[
** Tragic example: Iago and Emilia in ''[[Othello]]''
* Prince Valiant and Lucy the Maid in ''The Christmas Princess''
* ''[[You Can't Take It
* George and Lucy in ''[[Once in
* ''[[Annie Get Your Gun]]'' did until it was revised to eliminate the parts of Tommy Keeler and Winnie Tate, along with their two song-and-dance numbers.
* Another good example of musical comedy's predilection for adding a
* ''[[The Wedding Singer]]'', which makes Sammy and Holly an on-again, off-again couple.
* In ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (
* ''[[West Side Story]]'': Behind Tony and Maria, there are Bernardo and Anita.
* ''Ragtime'': Behind Coalhouse and Sarah, there are "Mother" and "Father". {{spoiler|And then Mother and Tateh after Mom and Pop are splitsville.}}
* Many of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals include a
** ''[[Oklahoma!]]!'': Behind Curly and Laurie are Ado Annie and Will.
** ''[[Carousel]]'': Behind Billy and Julie are Mr. Snow and Carrie.
** ''[[South Pacific]]'' has Cable and Liat playing
** In ''The King And I'', Tuptim and Lun Tha are written like a
** ''[[The Sound of Music]]'': Behind the Captain and Maria are Liesl and Rolf ( {{spoiler|which ended up ''real'' bad when Rolf had his sort-of [[Face Heel Turn]]}}), and ALSO [[Those Wacky Nazis|Max and the Baroness]]
** ''Me and Juliet'' has Mac and Betty.
* Frank Schultz and Ellie May Chipley in ''[[Show Boat]]''.
* Tommy Djilas and Zaneeta Shinn in ''[[The Music Man]]''. [[Cut Song
* Bill Calhoun and Lois "Bianca" Lane from ''[[Kiss Me Kate]]''.
* Hines and Gladys from ''The Pajama Game''.
* Schultz and Schneider from ''[[Cabaret]]''.
* Nathan and Adelaide from ''[[Guys and Dolls]]'' are an odd case, as they are a
* Jimmy and Snookie from ''110 in the Shade''; less so in the original non-musical play it was based on, ''The Rainmaker'', in which Snookie [[The Ghost|does not actually appear]].
* Boq and Nessarose from ''[[Wicked (
* Sue and Sandor in ''Bells Are Ringing''.
* Examples from the [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] canon are rare, but Despard and Margaret are a
* Papageno and Papagena in the opera ''[[
* Marcello and Musetta are a [[The Masochism Tango|Masochism Tango]] variety of this in the opera ''[[La Boh]]?''.
* Hugo and Kim in ''[[Bye Bye Birdie]]''.
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* Hilariously in [[A Very Potter Musical|StarKidPotter's]] ''[[Me and My Dick]]'', the main Beta couples are the alpha couple's body parts, Dick and Miss Cooter and Joey and Sally's hearts, and Joey and Sally can only get together when they are happily paired off. There are a couple less prominent beta couples too, like The Old Snatch and Big T.
* [[In the Heights]] has two couples but both are given equal prominence. If one had to be picked it would be Nina and Benny behind Usnavi and Vanessa since Usnavi is clearly the main character.
* Deconstructed mercilessly in ''[[
* Hilariously subverted in ''[[Thoroughly Modern Millie]]''. As a way of [[Cleaning Up Romantic Loose Ends]] it seems like Miss Dorothy and Trevor are going to hook up (which they actually did do in the original movie). Instead {{spoiler|Dorothy hooks up with one of the [[Those Two Guys]] that rescues her instead}}. Then in an equally funny [[Pair the Spares]] {{spoiler|The other half of [[Those Two Guys]] becomes Trevor's new employee, replacing Millie after she leaves.}}
* ''[[A Little Night Music]]'' has an Alpha Couple in Fredrick and Desiree, as well as a [[Love Dodecahedron]] among the entire cast, but arguments could be made for Anne/Henrik, Petra/Frid, and Carl-Magnus/Charlotte as the
* Rusty and Willard, as well as Shaw and Vi in the musical of [[Footloose]].
* Natalie and Henry in ''[[Next to Normal]]''.
* ''Fame'' has either Nick and Serena to Schlomo and Carmen... or Schlomo and Carmen to Nick and Serena, depending on how you look at it.
* ''[[Spring Awakening]]'' has both Moritz/Ilse and Hanschen/Ernst as the Beta Couples to Melchior/Wendla. Subverted in that both relationships are as twisted and messy as the main one: {{spoiler|Moritz kills himself, and while Hanschen and Ernst end the story slightly better off, [[Word of God]] says they weren't going to end up well either.}}
* Both [[Magical Queer|Angel and Collins]] ''and'' Maureen and Joanne from ''[[Rent]]'' qualify as this. The former is pretty much [[Happily Married|Happily Committed]] until {{spoiler|[[Bury Your Gays|Angel succumbs to advanced AIDS]] }}, while the latter is trapped in a [[Masochism Tango|"Tango: Maureen"]] that is played for laughs. Important to the sexual and ethnic [[Five
** Making the Alpha couple Roger and Mimi, for some inexplicable reason. Sorry, but this troper finds Mimi horribly annoying.
* Behind Fiona and Tommy in ''[[Brigadoon]]'' there are some very dysfunctional pairings (which are very [[All Love Is Unrequited]]). Meg and Jeff, with Jeff not into Meg at all. Then there's Maggie who is love with Harry who is in love with Jean who is marrying Charlie.
* A standard feature of any ''[[Usles]]'' pantomime - the main love interests usually have friends, advisors or servants who fall for each other. Sometimes this doesn't happen until the very end of the show, when it can also end up as a case of [[Pair the
* ''The Desert Song'' had reporter Benjamin Kidd and his good-girl sweetheart Susan, but all film adaptations after the 1929 one removed either or both characters.
* Subverted in ''[[Of Thee I Sing]]''. Jenkins and Miss Benson, respectively Wintergreen and Mary's secretaries, usually appear together but have no love plot of their own.
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== Video Games ==
* ''Bubble Symphony'', aka ''[[
** Keep in mind that Bub and Bob are male, and Coro and Kulu are female.
** And Pab and Peb,<ref>Title Operations Guide in Shop Channel</ref>
* Another subversion: ''[[Contra|Contra 4]]'' for the DS not only brought back Bill and Lance, the original ''Contra'' duo, but also introduced a Beta Duo in the form of Mad Dog and Scorpion, whose names are [[Shout
* Kyle and Jessica in ''[[Lunar Silver Star Story Complete|Lunar: The Silver Star]]''. However, they're quite a bit more [[Slap Slap Kiss|dysfunctional]] than the game's Alpha Couple of Alex and Luna.
** Not to mention Nash and Mia.
* {{spoiler|Tali'Zorah vas Normandy and Garrus Vakarian}} at the end of ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'', should you have not romanced either one of them. Especially prevalent if your romance was Liara.
* [[The Stoic|Aveline]] and [[Shallow Love Interest|Donnic]] in ''[[Dragon Age 2]]''. Notable for requiring an extremely [[Crowning Moment of Funny|silly]] sidequest to bring about, and for the even sillier lines the whole thing draws from the rest of your team.
{{quote|
* Maybe not in a strictly romantic sense, but in [[Kingdom Hearts]], Roxas and Namine's relationship certainly parallels with the relationship of the official couple Sora and Kairi, since Roxas and Namine are the Nobodies clones of Sora and Kairi.
* Lance and Lilly in ''[[Illusion of Gaia]]'', to main couple Will and Kara.
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* Also to some degree, [[The Gunslinger|Irvine]] and [[Genki Girl|Selphie]] in ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]''.
* Lulu and Wakka from [[Final Fantasy X]], who have a bit more of a harder time getting together than Tidus and Yuna, who were pretty much in [[Love At First Sight]]. Though understandable, as Lulu had previously been with Wakka's brother (who had died). But interestingly enough, {{spoiler|Lulu and Wakka get married and have a kid before Tidus and Yuna, seeing how Tidus was the fayth's dream and had to leave Yuna.}}
* [[Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World]] has Lloyd and Colette.
** [[Fan
* Prince Henry and Marina from [[
* ''[[Agarest Senki 2]]'' has two of them. The first couple is Janus and Chloe in the first generation, and the second couple is Ignis and Cynthia in the second generation. Both couples then had a child each (Jude, and Lizerotte respectively).
== Web Comics ==
* A literal [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2002-07-23 Beta Couple] from ''[[
** In universe, though, Elliot and Sarah take this role, with Tedd and Grace serving as the main couple. {{spoiler|Or Ellen and Nanase.}} Not sure where they fit.
*** Tedd/Grace and {{spoiler|Ellen/Nanase}} are the alpha couples since a large part of the storyline revolves around their relationships. Elliot/Sarah is a definite
* Casey and Mary in ''Casey and Andy''. Subverted somewhat in that Andy Weir ditches the "one for romance" part of the idea and just plays both couples (Casey/Mary and Andy/Satan) for laughs.
* Several in ''[[Girly]]'': Officers Policeguy and Hipbone, Chuy and Autumn, and Lucy and Yumi. A few others are heavily implied to have [[Hooked Up Afterwards]], and there are a fair share of [[Heterosexual Life Partners]].
** Let's just say this comic has a lot of love to give.
* Fox and Collin in ''Boy Meets Boy'', as loving as a cheerful [[Handsome Lech]] and a [[The Stoic|stoic]] [[Deadpan Snarker]] can be. They become the main couple in the [[Spin
* Erika and Largo in ''[[Megatokyo]]'' are a classic case of a
* ''[[Walkyverse]]'': Billie and Danny to Joyce And Walky.
** And {{spoiler|Jason and Sal possibly count as well.}}
** For another "main character in beta couple" example, Ethan and Drew.
* Melissa and Kurt from ''[[Multiplex]]''. Outside of Kurt's habit of pulling pranks on Melissa, they're the rock of love compared to the Jason/Jay/Becky/Angie quagmire.
* ''The Law of Purple'' subverts this trope in an odd way; there are two clearly defined couples amongst the main characters, which take turns being the Alpha and Beta couples depending on which pair contains the character(s) who are the focus of the current arc. At the time of this writing, {{spoiler|Blue and Lette}} are the designated
* Subverted in ''Questionable Content'' when alpha couple Faye and Marten doesn't happen and Beta interest and Alpha character end up forming a strange mix between Alpha and Beta
** The former is either [[Not a Subversion]] or completely unrelated to this trope, but Marten and Dora revert to this when {{spoiler|Faye and Sven}} become the source of the drama.
* Roy and Celia in ''[[The Order of the Stick
** A role also played by [[Mauve Shirt]] couple Kazumi and Daigo, who are happily married (and expecting) already, despite having only got together ''after'' Haley and Elan got together.
* In most [[Girl Genius
* {{spoiler|Mell and Caliban}} in [[Narbonic]] are a nice, steady evil couple who provide nice contrast to the main pairing of {{spoiler|Dave and Helen}}.
* Abbey and Daisy have a near-perfect relationship in ''[[Bittersweet Candy Bowl]]''. This is in stark contrast to the angst, anger, heartbreak, confusion and jealousy experienced by the (many) other characters on an almost daily basis.
* In ''[[Sinfest]]'', [
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[
* {{spoiler|Zuko and Mai}} of ''[[
** {{spoiler|Sokka and Suki}} as well.
* Barney and Betty Rubble, to Alpha Couple [[The Flintstones|Fred and Wilma Flintstone]].
* Matrix and AndrAIa in ''[[
* ''[[Winx Club]]'' has at the end of season 1 three beta copules. At the end of season 2, four. At the end of season 3, ''five''. {{spoiler|and it seems that there will be '''six''' beta couples at the end of season 4.}}
** {{spoiler|Actually, they are now back down to four beta couples due to a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] near the end of the season. But maybe this will be fixed in season 5?}}
* Gerald and Phoebe from ''[[Hey Arnold!]]''; heck, unlike Arnold and Helga this one isn't one-sided.
** It may never have been stated, but it's pretty darn clear that Arnold/Helga isn't one sided.
** [[Word of God]] mentioned that they would have been an explicit beta couple in ''[[Spin
* Stacy and Coltrane on ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]''. Since both of them are rather laid-back, their romance is meant to be a contrast to Candace's neurotic attempts to get Jeremy's attention.
** Though "The Secret Success" seems to have confirmed Coltrane's status as a [[Girl of the Week|Boy Of The Week]], so there not actually together and not a couple.
*** ...and he made his return in "Candace Gets Busted".
** One could argue Ferb's pining for the [[
* Bonnie and Junior, and, more notably, {{spoiler|Drakken and Shego}} in ''[[Kim Possible]]''.
* Beezy and Saffi, paired up by ''[[Jimmy Two
* Though all the couples in ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' are on equal standing, Buzz and Jessie are this to Woody and Bo Peep, pairing up at the end of the second movie. And we cannot forget Mr Potato Head and Mrs Potato Head.
** {{spoiler|They ''were'' this to Woody and Bo Peep before the couple got tragically split for good between ''Toy Story 2'' and ''Toy Story 3'', anyway.}}
* Amy Wong and Kif Kroker from ''[[Futurama]]''
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[[Category:Love Tropes]]
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