15 Best Enemies-to-Lovers TV Couples, Ranked
If there’s one romance trope we’ll never tire of, it’s enemies-to-lovers. Is there anything more satisfying than watching two characters constantly butt heads, but over time, their tension shifts into something… more? And that moment when they finally realize their feelings have changed and they give in to their passion? It’s showstopping and unbelievably hot.
Of course, enemies-to-lovers has to be done right. These two people need to absolutely detest each other before they recognize each other’s hidden depths. Even better if they’re actively trying to destroy each other before they realize they can’t live without each other.
Luckily, TV has offered plenty of enemies-to-lovers couples across all genres that check those boxes. From Bridgerton to Maxton Hall, we’ve rounded up and ranked the best enemies-to-lovers couples that TV has to offer. Tell us what you think of our picks and order in the comments section at the bottom of the page!
15. Kat & Justin, Spinning Out
Okay, so these two are lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, but it works so well. Elite figure skaters Kat (Kaya Scodelario) and Justin (Evan Roderick) have a night of passion, and then Kat just ghosts Justin. When Kat is ready to restart her skating career, pairs is the only viable path for her, which is where Justin reenters the picture. Justin, with all that charm and cockiness, is constantly getting Kat all hot and bothered. She hates that she has feelings for him, but the heart wants what it wants. All that tension turns into an explosive chemistry on the ice, too. If only Netflix hadn’t canceled it so quickly… — Avery Thompson
14. Izzie & Alex, Grey's Anatomy
When they first meet, Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) is seriously a pain in Izzie Stevens’ (Katherine Heigl) butt. As new surgical interns, they’re all working hard to prove themselves, and Alex makes it that much more difficult for Izzie when he plasters their locker room with her lingerie modeling shots. Over time, though, Izzie warms up to Alex, seeing the softer side of him that he refuses to show to others at first, and they go from enemies to lovers, with Alex taking care of Izzie through the worst time in her life as she grapples with a dangerous cancer. Theirs is not a perfect love story — far from it — but their deep love for one another becomes undeniable. — Amanda Bell
13. Benvolio & Rosaline, Still Star-Crossed
Still Star-Crossed walked so Bridgerton could run in Shondaland. Benvolio (Wade Briggs) and Rosaline (Lashana Lynch) have that deeply-rooted family hatred vibing between them after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. To ease the tensions that are boiling over in Verona between the Montagues and Capulets, Benvolio and Rosaline are forced into a betrothal. Naturally, they can’t stand each other, and the tension is Grade-A Shonda Rhimes. However, once they emerge through the fog of all that family drama, these two realize they can take on the world by being on the same team. It’s honestly criminal that their only kiss had prison bars between them. They deserved the world. — Avery Thompson
12. Max & Kyle, Living Single
When it comes to banter and bickering, Max (Erika Alexander) and Kyle (T.C. Carson) are pros. These Living Single characters start off pushing each other’s buttons every chance they get. This is more of a light-hearted enemies-to-lovers, but it’s still just as memorable. Alexander and Carson’s energy together will make you want to combust. When these two, who reserve the best sass for each other, end up in bed together, it’s a win for everyone. — Avery Thompson
11. Eleanor & Jasper, The Royals
The Bodyguard and The Princess. This relationship starts off super toxic, with Jasper (Tom Austen) literally blackmailing Eleanor (Alexandra Park) and threatening to release a sex tape they made (the tape never existed). Jasper and Eleanor are both enemies and lovers at first, but their enemies label slowly erodes over time. Sure, this romance could have started out healthier, but it was a ride to watch these two play cat and mouse with each other — and still wind up in bed together most nights. And for what it’s worth, The Royals ultimately fell into Jaspenor’s orbit. We were always watching for them. — Avery Thompson
10. Damon & Elena, The Vampire Diaries
After watching Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) romance unfold across so many seasons of The Vampire Diaries, you might’ve forgotten that not only does good-girl Elena hate bad-boy Damon at first, but Damon also hates Elena, encouraging his brother Stefan (Paul Wesley) to kill her in the first episode. Damon and Elena are 100% enemies until the former realizes his feelings for her in the Season 1 finale, and even afterward, they begin a complicated dance where Damon would do something horrible — like killing Elena’s brother — and then he would be vulnerable and do good things for her. Damon going to such extremes and then finding his way back, redeeming himself and being a better person for Elena, makes them one of the most memorable (and complicated) enemies-to-lovers we’ve seen on TV. — Morgan Pryor
9. Anthony & Kate, Bridgerton
What happens when a “capital ‘R’ rake,” and the eldest daughter of a family missing its patriarch, cross paths on Bridgerton? It’s deliciously explosive, and despite Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) initial spark with new-to-the-Ton, Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), during an impromptu horse race, it’s their differing views on the marriage mart that light a match. When Kate overhears Anthony’s intentions of finding a wife, it sets the tone for their enemies status, especially when he takes an interest in her sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran). As they compete against each other in finding the right match for Edwina, the undeniable chemistry pokes its way through in various annoyances, hinting at the reality that they are really mad for one another. “You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires,” uttered by Anthony, really sums it all up. After his near-wedding to her sister, Anthony’s attraction to Kate can’t be ignored any longer, especially after they’d connected over the loss of their dads. After Kate’s own near-death experience, the former enemies finally agree to be lovers, and we are all the better because of it. — Meaghan Darwish
8. Jane & Guildford, My Lady Jane
Who doesn’t love an arranged marriage trope? Prime Video’s one-season series My Lady Jane followed the love story of Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) and Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel). The fantasy twist? Guildford is an Ethian, a.k.a. a human who can transform into an animal. Unlike other Ethians, however, Guildford is unable to control his transformations, causing him to be a horse by day and a man by night.
Upon discovering her newfound husband’s secret, Jane strikes a deal with Guildford to help him cure his Ethianism in exchange for a divorce. In true enemies-to-lovers fashion, the pair’s bond turns from friendly to romantic as they fight against prejudice in the kingdom and the villainous Princess Mary’s (Kate O’Flynn) schemes to remove Jane from the throne.
The show’s Season 1 finale rewrote history, as Jane and Guildford escape their grim fates at the hands of Mary. Though the show was canceled after one season, we’re still holding out hope that Jane and Guildford’s story will get a second chance on the small screen. — Paige Strout
7. Heather & Ray, Panic
Panic deserved so much more. Real ones will never forget watching Heather (Olivia Scott Welch) and Ray’s (Ray Nicholson) angst-heavy love story unfold in 2021.
Heather and Ray are among a group of seniors risking their lives in a series of challenges because winning is pretty much their only way of getting out of their tiny Texas town. Ray finds an unlikely competitor in Heather, and she puts up a fierce defense at first, determined not to let Ray get under her skin. Ray is the definition of a “he fell first and harder” guy, and when Heather tells him she’d rather “f**king die” than accept his help, Ray makes it his personal mission to undo her.
Everything changes with a brutally honest conversation in Episode 4, when Ray shows her a different way of looking at her circumstances. Unable to deny the wild electrical current coursing between them, Heather and Ray give in to their raw attraction and become their dead-end town’s ultimate power couple. — Avery Thompson
6. Devi & Ben, Never Have I Ever
One of the greatest enemies-to-lovers arcs is an academic rivalry, especially one that you never would have predicted taking a romantic turn. However, during Never Have I Ever, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Jaren Lewison take the trope to an entirely different level by portraying deeply flawed and awkward characters that you can’t help but root for. Sorry, Paxton (Darren Barnet), but I’m Team Devi and Ben all the way. — Rebecca Perlmutter
5. James & Ruby, Maxton Hall
Maxton Hall Seasons 1 and 2 may only consist of six episodes each, but the enemies-to-lovers progression here is so strong — and the acting is so good — that I don’t mind that the timeline is a little sped up. When James (Damian Hardung) finds out that scholarship student Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) knows about his twin sister’s affair with a teacher, he immediately tries to buy her silence. (Spoiler alert: Ruby, who has no interest in telling anyone, doesn’t hesitate to reject James in a glorious fashion.) From there on out, the two go at it at their fictional private school until they’re forced to work together, discovering their hidden depths in the process. Oh, and even better, James and Ruby are the opposites-attract trope at its finest, which adds even more flavor to their animosity (and eventual romance). — Morgan Pryor
4. Buffy & Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
While arguably the most controversial pair in the Buffyverse, Spike (James Marsters) and Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) are indisputably in the Enemies-To-Lovers Hall of Fame. By definition, a vampire and a vampire slayer shouldn’t be compatible, but, man, the chemistry is off the charts. When their first hookup is so intense that it literally brings down the building? Talk about a destructive relationship. That clash between loathing and desiring one another was electric to behold. Aside from the obvious physical attraction, Spike grows to understand the titular character more than anyone. He recognizes the power and weight of being the chosen one and understands the sacrifices she makes daily. The vamp stands by Buffy even when the world she is so desperately trying to save turns on her anyway. — Isabel Begun
3. Hook & Emma, Once Upon a Time
When it comes to enemies-to-lovers romances, it’s clear that Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) and Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue) wrote the book — or, the storybook, at least. Once Upon a Time fans know that O’Donoghue was only supposed to play a minor role in the series, but once his villain met Morrison’s savior, all bets were off. If you ask me, there’s yet to be a TV couple with more instant chemistry than Emma and Hook. — Rebecca Perlmutter
2. Ian & Mickey, Shameless
When it comes to Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey Milkovich (Noel Fisher), the South Side boys have their fair share of ups and downs, from toxic home lives and societal pressures to mental health struggles and a penchant for crime. In Shameless, their rollercoaster relationship kicks off because of a miscommunication about Ian’s connection with Mickey’s sister Mandy (originally played by Jane Levy). When that is cleared up, Mickey antagonizes the shop where Ian works, forcing Ian to confront Mickey at his home to retrieve a gun he stole. Until this point, it was unclear where Mickey’s feelings lay, but their heated almost-hookup flipped the switch on their dynamic forever. Through lavender marriages, incarceration, and border-crossing, among other challenges, this pair perseveres and grows into the confident couple who kept us tuning in to the show. In the end, their own marriage solidifies their spot in our top rankings as an enemies-to-lovers pair that’s quite hard to beat. While we know Ian and Mickey, a.k.a. Gallavich, are in it for the long haul, their on-and-off spats are the spice that keeps their lives interesting, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. — Meaghan Darwish
1. Veronica and Logan, Veronica Mars
TV’s enemies-to-lovers king and queen. When Veronica Mars begins, Logan (Jason Dohring) and Veronica (Kristen Bell) hate each other. In the fallout of Lily’s murder, Veronica becomes a pariah after standing by her dad (Enrico Colantoni), who accused Jake Kane (Kyle Secor) of killing her best friend, Lily (Amanda Seyfried). Logan is nasty and cruel to Veronica, and she has no problem kicking him down a notch on the ego ladder every chance she gets. Even with all that, there’s an undeniable electric current pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. Slowly but surely, these two begin to reveal parts of themselves they’ve never been able to with anybody else. Logan and Veronica are both emotionally bruised teenagers bound together by the trauma of Lily’s murder. When you take away the fear and anger, there’s a connection they can never replicate with another partner. Veronica’s trust issues and Logan’s bad decisions often force these two back into enemy territory, but their love always prevails.
The original vision of Veronica Mars had Duncan (Teddy Dunn) as Veronica’s main love interest, but Bell and Dohring’s chemistry changed the entire trajectory of the show. Veronica thought she wanted a safe, simple love with Duncan, but Logan Echolls cracked the case to Veronica’s heart. She wanted epic. “Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. Epic.” That right there, uttered by Logan himself, is the definition of enemies-to-lovers. — Avery Thompson
