Throughout the 10 seasons of "Friends," we saw a lot of relationships for each main character. Some relationships were great, some were weird, some were annoying, but they all served their purpose. Here's the ultimate ranking of the show's many couples in honor of the 25th anniversary of "Friends."
1. Chandler and Monica
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These two had the purest love. They started out as close friends, moved to friends with benefits, and somewhere along the way, they fell in love.
2. Phoebe and Mike
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Phoebe had many boyfriends throughout the show, but it was rare that she had a serious relationship. She had one or two in the earlier seasons, but later on, we were introduced to her love with Mike. The two instantly clicked and it was great to see Phoebe end up with someone that could be goofy with her and constantly reminded her how much he loved her quirkiness.
3. Ross and Rachel
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I feel like a lot of people are iffy about these two because of everything they went through, but they did genuinely love each other. And let's face it, the constant back and forth, the "will they, won't they," and the great "we were on a break" lines made for great entertainment.
4. Rachel and Joey
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Rachel is the really the first girl that Joey was just absolutely in love with. He loved her across multiple seasons, and when they were together, they were just so happy together. They ended it because they didn't want to cause problems in the group with Ross, because of the Ross/Rachel love story, but this was when we really got to explore a new side of Joey.
5. Joey and Phoebe
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So these two were never actually in a relationship, but there was definitely a connection here. There were jokes between the two about being together, they kiss a few different times, they made each other their "backup" in case neither of them were married by 40, and he even proposed to her when he thought she was pregnant because he didn't want her to feel like she was alone in raising a child (I know he proposed to Rachel when he found out the truth, but still). It could have been an interesting storyline to explore.
6. Carol and Susan
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Though we didn't see much of these two, especially in the later years, they were always a good couple. The show was released in a time where this kind of relationship wasn't accepted, which was explored in the episode where the two get married because Carol's parents don't approve, but they lived their lives and continued to be happy, even though their love was kind of a running punchline for the 6 friends.
7. Monica and Richard
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Another pure love. Though I'm happy Monica ended up with Chandler, her relationship with Richard was a good one. They really loved each other and faced criticisms from Monica's parents and Ross, but they never let that change how they felt. The only thing standing in the way for these two was the age different and the fact that they wanted to experience different things.
8. Chandler and Janice
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Chandler's commitment issues were a long-running joke throughout the show, and his relationship with Janice was important because she was the first one that he had a serious relationship with. They were on and off for a few seasons, but he still cared for her for awhile. And let's be honest, the show wouldn't be the same without the nasal-y, goofy sayings from Janice.
9. Jack and Judy
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Parenting choices aside, Ross and Monica's parents were the only parents to make pretty regular appearances on the show. There are a few times where the two are shown, or implied to be, being affectionate. After years of marriage and two wild rides with their children, they still obviously love each other the same as they did when they were young.
10. Ross and Charlie
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Now this relationships started and ended kind of ugly, but it was good to see Ross dating someone that shared his love of paleontology.
11. Rachel and Tag
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This one was kind of a weird one for a few reasons, but it was still a nice relationship. Just another one of those where the age difference seemed to be the only thing standing in the way of these two becoming more serious.
12. Monica and Pete
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It took some time for Monica to really fall for Pete, but when she did, they were great. She supported him through his wild dreams of becoming the Ultimate Fighting Champion, and her care for him really showed when she ended up because she couldn't bear to watch him get hurt for a third time while trying to achieve the goal.
13. Frank and Alice
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Easily one of the strangest couples on the show, but Frank and Alice sure did love each other. They were genuinely happy together and all they wanted to do was have a family. It was a weird love, but it was a real one.
14. Phoebe and Gary
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One of her happiest points throughout the show was when Phoebe was dating Gary. She always seemed so happy when she was with him and their relationship came across exciting, based on their references to the ride alongs she went on with him and the wild sexual stories she mentioned about him. She even got serious enough that she was planning to move in with him, but his decision to shoot a bird while in bed with her sank this relationship too quickly.
15. Phoebe and David
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This was really the first serious relationship Phoebe had on the show, and it was so obvious that they cared so much about each other. She was distraught when he moved to Minsk for work, but they rekindled their love a few times when he visited her.
16. Joey and Erin
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So this relationship only lasted for one episode and it really only came about because of Rachel and Phoebe's meddling, but this is one of the only times Joey seemed to actually care about a girl that he "dated." He really opened up and showed his feelings in this episode and that was a pretty big milestone for Joey.
17. Ross and Carol
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When the show began, Ross and Carol had already divorced and she was already with Susan, but throughout the first few seasons, it was obvious through the interactions between the two that they loved each other. Also, through conversations between the characters, we learn that Ross quickly fell in love with Carol and they were together for close to 10 years. Even after their divorce, these two shared a real connection.
18. Ross and Julie
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Though Julie's presence threw a curveball in the Ross and Rachel storyline, her relationship with Ross was very important. This was the first serious relationship he had after his divorce and he was happy with Julie.
19. Joey and Charlie
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This is another one of the few times Joey really put in an effort for a woman. He spent a good amount of time memorizing facts about the exhibits at the MET because he wanted to try to be more interested in things that Charlie liked.
20. Chandler and Kathy
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Chandler and Kathy had a serious bond from the moment they met. Though he did betray Joey by kissing her when she was with him, Chandler and Kathy were a great couple...until she cheated.
21. Rachel and Paolo
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This really wasn't a great relationship. Paolo wasn't a good guy, but he was significant to Rachel. After she left Barry, she kept talking about how she was glad that her life was no longer being planned out for her, she didn't want to be with someone she didn't truly love, she wanted to really experience things, etc. This was the first person she got involved with since she left Barry, and you could tell she was really trying to get out there and experience things for herself.
22. Ross and Elizabeth
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So in today's society, this would never have flown, Ross would've been fired and Elizabeth would've been in trouble with the university, but they faced a lot of obstacles to be together and I think that's important. They had everything going against them, but they found a way to make it work...for a little while anyway.
23. Chandler and Aurora
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This really wasn't a relationship, but each of the friends just had one of those relationships that was really just for fun. I think what these two had just goes to show that eventually everyone wants to be loved and cared about. It's human nature.
24. Ross and Emily
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Now, I hated the Ross and Emily plot, especially everything that happened after the wedding. But the fact that these two met, fell in love, and decided to get married shows that sometimes relationships are unconventional. Not everyone dates for years and then gets married, not everyone knows each other for years before they date. Sometimes you meet someone and just know you love them.
25. Joey and Janine
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This is another relationship that lasted like one or two episodes, but it really touches on the importance of your SO and friends being able to get along. Ultimately, Joey ends things with Janine because she won't put any effort into really getting to know or liking his best friends.
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