Throughout art and literature there are romances that stand the test of time. Where would Cyrano be without his Roxanne, or Juliet without her Romeo? In honor of the impending Valentines Day celebrations I wanted to take a moment to explore some of the more interesting relationships found within these games we love to devote hundreds of hours to, our favorite MMOs.
Jakarn and Quite Literally Anyone: The Elder Scrolls Online
Jakarn will flirt with anyone, anytime, anywhere
In games most paramours have the purest intentions to win the heart of their beloved, however when all you really love is yourself… and of course ill gotten gains you end up with our friend Jakarn. You first meet him trapped in a prison on the Isle of Stros M’kai and as you travel through the land of Tamriel, you encounter one spurned lover after another. He is quite literally willing to romance man, woman and quite possibly guar in order to get the job done. That job being the acquisition of questionable antiquities. While a train wreck as far as romances go, it is certainly interesting to watch the events unfold.
Logan and Rytlock: Guild Wars 2
[caption id="attachment_40020" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Awesome Rytlock and Logan fistbump fan art by RyanReos[/caption]
While there is not really any evidence of this in the game directly, this unspoken love has been the source of countless fanfics. Though it is uncertain if the love that must not be spoken is real, there is at the very least a heavy Bromance going on between these two champions. It is a tale forged in battle, with two foes that started out hating each other, and ultimately ended up as friends. In game evidence shows that Logan has romantic designs on the good Queen Jennah, but it seems like certain fans of Guild Wars 2 would far rather see the grumpy Charr and the shining Knight end up together. If nothing else they do make a formidable team of overwhelming power.
Yda and Papalymo: Final Fantasy XIV
[caption id="attachment_40022" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Papalymo and Yda having yet another spat[/caption]
If you start Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn as a Gridanian the first Scions you meet are the unlikely pair of Yda and Papalymo. They often serve as welcome comic relief, with Papalymo spending a good amount of his time scolding Yda’s over-exuberance. I think most players have wondered if there is something more between these two than meets the eye. Papalymo is, after all, a short-statured Lalafell is surely not immune to the fact that Yda isn’t actually wearing any pants for the majority of the game. If nothing else, they make an interesting pairing and are always enjoyable to watch on screen, because be their relationship romantic or not they do have an undeniable chemistry.
Bombadil and Goldberry: Lord of the Rings Online
[caption id="attachment_40018" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Bombadil and Goldberry, separated but always together[/caption]
“In The House of Tom Bombadil” still serves as one of the oddest and the most controversial chapters in the legendary series by J.R.R. Tolkien. That said I was massively disappointed when none of it actually appeared in the Peter Jackson movies. There is a certain charm to the characters of Bombadil and Goldberry, and when I played through Lord of the Rings Online I was extremely happy to see them and their surroundings completely intact. It is a tale as old as time; primal funny hat-wearing gnome-like force of nature falls in love with an unimaginably beautiful river goddess who tames and loves him more than... Okay maybe this isn’t really a normal romance at all (by any stretch of the imagination). In any case I love seeing the characters and their odd circumstances hinted at through the game's NPC dialog. Seeing them both served as a highlight for me during my time roaming Middle Earth.
Mankrik and Olgra: World of Warcraft
[caption id="attachment_40021" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Mankrik seeking revenge for the death of his beloved[/caption]
If Helen of Troy was said to be the face that launched a thousand ships, Mankrik the orc launched millions of World of Warcraft adventurers in a frustrating search across the Barrens for his wife. This ignited Barrens chat with a constant refrain of “where is mankriks wife?”, and what followed was the stuff of meme history. Not all of these romances end on happy terms, because adventurers found the body of his wife just to the south of the crossroads. Fittingly when the sweeping changes to World of Warcraft came with the Cataclysm expansion, Mankrik finally exacts his revenge upon the Quilboars that took his wife from him.