The 19 Greatest Movie Couples Of All Time Ranked

Tracy (Katherine Hepburn) and Dexter (Cary Grant) are both passionate hotheads whose love affair ended as quickly as it began. Two years after their divorce, Tracy is set to marry again, and the ornery Dexter plans to interrupt the wedding. Dexter makes a plan with a tabloid to cover Tracy's wedding; in exchange, the editors will kill a story about Tracy's father, leading Dexter to show up with a reporter and photographer on the eve of the event.

Mere hours away from the ceremony, Tracy soon finds herself caught between the reporter, her fiancé, and Dexter as she has to choose what she really wants for herself. As her fiancé gets wind of her doubts and affiliations with the other men, he calls off the engagement, leaving Tracy to face another scandal — but Dexter swoops in to offer his hand, giving them the chance to make things right.

Tracy and Dexter are a great example of how two people can be so right for each other that it may seem easier to ignore the truth than give in to fate. Tracy and Dexter have an exceptional love story, but it's still not as memorable as some other couples', earning them the lowest place on our list.

Jamal (Dev Patel) and Latika (Freida Pinto) are childhood friends brought together by tragic circumstances. When they're both orphaned by a horrible act of violence, they form their own family together. But even as the brutality required to survive tears them apart, Jamal never forgets Latika. When their paths cross again years later, Jamal endeavors to protect Latika and earn financial stability for the two of them, inspiring him to become a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

Miraculously, Jamal plays his way to the final question, giving him the chance to win 20 million rupees. Though he uses his "phone a friend" lifeline to call Latika, she doesn't know the answer. However, she does remind him that she's there for him. That's enough. When Jamal wins, it's proof that Jamal and Latika's destinies are intertwined and that fighting for your safety and happiness is worth it in the end. Jamal and Latika have a sweet romance, but it lacks the depth of some of the other relationships on our list, leading to a lower ranking.

Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) met in France right before the Nazis invaded. The two had a torrid love affair and planned to escape the ensuing war together, but Ilsa left Rick stranded on the train platform with a note saying that she wouldn't be able to make it, but that she loved him. Sometime later, in the middle of the war, the two reunite in Casablanca at Rick's bar when Ilsa shows up with her husband, a resistance leader.

Ilsa and her husband need papers to escape to America, which Rick can provide, but he's too heartbroken to help. Ilsa explains she thought her husband was dead when she met Rick, but received word that he was still alive, forcing her to go after him instead of leaving with Rick. As the Nazis encroach on Casablanca, Ilsa and Rick's time is limited, and they have to figure out a way for her to safely flee with her husband.

Rick and Ilsa's story is ultimately one of redemption and hope as Rick shifts from an isolationist to an active participant in the war effort. Rick and Ilsa's romance is heartfelt, but lacks the complexity of some of the very best movie love affairs.

A swashbuckling space opera, "Star Wars" may not be known for its romance, but Han (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) share one of the greatest will-they-won't-they romances in cinematic history. Brought together by the Rebellion, Han and Leia remain star-crossed lovers in a war-torn galaxy.

When they first meet in "A New Hope," Leia is a princess and Rebel operative, working to get the Death Star plans to the Rebellion even while being tortured by Darth Vader. By contrast, Han wants nothing to do with either side of the Galactic Civil War, simply trying to survive as a smuggler and dodge his debts. However, their chemistry is undeniable, and the two form an alliance thanks to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the rest of the Rebels.

Over time, Han and Leia fall in love and eventually have a child. Though their ending in the sequel films isn't strictly happy, their love endures through their son, Ben (aka Kylo Ren), who eventually carries on Han and Leia's legacy.

Based on Patricia Highsmith's "The Price of Salt," long considered the only lesbian love story with a happy ending, "Carol" follows the suspenseful tale of Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara), two women who are pulled together despite everything that should keep them apart. Therese aspires to be a photographer, but works in a department store when she meets Carol, who comes into the shop to buy a Christmas gift for her daughter. The two have instant chemistry, but are both already partnered — Carol is married to her abusive, alcoholic husband, and Therese is dating an affable but clueless man.

When Carol leaves her gloves at the store, Therese seizes the opportunity to return them to her. Carol takes her to lunch, and the two strike up a friendship. As they grow closer, Carol's husband becomes increasingly jealous and threatens to keep her daughter away from her, forcing the two apart as Carol returns to her family. Ultimately, though, they fight to be with each other, despite the strict mores of the 1950s. Carol and Therese are a hopeful reminder of a love that's existed all throughout history, even if it's sometimes less visible due to prevailing social prejudices.

Holly (Audrey Hepburn) and Paul (George Peppard) are kindred spirits who meet each other when Paul moves into Holly's building. Holly is an eccentric and free spirit who throws raucous parties for artists and thinkers, while Paul is an introverted writer. They connect over their secrets: Paul's discovery of Holly's hidden past, and Holly's discovery of Paul's way of making money.

As they grow closer, they form a deep friendship and realize that they can be their true selves together, but as things turn romantic, Holly's fear of sharing herself with someone else forever takes hold, forcing Paul to prove to her why she shouldn't run away again. Holly and Paul show how two lost souls can find each other to create a new family in a scary world. In the past, Holly found safety in reinventing herself. With Paul, she doesn't have to. Holly and Paul have a unique connection, the kind that feels like it can only exist in movies.

It's a classic enemies-to-lovers romance. Joe (Tom Hanks) is the wealthy owner of a Barnes and Noble-type bookstore, swallowing up small booksellers one by one. Kathleen (Meg Ryan) is hanging on to her departed mother's children's bookshop for dear life. Unbeknownst to the two of them, they're anonymous friends in an online chat room, able to share their woes in a safe space.

Of course, in real life, they're on different pages. As Kathleen becomes a vocal advocate for small business owners, Joe becomes both more enamored and also increasingly frustrated with her. Meanwhile, behind their computer screens, the two set up a real-life meeting, but when Joe sees that his online suitor is Kathleen, he doesn't reveal who he is, keeping the upper hand. As their cat and mouse game continues, the couple see new sides to each other and grow closer before their online personas meet one last time, and Joe shares his true identity.

Joe and Kathleen have a dynamic friendship-turned-romance that exemplifies how people's complexities draw them together. A dynamic romance for the modern era, Kathleen and Joe have a real connection.

"Moonlight" is a quiet, intimate, coming-of-age character study focused on Chiron, a young Black man who is growing up with a mother addicted to drugs and is struggling to accept his sexual orientation.

Joining him on his journey is his friend Kevin. As children, Kevin (Jaden Piner) helps young Chiron, then called Little (Alex R. Hibbert), toughen up, but in doing so shares a moment of affection with him. As teenagers, Chiron (Ashton Sanders) and Kevin (Jharrel Jerome) grow closer and share physical intimacy before Kevin betrays Chiron. Finally, as adults, the two reconnect, working to move beyond their past, and Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) finally lets Kevin (André Holland) in completely, able to embrace who he is as a Black gay man.

Their relationship is one of a complex, lifelong friendship with queer subtext and deep meaning that resonates for viewers of all races and sexual orientations. Chiron and Kevin's story is one of hope, resilience, and the healing that can come from enduring love. Despite the many hardships life sends their way, Chiron and Kevin find their way back to each other.

One of the most iconic, if not the most iconic, movie couples of all time, Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack's (Leonardo DiCaprio) love story still resonates years after the movie's release. Jack and Rose meet aboard the ill-fated ship as passengers of different classes. Rose is a first-class ticket holder engaged to a wealthy man, but she's deeply unhappy and unsatisfied. Jack is a dreamer, an artist, and a survivor, despite his lower station in life. Jack's persistence and resilience inspire Rose to strive for more than the future that's been laid out for her.

As they grow closer, Rose plans to leave her fiancé when they dock and leave the ship with Jack. Of course, the iceberg has other plans, but as we learn at the end of the film, despite the unavoidable tragedy of the Titanic, Rose never stops loving Jack, letting the short-lived romance change the shape of her entire life. Though their story ends tragically, Rose and Jack's love is eternal.

For the true romantic, the dream is to marry your best friend. That's exactly what happens to Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan). Penned by one of the great romance writers of all time, Nora Ephron, "When Harry Met Sally" follows two people whose paths cross over and over until they finally become close companions. Their chemistry is undeniable, but each one values their friendship too much to try to make a move on the other, especially because they're violating Harry's golden rule: "No man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her."

Of course, as they each date other people, their connection persists until they finally get together. Harry and Sally are the greatest movie couple of all time simply due to the steadfastness of their relationship; no matter how much they fall apart, they come back together, thanks to the solid base of their friendship. Sally and Harry have a relationship that feels both magical and incredibly rounded. It's a love story that only comes around once in a blue moon, making them our greatest movie couple of all time.