The 16 Best ‘Friends’ Couples That Proved Everyone Has a Lobster

When it comes to Friends couples, there is certainly no shortage.  From the gang's short-lived romances to their eventual lobsters, the beloved 1990s sitcom truly showcased just how fun and hard dating in your 20s can be. And to celebrate the show turning 30, we’ve decided to rank the 16 best Friends couples in reverse order. Fair warning: They might be a pivot away from what you would expect. 

16. Ross and Elizabeth 

Ross (David Schwimmer) and Elizabeth Stevens (Alexandra Holden) were the student-teacher relationship we never needed. The two were just in different stages of life, and that was evident the entire time they were together. The only good thing about this relationship was the Bruce Willis cameo. 

15. Rachel and Barry 

We didn’t get to see much of Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Barry Farber’s (Mitchell Whitfield)  relationship, but the parts we saw weren’t great. After all, Rachel left him for a reason, and we cannot say we blame her. Barry constantly cheated and didn't treat Rachel like a person, only an object, so all we have to say is good riddance! 

14. Ross and Charlie 

Ross and Charlie Wheeler (Aisha Tyler) might have both been paleontology professors, but beyond that, they just didn’t have a lot in common. Plus, she jumped right from Joey (Matt Leblanc) to Ross and that just says a lot about her character. 

13. Joey and Kathy  

Joey and Kathy (Paget Brewster) were another couple that just didn’t have a lot in common,  not to mention that Kathy was flirting with Chandler (Matthew Perry) the whole time — but more on that later. 

12. Ross and Mona  

Ross and Mona (Bonnie Somerville) could have actually been a really cute couple if it weren't for Rachel’s pregnancy. They cared about each other, and Mona was one of the few willing to listen to Ross’ science talks, but that all got overshined, so in the end, this couple was pretty forgettable. 

11. Chandler and Kathy 

As mentioned above, Chandler and Kathy only got together because of her and Joey’s previous relationship. While the chemistry was there, we simply could not support a relationship that almost ruined Chandler and Joey’s friendship. 

10. Ross and Emily 

Remember when Emily Waltham (Helen Baxendale) told Ross not to talk to Rachel ever again? Yeah, enough said. 

9. Phoebe and David  “The Scientist” 

Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and David (Hank Azaria) were a great on-and-off-again couple that had a lot of chemistry, but their timing was never quite right, so for that reason, we simply cannot rank them past number nine. Poor David, he did really love Phoebe. 

8. Ross and Julie  

Ross and Julie (Lauren Tom) were actually a very cute couple. They both loved dinosaurs, and Julie was actually a very nice person, but we just can't help but feel like she was only there to serve as a catalyst for Rachel and Ross’s relationship. At least Julie is living happily ever after with Russ — if you know, you know! 

7. Monica and Pete 

Monica (Courteney Cox) and Pete Becker (Jon Favreau) had such a cute relationship at the beginning — yes, we are talking about when he wrote her the $20,000 check — but in the end, Pete chose to become a boxer over Monica. Before that, though, they were super cute. 

6. Chandler and Janice 

Chandler and Janice Hosenstein (Maggie Wheeler) were an ok couple, and they did have some cute moments together — like that passionate kiss at the conclusion of season 2 — but at the end of the day, the two just didn’t click like some of the show's other couples. Plus, we all know that Joey hates Janice, and if the best friend hates the girlfriend, that's a major red flag. 

5. Joey and Rachel   

First teased in season seven, Rachel and Joey’s romance was something that always felt forced. Sure, the two were great friends, but the chemistry between them never seemed to be anything more than platonic. So, for that reason, this couple can only be placed as high as number five. 

4. Monica and Richard 

Despite the 21-year age gap, Monica (Cox) and Dr. Richard Burke (Tom Selleck) were a pretty good couple. They had the same interests, and Richard got along pretty well with the rest of the gang, but when it came down to it, he just didn’t want the same things as Monica, and for that, it is best that the two went their separate ways.

Cox did say, though, that Richard “was the nicest. And the tallest" of Monica’s boyfriend, and that definitely counts for something. 

3. Ross and Rachel 

Sure, Ross and Rachel might have been one of television’s greatest “will they or won’t they couples,” but that doesn’t mean they are the greatest Friends couple. Yes, the couple had some super sweet moments (the planetarium, Emma’s birth and when Rachel got off the plane), but they also had a lot of trust problems. First, there was the pros and cons list, then that girl from the copy place — even though Ross claims “we were on a break” — and finally, there was the whole Rachel and Joey fiasco. All of this caused Ross and Rachel to have so many communication problems that, in the end, they truly aren't the best couple the sitcom created. 

2. Phoebe and Mike  

Phoebe and Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd) might have only met in the show’s second to last season, but that didn’t stop them from becoming one of the best couples. Not only does Mike love and respect Phoebe for who she is, but he also finally gives her the family she has been searching for his entire life. Plus, the pair's season 10 wedding in the snow was truly a magical masterpiece. 

1. Monica and Chandler  

Coming in at number one is none other than Chandler Bing and Monica Geller — come on, could they be any cuter? This couple defined what the friends to lovers trope is. Not only do they balance each other out perfectly, but they also know one another down to each other’s core, and that is no small thing. 

Their relationship also meant a lot to Perry, with the late actor writing in his memoir Friends, Lovers and The Big Bad Terrible Thing, “[Thank you] Courteney Cox for making America think that someone so beautiful would marry a guy like me."

Cox also commented on their onscreen relationship by writing at the time of Perry’s death, “When you work with someone as closely as I did with Matthew, there are thousands of moments I wish I could share. For now, here’s one of my favorites. To give a little backstory, Chandler and Monica were supposed to have a one night fling in London. But because of the audience’s reaction, it became the beginning of their love story. In this scene, before we started rolling, he whispered a funny line for me to say. He often did things like that. He was funny and he was kind.” 

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