“How I Met Your Mother” is a sitcom about Ted Mosby telling his kids how he met their mother. Set in New York City, it follows Ted and his friends as they stumble through life. They crack jokes, relive memories and make questionable choices. With its quirky storytelling and lovable characters, this show has fans quoting it like it is scripture. It is a cult classic and yes, it is still a thing.

Meet the couples from How I Met Your Mother

Ted & Zoey

Ted and Zoey are that painfully dramatic couple who argue about city skylines and feel like they’re starring in a romantic indie flick — but then also get into shouting matches about historic preservation, which is oddly specific and kind of adorable. Zoey’s the activist with a megaphone and a soft spot for guerrilla art, Ted’s the architect who will sketch her protest banner while mumbling about gothic facades. They clash a lot because they’re both so convinced they’re Right (caps intentional) but it’s the passionate, loud kind of clash, not boring. Also random detail: they probably have an elaborate, overly symbolic first-date story that only they remember the way it happened.

Barney & Nora

Barney & Nora are the “unexpected softening” pairing and honestly it’s hilarious watching Barney try to be normal — he sort of succeeds? sometimes? — because Nora’s dry, genuinely unimpressed, and somehow his nonsense stops feeling like nonsense around her. Nora is practical, patient in that way that isn’t saintly but is very effective; Barney is still full of showy gags, but with her he does tiny, sincere things (like hiding a note in a tie or something very Barney-ish). They’re opposites that click in the sweet, neurotic sitcom way where both characters evolve without ever losing their core gag. Quirky thing: they probably have a spreadsheet of dates, yes for real.

Ted & Trudy

Ted and Trudy are the kind of brief, incandescent romance that burns bright and then becomes a tiny tragic footnote in Ted’s stories; you can tell they were intense even if the universe (and time) didn’t allow them to last. Trudy is whimsical and frustratingly elusive, the sort of person who shows up laughing and leaves with an apartment key you didn’t expect to give away. Their chemistry feels like nostalgia — like a cassette tape you put in once and it sticks in your head forever, even if you don’t remember all the words. Also, I swear they had matching playlists but maybe I made that up mid-rant; either way, it’s romantic chaos.

Ted & Stella

Ted and Stella are the very grown-up, slightly melodramatic couple — she is brilliant, quietly decisive and a mom-first type who has this calm, reasonable aura that makes Ted wobble in the best and worst ways. Stella’s the person who will calmly tell you the truth and then fix your hair, both metaphorically and perhaps literally, while Ted keeps delivering grandiose speeches about destiny. Their relationship is tender but laced with practical complications (kids, exes, career choices) and yet it feels like two people trying very hard to make adult decisions without losing the romantic movie in their heads. Small oddity: they probably argue about dental insurance and somehow make it sound romantic.

Barney & Quinn

Barney & Quinn are pure mischief and compromise; she is sharper than she looks, secretly way more grounded, and also the only person who can call Barney out and not get a musical number about it. Quinn has this low-key “I don’t care” vibe that actually masks a lot of care, while Barney tries to be a better man and mostly flails entertainingly. Their relationship is sexy, complicated, suspicious of promises, but with late-night honesty that you can feel when they look at each other. Oh, and she collects ridiculously tiny ceramic animals for reasons she never explains — or does she?

Barney & Robin

Barney and Robin are the iconic on-again-off-again saga; they’re equal parts combustible chemistry and emotional landmines, so it’s always thrilling and a little terrifying to watch. Robin is a career-driven, hockey-loving, emotionally guarded enigma who drinks whiskey like it’s a hobby, while Barney is flashy, insecure under the suit, and basically a walking rom-com subplot. Together they create these huge, dramatic gestures and then follow with awkward silences that somehow mean more than any gesture could. Random detail: they probably have a secret pact about how they celebrate victory (and it involves an absurdly specific celebratory ritual).

Ted & Robin

Ted and Robin are the quintessential “will-they-won’t-they” and also the most classic heartbreak/romance combo where both people are right for each other but sometimes wrong for the life they want. Ted is full of grand romantic plans, list-making, and blue-horn-level gestures, and Robin is fiercely independent, hates the word “settle,” and will leave for a job at 3 a.m. if the world calls. Their story is wistful, cinematic, full of missed timing and loving moments that sting because you know how much they care but also how much they differ. Also, Ted definitely still has something ridiculous saved from their early days (the blue horn? a mixtape?), maybe in a box labeled EMOTIONS.

Ted & Tracy

Ted and Tracy are the warm, finally-right kind of couple that feels like sunshine in a mug — she is clever, musical (plays bass, sings a little off-key but in the best way), and quietly perfect for Ted’s weird brand of romantic optimism. Tracy has this whole-list-of-quirks: collects obscure vinyl, laughs at the wrong part of jokes, and somehow makes soup for sad people like it’s a superpower. Their vibe is cozy and slightly magical, like two people whose weirdness complements rather than collides, and they have this real, tangible chemistry that isn’t dramatic so much as comforting. Tiny odd detail: she probably names houseplants after songs and then forgets which is which.

Ted & Victoria

Ted and Victoria are the sweet, early-in-the-story lovers who give us that “maybe forever” feeling and smell faintly of bakery flour because yes, she bakes — like all the time, probably sacred cupcakes. Victoria is steady, warm, practical, and secretly a soft revolutionary who writes postcards to Europe in her spare time or maybe just makes really good cookies, I can’t remember, but it’s charming. Their relationship feels earnest and uncomplicated in the best way, full of quiet care and the kind of compatibility that doesn’t need fireworks to be beautiful. Quirk: they probably own three mixing bowls and an emotional emergency cake recipe.

Marshall & Lilly

Marshall and Lilly are the heart of everything cozy and loud and slightly ridiculous; he’s the giant optimistic marshmallow-lawyer (big laugh, bigger heart) and she’s the fierce, artsy, tiny-but-explosive powerhouse who will both paint a mural and demand legal justice in the span of one afternoon. Together they’re domestic chaos: inside jokes, baby-name lists, secret traditions, and a never-ending refrigerator of questionable science projects. They feel like a real-life scrapbook — messy, colorful, undeniably devoted, and kind of intimidating in their mutual adoration, but in the best possible way. Little loop: they have a box of “marshmallow things” that may or may not exist but you believe it does.