Shack Chat: What's your favorite video game love triangle?

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and love is in the air. We hope you have found your special moment whether it’s with a special someone, with good friends, or just specially treating yourself. Games have all sorts of love in them, too, but it’s not always clean and easy. Love triangles have happened in games since the very early days and have just gotten more complicated with time as creators fiddle with the concept, each in their own way. So, what’s the best love triangle? That’s what the Shack Staff is opining about on this week’s Shack Chat!

Question: What’s your favorite video game love triangle?

Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith - Ozzie Mejia, Senior Shipper

I've mentioned this on at least a few occasions, but I'm a newcomer to the world of Final Fantasy VII. My playthroughs of Remake and Rebirth are my first time experiencing this story. I have been thoroughly fascinated by the dynamic between three of the game's primary characters, specifically how they connect to one another romantically.

The thing with "Cloud and Tifa" or "Cloud and Aerith" is that there is no wrong answer. Cloud and Tifa have known each other since childhood, fate has brought them back into each other's lives, and they're united by their mission and by their own individual trauma. Cloud knows Aerith as the angelic figure that he encountered when waking up in her church and she's somebody who has opened up his worldview considerably. He went from a stone cold mercenary to somebody who has gradually opened up more about who he was and who he wants to be. Tifa and Aerith have brought out the best in Cloud, but in different ways, which is why this love triangle is so fascinating to me.

Of course, I'm also somewhat of a weirdo, because I've also observed Cloud as somebody who isn't particularly into romantic interests. Seeing the way that he interacts with Tifa and Aerith throughout the story, there's a real case to be made that he's actually asexual, someone who isn't looking for that kind of relationship with anybody. The idea throws a real twist into this dynamic and gives it more layers than it already has.

Billy Lee, Jimmy Lee & Marian - TJ Denzer beat up his homie for love

The love triangle that stands out most in my mind is probably the funniest one to me, and that’s the Double Dragon love triangle. Imagine getting so good at this game in the arcades or at home on your NES with your friend, making it to the end of the game and defeating the machinegun jerk, and then… you have to fight your bro?! Yep. Fight them to the death for Marian’s affection.

It’s a little misogynistic, but also just like… That’s your best bud! You just beat up like hundreds of guys back-to-back with them! You bonded in martial arts supremacy and survival against the toughest of odds! But no, once a pretty lady is introduced, friendship and history mean nothing and you gotta beat the piss out of your bestie if you don’t want to be the one going home alone. Ridiculous and classic.

Zelda, Link, and the Master Sword - Asif Khan, CEO/EIC/EIEIO/Zelda Expert

This might not be a traditional love triangle, but how could I not pick the three most important characters from The Legend of Zelda? The complex relationship between Zelda, Link, and the Master Sword is truly highlighted in Tears of the Kingdom. Without spoiling that wonderful game’s story, let’s just say that the Master Sword is not just a weapon. It has feelings and cares about Zelda very deeply, but its true power is only unlocked in Link’s hands.

Triangles and Triforces, am I right?

Geralt, Triss, and Yennefer - Bill Lavoy, Butcher of Diamond City

For years gamers have been asking each other whether they prefer Triss or Yennefer as a love interest for Geralt. While I’ve always been a fan of the easy-going nature of Triss, many rightfully believe that Geralt and Yennefer are meant for each other. One thing is certain, though; those three make up one of the greatest love triangles in the history of gaming. Excuse me while I go start a new playthrough of The Witcher 3.

Mario, Princess Peach, and Bowser - Sam Chandler, Bowser & Mario 4EVA

Look, I’m not exactly certain what’s going on with this dynamic. Bowser continues to pursue Peach. The princess keeps getting abducted. And poor Mario does his best to save her each time - out of love or out of a Kantian sense of duty, I don’t know. What I do know is that it seems like a strange love triangle. I like to think Bowser and Mario both love Peach, and she’s simply uncertain who she wants to be with. Or maybe, just maybe, Bowser actually loves Mario, and this is the only way he knows to get Mario’s attention.

Hero, Bianca, and Nera - Donovan Erskine, Zenithian

The romantic plotlines in Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly bride are so crucial to the game’s DNA that its subtitle alludes to one of the biggest choices players must make in the story. There are two marriage options in DQ5 (3 in the DS version), Bianca and Nera. Bianca is your close childhood friend, and Nera is the humble daughter of a wealthy man. There are fair reasons to marry either character, but the game makes you feel a good bit of guilt regardless of who you pick. For added drama, Nera’s sister, Debora, is a third romance option in the DS version of DQ5.

Getting married in Dragon Quest 5 materially impacts the story and gameplay. Not only will she join your party, but you’ll eventually have children and fight alongside them, too.

That covers this week’s Shack Chat. These are our answers, but what’s your favorite video game love triangle? Let us know!

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.