History Main / BetaCouple

* ''[[VideoGame/Tekken]]'' has Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch; serving as the stark contrast of Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. It is a Downplayed relative case as both couples have relatively stable relationships but they differ in that Jin and Xiaoyu have been separated from each other since ''Tekken 4'' after Heihachi betrays Jin. Xiaoyu desperately wants to help him out but Jin doesn't want her to join him to protect her. Lars and Alisa however, have been battling with each other side by side in all of their appearances.

* In ''Anime/{{Macross}}'', there's Roy Focker and Claudia [=LaSalle=] in ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'', and Ozma Lee and Cathy Glass in ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', who each play Beta Couple to their respective series's official LoveTriangle. Also from ''Frontier'', there's Michel and Klan, although [[spoiler:that particular Beta Couple met an [[HeroicSacrifice unexpected end]]]].

* Another subversion: ''VideoGame/{{Contra}} 4'' for the DS not only brought back Bill and Lance, the original ''Contra'' duo but also introduced a Beta Duo in the form of Mad Dog and Scorpion, whose names are {{Shout Out}}s to Bill's and Lance's former nicknames from the American localization of the NES games. While Bill and Lance wear blue and red (their colors from the NES games), Mad Dog and Scorpion wear green and purple, which were Bill's and Lance's colors in the arcade version of ''Super Contra''.

%%* As of season 3, [[spoiler: Lanie and Esposito]], Alexis and Ashley, and Ryan and Jenny count as Beta Couples to the alpha couple, Series/{{Castle}} and Beckett.

%%* '' A Fine Romance'': Helen and Phil are the Beta Couple to main couple Laura (Helen's sister) and Mike.

* Hunter and Willow from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse''. While the majority of the focus is on Luz and Amity for most of the show, Hunter is shown to develop a crush on Willow in the background throughout the latter half of season 2. [[spoiler:As Luz and Amity's relationship settles into comfortable stability in season 3, Hunter and Willow's relationship takes center stage as Willow starts developing a crush on Hunter in return, and their personal arcs in "For the Future" are about learning to rely on one another.]]

* Rosalie and Bernard in ''Manga/TheRoseOfVersailles''. The main couples are StarCrossedLovers; Oscar and André are separated by [[UptownGirl their social classes]] and Queen Marie Antoinette has a secret affair with Count Fersen without being allowed to let their love go public. Since Rosalie and Bernard are both commoners, they get married almost right away. [[spoiler:They're also the only couple to survive at the end.]]

* Although there wasn't any one official couple for the show, Jed and Abby, on ''Series/TheWestWing'' are this trope to ''everyone'' else, as they were HappilyMarried with the ups and downs of a normal, well-adjusted couple (or as normal as possible for a President and First Lady). This was in contrast to [[WillTheyOrWontThey Josh and Donna]], [[DatingCatwoman CJ and Danny]], [[AmicablyDivorced Toby and Andi]], [[BelligerentSexualTension Sam and Ainsley]], [[BodyguardCrush CJ and Simon]], [[TheMasochismTango Josh and Amy]], [[HelicopterParents Sam and Mallory]], [[MarriedToTheJob Leo and Jenny]], and Charlie and Zoe, all of whose romances were constantly trampled by politics, ethics, and DysfunctionJunction. But mostly politics.
** Except for [[spoiler:Josh/Donna and CJ/Danny]] of course, who were upgraded to OfficialCouple and ended up together in the final season.

%%** ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'' has Lloyd and Colette.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'''s Jake the Dog has a fairly stable long-term relationship with Lady Rainicorn, contrasting Finn's difficult growing into puberty and dealing with unrequited crushes.

* Barney and Betty Rubble are a classic example, playing the generally happier, conflict-free Betas to Alpha Couple [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Fred and Wilma Flintstone]]. Whenever the former pair does get into a rift, chances are it's due to Barney simply finding himself (again) pulled into one of Fred's many crazy schemes. In 1973, Charlton comics gave Barney and Betty their own book.

** In "The Jungle Movie", [[spoiler:both pairings get a RelationshipUpgrade and at the end, we see a nigh perfect contrast that cements this status. When Arnold and Gerald are walking to school, they bump into Helga and Phoebe--at which point Gerald and Phoebe wordlessly hold hands and walk away smiling while Arnold offers to hold Helga's hand...[[{{Tsundere}} an offer she swoons over, then rejects]]]].

* Alya and Nino from ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug''. They get together relatively quickly, and are not tangled up in the SecretIdentity-induced [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle relationship]] [[LovesMyAlterEgo drama]] that ensnares [[TheHero Marinette]] and [[TheLancer Adrien]].
** Slightly subverted in season 4, as both Alya and Nino started being involved in the relationship drama and even aruged every once in a while to get a bit more development between them.
** There's also Ivan/Mylene, who hooked up near the end of the Origins episode.
** As well as Rose/Juleka.

* Ferb and Vanessa (Ferbessa)on ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Ferb is shown many times throughout the show to have a crush on Vanessa. In [[spoiler: season 4, episode 47 Act Your Age, they end up together]]. Phinabella is P&F's Alpha Couple.

* Ned and Maude in the early seasons of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' (before Maude's death), Apu and Manjula in later seasons.
* ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'' has an [[InvertedTrope inversion]]. The main character Chiro and his RobotGirl girlfriend Jinmay are in a happy relationship since the very first episode and she's usually absent. Meanwhile, Sprx and Nova get more screen time together and the [[BelligerentSexualTension more dysfunctional dynamic]], and they don't even get together [[LastMinuteHookup until the final episode]].

%%* Penny Pingleton and Seaweed J. Stubbs to Tracy Turnblad and Link Larkin in ''Film/{{Hairspray}}''.

%%* Seaweed and Penny in ''Film/{{Hairspray}}''.

** For the main anime series, Ash is often paired with the girl of the author's preference. For instance, if the Alpha Couple is in [=PokéShipping=] (Ash and Misty) stories, nine times out of ten the Betas are Contest (Drew and May) and Penguin (Dawn and Kenny) or Ikari (Dawn and Paul).

* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'' plays with this and even goes into deconstruction territory. At first, it appears that Jianyu and Tahani are the Beta Couple who exist to make Eleanor feel inadequate, as the former is a Buddhist monk and the latter is a wealthy socialite. However, Tahani finds herself frustrated by her inability to communicate with her soulmate, and it turns out that Jianyu is actually a Florida Man who was mistaken for a monk. As the series progresses, Jason starts to develop feelings for Janet, and they wind up becoming the finalized Beta Couple. While Tahani briefly has a relationship with Larry Hemsworth, it doesn't last long.
* ''Series/HappyEndings'''s Brad and Jane were this to every other couple in the show. While they had conflict, their marriage was portrayed as healthy and loving.

** Zuko/Mai and Sokka/Suki of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' to OfficialCouple Aang/Katara, which went through a decent amount of WillTheyOrWontThey (plus ShippingWars with Zuko/Katara). Where Aang's feelings for Katara begin as a PrecociousCrush, while Katara is too focused on the whole war situation to actually figure out her feelings on the matter, the other pairings occur a lot more smoothly. Zuko and Mai get together with little fanfare and go through only a momentary rough patch when Zuko makes his HeelFaceTurn and breaks up with her by letter, at which point Mai quickly decides she "loves Zuko more than she fears [[[TheDragon Azula]]]" and joins him. Sokka and Suki hit a bump when he has trouble getting over his FirstLove Yue, but after working through that, things go smoothly once Suki joins the Gaang [[EleventhHourRanger late in the final season]]. Both couples even manage to sneak in some late-night trysts.

* Libby and Sheen from ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' have a PuppyLove thing going on that is actually somewhat more explicit compared to Cindy and Jimmy, largely because Libby is more emotionally mature and Sheen is more open about his feelings.

%%* Libby and Sheen from ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius''.

%%* Libby and Sheen from ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutron''.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': It's unveiled in the Season 1 finale that Louis de Pointe du Lac and Armand are lovers in 2022, and they've been a couple since at least 1973.

%%** Naruto/Hinata serve as this to Sasuke/Sakura in ''[[LightNovel/SakuraHidenThoughtsOfLoveRidingUponASpringBreeze Sakura Hiden]]''.
%%** Sai/Ino serve as this to Shikamaru/Temari in ''[[LightNovel/ShikamaruHidenACloudDriftingInSilentDarkness Shikamaru Hiden]]'', and Sasuke/Sakura in ''Sakura Hiden''.

* Montmorency and Guiche from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero''. Of course, they're only ''slightly'' less dysfunctional than Louise and Saito, but at least they don't have to worry about love rivals.

* In ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', any prominent relationship outside of Pam and Jim, who get together at the end of season three and later marry, becomes this by default. Most notable are Dwight and Angela, who begin secretly dating in season two, though unlike most beta couples their relationship is very turbulent, with several other love interests coming in during their on-again-off-again relationship. [[TheyDo They ultimately get married]] in the GrandFinale, by which time they have a child together.

%%* Ezra and Emma in ''Film/TheHauntedMansion'', to Edward and Elizabeth (man, Disney likes their "E" names). A rather unromantic Beta Couple, but still more or less Happily Married.

* ''Literature/SoThisIsEverAfter'': Sionna and Meredith on one side, and Rion and Lila on another. They serve as a contrast with Alek and Matt, who take the entire book to get together, since both couples do it quite fast.