History Main / ThirdWheel

* In the novelty song "[[[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIkhRZtrosM Third Wheel" by comedian Tim Hawkins, the narrator is an unwanted presence in the couple's lives.

* ''Series/ZondagMetLubach'': Parodied when the King and Queen were accompanied on an official trip by the Foreign Minister, Stef Blok. Lubach pitched a bunch of romantic scenarios with Willem-Alexander and Maxima, but Stef Blok had to be present at each of them.

Any instance where at least one other character is hanging around a couple and some form of social awkwardness results. They can either be:

A) a nuisance to the couple which gets told to them leave them alone frequently,

B) a character who doesn't want to spend time with the couple, which drags them along anyway, or

C) a character who is pulled into being with a couple due to circumstance and no parties necessarily have ill will toward each other, but awkwardness may ensue anyway.

* There's a Type A example in the BoysLove manga ''Manga/{{Challengers}}''. The foreign transfer student Rick quickly becomes a nuisance after he starts following the main couple around in the hope of getting with {{Uke}} and HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Tomoe before Kurokawa, who has more morals when it comes to relationships, [[RelationshipUpgrade upgrades their relationship]] from JustFriends to OfficialCouple. Even after they become lovers he still hangs around with them just in case.
* A type C occurs in ''Manga/AoHaruRide'' with Touma, Uchimiya, and Shun, except for the fact that Touma and Uchimiya are the ones with girlfriends. Therefore, whenever the three run into Futaba and her friends, Touma and Uchimiya end up making plans with their girlfriends and leaving out Shun.
* Minami in ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'' is a type C. It's her job to guard Miyuki, even when the latter is cuddling with her fiance.

* Timon and Pumbaa of ''Disney/TheLionKing'' certainly become third wheels once Simba and Nala meet up again. It definitely is mostly type C, but Simba kind of politely lets Timon know that the two of them aren't wanted, making it somewhat type A.

* In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfMiloAndOtis'', main characters Milo the cat and Otis the dog spend most of the film trying to reunite, but when Milo falls in love with another cat, Otis becomes this for a little while. Otis is mostly a case of type C.

* ''Literature/MansfieldPark'': Type C: Henry Crawford visits Fanny Price in Portsmouth and tries to get her on her own, but finds Fanny's 15-year-old sister Susan a hindrance.
* ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'': Type C: Leo Valdez, first with his two best friends Jason and Piper after they start dating. Now he's the seventh wheel since all of his other friends have started dating each other. The villain mocks him for never fitting in.

* In the novelty song "Third Wheel" by comedian Tim Hawkins, the narrator is a type A third wheel (watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIkhRZtrosM here]]).

* A ''Series/MrShow'' sketch is about this: a couple's friend joins them on their ''honeymoon''. The wife is type A but the husband is type C. Said third wheel breaks into a song about this every time the words "third wheel" is said.

* Webcomic/SleeplessDomain: When the FireIceDuo Undine considers joining forces with turns out to be a SickeninglySweethearts BattleCouple, she gets the mental image of a burning wheel, a frozen wheel and a wheel engulfed in water (representing her own MakingASplash powers). The burning and frozen wheels have a heart between them.

Any instance where at least one other character is hanging around a couple and some form of social awkwardness results. He/she can either be:

A) a nuisance to the couple and they consistently tell him/her to leave them alone,

B) a character who doesn't want to spend time with the couple but they drag him/her along, or

Any instance where at least one other character is hanging around a couple and some form of social awkwardness results. He/she can either be

* The novelty song "Third Wheel" by comedian Tim Hawkins (watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIkhRZtrosM here]]).

* Both ''Film/SherlockHolmes'' films are ripe with this trope. Holmes is a third wheel to Watson and Mary, or Mary is a third wheel to Holmes and Watson; HeterosexualLifePartners or HoYay, your choice.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode, "Manhunt", Troi's mother, Lwaxana, tries to trick Captain Picard to spend a romantic dinner alone with her. Picard, seeing through her motives, asks Lt. Commander Data to join them. Data spends the entire meal giving long, detailed lectures on his work.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode, "Manhunt", Troi's mother, Lwaxana, tries to trick Captain Picard to spend a romantic dinner alone with her. Picard, seeing through her motives, asks Lt. Commander Data to join them. Data spends the entire meal giving long detailed lectures on his work.
-->'''Picard:''' Data, you will never know how much I owe you for that.
-->'''Data:''' Indeed, Captain? I know many more interesting anecdotes, sir. For example...
-->'''Picard:''' Data...
-->'''Data:''' Sir?
-->'''Picard''': Later.
-->'''Data:''' Yes, sir.

** While staying at Grimmauld Place in the seventh book, Harry notices Ron and Hermione [[SleepCute fell asleep together holding hands]] and it admittedly made him feel rather lonely.

-->'''Amy:''' So, ready for a secluded picnic with just you and me?
-->'''Fry:''' Hey, you know who loves secluded picnics with just you and me? ''(looks over at Leela who shakes her head.)'' Uh, Dr. Zoidberg.
-->'''Zoidberg:''' Did someone say something about a free hot meal?

[[caption-width-right:350: In his own series, no less...]]

* ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'': Type C: Leo Valdez, first with his two best friends Jason and Piper after they start dating. Now he's the seventh wheel since all of his other friends have started dating each other. The villian mocks him accordingly as to how he'll never fit in.