History Main / WrongGuyFirst

This is the plot that results when a LoveTriangle is used to illustrate the [[AnAesop Aesop]] "Be Careful Who You Give Your Heart To".

This is the plot that results when a LoveTriangle is used to illustrate the [[AnAesop Aesop]] "Be Careful Who You Give Your Heart To"

In many cases, Suitor #1 may be the local bad boy, because... [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys well, you know]]. If a character can never choose between two suitors, then this is a case of BettyAndVeronica instead. Compare FirstGirlWins. This same general plot can work with the genders inversed, so that it's the Wrong Girl First.

-->Music/TinaTurner, “Til the Right Man Comes Along”

* Happens after a fashion in ''Brief Encounter'' by NoelCoward (and the 1945 film adaptation). Laura and Alec's many happy hours spent together make it clear that each is the other's true soulmate. However, both are already married, Laura to the kind yet bland Fred, and after they are nearly caught on the brink of consummating the affair, they decide they must part ways. At the end of the play, [[DownerEnding Alec takes a job in South Africa and Laura returns to Fred]] (who seems to know what has been going on but accepts it).

* ''Series/TheFlash'': This exact situation is why Joe West refused to give Eddie Thawne his blessing when he asked for permission to ask Iris West to marry him. Joe knew she was really in love with best friend Barry Allen, and knew that if she married Eddie, she would eventually realize she married the wrong guy. Eddie himself contemplated this and it factored in his decision to break up with Iris. Iris herself, however, doesn't care if the one she's meant to be with is Barry, as, at the time, she only had eyes for Eddie. Ultimately, all of this is rendered moot when Eddie commits a HeroicSuicide in the Season 1 finale to stop Season 1 BigBad and his descendant, Eobard Thawne.

Our heroine is a young woman with two suitors. Suitor #1 is [[RichSuitorPoorSuitor rich]] and handsome. He is charming, witty and charismatic. He seems to be everything a young woman would want. [[DerailingLoveInterests But he isn't.]]

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', [[spoiler: this is the signature twist of the story. Upending ''years'' of Franchise/DisneyPrincess stories that stick close to LoveAtFirstSight, this film reveals that Prince Hans is ''anything'' but good for Anna, and indeed, the very concept of LoveAtFirstSight is attacked by pointing out that it is foolish to give your heart to someone you've ''only just met''. How it all plays out must be seen to be appreciated.]]

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', [[spoiler: this is the signature twist of the story. Upending ''years'' of Franchise/DisneyPrincess stories that stick close to LoveAtFirstSight. How it all plays out must be seen to be appreciated.]]

** Ann goes through several wrong guys before she found happiness. She began the show dating Andy, and then broke up with him to go out with Mark, who had become a LadykillerInLove with her. By the end of the second season, he was even set to propose to her before she dumped him, and Ann's reasoning for that was that while Mark was successful and mature, he [[TheGenericGuy just wasn't quite interesting enough]]. She later dates [ThePollyanna Chris]], but when that fell through, she began [[ReallyGetsAround going out with a revolving door of paramours]], and even briefly went out with [[CasanovaWannabe Tom]] for a period of time. Eventually, [[RelationshipRevolvingDoor after several ups and downs]], Ann [[spoiler:gets back together with Chris]].

** Ann herself was the Wrong Girl First for Andy, who would find long-lasting love with [[spoiler:April]].

* In ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', Leslie Knoppe has a crush on Mark Brandanowitz, who turns out to be a himbo and also asks her best friend Anne out. After Anne dumps him, realizing he's not the right guy for her, the character was put on a bus, and replaced by Ben Wyatt [[spoiler: who married Leslie on the Season 5 finale.]]
** Anne is also an example of this, starting the show out dating Andy (who in turn is a male example), and several other guys who seemed somewhat better [[spoiler: Mark was going to ask her to marry him before she dumped him; while he is successful and cute and smart, he's just not quite interesting enough]]. Ultimately she even dumped [[spoiler: Chris]] even though they [[spoiler: later got together and had a baby]].

** In the {{Grand Finale}} [[spoiler: [[BiTheWay Korra and Asami]] get a {{Relationship Upgrade}}, meaning that Mako was the wrong guy all along.]]

** Of course, Romeo himself was pining for Rosaline before he became enamoured of Juliet.

* In ''Manga/YonaoftheDawn'' Yona spent years pining after [[ChildhoodFriends Soowon]] [[spoiler:until he murders her father and orders for her to be killed for witnessing it]]. She is saved in the knick of time by HopelessSuitor [[ChildhoodFriends Hak]], [[spoiler:who she eventually falls for as the series goes on]].

* OK, it's not romance, but isn't this the plot of EVERY CSI?
** Also every episode of Series/{{House}}. Except with diseases.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Richard Gere.
* Warren Beatty was THE womanizer before Annette Benning came along.
* You will most likely date a few people before you find the one who's right for you.
* An inversion (reportedly) happened with Prince Charles and Diana, with Camilla winning out in the end.
[[/folder]]

* In ''The Small House at Allington'' by Creator/AnthonyTrollope, Lily Dale picks Adolphus Crosbie over John Eames. Adolphus breaks their engagement to marry Lady Alexandrina de Courcy.
* In ''The Prime Minister'', also by Trollope, Emily Wharton marries [[HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs Ferdinand Lopez]], who only wants her for her money. After his death, she marries the man who truly loves her, Arthur Fletcher.
* In ''Can You Forgive Her?'', two women go through this. Glencora loves the abominable Burgo, but ends up marrying the solid Plantagenet. Alice initially loves her cousin George, but after he goes through a wild period breaks it off and becomes engaged to bland but respectful John Gray. Mrs. Greenow doesn't really fit this trope.

* ''HanaYoriDango'' plays this trope nearly perfectly during the series.

* ''Series/90210'' features a variation of this trope: after years of being a troubled promiscuous drug-addict, Adrianna realizes Navid loved her all along and only cared for her happiness, and becomes his girlfriend even though she's pregnant with another guy's baby. Later on, she leaves Navid for a rich handsome jock, only to be left empty-handed as Teddy didn't want a relationship anyway.

* ''90210'' features a variation of this trope: after years of being a troubled promiscuous drug-addict, Adrianna realizes Navid loved her all along and only cared for her happiness, and becomes his girlfriend even though she's pregnant with another guy's baby. Later on, she leaves Navid for a rich handsome jock, only to be left empty-handed as Teddy didn't want a relationship anyway.

* Double subverted in an episode of ''TheTwilightZone''. A young woman has two suitors, a rich one she doesn't care for and a poor one she does. The poor one asks her to run off with him. Her future self later chases her younger self on horseback, begging her not to marry the wrong man... the poor one, who turned out to be a money-hungry bastard and ruined her life.

* In ''RepublicOfDoyle'', Rose's first husband was a con artist. She found [[SecondLove the right guy]] after he went to jail.

* In ''VicarOfDibley'', Geraldine falls for David's brother, the cad, Simon. She ends up marrying the accountant Harry.

* In "Parks and Recreation," Leslie Knoppe has a crush on Mark Brandanowitz, who turns out to be a himbo and also asks her best friend Anne out. After Anne dumps him, realizing he's not the right guy for her, the character was put on a bus, and replaced by Ben Wyatt [[spoiler: who married Leslie on the Season 5 finale.]]

* In ''CyranoDeBergerac'', Roxanne falls in love with handsome, well-intentioned but vapid Christian because Cyrano (thinking he doesn't stand a chance with her and PlayingCyrano) wrote Christian's love letters for him. Really, it was Cyrano she was in love with all along.
* Averted in, of all places, ''RomeoAndJuliet''. Juliet never gives the obviously richer and parentally-endorsed Paris a thought. This ends badly, and, at least according to the standards of the time, she probably should have married Paris. But then the families would still be feuding, so yeah...

* Used in the plot of "The Way We Was" in ''TheSimpsons'': Marge goes with Artie Ziff to the prom, but after it he reveals himself as a total sleaze who initially attempts to force himself on her. After [[ArmorPiercingSlap slapping him]] in the face and eventually leaving him in disgust she realizes she cares for Homer instead.

* RebaMcEntire's ''One Promise Too Late'' has a milder version, where the guy the heroine married isn't so much wrong or bad as less fulfilling than the one the singer meets later. To the woman's credit, she says, basically, "I can see you're my soul mate and I'd be happier with you - but my husband's been good to me all these years, and I won't betray him now." So, DownerEnding with [[PillarsOfMoralCharacter character]].

* Three events in ''PeachGirl'' are within lumping range of this trope, but in the first two, the demonstration of wrongness is false, and the third [[spoiler:isn't so much Wrong Guy First as it is ''Less Right'' Guy First]].

* In ''RoseOfVersailles'' Oscar pines for Fersen for years...before she realizes she truly loves Andre.

* In ''LoisAndClark'', Lois very nearly marries Lex Luthor, of all people.