History Main / Polyamory

* Rokujo Chikage, ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'''s resident EthicalSlut and ChivalrousPervert, is happy to be with any girl that doesn't mind sharing. The series introduces him dating ''eight'' girls at once.
-->'''Girlfriend 1:''' Why are we dating such a playboy again?\\
'''Girlfriend 2:''' Because it's one of our weird hobbies.

* ''Literature/HaremInTheLabyrinthOfAnotherWorld'': Michio's sex slaves are all perfectly fine sharing Michio with each other (it helps that Michio doesn't go sniffing around outside the home for his "needs"), although they draw the line at adding a domestic "home-keeper" slave.
* ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'' is based around this trope. Initially set up as a traditional HaremSeries, it deviates from the norm because none of the girls care that the others like him too; in fact, several of them actively help the others get closer to Issei, culminating in the rest of the harem helping [[TheHero Issei]] and Rias become an OfficialCouple. At least two of them stated that they were waiting for this to happen before they went any further with Issei themselves. And for her part, Rias has no problem with polygamy as long as she's [[TopWife number one]].
* ''Literature/TheIdealSpongerLife'': Has an interesting case where the main character, Zenjiro, is happily married to Queen Aura, and would rather stay married to her than take concubines. However, due to the politics revolving around Kings taking a wife and multiple concubines, he has no choice but to take lovers other than Aura, as her country would suffer if he didn't, despite his desire to be with her only. Aura herself is the one who (reluctantly) pushed this on him despite trying to honor his request that she be his only wife due to her love for him, but he agrees to avoid trouble for her on the condition she's the TopWife. He takes Princess Freya and her bodyguard Victoria as a concubine in volume 12 of the series.
* ''Literature/IfHerFlagBreaks'': Not only do none of the girls ([[EvenTheGuysWantHim and one boy]]) in Souta's harem ever show signs of jealousy, when directly asked who will marry him or bear his children in the future, many of the girls (especially Akane) offer the honor to a girl that they feel would be better suited or would make cuter children. [[spoiler:Even when they're all separated by the destruction of their virtual world at the end, they all rejoin Souta in Quest Dorm in the finale.]]

* ''[=YasaKan=]'' has this as its central plot, with the story starting as a love triangle between middle-schooler Mayuki, who wants to get in the same high school as her beloved senpai Akira, who is in love with her own friend Rin, who is herself in love with Mayuki, for whom she's a private tutor. The drama of the first two volumes is about Rin and Akira wanting to form an exclusive bond with their respective crush, while Rin was scarred by her past experience of loving two girls and being unable to "choose" one. After some developments though, [[spoiler:they end up accepting a shared relationship at the end of chapter 10.]]

* In ''Literature/{{Maoyu}}'', while it's not flat-out stated that the three are romantically involved together, the fact that the Light Novels end with The Hero, The Demon Queen and Lady Knight deciding to retire and leave together, with no one else in tow, to live in some faraway place in peace, sure says something, especially since both girls had previously come into terms that they love The Hero.

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
** It turns out that [[CovertPervert Nodoka]] views this as an acceptable solution to the LoveTriangle between herself, her best friend Yue, and Negi, showing up in [[LotusEaterMachine her ideal world]]. [[spoiler: [[Manga/UQHolder The sequel]] reveals that she and Yue actually went through with it (in the ''UQ Holder'' timeline anyways. In the timeline seen at the end of ''Negima'' he marries Chisame)]].
** Luna aka Shiori's own ideal world shows that she wouldn't mind having both Negi ''and'' Fate.

%% Big Mom doesn't count - she's a SerialMonogamist who kidnaps men to use them as living sperm banks and doesn't let them see their own children once she gives birth.

* ''Literature/TrappedInADatingSimTheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobs'': This is rampant in Holfort Kingdom, mostly the noble women and their multiple lovers, but the King also has a lot of concubines. In fact, it's easier to mention which characters are ''not'' in this type of relationship, since the nobles tend to [[AltarDiplomacy marry for status or politics]] rather than love. Main character Leon is the HeroicBastard of his father's beloved mistress; his legal wife Zola also has her boytoys. [[spoiler:Leon in turn is tricked into getting engaged to Angelica and Olivia by his own family and the Redgrave House, to Leon's chagrin and Angie and Livia's delight. He is ultimately happy with the arrangement as he loves both of them--and it doesn't hurt that they're also in love with each other.]]

* ''Manga/UmiNoMisaki'' ends with Nagi and his three girls in this agreement. The epilogue chapters show that the four of them are getting along perfectly well despite the oddity of their relationship.
* ''Manga/UQHolder'' has the main character, Touta [[spoiler: eventually starting a sexual relationship with all three of his main love interests, all of whom agree to share him.]]

* Brazilian erotic western comedy ''Um Pistoleiro Chamado Papaco'' has Linda, a woman with four husbands, all of which the gunslinging protagonist kills on a ShowdownAtHighNoon.
* ''Film/TheBigWedding'': Muffin and Barry turn out to have an open marriage, letting each other both have sex with other people. He had slept with Ellie, while she's seen other women.

* In ''Series/BlackSails'':

* ''Series/{{Columbo}}'': In the episode "[[Recap/ColumboS09E01 Murder, a Self-Portrait]]", killer-of-the-week Max lives with and is in a polyamorous relationship with his ex-wife Louise, his current wife Vanessa, ''and'' his girlfriend Julie. He kills Louise when she tries to leave him, although that is more because she knows a dark secret from his past.
* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': One of the cases in "Stealing Home" is the murder of a man with two wives. After only a year of marriage, the original couple had felt the need to spice things up so they'd added another woman to their relationship and even had a pseudo-wedding with her, which they called a commitment ceremony. Two years later, the three had become "bored in bed" again and had added another man to the mix. Naturally, it doesn't end well.

* One of the victims of the week in ''Series/PushingDaisies'' has four wives. The heroes are pissed about this--not for any moral reason, but because it makes "My wife killed me" a whole lot more complicated than it needs to be. [[spoiler:It ultimately turns out to be one of the reasons he was murdered. His first wife resented having to share him and grew increasingly bitter with every new marriage. That, coupled with his plan to clone the beloved family dog, led to her poisoning him and framing the newest wife.]]

* In ''Series/Sense8'', Kala is in a LoveTriangle with her husband Rajan and her fellow sensate Wolfgang for most of the series. In series finale "Amor Vincit Omnia", [[spoiler:this resolves and ends in a threesome, as Rajan and Wolfgang becomes lovers as well]].

** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' episode "Data's Day", Data mentions that four-person marriage groups are the norm among Andorians. It should be noted, according to [[Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse expanded works]], that Andorians have [[BizarreAlienSexes four sexes]] (two of which appear masculine and two feminine), though canon entries have suggested otherwise.
** In another ''Next Generation'' episode, "Up the Long Ladder", the solution to the genetic diversity problem faced by two groups of human colonists is for each woman to have children by at least three different husbands.

* In ''Series/{{Weeds}}'' Andy ends up in a poly relationship with an artist and her husband. Although he ultimately ends it, he does so because the husband is dying and Andy is afraid of death, not because of the arrangement itself - he's "OK with the two-for one deal."

* In ''Theatre/AGentlemansGuideToLoveAndMurder'', Monty Navarro begins an affair with his childhood crush, Sibella Hallward, and later marries his distant cousin, Phoebe D'Ysquith. Upon his imprisonment, Phoebe questions Monty on the nature of his relationship with Sibella, [[spoiler: after which the two women conspire to get Monty out of his murder charge and the two make an agreement to share him.]]
* The Creator/NoelCoward play ''Design for Living'' explores every possible combination of playwright Leo, artist Otto, and decorator Gilda before finally having them inform her husband Ernest that his services are no longer required, as the three of them intend to live in what Ernest decries as a "disgusting three-sided erotic hodgepodge."
* In Creator/GilbertAndSullivan's ''Theatre/TrialByJury'', someone proposes that the defendant (in a BreachOfPromiseOfMarriage suit) "marry this lady today, and marry the other tomorrow". That's considered a satisfactory solution until one of the attorneys points out to the judge that such an arrangement would be illegal.

* Implied in ''Videogame/RiverCityGirls2'' in regards to [[Videogame/DoubleDragon the Lee Brothers and Marian]]. When asked which one she was "closest" to, she states that they were ''all'' pretty close, which Misako and Kyoko remark as sounding pretty hot. The cutscene even has the three wagging their eyebrows suggestively as part of the implication.

* In ''Amber's Magic Shop,'' a hybrid of Visual Novel and TimeManagementGame by Creator/WinterWolves, there are two different kinds of polyamorous endings possible. In one the PC (the titular Amber) can be in a polygamous marriage with a man and a woman at the same time and in another she can be the girlfriend of a married woman with the full permission of the husband (but not being in a romantic relationship with him).

* In ''VisualNovel/HeavenWillBeMine'', the NonLinearSequel to ''We Know The Devil'', [[spoiler: every ending sees all three of the protagonists end up together.]]

* ''Literature/TheHomestuckEpilogues'': in the "Candy" epilogue, both Jane and Jade attempt a polyamorous relationship. Jane with Jake and Gamzee, Jade with Dave and Karkat. Neither of these end well for anyone involved.

* Bladedancer, Gateway, and Chain Lightning have this in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''.
* In ''WebVideo/LAByNight'', main character Annabelle has both a boyfriend named Mark and a girlfriend named Ellenore. (It's unclear whether they're also involved with each other, though they are at least shown to be good friends.)
* In WebVideo/{{Jreg}}'s ''Centricide'', the members of the Anarchist commune[[note]]Queer Anarchist, Anarcho-Pacifist, Insurrectionary Anarchist, Mutualist, Anarcho-Fascist, and [[spoiler: eventually Post-Left]] (possibly also including Anarcho-Monarchist and Anarcho-Primitivist)[[/note]] are a polycule.
* Implied, perhaps unintentionally, in the porno where the "Right in front of my salad?!" meme comes from. In the full video, the woman's husband hires a personal chef who works naked. The husband can't keep his hands off him and the two have sex right there in the kitchen after he makes a bowl of salad. The wife walks in and starts eating the salad, then slowly realizes what they're doing behind the counter. But she doesn't seem the least bit surprised or betrayed by her husband's affair; her only reaction is disgust that they're doing it while she's in the room eating.
* ''WebAnimation/ShadowstonePark'': Tumble the mouse copes with their loneliness by inventing fake polyamorous spouses who are [[CompanionCube just an inanimate rock and stick]].
--> '''Tumble''': I have a wife ''and'' a husband. Most don't have half as much!

* In a truly ''bizarre'' example, the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Hard to Say Anything" has Sweetie Belle pairing up Feather Bangs, who had just lost to Big Mac in a contest to win somepony's love, with the three fangirls who had been following him throughout the episode. It's not even a matter of "Pick one," she just encourages him to go with all three of them, and nopony acknowledges this as being out of the ordinary. Perhaps it's just another example of real-life horse behaviour leaking into pony society.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': In "Holidays of Future Passed", it's shown that Lisa had two girlfriends in college.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/YoungJusticeRevivalSeries Young Justice: Phantoms]]'': Starting with the episode "Nautical Twilight", it's revealed that Lagoon Boy managed to get into a polyamorous relationship since viewers last saw him prominently in the ''Invasion'' season. Coral, his pregnant emissary wife, and Rodunn, his royal guard husband, living happily as a BadassFamily of their own.

* ''Film/DodgeballATrueUnderdogStory'' throws in a love triangle in the last 2 minutes--and promptly goes with this solution.
* In the 1999 TV movie ''Literature/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'', after arriving to the land beneath the crust, the adventurers encounter a village of humans. Their guide [=McNiff=] immediately takes a liking to the local women, who respond to the big man from above. He then sees men glaring at him and finds our they're the women's husbands. Apparently, they practice polygamy. He grins and takes two women to a shack to exchange cultural knowledge. The idea of limiting relationships to only two people seems ridiculous to the locals, one woman asking in disbelief if women from above really like monogamy.

* Mac on ''Series/{{JAG}}'' has to defend a polygamist in "Killer Instinct".
* After the series finale of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' Hardison, Parker, and Eliot were [[WordofGod word of god]] confirmed a canon polyamourous relationship by co-creator John Rogers.

* In ''ComicBook/DemonKnights'', Jason Blood and Etrigan are two beings who were magically joined together by Merlin, and who are each married to Madame Xanadu. It sort of works because only one or the other can inhabit the human plane of existence at a given time; the one who isn't on the human plane ends up in {{Hell}} during that time.
* ''ComicBook/ElfQuest''. Many of the elves end up "lifemating" with two others, and their relationships are generally loving and long-lasting (and in at least three cases, explicitly mentioned as a sane alternative to jealousy and rivalry). Problems tend to arise only with Recognition, a form of "love"/lust based entirely on involuntary instinct. Examples: Leetah/Cutter/Skywise, Skot/Krim/Pike, and Dewshine/Scouter/Tyleet.
* A DC {{Elseworlds}} story, "Franchise/{{Superman}}[=/=]Franchise/WonderWoman: Whom Gods Destroy", written by Chris Claremont, is set in a world where Superman made his first public appearance in the 1930s, when he met Lois Lane. Cut to the present day, where [[BettyAndVeronica Lois Lane and Lana Lang]] are in their seventies and are very close friends. Despite Superman's presence during WWII, the Nazis are still in power in Germany, due in part to the interference of Ares and several other Greek Gods. Another faction of Greek Gods, led by Artemis and Athena, grant Lois and Lana eternal youth and superpowers (Lana becomes the Oracle of Delphi and Lois becomes Wonder Woman; Diana had [[FaceHeelTurn turned traitor and joined the Nazis in the interim]]), and they team with Superman to defeat Ares' faction. [[spoiler: Part of Ares' plan is to separate Clark from Lois and Lana, since their powers somehow bind them together. When Lana explains to Superman, "Ares doesn't want the two of you together," (referring to Clark and Lois), Hecate, the Greek witch-goddess, corrects her, "No, the three of you." By the end of the four-issue arc, Clark, Lois and Lana are happily living together in his Fortress of Solitude (the now young Lois changed her name to Lois Lang) in a polyamorous relationship.]]

* ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn'': Amanda and Jimmy refer to Harley and Ivy as "girlfriends without the jealousy of monogamy". During their run, Harley has at the very least serious flirtations and probably outright sexual relationships with Ivy, Mason, and Red Tool at much the same time, and none of them object despite their seeming awareness.
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules'' establishes that besides being TheCasanova who beds any number of women he can, Hercules has [[AGirlInEveryPort several steady girlfriends all over the world]]. After his death at the end of the series, Venus and Namora find this out when they visit houses or businesses that Hercules has bought or built himself, each of which houses or employs a woman who loves Hercules and is shattered and heartbroken by his passing.
* In ''ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen Century'', Mina, Allan, and Orlando are in a somewhat complicated polyamorous relationship. It's complicated because Orlando's a GenderBender, and Mina doesn't seem to enjoy his company so much when he's male.
* In the last issue of the ''ComicBook/SecretSix'' ongoing, [[spoiler: Scandal Savage decides she can't choose between her girlfriends and proposes to both of them at once. It's implied that they did marry, as in later stories Knockout reaches for Scandal's hand and whispers "Wife...", and a villain taunted Scandal by threatening to harm her "wives".]]

* At the very end of ''ComicBook/SupermanRedSon'' (an {{Elseworld}}), when [[spoiler:Lex Luthor uses his genius to turn Earth into a utopia]], it's said that the "triple" replaces the "couple" as the most common format in human relationships.
* [[Myth/NorseMythology The Norns]] in ''ComicBook/TheWickedAndTheDivine'' are in a closed, triadic relationship, with [[CasualKink Urdr/Cassandra submissive to Verdandi and Skuld]].
* A common theme in erotic comic ''ComicBook/XXXenophile'', created by Creator/PhilFoglio, (who later went on to do ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', which also has an entry on this page).
* In ''ComicBook/XMen2019'', ComicBook/JeanGrey, her husband [[ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} Scott Summers]], and teammate ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} are depicted as being in a polyamorous relationship. This was first hinted at with a map of the Summers household showing Logan as a permanent resident, with Jean's bedroom in the middle of her husband's and Logan's, with their rooms connected by hidden doors. Later comics would show explicit romantic and sexual encounters with Jean, Scott, and Logan.
* A young ComicBook/{{Cable}} is dating all five of the Stepford Cuckoos. Sophie Cuckoo is also dating Quentin Quire.

--> '''Tumble''': I have a wife ''and'' a husband. Most don't have half as much.

--> '''Tumble''': I have a wife ''and'' a husband. I'm the luckiest guy in the world...

* ''WebAnimation/ShadowstonePark'': Tumble the mouse copes with their loneliness by inventing a fake polyamorous spouses who are just an inanimate rock and stick.

* ''WebAnimation/ShadowstonePark'': Played for humor with a small ghost mouse who copes with their loneliness by inventing a fake wife ''and'' husband who are just an inanimate rock and stick.
>> Mouse: I have a wife ''and"" a husband. I'm the luckiest guy in the world...

* Implied, perhaps unintentionally, in the porno where the "Right in front of my salad?!" meme comes from. In the full video, the woman's husband hires a personal chef who works naked. The husband can't keep his hands off him and the two have sex right there in the kitchen after he makes a bowl of salad. The wife walks in and starts eating the salad, then slowly realizes what they're doing behind the counter. But she doesn't seem the least bit surprised or betrayed by her husband's affair; her only reaction is disgust that they're doing it while she's in the room eating.[[/folder]]

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', Sarenrae (Goddess of the sun), Desna (Goddess of the stars) and Shelyn (Goddess of love) are canonically in a polyamorous relationship with each other.

* ''Series/Siren2018'': Maddie is involved with Ben when the series starts. However, both soon grow attracted to mermaid Ryn, and she reciprocates. Both of them kiss her before having a [[ThreewaySex threesome]] in Season 2, where they settle on [[{{Polyamory}} all being together]] since both like Ben as well.

* In ''Series/Siren2018'', the titular mermaid Ryn, initiates a relationship with a couple, Ben & Maddie.

* Possible in ''VideoGame/TheHayseedKnight''. Ader enters a loving, [[EthicalSlut but not exclusive]], relationship with Sep. He also has an obvious affection for his friend Eina, whom Sep is also attracted to. Sep naturally [[ShipperOnDeck pushes the two friends towards one another]] while flirting with Eina herself. Whether or not it it coalesces into a three-partner situation depends on player choices. [[spoiler:Turns out, the three being a throuple is required to get the game's GoldenEnding.]]

* The FlashForward strips in the Space Arc of ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace'' suggest that the Arthur/Guenevere/Lancelot triangle resolves this way in at least one timeline. Other strips hint that Arthur is well aware of the affair between his wife and his best friend in at least some of the other timelines, as well, but studiously ignores it.
* ''Webcomic/{{Boyfriends}}'' is about four college students who begin a polyamorous relationship, and navigate the adventure that is their dating life.
* ''Webcomic/CatsNCameras'': Main characters, Jim, Josephine and Sari are in what appears to be casual threesome. Jim and Jo are an established couple. Sari seems to be FriendsWithBenefits to both of them.
* ''Webcomic/{{Fans}}'' has Rikk, Alisin and Rumy become a triple. This arc continued with the marriage surviving some storms to the point where [[spoiler:thanks to alien medtech Alisin is currently carrying a baby Rumy and Rikk conceived.]]
* Sirkka in ''Webcomic/FreakAngels'', who lives with a harem.

---> '''Phil:''' Who thought haveing '''''two boyfriends''''' was a '''''good idea?!'''''\\

* The ''Webcomic/{{Insecticomics}}'' has a lot of this, usually in the form of open relationships.

* ''Webcomic/KarinDou4koma'': Ran/Shizuki/Tamaryu, as per Ran and Shizuki's decision to resolve their rivalry over Tamaryu by having Shizuki be Tamaryu's wife, Tamaryu be Ran's wife, and Ran be Shizuki's wife. Ran explicitly says that the three of them are together a monogamous couple. Although Tamaryu isn't happy about the romantic aspect, they do get along quite well. When Eldelita attends a sleepover with them, she feels as awkward as someone invited to play and stay overnight at a newlywed's house.

-->'''Woman 1:''' My husband's not gonna like this.
-->'''Woman 2:''' I'm afraid mine will.
* Maxine in ''Webcomic/LeftoverSoup'' is part of a ''five''-way. When a second woman entered the relationship she even forcefully reprogrammed her brain into bisexuality just so that she wouldn't be missing out on anything.
* ''Webcomic/{{Niels}}'': The titular [[TheDon mob boss]] is in a relationship with a married couple, Duncan and Natalie, whose son Elliot sees Niels as a second father. They live together happily -- Elliot's horror at once walking in on a three-way PrimalScene notwithstanding.
* ''Webcomic/PolyInPictures'' depicts moments in the life of polyamorous, queer and neuroatypical people.
* Angela of ''Webcomic/PunchAnPie'' believes in polyamory, but all this does is turn her into a ClingyJealousGirl who is [[MistakenForCheating paranoid that her girlfriend is cheating on her]] with ''literally everyone she knows''.

* Evidently a fairly common situation in the [[LoveDodecahedron absurdly complex]] social circles at the university in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''.

* ''Webcomic/SisterClaire'' has two prominent poly relationships: Maman/Michele/Sylvia (with Maman the latercomer) and Hana/Hawk/Lark/Pidge (with Hana coming in much later).

* In ''Webcomic/AlwaysHuman'', Sunati's parents Nisa and Prav are a HappilyMarried couple who also have a boyfriend, Vish.
* In ''Webcomic/TheAccidentalSpaceSpy'', Datima males have more than one wife.
* While there are a few genuine relationships between the members of the main cast of ''Webcomic/EnnuiGo'' (Noah and Len, Hashim and Sarah, for instance), everyone that lives with Izzy has sex with everyone on a fairly regular basis. The twists are that Darcy is a lesbian and focuses on Izzy and Tanya (the cast page specifically describes their relationship as poly), and the men usually only have sex with the women, although Hashim and Hiro had sex once on a whim. [[spoiler:Izzy, Darcy, and Tanya eventually enter a polygamous marriage at the close of Volume 6/Part 1, though whether or not they still engage in casual sex with everyone else is unstated.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Rascals}}'', the current dating situation with Quick, Raven, Chrissy, and Jazmin.
* Part of a side plot in ''Webcomic/GoGetARoomie'': Allan, Evelyne and Steve are in a polyamorous relationship. Only Allan and Evelyne are engaged though, and in the beginning Evelyne makes it very clear that she doesn't have feelings for Steve and that Allan belongs to her while Steve is merely tolerated as a sex partner. Their relationship develops as the comic progresses, and when Evelyne gets pregnant and Steve tries to remove himself from the relationship altogether, she and Allen stop him, accepting him as an equal member of their partnership.

* [[https://tapas.io/episode/1289820 ThePigpen]] is about a dorky wolf dating three pig brothers.