Euphoria: 13 Couples Ranked From Worst To Best

Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the HBO show Euphoria, as well as discussions of drug addiction and abuse.

HBO’s Euphoria is a magnifying glass into the dark side of things like relationships, addiction, and friendships, all while in high school. From grief to drugs to ambitions to love, there are a lot of dynamics to follow with each and every character on this show. These young people are trying to figure it all out – and with that comes some romances.

From some toxic partnerships to some wholesome loves, there are a lot of Euphoria couples that have fans either swooning, cringing, or downright disgusted. It’s time to stack them all up – and see which pairings are great, and which ones definitely aren’t.

Updated on March 11th, 2022, by Hannah Saab: A lot has changed about the couples in Euphoria after the gripping events of season 2. Euphoria ships will never be the same again, especially not after revelations by characters like Cal, fights between Cassie and Maddy, and more. Some new romances like “Fexi” have also been thrown into the mix, making it more important than ever to re-examine which relationships in Euphoria are still worth rooting for.

13 Nate Jacobs & Maddy Perez

There’s undeniably no couple as toxic and difficult to watch as Nate and Maddy. They seem to be willing to do anything for each other, and they certainly have enough passion for a dozen other couples. Still, it’s just really hard to like Nate in the slightest.

There’s no looking past the physical and emotional abuse in this relationship. Maddy loves Nate, and therefore has felt unable to leave him for the longest time. Nate’s behavior is toxic and abusive, while Maddy is also manipulative. To get what they want, they both even totally ruin Tyler’s life. Thankfully, things seem to be coming to an end now with Cassie in the mix – it’s exactly the type of messy conclusion fans would expect from the terrible pair.

12 Marsha Jacobs & Cal Jacobs

Marsha is hardly even involved in the series, and that just goes to show that there isn’t really much of a relationship between her and Cal. Rue narrates Nate’s childhood and family life, and it feels like Marsha is just on the sidelines. They look like they at least tolerate each other, but it also doesn’t really seem like there’s much love or passion involved. Plus, everyone knows Cal is off sleeping with dozens and dozens of others in secret- which doesn’t point to a great relationship.

In season 2, fans finally learn that Cal only married Marsha because she got pregnant, and had to leave his best friend and the love of his life, while also suppressing his gender identity just to be with her.

11 Cassie Howard & Nate Jacobs

Cassie risks her friendship with Maddy to be with Nate, and no matter how she justifies it, she knows that it was bound to mess things up between her and her best friend. Not only did she betray Maddy by doing this, but she also broke her promise to herself – fans may remember how after her breakup with McKay, she talks about not falling in love for a while to focus on improving herself.

The relationship itself is unsurprisingly unhealthy, as any romance with Nate usually is. Cassie constantly pines after him and tries to get his attention, and it’s really only when things seem to be over with Maddy that she finally gets it from Nate.

10 Elliot & Jules Vaughn

Jules and Elliot have the potential to be a healthy couple in Euphoria, as they get along pretty well as friends and have fun together. Elliot is attracted to Jules and compliments her in a way that Rue never has, which is arguably what gets her interested in him in the first place.

Of course, the glaring problem is that they’re doing all of this behind Rue’s back. No matter how many excuses viewers come up with, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re cheating and betraying their closest friend.

9 Suze Howard & Gus Howard

There’s mutual hatred between Suze and Gus, Cassie and Lexi’s parents. They seemed to have had a pretty mediocre relationship, and in Cassie’s flashback episode, there’s a lot of yelling, fighting, and distrust.

There are rumors that one of them cheated, and they clearly didn’t see eye-to-eye on much. Gus left the family, but Suze is certainly not without her own struggles. This couple only made fans feel a bit sorry for Cassie and Lexi, but not to an extreme degree, considering how they know quite little about the true extent of Suze and Gus’ problems and dynamic.

8 Kat Hernandez & Ethan Daley

Viewers could definitely argue that Ethan deserved a lot better than the way Kat treated him at the beginning. However, when Kat finally came to her senses and realized that giving it a chance with Ethan was a good choice, they were pretty great. Ethan is beyond kind and supportive, and Kat has the fire and quirks to keep Ethan on his toes. Their little scene at the dance was enough to show fans that this couple might actually be totally sweet and great.

Unfortunately, Kat soon realizes that Ethan is not at all what she wants, and it only takes a few words of encouragement from Maddy to push her in the right direction. It was wrong of her to stay with him for as long as she did simply because others expected her to, and it was even worse that she tried to manipulate him into thinking it was his idea to break up.

7 Daniel Dimarco & Kat Hernandez (Or Cassie Howard)

Daniel isn’t exactly a great guy. While Kat and Daniel hardly count as a ‘couple,’ the two dated back in the sixth grade for a few months, and it seemed like Daniel was a good guy. Then, he dumped Kat after she gained weight on vacation. If that wasn’t bad enough, Daniel doesn’t even remember dating her!

When Kat brought it up after they hooked up at the Halloween party, all fans felt a bit of remorse for her, considering her young love didn’t even remember her. If that wasn’t enough reason to hate Daniel, he also treats Cassie absolutely terribly – and their ‘fling’ is far from the best.

6 Troy McKay & Gia Bennett

There’s not much to know about Troy and Gia, but it certainly was a rough start when fans were introduced. Troy and Gia were caught smoking marijuana before Troy caught quite the attitude towards Rue, which no one liked.

Then, he was kind of redeemed when Lexi and Rue hilariously interrogated and threatened the poor young man. After that, he told Gia she looked nice, and fans are willing to give them a bit more of a chance. Until their pairing is highlighted more on the series, however, viewers likely won’t expect much from this Euphoria ship.

5 Cassie Howard & Chris McKay

This relationship is a complex one. For the most part, McKay was a supportive and patient boyfriend. He genuinely cared about Cassie, and he’s kind to her and understanding. However, fans will never forget Cassie crying in the bathroom after the Halloween party. McKay is too worried about what others think about him, to really care for her.

They’re not the best couple on the show, and McKay is probably not the best character, either. Despite being older than Cassie, he still reacts immaturely to importang things like her pregnancy and her past. They could have been a great couple in Euphoria if they just tried a bit harder.

4 Jules Vaughn & Anna

This is another pair that fans really know nothing about, but nothing about it seemed unhealthy. They both immediately took a liking to each other, and they were talking real and personal stuff. Anna seemed supportive of Jules and vice versa.

They really hit and off, and honestly, the only reason fans might not consider them the best couple is because they likely felt bad for Rue, who was at home, depressed and alone. Audiences would later learn from Rue’s special that she actually considered this brief affair as a betrayal, even though at that point, she had never made her relationship with Jules official.

3 Robert Bennett & Leslie Bennett

Fans of this show unfortunately only get to see Rue’s dad in flashbacks. However, it’s still impossible to not think that Leslie and Robert were total goals. Leslie misses him terribly, and that just goes to show how true their love was.

Robert came across as a great husband and father, and it’s more than obvious the toll that his death has taken on his family. Still, viewers like to think that Leslie had a lovely marriage with Robert. Until the series shows more flashbacks of their time together, however, audiences can only mostly speculate about the two.

2 Jules Vaughn & Rue Bennett

Jules and Rue have been at the center of the show for the past two seasons and it’s through their relationship in Euphoria that fans learn more about the narrator. They’re not without their flaws, and their romantic relationship has definitely been rocky, but there’s still overwhelming support for the duo.

Jules feels the pressure of how Rue’s sobriety is often tied to how well they’re doing as a couple, which isn’t good. Rue, for her part, has trouble communicating what she wants and is, more importantly, struggling with her drug addiction. She can’t devote the energy needed to make Jules feel wanted and happy when she can’t even take care of herself. Their love may be stronger and more intense than any other pairing in the series, but at this point, no one can deny that Jules and Rue aren’t good for each other.

1 Lexi Howard & Fezco

The latest and most wholesome Euphoria ship has been dubbed by fans as “Fexi.” The romance between Lexi and Fez seems to have come out of nowhere, and most viewers are absolutely loving it. Fez is genuinely interested and charmed by Lexi, who he obviously believes is a smart and talented person. Lexi is charmed by the older character, who supports her throughout the process of writing her play and even gives her thoughtful advice about it at times.

There’s potential for the duo to be a shining example of what a healthy relationship should look like for Rue’s friend group, but it’s threatened by the fact that season 2 ended in a dramatic shootout in Fez’ home that may have left him critically injured and at risk for jail time. Audiences will have to wait and see if that marks the end of the already fan-favorite couple or if they can find a way to overcome their problems without compromising their values.

About The Author

Meah Peers
(631 Articles Published)

I just graduated university with Criminology & Psychology, but have a burning side passion for film! I am an avid reader, writer, and film-goer, and I love learning about movies, actors, directors, and sharing my passion and knowledge with others.
I am a List Writer for ScreenRant, and love being a part of a film community where we all share the same passions.

More From Meah Peers