10 Big Bang Theory Relationships, Ranked from Toxic to #Soulmates

From downright "you're ruining my life" all the way up to "relationship goals," here's the definitive ranking of all the TBBT couples.

10. Priya and Leonard

Remember when Leonard dated Raj's sister, Priya? Talk about awkward family gatherings! Leonard and Priya tried to keep their fling under wraps, but with friends like these, who needs paparazzi? Their romance was riddled with sneaky Skypes and furtive frolics while Raj was none the wiser.

But Priya wasn't one to settle in Nerdtown forever. She was more courtroom than comic books, which inevitably led to the couple's ultimate compatibility quiz, with questions they just couldn't answer. Plus, her insistence on Leonard cutting Penny out of his life? Yikes. Big no-no in the unwritten bro-code and, well, general human decency.

9. Emily and Raj

Raj, the man who couldn't speak to women without a buzz, found himself in quite the pickle with Emily, who was as sweet as cherry pie... that's been left out in the sun too long. Red flags soared with tales of her breaking into her ex's apartment and Raj trying desperately to overlook her love for horror, which was less 'cute quirk' and more 'sleep with one eye open'. The plot thickened as they tried to jigsaw their lives together, only to find that the pieces didn't quite fit.

8. Beverly and Leonard

Oh, Beverly. The icy neuroscientist made more of an impression with her cold shoulder than her motherly embrace. Her relationship with Leonard was a scientific experiment where warmth and affection were controlled variables, i.e., non-existent. Leonard's yearning for maternal love was a plot we watched with cringing anticipation, knowing that a hug from Beverly was as likely as Sheldon going a day without a superhero t-shirt. When Leonard found a motherly bond with Sheldon's mom, Beverly's competitive streak turned it into a battle of the mamas that nobody asked for.

7. Leslie and Howard

If there were ever two peas in a dysfunctional pod, it'd be Leslie and Howard. The fling between the no-nonsense physicist and the wannabe ladies' man gave us more eye-rolls than laughs. Leslie used Howard for her own... let's call it 'physical research', while Howard mistook this for genuine affection. Cue the tiny violins. Their interactions were as steamy as a high school chemistry experiment – mildly interesting but ultimately forgettable. It was a relationship of convenience in a show about the inconvenient truth that love can't be calculated or calibrated.

6. Stephanie and Leonard

Leonard has a roster of exes longer than Sheldon's list of allergies, and Stephanie was one of the least allergenic but still not quite right. She was the doctor who patched up Leonard's face and, for a hot minute, his heart. But the heartbeat of this relationship was more erratic than a seismograph in an earthquake.

Stephanie went from zero to "I've moved in and redecorated your bathroom" faster than the Flash on a sugar rush, which was too much, too soon for our resident cautious physicist. This relationship was a plot point that taught Leonard a valuable lesson in setting boundaries, like maybe lock your door sometimes?

Now, hold onto your comic books as we dive into the top five. These pairings brought us laughter, groans, and maybe a few 'aww' moments, whether they meant to or not.

5. Amy and Stuart

Amy and Stuart's brief stint was like watching a nature documentary where two completely different species meet for the first time. Curiosity piqued, but it's just so... awkward. He took her on a date to the bookstore, which was sweet in a 'bless-your-heart' kind of way. The plot took a turn for the cringe when he tried to smooch Amy, only to get the hug. Poor Stuart. Always the comic book owner, never the comic book hero. It was a gentle reminder that sometimes, the nice guy doesn't get the girl, especially when she's already met her match on the opposite side of a two-person costume.

4. Penny and Zack

Penny and Zack's romance was like a sit-com within a sit-com. He was the pretty boy with a heart of gold and a head of... well, let's just say he probably couldn't spell 'IQ'. But their dynamic had its moments. Remember the New Year's Eve Justice League costume party? Zack was the Superman to Penny's Wonder Woman – superficially picture perfect. However, their connection had the depth of a kiddie pool, and it was clear that they were destined to stay in the shallow end. This relationship showed that sometimes, looks can get you together, but it's the laughs and brainwaves that keep things going.

3. Howard and Bernadette

Howie and Bernie – now there's a plot that thickened like one of Howard's mom's cholent. From their cute meet-cute at a blind date to navigating the cosmos of married life, these two had us rooting for them. Howard, the eternal mama's boy, found his match in the petite powerhouse that is Bernadette, whose size is inversely proportional to her assertiveness. Despite the rocky moments, they showed growth that was as impressive as the rockets Howard sent to space. We saw them evolve from cringey pickup lines to a duo that managed to balance their quirks with their career ambitions, diapers, and all.

2. Leonard and Penny

The quintessential will-they-won't-they that anchored the show. Leonard, the king of the geeks, and Penny, the queen of... well, not geeks. Their on-again, off-again status kept us guessing, with moments ranging from "aww" to "oh no, you didn't". From bad breakups to awkward hookups, they showed us the messy, unpredictable, but ultimately enduring nature of love. The beauty of their relationship lay in the balance of Penny's street smarts with Leonard's book smarts, proving that opposites don't just attract, they can make sparks fly.

1. Sheldon and Amy (#Soulmates)

Sheldon and Amy, or "Shamy", as the Internet fondly dubs them, took the cake, the beakers, and the Bunsen burner. What started as a socially awkward agreement between two human robots blossomed into a partnership that was as intellectually stimulating as it was unexpectedly sweet.

Their relationship was a slow burn, like a complex algorithm that took seasons to compute but was oh-so-satisfying when it finally clicked. Sheldon and Amy redefined what a soulmate looked like in a pop culture obsessed with romantic clichés. They weren't just a couple; they were a team, taking on the world of physics, family, and even the oddities of social norms, together. In a show about geniuses, their relationship was the smartest thing of all.