33 'Bridgerton' couples ranked by their chemistry

Season one of "Bridgerton" followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the fourth Bridgerton child, on her journey to find the love of her life. Before finding her husband, Daphne had to get past Nigel Berbrooke (Jamie Beamish), who was determined to marry her for her status despite being much older than her and despite her lack of interest.

This was one of the season's most uncomfortable pairings. Suffice to say, there was zero chemistry in this relationship, and it was a relief that it did not end in marriage.

In "Queen Charlotte," young Lady Agatha Danbury (Arsema Thomas), who is a respected member of society in the main "Bridgerton" series, was trapped in a sexually abusive relationship with Lord Herman Danbury (Cyril Nri).

Herman was much older than his wife, and it is implied that they married when she was a child. While this was more common in the 18th century, when "Queen Charlotte" is set, their relationship was still an incredibly uncomfortable watch.

The only reason they are not last is because Agatha did seem to care for Herman and defended and supported him throughout the show … but she also kind of hated him.

The Featherington family is another major family in London's high society, led by Lord Featherington (Ben Miller) and Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) in "Bridgerton" season one. However, Lord Featherington was a reckless gambler who squandered the family fortune.

There seemed to have been love between them at some point, but time and secrets clearly broke down whatever they had and left them bitter.

An example of this is when Portia found out that her husband had died in the season one finale. Instead of grieving the loss or asking what happened, she rushed to discover if her money was missing.

In "Bridgerton" season two, Lady Portia Featherington schemed to pair her daughter Prudence (Bessie Carter) with her nephew Jack Featherington (Rupert Young), the new head of the family, so that she could keep control of their family home.

Lady Featherington succeeded in entrapping Jack in marriage, but he had little affection for his cousin Prudence. Although they sort of got along, their relationship was very awkward.

Before Jack Featherington was paired up with his cousin, he tried to woo Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), the popular mean girl of London high society (also called the Ton).

Jack's charm made it seem as if they were compatible, but it was later revealed in season two, episode four, that Jack only cared about Cressida for her family's wealth.

Lord Debling (Sam Phillips) caught the eye of two rivals in season three, Cressida Cowper and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).

Cressida saw Lord Debling as a means of escaping her unloving family, so she initially lied about liking nature to win him over. Eventually, they had one honest moment, bonding over their difficult relationship with their families.

But before anything could develop between them, Lord Debling disappeared after episode four.

Cressida is as close as this show gets to a villain, so we don't feel too great about either of her relationships.

Lord Ledger (Keir Charles) and Lady Vivian Ledger (Katie Brayben), the parents of fan-favorite character Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), appeared in "Queen Charlotte." We only got a few scenes together, but it was very clear they were not a match. 

Though they stick together in the miniseries, Lord Ledger openly criticized his wife and had an affair.

"Bridgerton" season three surprised audiences by giving a central story to Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), a character who was mostly forgotten in the first two seasons.

In season three, she made her debut and quickly became the Queen's favorite. However, Francesca struggled with the pressures of finding love, the social season, and the Queen's obsession with her love life.

In episode three, the Queen introduced Francesca to her friend, Lord Samadani (David Mumeni). Lord Samadani and Francesca were a polite pair, but there was no real connection between them. Lord Samadani loves his big family, while Francesca wants to escape hers.

Thus, it was no surprise that Francesca leapt at the first man she got along with to get away from Lord Samadani.

In "Bridgerton" season one, Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), a distant cousin of the Featheringtons, came to stay with Lady Featherington and her daughters so she could find a husband. Marina was secretly pregnant, so Lady Featherington tried to marry her off before the scandal was revealed.

At the end of season one, Marina did find a husband, even after her secret pregnancy was exposed. In the season finale, Philip Crane (Chris Fulton), the brother of Marina's secret lover, George Crane, showed up to tell her that George had died while fighting in Spain.

However, Philip offered to marry Marina in George's place, and she eventually accepted.

In episode four of season two, we got a glimpse of their relationship after marriage, and they seemed quite happy together. They didn't seem to share many interests or chemistry, but Philip ensured Marina and her twins were looked after.

They seem like a much more amicable pairing than most couples on this list, but it remains to be seen if their story in the show follows what happens in the book series.

We never see how Prudence Featherington and Harry Dankworth (James Phoon) meet, but they are a married couple in season three. 

However, it seemed that for most of the season, Prudence did not like Harry. She brushed him away at every turn, hated having sex with him, and was generally annoyed by his presence and lack of wealth. Meanwhile, Harry adored Prudence and often stated that he would do anything for her.

It is unclear what changed, but by the season three finale, Prudence seemed more affectionate toward Harry, and the two even had a child together. We may see their love grow in future seasons.

Lady Agatha Danbury had a third chance at love in "Queen Charlotte" when she met Queen Charlotte's brother, Duke Adolphus (Tunji Kasim).

The pair had some sweet, affectionate moments, but it's clear Agatha was still reeling too much from the pain of both of her previous relationships to commit to this new romance.

Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the second-eldest Bridgerton sibling, only pursued casual flings in the first three seasons of the show.

In the second half of "Bridgerton" season two, Benedict had a casual relationship with Tessa (Emily Barber), a life model and budding artist at his art academy.

We didn't see much of them, but they seemed to be a good match, even though Benedict was not looking for anything serious.

Though Thompson could muster sexual tension with a door, we don't see enough of this couple to place them higher.

Benedict's first relationship in "Bridgerton" was with Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale), the town's dressmaker. In season one, episode five, Benedict met her at a party, and within moments, they started making out.

This was a fleeting relationship, but the attraction between the two was palpable.

In "Bridgerton" season one, Benedict befriended artist Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden) and his wife, Lucy Granville (Sandra Teles).

While we didn't see a lot of Lucy and Henry, they seemed like a couple who loved each other very much, even if they were not in love with each other. In episode seven, Henry explained to Benedict that their marriage is for show.

In reality, Henry was in love with Lord Wetherby (Ned Porteous), and Lucy enjoyed the privileges of being married to the artist, including having affairs herself during a party in episode five.

Overall, the couple seemed happy, supportive of each other, and mutually into ethical nonmonogamy.

Prince Friedrich (Freddie Stroma), the nephew of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), was another suitor for Daphne in "Bridgerton" season one.

This pairing was amicable, and it's possible to imagine that if not for the existence of the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), they may have had a long, happy life with lots of children. The prince was a perfect gentleman and even willing to skirt convention by inviting Daphne to the boxing match in episode four.

However, one thing this couple lacked was passion. In most of their interactions, Daphne was either looking for Simon or thinking about him, and thus, she would never be truly happy settling for the prince.

In "Bridgerton" season two, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling, was on the hunt for a wife. He eventually picked Edwina Sharma, a new member of the Ton who became popular after the Queen gave her the greatest honor, naming her the "Diamond of the Season."

The couple didn't have the best start in terms of chemistry. From day one, it was clear that Anthony Bridgerton saw his courtship of Edwina as a chore. While Edwina was infatuated with Anthony from the start, she did not like his competitive nature.

Anthony finally saw Edwina as a person (what a concept!) in episode three when they bonded over reading.

After that, there were a few conversations when it seemed they might share some interests or have chemistry, but that moment did not last long due to Anthony's love for Edwina's older sister, Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

In season three, Penelope Featherington, the youngest Featherington child, finally pursued her own romance instead of watching from the sidelines. This led her to Lord Debling, another man who was a social outcast because he was a vegetarian, which, sure, OK.

Though Penelope and Debling had different interests, they had similar values, and both were willing to settle for a relationship that was more practical than loving. In episode three, they had great banter, and Lord Debling also risked his own life to save Penelope from a hot-air balloon.

Unfortunately, Penelope's feelings never grew deeper because she had feelings for another. Lord Debling noticed and stepped out of her way.

Before Marina Thompson met Philip Crane, she spent a lot of season one trying to make Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), the third Bridgerton sibling, fall in love with her.

On the one hand, Marina spent most of season one trying to entrap Colin into marriage before she gave birth, which meant part of the relationship was based on a major lie. On the other hand, these two did look cute together and seemed to actually like each other.

However, when Luke met a married Marina in episode four of season two, it became clear why their relationship would have never worked. He was still an immature boy masquerading as a man, and what Marina needed was a stable husband for her children.

Season three introduced Benedict Bridgerton's third lover, a widowed woman named Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New). They were a perfect pair since they were both looking for aimless, casual fun.

Later in the season, Tilley expanded their relationship by adding her other friend with benefits, Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio). 

There was a lot of sexual chemistry between this trio, and fans loved the fact that "Bridgerton" finally confirmed Benedict's bisexuality. But there isn't much non-physical chemistry between the throuple. 

Also, Benedict seemed more interested in Paul than Tilley during their sex scenes in episodes seven and eight, but the men weren't given the opportunity for romance to develop.

Meanwhile, Tilley's confession that she liked Benedict more than a friend in the season finale seemingly came out of nowhere since their relationship was always shown to be more playful than serious.

And since neither of them is given a fleeting mention in season four, it's safe to assume they didn't really mean that much to Benedict.

Toward the end of "Bridgerton" season two, Jack Featherington set his sights on Lady Portia Featherington, and honestly, these two schemers were weirdly perfect for each other.

Their relationship may have been slightly toxic, linked together only by their mutual scheming in season two, but when they worked together, it was magic, and the actors played off each other well.

However, their relationship was doomed because Portia will always love her daughters more than anyone else, and Jack never really cared for the Featherington siblings. When the moment arrived to make that choice, after the pair's investment scam was exposed in the season two finale, Portia threw Jack under the bus.

Out of Lady Agatha Danbury's three relationships in "Queen Charlotte," she had the best chemistry with Lord Ledger, aka Violet's dad.

From the first encounter during Lady Danbury's ball in episode three, the pair got on splendidly, and Lord Ledger was clearly trying to flirt with Agatha. In episode five, their connection deepened as they went on walks ("ramblings") together after Lord Danbury's death, and the two eventually consummated their relationship.

This couple isn't placed higher in the ranking because of how abruptly their relationship ended when Lord Ledger broke off the affair, but when it was good, it was good.

The very first scene of "Bridgerton" is Anthony and Siena hooking up against a tree. Physical chemistry was never the problem with these two. Instead, Anthony found himself trapped between his duty to his family and his love for Siena.

In fact, Anthony was prepared to discard his family and duty for that love, but Siena rejected him. While the second season never explicitly said this, it's likely Anthony was adamant about finding a wife and fulfilling his familial duty — but not falling in love — because of Siena's choice.

Anthony's feelings for Siena were also always entangled with his desire to escape his mounting responsibilities to his siblings. It's why he tried to rekindle his relationship with Siena in episode four when he believed he had to flee the country after his duel with the Duke of Hastings.

Anthony cared a lot for Siena but didn't truly see her as an equal, so their breakup was inevitable.

Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) met Theo Sharpe, who worked in Lady Whistledown's printer shop, on her hunt for the gossipmonger's identity in season two.

While the pair first dueled with mocking jabs, they quickly formed a friendship over their shared interest in politics. Their relationship was not as sexual as the others on the list, but the flirting mockery worked because you could tell they weren't arguing just for the sake of arguing.

They were so cute that plenty of fans were ready to throw away Eloise's love interest from the books in favor of Theo.

Unfortunately, their love was cut short by the Queen and Penelope's meddling.

Phillipa Featherington (Harriet Cains), the final Featherington daughter, quickly found a lover in the first season after Albion Finch (Lorn Macdonald) courted her. 

In season one, episode four, the odd pair bonded over cheese, and if that doesn't spell couple goals, we don't know what does. In the following seasons, they remained one of the most loving couples on the show, even though they were mostly in the background.

From what we've seen in the first four seasons, this pair is one of the most perfect matches in the show. However, their lack of visibility makes it hard to gauge their chemistry against other couples.

Throughout "Bridgerton," Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) have been couple goals.

They're nothing more than a happy couple minding their business in a town where everyone is involved in a scandal or two.

This changed in season three when they became nobility and had their first proper conflict. Alice wanted to embrace their new role in the Ton, but Will was stubborn and still wanted to run the Gentleman's Club he had built up the previous season.

In the sixth episode of season three, Will spontaneously gave in and sold his club. While Will seemed supportive of his wife for the rest of the season, he was never truly happy about selling his club.

Season four, unfortunately, doesn't really address this. Instead, their plot this season is about Alice potentially becoming a lady-in-waiting for Queen Charlotte, which doesn't give Will much to do.

Though "Bridgerton" season three was about Colin and Penelope, Francesca and John Stirling (Victor Alli) stole the hearts of many fans.

In episode three, Francesca tried to escape the chaos of the ball and stumbled upon John, the Earl of Kilmartin, standing alone in the back garden. The pair immediately clicked in the most unusual way, connecting over their quiet, calm energy. In fact, there were a few comical scenes when they flirt by saying nothing at all.

This pairing showed that chemistry is not only about sexual tension, grand displays of affection, or even steamy sex scenes. Chemistry can also be when a pair matches each other's vibe and emboldens one another to step outside their comfort zones.

The only reason Francesca and John are not higher on the list is that the events of the season three finale (and a few scenes in season four) show that these two might not actually have the most romantic chemistry, even if it's clear they care about one another.

They may be the blueprint, but that doesn't automatically give them the No. 1 spot. Simon Basset, the Duke, and Daphne Bridgerton had their chemistry tested multiple times, and it wasn't always smooth sailing.

What sold it for us was their dance at the end of the first episode (pictured above). The love in those looks was so clear; it's no wonder that some fans thought the two actors, Dynevor and Page, were actually dating in real life. This set an astronomically high bar for future romances on this show.

However, there's a scene between these two in season one that many have interpreted to be, at the very worst, a form of sexual assault, and at best, somewhat problematic.

Simon forgives Daphne, but we can't rank them any higher.

We finally got some progress with Penelope and Colin's relationship in season three. Previously, Penelope had been obsessed with Colin, but Colin only saw her as a friend and publicly mocked the idea of courting her.

Things changed in season three when Colin realized his feelings for Penelope had always been romantic, and they finally got married.

Coughlan and Newton have natural chemistry in real life, but we'd argue it didn't always translate on screen. "Polin" has one of the best sex scenes of the series in episode five of season three, showing the perfect mix of pure adoration and lust for each other, but the rest of their relationship wasn't beloved by everyone.

Many fans have complained that their relationship was rushed last season, and they weren't able to fully connect until the season's end because they both hid their true selves for various reasons.

In season four, they're happily married with a son, and Colin is obsessed with Penelope, so we have no doubts about these crazy kids.

In "Queen Charlotte," Violet Bridgerton vowed she would try to find love again after the death of her husband, Edmund Bridgerton (Rupert Evans). 

Violet had her shot at this in "Bridgerton" season three when she met Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), the estranged brother of her closest friend, Lady Danbury. Marcus is incredibly charming — his beauty often made Violet stutter and stare. However, he's not just a pretty face; he also related to her grief because he lost his first wife.

Season four leans into this relationship full-steam ahead. They share longing looks across crowded rooms, secret moments when Violet's kids aren't around, and a hot sex scene, proving that the youngsters aren't the only ones with a thriving love life in the Ton.

In "Bridgerton," Queen Charlotte is always shadowed by her most trusty aide, Brimsley (Hugh Sachs), but we didn't learn much about him until "Queen Charlotte."

In the miniseries, in which Sam Clemmett played him, we discovered that Brimsley was secretly dating King George's head servant, Reynolds (Freddie Dennis).

Throughout the season, they snuck off to have sex, found opportunities to hold hands, and talked about their future together, but it certainly was not perfect.

Since Reynolds had to keep King George's illness a secret, he kept Brimsley at arm's length until the end of the season, and their relationship was, as a whole, a huge secret. Yet despite their fighting, they always found themselves together again.

Brimsley and Reynolds quickly became a fan-favorite couple, and we hope the "Bridgerton" creators eventually answer what happens to their relationship after the events of "Queen Charlotte."

If "Heated Rivalry" proved anything, it's that audiences are just as thirsty for gay romances, too.

With the caveat that we've really only seen them kiss twice and share one steamy scene in a stairwell, these two are on track to be one of "Bridgerton's" best couples.

One of the fun things about Benedict and Sophie (Yerin Ha) is that Benedict doesn't know his mysterious Lady in Silver, whom he met and immediately fell in love with at a masquerade ball, is his mother's newest servant, with whom he also feels an inexplicably strong connection. Delicious.

The forbidden love vibes are also strong with Benophie — Sophie's in a different class and could never be with a Bridgerton (at least, not in the way she wants). But that doesn't stop them from yearning. So much yearning.

We reserve the right to change our minds when part two comes out, but for now, we're obsessed.

Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma are the best couple in the main "Bridgerton" series.

There was a clear attraction from their first meeting. Has a man ever been so infatuated with a woman as when Anthony sniffs the air around Kate?

But it was hard to say they were truly in love until the end of the first season because they spent more time bickering than giving longing stares, and they both let Anthony's courtship with Kate's sister, Edwina, go on a little too long.

Now married, Kanthony is stronger than ever, and there was no competing with their chemistry in season three. In almost every scene, Anthony and Kate sought out a moment to talk or touch each other, or Anthony was declaring his love in the most extra way possible.

They also communicated a lot better and warmly supported each other throughout season three compared with season two.

They're sorely missed from season four, even though we get a small update that they're enjoying their time in India together with their newborn.

Dearest reader, Queen Charlotte and King George are the winners of this "Bridgerton" couples ranking.

Their love story in "Queen Charlotte" was one of the most sophisticated and developed romances in the Bridgerton franchise. Corey Mylchreest and India Amarteifio, who play young Charlotte and George, had impeccable chemistry from their first encounter. Even when they were fighting, it was hard not to see passion and love in their eyes every time they looked at each other. 

The scene in episode five when Charlotte and George finally confessed their love was one of the most poetic and beautiful confession scenes in "Bridgerton" (and this is a show that has a lot of them).

And the scene in the series finale where the older Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and King George (James Fleet) are under the bed clearly showed that their passion and chemistry continued for their entire lives. Even in season four, Queen Charlotte is despondent at the idea of living without her husband.

Many relationships in this ranking are sexy, inspiring, or pleasing to watch, but Charlotte and George's love story is the only one that left audiences in tears at the end. And that's why they deserve the chemistry crown.