15 Iconic Soap Opera Couples That Set Our Standards For Romance

If there is one thing that nothing can beat soap operas at, it is love stories. With so many truly iconic couples, viewers have always been invested in the progression of their stories. From the most beautiful reunions to the most heartbreaking divorces and even deaths, soap operas were always there to feed the audience's romantic fantasies.

Or remind them that their real-life relationships aren't half as bad as they think.

Whether you were always looking for the passion of soap opera couples, or marking down the red flags to watch out for in real life, here are 15 of daytime TV's most iconic couples who left their mark on the genre forever.

Spencer and Trina (General Hospital )

Some might say that this is the couple that is currently carrying General Hospital on their backs. They're young, they have amazing chemistry, and they have a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to truly commit to each other. What more could you ask for in a romance like this?

Sonny and Will (Days of Our Lives)

What screams "love wins" more than the first two-groom wedding on American daytime television? Days of Our Lives has definitely changed many lives with the romance that Sonny and Will have had over the years. What's even better is that the soap refused to follow any sad tropes regarding its gay characters and let them go out together as a couple.

Mason and Julia (Santa Barbara)

Santa Barbara definitely hasn't seen a couple as funny, fun, and competitive as Mason and Julia. It also hasn't seen a couple that could successfully survive a mid-episode recast. This supercouple taught soap viewers that their lives don't have to be perfect and they don't have to be perfectly compatible to be worthy of love.

Doug and Julie (Days of Our Lives)

Many viewers believe that Doug and Julie from Days of Our Lives were the first couple to be called a supercouple on daytime television. Whether you agree with that or not, if you've been watching the soap long enough, you know how many people were begging NBC to let these characters get married on-screen, and how long the anticipation lasted.

Sonny and Carly (General Hospital)

This is the couple whose love story has been going on for longer than anyone can remember. While some have grown tired of the constant drama, others believe that if fate insists on bringing them back together, they're just meant to be. After all, you don't see Nina anywhere on this list, do you?

Maggie and Bianca (All My Children)

It took the All My Children team way too long to bring these two characters together, but their love won out and they are now a full-fledged couple. The first same-sex couple in American daytime television, we might add. Intriguing and extremely attractive, Maggie and Bianca have always been everything you want in a soap opera couple.

Ridge and Brooke (The Bold and the Beautiful)

Do you know of any couple on television, day or night, that has gotten married and divorced as many times as these two? They've been through every single obstacle imaginable, and we've seen Brooke rock every single bridal look imaginable, so their place on this list is well deserved. However, if we were to suggest one thing to spice up their relationship, it would be couples therapy.

Lucky and Liz (General Hospital)

If there's one couple that everyone on General Hospital rooted for, it's Liz and Lucky. From being fragile teenagers trying to figure out their own feelings, to going through the trauma of the assault, to finally choosing to go their separate ways as adults... Their journey has been filled with sorrow, but some fans still believe they'll live to see a reunion.

John and Marlena (Days of Our Lives)

Not every supercouple should go out in a blaze of glory. And although the double exits of Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn rocked the soap opera world in 2008, Days of Our Lives' most passionate couple got their happy ending. John was cleared of all charges and his hefty 50-year sentence and was able to return to the love of his life.

Sonny and Brenda (General Hospital)

The only person who could have won Sonny's full attention over Carly would have been Brenda. As the show said, the two were drawn to each other "like moths to a flame." Sadly, Brenda's last appearance was exactly 10 years ago, in a cameo for the show's 50th anniversary.

Angie and Jesse (All My Children)

This couple is most notable for being the first African-American supercouple on American daytime television. While things have changed since then, and we've seen a number of characters from this background become very popular with viewers, it wasn't always that way. All My Children was the first soap to break the cycle of mistreatment.

Josh and Reva (Guiding Light)

If you were to count all the soap tropes this couple has had to overcome, you'd lose count after a few years. From fake deaths to cloning to time traveling to multiple cancer scares, whether they were together at the time or separated and trying to figure out life on their own, the path always led them to each other. A love like that cannot be denied.

Victor and Nikki (The Young and the Restless )

After three marriages and two beautiful children together, it would be fair to say that the life of a couple is pretty accomplished. Although they always needed a little challenge to stay as passionate about their relationship as they were when they first fell in love, it only made them more entertaining to watch. Scheduling their third (and hopefully final) wedding on The Young and the Restless was just an extra sweet gesture.

Bo and Hope (Days of Our Lives)

Unfortunately, the story of Bo and Hope is another example of how not every iconic journey ends happily. The couple went through a lot, but they always turned to each other, and Bo ended up dying in the arms of the woman he loved the most. If that's not a heartbreaking story of true love, we don't know what is.

Luke and Laura (General Hospital)

No matter how questionable the origins of this romance, you cannot ignore a couple whose wedding was officiated by Princess Diana herself. Luke and Laura were everything '80s viewers could have asked for, and though they ended up splitting up, their names will forever be associated with a picture-perfect romance.