In the Zone

Bang Shishigami in a ninja who develops an sudden obsession with beautiful doctor named Litchi. After waking up in a hospital, he sees Litchi and assumes that he’s in heaven. Litchi had slapped Bang to wake him up, and she ends up knocking him out with a second slap in response to his foolhardy reaction. Bang stalks Litchi and secretly lusts over her, but he is bound by his morals as a ninja so he essentially places himself in the friendzone. Litchi has countless suitors, but she’s altogether unaware of Bang’s true feeling. Bang still acts like a white knight for her, however, and he comes to her defense any time someone does something that could potentially upset her. The relationship between Bang and Litchi is one-sided and awkward, and it’s destined to remain that way since Bang has no idea how to express himself.

Kloe Rinz is a kindhearted student who befriends Joshua and Estelle Bright after a chance encounter. She forms a close bond with both siblings, but her feelings for Joshua extend beyond friendship. Kloe lets Estelle know that she’s attracted to Joshua, but she soon realizes that Joshua and Estelle are pining for each other. (Incidentally, Joshua is Estelle’s adopted brother.) Kloe recognizes that Joshua’s heart belongs to Estelle, but she decides to confess her love to him even though she knows that her feelings won’t be reciprocated. After a heart-to-heart, Joshua makes it clear that he wouldn’t have fallen in love with Kloe even if he had met her first. Kloe had already decided to gracefully step aside, but Joshua added salt to the wound by confirming that she wouldn’t have had a chance even in a hypothetical scenario.

Nina is a plucky student at a prestigious academy who falls in love way too easily. When a mercenary named Flik infiltrates her hometown and poses as a student, Nina develops an immediate crush on him. She follows him around wherever he goes and drags him off for a personally-guided tour of the school. (If she had her way, she’d drag him all the way to the wedding chamber!) Flick doesn’t return any of her affections, but Nina lets her fantasies run wild and sizes up other girls as competition. Although she’s generally a nice girl, she’s rude to anyone that Flik shows interest in. To her credit, she’s a huge help on the battlefield and rallies the students behind Flik’s cause. She never wants to leave Flik’s side, however, so she becomes a nuisance. After Flik leaves town, Nina joins the army in an effort to follow him.

Amy Rose made her first appearance in Sonic CD, and it was immediately apparent that she had a huge crush on everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog. She was initially depicted as an obsessed fan, and she would literally cling on to Sonic while hearts fluttered in the air. Sonic befriends her and is willing to rescue her whenever she’s kidnapped, but he has no interested in pursuing a romantic relationship. Amy was so fixated on Sonic that she became fast enough keep pace with him. At one point, she even conjures up dream versions of Sonic to fight alongside her! Sonic, for his part, barely pays attention to her. I guess he’s too busy saving the world and trying to fuck human girls, but I digress. Amy is a lot younger than Sonic, so he’s actually doing the right thing by putting her in the friendzone.

Mai Shiranui is literally the last person you would expect to find in the friendzone. She’s one of the most legendary gaming babes ever, and it’s hard to imagine that anyone would resist her advances. Oddly, the only guy she shows interest in ends up giving her the cold shoulder. Mai basically throws herself at Andy Bogard, but the stoic martial artist is perplexed by her actions. It’s rare to see desperation from a girl like Mai, so the relationship is played for laughs. Andy actually is in love with Mai, and he’ll do anything to protect her. At the same time, he knows he’s not mature enough to handle marriage and training. Andy has no idea how to express his feelings, so he let’s Mai chill out in the friendzone while he gets his shit together. The two eventually hook up, but Mai had to chase Andy for years!

The Final Fantasy series has many examples of unrequited love, but few characters are as brazen as Jessie Rasberry. The energetic explosives expert had a bit part in Final Fantasy VII, but her role was expanded in the 2020 remake. Although she made a few subtle advances toward Cloud in the original version, her intentions are very clear in the remake. She shamelessly flirts with Cloud, and she even hits on him during dangerous missions! She tries to hug him at one point, she kisses him on the cheek at a later time, and she even invites him into her home so they can be alone. Jessie is open about her feelings, and there are other things that she’d be willing to open as well. Cloud basically ignores Jessie’s advances, and he even seems annoyed by how thirsty she is. At best, Jessie is a potential third love interest for Cloud.

Tia and Maxim were close friends who grew up together in a small town. When Maxim announced that he was leaving, Tia decided to tag along even though she didn’t approve of his adventurous ways. Tia does what she can to keep Maxim out of trouble, and her unrequited feelings become increasingly apparent during their travels. Things become even more complicated after a woman named Selan joins the party. Selan is more compatible with Maxim’s lifestyle, and Tia has a front row seat as their relationship blooms. Understandably, Tia is disheartened by the whole situation. She left home to be with Maxim, and she had to watch him fall in love with another woman. Eventually, she decides to let Maxim continue his journey without her. We never hear from Tia again, aside from a cutscene that shows her at home and in tears.

Being the daughter of the US President can be dangerous, and this was certainly true of Ashley Graham. She was kidnapped by mercenaries, taken to a remote European village, and held captive by a cult. Fortunately, a special agent named Leon Kennedy was sent in to rescue her. Leon and Ashley narrowly escape many life-or-death situations during their adventure, and the last scene in Resident Evil 4 sees them riding off into the sunset on a jet-ski while an island explodes in the background. At this point, a grateful Ashley suggests that Leon take her back to her place for some “overtime.” She clearly wanted to smash, but Leon (who had recently been friendzoned by another woman) turned her down! Fans have been questioning Leon’s decision ever since, and the scenario became a meme almost a decade after the game’s release.

Mario and Peach have always had a special relationship, and the princess happily shows her affection any time she’s rescued. Mario has been on the receiving end of many kisses over the years, and hearts often fill the screen as an indication of love. The nature of their relationship is called into question in Super Mario Odyssey, however. When Bowser kidnaps Peach and tries to force her into marriage, Mario literally follows them to the moon and stops the wedding at the last minute. After an ensuing battle, Bowser and Mario both take the opportunity to properly propose to Peach. Overwhelmed, Peach turns them both down! If the rejection wasn’t painful enough, Peach steals Mario’s ride and leaves him stranded on the moon with Bowser. What a cunt! Mario should probably just go back to Pauline at this point.

Nia is a cynical catgirl with a sharp tongue and a short fuse. Her personality is entirely informed by snark and sarcasm. She was a long-standing member of an insurgency group, but she defected after befriending an optimistic salvager named Rex. Rex demonstrates an unwavering faith in his friends, and his upbeat idealism is the antithesis of Nia’s cynicism. Nia clashes with Rex at first, but she slowly develops feelings for him. Eventually, she decides to confess her love to him… in front of all their friends… while wearing a stripperiffic leotard. After a half-naked Nia tells Rex that she loves him, he replies that he loves her too! Hilariously, Rex qualifies his statement by adding, “I love all you guys!” Ouch. Nia can’t help but to laugh at how oblivious Rex is, and she takes the rejection in stride.