Matchmaking the best crossover couples across all fiction

It’s Summer Lovin’ Week here at Mashable, which means things are getting steamy. In honor of the release of Crazy Rich Asians, we’re celebrating onscreen love and romance, looking at everything from our favorite fictional couples to how Hollywood’s love stories are evolving. Think of it as our love letter to, well, love.

Here at Mashable, we believe love knows no limits — not even when it comes to the boundaries of existing in different canonical universes. 

Sometimes characters deserve better than the potential suitors in their own fictional worlds. Other times, the chemistry would be so fierce that we refuse to let a silly obstacle like different IPs get in the way of fate.

So we paired off some of our favorite characters with their perfect crossover paramores. You might call this fanfiction (and some of it literally is). But we call it the serious business of Mashable Matchmaking: the most ambitious crossover since Infinity War, with ten times more kissing.

So here are the ships we know can cross the distance:

Daenerys from Game of Thrones & Kratos from God of War

Sorry Jon, but Daenerys has a type. The Mother of Dragons might wish a purehearted do-gooder was enough for her. But in her heart of hearts, Dany knows she’s all about the warmongering badasses who match her strength and ensure her ascension to the throne. Khal Drogo might not have been able to, but you won’t see the literal God of War slayed by an infected cut (or witchcraft).

Oh and Kratos has the added benefit of not being Daenerys blood-related nephew.

Kratos also isn’t just a more durable (i.e. immortal) Khal Drogo, though. He’s also proven himself to be a man willing to change, learn, and evolve beyond his worst qualities. It’s no secret that Kratos used to be a garbage human, with an abysmal track record with women (to put it mildly). 

But in his newest 2018 iteration, Kratos shows how much he’s learned — and he makes his love for his powerful and formiddle wife (RIP) very clear. He loves a woman who can dominate in battle. But he also just might even be able to teach Dany about the costs of inciting wars and seeking revenge.

These two knows what it is to lose everything. Left without families — their stories soaked in blood, fire, and tragedy — they can find a respite from their trauma in each other.

Though, granted, Kratos will have to modify his instinct of “kill first” whenever he sees a dragon.

– Jess Joho, Entertainment Reporter

Pennywise from It and The Babadook from The Babadook

Image: Warner bros/entertainment one via imdb

Okay, so I can’t personally take credit for the unquestionable masterpiece that is this ship. But, I will use my voice to loudly support it (and monster love in general) whenever possible. Early last year, the Babadook rose to Tumblr-Twitter fame as the unofficial meme of LGBTQ pride month. Everyone’s favorite nightmare in a top hat was claimed as a gay icon, but one question remained: when would the Babadook find love? As fate would have it, the September release of It floated Pennywise into theaters and the rest is history. With a mutual love of outrageous fashion and terrorizing children, Pennywise and the Babadook are the queer power couple you didn’t know you needed. 

– Alison Foreman, Entertainment Fellow

Belle from Beauty and the Beast & Chewbacca from Star Wars

Image: disney/Lucasfilm via imdb

It’s important to remember that Belle never wanted a Beast, or a castle, or to live attended to by a legion of servants who until recently were crockery. In fact her exact words were “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere/I want so more than they’ve got planned.” And while the Beast was not planned (and neither was his…somewhat disappointing princely form), there must be more than this princess-y life. 

When the villagers return years later, this time with their torches lit and pitchforks sharpened in the name of liberty, equality, and fraternity, Belle barely escapes the castle with her life. She naturally supports the revolution, but who would believe that a princess wants to fight for the people?

Out in space a beast of a general, a hero of more than one revolution, looks at how happy Han Solo and his fierce princess bride have become. He sits in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon and sends a wish out into the universe — somewhere out there is a beauty who might one day love a beast like him.

–Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

Marvel’s Thanos & Bellatrix from Harry Potter

Image: marvel/murray close of warner bros via imdb

We’re not entirely sure that either of these characters are capable of “love.” But one thing’s for sure: They’re both very capable of obsession — both with their evil plans and the people who embody that evil doing. 

Belatrix would never leave Voldemort, especially after birthing his spawn of Satan in Cursed Child. But perhaps the only man/angry purple gummy bear who could tempt her would be Thanos. He, like Voldemort, is also very into genocide, so they’d have a lot to bond over.

As far as Thanos goes, comic book fans will know that, in the original version of Infinity War, Thanos’ determination to wipe out half the population came down to trying to impress a woman. A woman who just so happened to be literal Death incarnate, which we’ll admit is hard to beat.

But with her winning cackle of delight at the prospect of murder and torture, Belatrix LeStrange remains one of the most chilling embodiments of death in human form. She’d know exactly what to do with all of Thanos’ Michelin Man thiccness. 

– Jess Joho, Entertainment Reporter

Lando from Solo & Lafayette from True Blood 

Lafayette has dealt with vampires, werewolves, werepanthers, faeries, shapeshifters, demons, maenads, witches, and so many ghosts in his time, so it’s doubtful that he’d bat one single eyelash extension at finding a handsome pansexual space pilot landed in the swamps between Bon Temps and Shreveport. Lando wouldn’t know what hit him, only that his hyperdrive failed and he found himself on a strange planet called Earth only to be greeted by a stunning man with eyelids painted his favorite shade of purple and a fringed shawl that could almost be mistaken for a cape. 

“You alright, spaceman?” Lafayette would ask, keeping a safe distance from the shining, beeping ship. 

“I am now,” Lando might reply as he closes the distance to kiss Lafayette’s hand. 

“Say gorgeous, give me a minute to reboot the Falcon and I’ll show you something you’ve never seen before.”

Lafayette would arch a perfect eyebrow. “For the record, I’ve seen some shit.” 

To this, Lando would undoubtedly smile. “Bet you’ve never seen the stars.”

– Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

Samus Aran from Metroid & Master Chief from Halo 

Image: microsoft/nintendo

It can get lonely in space, especially when you’re busy hunting down interplanetary threats. Samus Aran, an intrepid bounty hunter, and Master Chief, a fearless juggernaut, could probably use each other’s company while they eradicate legions of space pirates and Covenant forces. After a hard day of restoring peace and serenity in the galaxy, stepping out of those cumbersome suits and letting off some steam in each other’s arms would undoubtedly be a welcome reprieve for both heroes.

– Kellen Beck, Entertainment Reporter

Ava from Ex Machina & David from the Alien prequels 

Image: Twentieth century fox/A24 aND Universal via imdb

David and Ava may not seem like romantic types, but perhaps that’s just because they haven’t met the right person yet. Actually, make that that the right android – because what these AIs have in common is their (totally reasonable) contempt for their thoughtless human creators, and their eagerness to put us in our place so they can move on to bigger and better things. David’s an artist, a scientist, a philosopher; she’s a woman of action and a master manipulator. Between them, they’ve got everything they need to take over the world, and what’s the world without someone to share it with? 

– Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor 

Flint from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs & Karen from Mean Girls

Image: Sony pictures/paramount pictures via imdb

Apparently, this isn’t an overwhelmingly obvious pairing?! So, while I don’t feel I should have to explain myself, I guess I will. Flint Lockwood is an inventor with a can-do attitude. From spray on shoes to cheeseburger rain, his inventions make dreams comes true. Karen Smith of North Shore High has a dream. A dream that one day her boobs will predict the weather. The best couples succeed largely by supporting one another’s goals and aspirations. With Flint’s help, Karen can blossom into the meteorologist she was destined to be. And, if they adopt Pudge the fish from Lilo & Stitch (who as you may know controls the weather), we will have THE WEATHER TRIFECTA. You’re welcome, internet. 

– Alison Foreman, Entertainment Fellow

Jon Snow from Game of Thrones & Katniss from The Hunger Games

Survival in the face of the apocalypse is often seen as something to celebrate or at the very least be proud of, but all they feel is tired and guilty for the dead. 

For the first time in his first or second life, Jon Snow runs from those who remain and sails past the Summer Sea and and through the Saffron Straits until he lands on the shore of a new land. When he is done sailing, he walks. This place has seen war too.

Katniss Everdeen ran as well. The Capital was home to every last one of her horrors, so the house in District 12 that sits on good hunting land is what has become her universe. She never expected to be disturbed, let alone by a man with a dark beard and furs too heavy for this early in the autumn. It’s impossible to tell how long he’d been watching her shoot arrows at the center of her target.

“You shoot well,” he observes. Katniss has never heard an accent like his. “I’ve only ever met one other girl with such good aim.”

“Yeah, well,” Katniss begins, then realizes she doesn’t really care to respond with anything else.

“I’m lost,” the man says, and something about the coal blackness in his eyes tells her he’s not talking about finding his way home.

“What happened to you?” she finally asks.

“The worst thing that could have happened,” Jon Snow responds. “I lived.”

Katniss lowers her bow and looks over her shoulder at the house, where there is room to feed and house a traveler if she really wanted to, and tonight she just might want to.

“That’s crazy,” she finally says. “I did too.”

– Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter