The Friends cast certainly went through many relationships throughout the series before settling down with their 'lobster'. Some of these relationships were hard to watch while they blossomed; others were hard to watch when they ended.
Besides the obvious favorite relationships that were end-game at the season finale, this list will also include the most captivating and beautiful relationships throughout the series that could have been end-game with some tweaks. These relationships include Rachel Greene and Joey Tribbiani, Monica Geller and Richard Burke, and Phoebe Buffay and David The Science Guy.
Rachel and Ross
Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) ended up together in the series finale after a long on-off relationship from the very beginning. They had their ups and downs and often didn't see eye to eye. When they were bad, they were awful, but when they were good, they were amazing.
Ross was very protective—too protective, even. Ross was a very underrated character as he adored Rachel from when they were teenagers and comforted her through every broken heart she got. He encouraged her to be her best self and made her feel like the only woman in the world. Rachel gave up her dream job in Paris to be with him and loved his child, Ben.
Rachel and Joey
Rachel and Joey (Joey Tribbiani) did not end up together, although many fans wished they did. Joey was there for Rachel through thick and thin giving her nuggets of wisdom throughout, he proposed to her when she had Ross's baby, and she was his only true love throughout the show.
Rachel relied on Joey for emotional support, and they had a beautifully complimenting dynamic when living together. Joey saw Rachel's child, Emma, almost as his own and cared for her like a real father. They had a heartwarming friendship foundation that could have blossomed into a beautiful, lasting relationship if Ross wasn't in the picture.
Monica and Richard Burke
Monica (Courteney Cox) and Richard (Tom Selleck) had to be one of the best relationships to have been introduced to the show. They had a magical fairytale relationship; they both accepted each other flaws and instead saw these flaws as endearing traits to each other. They had two problems in this relationship, one was the age difference, but they realized their connection was too strong and overcame this hurdle.
The second problem was Richard did not want any more children, and Monica was obsessed with the idea of children. Richard took it upon himself to sacrifice this preference to stay with Monica, but she could not allow him to sacrifice this much of his life for her. They broke up because they loved each other too much.
Monica and Pete Becker
Monica and Pete Becker (Jon Favreau) had a very frustrating relationship in that Monica couldn't simply fall in love with him. When she did, he was too obsessed with being the UFC champion to continue the relationship. Pete was kind, giving, and a gentleman to Monica and all of her friends and completely adored her, never giving up on her until she agreed to a date.
Pete gave Monica the world, and Monica saw him as the amazing man he was; he gave her a job as head chef, ensured she was safe, treated her to beautiful dates and gifts, and was simply a brilliant man inside and out. Monica tried so much to fall in love with him, and when she finally did, he couldn't give up his UFC career to stay with her.
Monica and Chandler
Monica had the most relationships of all the group in the series, but her taste in men was also the best. Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) was her final and forever-lasting relationship which ended in marriage and twins. They were friends for many early seasons, but at Ross's wedding began to cross the Platonic barrier.
They certainly had their hurdles, including not being able to have children, but like all soulmates, they made it work with the love they had for each other. Monica helped Chandler with his commitment and family issues, and he adored all of her adorable clean-freak kinks. They were the perfect power couple for the series.
Phoebe and David
Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and David (Hank Azaria) were one of the cutest relationships; it was the depiction of a shy guy falling in love and coming out of his shell for The One. He was in love with Phoebe from the moment he saw her at Central Perk singing her infamous songs.
Their relationship was simple and easy; it was like they had known each other forever, and they weren't scared to express themselves to each other, knowing the other would understand. The only problem that broke this relationship was the move to Minsk. David said he would stay, but Phoebe couldn't live with herself, holding him back from his dreams.
Phoebe and Mike Hannigan
Phoebe and Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd) were end-game, getting married in a fairytale, outside wedding in the snow. They went together like two lobsters. Mike and Phoebe were both unique, quirky characters that matched each other's energy day in and day out.
The couple had a rocky start when Phoebe realized he was a stranger that Joey had randomly found. This accident turned out to be fate once they got past the problem and found out they were meant to be with each other. Mike never wanted to marry after his previous disastrous relationship. However, he learned quickly that Phoebe was different from the rest.
Ross and Emily Waltham
This relationship had a lot of different opinions among fans, but honestly, this relationship was brilliant. It's hard to believe many brides would be happy with their husband hanging out with the woman he previously dated and calling out her name at the altar.
Ross and Emily Waltham (Helen Baxendale) had a fairytale beginning where distance was irrelevant compared to their love for each other. They had similar personalities, and Emily was willing to move to America for Ross. The only breaking point in the relationship was the other woman, Rachel.