History Main / ImaginaryLoveTriangle

* ''Manga/FairyTail'' has a love triangle existing only in the mind of Juvia, who misinterprets something Gray says to think he loves Lucy, and thus believes her to be a rival in love. Ironically, Gray and Lucy are just friends and Gray doesn't seem to [[ChasteHero have an interest in love]], let alone notice [[ObliviousToLove Juvia's affections]] for him. The imaginary rivalry settles down after a while, but that doesn't stop Juvia from sometimes flaunting her "progress with Gray-sama" in front of Lucy. Later it's taken UpToEleven and now she believes that she's in a LoveDodecahedron in which most of the female characters who know Gray are in love with Gray.[[note]]That being said, apart from the pairings involving Gray, her chart is generally accurate. Most of the pairings or unrequited loves on her chart are at least hinted at in canon.[[/note]] After Lyon falls in love with Juvia, Juvia also imagines that Gray is in love with Lyon.

* Chapter 86 of ''Manga/{{Horimiya}}'' takes this UpToEleven with an imaginary ''harem'' forming around Sakura in the eyes of two background characters. Said "harem" includes [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer Hori]].

* ''Manga/FairyTail'' has a love triangle existing only in the mind of Juvia, who misinterpreted something Gray said to think he loved Lucy, and thus believes her to be a rival in love. Ironically, Gray and Lucy are just friends and Gray doesn't seem to [[ChasteHero have an interest in love]], let alone notice [[ObliviousToLove Juvia's affections]] for him. The imaginary rivalry settles down after a while, but that doesn't stop Juvia from sometimes flaunting her "progress with Gray-sama" in front of Lucy. Later it's taken UpToEleven and now she believes that she's in a LoveDodecahedron in which most of the female characters who know Gray are in love with Gray[[note]]That being said, apart from the pairings involving Gray, her chart is generally accurate. Most of the pairings or unrequited loves on her chart are at least hinted at in canon.[[/note]]. After Lyon falls in love with Juvia, Juvia also imagines that Gray is in love with Lyon.

** In ''ComicBook/KryptonReturns'', H'el sees Supergirl hugging ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and gets jealous thinking she's falling for Superboy. However Kara loved neither of them.

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragonTheHiddenWorld'': Snotlout feels he needs to compete with Eret over his infatuation with Valka because Valka respects him more. This is especially perplexing for Eret, who has no idea what Snotlout is talking about. Since it is made clear that Valka is aware of Snotlout's infatuation and is disturbed by it, it is equally likely that she listens to Eret more as a deterrent.

* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' there is a rumor in Themis Legal Academy that Juniper Woods is object of affection of her two best friends, Robin Newman and Hugh O'Conner. Their rivalry in a mock trial is presented as battle over her heart, and rumor claims that Hugh is going to confess his love for her. In reality neither has any romantic feelings for her, what Hugh really wanted to confess is [[spoiler: that he's actually much older, and failed his class 7 times in a row]] while Robin [[spoiler:is actually a girl]].

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/IBelongToTheBaddestGirlAtSchool https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/imaginarylovetriangle.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:It looks like no one told her [[IncompatibleOrientation the girl on the left is gay]].]]

* In ''FanFic/MarksOfTime'', Lyla and her husband each suspect that the other has found a new lover.
* In ''Fanfic/MyPainMyThrill'', Peach gets irrationally jealous upon meeting the Koopaling's because she thinks that Bowser has a wife. She became so angry that during one kidnapping she barged into Bowser's bedroom to find out who his wife was. This lead into TheirFirstTime. As it turns out, Bowser is actually the Koopaling's uncle, but Peach doesn't learn this until three years after she began her affair with Bowser. Bowser Jr is the odd one out as he's explicitly Bowser's son. This is solved by the revelation that Jr is Peach's son, who she hadn't know she was pregnant with and ended up having while comatose.

** Michelle thinks that he's competing with Kyril over Maia, regardless of how Kyril and Maia's relationship is merely professional. Later {{subverted}} -- this imaginary triangle becomes a [[TriangRelationships/TypeFive Type V triangle]] due to Maia developing a one-sided affection towards [[CelibateHero Kyril]].
** During Chapter 8, remastered version, Kyril pulls off a BatmanGambit in order to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this trope. More specifically, he makes Morgan think that he wants to engage in a CockFight with Morgan over Grace by grabbing her in the forearm and pulling her to him close. Predictably, Morgan is ticked off.

* Two of these are found in the first piece of the ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' HighSchoolAU series ''Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook''. In both cases, two-thirds of the triangles are unaware that the third person thinks there is a triangle at all.
* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/10355529 A Proud, Unpleasant Sort of Man]], both Han and Cassian mistook the other as a love rival competing for the hand of their respective love interests, Leia and Jyn. They made up after realizing that they're not interested on the same girl, and that the whole rivalry was a waste of time.

** For example, both [[ChickMagnet Trent]] and [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]] saw themselves in a love triangle when their respective {{Love Interest}}s, [[PerkyGoth Gwen]] and [[TroubledButCute Duncan]], became friendly during TDA. (Though this may be [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] by the {{Ass Pull}}ed RetCon in season three claiming that Gwen had ''always'' had a crush on Duncan.)
** The [[InvertedTrope inversion]] may be even more common, when a character ''is'' in a love triangle but doesn't notice; [[DoggedNiceGuy Cody]]'s obliviousness to [[OfficialCouple Trent/Gwen]] in season one would probably be the clearest example (later to be replicated with Cody/Gwen/Duncan in season three).
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' had the family visiting a dude ranch and Lisa falling for a cute boy (voiced by Jonathan Taylor-Thomas). When she runs into a girl who is looking for the boy, Lisa tries to get rid of her. It turns out that girl was the boy's sister, and Lisa's actions make him hate her.

* On ''{{WesternAnimation/Rugrats}},'' Grandpa gets a NewOldFlame named Morgana in one episode. It turns out their relationship had ended when she saw him "kissing" another girl; in reality, he had been performing [[CPRCleanPrettyReliable CPR]] on her as she suffered an asthma attack. Ironically, his eventual wife had the same name as the girl he'd performed CPR on implying they did eventually get together.

* This trope is a very common evolution of the [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Miraculous Love Square]]. Marinette/Ladybug and Adrien/Cat Noir will have revealed their true identities to each other, and will be publically dating/married in their civilian identities. Then they're caught making out while ''one'' of them is transformed by someone who does not know their secret identities. HilarityEnsues.

Or, Bob and Alice and Claire/Charlie [[{{Polyamory}} are all dating each other,]] but everyone [[MistakenForCheating thinks the one guy/girl is cheating]].

* In ''Webcomic/DearChildren'', Cailie regarding herself, Gabe and Sabrina. Gabe probably doesn't like Cail that way, and Sabrina barely knows Gabe exists.

* On ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' M'gann wants to reconcile with ComicBook/{{Superboy}}, but when she asks ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} where he is he tells her that he's on a date with their old friend Wendy. Later M'gann finds out that he was basically PlayingCyrano for Wendy's actual new boyfriend, Marvin.

* In ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'', Ryousuke thinks that his crush Miyako is dating her BastardBoyfriend Nozaki and that he has to win her over. In truth, Miyako and Nozaki are just fellow manga authors (a profession that Miyako hides) who happen to be neighbors, his reputation being just a misunderstanding of their discussions over manga plots.

** In the episode "Triangle," Anya becomes convinced Willow will try to steal Xander away from her. Despite Willow being in a lesbian relationship with Tara by this time, she isn't entirely unjustified in her concerns; Willow had already broken up Xander's previous relationship with Cordelia (which is what brought Anya to Sunnydale as a vengeance demon to curse Xander in the first place), ''and'' Willow doesn't want Anya around.

** In the episode "Triangle," Anya becomes convinced Willow will try to steal Xander away from her. Despite Willow being in a lesbian relationship by this time, she isn't entirely unjustified in her concerns; Willow had already broken up Xander's previous relationship (which is what brought Anya to Sunnydale in the first place), ''and'' Willow didn't want her around.

* In ''The Song of Hiawatha'' by Henry Longfellow, Shawondasee, the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the South Wind, falls for a yellow-haired girl but is so lazy that he doesn’t try to approach her and gazes at her from afar instead, until he sees her hair has turned white and sadly thinks she has been seduced by his OldNorthWind brother Kabibonokka. In fact, nothing of the sort has happened, because Shawondasee has mistaken a yellow dandelion for a girl.
* In the ''Arrows'' trilogy of the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, Herald Talia falls in LoveAtFirstSight with homely Herald Dirk before spending a long internship in a comfortable friends-with-benefits situation with his handsome best friend Herald Kris. When they return, Kris doesn't do a good job telling Dirk that the way is clear to Talia, so Dirk spends most of a book languishing in despair [[DrowningMySorrows and alcohol], pining for the girl he thinks he can't have.

* Zig-zagged in ''Literature/TheLadyOrTheTiger''. The princess believes that her lover has feelings for another woman, but it's never made clear whether the man is interested in the other woman, or whether she feels the same way about him. In the end, it doesn't matter, since the man is put on trial for courting the princess and subjected to a DoorRoulette- either he gets EatenAlive by a starving tiger, or married off to the other woman.
* In ''The Song of Hiawatha'' by Henry Longfellow, Shawondasee, the AnthropomorphicPersonification of the South Wind, falls for a yellow-haired girl but is so lazy that he doesn’t try to approach her and gazes at her from afar instead, until he sees her hair has turned white and sadly thinks she has been seduced by his OldNorthWind brother Kabibonokka. In fact, nothing of the sort has happened, because Shawondasee has mistaken a yellow dandelion for a girl.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheHollow'': Kai thinks that there's something going on between Mira and Adam, which he fears since he also starts having feelings for Mira, [[spoiler:but it's shown that nothing will come out of Mira and Adam's relationship when she kisses him and he reacts by awkwardly saying he isn't interested. Season 2 goes further on this revealing that the two know each other for a long time and that Adam is gay. Mira is distraught when she finally remembers this and profusely apologizes for the kiss]].
* On ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', [[KidHero Finn]] and [[OlderSidekick Jake]] both believe that Finn's former PrecociousCrush, [[ScienceHero Princess Bubblegum]], has [[UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo suddenly started to like Finn]] right when he's become interested in [[EvilIsBurningHot Flame Princess]]. In reality she was objecting to their relationship for [[ApocalypseMaiden another reason]].

* ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'': Misato and Kaji are dating. At the same time, Shinji is in love with Asuka and completely oblivious to her loving him back. Misato misunderstands Shinji when he remarks that he is in love with a girl and wrongly thinks Shinji has fallen for her. She spends several chapters trying to let him down gently every time he asks for relationship advice to win Asuka over. Misato's reaction when she finally finds out the truth is priceless.
* This happens ''twice'' in ''[[Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird]]'', both times with the same characters. Most of the cast can see what's actually going on; but since [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Cullen]] and Victoria are TwiceShy and she's LikeBrotherAndSister with two other men, it's an easy mistake to make. He gets better, though not before Dorian takes the chance to troll him over it.
* In ''Fanfic/HopToIt'', [[WesternAnimation/{{MiraculousLadybug}} Marinette]] spends several chapters treating Jack as a rival for Adrien's affections, though Jack is completely oblivious to this. They only find out what was going on after Jack happens to mention her boyfriend Diego to Alya, who panics and scrambles to call off the cruel prank Marinette had set up.
* Two of these are found in the first piece of the ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' HighSchoolAU series ''Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook''. In both cases, two-thirds of the triangles are unaware that the third person thinks there is a triangle at all.

* ''Fanfic/{{Divorced}}'': Ganondorf is jealous of his wife Zelda's relationship with Link. Despite being bearers of the Triforce, Zelda and Link are just friends. Link already has a kid with Illia anyway.

* ''Fanfic/ButterflyNets'': Candace gets jealous when she spots Chase and Angela being friendly. It turns out that Angela was asking Chase advice on how to make herbal tea for Candace.

* In ''Iolanthe,'' the main conflict arises because Phyllis sees her beloved fiancé Strephon kissing a young woman who looks seventeen on account of being a fairy, but is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld - and his mother.

* Matsuri from ''Manga/IBelongToTheBaddestGirlAtSchool'' is convinced that her childhood friend Yutaka and NewTransferStudent Youdou are both competing for the affections of [[ExtremeDoormat Unoki]], who himself may or may not have a one-sided crush on infamous [[JapaneseDelinquents delinquent]] Toramaru. She's wrong on pretty much every count; Yutaka has feelings for ''[[ChildhoodFriendRomance her]]'' that she wrongly assumed were directed at Unoki, Youdou openly admits she's in love with him but [[spoiler: has chosen not to pursue a relationship out of fear that she'd end up abusing him]], and while Unoki does have a crush on Toramaru, he only ''thinks'' it's one-sided; Toramaru is smitten with him to the point that she believes they're already a couple.

[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/TheErrandBoyAndTheDelinquentLeaderInLove https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/imaginarylovetriangle.png]]]]

* Matsuri from ''Manga/TheErrandBoyAndTheDelinquentLeaderInLove'' is convinced that her childhood friend Yutaka and NewTransferStudent Youdou are both competing for the affections of [[ExtremeDoormat Unoki]], who himself may or may not have a one-sided crush on infamous [[JapaneseDelinquents delinquent]] Toramaru. She's wrong on pretty much every count; Yutaka has feelings for ''[[ChildhoodFriendRomance her]]'' that she wrongly assumed were directed at Unoki, Youdou openly admits she's in love with him but [[spoiler: has chosen not to pursue a relationship out of fear that she'd end up abusing him]], and while Unoki does have a crush on Toramaru, he only ''thinks'' it's one-sided; Toramaru is smitten with him to the point that she believes they're already a couple.

May overlap with MistakenForCheating or RelativeError. Practically the opposite of HopelessSuitor. Subtrope to MistakenForRomance.

* Played with in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': There is [[TriangRelations a sort of love triangle]] between Suzu, Matsuri, and Soga, but various events makes Suzu very mistaken as to what kind. She knows she loves Matsuri, believes Soga is openly a romantic rival over him, and worries Matsuri may already be falling in love or fooling around with him. In reality, [[TwiceShy Matsuri returns her feelings but won't admit it]], Soga knowingly loves her but only told Matsuri, and his attraction to Matsuri is an InconvenientAttraction that Matsuri [[ObliviousToLove doesn't notice]], much less reciprocate.

* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': Ritsuko loves Gendo and believes that Rei is a threat to her "relationship" with him. In reality, Rei is not in love with Gendo [[spoiler:(but rather with Shinji and Asuka)]] or romantically drawn to him, and Gendo regards Rei as his daughter... and Ritsuko as an useful pawn.

* Matsuri from ''Manga/TheErrandBoyAndTheDelinquentLeaderInLove'' is convinced that her childhood friend Yutaka and NewTransferStudent Youdou are both competing for the affections of [[ShrinkingViolet Unoki]], who himself may or may not have a one-sided crush on infamous [[JapaneseDelinquents delinquent]] Toramaru. She's wrong on pretty much every count; Yutaka has feelings for ''[[ChildhoodFriendRomance her]]'' that she wrongly assumed were directed at Unoki, Youdou openly admits she's in love with him [[spoiler: but has chosen not to pursue a relationship out of fear that she'd end up abusing him]], and while Unoki does have a crush on Toramaru, he only ''thinks'' it's one-sided; Toramaru is smitten with him to the point that she believes they're already a couple.

* In ''Manga/VirginLove'', Chiharu's knowledge of Kaoru's sex life starts to make Daigo think there might have been something between them and Chiharu decides to fan the flames. Kaoru later reveals to Daigo that Chiharu is his cousin and he's just being had.

* Episode 5 of ''Anime/Persona4TheAnimation'' centers around on of these, though ''parts'' of it are real. Ai Ebihara likes Kou, who likes Chie. The immaginary [[LoveDodecahedron dodecahedron]] is created when Ai gets Yu Narukami to pretend to be her boyfriend, and then everyone starts thinking Chie likes Yu...
* In ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'', as she began to develop feelings for Solomon, Sheba became jealous of Solomon's close friend Arba, seeing her as the ultimate rival. But in reality, the relationship between Solomon and Arba were only familial and once Arba realized Sheba would be a good match for Solomon, she approached Sheba and gave her the blessing to be Solomon's wife.
* ''Anime/SamuraiFlamenco'' has a very odd inversion where [[spoiler: the hypoteneuse themself is imaginary, but everyone involved treats her as real. Goto is "dating" a girl through texts. He spurns Mari's advances because of her. The girlfriend is jealous of Masayoshi at one point, implying that Goto has feelings for him, but feels guilty about straying from his girlfriend. But she isn't actually an obstacle to either of these relationships, because 1.) [[NeverFoundTheBody she mysteriously disappeared years ago]], and 2.) by that point Goto's texts from her were really a coping mechanism he used to keep sane, up to and including ''imagining how she'd react to any of these developments''. [[MindScrew It's that kind of a show]].]]
* Takeo from ''Manga/MyLoveStory'' initially believes his crush Yamato likes his {{Bishonen}} best friend Suna, since [[ChickMagnet girls usually flock around Suna]] while Takeo is ignored due to being a bit of a {{Gonk}}. Takeo is very wrong - Yamato only has eyes for him. [[spoiler:Suna is the one who arranges to clear up the misunderstanding and get them together]].

* ''Manga/NarutoGaiden'' has a variation on this as the one believing the love triangle is the ''child'' of two of the members involved. Sarada is Sasuke's and [[spoiler:Sakura's]] daughter. Her father has [[DisappearedDad been gone]] her entire life and she knows little of him. One day she spots a picture of Sasuke and Karin, which causes her to start doubting her parentage. She finds more evidence of Karin being her mother as time goes on. [[spoiler:It turns out she is Sakura's biological daughter. Karin gave up on Sasuke years ago. Karin and Sakura are even actually friendly as adults.]]

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'':
** Kaguya sometimes thinks that there is one going on between her, Shirogane and Fujiwara. However, this is all just on Kaguya's bad habit to resent Fujiwara for her qualities. Shirogane only has eyes for Kaguya. She, in general, [[ClingyJealousGirl doesn't look too favorable on Shirogane making female friends]].
** Chapter 74, due to the three of them having binged too much shojo manga, shows Kaguya in an imagined love triangle, where Shirogane and Ishigami try to court Kaguya.
** In Chapter 182 and 187, Hayasaka's and Shirogane's friends assume there is a love triangle going on between Kaguya, Shirogane and Hayasaka.
* Chapter 86 of ''Manga/{{Horimiya}}'' takes this UpToEleven with an imaginary ''harem'' forming around Sakura in the eyes of two background characters. Said "harem" includes [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer Hori]].
* In ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'', Ryousuke thinks that his crush Miyako is dating her BastardBoyfriend Nozaki and that he has to win her over. In truth, Miyako and Nozaki are just fellow manga authors (a profession that Miyako hides) who happen to be neighbors, his reputation being just a misunderstanding of their discussions over manga plots.
* Played with in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': There is [[TriangRelations a sort of love triangle]] between Suzu, Matsuri, and Soga, but various events makes Suzu very mistaken as to what kind. She knows she loves Matsuri, believes Soga is openly a romantic rival over him, and worries Matsuri may already be falling in love or fooling around with him. In reality, [[TwiceShy Matsuri returns her feelings but won't admit it]], Soga knowingly loves her but only told Matsuri, and his attraction to Matsuri is an InconvenientAttraction that Matsuri [[ObliviousToLove doesn't notice]], much less reciprocate.

[[caption-width-right:350:Someone clearly didn't get the memo that [[IncompatibleOrientation the girl on the left is a lesbian]].]]

* Played with in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': There is [[TriangRelations a sort of love triangle]] between Suzu, Matsuri, and Ninokuru, but a botched DeclarationOfProtection and [[NotWhatItLooksLike walking in at the wrong time]] makes Suzu very mistaken as to what kind. She knows she loves Matsuri, believes Ninokuru is openly a romantic rival over him, and worries Matsuri may already be falling in love or fooling around with him. In reality, [[TwiceShy Matsuri returns her feelings but won't admit it]], Ninokuru knowingly loves her but only told Matsuri, and his attraction to Matsuri is an InconvenientAttraction that Matsuri [[ObliviousToLove doesn't notice]], much less reciprocate.