History Main / PromotedToLoveInterest

* The TV version of ''[[Literature/JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy Johnny and the Bomb]]'' adds a bit of a ToyShip between Johnny and Kirsty.

** In the games, Ayane and Hayate are half-siblings (and cousins, it's complicated). The movie removes their blood relation and turns them into a couple.
** The movie seems so determined to include romantic subplots for just about every main character that it even invented new characters to serve as love interests for Christie and Helena: conman/master thief Max (who is also Christie's frequent partner-in-crime) and tech genius Weatherby, respectively.

* In ''Film/DorianGray'', Basil and Dorian finally get together. This is completely justified by all the HomoeroticSubtext in [[Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray the original book]], as [[ValuesDissonance at the time,]] Creator/OscarWilde could do no more than insert subtext to let the reader know what was really going on.

** ''Film/Deadpool2'' hooks up Negasonic Teenage Warhead with Yukio. In the comics, they've never interacted [[note]] granted it's entirely possible the Yukio featured in the film isn't supposed to be the same Yukio as the comics [[/note]]. Funnily enough, Yukio does have a same sex love interest in the comics: [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]], albeit largely one-sided on Yukio's part.

* In the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series, Garrus and Tali weren't originally intended as romance options. Fans liked them so much that they were added to the roster of possible love interests in the [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 second game]]. Funnily enough, if Shepard pursues neither of them, they hook up with each other near the end of the third game. Additionally, Kaidan Alenko (assuming [[AnyoneCanDie he survives that long]]) is promoted to a love interest for Male!Shepard in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', having previously been exclusively susceptible to [=FemShep=]'s charms.
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
** Anders is first introduced in the expansion ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening.'' He can flirt with a female Warden-Commander and was well-received by fans, some of whom were disappointed that he could not be properly romanced. He's a full-fledged romance option in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII,'' where some of his dialogue implies that he actually falls in love with Hawke whether he's romanced or not.
** Cullen's fans have been asking the developers to do this for him since he was introduced in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins.'' They finally did in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', making him romanceable by human or elven female Inquisitors. His is one of the longer {{romance arc}}s in the game, and he's the only male {{love interest|s}} who will [[spoiler:propose marriage in the final DLC]].
* Crea's route in ''VideoGame/DuelSaviorDestiny'' mostly replaces the harem route from the original game, though in order to accommodate this change they made surprisingly few tweaks to the original story, which makes Crea not really fit in very well with what's going on.

* In the original ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'', Jessica was a friend of the hero and her feelings for him were platonic. In the 3DS version, however, there's an alternative ending where the hero [[spoiler:marries her instead of Medea]].
* In ''AZEL: VideoGame/PanzerDragoon RPG'', Azel feels loyalty for Craymen, the man who woke her from her sleep, and she regards Edge, the protagonist, with little more than cautious friendship. When the game was localized as ''Panzer Dragoon Saga'', her lines were rewritten to have her confess her love for Edge by the end of the game, and she travels the world looking for him. [[spoiler:The following game, ''Orta'', apparently adopted this as canon, as she has produced a child named Orta by using Edge's genes.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' Jessie Rasberry was a minor member of [[LaResistance AVLANCHE]] who very briefly flirted with protagonist Cloud Strife if the player choose to respond to her [[spoiler:before dying when Shrina attacks Sector 7]]. In the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' Jessie gets a massive AdaptationalExpansion to her character, and is firmly Cloud's ThirdOptionLoveInterest after Tifa and Aerith, even inviting him back to her room for sex at one point in the game. [[spoiler:This makes Jessie's death towards the end all the more [[TearJerker sad]] despite it being a ForegoneConclusion]].
* ''VideoGame/StardewValley'' originally only had 10 romanceable characters. Roughly a year after initial release, the game received an update that added Emily and Shane to the player's marriage roster. About two years after this, another patch promoted [[EnsembleDarkhorse Ensembled Shadow Person]] Krobus to TheNotLoveInterest--he can become the player's roommate in a method that's mechanically identical to marriage, but he's stated to simply be the player's platonic friend.

** Prince Aerin from ''VisualNovel/BladesOfLightAndShadow'' turned out to be an antagonist in Book 1, yet some fans feel sorry for him due to his NiceGuy personality, as well as his descent into darkness being caused by the constant bullying from his brother Baldur, and these fans were clamoring for him to be a love interest in Book 2, a wish which the writers granted. Then there's Valax, TheDragon of Book 2 who's hellbent on killing the main character and using their blood to conquer their world, so the reveal of her HiddenDepths and her status as a love interest came as a surprise to some, despite her being featured in a sneak peek, which hints that a character is a love interest.

** Prince Aerin from ''VisualNovel/BladesOfLightAndShadow'' turned out to be an antagonist in Book 1, yet some fans feel sorry for him due to his NiceGuy personality, as well as his descent into darkness being caused by the constant bullying from his brother Baldur, and these fans were clamoring for him to be a love interest in Book 2, a wish which the writers granted.

** Sledge from ''VisualNovel/WakeTheDead'' is a ruthless bandit leader who

* Quite common in ''VisualNovel/ChoicesStoriesYouPlay''. Some highlights include:

** Kate, the DamselInDistress from ''VisualNovel/VeilOfSecrets'', is supposed to be just a best friend to the main character, but due to the copious amount of Ship Tease between them, fans were clamoring for her to be a love interest. The writers ended up granting that wish by allowing the main character to end up with her in the finale.
** Bianca and Slater from ''VisualNovel/AmericasMostEligible'' are

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' {{invert|edTrope}}s this in the case of [[Characters/MarvelComicsMaryJaneWatson Mary Jane]]. In the comics, she's one of several LoveInterests for Peter, albeit the one he finally married (until ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', at least). In most adaptations, most notably the movies, she's given a greater role while the others are reduced, cut or {{com|positeCharacter}}bined with her. In ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'', she goes with Peter to a dance in her first appearance, but is otherwise just a close friend--the main love interests are [[Characters/SpiderManLoveInterests Gwen Stacy]] and [[LovableAlphaBitch Liz Allan]] (plus some heavy-duty flirting from Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}} when she appears). [[spoiler: However, there were five seasons planned and, according to WordOfGod, Mary Jane would have eventually been promoted. Notable in that Gwen Stacy would still be alive.]] Some other non-canon couples get together ([[AlphaBitch Sally]] with [[LovableJock Randy]], [[DumbJock Kenny]] and [[LovableAlphaBitch Glory]]).

** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' makes [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner Bruce Banner]], who has little interaction with ComicBook/BlackWidow in the comics, into her love interest (they break up in later films however). This is partially because [[Characters/MarvelComicsBuckyBarnes Bucky Barnes]] and Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}}, Widow's two major love interests in the comics, have no real connection to her in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] continuity. Widow’s other love interest from the comics [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] does get some moments with her in ''Film/IronMan2'', but it doesn’t escalate beyond flirting and Tony settles down with Pepper shortly after [[spoiler:though ironically Natasha and Tony are technically TogetherInDeath]].

** Starting with ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' [[Characters/MarvelComicsMystique Mystique]] and ComicBook/{{Beast|MarvelComics}} become StarCrossedLovers. In the comics, while they both have a lot of love interests ([[ReallyGetsAround especially the former]]), Mystique and Beast's few interactions in the comics are purely hostile or platonic. Hank even expressed relief when he learned Mystique's other blue son Raze was Wolverine's son and ''not his''.

** It's inverted with [[Characters/TeenTitansNewTeenTitans Beast Boy and Raven]]. While in the comics that were out at the time had them in a romantic relationship, in the cartoon they have more of a brother-sister relationship instead. Canonically. [[ShippingGoggles Don't tell the shippers.]]

* In ''Blog/AStudentOutOfTime'', [[VisualNovel/SuperDanganronpaAnother2 Hibiki Otonokoji]] becomes this to [[VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair Hajime Hinata]] after he and his allies manage to rescue her from her murderous twin sister. Afterward, the two become quite close, especially as Hajime helps her recover from her trauma, and Hibiki develops a crush on him. [[spoiler: When she gets kicked out of the school and is left homeless, he offers to let her stay with him, which leads to the two becoming even closer and eventually getting together.]] Also doubles as a CrossoverShip.

* In ''AZEL: VideoGame/PanzerDragoon RPG'', Azel feels loyalty for Craymen, the man who woke her from her sleep, and she regards Edge, t he protagonist, with little more than cautious friendship. When the game was localized as ''Panzer Dragoon Saga'', her lines were rewritten to have her confess her love for Edge by the end of the game, and she travels the world looking for him. [[spoiler:The following game, ''Orta'', apparently adopted this as canon, as she has produced a child named Orta by using Edge's genes.]]

* ''Film/AttackOnTitan'' already takes many, many liberties from [[Manga/AttackOnTitan the manga]], but one of the biggest is the relationship between Eren and Mikasa. In the original, they are adopted siblings (though there are many, many hints that Mikasa sees Eren as more than a brother), while the adaptation drops the adopted sibling angle and goes for a full-on romance between them. While this may not sit well with traditionalists, it's safe to assume those who ship Eren/Mikasa couldn't be happier. [[spoiler:The manga ''does'' later confirm that Mikasa was in love with Eren and vice versa. However, in the end they only get a vision of "what if" and ultimately Eren dies at Mikasa's hand as part of his ThanatosGambit after deliberately pushing her away. The epilogue even shows that Mikasa started a family with another man (while still wearing the scarf), so the trope ''technically'' still applies.]]

* In the pre-''Flashpoint'' continuity, Bernard Dowd was just one of Tim's many high school friends who didn't show up outside of ''ComicBook/Robin1993''. In the ''ComicBook/DCRebirth''/''ComicBook/DCInfiniteFrontier'' and beyond continuity, Bernard was brought back as a potential love interest and, by ''ComicBook/TimDrakeRobin'', is his established boyfriend and a main character of the ongoing.

* Downplayed in the 2018 miniseries adaptation of ''Literature/TheWomanInWhite''. In the original book, Count Fosco's love for Marian was entirely one-sided: she was revolted when she learned he was in love with her, and later she refused to listen when he wanted even to talk about his feelings. In the miniseries, most likely due to Fosco getting considerable AdaptationalAttractiveness and pursuing her more openly, Marian is shown to be at least somewhat attracted to him, getting flustered after his attempt at a DanceOfRomance and later allowing him to passionately kiss her.

*** Inverted with Goldar and Scorpina, who were husband and wife in the original sentai, but in this series they do not go beyond being allies.

* ''Series/{{Goosebumps}}'' seemed to do this for Steve and Carly Beth. In its adaptation of "Literature/TheHauntedMask," Chuck and Steve confess to the masked Carly Beth that they only teased her "because we liked her," something the book never mentioned or even hinted at. The later episode "Literature/TheHauntedMaskII" makes significant changes to the plot of the corresponding book, including Steve getting his mask off through ThePowerOfLove when he makes a HeroicSacrifice to save Carly Beth from the first mask (again, something that never even came up in the book's version of the plot).

* Nimue is presented in ''Series/{{Cursed}}'' as [[Myth/KingArthur Arthur]]'s love interest (in some versions of the Myth/ArthurianLegend she's portrayed as Merlin's lover, which is ''definitely'' not the case here [[spoiler:given they're revealed to be [[RelatedInTheAdaptation father and daughter]])]].

*** On the other hand, Speedy and Cheshire did get together and have a daughter in the comic, although due to CloningBlues, Speedy's careers as Arsenal and Red Arrow [[DecompositeCharacter became separate beings]], with the clone (Red Arrow) being the one to have married Cheshire and conceived Lian with her.

** ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' tosses any ambiguity into the wind and goes for a full-on BigDamnKiss [[spoiler:between Link and ''Midna'', not Zelda]].

** ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' tosses any ambiguity into the wind and goes for a full-on BigDamnKiss [[spoiler:between Link and ''Midna'', not Zelda]].