History Main / Starboarding

** There's another faction that believes the opposite, with Dean--the series' [[TroubledButCute troubled]], [[HeroicSelfDeprecation self-loathing]] [[ExtremeDoormat family doormat]]--pining after the [[TheStoic emotionless]] [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angel]] Castiel. It was made murky later on when Castiel slowly turns human and actually gains emotions, but once [[StatusQuoIsGod Castiel is re-"angelfied" and his faith in God restored]], he sees no problem in leaving Dean to fly off to Heaven. In Season 6, he only appeared when he needs something from Dean, and Dean does not seem to have forgiven him.

** As of season 10 it's also become quite common for people to see Crowley as having an unrequited love for Dean, who may have a mutual love with Castiel. Despite initially seeming like a CrackShip, the show definitely portrays Crowley's reaction to Dean [[spoiler:becoming human again after her was a demon, and then outright choosing to partner with Castiel over him later on]] as being comparable to a dumped lover, and the triangle is paralleled to the Abbadon->Cain/Colette LoveTriangle with Crowley associated with Abbadon.

* ''XMenEvolution'': The [[TheSnarkKnight Rogue]]/[[TheStoic Scott]] pairing is sometimes written this way. This one's got canon support, though: Rogue's one-sided crush on Scott as seen in the show was seen as being much more interesting than Scott and Jean's relationship.

*** [[spoiler:As of the finale, though, Sasuke/Sakura and Naruto/Hinata subvert this and become canon. Naruto/Sakura becomes firmly ShipSinking.]]
** And then there's the people who ship Sasuke → Hinata for the sheer irony of it.

** Snake → Otacon became fairly popular, sometimes accompanied by DryDockedShip, after ''MetalGearSolid4'' and the [[spoiler: Naomi affair]].

* In the ''InazumaEleven'' fandom, several pairs of the form "<character> → Endou" seem to be quite popular, probably because 1) multiple characters in-series have been on record constantly musing about the positive influences he's had on their lives and 2) Endou is a [[ObliviousToLove completely oblivious]] ChasteHero who [[AllLovingHero gets along great with everyone]].
* In ''{{Rift}}'', WordOfGod has hinted that [[RebelliousPrincess Uriel]] [[PerkyGoth Chuluun's]] [[LesYay crush on]] [[ProfessionalKillers Kira Thanos]] is canon. Whether or not Kira reciprocates, on the other hand, is a matter of debate.

* It's highly recognized in the ''Mega Man'' fandom that Ciel of ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' has very blatant feelings for the [[{{Badass}} eponymous hero]], regardless of her being human and his being a [[strike:Reploid]] highly-advanced robot. It's also generally accepted that most of it is probably unrequited due to Zero's ''[[IronWoobie very]]'' [[IronWoobie broken past]] (although there're shades of [[ChasteHero chastity]] there, too). However, there's still the fact that Zero's very willing to ''die fighting for her ideals,'' [[spoiler:and ''he does''.]] [[TheWoobie You can't help but feel sorry for the poor girl...]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' [[DiscoDan Milla]] [[FriendToAllChildren Vodello]] is hinted to have feelings for [[TheSpock Sasha]] [[TheStoic Nein]], and a cut scene involves Milla fantasizing a makeout session with him, but within the game there is no evidence that he sees her as more than a friend and colleague.
** It's unclear whether that's a fantasy or a memory...

* Isabella of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' has a has huge crush on Phineas, who seems [[ObliviousToLove completely oblivious]]. (Well, most of the time he does.)
** Ditto Heloise for the titular ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''.

* ''VideoGame/FatalFury'''s Mai Shiranui is absolutely smitten by Andy Bogard, but Andy, being a CelibateHero who also knows her since they were ''children'', isn't having any of it. So unless we talk about TheMovie, poor Mai is doomed to be the UnluckyChildhoodFriend.
** This [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on which game/series you're playing.]] Andy has been described as simply trying to keep things out of the public eye in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' version of events.

* In ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' fandom, Gumshoe regularly gets this kind of shipping with Edgeworth, whether or not Edgeworth is being paired with anyone else. It's not much of a stretch from [[HoYay canon]], given his apparent hero-worship and tendency to follow Edgeworth around like a dog seeking praise.
** Although, from another perspective, it could just be that Gumshoe is very, very lonely in general, and is out for just about any attention he can get. The manual for Justice For All offers a jokey sort of explanation for where all that confetti comes from when Phoenix wins a case; Gumshoe ''spends his free time cutting it all out himself'', and apparently throws it out at the conclusion of any case where he's present without any particular favor. Edgeworth doesn't appreciate the gesture quite as much as Phoenix does. That guy's not interested in sex; he's just happy you're willing to take twenty seconds to look and register the light reflecting off him onto your retinas.

* ''DNAngel'' has hinted at Satoshi → Daisuke. Satoshi seems to care more about Daisuke than any other person, and his transformation (which is triggered by feelings of love) happens when Daisuke gets too close. On the other hand, Daisuke's trigger has always been either [[LovesMyAlterEgo Risa]] or [[spoiler:Riku]]. Unfortunately for Satoshi and the {{Yaoi Fangirl}}s, Daisuke is probably straight.

* In ''PeacemakerKurogane'', lots of fans support the pairing of Suzu/Tetsunosuke as being unrequited on [[DepravedHomosexual Suzu's]] side. UnrequitedLove in an AxCrazy, StalkerWithACrush, [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence Rip-You-To-Shreds-Because-I-Love-And-Hate-You]] kind of way, that is.

* ''Series/{{Mash}}'': This is what usually happens with Radar, due to his age and innocence, with the main fan pairings being either Radar/Hawkeye or Radar/Henry.

** just because Dark is triggered by love doesn't mean Krad is, and it's highly implied that Dark isn't really triggered so much as chooses to respond.

* Some CaptainAmerica[=/=]IronMan shippers speculate that Tony is in love with Cap, but not vice versa, due to the somewhat lopsided nature of the pair's HoYay in canon. (Although in longer fics, it rarely ''stays'' one-sided.)

A form of {{Shipping}} where a shipper supports the idea that character A is in love with character B, but that character B doesn't return character A's affection. Like with ships where the love is presumed to be requited, this can be support for a "pairing" that is either supported or unsupported by canon. Unlike more mainstream shipping, if the love is ever requited in canon this may cause the "starboarder" to AbandonShipping precisely because it ''has'' become canon.

Bob → Alice → Alan → Roberta → Bob

* Canonically, Karkat from ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' has a [[SlapSlapKiss Caliginous]] crush on John. However, John can't return these feelings, partly because [[IncompatibleOrientation he's straight]] and partly because [[ThePollyanna he just doesn't have it in him to hate someone like that]]. Although the first issue is pretty easy to work around in fiction (after all, he's 13 - what 13-year-old can so decisively say what their orientation is?), the latter...isn't. However, Karkat's hatecrush is, in the eyes of many, either [[RuleofDrama a great opportunity for angst]] or [[RuleofCute goddamn adorable]]. (Or both!) Thus, while fic involving [[LoveInterest matespritships]] or [[MoralityPet moirallegiances]] are common between these two, fic where Karkat has a one-sided wish for John to be his kismesis are also quite popular.

* In ''KarakuridoujiUltimo'' the DepravedHomosexual Rune has a crush on Yamato who does not return his feelings. Rune's NotGoodWithRejection as it turns out.

** The SciFiDebris reviews highlight the many times that Harry Kim shows his devotion to Tom Paris, so much so that [[SarcasmMode "There's nothing gay about this"]] practically became a CatchPhrase. There's a lot less evidence, however, that Tom sees Harry as anything more than a good friend.

* It's highly recognized in the ''Mega Man'' fandom that Ciel of ''MegaManZero'' has very blatant feelings for the [[{{Badass}} eponymous hero]], regardless of her being human and his being a [[strike:Reploid]] highly-advanced robot. It's also generally accepted that most of it is probably unrequited due to Zero's ''[[IronWoobie very]]'' [[IronWoobie broken past]] (although there're shades of [[ChasteHero chastity]] there, too). However, there's still the fact that Zero's very willing to ''die fighting for her ideals,'' [[spoiler:and ''he does''.]] [[TheWoobie You can't help but feel sorry for the poor girl...]]

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'': Go-4 → Eve

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', fans tend to support the idea of any pairing with the Doctor as being unrequited. It's a very popular idea that the Doctor is [[{{Asexuality}} asexual]], but seeing as his ''very first appearance ever'' also included his granddaughter, it's quite safe to say that he's not. One novel in the Expanded Universe (not part of the TV show main canon) states that Time Lords never have sex, but instead weave their children on ''looms''. A later novel has human companion Franchise/BerniceSummerfield simply tackling the Doctor to a bed and merrily having her way with him, but the author was forced into a FadeToBlack (which got lampshaded again in a Creator/BigFinish audio, twelve years later). AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho also has a serious AnguishedDeclarationOfLove between the Doctor and human companion Charlotte, which becomes a major plot point -- but the Doctor makes it very clear that he did ''not'' mean it ''that'' way, and the two spend a lot of time arguing about her "yearning" for him. The issue is often explicitly addressed in the new series: the Doctor realises that a relationship with a human just won't work, and tells his companions so, time and time again. However, writers Creator/RussellTDavies, Creator/StevenMoffat and Creator/PaulCornell all enjoy writing the Doctor as flirty and quite sexual, and enjoy coming up with in-story reasons for him to kiss people and for implying quite a bit more on occasion. And as of 2010 canon, there was that... thing with Queen Bess. Now with [[http://i.imgur.com/I17zn.jpg bingo card]]!

* Genkaku/Nagi in ''DeadmanWonderland''. It's canon that Nagi hates Genkaku for killing his wife, but fans specifically seem to ''like'' the idea that it's very unrequited on Genkaku's part.

* ''XXXHolic'''s pairing of Doumeki/Watanuki. Many fans think that it's cute that Watanuki has a crush on Himawari and dislikes Doumeki, and ships the idea of Doumeki having an unrequited love for clueless Watanuki. Not so much that fans tend to ship the dynamic of Watanuki/Himawari so much as it makes Doumeki's love for Watanuki unrequited.

* When Ryoga from ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' was given his own love interest to fall in love with, Akari, many fans hated it. Some wanted him to end up with Akane, others thought he should [[PairTheSpares end up with Ukyou]], but many felt that he should continue pining after Akane while she pined after Ranma, just as a demonstration of dogged determination as his primary quality. The cast of Ranma is full of other examples mostly because in canon it's a critical plot point that Ranma and Akane [[LoveDodecahedron have a ton of suitors, and some of them have suitors as well]].

* Certain yaoi fans in the ''CodeGeass'' fandom seem to favor the idea that Lelouch has an unrequited love for [[HoYay Suzaku]] (who is oblivious and loves Euphie), mainly because of the [[TheWoobie beautiful angst]]. The first season works better for this, given a large part of the plot is Lelouch either trying to protect Suzaku or win him over to his side, though even as [[FoeYay bitter enemies]], Lelouch demonstrates a surprising amount of trust and unwillingness to hurt Suzaku.

* ''VampireGame'' has too many to count.

** McKay → Carter was started in ''Series/StargateSG1'' and carried over to ''Series/StargateAtlantis''

** [[TheBigGuy Jayne]] → [[WrenchWench Kaylee]] is just this side of canon.

* As far as ''{{Gundam 00}}'' goes, although Lockon/Tieria is an ''extremely'' popular pairing in the fandom, a fairly large percentage of fans specifically prefer it as a case where not only are Tieria's feelings very much onesided (which, to be fair, is how they come off in canon [[HoYay if you see them as romantic]]) but there would be no hope whatsoever of Lockon ever reciprocating them [[spoiler:even if he ''hadn't'' died near the end of the first season]].