History Main / Starboarding

The term comes from the fact that Starboard is the naval term for the right side of a ship (the left side being the Port, but "Porting" [[UsefulNotes/SoftwarePorting already meant something else]]). Thus a Starboard is one side of a ship. Not to be confused with the sailing term "Starboard!", which is shouted when a boat has right of way since that boat is on "starboard tack." Though there is a parallel if you think about it hard enough.

Bob → Alice

Bob → Alice → Charlie → Diana → Emma

* Many ''Manga/BlackButler'' yaoi fangirls support the idea of Sebastian → Ciel, [[DepravedHomosexual Grell]] → Sebastian (which is canon on Grell's side), and Alois → Claude (canon on Alois's side).

** And if you see Light's sister as BiTheWay and having a crush on Misa, then it's Sayu → Misa → Light.

* There's much more evidence that [[Series/{{Warehouse13}} Pete has romantic feelings for Myka]] than the other way around, especially since Myka [[BiTheWay is obviously in love with HG.]] He's told her how beautiful she is and even admitted that he loves her, but they're probably just PlatonicLifePartners since he's very supportive when she likes someone.

* WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries: Rapunzel and Cassandra have been the subject of some LesYay in general, but this is irreconcilable with the fact that Rapunzel is canonnically much in love with, and in a monogamous relationship with her boyfriend ([[WesternAnimation/TangledEverAfter later, husband]]) Eugene. So another popular theory is that while Rapunzel never feels anything more than friendship towards Cassandra, the latter on her part is in love with Rapunzel (without Rapunzel having a clue about this). This would add even more depth to Cassandra's character, because then her continual contempt for Eugene wouldn't just be because he used to be a thief, but because of Cassandra's jealousy of his love relationship with Rapunzel; and Cassandra's [[spoiler:FaceHeelTurn]] in Season 3 would be because her realizing Rapunzel will never love her back the same way.

** Shippers of Tokko (Zuko+Toph) like to characterize this pairing as a one-sided crush rather than a crack. This is largely due to Toph's affectionate actions towards Zuko, to most of which he appears to be oblivious. Many Tokko shippers admit that Zuko probably doesn't return Toph's possible feelings for him.

** Almost anyone in Lelouch's UnwantedHarem → Lelouch seem to apply, too, depending on other shipping preferences.Gino → Suzaku is popular too.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Rem&Gelus → Misa → Light.

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

** There's also the canon Pokéship of Dawn's Buneary &#8594 Ash's Pikachu.

* A number of ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' fans are of the opinion that Thomas Theisman is, and has been for quite some time, quietly in love with Eloise Pritchart. While it's generally agreed that Eloise could, at some point in the future, return his feelings, as of ''A Rising Thunder'' she is still grieving the death of her lover [[spoiler:Javier Giscard]] and is in no position to fall in love with anyone.

* After the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Coldhearted" aired, many squeed at the idea of 12-year-old Queen Perdita having a PrecociousCrush on Kid Flash. It's deemed harmless and cute enough that many of the Perdita → Wally fans are also fans of him paired more seriously with another character.

* While there are fans would like to see them actually get together, many [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic bronies]] feel this way about Spike's crush on Rarity - finding it endearing while believing they wouldn't work as an actual couple. The relatively minimalistic (and thus [[CanonFodder ambiguous]]) ShipTease throughout the second season has served to stoke the flames of speculation on both sides of the argument even further.

-->'''Troy''': ''(defensively)'' Oh, and I can't? ''(defeateted)'' I can't.

* WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender has established that Lance's feelings for Allura are more than just him hitting on every cute girl in the series. Then Allura found out because he confessed to the mice, and she has a psychic link with them, but she seems rather guilty about finding out. So many fans ship the unrequited love.

* [[RuinedForever A weird meta inversion]] from the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' fandom. For all the crap Sega gets about [[DamselScrappy Princess]] [[StrangledByTheRedString Elise]] in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', it's hard to argue that she had anything more than a starboarding relationship with Sonic. Sonic considered her a friend no doubt, but he's always been a CelibateHero and ''Sonic 06'' does nothing to change that.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': {{Yaoi Fangirl}}s are very fond of the Sasuke/Naruto pairing more than any other slash pairing because they notice how much tension the relationship has; also it's canon that Naruto misses Sasuke and wants to bring him back to Konoha even though Sasuke attempted to kill him several times.
** Kishimoto/Naruto/the manga confirmed they are [[TrueCompanions just friends]]. Won't stop the {{Yaoi Fangirl}}s.
** Happens a lot in this series, actually. There's the tendency of [[KissingCousins Neji/Hinata]] shippers to have [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Neji]] secretly pining over [[ShrinkingViolet Hinata]] as though he were an UnluckyChildhoodFriend, while Hinata falls for someone else (usually IdiotHero Naruto or HotBlooded teammate Kiba).
** [[ADayInTheLimelight Kakashi Gaiden]] basically confirmed Obito → Rin → Kakashi. [[spoiler: Too bad the first two are dead.]]
*** [[spoiler: Obito now falls under [[RocksFallEveryoneDies Rocks Fall Everyone]] [[NotQuiteDead Not Of The Uchiha Clan]] [[RocksFallEveryoneDies Dies]].]]
** Not to mention Sasuke/Sakura, Naruto/Hinata, and Naruto/Sakura, the three most popular hetero pairings, are all ironically unrequited ships in canon.
*** [[spoiler:As of the finale, though, Sasuke/Sakura and Naruto/Hinata subvert this and become canon. Naruto/Sakura becomes firmly ShipSinking--never mind that it already sank back in Chapter 469.]]
** And then there's the people who ship Sasuke and Hinata for the sheer irony of it.

* Canon example: In ''ProfessorLaytonAndTheUnwoundFuture'', it's revealed that Layton's sweetheart Claire, ten years deceased, was [[spoiler:the LoveInterest of two men other than her actual boyfriend. One was her boss, Dimitri Allen, whose affections she acknowledged but was unable to return because she was already in love with Hershel. The other was Don Paolo, who attended the same university as Layton and Claire and was in love with her from a distance; not only does she not appear to have been aware of his feelings for her, it's debatable whether she even knew he ''existed''.]]

* In the film ''Film/TheWatcher'' (starring KeanuReeves), most of the [[YaoiFangirl fans of the movie]] ship SerialKiller David Allen Griffin (Keanu) with Joel Campbell (James Spader). The thing is, a lot of the charm of the pairing appears to be how ''completely'' one-sided and [[MindGameShip screwed up]] it is.

* ''Manga/GetBackers'': One-sided [[PsychoForHire Takuma Fudou]] → Ban Midou. Definitely a messed up, AxCrazy ship... but then again, the manga itself makes Fudou's homoerotic obsession with Ban pretty much canon (along with Ban's nonchalant, annoyed attitude towards Fudou). It probably doesn't help that Fudou actually even comes out and says that he's ***ed off that Ban only has eyes for Ginji, and that he wants Ban to [[GreenEyedMonster notice and pay attention to him instead]].

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}:'' One could easily see implications of River → Mal if one wanted to, especially during/after the Big***Movie.

* The ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' fandom pretty much universally agrees that Dist the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Reaper]]/[[SissyVillain Rose]]/[[EmbarrassingNickname Runny]] is [[SingleTargetSexuality Jadesexual]]. Only slightly less widespread is the belief that Jade doesn't give a ***.

* 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 god*** 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 ''WesternAnimation/{{Sidekick}}'', Kitty has a stalkerish crush on Eric, who is more into [[Alpha*** Vana]].

* ''Manga/GetBackers'': One-sided [[PsychoForHire Takuma Fudou]] → Ban Midou. Definitely a messed up, AxCrazy ship... but then again, the manga itself makes Fudou's homoerotic obsession with Ban pretty much canon (along with Ban's nonchalant, annoyed attitude towards Fudou). It probably doesn't help that Fudou actually even comes out and says that he's pissed off that Ban only has eyes for Ginji, and that he wants Ban to [[GreenEyedMonster notice and pay attention to him instead]].

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}:'' One could easily see implications of River → Mal if one wanted to, especially during/after the BigDamnMovie.

* The ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' fandom pretty much universally agrees that Dist the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Reaper]]/[[SissyVillain Rose]]/[[EmbarrassingNickname Runny]] is [[SingleTargetSexuality Jadesexual]]. Only slightly less widespread is the belief that Jade doesn't give a damn.

* 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 ''WesternAnimation/{{Sidekick}}'', Kitty has a stalkerish crush on Eric, who is more into [[AlphaBitch Vana]].

* There are ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' fans who find Dipper's PrecociousCrush on Wendy adorable without shipping them.
** [[spoiler:Wendy admits at the end of "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E2IntoTheBunker Into The Bunker]]" that she finds it super flattering, but she naturally lets him down due to the age difference.]]
** Following ''Northwest Mansion Mystery'', the fandom theory skyrocketed that Pacifica has a crush on an unwitting Dipper. Canon-wise, there are only a handful of vague hints from her side, and complete obviousness from him (aside from an instance of possible flirting during the aforementioned episode).
* Similarly above, in ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' some fans think the same with Mac shipped with Frankie.

* ''GetBackers'': One-sided [[PsychoForHire Takuma Fudou]] → Ban Midou. Definitely a messed up, AxCrazy ship... but then again, the manga itself makes Fudou's homoerotic obsession with Ban pretty much canon (along with Ban's nonchalant, annoyed attitude towards Fudou). It probably doesn't help that Fudou actually even comes out and says that he's pissed off that Ban only has eyes for Ginji, and that he wants Ban to [[GreenEyedMonster notice and pay attention to him instead]].

** Almost anyone in Lelouch's UnwantedHarem → Lelouch seem to apply, too, depending on other shipping preferences.Gino → Suzaku is popular too. **Nina → Euphie is canon and Rolo → Lelouch pretty heavily implied. On a more squicky note, [[spoiler: V.V. → Charles]] is a popular interpretation.