History Main / ThirdOptionLoveInterest

** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Blazing Blade]]'', the main lord Eliwood's potential wives are [[Tritagonist fellow lord Lyn]], the MysteriousWaif [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon girl]] Ninian, and... Fiora, a pegasus knight who is an optional recruit and has no plot significance.

** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Blazing Blade]]'', the main lord Eliwood's potential wives are {{Tritagonist fellow lord Lyn}}, the MysteriousWaif [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon girl]] Ninian, and... Fiora, a pegasus knight who is an optional recruit and has no plot significance.

** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade Blazing Blade]]'', the main lord Eliwood's potential wives are fellow lord Lyn, the MysteriousWaif [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon girl]] Ninian, and... Fiora, a pegasus knight who is an optional recruit and has no plot significance.

* Through most of the ''Literature/HannahSwensen'' mysteries, Hannah is unable to choose between the two men she dates, Norman (Betty) and Mike (Veronica). But eventually she strikes up a romance with her old college friend Ross and marries him in ''Wedding Cake Murder''. [[spoiler: But just two books later, he leaves her to go back to his first wife, and later becomes [[DeathOfTheHypotenuse another of the series' murder victims]].]]

* ''Series/JaneTheVirgin'': Jane is in a love triangle with Michael and Rafael, who are each both Betty ''and'' Veronica in some ways. Jane--briefly--sets them both aside to pursue HotTeacher Jonathan Chavez. She returns to the love triangle soon enough though and makes a serious decision, picking one of them for real.
* ''Series/LostGirl'': Bo has been in a long running love triangle with Lauren and Dyson. And then she picks… Rainer, who no one's even met. She calls him "her destiny;" not a single person in the main cast was pleased with that announcement. [[spoiler:He gets killed off before too long, and then it's back to the love triangle.]]
* ''Series/TheOfficeUS'': In the final season, Pete became a ThirdOptionLoveInterest to Erin, who had spent most of her time on the show caught in a love triangle with Gabe and Andy. Michael had foreshadowed this outcome, telling Erin in an earlier episode that if she couldn't choose between Gabe and Andy, it probably meant that deep down she knew neither man was right for her.
* ''Series/ThisIsUs'': After his ex-girlfriend and former co-star Olivia comes back, Kevin gets in the middle of a love triangle between her and Sloane, the writer of the play they were to perform in and Olivia's replacement as lead actress. Kevin still has feelings for Olivia, but he wants to do the "right thing" and continue dating Sloane. He has a LoveEpiphany later on in the episode, realizing he's still in love with his ex-wife Sophie.
* ''Series/{{Revenge}}'': Season One introduced Emily/Amanda's two major love interests: HoneyTrap victim Daniel Grayson and ChildhoodFriend Jack Porter, resulting in a LoveTriangle. Emily had strong feelings for Jack, but had to stay with Daniel for her plan and is implied to have some feeling for him as well. Season Two introduced the third option: Aiden Mathis, who met Emily at "revenge school" and is the only one of the three that knows all sides of her. While her feelings for Jack were strong, there is no doubt she was in love with Aiden. [[spoiler:Any chance Daniel had with Emily died by Season Three, and between Jack and Aiden, Aiden would've won (if only because Jack stepped aside), but he was KilledOffForReal in the Season Three finale. After that, it became obvious that Jack was going to be the winner, though Season Four did try to throw in some red herrings by introducing a ''fourth'' love interest in Ben Hunter, Jack's police partner, and redeeming Daniel. ''Both'' were promptly KilledOffForReal, and the series ended with Jack and Emily marrying and sailing off into the sunset]].
* ''Series/TheNanny'': In "The Bobbi Flekman Show", [[RichBitch C.C. Babcock]] notes to Fran Fine that [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Bobbi Flekman]] is the blend of both of their attributes. Though this is subverted by the fact that, [[WrongAssumption despite C.C.'s insistence]], [[HopelessSuitor Maxwell Sheffield has never seen her as anything more than his business partner]].

* In ''VideoGame/DotHackGU'', Haseo can romance almost any character, though the two canon options would probably be Atoli (Betty) and Shino (Veronica). However, play your cards right, and Endrance, who is a dude, will win Haseo's heart, much to the chagrin of every female in the party.
** There's also Alkaid who is unlike Shino or Atoli in that she's firey and agreesive. While she and Haseo are initially at each others throats, they warm up to each much much faster than Haseo does with the other two, probably because Alkaid doesn't have psychological issues like them and is actually able to communicate effectively.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has Aerith and Tifa being the main BettyAndVeronica for Cloud, although the date scenario has Yuffie as a Third-Option Love Interest. You can also go for the gay option with Barret.
** The ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' has Jessie (who just flirted with Cloud in the original) be a genuine Third-Option Love Interest for Cloud after Aerith and Tifa. Depending on the player action’s Cloud can reciprocate Jessie’s advances or turn her down gently, [[spoiler: choosing the former makes her death at the hands of Whispers of Fate all the more tragic]].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Played with. At the start of the game, Tidus meets Rikku (Veronica), and then Yuna (Betty); an early cutscene implies he is conflicted about his feelings for the two of them (he invites Yuna to see Zanarkand with him, only for Rikku to jog up and claim he invited her first), but about midway through the game he has the option to tell Lulu he'd rather be with her instead, invoking this. It's all subverted from about Macalania onward when [[OfficialCouple Tidus and Yuna]] get a definite RelationshipUpgrade, however.

* It's possible for Tatsuya to either romance Maya (Betty) or Lisa (Veronica) in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}}: Innocent Sin''. However, it is ''also'' possible for him to start a [[GayOption homosexual romance]] with Jun.
* [[CloudCuckoolander Elizabeth]] from VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} is an in-universe example, since none of the characters aside from the [[HelloInsertNameHere protagonist]] even know that she exists, though she isn't an example to the player, since she appeared around the same time as most of the other romance options.
* Ryoji Mochizuki in the female route from the portable version of VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} in another example since he is like a mixture of a Cheryl Blossom type and a Veronica type.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' has an interested variation, the Veronica on each gender and sexual orientation combination is often the last one met, while the second option combines both aspects of Betty and Veronica. Bettys would be either Cora (for straight males), Liam (straight females), Gil (gay males), or Suvi (lesbians) and Veronicas would be either Peebee (straight males and lesbians) or Reyes Videl (straght females and gay males). Combining both aspects on all sexual orientations would be the good hearted turian smuggler Vetra and the very openly emotional angaran Jaal (after a patch made him a bisexual option).

* VisualNovel/ActingLessons has Rena, one of three girls that the player can end up seriously dating/marrying. However, the potential for a relationship with her is not explicitly known until the near end of the story, and even then [[GuideDangIt only if the player has not explicitly rejected her and made certain other choices throughout the game.]] [[PlayedStraight Played completely straight]] if the player decides to be with her after initially dating both Megan and Melissa.

** Cross Days, which is from the perspective of [[HeroofAnotherStory Yuuki Ashikaga]], has [[spoiler:Makoto himself]], with Roka and Ai being the primary two.

* ''VisualNovel/PrincessEvangile'' gives Masaya five other potential love interests in the ''W Happiness'' fandisc outside of the core four heroines. They are: Ruriko, Konomi, Mitsuki, Tamie, and Marika.
* In ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', Sayo's potential love interests are gentlemanly SecondLove George (Betty), rebellious,perverted, longtime missing FirstLove Battler (Veronica), and free-spirited, longtime friend Jessica (third option).
* In ''VisualNovel/TheSecondReproduction'', Christina can choose between Lezette (Betty), Gardis (Veronica) and Jin (third option).

* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', after Elliot's breakup with Sarah, Susan and Diane both slowly develop feelings for him...only to get beaten to the punch by Ashley, a new girl he starts going out with right after he first meets her.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbStarWars''--during the DancePartyEnding, Leia is dancing with Perry as Luke and Han both glower on the sidelines.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'', Lion-O first falls in love with Cheetara (who rejects him for Tygra), then Pumyra (who turns out to be [[spoiler: a traitor working for Mumm-Ra]]). According to WordOfGod, if the series had continued, he would have ultimately ended up with an adult Wilykit.
* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', Marco finally begins dating his childhood crush Jackie, but finds out Star had [[MatchmakerCrush developed a crush on him]] over the past year. He and Jackie break up, with her believing he reciprocates Star's feelings, something Marco later realizes to be true. But by that time, Star has gotten back with her ex-boyfriend, Tom. Marco gets a third love interest in Kelly after this revelation, but while they do date briefly, he and Star ultimately end up together.

* In ''Anime/ParallelTroubleAdventureDual'', Yayoi, Mitsuki Sanada, and D's chances with Katsuki are ''apparently'' ruined when he meets Mitsuki Rara. The girls themselves (apparently) come to an unspoken mutual agreement to all [[MarryThemAll share him by living together]], even in the newly created combined world. For his part though, Kazuki only really shows any reciprocated feelings for Mitsuki Rara.

* Yago debuted in ''Series/AquiNoHayQuienViva'' late in the show's run, and soon became her official partner, thus ending her long-standing LoveTriangle arc with Carlos and Roberto. After Lucía left the building, he moved on and ended up having a baby with Natalia.

* ''Series/AquiNoHayQuienViva'': The beginning of the end of Lucía's LoveTriangle with Carlos and Roberto came when she met Yago, [[LastGuyWins who became her]] [[OfficialCouple official partner]] until she was PutOnABus for the final season. In Lucía's absence, Yago stuck around and ended up having a daughter with Natalia.

** Watanuki's feelings for Yuuko and the [[MentorShip pairing itself]] is becoming more and more canon. ''Especially'' after chapter 193, where Haruka pretty much comes out and has a heart-to-heart talk with Watanuki, giving him a relationship-advice pep talk ([[spoiler: "If you truly believe you and she will meet again, then you mustn't do anything that will make her cry."]]). Which prompts Watanuki to [[spoiler:go into one of his melancholy worshiping moods of Yuuko, holding her pipe and saying her name]].

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' played with this. [[EmperorScientist Princess Bubblegum]] was positioned as [[KidHero Finn]]'s main love interest, but many fans also liked [[VampireMonarch Marceline]], even though those two explicitly considered each other BetterAsFriends. Both are physically [[PrecociousCrush several years older]] than Finn and chronologically even older (and it later turns out they they're exes who still hold a flame for each other, leaving no room for Finn). Enter [[PlayingWithFire Flame Princess]], who is Finn's age, and whom he instantly becomes infatuated with some misery over a recent rejection by Bubblegum. Sadly, Flame Princess dumped Finn over a misunderstanding in "Frost and Fire", and friend-zoned him in "Earth & Water". He tries to win her back at one point, only for that attempt to lead to disaster.
** Huntress Wizard also qualifies, as she is into Finn, but doesn't seem to desire having a formal relationship with him.

* Cindy Wakowski a.k.a Red Riding Hood is this in the love triangle (square?) of ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga.'' She's Gary's ex-girlfriend that long broke up with him before the series but stands as a middle-point between his vampirized wife Mandy and ex-fiance Gabrielle. [[spoiler: Cindy is also BiTheWay and falls in love with both of the other women at various points in the series.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', Mordecai spends much of the series pining after Margaret, then later Cloudy J. In the DistantFinale, he is shown to have married and had children with an unnamed bat woman.

* In ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', Marco finally begins dating his childhood crush Jackie, but finds out Star has a crush on him too. He and Jackie break up, but by the time he gets back to Mewni, he finds out Star has gotten back with her ex, Tom. He still has plenty of [[ImpliedLoveInterest implied love interests]] like [[ChickMagnet Janna, Hekapoo, and Kelly]]. [[spoiler: He and Star ultimately end up together.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' originally had [[EmperorScientist Princess Bubblegum]] as [[KidHero Finn]]'s main love interest, but many fans also liked [[VampireMonarch Marceline]], even though the two explicitly considered each other BetterAsFriends. Both are physically [[PrecociousCrush several years older]] than Finn and chronologically even older ([[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Marceline is canonically 1000]], and [[OlderThanTheyLook Bubblegum might not be far behind]]). In "Incendium" the show introduced [[PlayingWithFire Flame Princess]], who is Finn's age, and whom he instantly becomes infatuated with after previously being miserable over Bubblegum's gentle rejection. Later episodes gave Flame Princess more backstory and more depth in her relationship with Finn. Sadly, Flame Princess dumped Finn over a misunderstanding in "Frost and Fire", and friend-zoned him in "Earth & Water". Finn is still in love with her, as revealed in "The Pit", but in "The Red Throne" his attempts to win her back lead to disaster, and the day ended up being saved by [[spoiler: ''Cinnamon Bun'', who TookALevelInBadass and wound up winning Flame Princess's heart.]]
-->'''Finn:''' Did I just get shown up by [[spoiler:''Cinnamon Bun'']]?
** WordOfGod, though, states the relationship between Flame Princess and Cinnamon Bun is strictly platonic, due to a large age gap that would cause squick in a heartbeat. Finn, though, was under the belief they were indeed dating, and didn't patch things up with Flame Princess until the episode "Bun Bun". Meanwhile, [[spoiler:Marceline and Bubblegum]] became a couple in the GrandFinale.
** Huntress Wizard also qualifies, as she kissed Finn, but also said they couldn't be together.

* The first two seasons of ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' saw a [[LoveDodecahedron wide variety]] of love interests for Saito, but by the end of season two it was pretty much narrowed down to [[{{Tsundere}} Louise]] and [[{{Meido}} Siesta]]. Enter [[GagBoobs Tiffania]]. Louise's reaction in particular could be heard from space. And then Tiffania was pushed to the back and replaced by [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princess Henrietta]], whereupon both Louise and Siesta were simply dumbfounded and stricken with worry: Louise had a HeroicBSOD and Siesta finicked about how she could easily remove all opposition and be alone with him.

* Aside of the BettyAndVeronica dynamics with Kotonoha and Sekai, there are three potential {{Third Option Love Interest}}s in the ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays'' games: Otome, Setsuna and Hikari.
** Cross Days, which is from the perspective of Yuki, rather than Makoto, has [[spoiler:Makoto himself]], with Roka and Ai being the primary two.

[[caption-width-right:300:Can't choose between your BettyAndVeronica? TakeAThirdOption!]]

* VisualNovel/ActingLessons has Rena, one of three girls that the player can end up seriously dating/marrying. However, the potential for a relationship with her is not explicitly known until the near end of the story, and even then [[GuideDangIt only if the player has not explicitly rejected her and made certain other choices throughout the game.]] [[PlayedStraight played completely straight]] if the player decides to be with her after initially dating both Megan and Melissa.

** Cross Days, which is from the perspective of Yuki, rather than Makoto's, has [[spoiler:Ai]] and [[spoiler:Makoto himself]]. [[spoiler: Roka]] probably counts too.

* The ''[[UpdatedRerelease Full Body]]'' version of ''{{VideoGame/Catherine}}'' adds Qatherine/"Rin", who mostly exists outside of the drama between the two main women. Unlike the realistically grounded but controlling Katherine and the sultry but dangerous [[spoiler: succubus]] Catherine, Rin is sweet, kind, supportive, and calming despite being [[AmnesiacsAreInnocent an amnesiac]] and a bit of a klutz. [[spoiler: These aren't just personality quirks, either; the True Ending reveals that Rin's [[MagicMusic piano playing slows down the nightmares and opens the listeners' minds, allowing them to see new possibilities and opportunities.]]]] Unlike the others, [[spoiler: Rin never tries to manipulate Vincent, nor has any hidden agenda related to their relationship.]] It's rather telling that out of all the potential romances, Vincent ends up the happiest and grows the most because he feels like he can be himself around Rin. What makes this especially interesting is that Rin [[spoiler: is actually male, which results in an UnsettlingGenderReveal and an initially panicked Vincent. Once he gets over it and apologizes, he realizes that gender doesn't matter, and even outs himself as bisexual publically to his friends and the rest of the bar he frequents. ''Everyone'' aside from villain ends up being totally on board with it.]] Rin's True Ending reveals that [[spoiler: they're actually from a race of shapeshifting AngelicAliens and their human form is that of an androgynous male, so there might not even ''be'' a word that accurately describes Rin's true gender.]] Of course, Vincent no longer cares by that point.

* The ''[[UpdatedRerelease Full Body]]'' version of ''{{VideoGame/Catherine}}'' adds Qatherine/"Rin", who mostly exists outside of the drama between the two main women. Unlike the realistically grounded but controlling Katherine and the sultry but dangerous [[spoiler: succubus]] Catherine, Rin is sweet, kind, and supportive despite being [[AmnesiacsAreInnocent an amnesiac]] and a bit of a klutz. [[spoiler: These aren't just personality quirks, either; the True Ending reveals that Rin's [[MagicMusic piano playing slows down the nightmares and opens the listeners' minds, allowing them to see new possibilities and opportunities.]]]] Unlike the others, [[spoiler: Rin never tries to manipulate Vincent, nor has any hidden agenda.]] It's rather telling that out of all the potential romances, Vincent ends up the happiest and grows the most because he feels like he can be himself around Rin. What makes this especially interesting is that Rin [[spoiler: is actually male, which results in an UnsettlingGenderReveal and an initially panicked Vincent. Once he gets over it and apologizes, he realizes that gender doesn't matter, and even outs himself as bisexual publically to his friends and the rest of the bar he frequents. ''Everyone'' aside from villain ends up being totally on board with it.]] Rin's True Ending reveals that [[spoiler: they're actually from a race of shapeshifting AngelicAliens and their human form is that of an androgynous male, so there might not even ''be'' a word that accurately describes Rin's true gender.]] Of course, Vincent no longer cares by that point.

* The DS version of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' introduces Debora, who functions both as this and as the 'Veronica' to Bianca and Nera's Betties. After showing no interest in the hero's actions or his completion of the EngagementChallenge he completed in order to possibly marry her sister, and turning an indifferent eye upon Bianca's entrance into the equation, she breezes in and offers herself as a third option at the last possible moment -- although, naturally, she views herself as the ''ONLY'' real choice. (Even her ''dad'' is surprised at this! But not displeased, since he'd previously resigned himself to ''never'' being able to get anybody to marry Debora.)

*** Raquesis has... ''two'' of these, actually. Her most "canon" love interests are Finn and Beowulf, to the point that in ''Thracia 776'' [[spoiler: her son Delmud is Beowulf's kid and her daughter Nanna is Finn's.]] However, if she gets enough love points with either Dew or Noish, she can have love talks with them as well.

* Many fans felt that [[ReplacementLoveInterest Nina]] filled this role on ''Series/{{Angel}}''. Of course, Cordelia was [[PutOnABus MIA]] at the time and [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] was busy with her own series… but when has that ever stopped anyone?