History ShipTease / DarlingInTheFranxx

* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/HoYay/DarlingInTheFranxx Have been moved to their own page.]]

As befits a show with ships built into its premise, ''[=DitF=]'''s cast has many possible pairings.

!!Stamen/Pistil

!!Pistil/Pistil

[[folder:Ikuno/Ichigo]]
* Ikuno blushes when Ichigo holds her shoulder comfortingly while encouraging her. Later, she's having trouble syncing with Mitsuru, so she touches that same spot, smiling nostalgically. This gets Chlorophytum working. [[LieBackAndThinkOfEngland The implication is that she has to think of Ichigo to do her duty]] as a wif- sorry, ''pilot''.
* She shows far more concern and fondness over Ichigo than Mitsuru.
* She explicitly wants Ichigo to be her partner and asks that they try piloting together in the partner shuffle episode. It leads to crushing disappointment when nothing happens.
* The new ending has a scene where Ikuno is about to kiss Ichigo.
* After finally [[spoiler:getting over her feelings for Hiro]], Ichigo seems to be paying much more attention to Ikuno. And, in Episode 15, she does say that "All this boy-girl stuff is such a pain".
* There's the preview of Episode 18, where Ikuno acts unusually emotional before [[spoiler: pinning Ichigo to the bed]].
* In Episode 18 itself, Ikuno confesses to Ichigo. Ichigo just hugs her.
* In one of the [=4komas=], Ikuno rolls around in bed, [[CargoEnvy wishing that she were the cat Ichigo was petting]] earlier that day. She puts on fake cat-ears so Ichigo will pet her too...and not only does Ichigo immediately understand this [[RuleOfFunny somehow]], she complies.
-->"I'd pet you even if you didn't wear that."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Miku/Kokoro]]
* Miku and Kokoro were certainly comfortable with Miku laying her head in Kokoro's lap, as if they'd done this before (and the two are probably roommates). Miku even states it probably made all the boys jealous.
* At the end of episode 16, the two are sleeping in the same bed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zero Two/Ichigo]]
* The first thing Zero Two does upon meeting Ichigo is to lick her cheek, thinking out loud that "she tastes sweet". Fair enough (given Zero Two's hybrid instincts), but for the whole first quarter of the series, the ''only'' people she did that to were Ichigo and the guy Zero Two is openly in love with.
* In the beach episode, Zero Two is [[LoveTriangle concerned]] about Ichigo's feelings for Hiro...so she corners her in an abandoned building, presses her against a wall, and asks Ichigo if she knows what kissing is like.
* Ichigo, although jealous of Zero Two, seems to ''want'' to like her: she makes Zero Two's bed for her, calls her and Hiro's names in horror when Strelizia is assaulted, and eventually comes to trust her enough to enact her (''very'' dangerous) plan to save Goro.
* The third [=ED=] shows Ichigo feeding Zero Two a lollipop.
[[/folder]]

!!Stamen/Stamen

[[folder:Zorome/Hiro]]
* Zorome tried to kiss Hiro, to find out what it was like. Probably the least serious ship, but that probably won't stop fanfic writers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hiro/Mitsuru]]
Sure, nothing will come out of this pairing. But the subtext ''is'' there, one-sided it may be.
----
* Mitsuru constantly talks about Hiro, looks expectantly at him whenever Hiro says anything ([[{{Tsundere}} before turning away when he is noticed]]) and tries to avoid watching Hiro and Zero Two interact together. Ikuno's noticed it, and she's likened his feelings about Hiro to her own romantic feelings about Ichigo.
* Episode 11 reveals that the reason Mitsuru resents Hiro is because [[spoiler: Mitsuru wanted to pilot a Franxx with Hiro when they were children]], and both of them even made a promise on that. Then after [[spoiler: Mitsuru underwent surgery to have a better chance at piloting, when he went to inform Hiro about it]], Hiro had already forgotten about their promise. Needless to say, the betrayal hurt Mitsuru so deeply to the point that he shed tears while ranting about it to Kokoro.
** If anything, this puts the events of Episode 3 in a new light. Mitsuru piloting with Zero-Two may have been an attempt to one-up Hiro not out of envy, but out of ''spite''.
** His breakdown even implies that while he undoubtedly has a grudge against Hiro, [[spoiler: he may still have feelings for him. Whether they're romantic or simply platonic, there's no denying said feelings are ''strong'' if he's still not yet over something that happened years ago.]]
* It's already made clear in Episode 11 that Mitsuru has ''a lot'' of hang-ups over what happened, but another proof is when they all visit the Garden in the following episode. A few characters comment that Hiro and Mitsuru used to go to the laboratory there, and Hiro's response implies that he doesn't even remember this, which causes Mitsuru to twitch in irritation.
* Episode 13 gives us a better look at the scene where [[spoiler: they made their promise; the look on Mitsuru's face when they did was radiating with joy. Then, said look is replaced with one of pure anguish later on when Hiro's memories were wiped.]]
* It's somewhat suspicious that when [[spoiler: Hiro and Zero reunite and make a grand LoveConfession to each other]], among all the other boys only Mitsuru's reaction to the scene isn't featured. Ichigo may not have been the only one who was struck with a certain painful realization...
* Episode 17 officially ends the possibility of any further subtext happening between the two, though it does end on peaceful terms with their conversation by the lake. In that scene, Hiro gently affirms Mitsuru about his feelings for Kokoro and implicitly apologizes for hurting him in the past, and Mitsuru responds that it's nice to have a friendly conversation with him again.
[[/folder]]

* However, at the end of the episode, their memories have been altered such that they don't remember each other. In Epidoe 19, Mitsuru states he doesn't think they will ever have such feelings for one another.

* Sinking as of episode 18 where Ikuno finally [[spoiler: comes out as a lesbian to Ichigo]].

* In Episode 18 itself, Ikuno confeses to Ichigo. Ichigo just hugs her.

* At the end of episode 16 the two are seen sleeping in the same bed.

* In episode 7, they [[spoiler: actually get married]].

* Episode 17 officially ends the possibility of any further subtext happening between the two, though it does end on peaceful and friendly terms with their conversation by the lake. In that scene, Hiro gently affirms Mitsuru about his feelings for Kokoro and implicitly apologizes for hurting him in the past, and Mitsuru responds that it's nice to have a normal conversation with him again.

* Episode 17 officially ends the possibility of any further subtext happening between the two, though it does end on peaceful and friendly terms with their conversation by the lake; with Hiro gently affirming Mitsuru about his feelings for Kokoro and apologizing for hurting him in the past, and Mitsuru stating that it's nice to have a normal conversation with him again.

* The episode 17 teaser [[TonightSomeoneKisses shows Kokoro slowly unzipping Mitsuru's shirt]].

* Just launched in episode 11, with the partner switch. Ikuno and Futoshi seem to have better compatibility numbers with each other than either had with their previous partners.

* The new ending has a scene where Ikuno seems to be trying to kiss Ichigo.

* Miku and Kokoro were certainly comfortable with Miku laying her head in Kokoro's lap, as if they'd done this before (and the two are probably roommates). Even if Miku states it probably made all the boys jealous.

** If anything, this puts the events of Episode 3 in a new light. Mitsuru piloting with Zero-Two may have been an attempt to one-up Hiro not out of envy, but out of ''spite'' for forgetting their promise.
** His breakdown even implies that while he undoubtedly has a grudge against Hiro, [[spoiler: he may still have feelings for him. Whether those feelings are platonic or something more, there's no denying said feelings are ''strong'' if he's still not yet over something that happened years ago.]]