Throughout How I Met Your Mother, Robin dated both Ted and Barney – but who was really right for her?
A majority of the fans – the ones who didn’t buy the creators’ excuse of the “life is unfair” logic – were understandably upset at Barney and Robin’s sudden divorce, leading to a seemingly never-ending debate over whether Ted was better for her or Barney. We’re settling this debate once and for all here, so read on below to see who the winner is.
10.Persistent To Get Her: Ted
If you’d watched the first episode of How I Met Your Mother, then skipped over to the last episode immediately, you’d be flabbergasted to see that Ted was still the same chump pining after Robin in the ninth season – a full 25 years in the future in-universe. In the end, it seems Robin wanted someone who was so pathetically after her, seeing that she accepted Ted back. But let’s face it, they were no Ross and Rachel.
9.Attraction Level: Barney
With Barney, Robin had that attraction earlier on, such as when she sought him out in Season 3 with no intention of starting a relationship. The most amped up scene between them was in Season 7, where their dance sequence highlighted how attracted she was to him.
8.Living Compatibility: Ted
Barney and Robin’s engagement tenure showed that it was a task for Robin to live with him, as she was taken aback by finding out one strange fact about Barney after another. While she lived with Ted, Robin didn’t have nearly as many problems.
7.Likeminded Thinking: Barney
The reason why most of the fanbase loved Barney and Robin together was because they gelled, with their personalities syncing beautifully. They didn’t have any emotional baggage, something that Ted brought in plenty with Robin.
6.Better Friend: Ted
On an emotional level, Ted was simply there for Robin more than Barney. While Barney would be the first choice for Robin when needing a good and breezy time, it was Ted who would the one to initiate an emotional connection.
5.Better Couple To Follow: Barney
Unlike other women, Robin was accepting of Barney’s antics and would find the hilarity in them. For instance, when Barney wanted to see the girl with the “Ridonkulous” figure, Robin joined in as well. The two also had a hilarious method of avoiding fights, which was a whole lot better than seeing Robin and Ted sulk after they’d had a quarrel.
4.Grand Gestures: Barney
This was a close one, as Ted is the king of grand gestures; however, Robin was always shown to be uncomfortable when Ted did something big for her, rather than find it charming. Meanwhile, Barney pulled off “The Robin” from his playbook, an elaborate plan that was the grandest of gestures.
3.First Preference: Ted
Had Ted not let go of Robin, then Barney would never have had a shot with her. This was again seen in Season 4, where Robin’s first interest in having a casual relationship was Ted, and again it was Ted who ended things so that Barney could have her.
2.Wants In Life: Barney
The only reason Ted and Robin couldn’t have married when they were young was because Ted was fixated on having a spouse, a house, and children – all of which were things Robin didn’t want. While Barney was easily accepting of Robin wanting to be a career woman and having no children in the future.
1.Winner: Barney
All in all, Barney was the one who brought the fun side out of Robin. He was the one who made her at least consider being married and compromising in life for once, and he always accepted whatever decision Robin made, which relieved her of any feelings of guilt or resentment.
Ted got “lucky” that he’d found the Mother and lived the family life he’d wanted, but deep down his love for Robin was more of an obsession that haunted him to no end. It was because both Ted and Robin were single and had no more goals in life that they ended up together; move one or two things around, and they would have been doomed forever.
