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Summer is here again, so it’s time for the 2015 AO3 Ship Stats!
This list shows the 100 most popular relationship tags on the fanworks site Archive Of Our Own. There are 65 M/M pairings, 25 F/M, 4 F/F, 4 Gen, and 2 Other. (Please note that on AO3, ‘Name & Name’ indicates platonic relationships (Gen), while ‘Name/Name’ is used for romantic pairings.)
Of the 200 names on the list, 33 belong to women and 2 to characters of ambiguous gender - up from 29 women this time last year. 24 of the 200 names are POC, while 12 are characters of ambiguous race, up from 11 POC and 14 ambiguous in 2014.
Please see the FAQ post for more information.
(Data updated to table format April 2025.)
| Rank | Change | Pairing Tag | Fandom | Works | Type | Race |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -1 | Castiel/Dean Winchester | Supernatural | 43,209 | M/M | White |
| 2 | -1 | Sherlock Holmes/John Watson | Sherlock (TV) | 39,374 | M/M | White |
| 3 | 0 | Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski | Teen Wolf (TV) | 34,999 | M/M | White |
| 4 | 0 | Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson | One Direction (Band) | 21,658 | M/M | White |
| 5 | 0 | Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester | Supernatural | 14,677 | M/M | White |
| 6 | 0 | Merlin/Arthur Pendragon | Merlin (TV) | 13,337 | M/M | White |
| 7 | -15 | James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers | Captain America (Movies) | 12,337 | M/M | White |
| 8 | 0 | Steve Rogers/Tony Stark | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 11,999 | M/M | White |
| 9 | -2 | Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 11,552 | M/M | White |
| 10 | 0 | Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel | Glee | 10,911 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 11 | -2 | Sherlock Holmes & John Watson | Sherlock (TV) | 10,524 | Gen | White |
| 12 | -1 | Rodney McKay/John Sheppard | Stargate Atlantis | 8,548 | M/M | White |
| 13 | 0 | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier | X-Men: First Class (2011) | 8,544 | M/M | White |
| 14 | 0 | Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki | Supernatural RPF | 7,751 | M/M | White |
| 15 | -2 | Clint Barton/Phil Coulson | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 7,484 | M/M | White |
| 16 | -17 | Levi/Eren Yeager | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan | 7,207 | M/M | White |
| 17 | -1 | Enjolras/Grantaire | Les Misérables - All Media Types | 6,838 | M/M | White |
| 18 | -7 | Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 6,751 | F/M | White |
| 19 | -8 | Zayn Malik/Liam Payne | One Direction (Band) | 6,665 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 20 | -4 | Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams | Hawaii Five-0 (2010) | 6,534 | M/M | White |
| 21 | -7 | Gabriel/Sam Winchester | Supernatural | 6,325 | M/M | White |
| 22 | -3 | James T. Kirk/Spock | Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) | 6,247 | M/M | White |
| 23 | -11 | Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg | The Sentinel | 6,090 | M/M | White |
| 24 | -10 | Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield | The Hobbit - All Media Types | 6,086 | M/M | White |
| 25 | -14 | Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich | Shameless (US) | 5,908 | M/M | White |
| 26 | -2 | Harry Potter/Severus Snape | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 5,812 | M/M | White |
| 27 | -7 | Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones | Torchwood | 5,689 | M/M | White |
| 28 | -2 | Loki/Thor | Thor (Movies) | 5,653 | M/M | White |
| 29 | -6 | Allison Argent/Scott McCall | Teen Wolf (TV) | 5,645 | F/M | Whi/POC |
| 30 | 0 | Sirius Black/Remus Lupin | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 5,462 | M/M | White |
| 31 | 0 | Pepper Potts/Tony Stark | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 5,446 | F/M | White |
| 32 | -11 | James T. Kirk/Leonard McCoy | Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) | 5,440 | M/M | White |
| 33 | -18 | Clark Kent/Lex Luthor | Smallville | 5,270 | M/M | White |
| 34 | -3 | Mycroft Holmes/Lestrade | Sherlock (TV) | 4,988 | M/M | White |
| 35 | -3 | Loki/Tony Stark | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 4,935 | M/M | White |
| 36 | -1 | Frank Iero/Gerard Way | My Chemical Romance | 4,902 | M/M | White |
| 37 | -32 | Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak | Arrow (TV 2012) | 4,864 | F/M | White |
| 38 | -9 | Arthur/Eames (Inception) | Inception (2010) | 4,676 | M/M | White |
| 39 | -3 | Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter | Hannibal (TV) | 4,626 | M/M | White |
| 40 | -11 | Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan | Once Upon a Time (TV) | 4,594 | F/F | Whi/POC |
| 41 | -16 | Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan | 4,156 | M/M | White |
| 42 | -1 | Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold | Once Upon a Time (TV) | 3,817 | F/M | White |
| 43 | -12 | Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper | Sherlock (TV) | 3,790 | F/M | White |
| 44 | -32 | Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan | Once Upon a Time (TV) | 3,681 | F/M | White |
| 45 | N | Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin | The 100 (TV) | 3,637 | F/M | Whi/POC |
| 46 | -8 | John Egbert/Dave Strider | Homestuck | 3,601 | M/M | Ambig |
| 47 | -5 | Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 3,541 | F/M | White |
| 48 | -3 | Mary Morstan/John Watson | Sherlock (TV) | 3,501 | F/M | White |
| 49 | -3 | Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler | Doctor Who (2005) | 3,426 | F/M | White |
| 50 | -3 | Carlos/Cecil Palmer | Welcome to Night Vale | 3,351 | M/M | Amb/POC |
| 51 | -2 | Niall Horan/Zayn Malik | One Direction (Band) | 3,297 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 52 | -1 | Niall Horan/Harry Styles | One Direction (Band) | 3,294 | M/M | White |
| 53 | -6 | Jane Foster/Thor | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 3,217 | F/M | White |
| 54 | -17 | Castiel & Dean Winchester | Supernatural | 3,190 | Gen | White |
| 55 | -14 | Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill | Stargate SG-1 | 3,180 | M/M | White |
| 56 | -4 | Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark | Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins | 3,148 | F/M | Whi/Amb |
| 57 | -13 | James Bond/Q | Skyfall (2012) | 3,140 | M/M | White |
| 58 | -2 | Sebastian Moran/James Moriarty | Sherlock (TV) | 3,048 | M/M | White |
| 59 | -19 | Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski | due South | 3,027 | M/M | White |
| 60 | -6 | Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester | Supernatural | 2,961 | F/M | White |
| 61 | -11 | Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore | Teen Wolf (TV) | 2,926 | F/M | White |
| 62 | -2 | Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester | Supernatural | 2,914 | Gen | White |
| 63 | N | Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford | Dragon Age: Inquisition | 2,894 | Other | Whi/Amb |
| 64 | -4 | Bruce Banner/Tony Stark | The Avengers (Marvel Movies) | 2,784 | M/M | White |
| 65 | -17 | Eleventh Doctor/River Song | Doctor Who (2005) | 2,715 | F/M | White |
| 66 | -17 | Levi/Erwin Smith | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan | 2,694 | M/M | White |
| 67 | -5 | Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes | Teen Wolf (TV) | 2,692 | F/M | Whi/POC |
| 68 | -5 | Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 2,691 | F/M | White |
| 69 | N | Nanase Haruka/Tachibana Makoto | Free! | 2,600 | M/M | POC |
| 70 | -12 | Sam Carter/Jack O'Neill | Stargate SG-1 | 2,566 | F/M | White |
| 71 | -17 | Spike/Buffy Summers | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 2,545 | F/M | White |
| 72 | -5 | Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam | Homestuck | 2,505 | F/F | Ambig |
| 73 | -5 | Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 2,472 | F/M | White |
| 74 | 0 | Gavin Free/Michael Jones | Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF | 2,468 | M/M | White |
| 75 | -14 | Isaac Lahey/Scott McCall | Teen Wolf (TV) | 2,462 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 76 | N | Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein | Carmilla (Web Series) | 2,429 | F/F | White |
| 77 | -4 | America (Hetalia)/England (Hetalia) | Hetalia: Axis Powers | 2,427 | M/M | White |
| 78 | -17 | Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski | Teen Wolf (TV) | 2,366 | M/M | White |
| 79 | -10 | Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz | Fall Out Boy | 2,330 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 80 | -6 | Brian Kinney/Justin Taylor | Queer as Folk (US) | 2,227 | M/M | White |
| 81 | N | Dan Howell/Phil Lester | Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) | 2,203 | M/M | White |
| 82 | -2 | Castiel/Sam Winchester | Supernatural | 2,118 | M/M | White |
| 83 | -4 | James Potter/Lily Evans Potter | Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling | 2,092 | F/M | White |
| 84 | N | Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio | Haikyuu!! | 2,085 | M/M | POC |
| 85 | -6 | Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson | One Direction (Band) | 2,080 | M/M | White |
| 86 | -1 | Zayn Malik/Harry Styles | One Direction (Band) | 2,028 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 87 | -9 | Jake English/Dirk Strider | Homestuck | 2,024 | M/M | Ambig |
| 88 | N | Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski | Teen Wolf (TV) | 2,022 | F/M | White |
| 89 | -19 | Anthony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs | NCIS | 2,021 | M/M | White |
| 90 | -10 | Scott McCall/Stiles Stilinski | Teen Wolf (TV) | 1,996 | M/M | Whi/POC |
| 91 | N | Kaidan Alenko/Shepard | Mass Effect | 1,992 | Other | Amb/POC |
| 92 | N | James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers | Captain America (Movies) | 1,969 | Gen | White |
| 93 | -2 | Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas | Homestuck | 1,957 | M/M | Ambig |
| 94 | -29 | Adam Lambert/Tommy Ratliff | Adam Lambert (Musician) | 1,951 | M/M | White |
| 95 | N | Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto | Naruto | 1,948 | M/M | POC |
| 96 | N | Guinevere/Arthur Pendragon | Merlin (TV) | 1,920 | F/M | Whi/POC |
| 97 | -24 | Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce | Glee | 1,899 | F/F | Whi/POC |
| 98 | N | Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka | Free! | 1,880 | M/M | POC |
| 99 | N | Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) | 1,846 | F/M | Whi/POC |
| 100 | -1 | Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb | Pacific Rim (2013) | 1,819 | M/M | White |