At the end of The Big Bang Theory’s 12 seasons, all of the couples had such promising futures. Amy and Sheldon had just won a Nobel Prize, Penny and Leonard were expecting, Bernadette and Howard were done creating their little family, and Raj…well, fans saw Raj invite Sarah Michelle Gellar as a date to the Nobel Prize ceremony.
Relationships have never been Raj’s strong point, which is twisted because out of all the men Raj is by far the most romantic and endearing. He’s always loved love and yet his relationships all blew up in flames. Maybe Raj wasn’t the catch so many viewers saw him to be. After all, he was extremely clingy, obsessive, and kissed his dog. Nevertheless, it’s hard not taking a trip down memory lane and ranking Raj’s relationships from worst to best.
Updated on June 12th, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs: Raj Koothrappali has been through the wringer in the love department. Among his best friends and colleagues, Raj was the one character who wanted to be a husband more than anything. As passionate about space as he was, he was more excited about falling in love. Sadly, Raj never got his happily ever after by the end of The Big Bang Theory. He got close to the finish line with Anu but was she the best lady Raj has been with? It’s hard to say without dissecting all the women Raj has dated throughout The Big Bang Theory’s 12 seasons.
10 Emily Was Using Raj For His Money
Raj was involved with two different Emilys throughout The Big Bang Theory. He dated this Emily in season five after being introduced by Penny. Emily and Penny met at the gym and what makes her so special to Raj is that she’s deaf. Due to Raj’s selective mutism at this time, dating someone who couldn’t actually hear him helped him open up and relax. Sadly, Raj went too hard too early, and basically told her he loved her immediately. In the meantime, he also paid off her credit card bills, bought her jewelry, and even leased her a new car. It didn’t take long to figure out that she was totally using Raj for his riches. To make matters worse, when Raj’s dad cut him off financially, Emily seemed totally uninterested in Raj and the two broke it off (after being verbally attacked by Penny and Howard, of course).
9 Lakshmi Choudry Wanted To Marry Raj But It Would’ve Been A Lie
Viewers met Lakshmi in the fifth season after Raj’s parents set them up on a blind date. Raj becomes excited about Lakshmi and the possibility of an arranged marriage because of her beauty and her connection with his family but that comes to a halt when he finds out she was a lesbian and using him as a beard.
The only reason Lakshmi thought an arranged marriage with Raj would have worked is that she thought Raj was also gay. While that couldn’t be farther from the truth, Raj was considering marrying her just to say he was married — even though there was no physical connection between them.
8 Lalita Gupta Was Turned Off By His Tipsy Behavior
Lalita and Raj only went out on one date but it was one of the first dates fans saw Raj on (and realized why he’s been single for so long). The two grew up together and were set up on a blind date by their parents. But thanks to Raj’s mutism, he realized he would only have the courage to go on a date after a few sips of alcohol. This led to Raj getting a little too tipsy on their date, which was a total turn-off for Lalita. These two could have been a charming couple if Raj’s obnoxious behavior didn’t get in the way. Both of their families knew each other, they grew up together, and they both found themselves in California
7 Ruchi Crossed The Line With Bernadette
If viewers thought the relationship between Raj and Ruchi felt forced, they’d be right. Raj met Ruchi in the 11th season as she was the new girl in town. With Bernadette on bed rest with her second baby, Ruchi took over for Bernadette in her absence.
While Bernadette liked Ruchi at first, she soon realized she may be trying to take Bernadette’s job from her. Meanwhile, Raj is too obsessed with Ruchi to realize that she’s only interested in being his friend. But as fans know, that lead to the two of them sleeping together and starting a casual fling. When Raj tries to meddle in Ruchi’s work with Bernadette, she becomes offended and that was the end of Raj and Ruchi.
6 Lucy And Raj’s Anxieties Tore Them Apart
The Raj and Lucy era could have been a good one but both were far too insecure with themselves to ever work as a couple. The two met at the comic book store but Lucy escaped through the bathroom window on their first date. As it turns out, she had a major social anxiety disorder and took it out on Raj. He tried many times to make it work with Lucy but either she kept escaping or he was trying to be someone he wasn’t. If these two learned to trust and work with each other, they could have been in a very secure and loving relationship.
5 Anu And Raj Loved Each Other But Weren’t In Love With Each Other
By the 12th season, Raj was tired of failing at love and looked to his father for help. He decided to partake in an arranged marriage with a woman named Anu who was also in California. The two actually got along very well, although Anu was more organized and assertive. Eventually, the lack of romance in their courtship got the best of Raj and he wanted to try dating her for a while before rushing into marriage. The two made it work and were quite lovely together but it wasn’t love. Things fell apart when Anu moved to London and Raj stayed back in Pasadena.
4 Issabella Concepción Didn’t Appreciate Raj’s Judgments
Issabella and Raj went on one date but it was one of the more promising Raj went on. The two met at the university when Raj was working late one night. Issabella was a beautiful cleaner who had a real connection to Raj. After meeting her, Raj decided to help her around campus as the two got to know each other. After she turned down his many attempts at a date, he brought the date to her and the two dined in his office. Sadly, Issabella found out that Raj was ashamed of her job and that was the end of Raj and Issabella. But had he not insulted her career choices, these two could have been endgame.
3 Nell And Raj Had So Much Chemistry
Was Nell Raj’s perfect mate? The two met in season 11 after Nell saw one of Raj’s planetarium shows. She was confident and direct and told Raj how much she enjoyed the show before taking a selfie with him. Later on, Raj and Nell had been seeing each other and she loved how caring he was. Unlike Raj’s other girlfriends, Nell was extremely approachable. Sadly, Nell was still technically married to her husband and had only been separated for two weeks. The two kept seeing each other but once her ex-husband contacted Raj, that was the end of the Nell era.
2 Emily Sweeney Never Wanted Things To End With Raj
Emily Sweeney was Raj’s long-term, most serious girlfriend. The two had a tough start but eventually fell for each other. However, unlike Bernadette, Penny, and Amy, Emily didn’t hang out with the other girlfriends. She always kept her distance from the group and didn’t like Sheldon’s treatment (or her odd past with Howard). But for as long as these two dated, they were very different. Emily was into dark and creepy things, while Raj was more into Legally Blonde. He eventually followed his heart and broke up with Emily but was it the right decision?
1 Claire Was Raj’s Perfect Match
Claire was Raj’s friend, lover, and ex but she was hands down the perfect match for Raj. The two met at the comic book store and were completely platonic. It was through their friendship that they both started having feelings for each other. The problem is, they were both on and off with their exes. But the real beauty about Claire and Raj is how honest they were with each other! Viewers have never seen Raj more upfront and open than with Claire. Was he a little self-conscious about their non-title relationship? Sure. But it totally worked. Sadly, Claire and Raj didn’t last long and fans never saw her again once they mutually agreed to end it but Claire was the perfect fit for Raj.
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