7. Guybrush Threepwood and Elaine Marley - Monkey Island Series
Guybrush Threepwood when we first meet him in Monkey Island is best described as a little out of his depth. All he knows is that he wants to take up a career in piracy and it's during one of his early escapades on his way to becoming a fully blown buccaneer that he meets what will soon become his wife- Elaine Marley. Unlike many games which would see her as a straight out damsel in distress, Elaine Marley is a powerful governess who seems to be both resourceful and relatively formidable throughout the series. The relationship between Threepwood and Marley throughout the series of Monkey Island games usually sees Elaine as the more mature and competent character- despite the fact that the player actually plays Threepwood. Indeed, one gets the sense that if it wasn't for Elaine going along for the ride with Threepwood through most of his adventures, Guybrush's pirating career would amount to very little at all. It must be remembered too that much of the problems that occur throughout the series have to do with the antagonist LeChuck's own infatuation with Marley- making the games little more than one uncomfortable love triangle after another- if it weren't for the great dialogue, game mechanics and plot.