You know what they say, if you love someone let them go and if they come back they were always yours.
Viewers can never be certain who a character is going to end up with in the end, but odds are, their true love is going to let them go at one point or another.
Related: 13 Romances Ruined by Age
TV shows will add drama at any chance they get, and what’s more dramatic than setting your soulmate free?
We created a slideshow below of 19 characters who let go of their true love.
Rafael Solano – Jane the Virgin
Originally, Rafael wasn’t Jane’s true love but she was always his. He kept his feelings to himself so she could be happy with Michael, but after Michael’s “death” Jane and Rafael ended up together again.
Kira Yukimura – Teen Wolf
Kira may have loved Scott, but she had to let him go in order to find herself. She wanted to understand her powers and how to use them, so she went with the skinwalkers and was never seen on the show again. It’s not like we’re bitter or anything.
Lucifer Morningstar – Lucifer
Right after hearing Chloe confess her love for him, Lucifer made the decision to leave her for good. The only way to keep Chloe and the rest of the world save was to go back to hell forever.
Ryan Tribecky (Trick) – Black Mirror
Trick is forced to break up with Sara because of her mom’s blackmail. Marie didn’t approve of the two of them together and went to extreme lengths to keep them apart.
Hiro Nakamura – Heroes
Despite Hiro still being in love with Charlie, she ended up having a happy life without him when she was sent back in time. Instead of bringing her back to his time period he decides to let her go.
John Reese – Person of Interest
Instead of making Jessica wait around for him while he goes overseas, John tells her to marry her fiancé. It was clearly the wrong choice, however, when Jessica ends up murdered by her husband.
Damon Salvatore – The Vampire Diaries
Damon’s love for Elena may have been obvious, but he had never actually said it out loud. In a moment of selflessness, Damon tells Elena he loves her before erasing her memories. He confesses that he doesn’t feel worthy of her love in return.
Josh – Younger
No matter what she did to him, Josh couldn’t stop going back to Liza. He was even about to call off his wedding so he could return to her once more. But at the end of the day, Josh realized he had to let Liza go for his own sake and the only way to do that was to put a ring between them.
Michael Guerin – Roswell, New Mexico
The Roswell season finale was heartbreaking for more reasons than one. After confessing to Isobel that he would always love Alex, Max decided to be with Maria since his relationship with her was less complicated.
Ben Pownall and Maddie Bishop – Siren
Being in love with a mermaid isn’t easy. Ben and Maddie constantly have to let Ryn go back to the water, and each time they’re not sure if they’re going to see her again.
Alexis Rose – Schitt’s Creek
Alexis letting go of Ted and putting his happiness above her own is a huge testimony to how much her character has evolved. We didn’t see it coming, but we’re proud of Alexis for her selfless decision.
Justin and Alex Russo – Wizards of Waverly Place
We may have to go back to our childhood for this one, but the Russo siblings need to be included on this list. Both Justin and Alex had to let go of their true loves during the show, and they were probably the most heartbreaking moments Disney Channel has ever created.
Janet – The Good Place
Janet was forced to watch Jason with Tahani throughout several reboots even though she was in love with him. As much as Janet wanted to, she couldn’t be honest about her feelings because his knowledge of the afterlife would put him in danger.
Laurel Lance – Arrow
Once Oliver and Felicity got together, Laurel never tried to come in between them. But when she was lying on her death bed, she confessed to Oliver that he would always be the love of her life.
Clark Kent – Smallville
Clark tends to let Lana go a lot during Smallville. It was sweet at some points, but it started to lose its charm and become repetitive after a while.
Alec Lightwood – Shadowhunters
Magnus went into a depression when he lost his magic, but Alec was able to strike a deal with Magnus’ father. With the promise that his boyfriend’s powers would be returned, Alec broke up with Magnus leaving viewers all across the world heartbroken.
Jonah Simms – Superstore
After years of crushing on his co-worker, Jonah finally let go of the hope that Amy would ever feel the same way about him. He moved on and got a serious girlfriend, only to later find out that Amy felt the same way. Things get a little crazy, and an accidental sex tape is made.
Kat Edison – The Bold Type
Kat has let go of Adena so many times that it’s hard to keep track. But they always find their way back to each other, and we have faith that they’ll make it in the end.
Clay Jensen – 13 Reasons Why
Clay loved Hannah long before, and long after her death. He hallucinated her for months after she passed, but at the end of Season 2, he realized he had to let Hannah go and move on.
