------------ Lina's Love Life

Slayers isn't a romantic series and doesn't focus on love, much to a shoujo fan's disappointment. Though there's little romance in the show itself, fans love to speculate and pair Lina up with others. The best bachelor is saved for last.

------------ Xellos Metallum

People love the idea of a Lina and Xellos coupling. It might be appealing simply because it's so far-fetched and impossible that people love musing about it. Or maybe because Lina and Xellos would just be so dysfunctional if they ever spent too much time alone.

First off, Xellos is a Mazoku. That means he can't love (many people will argue against this and fan fiction authors adore hypothesizing about it). Mazoku feed off of pain and suffering and supposedly don't feel love. Xellos might flirt with Lina and make her blush, but that's him feeding off of her flaring anger. He loves to tease Lina because he likes to get a rise out of her and her reactions are so entertaining. Besides, being the person that he is, one can never tell if Xellos is being serious or not. Most likely he's not.

There are some rumors that Xellos was a human at first, then turned into a Mazoku by his master, Xelas. So some people say that Xellos can feel emotions like humans can. But a rumor is but a rumor, right?

Even if in the unlikely case it turns out Xellos likes Lina, she doesn't like him. Enough said. She thinks he's annoying (as does everyone else on the cast) and doesn't appreciates Xellos' teasing. I don't see her settling down with him at the end, or even considering him.

------------ Zelgadis Graywords

Zelgadis and Lina are probably the most popular pair among fans. Zel the serious and sarcastic pessimist, and Lina, the laid-back, optimistic, energetic firebomb. They're complete opposites which makes a good pairing.

Zelgadis hardly laughs except for the few times he smiles at a morbidly sarcastic comment or something along those lines. Otherwise, the guy has a low sense of humor. Lina is the first one in the series to make him laugh, which is quite an accomplishment in itself. Lina doesn't see Zelgadis as a chimera, but treats him as if he was a normal human. She can also cheer him up well. The thing is, there aren't any indications in the anime that Zel might like Lina. He never truly shows much interest in her. Then again, he doesn't show much interest in any girl; he's too bent on finding his cure.

When Zelgadis isn't obsessed with his cure, there are rare moments where he shows interest. Zel is somewhat a neutral in between Amelia and Lina; at the very end of Slayers TRY there's a hint that he has interest in Amelia, and up to that it's all speculation whether he likes Amelia or Lina. Zel likes being around Lina and there's always a mutual respect between the two. Let's not forget the compliment he once gave her: "You're definitely one in a million." And that time they were walking arm in arm in one of Jiras' traps, and Zel thought to himself, "I could get used to this." Lina brings freshness and energy into Zel's life. She never treated him differently because he was a chimera. She didn't prod into his life, she didn't ask him to talk about things that he would rather keep to himself. Though Lina's interest for finding treasure was usually involved, she always helped him eagerly in finding a cure for him. She teases him and is completely comfortable with him in a way I don't think Zel has experienced human contact before.

Personally, I like the Zelgadis and Lina pair; they're my favorite. Though Lina is, originally by the creators, made to be with Gourry, I still go with the Zel and Lina coupling. The only thing that would hinder their relationship would be that they're both extremely stubborn and share some of the same personality characteristics. However, the two are much more of an interesting pair I think, mainly cause I like Zel much better than Gourry. :P

------------ Gourry Gabriev

The Gourry and Lina pair is the one intended by the creators of the series. The two make a good pair in battle. They've been traveling together for a long time and always know what the other is thinking, even if they don't communicate it out loud. They're "connected whether they like it or not" as Lina says.

There are lots of blaringly obvious signs and indications of Lina and Gourry's affection for each other, and no one can argue against those. For example, Lina once asks Gourry if he has anyone that he really likes, obviously wanting to know if she had a chance. Whenever he says he'll protect her for the rest of his life, she blushes madly. Unfortunately, whenever she starts to get into an important conversation with him, he falls asleep. At the end of Slayers NEXT, Lina sacrifices a lot for Gourry and they share their first kiss inside Hellmaster's portal. Of course, when they get back to earth, it's same old, same old. Lina denies everything and blasts Gourry to kingdom come for "stealing her innocence."

The thing about Lina and Gourry is that they're made to be paired for each other, and therefore fit perfectly like two puzzle pieces. Lina is rough, violent, incredibly independent, stubborn, and keeps her most important thoughts and feelings to herself. Gourry, on the other hand, is softer and kind of smoothes her rough edges. Usually it's the other way around, but Gourry's the more calm and go-with-the-flow of the two. He's more of the "forgive and forget" type, while Lina is more the revenge type. :P Gourry also isn't stubborn and is willing to change his ways for a while to help the situation, as well as accept things much easier. Not to mention, he's perfectly fine with telling his feelings. In a relationship, someone's got to share their feelings first. If both Gourry and Lina were afraid of telling their feelings, nothing would happen between them. They certainly match well. 

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