“None of us can vow to be perfect. In the end all we can do is promise to love each other with everything we've got. Because love's the best thing we do.​​​​'”

~Ted Mosby

Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby (born April 25, 1978) is one of the five main characters of How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor.

In 2030, Ted sat down to tell his kids the story of "How I Met Your Mother". Beginning in 2005, Ted's meandering journey has taken him through many failed relationships, including being left at the altar. But the architect-turned-professor isn't giving up on his search for The One. She's out there, and each episode of Ted's life brings him one step closer to meeting her.

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Character Background

Early Adulthood

Ted was born on April 25, 1978, in Shaker Heights, Ohio (in real life, Josh Radnor grew up in the Columbus, Ohio area and writer Carter Bays is from Shaker Heights). He was seen cheering for the Cleveland Indians when they were playing the Yankees at a baseball game in the episode Where Were We?​​ and also alluded to once being trapped under a fake rock at a mall in Ohio when he was 9 in the episode Slap Bet​​. He also wears a Cleveland Indians t-shirt in Sandcastles in the Sand. When the gang is preparing for a hurricane he mentions he was a former Boy Scout in the episode Disaster Averted. He received a "good effort" ribbon from the Shaker Heights J.C.C. Swim Camp in the episode The Mermaid Theory and recalls spending a summer lifeguarding at the Chagrin Falls Country Club in the episode Doppelgangers​​​​​. He was the towel-boy on his high school swim team, but had to leave because of the chronic inner ear situation in I Heart NJ​​​​​. He describes himself as "half Jewish" in the episode Natural History. Though Ted lost his virginity in 1995 to Molly McKenzie, it is revealed in Sorry, Bro that during his high school years and periodically during college, Ted dated his long-term girlfriend Karen. He and Marshall were randomly assigned as freshman year roommates at Wesleyan but became friends on a long road trip that was deemed both "Fieroasco" (by Marshall) and the "100k Fiasco" (by Ted). This story was told in Arrivederci, Fiero​​. Ted graduated from Wesleyan with Marshall in 2000 as implied in the episode How I Met Everyone Else​​​​​​​​​.

For a while, Ted claimed to be "vomit-free since '93," meaning he had not vomited for any reason since 1993. However, in the episode Game Night, he reveals that this is not true, and that he vomited on Robin's door mat. He knows sign language (presumably American Sign Language) as well as French, Spanish and Italian. He has a strong tendency to correct everything that people around him say.

Show Outline

Ted, the central character of the show, is from Shaker Heights, Ohio, and is a Wesleyan University graduate and an architect who, according to Barney, thinks too much. When his best friend Marshall gets engaged, and he realizes his life is moving slow, Ted decides to stop being single and pursue the one. He goes on a search and believes he's found this woman when he meets Robin. Prone to socially questionable romantic gestures, Ted steals a Blue French Horn (nicknamed "The Smurf Penis") that was a topic of conversation on his first date with Robin. In a similar vein, he also dresses up as a "hanging chad" every year for Halloween, in the hopes of meeting the Slutty Pumpkin, a woman dressed as a jack-o'-lantern (complete with strategically placed holes) whom he once met at a Halloween party.

For a time, he dates a baker named Victoria, whom he met at a friend's wedding. She accepts a culinary fellowship in Germany, prompting a long-distance relationship, which does not last, due in large part to his persistent feelings for Robin. His friendship with Robin is threatened when he implies that Victoria broke up with him before she actually did, leading to their making out.

He and Robin ultimately reconcile, and shortly after that, Ted makes one last attempt to win her, hiring a chamber orchestra with blue instruments to play in her apartment while he makes his appeal. She cannot give him a definite answer, but, after she is stuck at her apartment due to an unexpected storm (that Ted had danced for), she decides to pursue her feelings for him upon his return to her. After nearly a year together, they break up, and Ted no longer sees Robin as "The One," but doesn't reveal the identity of his future wife. Robin, however, does act as an "Aunt" figure of sorts to his future children.

It is revealed in No Tomorrow​​​​​​​​​ that at a St. Patrick's Day party he and Barney attended, his future wife was also present. Once he returns to the room of the party the morning after, he picks up a yellow umbrella which can be seen blowing in the wind in the season promo. Also, he becomes the second main character to actually own a car (a blue Toyota Camry Hybrid) after getting a raise at his job in The Chain of Screaming​​​​​​​​​. By the end of the episode, Ted decides to get rid of the car to help Marshall with his income trouble.

In The Goat, Ted tells Barney that he no longer wants to be friends after Barney breaks the 'bro code' by sleeping with Robin. The two eventually reconcile in Miracles, after both were in accidents (Ted in a taxi crash, Barney being run over by a bus on the way to visit Ted in the hospital). At the end of season 3, it is also revealed that by Ted's 31st birthday, Robin will be living in the apartment.

At the beginning of the third season, Ted, while drunk, gets a butterfly tattoo on his lower back (his "tramp stamp"). He goes to see a doctor in order to have it removed, and goes on a date with the doctor in The Platinum Rule​​​​​​​​​. In Ten Sessions, they reveal Stella as the doctor, and after the tattoo is removed, Ted takes her on a two-minute date. They begin dating, and at the end of Miracles Ted proposes to Stella. She says yes at the beginning of the fourth season. Ted invites Stella's ex-boyfriend Tony (the father of her daughter) to his wedding, which unbeknownst to him, causes Stella and her ex's feelings to reemerge for each other, resulting in Stella leaving Ted at the altar.

Ted's life continues to see a negative turn during the fourth season. After being left at the altar, Ted has trouble rebounding back into a romantic setting, and his job becomes a source of trouble as well. After being hired to design a project for Goliath National Bank, he is fired after weeks of unsuccessful work by Bilson. He attempts to remedy this by starting his own firm, Mosbius Designs, but continues to be unable to get a client. It is revealed in the season four finale The Leap​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, that Ted ultimately accepts a job as an architecture professor, a job offered to him by Stella's boyfriend Tony as a peace offering. He also reveals that the mother of his children is in that classroom. However, in the next episode, it is revealed that Ted was in the wrong classroom on his first day, and that he was standing in front of a group of Economics students.

After starting on his job as Professor of Architecture at the University of Columbia at the beginning of Season 5, Ted meets, and briefly dates, an economics student named Cindy. They break up after Cindy realizes Ted and her roommate have a lot in common, despite the two having never met. Her roommate is revealed by Future Ted to be the titular Mother. She hasn't been shown on-screen except for a glimpse Ted gets of her ankles on his way out of Cindy's apartment. Over the course of the season, Ted bonds with his students deeper until they come to regard him as a true mentor. Ted's mother and her boyfriend announce to Ted that they're getting married, and subsequently do so. During the ceremony, Ted realizes his mother has gotten married twice while he's only gotten as far as the altar. He then goes off the grid for three days, with none of his friends being able to reach him. He finally calls them over to a property he just bought; his future home, which he slowly renovates from a dilapidated mess into a livable homestead. The group discovers Ted's doppelganger, a Mexican wrestler, later in the season.

Ted is later approached by Goliath National Bank to resume designing their new headquarters after they secured a location: The Arcadian, an old hotel which they intend to demolish and build Ted's design upon. Whilst looking at the old building, Ted meets Zoey, an activist who runs a movement opposing The Arcadian's destruction. Ted pretends to support her movement but when she finds out the building is being cleared to make way for his design, a tense rivalry begins between them.

Ted later meets Zoey again at a banquet hosted by her husband, 'The Captain', and they begin to bond. After a while, Zoey becomes friends with the rest of the group and Ted realizes he has feelings for her. He tries to suppress this as she is a married woman, until it eventually comes to light that not only does Zoey love Ted too, but she is divorcing The Captain, and so they begin an unsteady relationship as they are constantly arguing about various topics, including Zoey's beloved Arcadian. Ted is forced to decide between pursuing his dream of building a New York skyscraper and keeping Zoey - he chooses the former, and the building is destroyed. Zoey and Ted break up immediately afterwards.

In the beginning of Season 7, Ted runs into Victoria at the Architects Ball. Ted makes a long-awaited apology for cheating on her, which Victoria accepts though she is no longer angry. She is surprised to learn that Ted does not find it strange that he, Robin, and Barney hang out every night, despite the fact that both Ted and Barney dated and broke up with Robin. Ted reveals he deeply regretted cheating on her and they had loved one another; they end up sharing a kiss. Despite the kiss, Victoria realizes she wants to be with her boyfriend, Klaus, and leaves to meet him for a trip in the Hamptons.

At Halloween, Ted meets Naomi, the girl who wore the Slutty Pumpkin costume and who has also been searching for Ted; they begin dating. Ted immediately realizes he doesn't love her at all, but can't bring himself to end the relationship so easily after finally finding the slutty pumpkin girl. When Ted decides that he needs to break up with Naomi, he's stunned to see she's wearing the slutty pumpkin costume and says that he loves her. They arrive at the Halloween party on the roof wearing the costumes they wore when they first met. Naomi confesses that she found their relationship as awkward as Ted did, but also didn't want to end it after waiting so long to meet him and that she tried to force him to break up with her by acting strangely. They break up amicably.

When Robin breaks up with Kevin, Ted tells Robin that he really loves her. He says that they broke up in the first place because they had different views of where they saw themselves in five years. It's five years later and they are standing on the roof where they kissed each other for the first time. Robin tells him that she does not want to mess up their friendship. She then asks if they still have their "forty-deal", but Ted says that he can't do that as he doesn't want to leave any hope of them ending up together. He asks her if she loves him and she says no. Marshall then goes to Robin, and tells her that she has to move out, which she does. Later, Ted gives the apartment to Marshall and Lily which they gladly accept, being bored of their life in the suburbs.

When Ted, Marshall and Barney embark on another "trilogy time", Ted thinks that there is something wrong with him, as he still hasn't settled down with someone. But Marshall comforts Ted, saying that he has a good feeling about Ted's life in 2015. In a flash forward to 2015, Marshall and Barney set up for another "trilogy time". Though Barney complains that Ted is breaking their tradition by bringing a girl, he and Marshall make an exception because Ted really loves the girl, who is revealed to be his infant daughter.

After the birth of Lily and Marshall's baby , Ted talks to Robin about how he wants a family. She encourages him to go after the one who got away, Victoria. He gives her a call and invites her to MacLaren's. When she arrives, she is in a wedding dress. Victoria tells him that today is her wedding with Klaus, but she has always hadTed in the back of her mind. After deliberating with the gang, he takes her into the car, seemingly to drive off into the sunset with her. However, he tells her "I was left at the altar and it almost killed me. You're someone's fiance, and I have to respect that", and says he's going to drive her back to the church. Once he gets near the church, he sees flashbacks of Victoria, and drives past the church, where Ted and Victoria hold hands and drive off into the sunset.

Season 8 Ted starts to go out with Victoria. He dates her over the summer, while Barney and Quinn plan their wedding, Marshall and Lily raise Marvin, and Robin starts to date her secret crush Nick. Victoria wants Ted to takes things more seriously, in the fall of 2012. Ted proposes to her and she says yes but he has to stop being friends with Robin. Ted thinks he can do that, but realizes he can't and breaks up with Victoria.

Later The GNB tower opens. Ted asks Robin to be his date. She accepts but later Ted tells her that Barney is proposing to Patrice. He convinces her to stop him. She finds out that Barney actually was proposing to her, and he does. She says yes.

Robin asks Ted to help her find her locket. The two can't find it. She thinks it is a sign that she shouldn't marry Barney. Ted calls Stella and she says it could be in her storage unit in Los Angeles. Ted flies out there to retrieve the locket. Ted doesn't find it so he calls Victoria. She has it and over nights it to Ted. But Ted's crazy ex-girlfriend intercepts it and throws it into the pond in Central Park. Ted dives in to retrieve it.

Ted shows up at the Farhampton Inn, and gives Robin a picture of the gang. Ted reveals to Lily, Barney, and then Robin that he is moving to Chicago. He helps Robin look for a drunk Barney on the wedding day. He finally lets go of her.

Robin starts to panic on her wedding day. She tells Ted that she should be with him. Ted says I don't want to hear that. Robin decides to marry Barney.

Ted leaves the Wedding Reception and meets Tracy at the Farhampton Train Station. He stays in New York which stuns Marshall and Lily. He asks Tracy out on a date. On the date she reveals that she just broke up with her boyfriend, and isn't ready to be dating, but charmed by Ted, she makes an exception. A year later Ted takes her back to the Farhampton Inn and proposes. In 2015 The mother tells Ted that they can't get married in September because she is pregnant with their daughter Penny. In May 2016, Ted and his fiancé invite Barney, Robin, Marshall and Lily over. Robin reveals that she and Barney got divorced.



In 2017, Ted is on vacation with Tracy. She goes into labor with their son Luke. In 2018, Ted meets Barney, Lily, and Marshall at the bar. Marshall reveals that he is going to be a judge. Barney hits on girls. In 2019, the gang (minus Robin) is at Robots Versus Wrestlers, and Marshall asks Ted if he is going to tie the knot and Ted says he will soon.

In 2020, Ted runs into Robin with Penny. They are very excited to see each other. Later that year Ted re-proposes to Tracy. Robin shows up at the wedding. Ted gets finally gets married.

In 2030 Ted, tells his kids the story of how he met their mother. The kids realize the story is really about how their dad loves Robin. They encourage Ted to ask out Robin, because their mom has been gone for six years now. Ted shows up at Robin's with the Blue French Horn and she smiles as the series ends. A deleted scene confirmed that they rekindled their romantic relationship.

Future Ted

Main article: Future Ted.

Ted of 2030 is the one narrating the entire series and telling the main plot to his kids of how he met their mother. It was revealed in Wait For It that the kids already knew the short version of how their parents met. The detailed story seems to be his way of telling the kids how much Robin has meant to him over the years. Future Ted is voiced by Bob Saget.

Personality

Ted can be easily described as a hopeless romantic, being a strong believer in destiny and constantly searches for his soul mate believing that fate will eventually cause their meeting. This has led to Ted believing that most of the women he has had relationships with could be "The One" and this has also led to many failed relationships, perhaps his most notable one being with Robin.

Ted's belief in finding "The One" can often come across as being hopeless and even idiotic. He has believed that most women he has gone out with he was destined to be with while almost every single one, led to bitter disappointment yet he never seems to learn from these mistakes. He always goes into a relationship full of optimism that this one will be different than the last only to have this belief destroyed and crushed. These constant attempts to find "The One" for him often result in the annoyance of the rest of the group and can make Ted look incredibly stupid. For example, in the case of Jeanette Peterson, Ted constantly tried to justify the woman's blatant attempts of stalking him as being romantic, a fact everyone told him was obviously false.

Another example of Ted's short-sightedness when it comes to relationships would be his relationship with Zoey, who was protesting the destruction of a building to make way for Ted's first major architecture achievement. This led to her sabotaging his career, manipulating him, arguing with him and generally ruining his life. Yet despite all these facts, Ted's solution was to start going out with her. This relationship came across as illogical and not going to end well by almost everyone except Ted. This short-sightedness is notable in almost every relationship he had before meeting The mother and was mainly caused by Ted's hopeless belief in finding "The One."

Ted has annoying flaws like correcting grammar and he is whiny as well. In Not a Father's Day, Robin points out how Ted already acts like a father to the group: always making weird jokes and doesn't tip really well. He loves collecting coins (The Scorpion and the Toad, Lucky Penny), solving crosswords, and enjoys going to Renaissance fairs. Ted also tells overly-detailed if not long stories and other trivia on highbrow topics much to the dismay of a lot of people, including his children.

Ted also likes to play detective, especially when it comes to mysteries involving members of the Gang. He claims that his detective team is dubbed as Mosby Boys. His conclusions are often incorrect.

Relationships

Friendships

Ted and Marshall met at Wesleyan University, where they were roommates. After they graduated from Wesleyan, they rented an apartment together in New York. They lived together till 2008, when Marshall and Lily bought anapartment together. Ted repeatedly says that Marshall is his best friend in front Barney which annoys him, because he sees himself as Ted's best friend.

Ted was the best man at Marshall's wedding, alongside Barney.

Main article: Ted and Marshall.

Barney and Ted are good friends. Although Marshall is Ted's best friend Barney calls Ted his best friend. After Barney slept with Robin, they stop being friends until both are in an accident. Ted calls Barney his brother. Ted often goes to Barney when he's single instead of Marshall due to Marshall being married.

Ted is the best man at Barney's wedding.

Main article: Ted and Barney.

Lily and Ted are good friends and met in college. Lily is married to Marshall, Ted's best friend. Lily often does things to sabotage Ted's relationships because she sees her and Marshall growing old with Ted and his future wife. Although they are friends, Ted took Marshall's side and held a grudge against Lily, calling her names after she leaves Marshall to go to San Francisco.

Main article: Ted and Lily.

Punchy was Ted's best friend in high school. Ted experiences associative regression when he's around Punchy, and the two end up hitting each other with fists during their brief conversations.

Ted is the best man at Punchy's wedding.

Ted's on-again-off-again girlfriend from high school and college who he briefly returns to dating in Season 4.

Ted had dated Natalie three years before time of the episode Return of the Shirt and had broken up with her on her birthday, through a phone call. In Return of the Shirt Ted feels nostalgic about her and tries to asks her out again. She rejects him twice, showing that she is still hurt after all these years, but he finally gets her to agree for a cup of coffee. The two sleep together and start dating again thereafter.

After three weeks of dating Ted realizes that she is not the one, and decides to break up with her. On their date, he learns that it is her birthday and he breaks up with her anyways. She takes it really hard and beats him up.

Ted met Victoria at Stuart and Claudia's wedding. She didn't tell him her full name or give him any significant details about her, since she didn't hook up with any guys on wedding. However, Ted found her and they started dating. They date for a few months before she accepts a culinary fellowship overseas, and after trying long-distance for a while, they break up because Ted cheated on her with Robin. Ted next meets her six years later, where she tells him that she is getting married and that Robin, his ex, is a bigger part of his world than he realizes and that she is the main reason Ted's earlier relationships have failed. Ted later calls her, and she runs away from her wedding to meet him, and they start dating again.

Five months after them getting back together, Ted proposes to Victoria, but she tells him that for her to accept the proposal, he has to stop being friends with Robin as she is afraid that his feeling for her may rekindle in the future. Ted deliberates and tells her that Robin is like family to him and he can't end his friendship with her, resulting in Victoria breaking up with him.

After an awkward date where Ted professed his love for Robin (Pilot) , she decided it would be better if the two stayed friends instead (Purple Giraffe​​​​​​​​​​) . Ted and Robin both developed feelings for each other but at different times. They would both reciprocate their feelings 8 months after they met and Ted and Robin got together. (Come On​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​) . The two feel madly in love and where perfect for each other. They both said "I Love You" They had great chemistry, after a year however, they realized they weren't meant to be and broke up (Something Blue​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​) . Things were awkward for a while, but they were able to cement their friendship eventually by having sex on last time. (Slapsgiving) When Ted got engaged to Stella, Robin revealed to Ted that she had feelings for him and not to marry Stella. Robin eventually moved in with Ted (Not a Father's Day​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​) . Their becomes even stronger eventually Robin sees Ted her best friend and Ted sees her as “the one” Later, Ted tells her that he loves her and she moves out. (No Pressure) Though Ted finally lets go of Robin on the day of her wedding to Barney, it is revealed in the series' finale that she and Barney got divorced. Robin develops deeper feelings for Ted, Ted's wife dies and Ted's kids give him permission to be together with Robin after their mother died six years earlier. He arrives outside Robin's new apartment with the Blue French Horn. In a deleted scene it is confirmed that they rekindled their relationship.

Main article: Robin and Ted.

Stella was Ted's dermatologist who removed Ted's butterfly tattoo during Season 3. After taking her on a two-minute date, they start dating. He proposes to her at the end of Season 3 but they season ends without the viewers hearing her response. At the beginning of Season 4, she tells Ted she will marry him. However, she leaves Ted at the altar and runs off with her ex-boyfriend and the father of Lucy, Tony Grafanello.

Zoey and Ted started off as enemies, as she was against the tearing down of The Arcadian, but they later became friends. After sometime, Ted realized that he loved her, but she was married at the time, so he told her that he can't be friends with her anymore. Marshall finds out that Zoey and her husband are getting a divorce, because she also loves Ted, and he brings them together. # Although their motives about The Arcadian are opposite to each other, they don't talk about it and continue to date. Zoey later reveals to Ted that she doesn't want the Arcadian to be demolished since she lived there when she was little girl. Ted eventually chooses his career over her when he lets The Arcadian to be demolished and they break up.

A few weeks later, he bumps into her and she tells him that she wants to get back together with him. They decide to meet at the restaurant where they had there first date, but Ted is stopped by Barney and Robin, before he can see her again.

Ted first sees Jeanette on a train, but she leaves before he can talk to her. The two meet later outside the university where Ted works. It is later revealed that Jeanette caused this meeting by setting a fire in the lobby. Ted soon finds out that she's been following him since she saw him on the cover of a magazine a year and a half ago. Ted realizes she is certifiably insane, but is undeterred by it and ignores her insane tendencies. This later comes back to bite him, as she later destroys Ted's room. She later breaks up with him because she found pornography spam email, but Ted ill advisedly decides to win her back. The two meet again at a bar and start aggressively making out. She finds Barney's playbook in his apartment, and goes on a rampage, burning the playbook along with many of Ted's possessions, including the Red Cowboy Boots. Future Ted says that Jeanette is the last girl that he dates before meeting The Mother.

Family

Notes and Trivia

References































