Why Didn’t Y’all Tell Me About WildeHopps? Listen, pop culture, romance, and I go together like popcorn, butter, and salt—y’all have seen me be salty, don’t act surprised. As someone who will fight for a ship like a pirate queen, I was shamed when I found out Zootopia’s bunny-cop, Judy Hopps, and rogue fox, Nick Wilde, have been the fandom’s slow-burn, will-they-won’t-they OTP since 2016. Yes, I know about Beastars, also known as the goated Zootopia fanfic because ‘inspired by is fic’. Still, nobody sat me down for tea?
WildeHopps—an absolutely iconic couple name—has the internet in a chokehold. And honestly? I’m signing off on it. We love love over here, especially when it comes with foxy banter, big feelings, and bunny ears. But every great ship has its own set of inspirations. Nick and Judy? They call Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog ma’am and dad. And it works. Judy’s got the optimism and chaos energy of Miss Piggy (and she’ll smack you up just as quickly), while Nick brings the smirky deadpan vibes Kermit’s been rocking since the Muppets invented interspecies relationship goals.
Since Kermie and Piggy are a “meet-the-parents” situation, we can fast-forward to Nick and Judy’s anime descendants, Legoshi and Haru from Beastars. Another opposites pairing, this wolf x bunny duo is all yearning and emotional intensity—think back to Nick’s trauma with the muzzle and then expand that turmoil into an alternate universe where the predators have only evolved so much. More monochrome mood lighting and lots of existential crises. Seriously, no anime couple is better at going emo under a streetlamp.
If you’re wondering why WildeHopps make the shippers’ hearts thump harder than a bunny’s back foot. Again: it’s the yearning. The kind where every bungled press conference, misunderstanding, and rescue is a declaration of “You’re so weird, and we’re so different, but I’d jump in front of a train for you.”
If Judy had a dating app profile, it’d read: Small in stature, big on justice, will absolutely out-hop you on leg day. Looking for a partner in crime-fighting (emphasis on partner).
Nick’s would say: Reformed hustler, expert in sarcasm and popsicles, emotionally available to exactly one rabbit. Let’s make the world a little wilder together.
And we all swiped right for this slow-burn friendship/romance, and a 95% match on trust issues. WildeHopps works so well—and keeps the fandom in a perpetual state of heart-eyes—because it’s the ultimate recipe for romance catnip: enemies-to-allies, opposites attract, and a slow-burn partnership where every mistake and soul-emptying confession is loaded with romantic subtext. Judy and Nick challenge each other, heal each other, and grow together in ways that feel real, vulnerable, and deeply earned.
Their bond is peak “will-they-won’t-they” storytelling. That’s a magnet for shippers. Add the metaphoric power of breaking social barriers: predator-prey, cynic-idealist, outsider-insider, and you’ve got a ship that’s not just magnetic, but goals. Yes, Nick is animated, but the WildeHopps fandom still wants you to ‘hear them out.’ (No judgment; I have a “thing” for Fire Lord Ozai, Aizen the traitor, and Sesshomaru the periless flower boy.)
The WildeHopps allure comes from two misfits who find belonging and the possibility of becoming the best versions of themselves in each other, proving that true partnership is built on trust, growth, and a love that lets both sides be wild while becoming better.
Need receipts? There are so many fan-favorite WildeHopps moments. Let’s talk: That paw-holding scene—Judy’s apology, Nick’s forgiveness, and enough emotional intimacy to win Oscars while ranking on the NYT bestsellers list. Second: Their undercover “married couple” act in Zootopia 2. It happened twice—because they wanted it to happen —and they played the roles way too convincingly. My top choice: The callbacks to the Carrot Recorder Pen and how it transforms from a device for one-upping each other into a symbol of partnership (and maybe one day love). Tell me you didn’t tear up when Nick repaired the carrot pen, affirming their once-broken relationship is back together, even stronger? That’s emotional kintsugi, my loves.
The proof of Judy and Nick’s OTP status is more than a mash-up couple name; it’s that WildeHopps knows they’re better together. They pretty much say it at the end of Zootopia 1:
“Sly bunny”
“Dumb fox”
“You know you love me.”
“Do I know that? Yes. Yes, I do.”
Will we see more development on the romance front? One commentator on Reddit suggested the criminals Nick accidentally freed need to be rounded up, and that’s the perfect format for a streaming series. A villain of the week type of thing. That makes sense, but what we know for sure is: Zootopia 3 is about the birds of prey. Did you see the feather drop, and did you catch Paul the mole’s password1? But could Zootopia 3 finally feature the opposites attract, enemies-to-lovers, pair of love birds the fandom is craving?
See if you can catch clues that WildeHopps is real in Zootopia and Zootopia 2 (and let us know when you do)
NOTE: No, I’m not sorry for that LUvBrdZ pun. Why do you ask?
- P@Rt3izFr&BrdZr2 is a clue that likely means: Part 3 is for real and birds are too. ↩︎