Let's be real. If you’ve spent any time in The Loud House fandom, you know the ship wars are basically a blood sport. People get intense about it. But at the center of all the fan art and the "Ronniecoln" hashtags lies one specific, chaotic moment from the early days of the show. I'm talking about the Lincoln and Ronnie Anne kiss—the one that launched a thousand forum threads and arguably defined the trajectory of Lincoln Loud’s love life for several seasons.
It wasn't some grand, romantic gesture under a sunset. Honestly? It was a mess. It was awkward, sweaty, and involved a side of fries.
The episode was "Save the Date." If you remember 2016, this was when the show was still finding its footing, and Ronnie Anne Santiago hadn't even been fully established as a main character yet. She was just Bobby’s tough-as-nails younger sister who liked to bully Lincoln because she didn't know how to handle a crush. Classic Nickelodeon trope, right? But the execution of their first "kiss" was actually way more nuanced than your average cartoon romance.
Why the Lincoln and Ronnie Anne Kiss Still Resonates
The build-up to the moment was peak middle-school drama. Lincoln had been talking trash about Ronnie Anne to save face in front of his friends, which, as we all know, is the fastest way to get a "steak" (a black eye) in the world of The Loud House. To fix the mess, he ended up on a double date with Lori, Bobby, and a very rightfully pissed-off Ronnie Anne.
Here is the thing about that kiss: it was a dare. Or rather, a social pressure move.
When they were at the restaurant, the pressure to "make up" culminated in that quick peck. It wasn't a "happily ever after" moment. It was a "stop being weird so our siblings can keep dating" moment. Yet, the animation told a different story. You see Lincoln’s pupils dilate. You see that stunned, slightly dizzy look on his face. That’s the moment the "Ronniecoln" ship officially left the harbor. Fans didn't just see two kids being awkward; they saw a genuine spark that the writers would spend the next few years teasing, moving, and eventually deconstructing.
Breaking Down the "Save the Date" Aftermath
Most people forget what happened immediately after. Ronnie Anne didn't melt into his arms. She punched him. Well, more of a shove, but the message was clear: "Don't make it weird, Lame-o."
This dynamic is actually what makes the Lincoln and Ronnie Anne kiss so interesting compared to other cartoon couples. Usually, a kiss is the endgame. In The Loud House, it was the starting gun for a very complicated "will-they-won't-they" that eventually led to Ronnie Anne getting her own spin-off, The Casagrandes.
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When The Casagrandes premiered, the distance between Royal Woods and Great Lakes City changed the stakes. Suddenly, it wasn't about whether they’d kiss again in the hallway at school. It was about whether long-distance friendships—or whatever they had—could actually survive. Some fans felt betrayed by the move. They thought the kiss in season one promised a relationship that the writers eventually backed away from in favor of "just being friends."
Common Misconceptions About the Lincoln and Ronnie Anne Dynamic
I see this all the time on Reddit and Twitter: people claiming they've kissed multiple times.
Actually, they haven't. Not officially.
There have been plenty of "almost" moments, accidental touches, and heavy blushing, but the "Save the Date" kiss remains the gold standard because it’s the only one that was explicit. There’s a later episode, "City Slickers," where Lincoln visits her in the city. The tension is through the roof. They spend the whole time bonding, and there’s a moment on the rooftop where you think, Okay, this is it. It wasn't. They just watched the sunset.
The writers, including creator Chris Savino (who was later removed from the show) and subsequent showrunners like Michael Rubiner, seemed to intentionally pivot away from the romance. They realized that Ronnie Anne was too strong of a character to just be "the girlfriend." By giving her a move to the city, they allowed her to develop her own identity, her own family dynamics, and her own problems that had nothing to do with the Loud family chaos.
The "Friendzone" Debate
Was Lincoln friendzoned? It’s a valid question.
If you look at the episode "Relative Chaos," which served as the pilot for the spin-off, the goodbye between them is incredibly tender. There’s no kiss, but there’s a deep understanding. He gives her his hand-me-down video game (a huge sacrifice for Lincoln), and she gives him her hoodie. In middle school language, giving someone your hoodie is basically an engagement ring.
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But as the shows progressed, the romantic subplots for Lincoln started to diversify. He had the whole situation with Stella, which turned out to be strictly platonic—a rare move for a kids' show. Then there was Girl Jordan. The "Ronniecoln" shippers stayed loyal, though, often pointing back to that season one kiss as "proof" of destiny.
The Cultural Impact of the Ronniecoln Ship
It's hard to overstate how much this one scene influenced fan-created content. If you head over to sites like FanFiction.net or Archive of Our Own (AO3), the "Lincoln L. & Ronnie Anne S." tag is one of the most populated in the entire Nickelodeon category.
- Fan Animations: Some fans have literally re-animated the kiss to make it more "romantic" and less awkward.
- Alternative Universes (AUs): There is a massive sub-culture of fans who write "aged-up" versions of the characters where that first kiss led to a high school romance.
- The "Loud" Multi-Verse: Because the show has so many characters, the Lincoln and Ronnie Anne kiss served as a template for how to handle romance for the other ten sisters.
Interestingly, the voice actors have occasionally weighed in. Tex Hammond (who voiced Lincoln for a stretch) and Izabella Alvarez (Ronnie Anne) always played the characters with a specific kind of chemistry—a mix of "I can't stand you" and "I'd do anything for you." That "enemies-to-lovers" trope is a powerhouse for a reason. It works.
Analyzing the Animation and Direction
Let's get technical for a second. The way that specific scene was directed by Kyle Marshall and the storyboard team was brilliant.
They used a "tight-shot" composition. Usually, The Loud House uses wide shots to show the chaos of the house. But during the kiss, the background fades. The colors become slightly warmer. It’s a visual cue that, for a split second, the rest of the world (including their annoying siblings) doesn't exist. This is a classic cinematic technique used to signify a "character beat" rather than just a plot point.
Even the sound design changed. The loud clinking of silverware in the restaurant dropped in volume. You heard the slight "mwah" sound and then the immediate silence of Lincoln’s brain short-circuiting. It’s high-level storytelling for a show that often relies on fart jokes.
Why It Wasn't Repeated
You might wonder why, after such a successful reaction, they didn't do it again.
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The answer probably lies in the demographic. The Loud House targets the 6-11 age range. At that age, "romance" is often more about the idea of liking someone than the actual mechanics of a relationship. By keeping Lincoln and Ronnie Anne in this "platonic but maybe more" limbo, the writers kept both sides of the audience happy. The shippers got their crumbs, and the kids who just wanted to see Lincoln get hit with a dodgeball got their comedy.
Also, the separation of the shows made a romantic relationship a logistical nightmare for the writers. How do you write a convincing romance between two 11-year-olds who live three hours apart and can't drive? You don't. You turn it into a deep, long-distance friendship that relies on video chats and occasional visits.
What This Means for Future Episodes
As we move further into the 2020s, The Loud House has started to age up its characters slightly. We've seen the "Schooled!" special where Lincoln moves to middle school. With age comes more complex emotions.
There is a growing segment of the audience that wants a "full circle" moment. They want a callback to that season one kiss, perhaps in a series finale or a second movie. Whether or not Nickelodeon delivers on that is anyone's guess, but the foundation laid by that one awkward night at the Jean Juan's French-Mex Restaurant is still solid.
How to Revisit the Moment
If you're looking to dive back into this specific era of the show, here's how you should approach it:
- Watch "Save the Date" (Season 1, Episode 15b): This is the origin. Watch for the subtle facial expressions Lincoln makes before the date starts. He's terrified, but not just because Ronnie Anne is tough.
- Compare it to "The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos" (Season 2, Episodes 13-14): Look at how much their body language has changed. They are much more comfortable with each other here.
- Check out "City Slickers" (The Casagrandes, Season 1, Episode 3): This shows the "New Ronnie Anne" and how Lincoln fits into her new world. It’s the perfect foil to their first encounter.
The Lincoln and Ronnie Anne kiss wasn't just a gimmick. It was a character-defining moment that proved Lincoln was growing up, even if he was doing it kicking and screaming. It showed that Ronnie Anne had layers beyond being a "bully." Most importantly, it gave the audience a reason to care about these characters' lives outside of the slapstick humor of the Loud house.
Whether they end up together or just remain the best of friends, that kiss remains a landmark moment in modern animation history. It's proof that sometimes, the most awkward moments are the ones that stick with us the longest.
Next Steps for Fans
If you want to track the evolution of their relationship further, your best bet is to look at the "diary" style shorts Nickelodeon released on YouTube. These often contain small details about who's texting whom and what Lincoln really thinks about his "friend" in the city. Also, keep an eye on the latest season's holiday specials—those are usually when the writers slip in the most "Ronniecoln" Easter eggs for the eagle-eyed fans. Don't expect a wedding anytime soon, but don't expect them to forget that kiss either.