Duncney

Duncney is the het shipping between Duncan and Courtney from the Total Drama fandom.

Canon
From the beginning of the series, it is evident that Courtney and Duncan are polar opposites, which causes a great deal of conflict between the two of them during the first few episodes of Total Drama Island. In spite of this, they are often paired up together in challenges, which sometimes leads to insinuations that Courtney has feelings for him, which she steadfastly denies. Duncan, on the other hand, never denies that he is attracted to Courtney, and he, along with his friends, often tease Courtney of wanting him as well. Despite the fact that she criticizes him at every opportunity, Courtney eventually does show signs of having a secret crush on Duncan, and there are indications of a mutual attraction growing between the two. This romantic tension eventually culminates in the two of them kissing in Basic Straining, with her displaying a more relaxed attitude toward the competition from Duncan's influence. However, any hope of the two competing alongside each other for the rest of the season is gone when Courtney is voted off in that same episode, due to Harold tampering with the votes, as revenge for Duncan's bullying when he sees the two kissing. Signs of Courtney and Duncan having feelings for each other continue to be shown in many episodes after Courtney's elimination and well into the second season.

Courtney initially does not qualify for Total Drama Action while Duncan does. During Courtney's absence, Duncan becomes good friends with Gwen, but Courtney assumes that he is cheating on her. Duncan does show that he misses Courtney as he slept with a picture of her under his pillow and thinks of her when he is stargazing with Gwen. When Courtney returns in Ocean's Eight - Or Nine, the two of them put their relationship aside and become enemies again as they are on different teams. This is also because Duncan is angry at the unfair advantages Courtney has while Courtney is angry at his and Gwen's friendship. Despite this, Duncan is unable to hold his feelings for her back and he lost to her in several challenges despite his great achievements before her return. Eventually, the two of them make up in Top Dog, but Courtney also imposes a set of overbearing rules on their relationship, expecting Duncan to completely memorize and follow them if they ever want to have a serious relationship. Because of this, Duncan votes Courtney off and they break up. However, after the season finale, the two of them reconcile as a couple. They are shown in Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Action Reunion Special to have broken up again, but they got back together by the end of the episode after a kiss on the bus.

When season three starts, Courtney and Duncan are still a couple, although Duncan is slowly losing interest in her due to her bossiness and control over him. At the same time, he starts to develop romantic interest towards Gwen. Courtney is also angry at Gwen, thinking she has a crush on Duncan. The argument between both girls is what causes Duncan to quit the season. During his absence, Courtney constantly shows signs of missing Duncan, but tries not to let it affect her competitiveness. However, Duncan eventually returns to the competition in I See London..., and Courtney's worst fears are realized when Duncan and Gwen share a kiss at the end of that episode. Courtney remains unaware of the kiss until the end of Greece's Pieces, when Tyler is forced by Alejandro to tell everyone about it, since he was the one who accidentally witnessed the event in the confessional. Courtney is devastated and heartbroken by this news, and it destroys her friendship with Gwen, as well as her relationship with Duncan. Courtney officially breaks up with Duncan in The EX-Files, after she dumps a bowl of spaghetti on his head and kicks him in the groin for cheating on her. Although he feels bad about cheating on her, he continues to go out with Gwen. After Courtney is able to eliminate Gwen in Picnic at Hanging Dork, Duncan's hatred for Courtney intensifies and the two of them argue even after Gwen's elimination. Courtney also moves on from her failed relationship with Duncan, and starts to be attracted to Alejandro. From here on, the two of them return to being fierce enemies.

When Total Drama All-Stars begins, Courtney constantly ignores Duncan, and has even accepted that they are over. Duncan however, is frustrated that Courtney is ignoring him, and tries to get her attention on a few occassions but to no avail. After Gwen breaks up with Duncan due to him still showing a lot of interest for Courtney, she and Courtney become friends again and tease Duncan and even ignore him when he tries to warn them about a potential threat among the remaining contestants.

Fanon
The ship sailed as a result of the canon relationship between the two, starting with the first ship teasing moments in the first episodes of Total Drama Island. The ship became a fan favorite, alongside Gwent, out of six canon Total Drama relationship at the time. Their dynamics of a "Bad Boy and a Nerdy Good Girl" seemed to be one of the main reasons for their popularity.

The ship retained its popularity for the rest of the series. However, with time there were more fans who voiced their opinion about the ship being toxic and unhealthy. Some fans started abandoning it during Total Drama Action era, claiming Courtney became too bossy towards Duncan.

With more and more mixed opinions, their break-up became one of the biggest base-breaking moments in the fandom. Loyal Duncney shippers were sad to see their ship sink. Gwuncan shippers were happy their ship finally became canon. Duncney also appears to be way more popular over Courtney's next canon relationship, Scottney.

Fandom
FAN FICTION


 * Courtney/Duncan on FanFiction.Net

DeviantArt

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Trivia

 * This couple, along with Gwuncan, is one of the only two couples in which both members compete in four seasons.
 * They are the only members of the Killer Bass to reach the final four at any point in Total Drama.
 * This couple has broken up more times than any other couple.
 * Both have chosen the million dollars over each other in the relationship:
 * Courtney did so in Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island, where she ran off with the suitcase full of money instead of aiding an injured Duncan, explaining that "opportunities like this don't just fall out of trees."
 * Duncan did so in Top Dog. After receiving a thirty-two page document of his faults and how to correct them, Duncan was annoyed enough with her to vote her off, citing that, even though he really did like her, he "needs the money more than he needs some high-maintenance chick with a superiority complex."
 * This relationship was part of a love triangle with Gwuncan.
 * This couple, along with Duncan and Gwen forms the first love triangle of the Total Drama series.
 * Both, along with Owen, are the only contestants to reach the merge three or more times.
 * Both Courtney and Duncan returned in the thirteenth episode of a season, with the one who returned either directly or indirectly helping the team with the other on it to win the challenge and, subsequently, going to the other team as a "consolation prize," per Chris' decision.
 * When both returned, the other one of them was the first to encounter them.
 * Both are involved with at least one of each others' eliminations:
 * In Basic Straining, Harold rigged the votes, causing Courtney's elimination as a revenge for Duncan's bullying towards him. In Top Dog, Duncan votes Courtney off after she gave him a thirty-two page letter of all his mistakes. In Chinese Fake-Out, Duncan once again votes for Courtney.
 * In Walk Like An Egyptian - Part 1, Duncan is furious over Courtney and Gwen's quarreling, along with several other reasons, causing him to quit.
 * According to an interview, Tom McGillis (the creator of Total Drama) prefers this relationship over Duncan's relationship with Gwen.
 * According to an interview with Christian Potenza, their breakup (along with Trent and Gwen's) was an executive decision.
 * They are two of only three characters to be on five teams, with the third being Izzy.
 * They have both placed fourth and fifth in two different seasons.
 * In the seasons they placed fourth, they were eliminated in the twenty-fourth episode.
 * Their eliminations in Total Drama Island were from episodes where Chef Hatchet was in charge of the challenge.