Were Boy Meets World's Cory and Topanga a Teen Ross and Rachel? Danielle Fishel Calls Their Love a 'Victory'

Boy Meets World’s Cory and Topanga are on the Mount Rushmore of ‘90s series romances — and Danielle Fishel knows why.

On the June 20 episode of Pod Meets World, a rewatch podcast with former costars Will Friedle and Rider Strong, Fishel, 43, speculated why Cory and Topanga’s romance resonated with the young viewers of the hit coming-of-age series. The actress, who portrayed Topanga Lawrence in the show, empathized with how “very real and overwhelming” love can be in teenage relationships. She also said that as a kid, she “would have absolutely been rooting” for the beloved couple.

“Just to see teenagers who love each other winning and and it being taken seriously,” Fishel explained. “Everyone's telling you when you're a teenager, ‘You don't know what love is,’ and you just want someone to say, ‘Maybe you do. Maybe this is real. Maybe you're right and this is forever and we're wrong.’ ”

Emphasizing the importance of listening to children’s feelings, she continued, “Watching it and seeing them win, I can imagine it was a big victory for teens everywhere.”

Strong, 44, added that watching Cory and Topanga’s relationship blossom in real time must have been “super satisfying.” He said that it’s easy to criticize the series’ plot in hindsight because they already know what to expect. 

“​​If you erase all that and you just think in terms of living on the edge week to week, yeah, it's a win,” the Cabin Fever actor said. 

Tyler Curtis, a guest for the episode and co-host of the fan podcast Bruh Meets World, told the stars that Cory and Topanga were the equivalent of Friends’ Ross and Rachel for his younger self.

“Seeing them get together was a big deal,” Curtis said.

Cory, played by Ben Savage, and Topanga famously got engaged at their high school graduation at the age of 18. During a Boy Meets World panel at 90s Con in March 2024 moderated by PEOPLE’s Dory Jackson, Fishel said “of course” the two were too young to get married. 

Although the Girl Meets World star gives “kudos” to high school couples that stick together, she reiterated, “Getting married right out of high school is not usually ideal.”

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In 2021, Savage, 43, and Fishel revealed to PEOPLE ahead of Valentine’s Day the biggest lessons in love that viewers can glean from their iconic characters.

“Regardless of whether people agree with your decision, each relationship is its own story, and it's personal to those two people," Fishel stated. “You only know the story of your relationship if you're in it."

Boy Meets World is streaming in full on Disney+