Sheldon Cooper is such a peculiar man that it’s hard to imagine him with anyone. But when he was introduced to Amy in the third season, fans knew there was something special between the two that he didn’t see at the time. By the 12th season, Amy and Sheldon we’re finally married and taking over the science world.

But what if Sheldon and Amy didn’t get back together after she broke things off in the fifth season? What if Sheldon truly did want to be “just” her friend after their breakup? This would lead to Sheldon eventually dating another woman. After all, now that Sheldon understands what it means to be in a relationship, he was more prepared for the next one. While we adore Sheldon and Amy’s relationship, let’s take a look at 10 other people Sheldon could have ended up with.

Lucy

It's hard to picture without a woman as lovely as Amy but what about Lucy? She hates attention, crowds (so, people), and wants to run away in public situations. All her idiosyncrasies perfectly align with Sheldon's! These two could have happily dated without ever being in the same room.

Just as Sheldon Skypes Amy from time to time, he and Lucy could have done the same thing.

Penny

We're not saying that Sheldon and Penny would have gotten married but what if these two dated for a short time? They would have dated for a week as an experiment to see if they could really do it.

Sheldon and Penny are two of the more contrasting characters on the show but over time they created a beautiful friendship. And since some of the best relationships are born out of friendship, why not the same thing for Penny and Sheldon? He would teach her more about the world and she would keep him secure and safe. This definitely wouldn't be a long-lasting relationship but they could have tried for the sake of science.

Mandy Chao

Mandy Chao was the woman Leonard kissed while he was away at sea. He told he cheated on her with Mandy on their way to their quickie wedding in Las Vegas and it almost ruined their relationship.

When Penny vents to Sheldon about Leonard's promiscuity, Sheldon learns that it was with a woman named Mandy Chao. Instead of downplaying her to make Penny feel better he complimented her, saying that she was beautiful and intelligent. It's not very often Sheldon compliments a woman on both her looks and her brain, so we're going to be wishful between these two.

Lalita

Remember Lalita? We met her in the first season after she goes on a date with Raj. Raj uses this date as an experiment (as he typically goes mute whenever he's around a woman) but includes alcohol so he's brave enough to talk to her. Sadly for him, he drank far too much and was quite obnoxious on their date.

When Sheldon and the gang show up to the restaurant to see how their date is going, Sheldon compares Lalita to Princess Panchali — a beautiful character from a children's book he used to read. He's so charmed by Lalita that she actually ends the night with Raj and leaves with Sheldon!

Dr. Beverly Hofstadter

Besides Amy, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter had a very near and dear place in Sheldon's heart. Yes, she's his mother but she's also a woman Sheldon leans on for advice, shop talk, and friendship (much to Leonard's chagrin).

In fact, Sheldon knows more about Dr. Hofstadter's life than Leonard does. In a weird way, Sheldon acts as a stepfather to Leonard because he knows so much about their family. Likewise, Beverly respects Sheldon and finds him incredible. The two even shared a kiss!

Ramona Nowitzki

Oh, Ramona. Diehard Amy and Sheldon fans despise Ramona for trying to take Sheldon from Amy but luckily that didn't work.

When we first met , she was a graduate student at Caltech and a superfan of Sheldon's. She pushed him to do his best in the science world because she wanted some credit in helping him achieve greatness. She also had a huge crush on Sheldon, so she may as well have been obsessed with him. Sheldon was flattered by her attention but eventually saw her as annoying. Years later, we meet her again when she tries to be "friends" with Sheldon again but this time she kissed him! Her kiss didn't work though because he led him to propose to Amy.

Denise

We meet Denise in the final season of  and she was a welcomed character. With Stuart's comic book store doing so well, he hired her to help him keep up with demands. The two end up dating and falling in love but what if Denise fell in love with Sheldon first?

Unlike Amy, Denise really understood the comic book culture and knew what kind of books he'd be interested in. Unlike many changes thrown Sheldon's way, he didn't mind Denise and ended up being happy she was there.

Vanessa Bennett

Ah, Vanessa! We meet Vanessa Bennett very briefly when Sheldon and Amy break up. To get over Amy, Sheldon and the guys create a puzzle of sorts to be cracked. The woman who solved the puzzle and made it to Sheldon's apartment first (in the given time frame) won Sheldon's heart. Vanessa showed up a minute too late but Sheldon entertained her time anyway.

She was gorgeous, understood Sanskrit, spoke , and enjoyed physics! She was perfect! Sheldon called her a "special lady" but had to turn her away because she didn't solve the riddle on time...

Dr. Stephanie Barnett

Dr. Stephanie Barnett came into everyone's lives after going on a single date with Howard. He was enamored with Stephanie but she was just using him to see the Mars Rover. After meeting Leonard, the two hit it off and begin dating themselves. And unlike most women Leonard brought home, Sheldon enjoyed Stephanie's company.

He respected her career as a doctor and she even worked at the hospital Sheldon was born at (which gave her even more brownie points). Stephanie knew Sheldon was a little "off" but she was never rude to him. With a little time, who's to say that Stephanie wouldn't have moved on from Leonard to Sheldon?

Dr. Elizabeth Plimpton

While Sheldon never expressed any personal interest in Dr. Elizabeth Plimpton, he was friends with her and thought she was brilliant. It's not every day Sheldon allows a woman to spend the night in his apartment and for him to take such good care of her was an eye-opening experience for fans.

He judged for sleeping with her, of course, but what if he judged Leonard because he also had feelings for Elizabeth?