Who had a crush on Dipper?

As any fan of Gravity Falls can tell you, romance always takes a backseat to the show‘s emphasis on mystery and the supernatural. Yet Dipper Pines still manages to be at the center of some of the most debated ships amongst fans, despite limited confirmed loves interests within the show itself. Who exactly has fallen for this unlikely protagonist? As a devoted fan myself, I‘ll analyze the crushes and attractions orbiting everyone‘s favorite pine tree hat-wearing preteen.

The Confirmed: Candy Chiu‘s Fleeting Affection

Candy Chiu is the only character clearly shown developing feelings for Dipper over the course of the series. In the episode "Roadside Attraction," she joins Mabel‘s friends on a revenge trip against tourist traps and finds herself charmed by Dipper‘s unusual confidence around girls. But her crush is short-lived; by the episode‘s end, she abandons any interest upon realizing Dipper was manipulating her to soothe his bruised ego over Wendy.

Candy‘s attraction is played for laughs – a quick gag establishing Dipper as a player rather than sincere characterization. And given her limited screentime, fans debate little about her dynamic with Dipper compared to other speculated ships. So while Candy might be the only literal answer to the title question, her humorous crush leaves little impact on Dipper or viewers.

The Long Shot: Does Pacifica Northwest Harbor Feelings?

Dipper‘s chemistry with frequent foil Pacifica Northwest inspires far more analysis. As the show progresses, their rivalry softens into a friendship. And Pacifica even shows rare vulnerability around Dipper. In my eyes, Dipper helps Pacifica discover confidence independent of her parents‘ restrictive views. Fans endlessly debate whether this rapport suggests an undercurrent of mutual attraction.

No canonical evidence states Pacifica has romantic feelings for Dipper. Yet devotees of this ship cite details suggesting a subtle crush on Pacifica‘s part, including:

• Her frequently flustered reactions to Dipper‘s remarks
• Her invite for Dipper alone to Northwest festivities
• Her spirited banter with Dipper compared to other friends

Could showrunners have intentionally layered in hints? Or is supporters‘ close reading wishful thinking? As with all speculation, arguments on both sides thrive amongst forums and fanfiction. Below are statistics on popularity of this ship within the fandom:

So while Pacifica remains a common character for fans to ship with Dipper, Wendy still edges her out as the most frequently written romantic interest – even if that relationship lacks future canon potential.

The True Ex: Dipper and Wendy‘s Age-Gap Attraction

Wendy Corduroy is the only character Dipper demonstrates unambiguous romantic investment in. Endless scenes show his crush, from the longing glances to his embarrassed rambling. In early episodes, I found their dynamic frustrating, as Wendy insists on keeping things platonic despite clearly caring for Dipper deeply.

As an older viewer, I eventually realized Wendy maintaining that boundary was appropriate given Dipper‘s young age. While understandable, this realism still disappointed fans hoping to see Dipper‘s devotion reciprocated. And many viewers question whether Wendy taking advantage of Dipper‘s feelings solely for ego boosts reads somewhat problematic through a more critical lens.

Regardless of the moral judgment, Dipper‘s interest in Wendy far eclipses fleeting interactions with Candy or speculative tension with Pacifica. This passage captures how Dipper is truly Wendy‘s for the summer, for better or worse:

Pacifica: "I need your help."
Dipper, still bitter: “What’s in it for me?”

Pacifica: “I’ll give you this” [hands him $500 dollars]
Dipper, glancing at picture of Wendy in wallet: “I’m listening”

Fan works generally portray Dipper finally getting Wendy post-canon once coming of age, allowing fulfillment of the show‘s central ship. But during their first summer together, an actual relationship remains out of grasp.

Dipper Pines: Commitment-Phobic Boy Adventurer or Demisexual Icon?

With youthful crushes on Candy and Wendy failing to translate into relationships, questions around Dipper‘s orientation and attitude toward romance circulate amongst viewers. A popular headcanon portrays Dipper as identifying as aromantic and asexual.

Arguments for Dipper reading as on the ace spectrum include:

• His lack of shown attraction toward any gender besides possibly Wendy
• A tendency to prioritize mysteries over interpersonal relationships
• A lack of visible jealousy as Mabel has fleeting summer crushes

Fandom discussions of representation for orientation diversity also bolster popularity of acespec headcanons. Yet given his age and puberty‘s onset, speculation on how Dipper might develop remains simply theories.

Others argue Dipper shows less mature development compared to Mabel regarding romance rather than complete disinterest. Alternatively, some fans jokingly read Dipper as commitment-phobic, so burned by Wendy‘s rejection he opts to avoid further romantic pitfalls.

With varied fan interpretations, deciding on the “true” explanation comes down to projecting our own views onto this unfolding character. With only one summer elucidating his coming-of-age tale, Dipper’s orientation and approach to romance remains rightfully ambiguous.

The Takeaway: Why "Who Had A Crush On Dipper" Scarcely Scratches the Surface

If forced to point decisively, Candy serves as the lone character clearly shown harboring fleeting affection for Dipper. Yet fixating overly on confirmed crushes overlooks more compelling facets of Dipper’s relationships. Fans find his rapport and tension with Wendy and Pacifica respectively far more fascinating to explore.

And debates around how Dipper might identify regarding orientation provide intrigue as viewers relate aspects to our own self-discovery. Of course, Dipper deserves evaluating as complete human rather than just object of affection. The fuller arc around how he handles romance as an early teen offers richer discussion.

So while this piece aimed to directly answer the title’s surface-level question of confirmed crushes, I believe the portraits within capture deeper elements readers will find substantially more interesting. We watch Gravity Falls to see flawed, eclectic characters with mysterious lives intertwine in a distinctly weird fictional town. As just one inhabitant, Dipper can only have so many admirers himself compared to admirers of the story as a whole.