250 years of Jane Austen: Why Mr Darcy is still throbbing hearts harder than ever

A wet Mr Darcy, emerging from a lake, wearing a soaking white shirt.

This iconic scene from the BBC’s adaption of Pride and Prejudice is an enduring thirst trap — one that’s been replicated in pop culture, from Leo Woodall’s steamy moment in Bridget Jones to Jonathan Bailey’s recreation in Bridgerton.

And while it wasn’t actually featured in Jane Austen’s original 1813 novel, Mr Darcy has remained a heartthrob ever since.

A recent TikTok trend proves it, which has seen women sharing stories of romantic gestures their partners have made. While creators are giving props to the men in their lives, each tale is prefaced with the acknowledgement that they’re ‘not Mr Darcy, but…’

As today would’ve been the late, great Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, we decided to unpack exactly why her Mr Darcy is still the blueprint for the perfect man.

He’s got what daters want today

One of Mr Darcy’s biggest green flags is his loyalty.

‘Once he decides you matter, he’s all in,’ Paul C. Brunson, aka MAFS legend, tells Metro. ‘That kind of unwavering commitment is something that singles still crave.’

According to Tinder’s Year in Swipe report for 2025, 64% of daters believe that emotional honesty is what the dating scene needs most. Paul, who’s now a relationship expert at the app, says loyalty is actually ‘honesty in action.’

He adds: ‘It’s the behaviour of someone who shows up for you consistently, even when things get complicated.’

Plus, underneath those layers of buttoned high collars, tailcoats and obscenely tight jodhpurs, Mr Darcy isn’t quite so up-tight.

‘He softens, apologises, and lets himself be vulnerable,’ says Paul.’That kind of emotional growth is still in demand by daters today, with many saying honest conversations matter most.’

Our Darcy’s got intellectual depth, too. ‘A partner who challenges your thinking while growing alongside you is very hard to resist,’ he explains.

And, of course, there’s his confidence, as Paul notes that Mr Darcy has that ‘quiet, grounded self-assurance – not arrogance – that signals someone who knows their worth.’ In his view, that’s ‘undeniably hot.’

It is worth noting though, that some of Mr Darcy’s qualities might be a bit of an ick in 205. His sense of pride, social awkwardness, or bluntness (that borders on rude), to name a few.

But, crucially, Mr Darcy knows he has flaws and he’s able to rise to this challenge and make a few necessary tweaks.

Paul explains: ‘Watching him confront and overcome these flaws is what makes him even more attractive. It mirrors a wider cultural shift, with 74% of of Gen Z prioritising authenticity above everything else.

‘He’s strong yet tender, challenging yet supportive, principled but adaptive and imperfect but evolving. 

‘He’s a fictional hero, but the qualities he embodies are as desirable in 2025 as they were in Austen’s world.’

‘Pride and Prejudice is already sexed-up’

It helps that bodice-ripping period dramas are loved right now. There was Downton, Bridgerton, and we’ve got Emerald Fennell’s steamy Wuthering Heights to look forward to in February.

But according to Dr Bharat Tandon, lecturer at UEA’s School of Literature, Pride and Prejudice was already pretty steamy — even for Austen’s time, so it’s no wonder we’re still obsessed with our main man.

Dr Bharat says the novel is ‘sexed up.’ He explains: ‘What’s so thrilling about the dialogue in so many of the scenes between Elizabeth and Darcy is the charge of desire.

‘It’s two people who don’t know exactly what they feel about each other, but who are going through the experience of knowing that they feel something very intense, in real time.’

This sentiment will always resonate with modern-day, horny viewers who love a good, sexy love story.

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