For most of Smallville's run, young Clark Kent was in love with the girl next door, Lana Lang. Played by Kristin Kreuk, Lana was one of the main characters of the hit superhero origin story. She was intelligent, kind, and capable. Over the course of the show, Lana experiences numerous tragedies but always emerges stronger on the other side.

Clark and Lana's chemistry lit up the small screen for years, but their relationship had its ups and downs. She even marries someone else at one point—and so does Clark, for that matter, though his wasn't legal. She spends much of the series denying her feelings for Clark and makes some questionable romantic choices.

In the beginning of Smallville, Clark Kent admired his beautiful neighbor from afar. With her meteor rock necklace, Clark couldn't get within five feet of Lana Lang without tripping over his own feet. When Lana lends her quarterback boyfriend her necklace as a good luck charm for the big game, Clark and Lana have their first real conversation. Lana was kind, warm, empathetic, and just as amazing as Clark had always thought she was. Their bond and their chemistry were immediate.

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Orphaned as a child by the meteor shower that brought Clark Kent to Earth, Lana sought to understand and feel connected to her biological parents when she was young. When the building where her parents met is set to be demolished for a parking lot, Lana brings the building's owner, Lex Luthor, a business proposal. Together, they turn it into a coffee shop and Arthouse theater. The Talon becomes a safe haven for Lana. She proved to be a capable business manager, running the café for most of her high school career.