Line #57 Main/FriendlyRivalry


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9	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/74070ef6_e1f4_4e94_88d9_e2d4c897b473.jpeg]]]]
10	[[caption-width-right:350:Since [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles early 1994]], and [[LongRunners still counting]]!]]
11
12	->''"The Scarlets aren't our enemies, you understand. More like rivals. Friendly rivals."''
13	-->-- '''Ludlow''', ''[[Literature/Green2011 Green]]''
14
15	Not all rivalries are bitter. Some are competitive, with both parties being driven by [[SpiritedCompetitor a healthy desire to one-up each other]] and, regardless of the outcome, they'll continue to push themselves in anticipation of their next eventual showdown. As such, they develop [[WorthyOpponent a mutual respect]] for each other's talents, [[DefeatMeansRespect even in defeat]]. If taken to extremes, their rivalry can border on [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou exclusivity]].
16
17	It's a staple of {{Fighting Game}}s and martial arts media, usually involving {{the protagonist}}. Their rival can be anyone from the {{deuteragonist}}, or their BestFriend, or even [[FriendlyEnemy a former enemy]]. Woe be to any enemy who stands against either of them, because then the unfortunate adversary will have ''[[TrueCompanions both]]'' friends to deal with and much ass ''[[ThePowerOfFriendship will be]]'' kicked that day.
18
19	Other rivalries may revolve around sports, performance arts, business, or... anything, really. Some can even be portrayed comically, with both parties competing [[SeriousBusiness over something mundane, or pointless]].
20
21	Compare and often overlaps with WorthyOpponent, SpiritedCompetitor, and MirrorCharacter. Related to TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou. Contrasts with TheRival and ArchEnemy, who serve more as {{foil}}s and are usually more antagonistic. Can overlap with VitriolicBestBuds if there is some teasing involved in the rivalry, or BullyTurnedBuddy, if one of the rivals was an outright bully before turning friendlier. See also OpponentInstruction. A HammyVillainSeriousHero dynamic can fall into this at times. The next step up is RivalryAsCourtship.
22
23	----
24	!!Examples:
25
26	[[index]]
27	* FriendlyRivalry/AnimeAndManga
28	** ''FriendlyRivalry/{{Pokemon}}''
29	* FriendlyRivalry/FanWorks
30	* FriendlyRivalry/VideoGames
31	[[/index]]
32
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Advertising]]
36	* The Advertising/AppleAndCinnaMon commercials for Apple Jacks feature the anthropomorphic Apple and Cinnamon racing to see who could reach the cereal first. The first few commercials had Apple as an antagonist and only [=CinnaMon=] getting to flavor the cereal, but ExecutiveMeddling forced the company to change Apple and [=CinnaMon=] from enemies to competitive friends who both got to flavor the cereal.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Comic Books]]
40	* ''Media:XsOmnibus'': X and Kimben have a rivalry that starts out rough but becomes more civilized over the course of time.
41	* ''Franchise/TheDCU'':
42	** [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kate Kane]] is implied to have had a boxing-related one with her girlfriend and roommate, Sophie Moore, when the two were West Point cadets. Kate is hinted to have beaten Sophie in an official boxing match at the Academy, and Sophie later wins a private, illegal bare-knuckle bout against Kate.
43	** ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
44	*** Superman and ComicBook/{{Batman}} went through a lengthy phase of this in roughly the middle third of their friendship. These days, it's down to the occasional joke between them -- but the rivalry seems to have been handed down to ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and the third ComicBook/{{Robin}}.
45	*** Lois and Clark also show a bit of rivalry as reporters at the Daily Planet. Lois is the type of person who openly welcomes a bit of healthy competition and sees it as a challenge, and the two often try to outscoop one another. They are also HappilyMarried.
46	*** Superman traditionally has this kind of relationship with [[Characters/SupermanSupportingCast Vartox]] and [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]. They're friends, but just by virtue of being some of the only guys around who can actually give each other a good fight (and because of the ever-present ConflictBall), they seem to end up punching each other around a lot anyway.
47	*** While the friendly rivalry between Conner and Tim evolved into full-on friendship, Jon and Damian have a very conventional friendly rivalry, being VitriolicBestBuds (although Damian's stunted social skills meant that it took a while for him to warm up to Jon).
48	*** In speed, Superman and ComicBook/TheFlash have a back-and-forth rivalry over who's the fastest. The ebb and flow of the rivalry will always vary. Sometimes Flash will leave Superman in the dust while telling him that any past race Superman won was just for charity. Sometimes, they'll be evenly matched or be close enough that one isn't really massively faster than the other. Or sometimes Superman will really exert himself to be able to catch or surpass Flash. DependingOnTheWriter, you might also have scenes where the Flash will express frustration that he feels Superman was deliberately holding back in all their races. However, the two of them are still portrayed as friends despite their back-and-forth over the years.
49	** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'':
50	*** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Starting in [[ComicBook/WonderWomanNumberOne Issue #1]], it's established that Diana and Mala are best pals on Paradise Island and train together, but have different viewpoints on rules and are fiercely competitive with each other in athletic abilities (which on Paradise Island mostly means martial arts and running).
51	*** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Diana and ComicBook/{{Artemis}}' relationship starts out as antagonistic due to them being from different Amazon tribes and worsens when Artemis [[AntiHeroSubstitute replaces Diana as Wonder Woman]] during ''ComicBook/TheContest''. After numerous battles together and having saved each other's lives, the two become friends though they still occasionally disagree for one reason or another.
52	* Andy and Cooper from ''ComicBook/TheInternship'' started out as best friends and later became frenemies who both competed to become better than the other. This rivalry was a cover-up for [[ShipTease deeper feelings]] they have been harboring for each other.
53	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'':
54	** [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk The Hulk]] and [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] are depicted as this nowadays. They fight alongside each other but both of them think they're the strongest -- which causes their rivalry. Although their relationship was originally depicted as HeadbuttingHeroes, their relationship has grown over the years and both are on friendlier terms now.
55	*** Thor and [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] are an even better example. Though they have fought on occasion, and there's still a little rivalry, ultimately, they understand and can talk to each other in ways they really can't with the other [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]].
56	* This is how ComicBook/SpiderMan and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Human Torch's]] dynamic was for years. They became less competitive with each other as they grew older, but there's still an element of ragging on each other/trying to outdo each other there, only now mixed with actual respect -- to the extent that Johnny left instructions for Peter to replace him on the team in the event of his death.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
60	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', Manolo and Joaquin remain close friends despite their feelings for Maria.
61	* The end of ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' hints at the beginning of a friendly rivalry between Goku and Broly after formally befriending each other.
62	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'': The relationship between Mario and Donkey Kong develops into a friendly rivalry over time; the two constantly insult and argue with each other, but [[spoiler:Mario still saves Donkey Kong's life, and the two of them work together to crash Bowser's wedding with Peach.]]
63	* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': At closing, the two [[Franchise/StreetFighter Street Fighters]] comment on their rough day and head to Tapper's together. Considering it's Ryu and Ken, this trope is obvious.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
67	* Eddie Felton and Vincent Lauria have this at the end of ''Film/TheColorOfMoney''.
68	* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in ''Film/SayAnything'':
69	-->'''Sheila''': I know we were ultra-competitive this year, but I just want to say if it wasn't for "Diane Court woe", I probably wouldn't have gotten into Cornell, 'cause you made me study twice as hard. So thanks.\
70	'''Diane''': You did the same for me.\
71	'''Sheila''': I ''did''?
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Literature]]
75	* ''Literature/AccelWorld'':
76	** Despite being from rival legions, Silver Crow and Ash Rider are close and fight for the adulation of the crowd every other day. When Crow has his wings stolen Ash takes him to his teacher Sky Raker to learn how to fight again.
77	** The main exception to this is Ash's little sister, who is in love with Crow. He flies into a blind rage whenever Crow acts 'too friendly' or 'too distant' with her.
78	* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'':
79	** Despite befriending Relkin in the end, Swane still occasionally acts this way towards him, invariably eager to prove that he is no worse as a man and a soldier.
80	** Burthong towards Bazil. They duel in the tournament and Bazil ends up only barely winning the fight, to Burthong's disappointment. Afterwards though, they both compliment each other's skills and part on good terms. When they meet again later, they recall their previous battle and it seems both are looking forward for a rematch.
81	* In Creator/DavidWeber's ''[[Literature/HonorHarrington The Honor of the Queen]]'', relations between chancellor Prestvick and Protector Benjamin Mayhew were described as this concerning interpretation of monarchical power limits.
82	* Lissa Dragomir and Ariana Szelsky acted friendly while competing for the throne in ''Literature/LastSacrifice''.
83	* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'':
84	** {{Downplayed}} between Cyrus Rivermoore and Ophelia Salvadori. They've fought many bloody battles in the labyrinth and he's prone to SlutShaming her, but it's implied that he just does it to provoke her to fight him. If you look more closely, the series actually implies they're more competitors than enemies: they're shown critiquing each other's newest creations during the fight that that the Sword Roses witness in volume 1, and [[spoiler:Cyrus mentions he plans to give condolences to her family after she's consumed by the spell in volume 3]]. Doesn't make their fights any less dangerous to be around.
85	** [[TheHero Oliver Horn]] to Richard Andrews and Tullio Rossi.
86	*** Andrews kind of becomes a StockShonenRival for Oliver. They get off on the wrong foot due to a poorly worded remark from Oliver during Sword Arts, then their dispute gets tangled up in the conservative faction's beef with Katie over the troll. After they [[spoiler:fight the garuda together]] they're able to bury the hatchet, and though Andrews never really becomes a friend, he seems to view Oliver as a motivation to improve himself from then on rather than as an enemy, and seeks a rematch in the third-year combat leagues beginning volume 7.
87	*** Rossi takes a dislike to Oliver for hogging all the gossip after the events of volume 1, and starts the TournamentArc in volume 2 basically as an excuse to duel him. Oliver soundly thrashes him and then starts tutoring him in the sword, and Rossi teams up with Andrews in volume 7, likewise hoping for a rematch.
88	** Upperclasswoman Diana Ashbury, the star of one of the senior league broomsports teams, takes an instant dislike to [[TheLancer Nanao Hibiya]] once the latter qualifies to join the senior league teams in volume 4, calling her an eyesore. Nanao earns her respect by forcing her to work extra hard to win in their first face-off, and Diana is shown helping train her afterwards.
89	* ''Literature/TidesOfProtomis'':
90	** Main Character Arctaius Corde, and Jirou Hashimoto, have been in many fights with eachother since they met, and have found themselves trying to surpass the other constantly. But they are on good terms, with the latter even coming to his aid when figuring out he's in conflict with the antagonists of Arc 1.
91	* In the backstory of the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', Corellian Security Force agent Hal Horn and smuggler Booster Terrik weren't friends, but had a mutual respect for one another even after Hal finally caught Booster and put him away on Kessel for five years. Hal's son Corran, the protagonist of the first four books, speculates that had his father known that Booster had helped catch the pirates who murdered Wedge Antilles' family, Booster might not have done the time. [[spoiler:Of course, Corran manages to piss off Booster his own way after [[DatingCatwoman falling in love with and eventually marrying his daughter Mirax]].]]
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
95	* Most GameShow contestants. Unless they are the kind of person who [[SeriousBusiness takes games way to seriously]] they probably don't have any real malice towards the other team.
96	* Zach and Hodgins on ''Series/{{Bones}}'' were like this. They both wanted to be honorary "King of the lab".
97	* Early in ''Series/{{CSI}}'', Nick and Warrick competed over who would solve 100 cases and make CSI 2 first.
98	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Jorah Mormont with Barristan Selmy. They both have much in common and are quite similar in terms of character, but each has his issues with the other. And while always friendly or at least polite with one another, they're both quite frank in expressing their reservations about the other.
99	* ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'': The contestants almost never show any antagonism towards each other, being incredibly friendly and helpful.
100	** Contestants who finish their bakes early will frequently pitch in and help those who are struggling to complete their own bakes within the time limit, as when Richard and Chetna of Series 5 stepped in to help colleague Martha recover from a mishap during the Pastry Showstopper. In Series 7, Jane, Kate, and Tom stepped in to calm Candice down and help make her chocolate loaf look presentable as she was becoming increasingly upset and panicking.
101	** In one incident in Series 1, David's oven shorted out and Ruth offered to share her own (which would have hurt her own cooking due to having to open the oven door more than necessary), though it didn't ultimately prove necessary to do so.
102	** Sarah-Jane and Cathryn in Series 3 became close enough that they actually went into business together after the series ended.
103	** Jane and Candice in Series 7 had something of a rivalry between them, most notably when they both decided to make lime and coconut meringue pies for their signature bakes. Despite this they remain good friends and constantly cheer each other on. The WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue even revealed that they were going on a baking road trip together.
104	** Steven and Sophie in Series 8 quickly identified each other as major rivals and nearly as quickly became friends.
105	* Inspector Gideon Pryke in the ''Series/JonathanCreek'' episodes "Black Canary" and "The Case of the Savant's Thumb". While his style is very different from Jonathan's, he's always happy to have someone else intelligent look at the case, and he and Jonathan are usually neck-and-neck in the deductions ... until Jonathan gets the EurekaMoment and Pryke misses it.
106	* ''Series/MakingIt'', much like ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'', is all about the mutual celebration of the contestants' favorite activity. Everyone is supportive of one another and even critiques from the judges are extremely mild. Creator/AmyPoehler and Creator/NickOfferman lampshade this friendliness and occasionally jokingly try and drum up some drama.
107	* ''Series/MasterChefAustralia'' distinguishes itself from the other countries' versions of ''Series/MasterChef'' (especially the U.S. version) by its almost complete lack of antagonism between the contestants. Bench-mates have no problem sharing ingredients with each other, engage in friendly banter and offer words of encouragement to each other even as they try to cook the better dish.
108	* Jason Lee Scott and Tommy Oliver, the [[TheLeader Red Ranger]] and [[SixthRanger Green Ranger]] of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. The rivalry part was mostly present during Tommy's time as Rita's brainwashed minion and a later episode where they were competing in a martial arts tournament. In ''Series/PowerRangersZero'', where [[SwappedRoles their roles are reversed]] (Tommy is now TheLeader, as he had been in ''MMPR'' after Jason's departure, whereas Jason [[TheBusCameBack returned]] as [[LegacyCharacter the second]] [[SixthRanger Gold Ranger]]), Jason even admits that he was fine giving up the leadership role because he knew the team would in good hands with Tommy.
109	* The contestants of ''Series/MyKitchenRules'' tend to get along quite well with each other, particularly during the Instant Restaurant rounds, which is usually more like a group of friends having dinner together. Most even root for the teams whose turn it is to cook, and hope they do their best, even though they are still competitors.
110	* Moze and Suzie from ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'', once they stop being [[SitcomArchNemesis bitter enemies]]. They're friends, but still fiercely competitive. Best exemplified during the episode where they attempt to join a school club together but turn everything into an intense contest.
111	-->'''Moze:''' I don't think we're supposed to turn everything into a death match.\
112	'''Suzie:''' Yeah, I know. We've been kicked out of every club.\
113	''[{{beat}}]''\
114	'''Moze:''' I'm having fun!\
115	'''Suzie:''' Me too!
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Music]]
119	* Music/BackstreetBoys and Music/{{NSYNC}} were the two biggest {{Boy Band}}s of the late 1990s and early 2000s with a vicious FandomRivalry, but the two groups themselves are close friends and [[http://stillgottheflow.tumblr.com/post/75882322047/nsyncbdabombyo-bsb-nsync get]] [[http://picturesmcgee.tumblr.com/post/67927360426/nsync-backstreet-boys-united-we-stand-benefit along]] quite well. Music/JCChasez even produced a song for Backstreet Boys' album ''Unbreakable'' and has written solo material for AJ [=McLean=]. In 2021, members of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC combined for the quartet [[https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/06/21/backstreet-boys-nsync-members-form-dream-band-backsync/7776763002/ Back-Sync]].
120	* Music/TheBeatles and Music/{{The Rolling Stones\|Band}} had this kind of relationship. The Beatles helped the Stones early on get a record deal, and then threw them a [=Lennon/McCartney=] song ("I Wanna Be Your Man"), when the Stones needed a hit. It got to the point in the late '60s that if one band had a single that still doing well in the charts, the other would hold off the release of their next single a couple of weeks, so it wouldn't interfere with the sales of the other band's release. Even the band's fandoms themselves have mellowed out into a friendlier one.
121	* Music/TheBeatles also had this relationship with Music/TheBeachBoys. The two groups were good friends and big fans of each other's music, but much of their work during the later part of the 60's was driven by the desire to artistically outdo one another.
122	* Music/HuskerDu and Music/TheReplacements largely due to being from the UsefulNotes/TwinCities and making same genre of music. Probably Music/TheMinutemen can be added into this as they had a friendly, teasing relationship with both bands, which makes the FriendlyRivalry three cornered.
123	* Music/HarryChapin and Music/JimCroce were firm friends, but not beyond teasing each other about similarities in each others style and occasionally putting each others songs up against each other on release. Apparently Harry broke down and cried when Jim died and said "The best part of me has gone" and slipped into a mercifully short depression.
124	* Music/FryderykChopin and Music/FranzLiszt apparently were both friends and rivals, as shown by [[http://www.page45.com/store/Step%20Aside%20Pops%202.jpg this]] strip by [[Webcomic/HarkAVagrant Kate Beaton]].
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Radio]]
128	* Creator/TheBrewingNetwork: ''The Sour Hour'' has one with ''The Session'', though it's pretty much one-way. Jay Goodwin encourages people to leave [=iTunes=] reviews that say his show is better than ''The Session'', and he reads reviews he likes on air. On ''The Session'', they're barely aware of this.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Sports]]
132	* In UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball, the rivalry between Japan and Australia has been made up of constant ribbing and fierce games, with both teams tied for wins as of writing. Japan was a prominent supporter of Australia's move to the EAFF Cup, and players happily perform in each other's leagues.
133	* Men's singles figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, despite being TheDreaded of his field, is known for being nothing but nice and friendly to his rivals. When he moved to the Toronto Cricket Club to skate, he fully expected to have an acrimonious relationship with Javier Fernandez (whose quadruple jumps partially fueled Hanyu's decision to move) in the style of the fierce rivalry between Evgeni Plushenko (who Hanyu idolizes) and Alexei Yagudin. His expectations were unfounded -- Hanyu and Fernandez got along so well they got awards from their home countries for it, and a quick Website/{{YouTube}} search will turn up clips of them being sweet and affectionate friends. In interviews, Fernandez has stated that their friendship and rivalry pushes both of them to constantly improve. The first person Fernandez told about his decision to retire was Hanyu, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics -- their last competition together. Hanyu burst into ManlyTears and told Fernandez, "I can't do this without you." Unfortunately, after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Fernandez made some remarks [[https://twitter.com/blau_angel/status/1495407157537386496 on Spanish media]] that indicates he thinks Hanyu was lying about there being a hole on the ice (which Hanyu's skate got caught on, and of which there were [[https://enby-axels.tumblr.com/post/676735748425318400/going-as-far-as-saying-he-doesnt-think-there-was-a media pictures]]) and making excuses. Fans unearthed evidence of Fernandez trash-talking Hanyu in Spanish-language sources and being nothing but complimentary in English-language sources.
134	* Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, two of the world's top-ranked professional golfers, became good friends after they both participated in several junior golf events together while [[https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/896875002623963136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2017%2F08%2F2017-pga-championship-justin-thomas-jordan-spieth-old-picture they were kids]]. They still hang out together when not competing against other in PGA Tour events and even take [[https://www.golfchannel.com/article/grill-room/spieth-fowler-thomas-kaufman-vacationing-together-bahamas/ vacations with their fellow pro golf rivals Rickie Fowler and Smylie Kaufman]].
135	* Gymnasts Simone Biles of the USA and Larisa Iordache of Romania consistently go head-to-head in major all-around competitions, with the 2014 World title coming down to half a point between them (Iordache took silver to Biles' gold). This doesn't stop them from maintaining a strong year-round friendship, including constantly tweeting each other affectionately and congratulating each other after a great set in competition.
136	* Happens a lot in hockey, at least among individual players (friendly rivalries between teams are almost non-existent). One of the more famous ones was the rivalry between UsefulNotes/WayneGretzky and Mario Lemieux, arguably the two best players to ever play the game, period. Though the arguments between fans about which player was better can sometimes result in SeriousBusiness, Gretzky and Lemieux always admired each other on and off the ice, to the point where Lemieux suggested playing in the 1987 Canada Cup with Gretzky taught him how to become a winner, eventually resulting in him and his Pittsburgh Penguins winning UsefulNotes/TheStanleyCup in 1991 and 1992. The fact that Gretzky and Lemieux only played in the same Conference for one season (1996-97, Lemieux's last season before coming out of retirement in 2000-01, and Gretzky's first of 3 seasons with the New York Rangers before his own retirement in 1999) and never playing a playoff series against each other (and rarely more than 2 games per regular season) probably helped.
137	* British middle-distance runners Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett had a notable rivalry, breaking each other's world records on a regular basis. While the press often tried to present their rivalry as a bitter one, it was actually very amicable. In retirement, they are now close friends.
138	* MMA fighters Amanda and Nina Nunes, who are married, at one point stated they intended to fight each other before either of them retired.[[note]]Moving up and down a weight class, respectively.[[/note]] However, this did not end up happening, with Nina retiring on August 13, 2022 and Amanda on June 10, 2023.
139	* Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon is perceived to be a heated rivalry within UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}}, but overall, it was rather friendly. Although Earnhardt didn't like the outsider coming into his domain, both drivers respected the other's accomplishments and the ribbing was good-natured.
140	* In the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]], UsefulNotes/LeBronJames, most identified with the Cleveland Cavaliers but now with the LA Lakers, and Dwyane Wade, who spent most of his NBA career with the Miami Heat, are best friends off the court. Rather infamously, the two, along with Chris Bosh, decided to make an alliance when they became free agents and all joined [[BadassCrew together on the Heat]] for four years.
141	* For all the talk of who ''really'' is the greatest quarterback of all time (with both in contention, to say the least) and the hyped-up rivalry talk across the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] (with plenty of FanDumb), Creator/PeytonManning and Creator/TomBrady speak highly respectfully of each other and seem to genuinely enjoy playing against one another. Maybe helped by the facts that the two are actually never on the field at the same time (both playing on offense) and football is a sport where a harsh tackle can quickly make you eat your words.
142	** Another ''extremely'' friendly rivalry in NFL was between the kickers Creator/GaryAnderson and Creator/MortenAndersen. Although long-standing kicking records kept moving between the two, they themselves would go fishing in the NFL off-season and had nothing but the warmest of compliments for each other, in fact the only beef they ever had was non-NFL related - Gary had wanted to ask Morten if he would be the godfather to one of his children, but couldn't get in contact with him, and had to ask someone else! The connections between the two are quite amazing - they are only a year apart in age, both came to the USA as teenagers (Gary from South Africa, Morten from Denmark) and both are excellent fishermen. It is probably one of the best friendships in NFL history.
143	* UsefulNotes/{{Tennis}}:
144	** In the current tennis world, the most famous and friendliest rivalry is between UsefulNotes/RogerFederer and UsefulNotes/RafaelNadal. A ''very'' friendly rivalry.
145	** In earlier decades, among the most famous examples in that sport were John [=McEnroe=] and Björn Borg, and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
146	[[/folder]]
147
148	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
149	* The protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'' has a couple of these:
150	** The protagonist and Tamara were always very close due to their competition. They always pushed each other to be better.
151	** The protagonist and Rachel had a similar dynamic while they were dating (in fact, he recommended that she try for the Olympics), and they do again after the air clears from their breakup.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Webcomics]]
155	* In ''Webcomic/DearChildren'', Devin and Chelle love to argue for the sake of arguing. During the clubroom conversation in chapter 2, it is shown they will debate literally anything, even if they know it has no significance, and they will use their friends (and strangers) to settle heated stalemates. Despite how nasty their comments towards one another get, they still manage to remain friends.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Web Animation]]
159	* WebAnimation/{{Hololive}} and Creator/{{Nijisanji}} are both virtual youtuber based groups with the former focusing on idolsinger aspect and the latter focusing on variety content. However, some members are allowed to collaborate.
160	[[/folder]]
161
162	[[folder:Web Original]]
163	* ''Blog/BloggerBeware'' and ''Blog/CinnamonBunzuh'' covered similar material, namely taking books written in the nineties for children born in the eighties, in the 201st.
164	* Acrylic and Fetus from ''Literature/NextBreedOfThief'' have this. Acrylic, in a somewhat rare bit of humor, refers to Fetus as his "frenemy".
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder:Web Video]]
168	* ''WebVideo/TheSharkasmCrew'' features one between Cephalo the Pod and Alpha Delpha. It has recently been downplayed as more players of the same skill level as Cephalo and Delpha arrive on the St. Marys scene.
169	* In "[[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdPXC4UCSSwHojxa1avDzmvLN9_lwqDPr What if DC and Marvel Share the Same Cinematic Universe]]", [[Characters/MCUCaptainMarvel Carol Danvers]] and [[Characters/GreenLanternHalJordan Hal Jordan]] were this due to being top pilots.
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Western Animation]]
173	* Pick ''any'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''. Especially those that feature Green Arrow.
174	* ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'': In "[[Recap/MollyOfDenaliS1E15WinterChampionsHuskeys Winter Champions]]," Molly and Tooey engage in a friendly competition with Trini and Oscar during an outhouse race.
175	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
176	** Applejack and Rainbow Dash are great friends, but that doesn't stop them from competing against one another.
177	** Rainbow Dash apparently forms these kinds of friendships a lot, as evidenced by her interactions with Gilda and Lightning Dust.
178	** The relationship between Pinkie Pie and [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E12PinkiePride Cheese Sandwich]] started out like this, with the latter emphasized on Pinkie's part. That changes when during their Goof-Off, birthday mare Rainbow Dash gets crushed by Pinkie's pinata (thankfully unharmed), making Pinkie realize that her rivalry with Cheese Sandwich is overshadowing her attempt to make Rainbow's party fun and forfeits. Also, Cheese Sandwich was a shy colt who was actually inspired by Pinkie to throw parties. As a token of their friendship, Cheese gives Pinkie one of his rubber chickens that he calls Boneless [[note]]which turns out to be [[spoiler:one of the Friendship Keys]].[[/note]].
179	** This is the purpose of the "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E24EquestriaGames Equestria Games]]", which pit athletes from different parts of the kingdom against each other. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this with an enthusiastic hoof-bump at the finish line after the relay race.
180	* ''[[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends Thomas the Tank Engine]]'' and Bertie the Bus are rivals whenever they race, but are also good friends.
181	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'': Gerry and Pete are basically described as this tripe through their racing team name of the "Tennis Rivals". They have been competitive against each other for decades and don't hesitate to make insulting jokes towards each other but they still remain good friends.
182	[[/folder]]
183
184	[[folder:Real Life]]
185	* Many neighbor countries have some bitterness to each other, but are still major commercial partners -- America and Canada, Brazil and Argentina, Japan and China/South Korea...
186	%%* This is the relationship between Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/{{Sony}} nowadays.
187	%%* Microsoft and Sony, as indicated with [[https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/401349054912663552 this tweet]].
188	* Following the release of the Platform/NintendoSwitch, Nintendo and Microsoft have been this more than any other console makers in history. Nintendo and Microsoft have had no problem allowing cross-platform online play between the Switch and the Platform/XboxOne, with Nintendo even allowing Xbox Live functionality in the Switch version of ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''. Microsoft has also allowed several formerly Xbox-exclusive indie games to come to Switch, such as ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' and ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest''. Most of all, Microsoft and Nintendo agreed to make [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo and Kazooie]] and Steve/Alex playable fighters in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', with Creator/MasahiroSakurai asking players to check out the Banjo series ''on Xbox'' in his video showcase of ''Banjo & Kazooie''.
189	* Historical records indicate that Creator/WilliamShakespeare and Ben Jonson weren't above snarking at each other's work, but each still respected the other. Johnson called Shakespeare a half-educated country simpleton and Shakespeare in turn called Johnson's work formulaic. Apparently both found the comments of the other accurate and ActuallyPrettyFunny.
190	* Creator/PabloPicasso and Henri Matisse had generational differences (Matisse was a dozen years older) and were rivals by virtue of trying to sell to the same collectors. Each one also considered the other about the only artist who could understand them.
191	* Ever since ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', voice actors Creator/DCDouglas (Albert Wesker) and Creator/RogerCraigSmith (Chris Redfield) have had a friendly rivalry with one another.
192	* Similarly, Creator/DavidHayter and Creator/CamClarke have had a friendly rivalry with one another since ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', mostly consisting of Clarke poking fun at Hayter while in character as Liquid Snake.
193	* Canada and Denmark were locked in a decades-long border dispute over Hans Island, an uninhabited (and uninhabitable) pile of rocks in the strait of the Arctic Ocean that separates the uninhabited northern part of Ellesmere Island (in Nunavut) from the equally uninhabited northwestern reaches of Greenland. Militarily, the conflict involved one side occasionally sending an expeditionary force to raise their flag, installing a sign that says "Welcome to [Country]", and leave a bottle of liquor (the Danes leave a bottle of brandy, the Canucks leave a bottle of whiskey) and the other side coming later to replace the flag and sign and enjoying the booze left behind before leaving their own bottle. Civilians on both sides also occasionally got caught up in search engine optimization wars to see which side could get their claim on the island to reach the top of Google's search results. The two sides eventually signed a treaty to resolve the conflict in 2022, agreeing to split the territory with Denmark controlling 60% and Canada 40% (largely as a way for a couple of UsefulNotes/{{NATO}} members to show UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} how civilised countries resolve territorial disputes during the war in UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}).
194	* Voice actor Creator/VicMignogna has one of these going with both Creator/TravisWillingham and Creator/ToddHaberkorn. He and Todd had a long-standing "battle" in which they would make elaborate Website/YouTube videos making fun of one another (''CSI: Mignogna'' was a classic example from Todd's side), while with Travis it's a friendly rivalry in the form of (playfully) warring fan clubs -- [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 Vic's loyal Risembool Rangers and Travis's devoted Miniskirt Army]].
195	* And then there's Creator/{{Netflix}} and Creator/{{Amazon\|Studios}}. Both have their own production studios and both operate subscription-based video on demand services, but in the end Netflix still piggybacks on Amazon's cloud services, Netflix did not protest when Amazon pulled the streaming rights of some very highly desired shows away from them, and neither has anything bad to say about the other. They're only competing because it's the nature of the business world.
196	%%* Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver
197	%%* Creator/JimmyKimmel and Creator/MattDamon
198	%%* Chicago-based film critics Creator/GeneSiskel [[Series/SiskelAndEbert and]] Creator/RogerEbert
199	* Standup comedians Bert Kreischer, and Tom Segura. The rivalry especially became heated when Segura started a [[VitriolicBestBuds fat-shaming meme at Bert’s expense on Twitter]] which ended up becoming so big, the two began a weight-loss competition. It lead to some fans of either particular comedians to get angry with the other and bash them ruthlessly, failing to realize that the two are actually best friends.
200	* Subverted at the height of Creator/DreamWorksAnimation's fame. It was co-founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who originally worked at Creator/Disney, but left after feeling underappreciated, as well as forming a bitter rivalry with the company's CEO, Michael Eisner. When he formed [=DreamWorks=], it was quite obvious he still had ill feelings for them, since they have notoriously tried to copy theirs and Creator/{{Pixar}}'s films (''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' vs. ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'', ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'' vs. ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar1'' vs. ''WesternAnimation/TheWild''). Not to mention how their film, ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'', had numerous TakeThat's directed towards Disney, going as far as having the villain Lord Farquaad be a caricature of Michael Eisner (if the unflattering name wasn't indicative enough). However, in recent years, this trope came to play, as they both negotiated on fair wages for their employees, they each now try to make their own films without trying to outdo the other, and Jeffrey himself returning to appear in some documentaries on the making of some of their films (but it also helps that he started doing them after Michael Eisner was kicked out).
201	* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
202	** While the MCU vs [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse DCEU]] rivalry has been exacerbated by some creatives and fans, the ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' cast and crew are on mutually respectful terms with their DCEU counterparts. Creator/JamesGunn and Creator/PattyJenkins [[http://www.morningnewsusa.com/james-gunn-loves-dceu-cant-wait-wonder-woman-patty-jenkins-responds-23105957.html expressed excitement]] for each [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 other's]] [[Film/WonderWoman2017 films]]. Gunn in particular has been vocal in rejecting the DC vs Marvel rivalry and incidentally has the prestigious honor of being one of the first few directors to direct movies for both franchises. Likewise, Creator/GalGadot (Wonder Woman) and Creator/VinDiesel (Groot) [[https://people.com/parents/vin-diesel-gal-gadot-kids-maya-hania/ have shared family meetup pics and selfies]] with Gadot being considered an [[HonoraryUncle Honorary Aunt]] to Diesel's children. This isn't too surprising since many of ''Guardians'' creatives have previously worked alongside the DCEU creatives in prior works like Gadot and Diesel starring in ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' movies and Gunn writing the Creator/ZackSnyder-directed ''Film/DawnOfTheDead2004'' remake.
203	** Creator/GalGadot with Creator/ChrisHemsworth (Thor) and Creator/BrieLarson (Captain Marvel). Hemsworth conceded that Wonder Woman could beat Thor in a fight and spoke positively of how his children were inspired by Gadot's performance. Likewise, Larson is a life-long Wonder Woman fangirl and was overjoyed to see Gadot bring the character to life. As for Gadot, she has nothing short of upmost respect for her competitors and publically congratulated their movies.
204	** Marvel Studios head honcho, Creator/KevinFeige, has always been supportive towards his rival superhero competitors. As Feige believed the "rising tide lifts all boats" philosophy, he publicly considers good non-MCU movies like ''Film/{{Wonder Woman\|2017}}'', ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'', and ''Film/{{Deadpool\|2016}}'' to be beneficial for the superhero genre as a whole. Most notably, Feige didn't mind that ''Wonder Woman'' was released before the MCU's own ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'', and he was actually relieved that ''Wonder Woman'' didn't fall victim to the GirlShowGhetto since that film's success convinced Disney to keep supporting his push for more inclusivity in the MCU films.
205	* Within the realm of the MediaNotes/FightingGameCommunity, there's the rivalry shared between Goichi "[=GO1=]" Kishida and Dominique "[=SonicFox=]" [=McLean=] in ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ''. While TrashTalk is a common occurrence within FGC events and rivalries are often punctuated with them -- [=SonicFox=] himself has been known to indulge in it from time to time, his rivalry with [=GO1=] is one born out of being the best their game had to offer. There's little animosity to be shown in their matches; both never seem to be anything less than cordial and friendly when fighting each other, and they're known for providing close-fought sets that go the extra mile and more. Their rivalry is best exemplified by their Grand Finals encounter at EVO 2019, where [=GO1=] avenged his defeat from last year to claim his first EVO championship; he proceeded to break down in ManlyTears while [=SonicFox=] laughed his loss off and congratulated [=GO1=] for his win, later raising his hand in front of the crowd to cement the amount of respect both have for each other.
206	* Creator/BillWatterson, creator of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', and Berke Breathed, creator of ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', used to have a years-long rivalry that consisted of the two men drawing increasingly obscene pictures and mailing them to each other to see how far they could push the other's boundaries.
207	* Extremely common among U.S. universities, especially when there are two major schools in one state. UF/FSU, GT/UGA, etc. They may be bitter enemies on the athletic field, but they often collaborate academically, and alumni of the rival schools are frequently co-workers, friends, or even spouses of each other. There's still plenty of ribbing to go around, though.
208	* St. Creator/ThomasAquinas and St. Bonaventure were medieval scholastic philosophers, theologians, and Doctors of the Church. Although they had very different approaches towards Christian theology (roughly speaking, St. Thomas drew from Creator/{{Aristotle}} while St. Bonaventure, though he knew the philosophical ideas of Aristotle, preferred the more [[Creator/{{Plato}} Platonic tradition]] of St. Creator/AugustineOfHippo), they were very good friends. It is said they were both commissioned by Pope Urban IV to compose hymns for the then-newly instituted Feast of Corpus Christi. St. Thomas presented his hymn first (the ''Pange Lingua''), the poetic achievement of which moved both the Pope and St. Bonaventure to tears. In fact, St. Bonaventure silently tore the manuscript containing his hymn underneath his habit, presented the shreds to the Pope when it was his turn, and ceded the contest to St. Thomas. On the other hand, St. Bonaventure's theological ideas have never been condemned by the Church, while a number of St. Thomas' propositions have been condemned in 1277 (to be fair, St. Thomas's enterprise of synthesising Aristotelian principles with Christian theology was ''extremely'' controversial at the time, especially considering how some commentators of Aristotle started touting ideas that contradicted the Christian faith. St. Thomas has since been VindicatedByHistory).
209	* The relationship between the Alsace wine houses F.E. Trimbach and Hugel et Fils is ''definitely'' like this, with plenty of good-humoured teasing between the two along the lines of the Hugel's say that the Trimbach's are fine wine makers, but are a bit fussy and waste their resources on looking for an impossible perfection, and the Trimbach's say the Hugel's are also fine wine makers, but spread themselves a bit too thinly and wouldn't know how to trim (no pun intended!) down their ranges if their life depended on it. Needless to say, both houses find the comments mostly rooted in truth and ActuallyPrettyFunny.
210	-->'''Pierre Trimbach''' (''at a wine trade dinner and tasting'') This wine of Hugel's outdoes even us, it is the closest to perfection I have ever tasted or drunk - that's if perfection actually exists, of course! [[note]] This was Trimbach being self-deprecating about their perfectionist tendancies, whilst gently accusing the Hugel's of getting a bit caught up in the same perfectionist loop - a very nice form of ''touchez'', don't you think?! [[/note]]
211	* Film/JamesBond fans will argue endlessly about whether Creator/SeanConnery's Bond or Creator/RogerMoore's Bond was better than the other, even though in real life, the two actors were good friends.
212	* Most people playing video games in PVP/competitive mode. Typically they don't have any ill will towards each other and may well be good friends in real life.
213	* In the late Victorian/Edwardian era, the wireless telegraphy companies Marconi International Marine (British) and American Marconi Company had a friendly if intense rivalry. This was contrasted with the truly bitter rivalry the two shared with Telefunken, the German equivalent. (Apparently the Compagnie Générale Télégraphique of France made a point of being Very French and simply avoided contacting other wireless companies altogether, except in an emergency.)
214	* The beatbox community is pretty tightknit, and during beatbox battles, it's not unusual to see the loopers just grooving to their opponents' performances, and express happiness for their competitor's victory. Some former competitors might even do a collab with each other afterwards.
215	[[/folder]]

Context Main / FriendlyRivalry