Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / ThePowerOfFriendship

Go To

1%%
2%%
3%%
4%%
5%%
6%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
7%%
8%% Also, this page is not YMMV, so please do not link to YMMV tropes such as Awesome or Heartwarming moments.
9%%
10%%
11%%
12%%
13%%
14%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1607026812029012200
15%% Previous thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1521588201039867500
16%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
17%%
18[[quoteright:250:[[Webcomic/CluelessHero https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/power_of_friendship.png]]]][[caption-width-right:250:''[[VideoGame/LegacyOfKain "As long as a single one of us stands, there is still hope and we are legion!"]]'']]
19%%
20->''"My friends are my power, and I'm theirs!"''
21-->-- '''Ventus''', ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep''
22
23[[UniversalTropes A major theme in all media]]. The [[BigBad villain]] or IneffectualLoner mocks the idea of relying on others, insisting that friends make you weak and [[MachiavelliWasWrong only fear brings servitude]]. Then they discover, to their [[EvilCannotComprehendGood extreme shock and dismay]], that the hero and their TrueCompanions really do stand up for each other, and this really does enable the hero to kick the crap out of the bad guy. The [[AnAesop Aesop]]: Having friends makes you strong, [[LonersAreFreaks being alone makes you weak]]. Even WhatYouAreInTheDark can depend on your memory of your friends.
24
25The moment the Power of Friendship becomes clear is AFriendInNeed, but beware the AppleOfDiscord. When [[IWorkAlone the loner]] has been brought into the group, RememberThatYouTrustMe may be needed to keep him attached.
26
27More often than not a hero who makes good use of this power is going to attract villains who try to prove that it doesn't work. (The biggest reason is such villains rarely have any friends, as heroes occasionally point out.) [[DefeatMeansFriendship After slugging it out with the hero one or more times]] the villain in question may become a FriendlyEnemy, a WorthyOpponent, or do a full on HeelFaceTurn.
28
29However, one seeking to use this power should be very wary of the few times it may ''not'' work; an antagonist with the sheer strength to back them up may be just as capable of tanking an attack powered by friendship, then using a counterattack of theirs that's [[GodzillaThreshold so strong that it completely overpowers the hero and their allies]].
30
31A CombinedEnergyAttack is another perk of believing in said power. Taken more literally, the Power of Friendship may be used as a required element of some magical effect, such as a CareBearStare or a CircleOfFriendship. Heroes, especially the MagneticHero, usually spend the first few episodes building [[TrueCompanions this group of loyal followers]]. Sometimes it can go too far; Heroes fall prey to becoming a MartyrWithoutACause and allies could be {{False Friend}}s. Contrast InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn, in which case Friendship becomes less helpful. This trope is a key element of {{buddy picture}}s.
32
33The Power of Friendship can be just as strong for [[VillainousFriendship the bad guys]] as for the good guys, but they seldom have [[PragmaticVillainy enough common sense]] to play it straight. When they do, expect a pretty wild ride, and a clash with TheRemnant once the main conflict's over.
34
35See also TeamSpirit, TrueCompanions, ThePowerOfLove, ThePowerOfFamily, PowerOfTrust, DefeatMeansFriendship, FireForgedFriends, DyingAlone, YouAreNotAlone. The risk of SweetnessAversion or even {{Narm}} is present [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools if done poorly]]. TheGoodKing should be wary of this trope, it can turn into {{Nepotism}} (well, technically cronyism). If your characters are entirely reliant on their friends for any characterization or motivation, they will rapidly become {{Flat Character}}s.
36
37In TheFourLoves, friendship is classified under ''Philia''.
38----
39!!Example subpages:
40
41[[index]]
42* ThePowerOfFriendship/AnimeAndManga
43* ThePowerOfFriendship/ComicBooks
44* ThePowerOfFriendship/FanWorks
45* [[ThePowerOfFriendship/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
46* ThePowerOfFriendship/{{Literature}}
47* ThePowerOfFriendship/LiveActionTV
48* ThePowerOfFriendship/VideoGames
49* ThePowerOfFriendship/WebAnimation
50* ThePowerOfFriendship/WebOriginal
51* ThePowerOfFriendship/{{Webcomics}}
52* ThePowerOfFriendship/WesternAnimation
53[[/index]]
54
55!!Other examples
56[[foldercontrol]]
57
58[[folder:Films — Animation]]
59* Rhino the Hamster from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Bolt}}'' completely believes in this trope.
60* ''WesternAnimation/TheCareBearsMovie'' actually has the CareBearStare fail at the end, while simply telling people about true friendship works.
61* ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'' : Cloud is chastised by Tifa for being an angsty loner. When he finally lightens up, his friends show up en mass to save the day with a spectacular and very symbolic action set piece.
62* ''WesternAnimation/KronksNewGroove'': After spending the whole movie worrying about [[WellDoneSonGuy disappointing his father]] and not being a success, Kronk realizes that the most important thing to him are the friends that he has. [[spoiler:[[SoProudOfYou His father agrees]].]]
63* In ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Madeline}} Madeline: Lost in Paris]]'', "[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Togetherness Will Set Us Free]]" is built on this trope, with Madeline encouraging her new friends inside the sweetshop they are imprisoned in to work together for their freedom. This later leads to the girls to work together [[spoiler: to take out the BigBad and her [[{{TheDragon}} dragon]], with the help of Madeline's friends from the Old House in Paris]].
64* Even in the spin-off feature film ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', [[spoiler:despite being in a human world, the same friendships Twilight developed in Equestria work here to magically defeat the demonic form of Sunset Shimmer.]]
65* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'': After spending the entire movie [[OutOfContinues afraid of losing his last life]], Puss regains his courage when, [[MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes as his life flashes before his eyes]], he is reminded of the good times he had with [[TrueCompanions Kitty and Perrito]]. [[NotAfraidOfYouAnymore This gives Puss the strength to stand up]] to [[spoiler:[[TheGrimReaper Death]]]] and [[DoNotGoGentle give him the biggest fight of his life]].
66* ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'': When Meilin Lee first turns into a giant red panda, she struggles to stay human as any strong emotion instantly turns her into the panda. It's only after receiving comfort and assurance from [[TrueCompanions her sisterhood]] that she's able to control her panda form.
67[[/folder]]
68
69[[folder:Music]]
70* The theme of Music/{{Twice}}'s "Music/FeelSpecial" music video. Certain members are trapped in situations/locations — Chaeyoung is in some kind of futuristic, stark-white dome; Tzuyu is literally inside a dollhouse; Sana sits in despair, trying to find shelter from rain as the only person without an umbrella in the city; Jihyo is in a room full of TV sets; Nayeon is in a diamond-encrusted room; [[LonelyAtTheTop Jeongyeon is on a luxurious seat reminiscent of a throne, in addition to other regal imagery]]. They're isolated and acutely feel this loneliness, as you can tell from their forlorn faces. Then, they each meet another member: Chaeyoung's dome opens up to Mina, who has been traversing a forest (also of the sci-fi/fantasy nature); Momo chances upon Tzuyu's dollhouse; Dahyun, who is carrying an umbrella, smiles at Sana; Nayeon's image appears on the TV sets and she smiles at Jihyo. The exception is Jeongyeon. Driving the theme of friendship saving one from loneliness home, Jeongyeon sees another version of ''herself,'' except undeniably ''much'' happier and surrounded by the rest of the girls.
71* "[[http://www.metrolyrics.com/lean-on-me-lyrics-bill-withers.html Lean on Me]]" by Bill Withers, one of the best-known classics of the Soul genre, is centered upon this trope.
72-->''You just call on me brother, when you need a hand''\
73''We all need somebody to lean on''
74[[/folder]]
75
76[[folder:Mythology & Religion]]
77* The Arabian god [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadd Wadd]] was the deity of friendship, besides being also a moon and snake god.
78* The tyrant of Syracuse was so impressed by the friendship between Damon, who volunteered to be a hostage for Pythias's return and be executed if he did not, and Pythias, who not only returned to his execution to spare Damon but did so in spite of being captured by bandits and BreakingTheBonds to escape, that he pardoned Pythias for conspiring against him. Thus this is OlderThanFeudalism.
79* Some interpretations of ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'' hold that the friendship between King Gilgamesh and [[RaisedByWolves the wild-man Enkidu]] had the effect of taming ''both'' of them, as Gilgamesh's tyrannical rule was mellowed at the same time he was civilizing Enkidu. Furthermore, during their epic battle with the monster Humbaba, each took turns encouraging the other to continue. If this really was the intended reading of these two parts of the story, then it makes this OlderThanDirt.
80[[/folder]]
81
82[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
83* Wrestling/{{Kane}} and Wrestling/DanielBryan (Hell No) do this, albeit partially zigzagged (I AM THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, etc.)
84* Interestingly, having a large group of friends means something entirely different in professional wrestling. Factions comprised of more than 2-3 wrestlers are typically called "stables", and their primary function in story telling is usually to have members of the stable assist other members in their matches and post-match beatdowns... which is dirty play and against the rules. As a result, the aesops associated with this trope are usually averted: the heroes are loners who fight alone against the odds, the villains are cowards who come down to the ring with all of their friends in tow.
85[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
88* A common theme in many roleplaying groups, especially long-standing groups of close friends. Many adventuring parties are often made of a combination of various different personalities, who must learn to work together to beat their adversaries. In fact, many a GM will use a villain late in a story to test the strength of the group, with varying success, depending on the players in question.
89* ''Byron Falls'' from John Wick's ''[[http://johnwickpresents.com/big-book-of-little-games/ Big Book Of Little Games]]'' utilizes it in mechanics -- players divide points between their friends, and the more points assigned to a person, the stronger your relationship with them. When you help one of those friends, you use number of dices equal to how many points you spend on them. However, it also [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructs the trope]] - you cannot asign the same number of points to two different friends, and if any of them betrays you, they use number of dice equal points you spend on them for all actions against you.
90* ''TabletopGame/ChuubosMarvelousWishGrantingEngine'' runs on this and ComingOfAgeStory, with one character achieving something impossible -- [[spoiler:since [[EldritchAbomination Actuals]] can't have souls]] - because Chuubo wished for a friend. For Nightmares' Angel/Leonardo/Dulcinea, however, it's actually ''inverted'' - one of the character's Empowered Wounds is about ''rejecting'' friendship. This isn't to say that deep down they don't ''want'' it - as [[http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?693038-Chuubo-s-Marvelous-Wish-Granting-Engine-Kickstarter-thread-Double-Plus-Good-Edition&p=16969778#post16969778 one rpgnet poster]] put it: "Yes, she definitely has the I Have No Friends thing, it's even on her character sheet. But, well... it wouldn't be there if she didn't ''care'' about having friends. She doesn't have I Don't Own A Walrus as a source of power, after all." However Leonardo/Dulcinea's unique stew of megalomania and emotional damage means that they're really bad at acting on or expressing it, and as such draw power from loneliness instead.
91* ''TabletopGame/InterstitialOurHeartsIntertwined'': Light Links with other players are this mechanically, as the represent friendship and romantic relationships with others, and any move that uses them draws on this power. The Chosen and The Friend are based around this even more than others.
92* The indie RPG ''[[http://misspentyouthgame.com/ Misspent Youth]]'' by Robert Bohl is all about this. Characters are required to be one another's friends by design, you ask questions about your friendship at the start of every session, all conflicts are between The Authority and the friends, the stakes of all conflicts are agreed-upon by all of the players at the table, and usually when a conflict is won it's with a friend's character's abilities.
93* Creator/ModiphiusEntertainment's 2d20 system in general, and its Momentum mechanics in particular, are build around "keeping the footbag in the air". Which in practical terms means everyone in the group creates situations that benefit ''others'', either by setting up the pool of Momentum for later use or using it to create Truths benefiting others. This routinely allows otherwise insignificant characters to overcome impossible odds, based on both in-game fraternity and out-of-character heavy teamplay.
94* ''TabletopGame/TheOneRing'': Each player chooses another PlayerCharacter as a "Fellowship Focus" -- the person their own character is closest to. [[LuckManipulationMechanic Hope Points]] spent to protect their Fellowship Focus from immediate danger are [[ResourceReimbursement refunded]], and the adventurer gains a bonus Hope Point at the end of each session in which the Fellowship Focus avoids serious harm.
95* ''TabletopGame/NightsBlackAgents'' has Trust, which can be spent to help out the trusted ally. Of course, since NBA is a dark game of burned spies hunting vampires, it can be flipped to Betrayal if you want to elaborately backstab said ally. Betrayal can only be spent once, however, and even if you patch up your relationship you will never be able to get Trust off the betrayed character again; even [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender helping them find their mother's killer]] will, at most, mean they're willing to give you real bullets for your gun, and you're still on point for the rest of your life.
96* Absolutely included in ''TabletopGame/PoniesAndParasprites'' due to [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the source material]]. In this game, the positive emotions that one feels when one is self-confident and/or surrounded by their friends is quantified by their ''Love'' score, which starts at 1 at character creation and goes up and down as play progresses. When a party is formed, their individual Love scores are summed up and used by every character in the group. Love is added to the total score of ''any'' die roll the character makes, meaning a character with quite a bit of Love associated with them can achieve feats they wouldn't be able to alone.
97** Likewise an actual mechanic in ''My Little Pony: The Storytelling Game'', the pen-and-paper role-playing game based on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. There's a pool of "friendship tokens" that can be used for important circumstances. It spills over into the real side of things: the more players at each session (that is, the more ''friends'' who came to play), the larger the pool is.
98[[/folder]]
99
100[[folder:Visual Novels]]
101* The story of ''VisualNovel/SilverCrisis'' goes out of its way time and time again to show how important it is to place your trust in others and not isolate yourself. [[spoiler:By the end of the story, the bond and trust Lucario and Lucas made with each other gives them the opportunity to make Silver lower his guard and defeat said Godlike being in the end.]]
102[[/folder]]
103
104[[folder:Web Videos]]
105* ''WebVideo/StampysLovelyWorld'': A [[CentralTheme common theme]] in the series is teamwork and cooperation, most emphasized in Stampy ''always'' having Helpers in every one of his episodes, and even trying to invite them for the smallest projects. [[BigBad [=HitTheTarget=]]] plays the role of TheCaligula who defies this, as he is a misanthropic power-hungry tyrant who despises friendship and only works for himself. The message stated multiple times over, even at the end, is that Stampy appreciates the experiences he has in the World because of his loyal friends and not because of materialistic desire, unlike HTT, who is nothing ''but'' materialistic.
106[[/folder]]
107
108[[folder:Real Life]]
109* Dennis Rodman seems to be trying to invoke this with his visit with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, telling him that he has a "friend for life." It is Rodman's hope that his visit may help, if even in some little way, to cool the hostility of the North Korean government towards the United States.
110* Hoplites in battle, whose main strength was in trusting that they could depend on each other.
111** Also done by any successful army: when they trust their companions their teamwork make them stronger, but if they don't they're liable to break up at the first trouble even when they should have a crushing advantage against the enemy.
112* Invoked by the US military after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on the 11th of March 2011. The aid mission that they launched on the 12th was called "Operation Tomodachi" (Japanese for "friend").
113* The most successful animals in nature tend to be those who cooperate with others, either of their own species or not.
114* Truth in music? Queen wrote an awesome song about the Power of Friendship, the aptly titled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuxS-9t3tnY Friends will be Friends]]
115* The reason why the Human species has become the dominant species of Earth, along with great creativity, the ability of think out strategies and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick unlimited ruthlessness]].
116** Some anthropologists also suggest that the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory Toba Event]] forced the early humans of Eastern Africa to learn to work together or face extinction.
117** Not just Humans, Mammals in general tend towards being social animals, and it's a large reason to why they're so successful. Orcas, Wolves, and Chimps also have complicated strategies relying on teamwork to take down prey.
118* The relationship between UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt and UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill helped save Britain and the world from UsefulNotes/NaziGermany.
119** There was an attempt to arrange a dialogue in Munich between Hitler and Churchill in November 1932, when both struggled for power. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Hitler declined]].
120* This is the reason Creator/JasonMewes is still alive. Creator/KevinSmith told him that he couldn't watch Mewes throw his life away using drugs, and that if Mewes wanted to keep being friends, he had to stop using drugs. It worked, and now he's HappilyMarried and a father.
121* The Gatsby Sandwich, which is a local favourite of Cape Town, is rumored to taste better when shared among friends. There is a grain of truth to this as it was originally invented by factory workers who would share their lunches together into a single sandwich, as they each had little. Thus every other person who joined in added a bit more to a sandwich that would become far greater than the sum of its parts.
122* [[https://www.daryldavis.com/ Daryl Davis]] is a musician and activist who has used the power of friendship to lead countless people to renounce their racist views.
123* This Trope is actually how we managed to progress beyond just being a tribal people, so much had been done since the Start of civilization.
124* Horribly, horribly deconstructed by the lead-up towards UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. The chains of alliances between the various powers mean everyone gets to drag their friend and said friend gets to drag ''their'' friends into the war, and what was supposed to be a small, contained conflict escalated out of hand and became a tragedy of epic proportions.
125[[/folder]]
126

Top