Line #85 Main/VitriolicBestBuds


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7	%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1307553841084220100
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9	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/ArchieComics https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vitriolic_best_buddies.png]]]]
10
11	->''"A very good measure of how good your friends are is how much you can insult them without them taking offense."''
12	--> -- '''@/{{Heliomance}}'''
13
14	%% One quote is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes tab.
15
16	When two people who bicker and argue constantly are still the very best of friends.
17
18	Many true friends are openly warm and affectionate with each other, keeping a united front in public and having their arguments in private. [[WellThisIsNotThatTrope Such friendships are not this trope.]]
19
20	''[[OddCouple These]]'' [[OddFriendship guys]] [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple bicker]] constantly. They're always [[InsultOfEndearment sniping]] at each other. They [[SnarkToSnarkCombat snark]] relentlessly. They duke it out on equal terms, [[VolleyingInsults hurling insults]] at one another with prejudice, maybe [[ChildhoodFriends ever since they were little kids.]] But underneath the verbal fencing is a [[HeterosexualLifePartners rock-solid]] [[TrueCompanions friendship]] that no SmugSnake, ManipulativeBastard, or HatePlague could hope to chip at. AFriendInNeed may be needed to make this manifest. Often, they have opposite morals, personalities, or [[ActionDuo fighting ability]] which is presumably the cause of the vitriol, since they see in each other the kind of flaws they just can't stand to ignore (or maybe it's just because they're both [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan Snarkers]]). Such characters may go for a FriendsAllAlong fight if one is introduced before the other.
21
22	This trope can often serve as a warning that something may be wrong as well. When one of the Vitriolic Best Buds suddenly stops responding to insults or flinging barbs of their own, the other may pick up on the sudden change in behavior as a sign that [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness something is not right]].
23
24	Woe betide any outsider to this unusual 'friendship' who thinks that because one is constantly snarking on the other, it gives the outsider the right to make snide comments about the other as well; usually, they will quickly (and painfully) learn that "[[HypocriticalHeartwarming no one makes fun of them but]] ''[[HypocriticalHeartwarming me]]''." This is more a given when the vitriol is mutual between both friends, but in the variation where only one is vitriolic it may be a PetTheDog moment or proof that aw, look: They really ''[[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther do]]'' like each other!
25
26	Compare AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther, BelligerentSexualTension, FriendlyRivalry, LikeAnOldMarriedCouple, RomanticRibbing, WithFriendsLikeThese. Contrast with HeadbuttingHeroes (who just cold-out despise each other despite being the best of heroes), TeethClenchedTeamwork (where the relationship between teammates is ''genuinely'' strained) and FriendlyEnemy (where two people who are on separate sides of a conflict aren't all that hostile to one another). Some types of VillainousFriendship have a similar dynamic. InvertedTrope of OverlyPolitePals. If the two characters fight because they genuinely ''hate'' each other, that's HeadbuttingHeroes.
27
28	'''NOTE:''' Due to a rewrite of this page, many examples will still refer to previous "type one and type two" dynamics. "Type two" is the version of the trope described above, while "type one" is a variation in which only one friend is vitriolic while the other friend is [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter completely oblivious to the vitriol]] and much, much friendlier. If you come across such an example elsewhere on the wiki, please correct it [[Administrivia/TypeLabelsAreNotExamples to be clear without the type label.]]
29	----
30	!!Example Subpages:
31	[[index]]
32	* VitriolicBestBuds/AnimeAndManga
33	* VitriolicBestBuds/ComicBooks
34	** VitriolicBestBuds/TheDCU
35	** VitriolicBestBuds/MarvelUniverse
36	* VitriolicBestBuds/FanWorks
37	* [[VitriolicBestBuds/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
38	* VitriolicBestBuds/{{Literature}}
39	* VitriolicBestBuds/LiveActionTV
40	* VitriolicBestBuds/{{Music}}
41	* VitriolicBestBuds/ProWrestling
42	* VitriolicBestBuds/{{Theatre}}
43	* VitriolicBestBuds/VideoGames
44	* VitriolicBestBuds/VisualNovels
45	* VitriolicBestBuds/WebAnimation
46	* VitriolicBestBuds/WebComics
47	* VitriolicBestBuds/WebVideos
48	* VitriolicBestBuds/WesternAnimation
49	* VitriolicBestBuds/RealLife
50	[[/index]]
51
52	!!Other Examples:
53
54	[[foldercontrol]]
55
56	[[folder:Animation]]
57	* In ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', Smart S.'s relationship towards Careful S. is a sibling variation. Smart S. mostly acts with [[GreenEyedMonster jealousy]] and snarky smugness towards Careful S. while Careful S. mostly avoids his attempts to get under his skin, but they still genuinely care about each other and will protect each other if needed.
58	* ''Animation/NoonboryAndTheSuper7'': Jetybory and Lukybory often play together, and Jetybory accepts Lukybory as the honourary eight Super Sensor, but they are also the two most likely to fight with each other, especially in the second season.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
62	* ComicStrip/KrazyKat and Ignatz Mouse. Despite -- or perhaps because of -- the fact that Ignatz [[ItAmusedMe throws bricks at Krazy's head every day]], Krazy is [[MadLove madly in love with Ignatz]]. For his part, Ignatz is a FriendlyEnemy who hangs out with Krazy all the time and displays JerkWithAHeartOfGold tendencies.
63	* Nate, Teddy, and Francis from the newspaper comic, recently turned into a series of kids' books, ''ComicStrip/BigNate''.
64	* The titular ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', who even go to the point of violently beating each other up. This seems like a trend in Calvin's relationships, since he also has undeveloped SlapSlapKiss with Susie.
65	* ''ComicStrip/{{Crankshaft}}'' has a case where the vitriol came before the best buds. Crankshaft and his neighbor George Keesterman have been enemies since the beginning of the strip, with Crankshaft seeming to take great joy in destroying Keesterman's mailbox with his school bus. Despite this, in recent years it's become increasingly common to see Crankshaft and Keesterman casually hanging out together with the same elderly friend group at the local coffee shop.
66	* This is the primary dynamic between the characters of ''ComicStrip/MadamAndEve''; for all of their snarking and passive-aggressive sniping, they enjoy each other's company and support each other. WordOfGod [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/all_about_madamandeve.html says]] "Madam & Eve fight a lot, but they secretly like each other, even though neither of them will admit it."
67	* ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'': The entire cast takes part in this to some degree, with [[ButtMonkey Charlie Brown]] of course receiving the brunt of it, but despite all the fighting between them they are quite a close knit group.
68	** What about Snoopy and Woodstock?
69	* ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'''s Rat and Pig. Rat will abuse Pig to the point of ''literally'' throwing him under a bus, but underneath it all he does care for his little buddy, as evidenced by one strip where sat by an unconscious Pig's hospital bed.
70	* In one ''Thimble Theater'' Poopdeck Pappy, the father of ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}, says that the reason he made his one friend, the diminutive "Pookie" Jones, is because they used to be fierce enemies until one day Pappy suddenly considered Pookie and realized that he simply wasn't worth hating, so he made friends instead. Upon hearing this Pookie flies into a rage. Pappy holds him away AtArmsLength as he punches at him furiously, chuckling, "Ain't he cute?"
71	* ''ComicStrip/{{Tiger}}'' often shows the title character engaging in schoolboy brawls with his buddy, Hugo.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Films — Animation]]
75	* Lumiere and Cogsworth from ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' identify themselves as old friends, yet most of their conversations are them bickering LikeAnOldMarriedCouple.
76	* Takua and Jaller from ''{{Toys/Bionicle}}'' constantly trade jabs with one another but are undoubtedly best friends. This is most apparent in the animated film ''BIONICLE: The Mask of Light'', starring both of them.
77	* Jorge the conquistador Sanchez member and Carmelo the native Mesoamerican Sanchez member from ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', have a rather complicated relationship with each other. The former often calls the latter savage, and the latter unintentionally bumps around the former. None of this is surprising, considering the complicated history between the conquistadors and Mesoamericans. They're still family though.
78	* Donkey and Puss In Boots from the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' franchise are like this. As the films went on they become closer allies and best friends but would still bicker and fight over being Shrek's best sidekick.
79	-->'''Donkey:''' I'm sorry but the position of "annoying talking animal" has already been taken!
80	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', this is part of Mario and Donkey Kong's dynamic; [[spoiler:they fight with each other for much of the film, but bond over their daddy issues and eventually manage to work as a team]].
81	* It's implied that Nick and Finnick's relationship in ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' is pretty much this as they are business partners... who constantly tease, insult, and even threaten each other. However, Finnick does help Judy find Nick near the end, which also implies that, as much as he threatens him or laughs at him, he does somewhat care about him.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Pinballs]]
85	* Buzz and Bud from ''Pinball/NoGoodGofers'' typically harass the player, but they're not above insulting each other from time to time as well.
86	-->'''Buzz:''' Don't hit me, hit Bud!
87	* Red and Ted from ''Pinball/RedAndTedsRoadShow'' combine this with PlatonicLifePartners.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Podcasts]]
91	* ''Podcast/BlackJackJustice''
92	** Not an episode goes by where Trixie and Jack don't bicker and threaten each other at a pace that would make the Gilmore Girls jealous. They even have some pat, oft-repeated gibes for when they're tired, such as "You miss me?" "With every bullet so far". Yet rarely, if ever, does their partnership seem to suffer for it as the two make a stellar team. Button-Down Theo has observed more than once that, for all they dislike each other, they greatly respect each other. They will just ''never'' admit it because of how much they dislike each other. The ''Black Jack Justice'' novel, detailing how they met, also shows that one of the very few things Jack and Trixie agree on is their view of private detective work as being to work on the behalf of others over themselves.
93	** Police Lieutenant Victor Sabien fits this bill with both of them. In fact, when an episode opens with Vic walking in and not insulting them, that's their first, best clue that he's truly upset, at which point Jack and Trixie drop (most of) the snark and try to help him with his troubles.
94	** Jack and Freddie the Finger have a relationship of this sort. It's a little softer and more gentle than the rest of the cast, as Jack and Freddy go back a long way, but both are fond of ribbing the other while often hanging out socially for drinks or poker.
95	* In ''Podcast/TheHiddenAlmanac'', stoic Mord and ditzy Drom can rarely spend time in the same room without bickering, but Mord is genuinely upset when it seems like Drom is going to die (and Drom, for her part, comments that they must be really good friends because she let Mord live the first time he referred to her as "a woman of a certain age").
96	* Hannah from ''Podcast/{{Sequinox}}'' doesn't often hang out with the rest of the team willingly since they're all less popular than her, and when they force themselves into her social circle she doesn’t have a choice but to grin and bear them. However by the end of the first arc she's come to appreciate them, even if she doesn't often let it show.
97	* The [[http://www.livestream.com/perel Wisenheimer's Podcast]] between Yotam Perel (Lazymuffin) and Max Gilardi (hotdiggedydemon) thrives on this trope.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
101	* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'':
102	** JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf aren't averse to taking a break from heckling the show to heckle ''each other''.
103	--->'''Statler:''' Y'know, I remember being a teenager in love.\
104	'''Waldorf:''' Yeah, but Queen Victoria wouldn't have you!
105	** As one Muppets' guidebook from the '90s put it, Gonzo and Rizzo "love to disagree."
106	* To a lesser extent, there's also Bert and Ernie from ''Series/SesameStreet''. Ernie drives Bert crazy with his jokes and CloudCuckooLander behavior, but they're inseparable friends all the same.
107	* Creator/JeffDunham has several of these. Jose Jalapeno on a Stick's entire existence is Mexican jokes and sharing this trope with Peanut, Peanut and Jeff get into it as well, and Walter and Achmed have a similar dynamic, though their interactions are limited for obvious reasons. Oh, and Achmed with Guitar Guy.
108	* Far, ''far'' back in time, there were a couple of bickering buddies named [[PluckyComicRelief Danny O'Day]] and [[TheComicallySerious Farfel]] [[DeadpanSnarker the]] [[NotSoStoic Dog]]. And their convos can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IfwNLRVh64&t=50s here]]. And [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcT95vyh-eA here]]. (And then the Nestle commercials came out and - AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther!)
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Radio]]
112	* Douglas and Martin in Radio/CabinPressure develop this kind of relationship - at the start the insults are rather one-sided from Douglas to Martin, but as the series goes on Martin gains confidence and starts to hold his own - and they have been shown to genuinely care about each other despite it all multiple times.
113	** Carolyn also has this relationship with the entirety of the MJN crew, including her son, as well as with Herc, her boyfriend (but don't let her hear you call him that)
114	* [=McGee=] and Doc Gamble have this type of relationship on ''Radio/FibberMcGeeAndMolly''.
115	** [=McGee=] and Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve are like this earlier in the series.
116	** As are Gildy and Judge Hooker on ''The Great Gildersleeve''.
117	* ''Radio/TheJackBennyProgram'' was based on this. Particularly with Phil Harris and to a lesser degree, Mary Livingstone. Jack's whole show was other people taking pot shots at him. Jack Benny became this with Fred Allen, in an attempt to boost Fred's popularity. It worked very well.
118	* Frosty Stilwell and Frank Kramer of the [[http://www.frostyheidiandfrank.com Frosty, Heidi, and Frank show]] have been friends for over 20 years. Not that you'd know it from the way they talk to each other. They've been friends with their co-host Heidi Hamilton for half that time, and are just as snarky with her. But she's far from being the show's Butt Monkey, and gives as good as she gets.
119	* Connie Kendall and Eugene Meltsner from ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'' are arguably this (accent on argue). It's worth noting that Hank Murry was in the middle of trying to rob Whit's End at the time, possibly making this EveryoneCanSeeIt.
120	-->'''Hank Murray:''' Boy, you two were made for each other!\
121	'''Eugene Meltsner:''' We're just friends, actually.\
122	'''Connie Kendall:''' Barely.
123	* Ed Reardon and Jaz Milvane of ''Radio/EdReardonsWeek''. Milvane's fame as a film director really took off when he made a film out of Ed Reardon's first (and only) successful novel, without giving him any of the credit, and Ed still resents him deeply for this. They never pass up a chance to snipe at each other professionally and personally, but they've known each other for ages and play weekly music gigs together, and the only being Ed is on closer terms with is perhaps his cat.
124	* Tony Kornheiser (of ''Series/PardonTheInterruption'' fame) has this relationship with the listeners of his radio show. Listening to the mailbag segment he has at the end of his show, his listeners can be almost vicious with the jokes they make at the expense of Tony, his producer, and his co-hosts. Tony has no problem reading these on the air, and even gets a kick out of it. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUj7GAp_fLk Example here]].
125	* The hosts of the ''The Opie & Anthony Show'', especially when they have one or more of their comedian friends on as guests.
126	* ''Radio/LoZooDi105'': The [=DJs=] constantly [[DeadpanSnarker snark]], quip at or even insult each other, only to shrug it off like it's no big deal. This even includes YourMom jokes, which would fall into ''serious'' "DudeNotFunny" category under normal circumstances.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Roleplay]]
130	* Lyon and Valerian of ''Roleplay/ThereIsNoGATEWeDidNotFightThere'' originally despised each other, due to Lyon finding Valerian as stuck up and dishonest and Valerian thinking of Lyon as a barbaric idiot, though he held his tongue due to his respect for Kytheus. After the interlude Vale and Ly's Excellent Adventure, they've evolved into this trope, with Lyon insulting Valerian as usual and Valerian no longer holding back his true thoughts.
131	* Caramon and Jacques at the start of ''Roleplay/YuGiOhEastAcademy''. By the midpoint of the Apophis arc, the Vitriolic part is all but forgotten.
132	* Mikias and Natsumi's relationship in ''Roleplay/CradleOfGods'' may be marked by incessant teasing (on Natsumi's end) and deadpan snark (on Mikias's end), but the two do genuinely care about each other. Nowhere is this more apparent than [[spoiler:the WhamEpisode of Nise-no-Tengoku, which sees Natsumi essentially sacrifice herself for him and Mikias swearing vengeance on [[ManipulativeBastard Iande]] when she is seemingly killed.]]
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
136	* In ''TabletopGame/ChuubosMarvelousWishGrantingEngine'', Leonardo has this relationship with almost everyone, but ''especially'' Chuubo, to the point where his playbook actually ''crosses out'' his Connection 2 because he has ''absolutely no connection to the wretched child at all''. Of course, when one of your powers is literally fuelled by your desperate need for and complete inability to express or deal with friendship, this is probably inevitable.
137	* The ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 3.5 iconics Jozan and Lidda straddle the line between this and WithFriendsLikeThese. She gets irritated by his pious and saintly straitlaced GoodShepherd ways, and he gets irritated by her unrepentant LoveableRogue ways and love of constant teasing, to the point of near-constant {{Snark to Snark\|Combat}}[=/=]PassiveAggressiveCombat. ''But'' they'll still risk their lives for each other, and at one point Jozan admits to Regdar during a battle that he wouldn't mind having Lidda around to help. D'aww. No doubt they'd then start arguing again afterwards...
138	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' example: Leman Russ and Lion El'Johnson hated each other's guts for quite some time after their first encounter, in which the two primarchs ended up fighting each other over an honor issue, fueled by their [[BoisterousBruiser vastly]] [[TheStoic different]] personalities, but over time, they became accustomed to each other's personalities and eventually became very close friends. Their rivalries remained, however, so this is the kind of friendship that evolved. Their successors sadly only remember the rivalry part of their relationship, however.
139	[[/folder]]
140
141	[[folder:Web Original]]
142	* Creator/{{Amoridere}} seems to have a fondness of these and a notable example would be Toki and Doki, her twin sister, however, downplayed. They have their moments of feuding but, regardless, they will come through for each other. The same thing would go for Toki and her friends, as she cares for them but doesn't hesitate to brawl with them or beat them up, either.
143	* In ''Literature/BrigScarletFlamingo'', Joseph Avery and Frank the Marten have been like that for years and counting. They argue and trade insults all the time and don't shy away from an occasional fistfight. Beneath all that, they are fiercely protective of each other. Not that they would ever admit it out loud, but circumstances have shown that for all his talk of throwing Frank overboard, Joseph is ready to risk his life for him if he ''does'' fall there, and for all his mocking of Joseph, Frank is in fact extremely supportive of his decisions (including being a subtle ShipperOnDeck for Joseph and Yvonne de Geriese).
144	* ''Blog/ThingsMrWelchIsNoLongerAllowedToDoInAnRPG'', [[http://theglen.livejournal.com/131998.html 1001-1500]]:
145	-->1444. My Ally advantage and Arch Enemy flaw can't both represent the same person.
146	[[/folder]]
147

Context Main / VitriolicBestBuds