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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/ParaNorman https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neil_norman.png]]]]
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The Fat BestFriend is a common {{sidekick}} to TheProtagonist. There are three core variants of this trope.

* The BigFun, brash character. This character is usually the [[FatComicRelief jokester,]] and more extroverted compared to the protagonist. While the protagonist is uptight and tactful, the fat friend is funny and/or confrontational. They know that they're fat and [[FatAndProud they don't care about losing weight]] and will throw their weight around, so to speak.

* They can also have some qualities to the ShrinkingViolet. They know they're fat and [[WeightWoe it's one of their biggest insecurities]]. They are shy, awkward and generally have low-self esteem. Cue the protagonist being their ego booster, letting them know they're special and valued, and they're beautiful/handsome. In contrast to the BigFun, the protagonist is highlit as a caring, non-judgmental character.

* In comedic works, they can also be TheDitz[=/=]CloudCuckoolander type. This type can be profoundly stupid or simply airheaded as it can hence the FatIdiot title or are just plain weird otherwise. They can have some BigFun traits, particularly being extroverted. They always [[FatComicRelief speak slowly or walk slowly, as they can also provide comic relief from a ponderous element they exhibit as well.]]

What makes this different from most of [[HighFatIndex the other Fat tropes]] is that this character is always a SatelliteCharacter and we rarely see things from their perspectives. They're there to enhance the protagonist's traits and to simply be a friend. A possible reason for this trope's existence is a desire to be more realistic and less discriminatory by showing that not everybody in the world has a generically attractive body shape (therefore avoiding HollywoodPudgy, perhaps), but still avoid having a fat main character.

See BigFun, FatComicRelief and FatAndSkinny. Compare to TokenBlackFriend, PetHomosexual, and SatelliteCharacter. Contrast FatBastard, FatSlob, and FatIdiot (for just being TheDitz only).

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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Big and Brash]]

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* Ganke is the best friend of the new ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', and he's more intelligent and extroverted than Miles.
** Though he has some CloudCuckooLander tendencies, like going to the seedy part of town to buy some collectible Lego and nearly getting killed.
* Tubby from ''ComicStrip/LittleLulu'' mostly tries to play pranks on Lulu. Despite this, he is a good friend to Lulu.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' has [[PunnyName Etta Candy]], who was originally introduced as an outgoing prankster and boisterous sidekick during the [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 1940s]]. She became more shy in the Silver Age, but was mostly restored an outgoing personality in ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'', where she is Wonder Woman's best friend and ComicBook/SteveTrevor's new LoveInterest, and has come fully back to her boisterous self in ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/TheCrowd'': Played with. Fat, jolly Bert seems like the prototypical jolly sidekick to handsome protagonist John. However, it eventually becomes clear that John is a loser and a failure in life. Meanwhile, Bert actually works hard at his job and winds up far more successful than John does.
* ''Film/MareNostrum'': Handsome, square-jawed sea captain and protagonist Ulysses has as his first mate the jolly, spherical-shaped Caragol. Caragol is the only crewman who goes with Ulysses when he joins the French Navy along with his ship during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.
* In ''Film/TheSorcerersApprentice'', Dave is shown to have two different best friends at different times in his life - the first in the prologue from his childhood, the second in the 'present day' - and both of them are fat. Though they barely even count as minor characters, the second turns up long enough. As an added bonus, he is also [[TokenBlackFriend black]].
* ''Film/WalkCheerfully'': Played straight. Kenji is the protagonist, a tall, serious, handsome low-level {{Yakuza}} gangster. His sidekick and partner Senko is a lot shorter, a lot rounder, and a lot more chipper and upbeat.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Tiny Cooper in ''Literature/WillGraysonWillGrayson''
* [[ClassClown Zane]] starts out in ''{{Literature/Dinoverse}}'' as this to popular Will. It's actually a calculated relationship - Zane comes up with plans and pranks that can be attributed to Will, and Will can [[BullyHunter protect him from bullies]], making himself look better still.
* Bree in the ''Literature/ViridianSaga'' is a popular theater student who [[BigEater seems to be eating in every scene]], compared to her [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy rather plain]] friend Andi. Also, her full name, Bridget Fifan, [[SignificantAnagram is an anagram of "fat best friend"]]. [[spoiler:Actually a parody of this trope]].
* ''Film/FunJungle'': Xavier Gonzalez is probably the second-fattest member of the regular cast, and one of the first and most reliable friends that Teddy makes.
* ''Marvel: Avengers Assembly'' has [[ComicBook/SquirrelGirl Doreen Green]], of all people, be this to [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Kamala Khan]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsMilesMorales Miles Morales]]. She's no less BadassAdorable for it, though.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]


* Larry Mondello, Beaver's best friend during the first three seasons of ''Series/LeaveItToBeaver''.
* Piper, the best friend of Anna on short-lived Creator/{{TeenNick}} series, ''Gigantic''.
* Kim Parker, ''Series/{{Moesha}}'s'' best friend. She later broke out the mold and got her very own show.
* Mo Maskour from ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'', along with Bruce the Moose.
* Ivy from ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie''.
* Trish from ''Series/AustinAndAlly''.
* ''Series/SomedayOrOneDay'': Kun Bu, Huang Yu Xuan's best friend (who is also the only overweight character in the series) is an outgoing GenkiGirl who gives Yu Xuan some leads early on in investigating Li Zi Wei during the present time, but is largely non-essential to the plot.
* Eddie from ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'', though his weight doesn't come up at all really.
* ''Series/NoahsArc'': Alex, one of Noahs 4 main friends and the loud, fun, outspoken and confrontational one of the group.
* Liv is this to Marnie in ''Series/MustangsFC''. Liv knows that she is overweight, doesn't care, and goes out of her way to enjoy life. She is generally more levelheaded than Marnie as well.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Music ]]


* The Big Friends Forever described in "B.F.F.!" by Music/TheAquabats are said to be jolly, and to help the protagonist walk through fights.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Theatre ]]

* A famous example, perhaps the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifier]] for western culture, is John Falstaff from [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare's]] Theatre/HenryIVPart1 and Theatre/HenryIVPart2, where he is the best friend of Prince Hal. At one point, Hal amicably refers to his friend as "this bed-presser, this horseback-breaker, this huge hill of flesh..."

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Gee from ''WesternAnimation/KulipariAnArmyOfFrogs''. He prefers eating over fightinig and is one of the show's main source of comic relief, but he's a very loyal friend to Darel, and when the situation calls for it, he does take certain events seriously.
* Heffer from ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife''. He loves to eat, is brash and annoying, but he is a good friend to Rocko.
* [=LeShawna=] from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' is this to Gwen.
* Toby is this to Jim in ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Shrinking Violet]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* In ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'', [[https://zeronotsukaima.fandom.com/wiki/Malicorne_de_Grandpr%C3%A9 Malicorne]] is this to resident {{Bishonen}} [[http://zeronotsukaima.wikia.com/wiki/Guiche Guiche]]. He has a huge appetite and has a hard time getting dates until he falls for Irukukwu.
* ''Manga/SlamDunk'': Mikio Kawata.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock's best friend and law partner in ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}''.
* ''ComicBook/{{Plutona}}'': Diane is one to Mie, but without the expected returned respect from Mie. Diane's just trying to orbit someone cool and Mie's happy for the attention.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* Gaz's best friend, Dave, in ''Film/TheFullMonty'' is a tubby bastard and he hates it. He's always trying to lose weight and he feels so bad about it he can't even get it up for his wife. Of course Gaz pushes him into stripping to earn a bit of cash; nothing can go wrong there.
* Julie, the titular character's best friend in ''Film/LadyBird'', is very shy and is insecure about her weight.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Samwell Tarly in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' is a good friend of hero Jon Snow having terrible self-esteem due to being constantly demeaned by his abusive father. Jon and others have tried to make him feel better about himself but it hasn't really taken yet.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* Terri Macgregor from ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}''. She is friend to both the AlphaBitch and LovableAlphaBitch in the show and their personalities just completely dominate hers. She's shy and withdrawn and thinks she could never get a boyfriend, until a cute boy named Rick came along [[spoiler:who then proceeded to be [[DomesticAbuse an abusive prick who would later place her into a coma]]...]]
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': As in the books on which it is based, Samwell Tarly is a ShrinkingViolet with terrible self-esteem issues due to his abusive upbringing.
* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': Foggy Nelson is pudgy compared to the very athletic Matt. He is self aware of this, and thinks this might be the reason why Matt is so good at wooing girls in spite of being blind.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* Hyung Suk, TheProtagonist of ''Webcomic/{{Lookism}}'' is fat [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext every 12 hours]], and is very insecure because of bullying and harassment he has experienced due to it. He has two best friends in this form, Duk Hwa who's one himself (a mix of A and B) and Ji Ho, a thin guy with no muscle. [[spoiler:He eventually also becomes best friends with [[CuteMute Jae Yeol]] who in turn [[AmbiguouslyGay might be]] his GayBestFriend.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Theatre ]]

* ''Theatre/WesterosAnAmericanMusical'': Among Jon Snow's Night's Watch colleagues, Sam is the one to whom he's shown to be the closest. In "First Watch", Jon is seen encouraging Sam to not let Pyp and Grenn use him as a ButtMonkey because of his SoldiersAtTheRear position.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Animation ]]

* Ello of ''WebAnimation/BeckyPrim'' is this to Becky. She's a sweet girl who dislikes getting into conflicts, and serves as sort of a MoralityPet to Becky.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* The whole trope is inverted with ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', with fat kid Bobby and his satellite friend, Joseph. Joseph is especially awkward around girls as opposed to Bobby. Bill is a example played straight.
* Max's friend PJ from ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' and ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'' is [[ShrinkingViolet painfully shy]] and [[ExtremeDoormat unassertive]], primarily for [[AbusiveParents reasons other than his weight]] (though as he points out in the second movie, it doesn't help). However, when he's alone with Max or after his CharacterDevelopment in ''An Extremely Goofy Movie'', he can engage in occasional confident behavior. Though Max is highlit as non-judgmental most of the time, [[WithFriendsLikeThese caring is... harder to say]]--Max [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zags]] NoSympathy with PJ.
* Leonard from ''WesternAnimation/TeachersPet''. He is bullied, has no friends other than his best friend, Spot/Scott, and hated at school and is humiliated by his teacher who is his mother. He wants to be normal and is shy around Leslie who he loves. He also can't talk around Leslie. He dislikes being called "tubby" due to the fact he is fat and he goes psycho when he is called this.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cloud Cuckoolander]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/UnderWesternStars'': Smiley Burnett was the chubby comic relief sidekick to handsome, purehearted protagonist Creator/RoyRogers in this and many other B-Movie Westerns. In this film he does stuff like getting treed by hunting dogs after he rescues a fox from a fox hunt.
* Seth from ''Film/AmericanHistoryX'' is the obese, brash and stupid "best friend" of thin, muscular and charismatic protagonist Derek. During his time as a Neo-Nazi Derek somewhat reluctantly keeps Seth around, however after his transformation in jail he tries to distance himself from Seth until he finally betrays their cause.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Rowley from ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid''.
* Ruprecht, Skippy's best friend in ''Literature/SkippyDies'' is a highly eccentric TeenGenius MadScientist. He starts off as mainly nerdy and out of touch with social trends, but becomes increasingly obsessed with the speculative and supernatural as the book progresses, and especially after Skippy's death.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* Gibby from ''Series/{{iCarly}}'', who is so completely eccentric and odd that it dazzles the rest of the cast.
* Lorelai's best friend Sookie from ''Series/GilmoreGirls'', who is a lovable, a bit scatterbrained CuteClumsyGirl.
%%* Woody from ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' is mostly a Type C, with elements of Type A.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

%%* Patrick Star, from ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''.
%%* Heffer Wolfe from ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' qualifies as this type as well.
* Juicy, Calvin's slow witted friend on ''WesternAnimation/ThePJs''.
* Barry, Steve's school friend in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': Granted his KindheartedSimpleton persona is actually the result of [[spoiler: some prescribed vitamins that mellow his personality, unknown to him, he is actually a ruthless conniving sociopath without them.]]
* Stimpy in ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', being compassionate and dim witted in comparison to the smart yet manic Ren.
* Tiger, Fievel's friend from ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail''. How dim-witted he is [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on the writer]]. He's mostly just a LovableCoward.
* Mikey on ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'', though he's more naive and a bit of a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} than stupid.
* Neil from ''WesternAnimation/ParaNorman'' is the indefatigable [[RedOniBlueOni red oni]] to Norman's blue oni.
--> Neil: "Don't blow this for me, Mitch. Besides, Norman's not weird. He just talks to dead people."
* Soos from ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' is this to Dipper and Mabel.
* Sadie from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' is this to Katie. Though she has more screentime than the latter, her label is "The Sweet Girl's Friend".
* Gunther Magnusson from ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowski''.
[[/folder]]


[[folder:Hybrids]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* Kurita of ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' is a mix of all three. He's a lot friendlier then Hiruma, but also a lot less confrontational. He's also a bit of an airhead, but then again, about half of the team is too.
* Nikaidou, Rei's self-proclaimed rival from ''Manga/MarchComesInLikeALion'', is boisterous and outgoing but also a bit eccentric.
* Tomohiro from ''Manga/ASilentVoice'' is a combination of all three. He's more energetic and extroverted than Shoya--acting as a foil to his buddy's angsty self-hatred--but he acts weird and awkward around most other people, and has no other friends until Shoya's old frenemies start reappearing. Most of the comic relief in this otherwise heavy series comes from Tomohiro's wackiness. His weight never really gets mentioned, but he's clearly the chubbiest character.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* Samwise Gamgee to Frodo Baggins in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', where he's a mix between Types A and B. Gollum even refers to him as the 'stupid fat Hobbit'. More apparent here than in the books because all Hobbits there are generally portly. In the films, however, Sam is the only portly Hobbit in the Fellowship while the rest of them are (somewhat) slender.
* Ned in ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' is a cross between Types A and C.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Chet Morton is the best friend of ''Literature/TheHardyBoys'', and has been described as fat, plump, chubby, stout, heavy-set, etc. He has a huge appetite, and vacillates between types A, B and C as the plot dictates.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* Duk Hwa in ''WebComic/{{Lookism}}'' manages to be a mix of A and B, being extroverted so he manages to speak his mind in front of others, and even rap. But he knows that the others think of him as {{gonk}} and wants to change it somehow, but that he doesn't have enough courage to. He's the best friend of both TheProtagonist (who's also fat... [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext every 12 hours]]) and Ji Ho, a thin weak guy.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Carl Wheezer from ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', is generally a straight mixture of a Type C (though not as big of a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} as Sheen) and a Type B (which one dominates depends on the episode), but can also be a Type A in occasional situations, generally as part of a facade.
* ''WesternAnimation/AtomicBetty'' has [[AlphaBitch Penelope Lang]]'s friend Megan. She's occasionally shown traits of all three types, but being a side character who barely talks she doesn't really get much development.
* Howard Weinerman of ''WesternAnimation/RandyCunninghamNinthGradeNinja'' is this to Randy, being a combo of "Big and Brash" and "CloudCuckoolander". However, his build isn't often pointed out; in fact, the one time it looked like they would (when he finds out that Randy didn't think he could climb the rope in gym class), it turns out Randy actually had his "dainty" hands in mind.
[[/folder]]


[[folder:Unsorted]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

* Nikki in ''Manga/SonicTheHedgehog'' has chubby best friend Little John who likes to eat.
* ''Anime/YuGiOhZexal'': Bronk/Tetsuo is protagonist Yuma's best friend. He is much, ''much'' fatter than the striking majority of characters in the entire franchise, and about three times the size of his peers, to the point his shirt fails to completely cover his belly. However, his weight is never brought up in the show - he is shown to be an avid skateboarder, a fairly good duelist, and more often than not the OnlySaneMan is his RagtagBandOfMisfits friendgroup.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Stand-up Comedy ]]

* Patton Oswalt recounts an anecdote where he's at a Hollywood party and feeling depressed that he can't eat anything at the buffet because he's trying to lose weight and get more roles. Then he spots Brian Dennehy piling his plate with food and laughing, "Character actors! Who gives a fuck if we're fat?" Patton notes, "They're always going to need a fat best friend; that's never going out of style."

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* John Candy's character in ''Film/BrewstersMillions1985'' to the protagonist played by Richard Pryor.
* John Candy's character in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' to the protagonist played by Tom Hanks, who is also his brother.
* Charles in ''Film/{{Super 8}}'', who is the overweight best friend of the film's protagonist, Joe. He's the director of the group's amateur film.
* Fezzik in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' to Inigo. It's not his fault that he's the biggest and the strongest. He doesn't even exercise.
* In the ''Film/ThreeFlavoursCornettoTrilogy'', Nick Frost's characters play this role to Creator/SimonPegg. None of them fit a type.
** In ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead'', Ed is a boorish idiot and pot-dealing loser who becomes the group's [[TheMillstone Millstone]] when zombies attack.
** In ''Film/HotFuzz'', Danny Butterman is a sweet and naive young officer who desperately wants to be ActionHero.
** In ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'', Andy is a former party animal turned straight-laced and successful professional who rediscovers his badassness.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Vetch, Ged's best friend in Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin's ''Literature/{{Earthsea}}'' series, is fat but he is a more complex character.
* Jean Tannen in the ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'' series is a fat guy, but also the [[StoutStrength main characters bodyguard]] and a GeniusBruiser.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'': Kramer's buddy and Jerry's antagonist Newman.
* Andy from ''Series/AccordingToJim'' is Cheryl's brother and can be considered Jim's best friend.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Monica was this to [[{{LovableAlphaBitch}} Rachel]] in high school. However its unclear which category she'd fit into, as she seems similar to present day: Dorky but also strong-willed and hard-working. (Neither of which fit the sterotype). Its also clear she ''did'' have friends outside of Rachel.
* Fima Korolyov from ''Series/GuestFromTheFuture'', who is a teenage sci-fi geek.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics ]]

* Jeremy's best friend Hector in ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Stand-Up Comedy ]]

* Creator/BobbyCollins had a routine about the difficulties of the "Pretty Girl's Best Friend", a girl who is fat, unattractive, or otherwise off-putting that one has to be nice to if one wants to charm the target Pretty Girl, as the two are ''always'' together, but the PGBF's presence is enough to warp reality and cause small-scale mishaps.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Game ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Troublemaker}}'' as Budi's chubby, overweight bestie, Boby, whom he helped on his first day in school and later provides clues and hints to Budi throughout the game. [[spoiler:In the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue, Boby reappears, but now [[FormerlyFat slimmed down]].]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Nella is the BFF ([[FunWithAcronyms Big Fat Friend]]) of the WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick. She's been played as all three types, though her Type B tendencies have been played down over time. In fact she's sort of a {{Subversion}}: after a lot of heat from people who thought the Chick actually treated her like crap they put up a video revealing that she actually hired Nella to be her friend to boost her own fragile self-esteem.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Though Homer Simpson himself is quite overweight, his drunken buddy Barney Gumble is even more obese. He can be all three types DependingOnTheWriter (especially since quitting alcohol).
* Arthur, Lance's friend at Military School in the WholeEpisodeFlashback of ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan''. He has traits of all three. Octus' Newton disguise could be seen as this to Lance and Ilana, although he doesn't really fall under any of the types.
* ''WesternAnimation/AngelaAnaconda'': Angela's best friend Gina Lash doesn't fit any of the categories. She's actually the smartest child in her grade, and her intelligence is her only other defining trait, other than being a BigEater.
* Similar to the Gina Lash example, there's Sean from ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'', who's known for his intelligence and reluctance to go to space.
[[/folder]]

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