History Main / AdventureDuo

* WesternAnimation/GravityFalls has the "Mystery Twins" [[Characters/GravityFallsMabelPines Mabel Pines]] and [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper Pines]]. Dipper is serious and focused on the town's mysterious whereas Mabel is more eccentric and out there.

Like SaltAndPepper, but without the racial element. Occasionally fights crime. Often confused with BattleCouple, which is entirely different. Usually. In cases where this trope is inverted, the sidekick might be one that is [[{{HypercompetentSidekick}} hypercompetent]].

* WesternAnimation/GravityFalls has the "Mystery Twins" Mabel and Dipper. Dipper is serious and focused on the town's mysterious whereas Mabel is more eccentric and out there.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* TruthInTelevision. Josiah and Elanor Creasy HappilyMarried [[TheCaptain captain]] and [[TheSmartGuy navigator]] of the clipper Flying Cloud.
* Samuel Baker and his wife Lady Florence when exploring Africa. She was a Hungarian former slave whose freedom Baker had purchased, then they fell in love and married.
[[/folder]]

%% * [[TheStoic Kirito]] and [[BigFun Klein]] in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''.
%% * [[TheHero LLENN]] and [[FunPersonified Fukaziroh]] in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnlineAlternativeGunGaleOnline''.
* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun'': Johnny and Gyro, the main protagonists of ''Steel Ball Run''. [[RedOniBlueOni Gyro is the hotblooded and extraverted member of the duo while Johnny is more serious and cold.]]

** When Franziska von Karma, the very serious, whip-happy prosecutor, tags along with you in the third game, her general misunderstanding of American/Japanese culture and many things outside her area of expertise lead to much the same effect as if she was Maya.

Like SaltAndPepper, but without the racial element. [[TheyFightCrime Occasionally fights crime]]. Often confused with BattleCouple, which is entirely different. Usually. In cases where this trope is inverted, the sidekick might be one that is [[{{HypercompetentSidekick}} hypercompetent]].

* Inverted in ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}''. Gillian, the hero, is a HandsomeLech with an odd way of looking at the world, and Metal is a literal strait-laced snarky robot. However, most of the environmental observations are governed by Metal, and Gillian takes the helm in conversations where his oddness can really shine.

** Phoenix Wright (sarcastic, literal hero) and Maya Fey (happy-go-lucky oddball). Eventually he encounters Pearl who is less odd, but only because she's a little girl -- her personality is equally upbeat, but more bolshy than Maya. And Maya's SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute, Ema, is even more happy-go-lucky and even more naive.
** And when Franziska von Karma, the very serious, whip-happy prosecutor, tags along with you in the third game, her general misunderstanding of American/Japanese culture and many things outside her area of expertise lead to much the same effect as if she was Maya.
** And it's taken pretty much to the extreme with ultra-sarcastic, refined Edgeworth and his sidekick Gumshoe, who's like [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Doctor Zoidberg]] without the lobster.
** Edgeworth gets multiple sidekicks throughout his own game. Gumshoe and Franziska are the only returning characters to fill this role while the most prominent of the new characters is Kay Faraday, a self proclaimed Great Thief. 2 different stewardess take the role as well during the second case as you are on a plane mid-flight. There's also [[spoiler: 13 year old Franziska and new cop Gumshoe who are paired with Edgeworth during a flashback case while he still strived for perfection leading to a slightly diffrent feeling then their present day selves. Also Franziska is the butt of many short jokes during this time]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

%% * ''Banjo-Kazooie'' {{Spiritual Successor}}s Yooka (hero) and Laylee (sidekick) from the eponymous ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee''.

* ''ComicBook/Red2004'' features Frank Moses and Marvin Boggs, a pair of ex-CIA operatives who take down a lot of fresh-faced assassins together - Frank with experience and all-rounded combat skills, Marvin with [[HandCannon very large guns]] and the kind of mad survival instincts that eleven straight years of LSD dosing can instill in a man.

* ''{{ComicBook/Red}}'' features Frank Moses and Marvin Boggs, a pair of ex-CIA operatives who take down a lot of fresh-faced assassins together - Frank with experience and all-rounded combat skills, Marvin with [[HandCannon very large guns]] and the kind of mad survival instincts that eleven straight years of LSD dosing can instill in a man.

* Caitlyn (ByTheBookCop hero) with Vi (ReformedCriminal sidekick) in ''Videogame/LeagueOfLegends''. Caitlyn is a ladylike ColdSniper with a polished accent; Vi is TheLadette whose motto is "Punch first; ask questions while punching."

%% * Of the four available pairs in ''[[{{VideoGame/Touhou}} Imperishable Night]]'' one (Marisa & Alice) inverts the trope while the others (Sakuya & Remilia, Reimu & Yukari, and Youmu & Yuyuko) play it straight.

* ''Literature/GotrekAndFelix'': Gotrek Gurnisson is a dwarf Slayer, oathbound to find his doom against some worthy foe (and is very, ''very'' bad at finding it, coming out on top of every battle). Felix Jaeger is his TagalongChronicler, who is far from cowardly but finds it necessary to pull Gotrek out of pointless battles. They fight just about every horrible thing the Warhammer world can throw at them.

%% * Miss Bianca (hero) and Bernard (sidekick) in ''Disney/TheRescuers''.

A specific pair that is especially common to adventure games. TheHero tends to be fairly serious, at least for what world they're in. They usually retain a [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic sense of humor]] and are quite literal-minded. TheLancer, on the other hand, is weird. They might be neurotic, borderline psychotic (or they are psychotic), naive, [[CowardlySidekick cowardly]], lecherous, treacherous, whatever. They might occasionally act serious when the plot demands, but besides that, they're an oddball.

* Villainous Example: [[GeniusBruiser Kakuzu]] and [[AxCrazy Hidan]] in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''.
* Sakura and Kero from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura''.
* [[TheStoic Kirito]] and [[BigFun Klein]] in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''.
* [[TheHero LLENN]] and [[FunPersonified Fukaziroh]] in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnlineAlternativeGunGaleOnline''.

* ComicBook/{{Cable}} and ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, who provide the page image.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Miss Bianca (hero) and Bernard (sidekick) in ''Disney/TheRescuers''.
* Pedro and Nico from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}''.
[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/JohnDiesAtTheEnd'' has David Wong and his friend John solving supernatural problems. They were originally a PowerTrio, until the third got RetGone'd by TimeTravel-ing LivingShadow monsters.
* Gilgamesh and Enkidu from Myth/MesopotamianMythology.

* Series/{{House}} and Wilson.
* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'': Arthur and Merlin, at least some of the time. Merlin is serious at times as well, though.
* ''Series/KeenEddie'' has Eddie and Monty.

* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' has the (hopefully) more levelheaded player character and Khelgar, the psychotic dwarf.
** Though the game has many possibilities, especially adding in Mask of the Betrayer. You can play the silly one with Elanee, Casavir, Safiya, Kaelyn, or Okku as the serious sidekick; or you can play the serious member of the pair with Bishop, Khelgar, Neeshka, or Gann as the sillier sidekick.

** A similar situation can occur with the player and the Handmaiden in the sequel.

* The best example in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' is inverted, with Silly!Hawke as the lead and Aveline as TheLancer.
** Aveline is the best at playing the StraightMan without even knowing it. Varric can do it too, but he knows it. For the rest you're going to have to [[OnlySaneMan step up for sanity]] sooner or later.
** One of the better straight versions is Aggressive!Hawke paired with Isabela, who cheats, backstabs, snarks, and flirts her way through every quest and only gets serious at a few key plot points.

* ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'' has Revya, a WideEyedIdealist HeroicMime who wants to save the world, and Gig, the HeroicComedicSociopath OmnicidalManiac who lives inside the former's head and wants to wantonly destroy, corrupt and befoul everything and generally make the world a worse place because he thinks it's funny, but has to come along on the world-saving anyhow and generally snarks about all the plot points and characters.
** This dynamic is a bit different [[spoiler:in the Demon Path, in which ''both'' Revya and Gig are {{Omnicidal Maniac}}s and get on like a house on fire... Or a pair of insane maniacs who like setting fire to houses. And trees. And people. And everything else.]]

* The ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' games has Sam the sarcastic, literal hero, and Max, who's... er, [[HeroicComedicSociopath Max]].

** Depending on how you play the game, the PlayerCharacter can have this relationship with several of the party members. Including his/her love interest.

* Mario (hero) and Luigi (sidekick) in the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series when Luigi isn't simply a PaletteSwap of his big brother or a "Player 2" option (for example: the VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi games).
* Banjo (hero) and Kazooie (sidekick) in the ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' series.
* Rayman (hero) and Globox from (sidekick) The ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' series and ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins''.
* Jak (hero) and Daxter (sidekick) in the ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' series.

* From ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' on, it appears that the player character of the [[DistaffCounterpart opposite gender]] from the PC you choose is your "rival". He/She is more of just a friend than a rival, though.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'', where it overlaps with [[ABoyAndHisX A Boy And His Dog.]]

* Of the four available pairs in ''[[{{VideoGame/Touhou}} Imperishable Night]]'' one (Marisa & Alice) inverts the trope while the others (Sakuya & Remilia, Reimu & Yukari, and Youmu & Yuyuko) play it straight.
* ''Banjo-Kazooie'' {{Spiritual Successor}}s Yooka (hero) and Laylee (sidekick) from the eponymous ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee''.

*** Edgeworth gets multiple sidekicks throughout his own game. Gumshoe and Franziska are the only returning characters to fill this role while the most prominent of the new characters is Kay Faraday, a self proclaimed Great Thief. 2 different stewardess take the role as well during the second case as you are on a plane mid-flight. There's also [[spoiler: 13 year old Franziska and new cop Gumshoe who are paired with Edgeworth during a flashback case while he still strived for perfection leading to a slightly diffrent feeling then their present day selves. Also Franziska is the butt of many short jokes during this time]]
*** Although this relationship is inverted in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', where Ema is now [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute substituting]] for Gumshoe, and shows open disdain for new prosecuting attorney Klavier, who she describes repeatedly as a "glimmerous fop". As for Apollo, he regularly works with Trucy Wright in this game and ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies''.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
** The webcomic provides us with Roy and Elan (at times, V, Durkon and occasionally Haley play the serious role, while Belkar also plays the goofy role).
** Also provides us with the villainous subversion: Xykon is the main villain, and just likes to goof around, while Redcloak is the serious one who makes all the plans and preparations. Strangely, the "goofy" one is the more powerful one. Xykon is mostly just bored, unable to sleep, and can only spend so many hours working on artifacts, posing him with the problem of how to spend those remaining hours. Up until Xykon gets ticked off when [[spoiler:Redcloak loses Xykon's SoulJar when V attacked]]. Xykon then proceeds to become more serious.
* The title characters from ''Webcomic/TriangleAndRobert.''

* ''Webcomic/{{Tellurion}}'' with the Robot and the Guy at first.

* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', there is a villainous variant with Kaizoku who is the snarking and mostly serious fairy pirate and Shuu who is his oddball kitsune companion in a human shape.
* Scrooge and Vegeta take on this dynamic in ''WebAnimation/{{Ducktalez}} 7''.

* Chip and Dale, in ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' more than anything, though sometimes in the cartoon shorts they first appeared in.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': two step-brothers who create their own crazy days and live them.
* WesternAnimation/KimPossible and Ron Stoppable before they become an OfficialCouple in ''[[TheMovie So the Drama]]''.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': While they are both pretty silly, [=SpongeBob=] is the more collected one (DependingOnTheWriter) and Patrick is the crazy sidekick.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' gives us [[TheHero Finn]] and [[BrilliantButLazy Jake]].
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' has [[MadScientist Rick]] and his grandson [[MoralityPet Morty]]

* Jimmy and Beezy from ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''.

* Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun: Johnny and Gyro, the main protagonists of ''Steel Ball Run''. [[RedOniBlueOni Gyro is the hotblooded and extraverted member of the duo while Johnny is more serious and cold.]]

* ''Webcomic/Tellurion'' with the Robot and the Guy at first.

* ''WesternAnimati0on/RickAndMorty'' has [[MadScientist Rick]] and his grandson [[MoralityPet Morty]]

* Jak (hero) and Daxter (sidekick) in the ''Franchise/JakAndDaxter'' series.