History HeterosexualLifePartners / AnimeAndManga

** Before Trunks and Goten there was Goku and Krillin. The two went from little kids to men in their fifties as best friends. In ''GT'', Krillin is the last person Goku says goodbye to on Earth, even getting his wife and sons out of the way before one last spar with Krillin.

** Ash and Clemont could qualify for this aswell seeing as they immediately hit it off after meeting and have [[BigBrotherWorship similar admiration]] for each other. Clemont and Ash even agree that Clemont is Ash's right hand man!

* [[IdiotHero Ash]] and [[LoveableSexManiac Brock]] from ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' appear to be life partners; they've been spending their time together for [[NotAllowedToGrowUp years]].

** From ''Anime/DragonBall'' to the end of Z (and GT, if you count it), Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu are pretty much always together unless the former is feeling especially protective. When it seems like Chiaotzu will be staying dead near the end of the Frieza Saga, Tien volunteers to stay in the afterlife with him without hesitation. Brought up in the abridged series.
** Also, Chi-Chi and Bulma.

** And this is despite them being one another's {{Foil}}s and having profound philosophical differences, despite heaps and heaps of secrets, and despite [[spoiler:''Wolfwood being in the employ of Vash's EvilTwin all along.'']] And in the manga, Wolfwood creepily seesaws between CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming devotion and reflecting that Vash is sitting there with his back open and he could shoot him to death right now and get rid of half of the superpowered mutant threat to humanity...but eventually decides not to.

* ''Manga/KimiNoIruMachi'' has main protagonist[[SupremeChef Haruto]] and [[CasanovaWannabe Takeshi]] have been best friends since childhood and can be seen [[VitriolicBestBuds gleefully making fun of each other]] while having a guy's day out away from their girlfriend/wife. Takeshi even partially names his first child after Haruto!

** And [[Anime/YuGiOh5Ds skipping over a few years]], [[TheStoic Yusei]] [[EvenTheGuysWantHim Fudo]] is crowned King of the Riding Duelists, and becomes a superstar. What does he do in his down time? [[PunchClockHero Work as a handyman in a workshop/garage that he lives in]] with [[TheRival the guy who he defeated]], [[BadassLongcoat Jack]] ''[[MemeticBadass the King]]'' [[FoeYay Atlas]] and [[OneHeadTaller his other best friend]], [[FieryRedHead Crow]]. And ''then'' he gets a [[ReplacementScrappy new]] [[TheWoobie roommate]] [[ButtMonkey who Jack practices his famous ATLAS PUNCH on]] Bruno, who upon his arrival [[LampshadeHanging is commented on for]] [[HoYay how 'well' he clicks with Yusei]]. LauncherOfAThousandShips, Yusei is.

** [[LongHairedPrettyBoy Ukitake]] and [[TheDandy Kyouraku]] have been together since at least their academy days which was a very long time ago. They're extremely close and they have a reputation for being the perfect battle partnership that's acknowledged even by [[BadassGrandpa Yamamoto]] himself. Ukitake being badly injured in battle is almost the only example of Kyouraku being willing to fight instead of trying to avoiding fighting that we've seen. That said, they're also text-book examples of this trope since the manga doesn't even hint at them being anything more than heterosexual life partners, despite all the fandom ShipTease that exists.

* Kaguya and her personal maid Hayasaka in ''Manga/KaguyaSamaWaKokurasetai''. The two of them [[ChildhoodFriends were raised side by side]] and view each other as sisters. It's even suggested that their bond is more important to Kaguya than [[SingleTargetSexuality her crush on Shirogane]].

* Ironically enough, Goku and Vegeta become this by the end of ''Z'' and the start of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', having gone from enemies to VitriolicBestBuds with a [[TheRival rivalry]] that keeps both of them on their toes.

* ''Manga/SakamichiNoApollon'', Kaoru and Sentaro.

* [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya Kyon and Koizumi Itsuki]] are slowly turning into this, whether Kyon [[VitriolicBestBuds admits/likes it or not.]]

* Kaguya and her personal maid Hayasaka in ''Manga/KaguyaSamaWaKokurasetai. The two of them [[ChildhoodFriends were raised side by side]] and view each other as sisters. It's even suggested that their bond is more important to Kaguya than [[SingleTargetSexuality her crush on Shirogane]].

* Hase and Yushi from LightNovel/ElegantYokaiApartmentLife. To such an extent that they end up becoming something akin to surrogate parents to the ghost of a child who died [[AbusiveParents under]] [[MommyIssues heartbreaking]] [[DarkAndTroubledPast circumstances]].

* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' has many examples. The Akatsuki are paired in teams, some work well together, and others are VitriolicBestBuds.

** Kakashi and Might Guy. Despite their one-sided rivalry, it's obvious the two are best friends who would do anything for each other. One could easily argue that after the death of his team, Guy was probably the only positive relationship Kakashi had until Team 7 formed.

* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' has many examples. The Akatsuki are paired in teams, some work well together, and others are Vitriolic Best Buds.

** Kakashi and Gai. Despite their one-sided rivalry, it's obvious the two are best friends who would do anything for each other. One could easily argue that after the death of his team, Gai was probably the only positive relationship Kakashi had until Team 7 formed.
** The Next Generation has Boruto and Mitsuki, Sarada and Chocho, and Shikadai and Inojin. All are said to be best friends.

** Kirika and Shirabe in ''G''.

* Judas and Luca of ''AudioPlay/SaintBeast'' aren't really heterosexual, but they are very much the "best buddy/life partners" aspect of this trope. Goh and Gai can be argued to be this as well. In an aversion Rey and Shin, though having known each other as long as the other duos, are not as once they meet the others they largely gravitate away from each other despite maintaining their friendship.

* Yuuya and Yamato from ''Manga/{{Nukoduke}}'' are inseparable, as the ghost of Yuuya's late girlfriend cheerfully remarked. The two are childhood friends, and Yuuya frequently hangs out in Yamato's house because his own parents are rarely around, and they take care of one another really well. Even when they're both independent adults, their social circle are mostly still limited to themselves.

** Kazuki and Juubei, sometimes treading into HoYay territory - though mostly for comic relief.

* Gon and Killua from ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', although recent chapters have Killua heavily treading the line between this and HoYay.
* Gil and Oz in ''Manga/PandoraHearts''. In fact, their bonds are so strong that fans and characters in the series wonder if it's hetero at all. ''Especially'' on Gil's part. {{Word of God}} often plays up their guy love to reel in more [[YaoiFangirl fangirls]].
** Elliot and Leo also count as this.
* Helen and Deneve in ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', although the "heterosexual" part is [[{{Asexuality}} up for debate.]] At any rate, theirs is the longest-lived friendship amongst the protagonists, and Helen was the one who snapped Deneve out of her suicidal depression in their early days together.
** The Humans Galk and Sid seem to be into this too as they never stopped working together to defend the Holy City of Rabona for all of the seven years that passed during the series' main TimeSkip. The Claymores [[BlueOniRedOni Rachel and Audrey]] are obviously pretty close too, they even use nicknames between each other ([[HoYay to the fandom's delight]]).
* In ''Manga/DGrayMan'' Mahoja and Anita are definitely this, as are Johnny and Tup (until THAT happens), and Reever and Komui.
* ''Manga/HanaYoriDango'' has Sojirou Nishikado and Akira Mimasaka--''[[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday very]]'' [[HaveIMentionedIAmSexuallyActiveToday heterosexual]] and [[ThoseTwoGuys always together]] ([[DeusSexMachina except when they're not]]).
* ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'' has two such pairings: [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Yano & Yoshida]], and [[ThoseTwoGuys Hirano & Endo]]. In each duo, it's nearly impossible to think of a scene where one is not without the other.
** To a lesser extent, Ryu and Kazehaya also count.
* Kudo Shinichi and Hattori Heiji in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' certainly seem to fit this trope, to the point where Hattori is willing to die for Kudo.
* ''Anime/BestStudentCouncil'' has two such couples, Kanade and Nanaho plus Sayuri and Rein. Both groupings were brought together thanks to major events from their respective childhoods.
* Judas and Luca of ''AudioPlay/SaintBeast'' aren't really heterosexual, but they are very much the "best buddy/life partners" aspect of this trope. Goh and Gai can be argued to be this as well. In an aversion Rey and Shin, though having known each other as long as the other duos, are not as once they meet the others they largely gravitate away from each other despite maintaining their friendship.
* Mikado Ryugamine and Masaomi Kida from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}''. They've been best friends since elementary school, and stayed in touch when Kida moved to Ikebukuro. It got to the point where Kida was practically begging Mikado to move to Ikebukuro to be with him. And despite Kida claiming they're in a [[TriangRelations Type 3]] LoveTriangle with Anri, the two aren't any less close because of it.
** There's also Simon and Dennis, who've stuck together for at least the last twenty years [[spoiler:since joining TheMafiya together]].
* In ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' there's Reinhard and Kircheis. Reinhard clearly perceives the extremely loyal Kircheis to be one of the two most important people in his life, the other one being his sister. This is [[spoiler: up to Kircheis's untimely death protecting Reinhard from an assassination attempt. Reinhard changes greatly after that, becoming colder, with many characters commenting that a big part of Reinhard has died as well. Even then, however, Reinhard still consults with Kircheis, asking himself what he would do or say in a given situation, and favouring his dead heterosexual life partner's opinion higher than that of, oh, his WIFE.]]
* In ''Anime/{{Gankutsuou}}'', Albert considers himself to be Heterosexual Life Partners with Franz. The amount of HoYay on Franz's end, however, is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
* Subverted by Rikimaru and Ranmaru of ''Manga/KagerouNostalgia''. They've been forced into this trope by the BigBad they [[CoDragons serve]]. As [[spoiler: Ran used to [[GenderBender be a girl]] that Rikimaru had a crush on]]. The whole thing's naturally played for angst.
* Also, there is Meg and Jo from ''Burst Angel'', although some clips can tell otherwise...
* Dio and Luciola from ''Anime/LastExile'' seem to be this.
* [[Manga/{{Trigun}} Vash and Wolfwood]] meet, bicker, and then seem to just...click somehow. They're the only people they know who can see through them so well, and also the only people they trust half as much to have their backs in a fight, and operate on incredibly similar wavelengths...they're best friends for life by the end of their second adventure together.
** And this is despite them being one another's {{Foil}}s and having profound philosophical differences, despite heaps and heaps of secrets, and despite [[spoiler:''Wolfwood being in the employ of Vash's EvilTwin all along.'']] And in the manga, Wolfwood creepily seesaws between CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming devotion and reflecting that Vash is sitting there with his back open and he could shoot him to death right now and get rid of half of the superpowered mutant threat to humanity...but eventually decides not to.
* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' has a whole mess of them. There's Ami and Makoto, Chibiusa and Hotaru, Rei and Usagi ([[Anime/SailorMoon original anime]]), and Rei and Minako ([[Manga/SailorMoon manga]]).
* CLAMP have many examples of this to varying degrees of legitimacy depending on interpretation.
** ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'': [[TeamDad Kurogane]] and [[TeamMom Fay]] are the most recent of many CLAMP ambiguous couples. The two characters were designed to contrast each other in physical appearance, personality, backstory and clothing. Life partners status accentuated by [[spoiler: Fay being forced to feed on Kurogane's blood to survive.]]
** Then again, considering all characters in Clampverse are [[WordOfGod bisexual by default]], this particular trope is kind of a stretch for all of CLAMP's works in general.
* ''Manga/BetrayalKnowsMyName'': Every (male) Zweilt Guardian and his partner. Though there's lots of HoYay going on there as well.
* ''Anime/LuckyStar'' has Yutaka and Minami. While they do not consider themselves anything more than best friends, their friend Hiyori draws them in yuri.
* ''Manga/IrisZero'': Mizushima Toru and Hijiri Shinozuka are best friends and confidants in each other. Even before Toru was involved with Sasamori, he established a bond with Hijiri after [[spoiler: saving his friend.]]
* ''Manga/SakamichiNoApollon'', Kaoru and Sentaro.
* Rogue and Sting from ''Manga/FairyTail'' seem to be this. Their exact relationship hasn't been delved into, but they're at least significantly closer to one another than they are with anyone else in the human cast, in part because so far the only time they've been shown standing more than five feet from on another is when they've been required to split up for a tournament event.
* Grizzly Bear and Shirokuma (Polar Bear) from ''Manga/ShirokumaCafe'' have been friends since they were cubs. Grizzly has borne the brunt of Shirokuma's jokes and antics since then, but wouldn't trade their friendship for anything else.
* The anime ''Anime/{{Free}}'' gives us Haruka and Makoto. They're {{childhood friend}}s who sometimes tend to act LikeAnOldMarriedCouple.
* Ryuko and Mako from ''Anime/KillLaKill'', though Mako's heterosexuality is [[AmbiguouslyGay dubious]] [[AmbiguouslyBi at]] [[IfItsYouItsOkay best]].
* Oga and Furuichi from ''Manga/{{Beelzebub}}'' are this. While at the beginning it's less obvious, you learn more about the depth of their friendship as they continue to stick together. They may not look it, though, what with their [[VitriolicBestBuds constant bickering]].
* Iwaizumi and Oikawa from ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}''.
* Graham Gregson and Zelik Lindemann in ''Manga/{{Mother Keeper}}'' have been friends for around 30 years. Graham having saved Zelik's life and stayed by him along with the fact Graham is the only person to get a discount at Zelik's shop, something he doesn't give to any of his other friends, it's impossible to claim they aren't close. Though recent chapters may put doubt on Graham's intentions, he's gone above and beyond for Zelik on multiple occasions.
* In ''Anime/HeatGuyJ'', Clair and Giovanni have a relationship like this, to the point where it appears they have a mild psychic connection.
** Also Ian and Mitchal. [[spoiler: To the point that Mitchal blows himself up shortly after Ian gets shot.]]
* Hayato and Kaga from ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'' have a very close friendship up until the ''SIN'' arc, despite being in longtime rival teams. In fact, in the final episode of ''ZERO'', they have a spiritual communcation by using the Zero Zone with Kaga saying that he is much like him.

* Satoshi Hiwatari/Hikari and Daisuke Niwa in ''Manga/DNAngel'' may be heading this way after the series ends. Between the times they've saved each others lives and the magic they were caught up in it is impossible for them to not have some sort of tight relationship after everything, although the type of relationship is up for vigorous debate among fans...
* Kyoya and Tamaki in ''Manga/OuranHighschoolHostClub'' Tamaki refers to himself as the father of the group and Kyoya as the mom. Kyoya doesn't seem to mind.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'': Most everyone came with a strong pairing: Trowa and Quatre, Trowa and Heero, Quatre and Heero, Duo and Quatre, and to a lesser extent Heero and Duo.
* Natsumi and Miyuki from ''Manga/YoureUnderArrest'' (Again, the creators seem to enjoy casting suspicion on the "hetero" part through various contrivances, including official art.) Although the plot is pretty clear about the guys they get paired with.
* Mihoshi and Kiyone in ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' (yet ''again'', the "hetero" is [[LesYay somewhat]] in question.) This trope is somewhat justified by the fact that the two are stranded on Earth and struggling to support themselves financially; sharing an apartment seems like a reasonable fiscal decision, if one doesn't factor in Mihoshi's [[TheDitz klutziness]].
** The variants in ''Anime/PrettySammy'' were a bit different. At one point, Kiyone was visualizing her future family with a handsome man, and one of the children was a dead ringer for Mihoshi! While Kiyone protests mightily, it looks more like a case of "She Protests Too Much".
*** Unless this is taken to imply Kiyone perceives a semi mother-daughter (or at least, older sister) relationship with Mihoshi, in that she has to take care of Mihoshi and watch out for her. Which would also fit.
*** Kiyone's Expy in the OVA series is more clear, treating Mihoshi exactly like a little sister.
* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' has many examples. The Akatsuki are paired in teams, some work well together, and others are Vitriolic Best Buds.
** [[ThoseTwoGuys Kotetsu and Izumo]], so close they have been MistakenForGay.
** Shikamaru and Chouji also fit the bill - being best friends without all the convoluted rivalry alongside it.
** Kakashi and Gai. Despite their one-sided rivalry, it's obvious the two are best friends who would do anything for each other. One could easily argue that after the death of his team, Gai was probably the only positive relationship Kakashi had until Team 7 formed.
** The Next Generation has Boruto and Mitsuki, Sarada and Chocho, and Shikadai and Inojin. All are said to be best friends.
* Lupin and Jigen from ''Franchise/LupinIII''. Of all the gang members, these two are together the most and are even suggested to live together in several specials and films. Probably one of the oldest and greatest bromances in anime history.

** [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Hibiki and Kanade]]. There is actually one episode where they switch their homes for one day to become closer friends. It works and they get a new attack by [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything crossing their seperated Belltiers]]. There's so much LesYay between them, however, that the "hetero" part is highly questionable - and the fandom largely agrees you can drop the "hetero". Also, [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Seiren and Hummy]].

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Lelouch and Suzaku were this as children and try to be this in the first season of the anime (more evident in the supplementary material than the show, especially the manga where they are usually side-by-side at Ashford). This all goes to hell very quickly. [[spoiler:By ''R2'', however, they seem to be this again, as Suzaku is TheDragon to Lelouch's BigBad and they are cohorts and allies.]]
** In the alternate universe manga ''Manga/CodeGeassNightmareOfNunnally', Nunally and Alice could be seen as this even though 1) Alice is Nunally's bodyguard and 2) the "heterosexual" part is [[LesYay suspect.]]

* Sven and Train in ''Manga/BlackCat'', who travel around together as sweepers all the time, and adopt a "kid" (although they're not really daddy figures to her). Their Heterosexual Life Partnership is so strong that [[StalkerWithACrush Creed]] [[spoiler:tries to turn Sven into a monster so Train [[MurderTheHypotenuse will join up with him instead]]]].
** {{Lampshaded}} in the anime, where a waitress notes that Sven is the father, Eve is the daughter, and...awkwardly skips over Train.
* Ban and Ginji in ''Manga/GetBackers'' are the embodiment of this trope; even the other characters in the series remark on their "unbreakable bond." The resolution of the plot in the final arc of the manga actually hinges on the strength of their friendship. ''The 'S' in Get Backers means neither of us is ever alone!''
** Kazuki and Juubei, sometimes treading into HoYay territory - though mostly for comic relief.
** This show loves the trope, since it's a PowerOfFriendship story anyway. There's also Emishi and Amon, who go from "strangers on a bus" to BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine partners to HLP in what canNOT be more than one day.
** [[spoiler:Paul and Der Kaiser are also later revealed to have been this; with Der Kaiser even making Paul]] his son's godfather. Though they eventually end up going their separate ways, they still understand and trust each other completely.

* Elenore and Margaret in ''Anime/{{Madlax}}'' do this to a lesser degree. [[spoiler: Margaret being oblivious to the fact that Elenore is a lesbian, even right to the point where the latter dies later in the series.]]
* ''Anime/MaiHime'' has (at least) two such pairs, Chie/Aoi and Haruka/Yukino being the most visible. Amusingly, both pairs eventually join Natsuki and Shizuru in the ''Anime/MaiOtome'' OfficialCouple pantheon.
* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' has Dai-Chan and Den-Chan (as they call each other), Keiichi's seniors in the Auto Club. Considering the cutesy nicknames and an apparent willingness to dress up in drag, this is again debatable. ...Just not as pleasantly so. Yikes, they're huge!
* ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' has Kazu and Kenta. They're good for major HoYay. The dub-censored AccidentalKiss is practically superfluous.
** Most same-sex Digimon/Chosen Child partners will probably also be this (most explicitly in the English dub of [[Anime/DigimonAdventure Adventure]] when Izzy actually says he loves Tentomon). There'd probably be a lot more attention to this if Digimon wasn't built on the ChildrenAreInnocent trope.
* Dan and Shun from ''Manga/{{Bakugan}}'' should count.
** Any brawler with a Bakugan of the same gender.
* Goten and Trunks in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' have been very tight friends all their lives and, as teenagers, quite often spill over into HoYay. Whether their being FusionDance partners makes this better or worse is debatable.
** In the second ''Anime/DragonballGT'' ending, it begins with all the married couples being shown together: Goku and Chi-Chi, Gohan and Videl, Vegeta and Bulma, Krillin and Eighteen...and then cuts right to Trunks and Goten walking along, in the same style. Apparently the creators consider them "life partners" after one fashion or another.
** Before Trunks and Goten there was Goku and Krillin. The two went from little kids to men in their fifties as best friends. In ''GT'', Krillin is the last person Goku says goodbye to on Earth, even getting his wife and sons out of the way before one last spar with Krillin.
*** ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' lampshades this by making Goku frequently more concerned with Krillin's well-being than his son's.
** From ''Anime/DragonBall'' to the end of Z (and GT, if you count it), Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu are pretty much always together unless the former is feeling especially protective. When it seems like Chiaotzu will be staying dead near the end of the Frieza Saga, Tien volunteers to stay in the afterlife with him without hesitation. Brought up in the abridged series.
** Also, Chi-Chi and Bulma.
* [[LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya Kyon and Koizumi Itsuki]] are slowly turning into this, whether Kyon [[VitriolicBestBuds admits/likes it or not.]]
* Nanoha and Fate in ''Franchise/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha''. In the third series they share a bed, dedicate several hours before sleeping to "strategy planning and personal time" and adopt a MysteriousWaif together, having her call them both "mama". Yet they both refer to the other as nothing more than a "best friend" and are never seen doing anything explicitly sexual. Most [[WordOfGay likely]] an extreme case of HideYourLesbians. As of [[http://s240.photobucket.com/user/BPHaru3/media/RND/Fate_chan_is_a_prince_en.jpg.html this interview]], the "hetero" part has been [[OfficialCouple thrown out]].
** The three are now called the Takamachi Family, according to the last ''Sound Stages'' released; take that in any way you will.
** Subaru and Teana still play this straight, though both are just as AmbiguouslyGay as Nanoha and Fate were. The two first met in the academy when they were paired as roommates and training partners (as a result of being the only ones with custom-made Devices), and served together for their time in the Bureau until Mobile Sixth Division disbanded. They then went their separate ways to the Disaster Relief and Enforcer positions they always wanted (albeit with considerable reluctance on Subaru's part), but according to Teana, Subaru emails her so frequently she doesn't even feel as though she's gone.
*** [[TransparentCloset There's nothing "ambiguous" about Subaru.]]

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** [[BaldOfAwesome Ikkaku]] and [[{{Bishonen}} Yumichika]] were together long before they became shinigami (only briefly mentioned in the manga but [[{{Filler}} expanded]] in an anime [[WholeEpisodeFlashback episode]]). [[AlmightyJanitor Yumichika]] even hides his [[CoverBlowingSuperpower true power]] so that he can remain in the same division as Ikkaku. They're text-book examples of this trope since the manga doesn't even hint at them being anything more than heterosexual life partners, despite all the fandom and [[{{Filler}} anime]] ShipTease that exists.
** [[LongHairedPrettyBoy Ukitake]] and [[TheDandy Kyouraku]] have been together since at least their academy days which was a very long time ago. They're extremely close and they have a reputation for being the perfect battle partnership that's acknowledged even by [[BadassGrandpa Yamamoto]] himself. Ukitake being badly injured in battle is almost the only example of Kyouraku being willing to fight instead of trying to avoiding fighting that we've seen. That said, they're also text-book examples of this trope since the manga doesn't even hint at them being anything more than heterosexual life partners, despite all the fandom ShipTease that exists.
* Manga/SoulEater and Black Star.
* Liszt and Chopin in ''Manga/Classi9'': They are ChildhoodFriends and do almost everything together as Mozart points in out in the introduction chapter. They are roommates in Melite, often duet together in and out of school, are each other's +1 at dinner parties, etc. Chopin has more experience than anyone else when it comes to [[SplitPersonality Demon!Liszt]] and is vastly unimpressed by his antics by now, whereas Liszt has the experience of a nurse because he is used to taking care of [[IllGirl Chopin]]. Their duets are also a way of watching out for each other, as Chopin tries to keep Liszt under control and Liszt's mere presence near him reduces Chopin's [[PerformanceAnxiety stress]] tremendously.
* America and Japan in ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia.'' They're on opposing sides during the WWII storyline, but are depicted as having become close friends in the modern-day strips and have virtually no HoYay moments between them despite being featured together in a good number of strips, in contrast with their more ambiguous relationships with England and Greece, respectively.
** Austria and Switzerland used to be this way as children. [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend No matter how many times]] [[{{Tsundere}} Switzerland denies it]].
** Spain and Romano, who always seem to be shown together in the modern-day strips. Though there might also be some HoYay going on there, what with Spain being quite fond of Romano at the very least and Romano being quite {{Tsundere}} towards him.
** Lithuania and Poland act like this as well, although the latter pushes the definition of 'heterosexual' [[AmbiguouslyGay quite a lot.]]
** England and France: the weird case when it overlaps with SitcomArchNemesis.
** Romania and Bulgaria are this, after having a rocky start to their friendship. TruthInTelevision, as those countries have had close relationship in RealLife.
** If the [[OddFriendship relationship]] between [[TheDitz Italy]] and [[TheComicallySerious Germany]] ''is'' [[ShipTease just platonic]], they're definitely this; they're almost constantly seen together, and have been close allies since World War II.
** England and Portugal have a deep bond, as per WordOfGod. They do have the world's oldest living alliance in the Windsor Treaty, and England is said to have taught Portugal how to fight Spain, and lends him the [[HopelessWithTech technological skill that he needs]].
** Finland and Estonia are ''very'' close. They have known each other for a while, and Finland is so excited to see Estonia after leaving Denmark's control with Sweden that he [[TheGlomp glomps]] him. The two are said to plan festivals together, and Estonia asks Finland to put in a good word for him with the other Nordics in his attempts to join them. A lyric from one of Estonia's character songs urges them to become "not just friends, but brothers."
* Gon and Killua from ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', although recent chapters have Killua heavily treading the line between this and HoYay.
* Simon and Kamina of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' are a very badass form of this.
* Li Kouyu and Ran Shuei from ''Manga/SaiunkokuMonogatari''. They are very rarely seen apart and attend social functions together, despite one being a scholar and the other being a general.

* Arguably, Youji and Ken in ''Anime/WeissKreuz'', to the extent that Youji warns Ken about the dangers of getting serious with a ''girl'' he's falling for - and, several episodes later, Ken returns the favor.

* [[IdiotHero Ash]] and [[LoveableSexManiac Brock]] from ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' appear to be life partners; they've been spending their time together for [[NotAllowedToGrowUp years]].
** Ash and Pikachu even more so, since they've been together from the beginning of the series.
* In ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' the most stable and enduring relationship of any of the cast is between [[SensitiveGuyandManlyMan Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome]]. In that series that really isn't saying much. Plus those two are stable old guys, helping with the 'stable' part.
* Asakura and Sayo of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', though for a change, it's the ''"life"'' aspect that's a bit questionable due to one of them being a [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]]. The two have been practically inseparable after Sayo became visible to Asakura. They go on scoops together, get lost in the Magic World together, take baths together with Sayo's possessed voodoo doll resting between Asakura's breasts...[[spoiler: And they are still together in the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue.]]
** Negi's father Nagi had ''6'' of those in form of his team, Ala Rubra. Not only he knew more than half of them since he was child (the youngest we see him is twelve and it looks like they already knew each other for years), they fought together in Great Magic War, which at one point could be described as "them versus the rest of the world" (they won), saved the world, and after that they traveled together for 10 years helping people. The only reason why they stopped was because he mysteriously disappeared 10 years prior to the beginning of the story. Nagi also formed [[AMagicContractComesWithAKiss pactios]] with both Jack Rakan and Albireo. So.
* Mustang and Hughes in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Academy friends, met up again in the Ishvallan War, and Hughes signed on to support Roy from below. Roy [[spoiler:takes Hughes's death very hard, and goes on a psychotic rampage when he finds the perpetrator, Envy]].
* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', an interesting example of this [[IntergenerationalFriendship with a large age gap]] is Sousuke and [[AFatherToHisMen Kalinin]] - though it was more so in their past history than currently in the series. As Kalinin put it, "Sousuke and I being inseparable seems to be destiny."
* Gil and Oz in ''Manga/PandoraHearts''. In fact, their bonds are so strong that fans and characters in the series wonder if it's hetero at all. ''Especially'' on Gil's part. {{Word of God}} often plays up their guy love to reel in more [[YaoiFangirl fangirls]].
** Elliot and Leo also count as this.
* Helen and Deneve in ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', although the "heterosexual" part is [[{{Asexuality}} up for debate.]] At any rate, theirs is the longest-lived friendship amongst the protagonists, and Helen was the one who snapped Deneve out of her suicidal depression in their early days together.
** The Humans Galk and Sid seem to be into this too as they never stopped working together to defend the Holy City of Rabona for all of the seven years that passed during the series' main TimeSkip. The Claymores [[BlueOniRedOni Rachel and Audrey]] are obviously pretty close too, they even use nicknames between each other ([[HoYay to the fandom's delight]]).
* In ''Manga/DGrayMan'' Mahoja and Anita are definitely this, as are Johnny and Tup (until THAT happens), and Reever and Komui.
* ''Manga/HanaYoriDango'' has Sojirou Nishikado and Akira Mimasaka--''[[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday very]]'' [[HaveIMentionedIAmSexuallyActiveToday heterosexual]] and [[ThoseTwoGuys always together]] ([[DeusSexMachina except when they're not]]).
* ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'' has two such pairings: [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Yano & Yoshida]], and [[ThoseTwoGuys Hirano & Endo]]. In each duo, it's nearly impossible to think of a scene where one is not without the other.
** To a lesser extent, Ryu & Kazehaya also count.
* Kudo Shinichi and Hattori Heiji in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' certainly seem to fit this trope, to the point where Hattori is willing to die for Kudo.

* ''Manga/DeathNote'''s Mello and Matt might be this. Matt's not around enough for it to be certain. The [[YaoiFangirls fangirls]] however, see their relationship as being [[HoYay something else...]]

* Satoshi and Daisuke from ''Manga/DNAngel'', although the HoYay angle is definitely played with in canon as well.
* Huey Laforet and Elmer C. Albatross from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''. The relationship just becomes more and more suspect as more of their backstory comes into the clear (Elmer, for example, seemed to have a tendency to make bets with himself to see if he could make Huey smile within a certain time period). And some of the quotes from Huey, such as the ones below, make him seem very Tsundere towards Elmer.
** In the 'What do you think about Elmer C.Albatross' section of the novel, [[MadScientist Huey]] said this in 1705, 'An annoying person. That nosy personality of his will just cause problems. I'm looking forward to when he dies.' but in 2002 he seems to have warmed up to him more and says,'He is...a close friend. Simply a close friend. No less than that, no more than that. Though it would be too embarrassing to tell him something like that.'

* By the halfway mark of ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' Kotetsu has become the first and OnlyFriend Barnaby has had in his ''entire life.'' Despite already having a best friend (Antonio), by series end Kotetsu seems to have grown quite fond of Barnaby as well.
-->'''Kotetsu:''' ''[Speaking to [[spoiler:a partially-amnesiac Barnaby in episode 23]]]'' Were the times we spent together [[spoiler:that easy to forget]]!? You and I...we were the best team ever!
** And just before the closing credits of the last episode;
-->'''Barnaby:''' If you're [[spoiler:making a comeback]] I suppose I'll have to, as well.
--> '''Kotetsu:''' Why's that?
--> '''Barnaby:''' Because I'm your partner!

* ''Manga/KurokoNoBasuke'' Loves this trope. Namely with Kuroko and his buddy, Kagami. Though their heterosexuality has always been a topic of debate among fans.
** Kaijou's Kise and Kasamatsu.
** Midorima and Takao from Shuutoku.
** Kagami and Himuro, also Kuroko and Aomine in the past.
** Kiyoshi and Hyuuga.

* In ''Manga/DanceInTheVampireBund'' this trope is played straight with the Earthclan. Adult Werewolf warriors are always in pairs called Renri-no-eda which means "two branches intertwined, never to part." They are inseperable, and all Earthclan are male, but [[spoiler: except for Angel's pretty explict affection for Akira]] none of the pairs seem romantically inclined with one another.
** Another example is Princess Mina's relationship with Yuki which appears to be turning into this.

* Hibiki and Miku from ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear'', though Miku's hetero part is doubt, especially in ''G''.
** They are roommates in their school and sleep in the same bed (we don't know if there is a second), so they are literally lifepartners (at least in school).
** Kanade and Tsubasa had this kind of relationship [[spoiler:before Kanade died in the ''first'' episode.]]
** Kirika and Shirabe in ''G''.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': Several examples who are [[HoYay at least]] this.
** Eren and Armin, childhood friends who were later made into a PowerTrio when Mikasa joined them.
** Erwin and Levi, noted for their deep trust of one another.
** Reiner and Bertolt are childhood friends, and are very rarely seen apart.
** Jean and Marco, [[spoiler: at least until Marco's death made it into a TragicBromance]].
** Sasha and Connie are LikeBrotherAndSister, and serve as the primary comic relief during lighter moments.
* Yuuya and Yamato from ''Manga/{{Nukoduke}}'' are inseparable, as the ghost of Yuuya's late girlfriend cheerfully remarked. The two are childhood friends, and Yuuya frequently hangs out in Yamato's house because his own parents are rarely around, and they take care of one another really well. Even when they're both independent adults, their social circle are mostly still limited to themselves.