History Main / FriendlyEnemy

* ''Film/{{Heat}}'': Vincent Hanna (Creator/AlPacino) and Neil [=McCauley=] (Creator/RobertDeNiro) . The two men are both dedicated to their professions (one is a cop, the other a criminal), but they understand each other very deeply.

* In Robert Graves' UsefulNotes/WorldWarI memoir, ''Literature/GoobyeToAllThat'', the British and Germans often shout friendly banter at each other across no-man's land, and after an unsuccessful assault by the British, the Germans allow their enemies ample time to collect their dead and wounded, and fire off warning shots to let them know their time is up. Graves reports that ill-will towards the Germans themselves is virtually non-existent in his battalion.

*** This is brought up again in ''Inquisition:'' It is mentioned that Flemeth[[spoiler:/Mythal]] is not above acting friendly and helpful to you in one moment, only to be leading you to your doom herself in the next...mainly for [[ItAmusedMe her own amusement.]]

*** The same could be said of Pharaoh Atem and Priest Seto, whom Kaiba is the reincarnation of.

** Played with during a Cartoon Network bumper made in a "touring the studio" style; one scene shows a door opening to WesternAnimation/WileECoyote and the Road Runner sitting on the couch and watching TV together, until they notice the camera...at which point they exchange {{OhCrap looks]] and quickly begin chasing each other around the couch.

** Bart and Mrs. Krabappel have this in a few episodes when he goes out of his way to help her with something. The same goes for Principal Skinner.

* The musical''Theatre/{{Chicago}}'' uses this trope for its ''ending.'' After Roxie Hart murders her lover, she recruits [[AmoralAttorney noted attorney Billy Flynn]] for her defense, and he quickly exploits the public's demand for bloodlust to make Roxie a star. This doesn't sit well with Velma Kelly, Billy's former client and media darling until Roxie steals her spotlight. The two openly express their hate and disgust for each other, and trade barbs throughout the musical--that is, until Roxie is found "not guilty" of the murder and the [[LaserGuidedKarma press moves on to a different, more sensational crime]]. Velma realizes that there's one way to remain famous, and despite the two ''still'' hating one another, they [[EnemyMine team up to form an act]] that proves extremely successful.
** There's also the relationship between prison warden Matron "Mama" Morton and the women in her cells. Despite being their jailer, she's on friendly terms with all of them, and they love her in return. Mama's even willing to sneak them contraband items like cigarettes, provided they grease her palms (or, as Mama puts it in song: "If you want my gravy, pepper my ragout").

* Done beautifully on ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven'' with Madame Delphine [=LaLaurie=] and Queenie. Delphine is a nineteenth-century Southern aristocrat who took special delight in torturing, mutilating, and using the blood of her slaves for beauty rituals; even ''other slave owners'' [[EveryoneHasStandards considered her actions revolting]] and wanted nothing to do with her. As revenge, Marie Leveau, the Voodoo Queen, [[BlessedWithSuck cursed Delphine with immortality and unchanging age]], then [[BuriedAlive sealed her in a coffin underground]], [[AndIMustScream chained, gagged, and utterly unable to free herself or die]]. Queenie, meanwhile, is an obese African-American teenage witch and mathematical genius who attends the titular coven in the present day. When the witches discover Delphine and set her free, Fiona, the head of the coven, decides to exact revenge by making her Queenie's personal slave. Delphine naturally hates the idea and initially loathes Queenie, and Queenie herself, when she discovers [=LaLurie's=] true identity, makes it clear that she would torture Delphine herself if she could. However, as time passes, the two develop a genuinely close bond: Queenie protects Delphine from one of her former slaves (also kept alive with magic), and Delphine returns the favor by saving Queenie from one of her own daughters when she comes back as a zombie; after killing the undead girl, [=LaLaurie=] breaks down in Queenie's arms and sobs, and the witch comforts her. In one particularly memorable scene, the two get a massive order of fast food at 3:00 AM and chow down in the car, swapping insults while enjoying each other's company (Delphine even calls Queenie "ma cherie," or "my dear"). [[spoiler: That makes it all the sadder when Delphine remarks that the other coven witches will never accept Queenie, prompting the witch to betray them and join the voodoo practitioners...who demand [=LaLaurie=] herself as their price for taking Queenie in. The betrayal shatters Delphine and puts her right back on a violently racist path, although it's debatable [[GreyAndGreyMorality just how much she really could have reformed]].]]

* Franchise/TheFlash's RoguesGallery can be like this, with such gems as Flash going to a party the Rogues threw for Captain Cold when the latter was released on parole. He crashed at Cold's house once, and one of his best buddies, the Pied Piper, was still kind of playing the Rogue, if for a good cause. The first Icicle (Joar Mahkent) liked Jay Garrick and Barry Allen enough (and disliked his relatives enough) that he left half of his fortune to [[LegacyCharacter whoever was the Flash at the time]].

** The wizards of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' are traditionally friendly enemies to one another, constantly trying to [[KlingonPromotion kill their rivals]], and Pratchett characterizes their outlook in ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'' similarly to the ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} quote on the AntagonistInMourning page. This changes when they appoint a head wizard that no one can kill. This failing has led to a more relaxed state as the entire faculty becomes more permanent and friendly despite retaining elements of the old relationship. Now you get Ridcully promoting people at random when he thinks people aren't showing wizards enough respect, rather than wizards promoting themselves through a cunningly placed dagger.
*** In ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'', the relationship between Ridcully and the former Dean becomes this. Ridcully at first considers him a traitor for leaving the university, but by the end, they are more like friendly rivals. It helps that at the end of the book, [[spoiler: Dean's university has a nasty and embarrassing accident with chickens due to improper and careless use of magic, so Ridcully and crew can swoop in like BigDamnHeroes and show Dean up]]. Nothing better for the ol' ego.

** The wizards of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' are traditionally friendly enemies to one another, constantly trying to [[KlingonPromotion kill their rivals]], and Pratchett characterizes their outlook in ''Literature/Sourcery'' similarly to the ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} quote on the AntagonistInMourning page. This changes when they appoint a head wizard that no one can kill. This failing has led to a more relaxed state as the entire faculty becomes more permanent and friendly despite retaining elements of the old relationship. Now you get Ridcully promoting people at random when he thinks people aren't showing wizards enough respect, rather than wizards promoting themselves through a cunningly placed dagger.

** The wizards of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' are traditionally friendly enemies to one another, constantly trying to [[KlingonPromotion kill their rivals]], and Pratchett characterizes their outlook in ''Sourcery'' similarly to the ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} quote on the AntagonistInMourning page. This changes when they appoint a head wizard that no one can kill. This failing has led to a more relaxed state as the entire faculty becomes more permanent and friendly despite retaining elements of the old relationship. Now you get Ridcully promoting people at random when he thinks people aren't showing wizards enough respect, rather than wizards promoting themselves through a cunningly placed dagger.
*** In Unseen Academicals, the relationship between Ridcully and the former Dean becomes this. Ridcully at first considers him a traitor for leaving the university, but by the end, they are more like friendly rivals. It helps that at the end of the book, [[spoiler: Dean's university has a nasty and embarrassing accident with chickens due to improper and careless use of magic, so Ridcully and crew can swoop in like BigDamnHeroes and show Dean up]]. Nothing better for the ol' ego.

* ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'': ComicBook/DoctorDoom and Reed Richards vary between this and blind, relentless hatred, depending on the day of the week. Another example is Reed Richards and Namor the Comicbook/SubMariner, mostly because Reed's wife is the love of both of their lives. In the 2008 ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' one-shot "What if ''this'' was the Fantastic Four?", the Fantastic Four had been killed (or possibly disappeared) and the unlikely foursome of Franchise/SpiderMan, [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]], Comicbook/{{Wolverine}}, and Comicbook/GhostRider took over the title to uphold the legacy (as they had briefly done in the eighties). They fight a massively powerful enemy who nearly kills them all, when...Doctor Doom steps in to take out the enemy, proclaiming that "None may kill the Fantastic Four... save Doom." That's right, he'll save their bacon simply because they're upholding his enemies' name; because he won't let that name be tarnished by being defeated by an unworthy opponent (that is, anyone but Doom). On a less serious note, Doom has no problem with Comicbook/SquirrelGirl entering his sanctum and doing whatever she pleases. Either he respects her, or he's just afraid she'll beat him up again if he protests.

* ''Series/YesMinister'': although Humphrey and Hacker usually act at cross purposes, they are always polite towards one another and sometimes genuinely enjoy each other's company; on the occasions they are [[EnemyMine forced to work together for a common goal]], they are an efficient and effective team, and the first time Humphrey suggests this, Hacker appears flattered that Humphrey wants his help. Humphrey once mentioned to a group of other senior civil servants that he and Hacker frequently enjoyed the perks of their jobs, as well as gifts of and parties held by powerful lobbying groups, together. They even laugh at each other's jokes. This may be because the two of them are NotSoDifferent, in that, while Humphrey claims to serve the good of the country, and Hacker started out intending to reform the country and serve a greater morality, by the end, they are equally self-serving and morally corrupt, and are in it purely for their own self interest and the good of the Civil Service/Party.

%%* The Russian and British Missions in ''TheDeathOfTheVazirMukhtar'' (and especially Griboyedov and Doctor [=McNeal=]). Accurate, seeing as this is basically an early stage of the Great Game on the diplomatic front.

* ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'': In ''ComicBook/SupergirlCosmicAdventuresInTheEightGrade'', Supergirl's SecretIdentity is Linda Lee. Linda's best friend is Lena Thorul... or better said Lena Luthor, Comicbook/LexLuthor's little sister. Lena switches between loving Linda and trying to kill her.

** Mihawk towards the Straw Hat crew in general. Specifically, he keeps tabs on Luffy and Zoro's growth as pirates, gives a mental apology to Shanks before [[spoiler:attacking Luffy at Marineford]], and [[spoiler:agrees to train Zoro during the time skip so the latter can protect his crewmates.]]

* In ''Manga/UQHolder'', Episodes 4 & 5 (chapter 14). Sees this with Kaito & Tota [[Spoilers: Beginning of episode 4 and latter half of episode 5. His evil attitude begins to taper off when he sees Tota improve with his Martial Arts.]]

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* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': Zidane and Kuja have a moment of this after [[spoiler: Kuja saves the team from the collapsing Memoria and Iifa Tree and Zidane decides to stay to save Kuja from the depths of the Iifa Tree]]. Then again, they are [[spoiler: brothers]] and this brief moment of friendliness doesn't continue in their appearances in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''. Though that can be explained as having most of their memories wiped.

* Theseus Spencer and Oberon Navarro are later portrayed this way in ''{{Literature/Alterien}}''. They gradually go from enemies to friendly rivals who are able to easily sit down with each other for a civil conversation.

Over the years, a [[TheHero Hero]] and his nemesis will share trials, failures, and successes at each other's hands, each becoming enormously important in the other's life and more intimate (not ''[[FoeYay that]]'' kinda intimate! ...[[DatingCatwoman Well]], [[RuleThirtyFour usually]]) than many [[TrueCompanions best friends]]. Over the course of a series' many {{Story Arc}}s, the two will develop a grudging respect for them as a WorthyOpponent. It can sometimes grow to the point that the villain will refrain from [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim killing the hero]] in a "cheap" or dishonorable way, and even start to concoct bizarre excuses to avoid doing so entirely, [[YouWillBeSpared spare his life]], or ''[[IWasJustPassingThrough even saving him]]''. In these cases, the hero and villain are very likely to become [[EnemyMine strange bedfellows]] to beat a new villain who doesn't play by the rules, which may lead to {{Fire Forged Friends}}hip. Sometimes, the villain will decide to admit to the friendship and perform a full HeelFaceTurn. If another villain kills the hero, this one may make sure that the hero doesn't [[DyingAlone die alone]], and the hero will do the same for him.

* On ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'':

** In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', The Joker himself even lampshades this in "The Man Who Killed Batman" during a jewelry store robbery--he fully ''expects'' the Caped Crusader to show up and defeat him, describing their fights as "having some laughs." It's so severe that when the Joker mistakenly believes that Batman is dead, he tells his accomplice Harley Quinn to return the stolen jewels, becoming furious when Quinn thinks he's joking: "Without Batman, crime has no punchline."