History Main / FriendlyEnemy

* In ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/PrisonIslandBreak'', just like in the game series, the author has Shadow and Sonic gradually evolve from flat-out enemies, into friends who refuse to admit they're friends and fight each other a lot.

* ''Fanfic/ThisBites'': As in canon, Tashigi and Smoker are this for the Straw Hats, [[spoiler:as is Hina after she throws in her lot with the former two to bring down the World Government, forming the organization Marine Integrity 3, or [=MI3=] for short. In Chapter 30, Captain T-Bone joins the party, making the organization [=MI4=]. After the events at Omatsuri Island, Vice Admiral Jonathan joins, making the organization [=MI5=]. And in Chapter 40, Vice Admiral Tsuru joins, making the organization [=MI6=]]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': Before [[spoiler:his demise]], Matador, AKA Colonel Juan Samuel Pererya, was quite amiable with Shadowland member Winter Rat, who was on the payroll of the Winter Systems MegaCorp. The two had fought several times in the past but were on quite good terms--they even took to betting on where would be the next place they'd face each other again. This is in stark contrast to the undying, spiteful enmity between people like Neon Samurai and Nightfire.

* 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 appreciate 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").

* The ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series has both Phoenix/Edgeworth and Apollo/Klavier. They are technically "enemies" (prosecution vs. defense) but both have worked together in search for the truth. Edgeworth needs some [[DefrostingIceKing defrosting]] and being hit with some {{Awful Truth}}s for it to happen, while Klavier is friendly from the get go.

%%* Largo and Ed of ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo''
%%** Ed and Dom too, for that matter.
%%* The majority of the characters on ''Webcomic/SuperStupor'' fit this trope, whether they are on the same side or not.
* ''Webcomic/EerieCuties'': [[Webcomic/MagickChicks Tiffany]] tried to stake Layla multiple times, but kept failing due to being [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny easily distracted]] and because of [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/you_like_them_too%EF%BC%9F how well]] [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/final_showdown they got along.]] Which was compounded by the fact she's [[NiceGuy a nice girl]] who suffers from ChronicHeroSyndrome. Tiffany even saved her from [[spoiler: Faith]], by allowing Layla to feed on her and called her afterwards [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/what_friends_do to see how she was feeling.]] It was only a matter of time before [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/i_am_your_best_friend they made it official.]]

* In ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'', once a year, all characters, including villains, will stop whatever they are doing in order to celebrate the comic's anniversary by eating ice cream together.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Zeetha is cultivating such a relationship with Bangladesh [=DuPree=] in the aftermath of the Beast of The Rails arc. Both are eagerly anticipating testing each other's mettle in a fight (but can't at that time due to Sanctuary rules at the Corbettite depot). Granted, the high probability that it was [[spoiler:Bang's pirates that originally kidnapped Zeetha (and thus, Zeetha who took out the entire pirate fleet) means that they're both looking for vengeance on each other and]] the "friendly" aspect of this Trope might well be short-lived.
* ''Webcomic/CassiopeiaQuinn'': Cassiopeia herself tries to be this to [[InspectorJavert Vrax]]; how much it works is up for interpretation. [[http://www.cassiopeiaquinn.com/comic/100th-update-special She even bought her a new dress!]]
-->'''Vrax:''' Wait, how did she know my size?
* ''Webcomic/MageAndDemonQueen'': Malori has ascended the Demon Tower so many times that the demon bosses below Velverosa just let her through. Partly because she can easily wipe the floor with all of them, but also to facilitate her pursuit of a relationship with Velverosa.

* Susan Morton made an effort to help along Brittany Love's HeelFaceTurn in PGWA to the point she started a "Let's Go Brittany" chant while tagging with someone else(Maria Montana) against Brittany at ''Columbia Clash'', causing her actual partner to soon tag out. However, Morton would later become [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] of Love overshadowing her, leading to a [[FaceHeelDoubleTurn double turn]] of sorts.

* "Super Girl" Aja Perera's default stance toward all her opponents. She took a look at a potential three on one disadvantage from Los Abusadores Internacional and saw an opportunity to gain three more "Perera Pals". Alongside her actual friends(Dementia D'Rose, Nina Monet, Sahara [=Se7en=], Aerial Monroe) Perera tends to be [[ToxicFriendInfluence a lot less friendly]].

* This was {{played for laughs}} in Ring Of Honor when Wrestling/DaltonCastle challenged Bobby Fish for the Television Title belt, as most fans who knew them outside of ROH probably knew them much better for fighting than for friendship and even while describing in detail how well they knew each other Fish couldn't resist being the {{troll}} the fans all knew he was. Still, their meeting on "[[ShowWithInAShow The Fish Tank]]" successfully averted the "fists" in TalkSHowWithFists, Castle just stormed off, and canceled brunch.

** Wonderella and Hitlerella. So much so that, in the "Death of Wonderella" strip (which parodies both the Death of Comicbook/CaptainAmerica and Comicbook/TheDeathOfSuperman, Hitlerella attempts to take up the Wonderella mantle. Both had to work to patch up their Friendly Enemy status after going through a rough patch [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything where Hitlerella felt that her enemy didn't care anymore, and Wonderella was bereft to find her fighting other heroes]]. Hitlerella challenged Wonderella to "''Make me wish I'd killed you years ago.''" Wonderella even goes so far as to say in her VideoWill that she makes in [[http://nonadventures.com/2009/08/08/big-will-style/ another strip]] that Hitlerella is most likely the one who killed her, adding, "Congratulations, Hitlerella, now you have nothing to live for." She's apparently even willing to bail Wonderella out of bad dates.

* ''Fanfic/ARabbitAmongWolves'': [[HeroAntagonist Coco]] tells [[InternalReformist Jaune]] that while she is his opponent, and will come down ''hard'' on him if he threatens Beacon or her friends, she doesn't despise him personally. She openly admires [[InternalReformist his attempts to reform the White Fang]], dances with him, offers him some [=PR=] advice, and gives him a peck on the cheek.

* FriendlyEnemy/{{Film}}

* Played with in ''FanFic/JewelOfDarkness'': Cyborg gets along fairly well with Raven in her civilian guise; however, he has no idea she's [[VillainProtagonist Midnight]], and she's using him to gather intel on the Titans. However, by the end of the first arc, she's decided she enjoys their interactions enough that he's the only Titan she'd spare if possible.

* ''FanFic/ThisBites'': As in canon, Tashigi and Smoker are this for the Straw Hats, [[spoiler:as is Hina after she throws in her lot with the former two to bring down the World Government, forming the organization Marine Integrity 3, or [=MI3=] for short. In Chapter 30, Captain T-Bone joins the party, making the organization [=MI4=]. After the events at Omatsuri Island, Vice Admiral Jonathan joins, making the organization [=MI5=]. And in Chapter 40, Vice Admiral Tsuru joins, making the organization [=MI6=]]].

* ''FanFic/{{Rules}}'': Light Yagami views his relationship with Charlie as this. Granted, the enemy part becomes less and less prevalent and the friendly part stronger as the story goes on. [[spoiler:By the end of the story, though, it seems what was really going on was BelligerentSexualTension]].

!!Examples:

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'''s [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orks]] [[LanguageEqualsThought have no concept of "friend,"]] but they ''do'' have a word for "[[WorthyOpponent favorite enemy]]." During the Second War for Armageddon, Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka found himself a proper nemesis in Commissar Yarrick, and when Ghazghkull captured him in a subsequent campaign he let Yarrick go (after the requisite amount of torture) so the planned Third War for Armageddon would be more entertaining. Ghazghkull considers Yarrick the one humie who knows how to fight, and has been known to kill any lackey who insults the commissar. After all, "good enemies iz 'ard ta find, an Orks need good enemies ta fight like they need meat ta eat an' grog ta drink." Note that this is entirely one-sided: Yarrick ''despises'' Ghazghkull and has vowed to pursue him to the ends of the galaxy to avenge the billions killed for his amusement.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* ''Webcomic/EerieCuties'': [[WebComic/MagickChicks Tiffany]] tried to stake Layla multiple times, but kept failing due to being [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny easily distracted]] and because of [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/you_like_them_too%EF%BC%9F how well]] [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/final_showdown they got along.]] Which was compounded by the fact she's [[NiceGuy a nice girl]] who suffers from ChronicHeroSyndrome. Tiffany even saved her from [[spoiler: Faith]], by allowing Layla to feed on her and called her afterwards [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/what_friends_do to see how she was feeling.]] It was only a matter of time before [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/i_am_your_best_friend they made it official.]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Minister Malack of the Empire of Blood is genuinely friendly with Durkon, despite only having just met him. The two enjoy a conversation about theology over tea (Malack insisting that death gods, his patron god Nergal included, [[EverybodyHatesHades have a bad reputation]]), and Malack even helps Durkon with his Mass Death Ward spell. When Tarquin "convinces" him to join the Linear Guild, Malack insists that [[WorthyOpponent he alone face Durkon]] and is furious when Nale disregards this request. [[spoiler:Then it's revealed that Malack is a vampire and is looking to sire some new "children", and that, his own plans for the continent and Durkon's hatred of the undead destroy their friendship.]]

* ''WebComic/MageAndDemonQueen'': Malori has ascended the Demon Tower so many times that the demon bosses below Velverosa just let her through. Partly because she can easily wipe the floor with all of them, but also to facilitate her pursuit of a relationship with Velverosa.

-->'''Val:''' ([[QuickDraw pointing a gun at Dread]]) Dread, c'mon.

--->'''Martin Luther King Jr.:''' (''hugs Gandhi'') [[NWordPrivileges Nigga]], we got more beef between us than one of your sacred cows but I'm about to forgive you so hard right now!\\

* In his self-proclaimed role as the Red Panda's archnemesis, ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures'' supervillain the Mad Monkey is generally quite friendly toward the Red Panda, even as he's trying to kill the mystery man. He's less cordial towards the Flying Squirrel, since he considers her an extra. As time goes on, the Mad Monkey's plots revolve more around fighting the Red Panda, and because, more often then otherwise, the Monkey doesn't put human life at serious risk, the Red Panda seems to reciprocate. At the end of "Stop the Presses", when the Red Panda is forced to let the Mad Monkey escape to capture all of Archangel's goons, he takes the time to make sure the Mad Monkey sees him waving his fist at him angrily.

[[quoteright:331:[[Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wonderel_3432.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:331:One night battles are okay, but you also want an enemy who ''cares.'' ]]

Over the years, a [[TheHero Hero]] and their 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 usual]][[FoeYay ly]]) 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 them]]''. 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 them.

Related to WorthyOpponent. Compare AffablyEvil. Contrast ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies, BigBadFriend, GoKartingWithBowser, and WithFriendsLikeThese. See also DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu. See DatingCatwoman for the (explicitly) romantic version. Often goes well with AntagonistInMourning. Frequently the target of FoeYay. Has nothing at all to do with [[FriendlyFire attacking your teammates]], nor with {{Helpful Mook}}s. There is also the FriendlyRivalry which is essentially a milder version of this trope where the antagonistic characters are just competing (in some kind of sporting event, for example) rather than trying to thwart each other.

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]

'''Gandhi:''' I am passively resisting the fact that you suck. I am celibate because ''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments I don't give a]]'' '''''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments fuck!]]'''''

* "Super Girl" Aja Perera's default stance toward all her opponents. She took a look at a potential three on one disadvantage from Los Abusadores Internacional and saw an opportunity to gain three more "Perera Pals".
* El Canek and Dr. Wagner Junior were this in Wrestling/{{AAA}}. They started as friends in Wrestling/{{CMLL}} then became enemies when Canek returned to CMLL since Jr. felt "abandoned" when Canek left the promotion, and its [[TagTeam pareja]] belts that he held with Jr, to try and save Lucha Libre Internacional. During their feud Dr. Wagner Junior [[HeelFaceTurn turned face]] for unrelated to Canek and stopped antagonizing him and AAA just couldn't resist furthering an unresolved angle from their top rival, even if both luchadors involved in it remained honorable, rule abiding {{tecnico}}s.

[[caption-width-right:331: [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything One night battles are okay, but you also want an enemy who]] ''[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything cares.]]'' ]]

* Jay Briscoe and Wrestling/JayLethal, or really, Jay Lethal and the entire Briscoe family. Even Papa likes Lethal, what they don't are the rest of The House Of Truth, which Lethal happened to be a part of when he won the ROH World Title for the first time, the most prestigious singles belt Jay Briscoe ever won. Papa Briscoe went so far as to cut a surprise promo urging Lethal to drop Truth Martini.
* This was {{played for laughs}} in Ring Of Honor when Dalton Castle challenged Bobby Fish for the Television Title belt, as most fans who knew them outside of ROH probably knew them much better for fighting than for friendship and even while describing in detail how well they knew each other Fish couldn't resist being the {{troll}} the fans all knew he was. Still, their meeting on "[[ShowWithInAShow The Fish Tank]]" successfully averted the "fists" in TalkSHowWithFists, Castle just stormed off, and canceled brunch.

* Wrestling/RingOfHonor was founded on this principle, to a degree, with its {{code| of honor}} {{enforc|ed trope}}ing this kind of behavior, in theory. However, too many wrestlers ended up rejecting the code and so it was abandoned (then brought back by fan demand but with less concrete rules and no penalties for breaking it).
* Wrestling/LowKi to his Rottweiler partners outside of Wrestling/RingOfHonor, such as when he was Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s X Division Champion and took on respective Impact Championship Wrestling Champion Havana Pit bull Ricky Reyes in an inter promotional match.

* Baby {{face}}!Solo Darling thinks the purpose of wrestling matches is to make and strengthen friendships. She's even willing to let bygones be with those who put her through tables and break the legs of her legitimate friends.

* In ''SonicTheHedgehog'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/PrisonIslandBreak'', just like in the game series, the author has Shadow and Sonic gradually evolve from flat-out enemies, into friends who refuse to admit they're friends and fight each other a lot.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'':
** This is how [[AnIcePerson the Ice King]] thinks of his relationship to [[TheHero Finn]] (and [[TheLancer Jake]]). In reality, not so much, though they are willing to help him out sometimes, such as when he tries to learn how to be happy. It's eventually revealed that the reason he thinks of them as friends is because [[spoiler: they stop him from hurting those around him, which was one of his last conscious requests before going completely insane]].
** Finn (and Jake) and [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Marceline]] count, as she forcibly holds onto the "enemy" part for a while, until she's forced to admit she enjoys their company and drops it. Her relationship with [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princess Bubblegum]] has also been characterized as a "friendly rivalry", according to WordOfGod, though we later learn through context clues and WordOfGay that they're ex-girlfriends.
* ''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."
** It could be argued that Batman has this dynamic with ''all'' of his foes (with a few exceptions, like [[WouldHurtAChild the Sewer King]]). He doesn't want to kill them, or even see them locked up -- he wants them to get better and reform.
*** When it seemed as though Poison Ivy had stopped her criminal career, he mentioned that he genuinely ''wanted'' to believe that she was finally cleaning up her act (unfortunately, she wasn't).
*** Similarly, when Harley Quinn passed a competency hearing and was legally released from Arkham, he offered her a congratulatory handshake and did his best to help her stay out of trouble. When she ended up back in the asylum (largely through a series of misunderstandings, and with the hope that she'd recover in time), Harley thanked Batman with a quick smooch...[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments and liked it so much that she planted a much bigger kiss on him immediately after.]]
*** Batman helped the Ventriloquist break his reliance on Scarface, the hand puppet that manifested his [[SplitPersonality dissociative identity disorder]], and even helped Arnold Wesker (the Ventriloquist's real name) reenter society by giving him a job at Wayne Enterprises.
* Bianca Dupree of ''WesternAnimation/BeverlyHillsTeens''; while being the closest the show has to a recurring villain, she's frequently seen hanging out with many of the other characters, even joining in on some of their fun such as a SlumberParty and a road race.
* [[AlphaBitch Tammy Larson]] on ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' is an interesting case. Tina once tried to be friendly with her and described her as her "frenemy", but lately she's been a lot less tolerant of Tammy's bullshit. Still, Tammy always ends up being part of the group during adventures.
* The words Friendly Enemy occur in the ThemeSong to the British Kids' show ''Cloppa Castle''. The villains, the Hasbeens, are {{punch clock villain}}s who sit down for a friendly cup of tea with the good guys, the Bygones, at the end of each day's non-lethal battle.
* LovableAlphaBitch Sissi Delmas and the heroes have developed this relationship by Season 4 of ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko''. Most of the antagonism is kept between her and Odd, and even it has become pretty light-hearted and somewhat obligatory. A prime example is when Sissi makes a degrading comment, receives an insult (from Aelita on Odd's behalf since his mouth is full), and when Sissi seems satisfied by this, her accomplice Herb remarks "Y'know, sometimes I wonder if you ''actually ask'' for it!"
* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'':
** Captain Stickybeard to Numbuh Five. Due to their mutual love of candy, they've helped each other out on several occasions, and Numbuh Five often calls him by the oddly AffectionateNickname of "Stickybuns".
** Sector E are good friends with the Rowdy Hooligans from Across the Square; despite being on opposite sides, they dismiss the idea they have to hate each other as a ridiculous American notion.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'':
** By the end of the series, Danny was frenemies with most of the recurring ghost characters. When dealing with a problem bigger than he could handle on his own, he'd often turn to one of them for help. The fact that he was able to convince [[spoiler: nearly the entire population of the ghost zone to help save Earth]] cemented that status.
** Vlad in particular implied that he sees his relationship with Danny like this, stating "I'm sorry, but funny, joke-around Vlad isn't here today" before attacking him. This is a relationship Vlad often saw with Danny during most of the series' run on account of the villain's desire to have Danny as his surrogate son; his role as an UnwittingPawn notwithstanding.
** Played with in the AlternateTimeline in "The Ultimate Enemy." [[spoiler:Danny seeks Vlad's help when his friends and family are killed, and Vlad is genuinely sympathetic when Danny arrives at his door.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDeputyDawgShow'', Deputy Dawg was often out to arrest Muskie Muskrat and his friends for causing trouble, but would just as frequently be on good terms with them.
* Roger Klotz to the titular character on ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}''. Though Roger is a bully and occasional rival for Patti Mayonnaise's affections, he occasionally shows genuine affection for Doug. In one episode, it's Roger who organizes an anniversary party celebrating Doug's move to Bluffington, and in another, the pair bonds over their both appearing on an embarrassing children's TV show; the end of the episode sees the two having a genuinely good time at Doug's house, eating popcorn and burning the tapes of their episodes from the show.
* Spildit is this to the Urpneys in ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone''. While it comes partially out of childish obliviousness, she is shown to feel sorry for Blob's men on occasions and makes friendly banter with them, at one point even helping them back to Viltheed after they get stranded in the Land of Dreams. Not so much with the other heroes, who wouldn't trust an Urpney if their life depended on it, and usually mistake Spildit's friendly meetings with the Urpneys as kidnap attempts.
* WesternAnimation/DuckDodgers and the Martian Commander. In one episode, convinced that they're both about to die, the Martian admits that Dodgers is his best friend. Dodgers, of course, responds "[[{{Jerkass}} Ha! What a loser!]]" However, in another, when Dodgers learns that the Martian considers the MadScientist Dr Woe to be his archenemy, he reacts like X-2 is cheating on him.
* In ''Toys/EverAfterHigh'', Raven and Apple frequently hang out, despite one being destined to poison the other. Both have expressed respect and admiration for the other, and in fact, Apple insists on sharing a dorm with Raven in the first episode.
-->'''Briar:''' But why are you doing this for Raven?\\
'''Apple:''' Because she's such an important part of my story! When she poisons me, it changes everything. Then the prince can wake me, and I become queen. That's when I get my happily ever after. I need her!
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', [[DarthVaderClone Dark Laser]] seems to have this relationship with Timmy by letting him borrow the Death Ball for a party and willing to tell him about his irritable bowels.
* In ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', while Peter and Ernie the Giant Chicken are fighting for the third time in "No Chris Left Behind", Peter interrupts the fight by wondering what they were even fighting about. They apologize to each other, and, to make up, the chicken invites him to dinner. After the meal, [[spoiler: they argue over who pays the bill and become enemies again, continuing the fight at the restaurant]].
* On ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'', the titular superheroes developed this relationship with none other than Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. In one instance, Galactus came to Earth to seek their help--he was starving because he'd lost his Herald, whose duty it was to find planets for him to drain the life from; this was after the Four had prevented him from destroying the Earth in the first place. Mister Fantastic quickly finds another uninhabited planet for Galactus to absorb (the entity has to eat planets that can ''support'' life, so they don't necessarily have to actually have life on them), and the whole team helps him get there. At the end of the episode, Galactus remarks that Earth is the only planet where he actually has something like friends. In another case, the Four deliberately sought out Galactus to help them defeat Ego the Living Planet, and he agrees.
* In ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', Madame Foster is mad that her rival Flo Jerkins has bribed her bowling team into joining her, and at Mac's suggestion, hires him and the Imaginary Friends to be her stand-in bowling team. The episode plays it off like Foster and Jerkins are rivals that hate each other, especially when Jerkins bribes Bloo to join her too. At the end, Foster's team wins (fifth place), and all of the sudden, they're discussing about their date for tea and crumpets. They're heated rivals, but that doesn't mean that they can't act civilized now and again. Case in point, a later episode when the cast is trying to go to Europe, Foster invited Flo and the girls to a wild tea party (expecting everyone to have already left) and then [[spoiler: they all hitch a ride to Europe after stealing Mac's tickets.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'' is like this with quite a few of his RoguesGallery, most notably The Lobe and to a lesser extent, Cobra Queen.
* Bender and the Robot Devil in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. The Robot Devil has kidnapped and tortured Bender, tried to consign him to eternal damnation repeatedly, and even used him as a pawn against his best friend Fry. It might help that [[EvenEvilHasStandards Bender is still possibly the eviler of the two]].
* David Xanatos and the WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} had a pretty rocky, ally-again/enemy-again relationship until the former finally performed a final HeelFaceTurn after the latter helped save his baby from [[TheFairFolk a superpowerful fairy]]. [[ItMakesSenseInContext Because you just can't stay mad at anyone who helps save your baby from superpowerful fairies]]. Xanatos sees Goliath in particular as a WorthyOpponent; he asked Goliath to be the best man at his wedding!
* ''WesternAnimation/GodTheDevilAndBob'': The Devil and Bob, to the point that they're really only enemies as an extension of the Devil's FantasticRacism towards all humans. Andy even tells Bob that "the Devil's your friend" in one episode.
* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': One interpretation of Zim and Dib's relationship is this given the examples listed below:
** Especially in the unfinished episode they were both miserable without each other. This trope is at its most overt in the Pilot where Dib cheerfully compliments Zim's plan and Zim graciously thanks him for it, though shades of it sometime show up throughout the rest of the series (such as Zim prefacing the explanation of [[EvilPlan his brilliant, evil plan]] to Dib in "A Room With a Moose" by saying that [[WorthyOpponent Dib is the only one smart enough to really appreciate it]]).
** Another example could be the episode "Hamstergeddon", where a giant hamster (altered by Zim) is destroying the town. [[spoiler: Zim fights his mutated creature since it does not obey him, and Dib is pleasantly surprised. But Zim crashes his ship, and Dib is conflicted on whether to capture him or let him continue protecting the humans. Zim wakes up before Dib's decision, where Dib then thanks Zim for the good he's doing. Zim denies helping anyone but they have a temporary truce.]]
** A third example is the cancelled episode "Mopiness of Doom", in which Dib drops his rivalry with Zim out of frustration and goes on to pursue "real science" like his father. He eventually finds it to be incredibly dull, and Zim becomes listless with depression over the loss of his own personal arch-enemy. The last few minutes of the episode are almost like a happy reunion, in which Zim and Dib gleefully exchange death threats and laser blasts in a way that is almost affectionate.
** A comic drawn by creator Creator/JhonenVasquez for ''Magazine/NickelodeonMagazine'' made this very explicit. [[spoiler:The comic ends with Zim successfully taking over the earth. Dib's upset at what he's done to humanity lasts only as long as it takes for Zim to offer to take him into space to drink sodas and ride space bunnies.]]
--> '''Zim:''' ''NOW'' PREPARE HUMANS! PREPARE FOR YOUR ''DOOM!''
--> '''Dib:''' Not today, not ''ever,'' Zim!
--> '''Zim:''' Who dares?
--> '''Dib:''' Yes! It is I, DIB!!! Your sworn enemy!! The sole protector of Earth! Woo!!
--> ''(beat)''
--> '''Dib:''' ''(cheerful)'' So! Whatcha doin'?
* Stormer from ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'' is the TokenGoodTeammate of The Misfits. While she keeps up "a bitch act" to fit in with her band, she has been shown to be the only one to get along with Jem and her friends. She even becomes [[RomanticTwoGirlFriendship friends]] with Kimber in one episode (and ''dates her'' in the [[ComicBook/JemAndTheHolograms comic reboot]]), though they began the episode hating each other before DuetBonding.
* Lucius Heinous VII of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes''' relationship with Jimmy is similar to that of Plankton. However, this is entirely one-sided, as Lucius has nothing but contempt for Jimmy.
* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': Bling-Bling Boy frequently admits that the titular protagonist is both his ArchEnemy and his OnlyFriend. It helps that the ''only'' reason they are in conflict with each other is because Bling-Bling has a crush on Johnny's sister Susan (much to her ire) and commits his villainous actions to win her affection -- otherwise they'd probably be best friends.
* Franchise/TheFlash and The Trickster are like this in ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'', with the latter being more delusional than villainous.
-->'''Flash:''' James, you're off your meds again, aren't you?\\
'''Trickster:''' [[NoMedicationForMe Better off without 'em.]] Take 'em if I start feeling down.\\
'''Flash:''' You know that's not how the medicine works. You're not well!\\
'''Trickster:''' I'm ''fine''! ''(brightens up)'' You wanna throw some darts?\\
'''Flash:''' No... Listen, James, you're wearing the suit again.\\
'''Trickster:''' I am? ''(looks down at his costume)'' Well, what do you know...\\
'''Flash:''' Here's the deal, buddy: Tell me where those guys went and I promise to come see you in the hospital. We'll play darts, the soft kind.\\
'''Trickster:''' ''(smiles widely)'' Okay, they're gonna ambush you at the Flash Museum!\\
'''Flash:''' See? That's all we needed! ''(to Batman and Orion)'' Come on, we better get over there.\\
'''Orion:''' What about your enemy?\\
'''Flash:''' Oh, right. Dude, as soon as you finish your drink, turn yourself in!\\
'''Trickster:''' ''(raises mug)'' Got me again, Flash!
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'':
** Shego and Kim exchange pleasantries and fashion tips during their fights, albeit with a lot of {{sarcasm|Mode}} and [[DeadpanSnarker snark]]. She saves Kim from imminent death a couple of times (though she claims that's because she's TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou), and they [[EnemyMine team up]] to save the day from a bigger threat. When Shego was temporarily turned good by a MirrorMoralityMachine, she and Kim quickly became the best of friends, and Kim said that it was like having a big sister. That's how their relationship is normally, except they keep beating each other up and trying to put the other in jail or in a grave.
** True also for Kim and Dr. Drakken, her ArchEnemy and Shego's employer. He [[MerryChristmasInGotham threw a Christmas party for everyone]], once (albeit with the promise that everything will be "back to normal" after the holidays). He did an EnemyMine in the last episode, which led to Drakken getting an award from the UN for saving the world.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
** Several cartoons starred a pair called Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph the Wolf (the latter [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute looks curiously like]] Wile E. Coyote). They'd talk amicably, punch the clock, and share lunch together. However, when they were on the clock, it was Ralph's job to try and steal sheep and Sam's job to stop him at all costs. While it got comically brutal (this was ''Looney Tunes'', after all), the characters recognize that it was just business.
** WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird could also be this. In the "Holly-Daze" Christmas CD recorded by Creator/MelBlanc, Bugs is surprised to catch them going [[DoTheyKnowItsChristmasTime Christmas shopping together]], although they're plotting to buy each other presents that will sabotage their respective plans.
--->'''Bugs:''' Dat's friendship if I ever heard it!
** WesternAnimation/BugsBunny himself often acts as one to his foes due to his trademark easy-going persona. While perfectly willing to defend himself against their schemes, he has matter of fact and sometimes outright sympathetic exchanges to them, and gets on rather amicably with them until they draw the first blow. This is particularly evident with WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, who he hangs out with and frequently rescues, despite the latter's constant backstabbery and occasionally murderous envy.
** Played with during a Cartoon Network bumper made in a "touring the studio" style; one scene shows a door opening to WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner sitting on the couch and watching TV together, until they notice the camera...at which point they exchange [[OhCrap looks]] and [[KayFabe quickly begin chasing each other around the couch]].
* The Duke of Detroit is this to the Burners in ''WesternAnimation/{{Motorcity}}'', part of his HeelFaceRevolvingDoor.
* On ''Oh No! It's an Alien Invasion'' the Brainlings' leader Emperor Brainlius III gets along fairly well with the heroes, mainly because he's too stupid to remember they're supposed to be enemies.
* Skipper and Julien from ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar''. They spend most of their shared screentime arguing and generally being annoyed by the other, but Skipper will go out of his way to help Julien, and Julien has gone to Skipper to have his problems fixed. It was to the point that they were mistaken as 'BFF's by Skipper's ArchNemesis Dr. Blowhole... and the other penguins agreed with him.
-->'''Julien:''' So I face danger and the adventure of a lifetime and nobody will ever know about it?!\\
'''Skipper:''' Welcome to my world. That makes you an honorary penguin.\\
'''Julien:''' Does that mean I am your BFF?\\
'''Skipper:''' Eehh... we'll keep that code on the QT.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
** [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Dr. Doofenshmirtz]] and [[AnimalSuperhero Perry the Platypus]] take this unusually far; in one episode, Doofenshmirtz refers to Perry as his best friend (right before Perry punches him in the face). Perry has also [[SaveTheVillain saved Doofenshmirtz's life]] several times and helped him set up [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter his daughter's]] birthday party and when they are not busy fighting each other they don't mind hanging around or going shopping together. It's such a friendly arrangement that Doofenschmirtz has given Perry the keys to his lair, so he doesn't kick the door down on his way in. In "This Is Your Backstory", after a lifetime of being abused by his parents, shown up by his brother, rejected by women, and repeatedly blown up, the two things which prevent him from going completely insane are the heartwarming moments he's had with his daughter and the good times he and Perry have had together.
** [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Buford]] and [[BollywoodNerd Baljeet]]. Officially, they're [[DesignatedVillain a bully]] and [[DesignatedHero a nerd]], but like Doof and Perry, they're more likely to spend the day together than fighting. In "Lotsa Latkes", they even get ''a [[https://youtu.be/zivdhfUjVVA musical number]]'' about it!
---> ''Cause we're frenemies\\
We like disliking one-another\\
Cause we're frenemies\\
He's like my least favourite brother!''
* Many a ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'' cartoons started out with Popeye and Bluto being the best of chums -- until Olive Oyl appears and they start fighting over her. Even this isn't the case when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCcYyB3OSQc Minute Maid is involved.]]
* On ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'', this seemed to be the case with Jet and his friends, and Mitchell. Mitchell often spies on them, and is sometimes even antagonistic towards them, but in other episodes, they get along just fine. Deconstructed in the ChristmasEpisode.
* Lawson and the heroes in ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}''. TJ lampshades it at one point when he's insulted that [[SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond someone actually doesn't like him]], using Lawson as an example of "even my worst enemy likes me!"
* Lars from ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower'' could be considered the Rocket crew's ArchEnemy, but he has also helped the crew out on several occasions, like helping defend their sand castle from a rising tide and filling in for Otto on the street hockey team after the latter broke his leg. Twister even acknowledges Lars and his team as their greatest rival while recruiting him when he remarks, "I thought we really had a shot at this, especially since your team is already eliminated."
* WesternAnimation/DudleyDoRight and Snidely Whiplash on ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle''. In TheMovie, Snidely is talking with Dudley and calls him "my good friend and worthy foe".
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Bart and Mrs. Krabappel have this in a few episodes. In one notable example, Bart studies like mad to try to actually pass a history test, but he still fails by one point; he [[TearJerker breaks down completely]] and pours his heart out to Edna, who does her best to comfort him. When Bart mentions that he now understands how George Washington felt after a particular defeat, Edna is so impressed at his demonstration of applied knowledge that she gives him extra credit and bumps his grade up to a D-, allowing him to pass. In another instance, Bart tries to help Mrs. Krabappel win "Teacher of the Year" by presenting himself to the committee and pointing out that anyone who could survive being his teacher was clearly worthy of the honor. The committee, [[TheDreaded stunned that the infamous Bart was real]], ''immediately'' hands Edna the prize. The late Marcia Wallace (Mrs. K's voice actress) once went on record saying she felt Edna was incredibly fond of Bart, and that their mutual antagonism was a "game" that both were playing to amuse themselves (and one another).
** Bart and Principal Skinner have a relationship akin to Bart and Edna's, although it's less featured.
** Class bully Nelson Muntz and teacher's pet Martin Prince also gradually developed a dynamic similar to that between [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Buford and Baljeet]].
** [[ObnoxiousInLaws Marge's sisters]] Patty and Selma Bouvier are quite open about their hatred of Homer, openly insulting and humiliating him at every possible opportunity; Homer feels the same way about them and calls them the "gruesome twosome." However, his and Selma's relationship has actually become warmer over time: in one episode, Selma tries to take care of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie for a day, fails miserably, and expresses admiration for Homer's ability to parent; in return, he comforts her. In another instance, Homer was willing to pretend to be Selma's husband to help her adopt a child from China.
** [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mr. Burns]] is probably the closest thing the show has to a regular antagonist, as his greed and obsession with profits often kick off whatever zany plot the Simpsons get involved in that week. He usually displays a particular distaste for the lazy Homer, who in turn despises the old man to the point where he remarks that killing his boss is "the American Dream." But despite their animosity, they do occasionally show each other some affection. In "King Sized Homer," for example, Mr. Burns is so grateful to Homer for preventing a nuclear meltdown that he offers him any favor he wants, and Homer happily accepts by asking Burns to help him lose weight (he'd [[TemporaryBulkChange ballooned up to 300 pounds]] to qualify as disabled and thereby get to work from home). Burns agrees and, after a failed attempt at exercise, pays for liposuction.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
** [=SpongeBob=] is pretty friendly with Plankton when he's off the clock. In several episodes, [=SpongeBob=] is the one who helps Plankton get through whatever he's going through at the moment, such as repairing his marriage with Karen several times, preventing him from committing suicide and even helping him get revenge on Mr. Krabs for nearly making him do so in "One Coarse Meal" and trying to befriend him in F.U.N when [=SpongeBob=] thinks that Plankton is evil because he has no friends (though in the last case Plankton was just taking advantage of [=SpongeBob=]'s naiveté).
** Plankton and Krabs are a downplayed and zig-zagged case of this. Normally, they're arch-enemies and business rivals, but certain episodes such as "Frienemies" will show them palling around with each other. And "Welcome to the Chum Bucket" states that they've been playing cards together every Thursday for over fifteen years.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress frequently exchange pleasantries and compliments while battling each other, and holding back from killing each other when one has the advantage in spite of their mutual animosity. In later seasons [[spoiler:they became [[EnemyMine allies-of-sorts]] when they teamed up against Darth Maul and Savage Opress]]. Obi-Wan's relationship with the minor crime lord Hondo Ohnaka is also an example, with the two working together as often as enemies (and Hondo always insisting it's nothing personal when betraying him). When Hondo shows up again in the ''Rebels'' series he lists Obi-Wan as one of his best friends, although he admits he was never sure if it was mutual.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SushiPack'' have this kind of relationship with various members of [[EvilCounterpart The Legion of Low Tide]] from time to time.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': [[RiddleForTheAges Red X]] and Robin don't do anything ''but'' the frenemy routine.
** Red X appears in [[EnsembleDarkhorse only two episodes]][[note]] actually three, but just a cameo in "Homecoming" Part 2[[/note]], but both times, he and Robin end up on the same side. In "X", despite having battled each other for most of the episode, Red X tracks Robin down to the villain's lair, saves his life, and proceeds to help Robin save the city -- he even averts the IWasJustPassingThrough excuse.
--->'''Robin:''' I thought you didn't like to play the hero.\\
'''Red X:''' Doesn't mean I don't know how.
** In "Revved Up", it's Robin who saves Red X's life this time, and Red X [[Awesome/TeenTitans proceeds to destroy the vehicles]] of ''nine supervillains'' in a grand total of forty seconds in order to ensure that Robin wins the race (and thus wins back [[MacGuffin what was stolen from him]]).
* WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry have this dynamic DependingOnTheWriter. In "The Lonesome Mouse", Jerry gets Tom kicked out of the house, but finds that he misses being chased and schemes with the cat to get him back in. In "Springtime for Thomas", Jerry gets jealous when Tom spends all of his time with a girl cat, and introduces [[TheRival Butch]] to break the two up.
** Tom and Jerry will also come to the others' aid when one of their lives is in danger. One example is in "Just Ducky," in which Jerry not only saves Tom from drowning, but also nurses him back to health, wrapped him in a blanket, and and fed him soup when the cat caught a bad cold. They also wave good-bye to the duck happily at the end of the cartoon.
* Numerous relationships on ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' are like this, since friends/LoveInterests are often put on opposite teams. The usual "good/evil" version of this is also present in Heather's [[OddFriendship friendships]] with Harold, Leshawna, and Cody. (Though [[AbortedArc the writers seem]] to have forgotten about those first two.)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'':
** In the third season, Dr. Venture's new archenemy is Sergeant Hatred, who is much friendlier and sociable than one would expect from a guy with "HATRED" tattooed down the front of his body. In fact, it was his intention to be Dr. Venture's arch and then be as nice to him as possible to get back at The Monarch for stealing tech from him. However, he does seem to have some pedophilic tendencies. In the fourth season, he makes a full HeelFaceTurn, replacing Brock (who's got business to take care of) as the Venture bodyguard.
** Dr. Venture and Mrs. The Monarch. Girlfriend believes that Rusty is NotSoDifferent from The Monarch and is usually not hostile towards the Ventures compared to her husband. By season 4, they're quite amicable towards each other when they have time to talk.
** Henchman 21, especially (and surprisingly enough) after he becomes [[TookALevelInBadAss Two-Ton 21]] is this to Hank and Dean. Not only do they share several mutual interests, but 21 even seems to consider them friends and is willing to help them out and do favors for them off the clock. It still doesn't stop him from trying to kill them when ordered to, though, but it's quite clear it's [[NothingPersonal just par for the course for villains in this show]].
* ''WesternAnimation/WhereOnEarthIsCarmenSandiego'': Carmen Sandiego and the Acme Detectives were often friendly rivals helping each other at times within the scope of their roles. It helps that she only became a criminal to experience more of a challenge and she quickly relinquishes any of her loot when it is found. [[spoiler:One episode showed that she's a TricksterMentor training them to be her replacements in ACME.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'' is often humorously polite to the villains.
-->'''Chuck The Evil Sandwich Making Guy:''' I HATE [=WordGirl=]!!... No... hate is a strong word... I don't like [=WordGirl=] AT ALL!!!
** In a short, [=WordGirl=] enters Dr. Two-Brains' lair, and Two-Brains decides to take a quick break for a mixed-fruit beverage. He offers one to [=WordGirl=], who says no at first, but then decides to join him.
* In the 1990s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' animated series:
** This dynamic is played up with Professor X and Magneto. They spend the entire second season working together to escape from the Savage Land. In the finale, Magneto describes the Professor as "my greatest enemy... and perhaps my only friend."
** Also in the season finale, when Jean asks Magneto if he loves Charles, he's insulted that she even feels the need to ask. It's not even that she asked if he loved him, but ''[[HoYay/XMen how much.]]''
* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'', there seems to be a bit of this from time to time between Jack Spicer and the title heroes. One episode in particular, seems to showcase this a lot between Omi and Jack. Omi himself also seems to have this relationship a bit with Season 2 Villain, Chase Young. Despite being on opposite sides, Omi and Chase both do have a genuine respect for each other and both have lamented how unfortunate it is the other is on "the wrong side".
* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', Conner and Icicle Jr develop into this after bonding when Conner went undercover with M'Gann in Belle Reve in Season 1 as the Terror Twins - both had to deal with being overshadowed by/trying to live up to majorly influential fathers (Superman and Icicle Senior, respectively), and actually got on very well. When they run into each other again in Season 3, Junior's still holding a little bit of a grudge for being tricked, but has largely mellowed out, and the two of them seem pleased to see each other. In fact, Junior is downright ''delighted'' when Conner says that [[spoiler: he and M'Gann are engaged]], enthusiastically congratulating him. Oh, and [[CasualDangerDialogue they're carrying on this discussion in the middle of a fight]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics ]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* King Hezekiah of Judah and King Sennacherib of Assyria. Both were born in 740 BCE and were known as great builders. When Egypt revolted against Assyrian vassalship in 701 BCE, virtually every country in the Levant joined in, but despite seemingly having exhausted his army crushing a decades-long insurgency in Babylon, Sennacherib quickly subdued all of the rebel states...except for Judah. Hezekiah, who was prophesied ''from the time of his birth'' to restore Judah to greatness by Isaiah, had spent over a decade fortifying Jerusalem to withstand any siege. Due to being surrounded, Hezekiah was forced to surrender anyway, but [[LoopholeAbuse because the Assyrians had never ''technically'' captured the city]], Sennacherib not only allowed Hezekiah to stay on the throne, but [[ProphecyTwist elevated Judah to the status of "most-favored nation."]] A generation later, their respective sons Manasseh and Esarhaddon teamed up to recapture Egypt from the Nubians.
* Greek leader of the Macedonian empire, UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat, had a very long and very violent war with Persian king of the Achaemenid Empire, Darius III. After years of trying to kill each other, their rivalry came to an end when Darius was betrayed and fatally wounded by one of his men. During the final moments of Darius' life, Alexander, who had arrived where he had been left for dead, sat with his long-time foe, had his men bring Darius water, and after his death gave him a burial worth of an emperor and swore to avenge him, while Darius had long started wishing that if the Persian Empire was to fall then it should only fall to Alexander.
* Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Royal Crown, and Doctor Pepper, American soda pop companies, all get along rather swimmingly with each other despite all being competitors with each other. While you would never see Coke and Pepsi be sold on fountain alongside each other, Doctor Pepper is often sold alongside Coke, Pepsi, or RC at restaurants. At one point, in the days of rampant corporate espionage, there were some culprits who made off to Pepsi with Coca-Cola's "secret recipe," hoping to be given corporate positions, only for Pepsi to take the formula, turn them in, and then call Coca-Cola to give back the formula without copying it down or otherwise profiting from it (Of course, Pepsi never wanted to copy Coca-Cola anyway, all that would do is say they were better).
* During the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar, several battles were fought between parliamentary general Sir William Waller and royalist general Ralph Hopton. The two were close friends, and at one point, Hopton asked for a meeting, hoping to persuade Waller to change sides. Waller declined, but wrote in his letter, "...Certainly my affections to you are so unchangeable, that hostility itself cannot violate my friendship to your person, but I must be true to the cause wherein I serve... That great God, which is the searcher of my heart, knows with what a sad sense I go upon this service, and with what a perfect hatred I detest this war without an enemy, but I look upon it as an Opus Domini, which is enough to silence all passion in me... We are both upon the stage and must act those parts assigned to us in this tragedy. Let us do it in a way of honour, and without personal animosities, whatsoever the issue be. I shall never willingly relinquish the dear title of Your most affectionate friend..."
* It's said that, despite being truly bloodthirsty against each other's armies during the Crusades, UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionheart and Saladin often exchanged gifts and had great respect for one another insofar as their roles allowed. Saladin supposedly offered his physician when Richard fell ill, for instance. Amusingly, when Richard's army was dying of heat stroke on the march to Jerusalem, Saladin allegedly had snow sent to them. For a brief period they talked of joining their families through the marriage of their children, with Jerusalem as the dowry. For the most part, they had similar ideals of honor and understood that they were both fighting for their religions. They even had the same taste in music and were patrons of the arts and sciences. It's possible that each saw the other as a WorthyOpponent, and were hoping to eventually end the war so that they could get along and possibly convert the other to their own religion. In other words, a RealLife version of ''Literature/TheSongOfRoland'' when the poem speaks of the mightiest of the Moorish champions: "O! If only he were Christian."
* UsefulNotes/TakedaShingen and UsefulNotes/UesugiKenshin were two rival samurai in the Warring States period of Japanese history. Shingen's territory didn't have any salt, and he usually bought it from the Hojo clan. When they cut him off, Uesugi Kenshin secretly sent salt to Takeda Shingen. Later, Takeda Shingen was killed facing Oda Nobunaga's allies, and a very angry Uesugi Kenshin fought a (winning) battle against UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga as a result. While stories suggest that the two were firm friends when not on the battlefield, some historical records suggest that Kenshin hated Shingen and that providing Shingen with salt was more a matter of honour -- Kenshin believed that warriors should fight with swords, not salt.
* Creator/SethMacFarlane has a number of these:
** Creator/MattGroening. While it is implied on [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons both of]] [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy their shows]] that they hate each other, they are pretty good friends.
** Creator/SethMacFarlane and Radio/RushLimbaugh are good friends despite being polar opposites on the political spectrum. They see their own highly-politically-charged works as chiefly a matter of entertainment. Rush has even guest voiced on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' more than once, occasionally [[AdamWesting parodying himself]].
** Creator/MikeJudge too; Judge appeared as [[WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill Hank Hill]] in an episode of ''Family Guy''. This one's surprising as many ''King of the Hill'' fans (unfairly) blame [=MacFarlane=] for the show's cancellation, due to the advent of ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''.
* The so-called ''Christmas Truce'' of 1914 between the British, French, and German soldiers of the Western Front during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Some men even left the trenches and started playing ''football'' (soccer) with each other in No Man's land (dead zone between the opposing trench-networks) and generally having a non-fighty time. That's right, in the middle of a war they played sport in a dead zone. Understandably, the higher ups on both sides thought that humanizing the people they would have to kill later could be troublesome and escalated patrols and trench-raids to increase the chances of the men losing someone to/killing one of the enemy. More about it at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Truce the Other Wiki]].
* Reportedly, there were many such instances between Union and Confederate soldiers during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar-brother against brother and all that. It was quite common for career officers on both sides to have lifelong friends on the other side, and soldiers of every rank often feared facing friends and family in combat. It was a lucrative activity, too: the Confederates had all the good tobacco, and the Union had all the good coffee. Informal trading went on whenever possible.
** Lieutenant General James Peter Longstreet, Robert E. Lee's right-hand man, was a close friend of Ulysses S. Grant before and after the conflict.
** Confederate Major General George Pickett had been admitted to West Point via the endorsement of the-Senator Abraham Lincoln, over many objections. Pickett never forgot his personal debt to Lincoln, and even at the height of the war would not tolerate even the slightest insult to Lincoln in his presence.
** Perhaps one of the greatest tear-jerkers of the war is the story of Generals Lewis Armistead and Winfield Scott Hancock. When then-Captain Armistead's wife and daughter died of disease, he was left broken and suicidal, and was taken in by his best friend, then-Captain Hancock, and Hancock's wife Almyra. As the war loomed ten years later, both friends attended a final party at Fort Tejon, California before travelling east to join their respective sides, and a tearful Armistead, bound for the Army of Northern Virginia, vowed to Hancock, who would remain in the US Army, "If I ever raise my hand against you, may God strike me dead!" Three years later, they faced eachother during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. Union troops found Armistead mortally wounded at the Union line, but his only concern was for Hancock's safety. When told that Hancock was also badly wounded, Armistead burst into tears, crying, "Oh God, not both of us!" and spent his final hours worrying aloud over what it would do to Almyra Hancock to lose her husband. Hancock didn't find out about Armistead's condition until it was too late to see him. He survived his injuries, and wept uncontrollably at Armistead's funeral.
** A more impromptu case: Nathan Bedford Forrest once rode up to the Union lines, having mistaken them for the Confederates. The Union soldiers, rather than taking a shot at him, told him where he was and suggested that he return to his camp. Forrest saluted them and rode off.
* The treatment of the tens of thousands of Anglo-American prisoners of war the Germans captured contrasted sharply with their treatment of other countries', though this might have had something to do with just ''how few'' Anglo-American prisoners there were - combined with the humanitarian sensibilities of their home countries, this made them ''far'' more useful as well-treated bargaining chips (in the various [=PoW=]-for-food &c negotiations) than for slave labour. 3.5 of the 4.5 million Soviet soldiers the Germans captured were of course starved to death in open-air camps (1941-2) or worked to death as slave labour (1942-45), and the 2 million French and Italian [=PoW=] were also put to work as slaves. But in any case, German treatment of Anglo-American prisoners was so reasonable that some of the guards ''became friends with'' the prisoners, and some of the friendships made between enemies persisted after the war ended! Ironically, one of the most criticized aspects of the sitcom ''Series/HogansHeroes'' is the depiction of a friendly relationship between English-speaking [=PoW=] and their German captors, even though it's fairly close to TruthInTelevision. The unheard-of cordiality of the Germans' behavior regarding this (racial) category of prisoner is documented in the books and movies ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' and ''The Wooden Horse''.
** The reverse was also true in many cases. German [=POWs=] were treated very well in the racist United States, and it wasn't uncommon for German [=POWs=] to eat in segregated restaurants while Black American soldiers were forced to stay outside, and in danger of being lynched if they lingered too long.
* During the Bangladeshi War of Independence, the Pakistani commander (occupying Bangladesh) and the Indian commander (invading in support of the independence movement) were personal friends who had studied together at Sandhurst military college.
* Most of the American Founding Fathers fell into this kind of dynamic.
** UsefulNotes/JohnAdams and UsefulNotes/ThomasJefferson could write this trope. During [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution the Revolution]], they supported each other in the Continental Congress, and later, as ambassadors to the French, Spanish, Austrian, etc courts; Abigail Adams treated Jefferson's daughters as her own. Later, they were political rivals on the opposite sides of many issues, especially federalism versus states' rights. The early elections rules caused Jefferson to be Adams's vice president because he came in second. The following election, Jefferson's revolution of 1800, was the source of what seemed to be the final bitter dispute between them. Despite a quarter century of political bickering, they were convinced to reconcile and wrote letters to each other after they retired from public life, including Adams' vow "While I live, I will be your friend." John Adams' last words, when he died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, were: "Thomas Jefferson still survives." Ironically, Thomas Jefferson had died earlier that day.
** During a battle in [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution the Revolutionary War]], a British general's pet dog wandered into the Americans' camp. [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington Washington]] had his aide return the dog to the British camp with a friendly note, and his owner expressed his admiration for Washington's gentlemanly conduct.
** [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution The American Revolutionary War]] is the incarnation of this trope. Compare the English actions in Scotland after the 1745 rebellion, or Ireland after the 1798 rebellion (and the 1800 rebellion, and the 1803... you know what there's already [[UsefulNotes/TheIrishQuestion a page]].) The rebellious colonies were treated remarkably well, both by most of the occupying British commanders (many of whom seemed rather unenthusiastic about the whole thing) and back in Britain. The rebellion had a great deal of open support in the UK, including in Parliament. Imagine Pitt the Elder and Edmund Burke speaking admirably in Parliament about an Irish uprising- but both men were strongly sympathetic to the colonies. Pitt only changed his position somewhat at the very end of his life, when the United States had allied with France, who he had spent his entire career opposing. Washington, especially, had a reputation in the UK second only to his reputation in the US- he was considered a man of [[http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/07/03/how-did-the-british-press-cover-the-american-revolution/ incredible moral character]], and even today is still considered [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9204961/George-Washington-named-Britains-greatest-ever-foe.html Britain's greatest military foe]]. Notably, George III was so impressed that Washington quietly set down his incredible power and went back to Mount Vernon, the King said Washington was ""the greatest character of the age". The British and the Americans saw each other as brothers set at odds through mismanagement and distance. Even the stresses of the War of 1812 never seriously dented the essential regard between the two nations.
* Creator/{{Disney}} and Creator/WarnerBros Their relationship is said to be the most cordial of all the major Hollywood studios.
** The comic book publishers that these companies acquired (Franchise/{{Marvel|Universe}} and [[Franchise/TheDCU DC]]) have regularly slipped into this trope. Their bosses used to play golf together. Also, Bob Kane (co-creator of Franchise/{{Batman}}) and Creator/StanLee (creator of most of the more well-known Marvel superheroes) were friends.
** Creator/GregWeisman noted in one of his "Ask Greg" posts that when he was on staff at [=DC=], there was a gentleman's agreement in place that saw Marvel and DC supplying complimentary copies of all their books to each other's employees.
** Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/{{Paramount}}, who even [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_International_Pictures distribute their movies]] [[http://deadline.com/2015/02/universal-paramount-international-distribution-dvd-disc-1201372105/ together]].
* Many American politicians have friendly relationships despite differing views.
** Senators Orrin Hatch and Ted Kennedy were supposedly very good friends, despite their wildly differing political ideologies.
** John [=McCain=] and Morris Udall were a similar case. [=McCain=] also has a long-standing friendship with John Kerry. Rumor has it that Kerry asked [=McCain=] to serve as his running mate in 2004.
** This is fairly common in the federal judiciary. Judges have to try to be above politics as part of their job, and the fact that federal judges tend to be intellectual types gives them something to talk about besides the law-and gives them a healthy respect for differing opinions when they do. A few noted conservative/libertarian judges of the Circuit Courts of Appeals have a reputation for getting along well with their liberal colleagues (particularly [[SophisticatedAsHell Judge Kozinski]] of the [[UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco Ninth Circuit]] and to a lesser extent Judge Posner of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} Seventh Circuit]]).
** UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan and Tip O'Neill went fishing. They were enemies only from nine to five and made it an in-joke between the two of them.
** Barry Goldwater was well-known for befriending his political rivals, including UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, UsefulNotes/HubertHumphrey and Nelson Rockefeller. Goldwater and Rockefeller fell out during their heated 1964 Republican primary battle but later patched things up. On the other hand, he hated both UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson and UsefulNotes/RichardNixon.
** Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Ted Stevens (R-AK), until the latter's death in a plane crash. It helped that they had served for over ''forty years'' together-as both Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union in 1959, they were only the ''second'' Senators to hold their seats-and were among the last UsefulNotes/WorldWarII veterans in the Senate.[[note]]Stevens had served in the Army Air Forces in the India/Burma theater, while Inouye served in the 92nd Infantry Division in Europe (as part of a unit of ''Nisei''; Japanese Americans were not permitted to serve in the Pacific).[[/note]]
** UsefulNotes/BarackObama and Tom Coburn (a very conservative Republican Senator from Oklahoma); they bonded over ''fiscal policy'' of all things. Nerds everywhere.
** The 2018 Governor race in Connecticut showed this trope being in play between the Democrat Ned Lamont (fairly to the left) and the independent candidate Oz Griebel (nominally a fiscally conservative, socially liberal Republican or 'Country Club Republican'). The two exchange friendly quips and comments during debates respectfully towards each other even as they competed for votes. This was not the case with Republican candidate Bob Stefanowski, who basically ignored Oz's existence and constantly attacked Lamont's willingness to raise taxes as needed.
** John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were good friends outside of politics, despite the acrimonious 1960 presidential campaign.
* Long after the infamous Hatfield-[=McCoy=] conflict ended, the two families have-and often still do-consider each other this way, sometimes making light of the whole situation at times. In fact, in 1979, representatives of the two families competed against each other on a week-long celebrity tournament of the game show ''Series/FamilyFeud''. Final score: the [=McCoys=] won three games to the Hatfields' two, but the Hatfields won a greater sum of winnings, $11,272 to the [=McCoys=]' $8,459. The decision was made to augment the [=McCoy=] family's winnings to $11,273.
* As difficult as it may be to believe this, [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.]] While there have been no shortage of memorable incidents, including fights, pegged batters, and a rivalry that has lasted for a hundred-plus years, the two organizations have an unwavering respect for each other.
** When Derek Jeter recorded his final at-bat, a base hit at Fenway Park, the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation, and several Red Sox players were the first to shake his hand as he left the field.
** Mariano Rivera's last games in Fenway were poignant, with a highlight of all of his saves against the Red Sox being shown by the Sox organization.
** In the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, the Yankees organization played "Sweet Caroline" (traditionally a song associated with the Red Sox) during a break between innings as a show of solidarity, and even played "Dirty Water" (The Sox' traditional victory song) after the Red Sox won their first game in New York since the bombing against them.
* England and France have historically had this relationship. That is to say, while the 20th century was the first century since the 10th to not feature an Anglo-French war, and sporting encounters between the two are traditionally hard-fought and pretty vicious (the England-France rugby fixture is referred to as 'Le Crunch'), the two nations are almost inextricably intertwined: English and French are respectively the most commonly taught foreign languages in each respective country, citizens of both countries visit the other in their millions and often even commute between the two. The English adore French food and wine, while the French love English culture and humour, and despite throwing stereotypical insults at each other on a fairly regular basis, the two have been loyal allies for over a century - with the 2015 Paris gun attacks causing the UK Parliament to dramatically reverse its previous decision to not commit to airstrikes in Syria, with RAF Tornadoes taking off from RAF Akrotiri within an hour of the vote.
* James Carville helped run UsefulNotes/BillClinton's 1992 Presidential campaign. Mary Matalin helped run UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush's 1992 re-election campaign. They had previously duelled in lower-level campaigns, and called each other {{archenem|y}}ies. They have been HappilyMarried since 1993 and have two daughters.
* UsefulNotes/BillClinton has been friends with the whole Bush family for a long time, and has started to regard the elder Bush as something of a father figure (seeing as Clinton's own father died when he was a child, it makes more sense than it sounds.) When Clinton's daughter Chelsea was pregnant with her first child, George W. Bush (who was already a grandfather) had an event and let Clinton know what to expect about being a grandfather: [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments To fall in love all over again]], and [[ButtMonkey be last on the totem pole for literally everything.]]
* A TransAtlanticEquivalent to the previous example: Denis Healey and Geoffrey Howe. Though being literally on opposite sides of the aisle for over a decade, they are really good friends and get on really well. This is especially poignant when you consider that British politics involves the two parties shouting ad hominem at each other and Healey stating that hearing Howe give a report was like "being savaged by a dead sheep", yet they have been and still remain to this day good friends.
* On the one occasion that UsefulNotes/OliverCromwell and UsefulNotes/CharlesI met after the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar, during which Cromwell essentially threw Charles off the throne, they reportedly got on well. One (probably apocryphal) story has Cromwell visit the grave of Charles in secret after the king was beheaded for treason and mutter [[IDidWhatIHadToDo "Cruel necessity"]] to himself.
* Music/{{Prince}} and Music/MichaelJackson, though it's reported that they never really got along (mostly due to sales rivalry and philosophical differences over music rather than any real nastiness), they respected each other's work and made it a point to never say anything negative about each other in public. Fun fact: Michael's hit single "Bad" was originally envisioned as a duet with Prince and the only reason Prince declined was because he felt that the song was good enough without him.
* Creator/PabloPicasso and Henri Matisse would send each other paintings as challenges. While each expressed disdain for the other's style, when Matisse died, Picasso was devastated.
* In 1484, at the field of ''Badh na Fola'', John of the Isles was supported by, among others, the Macleans and the Macleods, and met Angus Og to [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority decide]] the title of Lord of the Isles according to the GoodOldWays of [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Bonnie Scotland]]. Angus prevailed and sent around a man to [[OffWithHisHead eliminate]] the more prestigious of the prisoners, including a Maclean titled the Chief of Ardgour. However, one of Angus' followers, Macdonald of Moidart, an old rival of the Chief's, intervened, saying, "If Maclean were gone, who should I have to bicker with?"
* This trope even exists in nature. Baboons and Chimpanzees often compete for food, yet they have been known to play together.
* In the realm of Catholic Theology, Hans Kung and Joseph Ratzinger (later [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Benedict XVI]]) have conflicting views on the Church and the future. Despite this they're personally friendly with each other's company. It helped that they were also friends in the seminary back in the day.
* According to Harry Blackstone, Jr., his father and Harry Houdini were both "Friendly Enemies". Both respected each other's talents, though both mocked each other at times.
* This is how many diplomatic analysts describe the relationship between the United States and Mainland China. Not only are both strong economic trading partners and strongly economically dependent on each other, but both are willing to work together to stop worldwide terrorism, nuclear proliferation and maintaining world peace. On the other hand, both China and the United States are suspicious towards each other politically and militarily. Certain political issues like China's treatment of dissenters, stated intent to annex Taiwan, and separatist/terrorist problems in Tibet and Xinjiang are usually the hotbed topics between the two countries. The relationship is further complicated by the small ''cyber''-warfare they are engaged in. Thus, any fiction that depicts a hypothetical military war between China and the United States usually falls under ArtisticLicenseEconomics. No two leading countries have been quite so economically intertwined as the US and China. Washington & Beijing, New York & Shanghai all have the others by the [[GroinAttack short ones]]; nobody's fighting anybody anytime soon. In fact it would be mostly in each country's interest to ''help'' the other one in the event a truly serious situation came up, bar one which the folks back home couldn't stomach (e.g. Chinese-Taiwanese War with both sides petitioning the US for military intervention).
* As far as it's applicable to nations, the [[UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} Republic of China]] and [[UsefulNotes/{{China}} People's Republic of China]] are an unusual case of this, as both formally claim legitimacy as the sovereign government of China--Taipei by virtue of being the current seat of first republican government after the collapse of the Chinese monarchy, and Beijing by virtue of being the seat of the government that actually exercises sovereign power over almost all of what anyone might consider Chinese territory. As such, not only do they officially contest each other's territory, they maintain parallel (and often agreeing) claims to areas disputed between Japan, South Korea, and China. Since the 2010s, though, China has surpassed both the United States (3rd) and Japan (2nd) as Taiwan's foremost trade partner, as well as the origin of the greatest number of tourists visiting Taiwan. Likewise, Taiwan owns some of China's most commercially successful businesses, including the most famous manufacturer of Apple products, Foxconn.
** The People's Republic of China and the United States of America also probably count. Soldiers from the two nations have actually fought each other unlike the United States other major rival, Russia. For decades they were on opposite sides of the cold, and unlike Russia, China is still under control of the same regime. To this day, the two countries spend quite a lot of time and money competing with each other militarily. They are also ''the'' two strongest trade partners in the world.
* World War II pilots Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler fought on opposite sides of the war, but when Brown’s plane was damaged and Stigler had the chance to shoot him down, he did not. Instead, he first tried to have Brown fly to Sweden and peacefully surrender so his crew could receive medical treatment, but Brown and his crew couldn’t understand what Stigler was trying to say, so instead Stigler placed himself between Brown’s plane and German AA defenses. Stigler stayed with the plane until they reached open water, where they separated after Stigler saluted Brown. The two met again forty years later and remained good friends until they both died in 2008.
* [[Series/RealTimeWithBillMaher Bill Maher]] and Ann Coulter are good friends, frequently hanging out with each other. Coulter was also friends with John F. Kennedy, Jr. and has always expressed gratitude for Kennedy's offering her a column in ''George'' Magazine during her early days as a writer.
* While there is a strong competitive and economic rivalry between UsefulNotes/{{Apple|Macintosh}} and Microsoft, their respective [=CEOs=] and founders, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, were good friends. This relationship is more noticeable in the biographical film ''Pirates of Silicon Valley''. This makes Steve Jobs' death a TearJerker on many levels. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uURtg3URUO8 You can guarantee that the iconic head of Microsoft cried at the news of the death of the iconic head of Apple.]]
** Whenever Mozilla releases a new major version of Firefox, the Microsoft Internet Explorer team sends them [[http://www.openbuddha.com/2011/03/22/another-version-of-firefox-another-cake/ a cake]]. After Mozilla began updating Firefox in increments every six weeks instead of releasing new versions once or twice a year, the Internet Explorer team switched to cupcakes every few months.
* Music/CaptainBeefheart and Music/FrankZappa had been friends since high school. Although the two often and publicly clashed with the other, they collaborated frequently and Beefheart was one of the first artists Zappa signed when he got his own label. Zappa helped Beefheart get known among his own fanbase and produced ''Music/TroutMaskReplica'' by giving his friend total creative freedom. When "Trout Mask Replica" didn't sell as expected Beefheart blamed Zappa and the two had a fall-out until 1975, when Beefheart's career was in such dire straits that Zappa took him on tour, which lead to their collaborative album ''Music/BongoFury'' in 1975. Yet again their animosity took over and it would take until the early 1990s after Zappa was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer for their friendship to come back.
* G. K. Chesterton and Creator/GeorgeBernardShaw. Chesterton was a staunch Catholic and one of the great Christian apologists of the 20th century. Shaw was an atheist and a leader of the socialist movement. Despite their total disagreement about philosophy and politics, they were great friends and had enormous respect for each other.
** Creator/CSLewis as a schoolboy once met a clique of boys from a more bookish school that talked about "GKC" and "GBS" as if they were fans of rival boxers.
* Creator/WernerHerzog and Creator/KlausKinski, as lampshaded in ''Mein liebster Feind'' ("My best enemy", translated as ''My Best Fiend'').
* Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Avigdor Liebermann, who has a very right-wing view of security and nationality (the most dominant aspects of Israeli political discourse up until the protests started on July 14th), was reported to be close friends with Yosi Sarid, former Minister of Education and a die-hard leftist. Despite this, Liebermann declared, back when both were in parliament, that his party would not be in the same coalition as Sarid's.
* Creator/StephenHawking and Leonard Susskind have long been good friends, despite opposing each other diametrically over the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole_information_paradox black hole information paradox]] and having a friendly scientific "war" with each other until they can find a way to prove one of them wrong. They're both on the same side: the side of science. They want for people to ''know what the heck's really going on''.
* Lawyers are like basketball players. Despite being on opposite sides in court, they often get along quite well with each other. It is not uncommon to see lawyers joking with each other and sharing hearty laughs while walking to the courtroom and both lawyers and the judge cracking the occasional joke ''during a trial''. If you think about it, it makes sense: you work for your client for a few months or years. You'll be seeing your opposing counsel ''for the rest of your career'' unless you work in a crowded market where you can afford to burn bridges. Staying on good terms is just common sense, and both sides know that their "enmity" is just professional duty to their clients anyway.
* Pornographer Larry Flynt and Reverend Jerry Falwell once argued all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and later became friends. They remained so up to Falwell's death, though they never came close to an agreement on what they were selling. They capitalized on their friendship through a series of debates.
* Stephen Harper, leader of the Canadian Conservative Party, mentioned missing his recently-departed friend Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party. He said during an exceedingly tedious session he walked across the parliament floor and sat next to him, talking about music (both being musicians) and family for a few minutes.
* During the battle for Gallipoli in 1915, there were times when the opposing armies' trenches were only a few yards apart. There are records of Turks and [=ANZACs=] (troops from Australia and New Zealand) tossing food and cigarettes to one another during lulls in the fighting, and of a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Allied soldier back to the Allied lines...mid-battle. After the war, Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern-day Turkey, stated that the mothers of the ANZAC soldiers that died should know that their sons "now rest in the soil of a friendly country." Gallipoli ended in failure for the Allies and both sides suffered terrible casualties, but the Turkish military still held great respect for the bravery of the ANZACs. Even in modern times, millions of Turks, New Zealanders, and Australians still travel to Gallipoli on ANZAC day to show their respect for each others' ancestors.
* ESPN sports commenters [[Series/FirstTake Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith]]; while they have their firm opinions and always disagree in the show, it's clear that they both respect each other.
* On screen, Creator/JonStewart and [[Series/TheOReillyFactor Bill O'Reilly]] couldn't be more different, and take pot-shots at each other's shows every once and a while. However, the two are on friendly terms off-screen and even did a debate where the proceeds went to charitable causes. Stewart used to have a similar friendship with John [=McCain=], but [=McCain=] hasn't been on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' since the 2008 election. Nobody has said whether it's because of some sort of falling out or just because of the logistics that happen sometimes with a busy entertainer and a busy senator, though [=McCain=] did show up to send Stewart off in his final ''Daily Show'' episode.
* Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/KirkDouglas, despite both being known as tough guy actors, were political opposites (Wayne an arch-conservative, Douglas an active liberal) and headstrong personalities who sparred while working together. Wayne also tried to boycott Douglas's film ''Film/{{Spartacus}}'' as "Marxist propaganda" in protest of blacklistee Dalton Trumbo writing the screenplay. Nonetheless, the two men made three films together and held each other in high regard. Wayne said Douglas was one of only three actors he had genuine onscreen chemistry with (the others being Creator/RobertMitchum and Creator/DeanMartin), while Douglas praised Wayne for keeping promises made to his fellow actors. Douglas was particularly grateful to Wayne for helping him land ''Cast a Giant Shadow''.
* Ted Olson and David Boies, on opposite ends of the spectrum with Bush vs. Gore, became great friends and later worked together on Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
* English theater critics considered Creator/JohnOsborne's subversive plays (e.g. ''Look Back in Anger'', ''The Entertainer'') a rebuke to the respectable work of traditional playwrights like Terence Rattigan and Creator/NoelCoward, framing their approaches as antithetical and Osborne as somehow attacking the latter writers. Yet Osborne evinced the greatest respect for Rattigan and Coward and (more surprisingly, given his prickly personality) was on friendly terms with both.
* Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCourts US Supreme Court Justices]] who are about as far apart ideologically as possible without either of them committing high treason, were friends for 40 years and liked to go to the opera together. They also went on ''vacations'' with each other, leading to adorable images of the two of them parasailing and riding an elephant ([[http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/14/17/3133DE4B00000578-0-image-a-4_1455471161211.jpg here's a picture]] for those curious). They also listened to each other's legal arguments, and gave constructive criticism on them. Their careers - and close friendship - was even the subject of an ''opera'', believe it or not. Notably, after Scalia died in February 2016, Ginsburg released a statement calling them "best buddies" and expressed genuine affection for him. Scalia offered similar comments throughout his life--when Ginsburg's husband died, he openly wept, and during an interview, he remarked: "I attack ideas. I don't attack people."
* UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan and Soviet leader UsefulNotes/MikhailGorbachev actually considered each other genuine friends despite the fact they were political and ideological rivals at the height of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. Reagan in particular was famously aggressive about eliminating communism from the world, but both he and Gorbachev did get along with one another on a personal level. Reagan even admitted in 1987 that the time he referred to the USSR as an "evil empire" was now something of the past. Gorbachev was still grief stricken when Reagan died and even said "Goodbye, my friend" at the funeral. The Reagan Presidential Museum includes a statue of the two seated together talking.
* Former Australian Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Gough Whitlam. The two were antagonists in the notorious 1975 constitutional crisis, where legislative gridlock and government scandals led to Whitlam's sacking by Governor-General Sir John Kerr. Yet over the years, Fraser and Whitlam patched things up and have even campaigned together on issues like immigration reform and republicanism.
* UsefulNotes/{{Roman|Empire}} general Stilicho and Visigoth chieftain Alaric. Both served together in the army of Emperor Theodosius during the Battle of the Frigidus. Afterwards, due to a rumor that the great losses endured by the Goths in the battle were intentional as well as unsatisfactory post-battle rewards, the Goths and Alaric rebelled. For the next twelve years Alaric and his troops would repeatedly invade Italy only to be met and pushed back by Stilicho. The two gained a respect for one another that turned into a friendship which eventually led to Stilicho's death as it was used to slander his character before being accused of threatening to overthrow the Emperor and install his son. The ensuing slaughter of barbarians after Stilicho's death caused them to flock to Alaric who would sieze and then sack Rome in 410.
* Within the arcade RhythmGame industry, Creator/{{Konami}} (''VideoGame/{{BEMANI}}''), Creator/{{SEGA}} (''VideoGame/{{maimai}}'', ''Chunithm'', ''VideoGame/HatsuneMikuProjectDIVA Arcade''), [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco]] (''VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin'', ''Synchronica''), and Creator/{{Taito}} (''VideoGame/GrooveCoaster'') all seem to cross-promote their works in each other's as much as they compete with each other. They have done major cross-company song crossover events on two occasions, spread their [=IPs=]' songs into other company's games, and share a lot of common song composers with composers like Tatsh, Masayoshi Minoshima, and [=REDALiCE=] composing songs for multiple companies' games. Additionally, Namco's and SEGA's card networks share the same infrastructure, i.e. you can use a Namco [=BanaPassport=] on a SEGA game, a SEGA Aime card on a Namco game, both on some third-party games, and so on.
* German politics is ripe with this, though until quite recently many of the private goings on of politicians ''stayed'' private, the media having a "gentleman's agreement" to not report on extramarital affairs or the likes. Some well known friendships or at least mutual respect across political chasms are Willy Brandt's (SPD, from North Germany) eulogy for Franz Josef Strauß (CSU, from Bavaria) or the fabled "Pizza connection" between young backbenchers of the CDU and the Greens at a time when the two parties would publicly call each other Stalinist and Fascist respectively. Overall the discourse of political debate may get harsh at times, but never to a point to make reconciliation impossible - almost any conceivable coalition has happened already and the "sworn enemy" of yesteryear may end up the coalition partner after the next election and vice versa. Konrad Adenauer also had a communist friend from his days in a Nazi concentration camp and later credited him with saving his life. Adenauer also got along splendidly with Ben Gurion when any sort of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany were mutually unthinkable on both sides.
* Hugo and Jake of ''WebVideo/TheBibleReloaded'' have a complicated relationship with Ray Comfort. Initially, his company used the DMCA against one of their videos, which was critical of his work. Later, Comfort sent them an apology gift basket, claiming he had nothing to do with the illegitimate DMCA. Later still, he sent out a passive-aggressive tweet, challenging them to review his latest movie. This led to two to suspect he was attempting to invoke NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity.
* Creator/AmazonStudios and Creator/{{Netflix}}: While both Amazon and Netflix have competing streaming services, and both are becoming heavy-hitters in distributing original content and bidding for films, Netflix recently [[http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/02/netflix-finishes-its-massive-migration-to-the-amazon-cloud/ moved]] all data center operations for the streaming service (except for content delivery, which is housed in Netflix-maintained boxes throughout the Internet backbone providers) onto ''Amazon's'' cloud services. Only the DVD rental business still uses a physical data center. And to top it off, Amazon Studios actually went worldwide 11 months later, which many see as a bid to play catch-up with Netflix.
* Creator/JimmyKimmel and Creator/MattDamon take this to hilarious extremes, as shown during the 2017 Academy Awards, when Kimmel spent large portions of the show trolling Damon extensively.
* A case from the UsefulNotes/MacedonianSuccessionWars : Antigonus the One-Eyed, a Macedonian and Alexander's satrap in Phyrgia, and Eumenes, a Greek and Alexander's secretary. Once, when Eumenes approached Antigonus to parley, Antigonus' troops showed up to watch, causing him to fear for Eumenes' safety and leading him to throw stones at his troops to drive them off and ultimately embrace Eumenes to protect him. When Eumenes was betrayed to Antigonus after the Battle of Gabiene, Antigonus reluctantly conceded to his subordinates' demand to execute him, but gave him a proper funeral and returned his ashes to his family in a silver urn, while ordering the troops who had betrayed Eumenes to be [[ReassignedToAntarctica exiled to Arachosia]] and their commander to be [[RewardedAsATraitorDeserves burned alive]].
* Relations between Turkey and Iran are often like this. The two are regional powers and neighbors in a region where such status tends to bring about conflict. Iranians are suspicious of Turkey's closeness to the United States. Meanwhile, secular Turks disdain Iran due to a perpetual fear of becoming TheTheocracy while religious Turks disdain Iran because of confessional differences (Turks are mostly Sunnis while Iranians are Shias). The two are also on the opposing ends of the Syrian Civil War. And yet, the two have fairly strong business relations, linguistic and cultural ties and a tendency for EnemyMine when it is expedient. This leaves Turkey vocally defending Iran against sanctions [[HypocriticalHeartwarming even as Turkish politicians criticize Iran at every opportunity]].
* ISIS and al-Qaeda are both fundamentalist Islamist terrorists that subscribe to the same ideology, share a loathing for modernity, the West, and the same ultimate goal: (i.e. establishing a [[TheTheocracy caliphate]]). al-Qaeda has publicly disavowed any involvement with ISIS not only for being too violent, but also for political reasons (ISIS demands that all Muslims without exception pledge allegiance to them, while al-Qaeda views them as upstarts). There is also their methods, since al-Qaeda plans to exhaust their enemies first in a attrition war before declaring a caliphate, while ISIS has show to be relatively more effective in taking and holding territory, and basically achieving the same thing al-Qaeda planned only ''faster''. While the group as a whole opposes ISIS, the local al-Nusra affiliates have been known to work side by side with ISIS when it comes to fighting against the [[TheAlliance Syrian and Iraqi government forces]], the [[ChurchMilitant self-defense Christian militas]] and their [[TheWarOnTerror coalition allies]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder:Theater]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series, [[spoiler:King I and Armor King had a relationship like this, and so did King II and Craig Marduk]].
* Big Boss and Ocelot in the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series. Big Boss, at the beginning, decides not to kill Ocelot because of his youth, and slowly starts pseudo-mentoring him with each subsequent fight, while Ocelot comes to hero worship Big Boss by [=MGS3=]'s conclusion. This culminates when Ocelot joins Big Boss as a member of Foxhound [[spoiler: and having an invitation for Big Boss to join the Patriots be his condition for joining himself]].
** Gray Fox and Snake in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' fit this, being that they're often adversaries for ideological reasons, but still regard each other as comrades. To quote Snake himself:
-->'''Naomi''': ''But-- didn't you try to kill each other?''\\
'''Snake''': ''That's true. We did. In Zanzibar. But it was nothing personal. We were just professionals on opposite sides, that's all.''\\
'''Naomi''': ''And you still call yourselves friends?''\\
'''Snake''': ''Hard to believe? War is no reason to end a friendship.''
* [[spoiler: Senator Armstrong]] in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''. It's a universal fact that the guy is bat-shit insane, but be damned if he doesn't play like the [[spoiler: politician that he is]]. While he has no qualms about killing Raiden, he'd ''much'' rather have him on his side. When he thought that he finally got through to Raiden with his [[BreakThemByTalking Breaking Speech]], he helps him up, dusts him off and shakes his hand with a big smile. Raiden doesn't reciprocate. In the Jetstream DLC, he's just as sporting towards Sam, who actually ends up taking him up on his offer after being broken in body and spirit.
* Almost all of the characters you get in the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' games used to be enemies. In dialogues before entering battles, you'll usually see a single character with a face and a name, saying "I can't possibly fight against these people!", and you can recruit him or her by talking to them.
* Harman Smith and Kun Lan are frequently seen playing chess in ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}''. Harman makes the nature of their relationship clear when he says to Kun, "You're a good friend, but unfortunately, our interest is not mutual." It kind of helps that both of them are [[PhysicalGod impossible to kill]]. [[MindScrew Maybe...]]
* Franchise/{{Kirby}} and the AffablyEvil AntiVillain, King Dedede. Outside of fighting each other over random stuff (most of which is either a misunderstanding, Dedede being possessed, or Dedede just being a greedy asshole in some of the older games), they enjoy racing and competing against each other in friendly competitions. He's outright playable in ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'', ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand,'' and ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', and in ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe,'' he picks up the DistressBall and the game actually consists of ''rescuing'' him! Also, in the [[VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary adventure mode]] of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', King Dedede [[TheGlomp glomps]] Kirby! [[spoiler:After he (that is, ''Dedede'') saves the day.]]
* In ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', Mario and Bowser became like this after the original games. They've [[EnemyMine reluctantly teamed up]] on a few occasions, Bowser regularly opens up his castle for Mario's [[GoKartingWithBowser go-kart races]]...
** At the end of ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', after the two duke it out once again (and Bowser losing once again), Mario, Luigi, and Peach decide to send a gift to Bowser for saving the world: [[spoiler: [[Heartwarming/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory A cake with all of them together]]]].
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', Bowser admits that he likes having Mario as his enemy.
** In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar,'' it's implied that Mario is as much concerned about Bowser being BrainwashedAndCrazy by the Royal Sticker as he is about Bowser possibly trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach even reassures both herself and Mario that Bowser will probably be alright.
** Also for Mario and Donkey Kong who were enemies in the original arcade game and have since ceased fighting... outside the occasions when the big gorilla [[VideoGame/MarioVsDonkeyKong gets worked up over Mini Marios or Pauline]].
* [[BraggartBoss Gilgamesh]] is a reoccurring character in ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' and usually as this trope:
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' treats your party this way after the first couple of encounters, saying that he's glad to see you again and asking how everyone has been. He's genuinely upset when he learns about [[spoiler:Galuf's death]]. It gets even more bizarre the last time you encounter him, as he [[spoiler: delivers a ''pep talk'' to each of the heroes and uses a [[ActionBomb Suicide Attack]] to destroy both himself and the boss you were fighting]]. The last couple of encounters could be explained by the fact that Gil had been [[YouHaveFailedMe tossed into the Interdimensional Rift for failing one too many times]]. Exdeath was a dick, the heroes weren't, so he was very much on their side when he found out that they were in the Rift too.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' he falls under this during the fight(s) with him. When you meet him later (during a side quest) he calls the party "My friends", helps out, and then says goodbye.
** He's in the Colisium during ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' as one of the contestants. [[DefeatMeansFriendship If you defeat him there he will help you for the rest of the game.]]
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' he hangs out with the heroes and does his best to help them out, only fighting them when confronted as the culprit of a crime [[ObliviouslyEvil that he didn't realize was a crime]].
* ''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]], so their kinship has a good foundation.
** ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' and its prequel ''Dissidia 012'' explore this dynamic further. In the 12th cycle of the war, Kuja was prepared to go for a proper HeelFaceTurn and lead Zidane and his allies to [[BigBad Chaos]] so they could defeat him together. But then [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]] found out and sabotaged his plan, forcing Kuja to make like he was tricking Zidane to save face, and he turned on him and attacked him but let him survive. Kefka wasn't impressed and arranged for Kuja to die, then rewrote his memories before he awakened in the 13th cycle so he would consider Zidane an enemy again. The [[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy2015 2015 game]] once again gives them this dynamic. Kuja pulls a BigDamnHeroes moment to save Zidane from [[spoiler:Sephiroth and the Emperor]], and along with Terra the three travel together for a time. It's clear Zidane isn't very fond of Kuja, if only because of their conflicting personalities, but they aren't strictly enemies anymore.
%%* Fox [=McCloud=] and Wolf O'Donnell (and, to some extent, the entire teams of Star Fox and Star Wolf (minus Pigma)) in ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'' qualifies.
* The Amarr and Minmatar roleplaying communities on ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' are like this. In character, they are bitter enemies, but they recognize that the other side tends to play by the rules (as opposed to genuine pirates). Out of character, they have the utmost respect for one another. If a roleplaying reason could be found for the two communities to work together, they would be a very effective alliance.
* ''VideoGame/GodHand'': Gene and Elvis, despite being enemies, have some friendly banter. After he kills Elvis, Gene goes into a bit of AntagonistInMourning and is more than a little pissed off at Shannon for badmouthing him.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' has [[spoiler:Van Grants]], along with several of his [[TheDragon Dragons]]. Most of them have a history with the protagonists, and both sides acknowledge that the other is trying to save the world in their own way. In fact, the BigBad himself constantly states that he has no desire to kill the heroes and would [[WeCanRuleTogether happily let them join him]]. Before, during, and ''AFTER'' the final battle, both sides only express their respect for one another.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' has [[HumanAliens Dhaos]], a being from another world who has been time-traveling, summoning demons, and making all kinds of trouble. Turns out he wanted to rescue mana, which they destroyed 100 years later by misusing magic. Once they defeat the terrible villain, they find out that most of his villainy was really just PoorCommunicationKills.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' has [[spoiler:Duke]], who actually helps Yuri and the gang a few times in their quests. After the final battle, they persuade him that humanity can change, and he helps them [[spoiler:destroy the Adephagos using Dein Nomos]].
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' pulls this so frequently and to such an intense degree between [[TheHero Milla and Jude]] and [[BigBad Gaius]] as to practically qualify as ShipTease. Scarcely an encounter between the three goes by without one or both sides praising the other's determination and purity of heart, especially when they find themselves in a temporary EnemyMine against the forces of Elympios and Muzet.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has [[spoiler: Kratos]] and [[spoiler: Yuan]] as enemies, but also old friends, over the course of the game. [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Sort of.]]
* Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog and Dr. Eggman are like this [[DependingOnTheWriter sometimes]]. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d during a ''Twitter Takeover'' when SEGA asked them if they hang out a lot or are actually frenemies. [[BerserkButton This angers Eggman]], who furiously storms out of the room declaring that he and Sonic are mortal enemies... [[HypocriticalHumor then asking Sonic if he wants a leftover chilli dog from the fridge.]]
* In the leadup to the "War!" update for ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', it was revealed that the RED [[ViolentGlaswegian Demoman]] and the BLU [[BloodKnight Soldier]] met at a gun convention and became friends. The person pulling the strings for both teams decided to sabotage this friendship by pitting the Soldier and Demoman against each other for new weapons.[[spoiler: They are still secretly friends though, as evidenced in some of their domination lines.]]
** Soldier and Merasmus alternate between this and MonsterRoommate. They'll either declare each other the worst roommate and attempt to kill each other (without much success, as Merasmus is a ghost-wizard and Soldier took some of Merasmus' immortality pills [[CloudCuckoolander thinking that he was stealing prescription heart medication]]) and sometimes they'll do things that suggest they do actually care for each other. In the comics, Soldier implies he's either fond of Merasmus or just fond of making Merasmus miserable. [[TakeAThirdOption Or both]].
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', Wrex mentions an old Asari commando friend of his named Aleena that he was contracted to kill. They agreed to fight it out in an abandoned space station filled with mercs and pirates. After days of hunting down one another and killing off all other {{mooks}}, Wrex managed to trap her while she's healing. However, the base was about to explode, forcing him to leave. He decided that NoOneCouldSurviveThat only to get a message from her. At that point, Wrex decided that anyone who survived all of that deserves to live a bit longer and let her go. ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' hints that Aleena is [[spoiler:Aria T'Loak, ruler of [[WretchedHive Omega]].]]
** Aria T'Loak tends to have this with most people, but especially Shepard and her former lover, [[FoeYay Nyreen]].
** The Illusive Man's interaction with Shepard. Even after their FaustianRebellion at the end of the second game, he repeatedly tries to convince Shepard to join his side, which Shepard responds with by countering [[YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood with the same offer]].
* Cate Archer and Magnus Armstrong in ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever''. Armstrong spares Archer's life several times despite his criminal peers' insistence that she be executed; partially out of camaraderie (they're both Scottish) and partially out of respect for her abilities.
** In the sequel Magnus leaves H.A.R.M. and helps out Cate.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'': [[LovableTraitor Axel]] towards Sora, but [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBastard it's mostly to manipulate him]].]] It may also have to do with [[spoiler:Axel's relationship with Roxas.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Despite the high-stakes nature of Franchise/{{Pokemon}} League challenges, the [[FinalBoss League Champion]] in all generations after the first displays impeccable grace and sportsmanship, even when defeated.
** Most major villains also treat the player character cordially. From Giovanni on, they tend to give you nice things after battles, encourage you to chase them down again, and [[AffablyEvil invite you to witness their attempts to take over/destroy the world]].
** An outstanding example is N, whose developing friendship with the player character despite their opposing causes drives the plot of ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', as it [[GreyAndGrayMorality forces him to reexamine what exactly he's fighting for]].
* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic IV'': Emilia Nighthaven (the Academy campaign's main protagonist) & Solmyr ibn Wali Barad (a genie who is honor-bound to serve the campaign's BigBad).
* ''VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable: The Gears of Destiny'': Stern and Levi's first interaction with Nanoha and Fate immediately show that, while they're technically on opposing sides, they really like each other and treat one another like old friends. Levi even cheers Fate up after the latter had just gone through a traumatizing fight against a copy of her dead EvilMatriarch. Unsurprisingly, Stern and Levi were quick to suggest that they team up with the good guys once a bigger threat appeared, and were quicker to oppose the wishes of their leader, [[EvilOverlord Lord Dearche]], when she suggested that they should kill everyone in Nanoha's group.
* In ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'', Travis can be like this with some of the assassins he fights, sometimes one sided. Death Metal offers advice before Travis finishes him, he honestly respected Holly Summers a great deal and Speed Buster was impressed with him. He also spared Shinobu after realizing how she isn't like the other assassins and this comes back with Shinobu saving his life and eventually becoming a crazed fangirl. Henry becomes pretty friendly with Travis in the sequel (even if Travis doesn't care), while there are a few more he ends up liking. He tries letting Ryoji live for his warrior spirit, lets the broken Captain Vladimir enjoy a happy death and freaks out over Alice Moonlight, who he only killed because she wanted him to. There's also Kimmy Howell, although he's more freaked out by her since she's a stalker fangirl of terrifying levels.
* If you behave the right way in ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'', lords from rival nations will often come to regard you as a friend, greeting you respectfully but still being obliged to battle you if your nations have gone to war.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' gives us the Friendship/Rivalry system, which allows [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]] to either support his comrades in their endeavors or become their [[VitriolicBestBuds allies by]] [[TeethClenchedTeamWork necessity]]. Then, of course, there is [[JerkassHasAPoint Fenris]] and [[WellIntentionedExtremist Anders]]. The former is a mage-hating ex-slave whilst the latter is a pro-magic radical. Most of their side conversations revolve around spitting fire at each other, and gaining friendship with one tends to create rivalry with the other. Ironically, [[NotSoDifferent the prejudice of both sides originates from either character being severely oppressed.]]
** However neither of them become friends. In fact, if you [[spoiler:choose to hand Fenris over to his former master at the end of his personal quest]], Anders is literally the only party member who approves.
** Flemeth can be seen as this with each of the heroes, being AffablyEvil. She saves the Warden's life in ''[[Franchise/DragonAge Origins]]'', though it's for her own ends, and when you confront her about her grimoire she'll leave without incident if you agree to lie about her death to Morrigan. If she does attack you it's without any apparent maliciousness. In Dragon Age II she saves the hero once again, still for her own reasons, and gives them advice, laughs with them and even tells one character not to bow to her. In Inquisition she comes back, this time seemingly with a plan to steal a child's body. Still, the conversation she has with you is surprisingly friendly and helpful.
*** Indeed, she's so helpful and friendly with the heroes it can be rather surprising when she actually does evil things, such as dismembering a minor character and hanging him from trees for no reason in The Stolen Throne.
*** 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.]] Indeed, the only time she ever shows true anger is when talking to the Inquisitor and Morrigan about [[spoiler: her past and relationship with Mythal]] and in that case the anger isn't even directed at them. Otherwise, she remains very affable and polite, and will even be pleased when the Inquisitor returns the favor, going so far as to [[spoiler: tell an Elven Inquisitor they do the People proud.]]
* The level bosses of ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' are some of the nicest bosses in any video game you'll encounter, they congratulate you when you win and happily give you a piece of the amulet, and if you lose they wish you good luck for the rematch in a genuine manner; the only unfriendly competitor is Wizpig, and even he sees you as a WorthyOpponent when you race him the second time.
* ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'': [[spoiler:Cortana]] despite the FaceHeelTurn, still views John and Blue Team her family. [[spoiler: Unfortunately she also thinks that means she should lock them up until she's completed her galactic takeover.]]
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': In the "Shadow of Revan" expansion, Lana Beniko (a rational, honest Sith) can be this for Republic characters, as can Theron Shan (a pragmatic, somewhat ruthless Republic spy) for Imperials. It can also take on a DatingCatwoman scenario. Neither one is willing to turn away from their faction, which technically makes them an enemy, but it's very hard not to like them and you ''are'' working against someone who's even worse, so EnemyMine is in play.
** During said expansion, Darth Marr (the de-facto leader of the Empire at that point) and Satele Shan (the head of the Jedi Council) cooperate surprisingly well for the most part, to the point that in the ''Knights of the Fallen Empire'' expansion, [[spoiler:Marr's force ghost accompanies Satele as she wanders the galaxy]].
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/NinjaPizzaGirl''. When encountering her first enemy mook, Gemma seems to expect that they'll be this, treating each other with professional courtesy and respect despite working for competing pizza companies. Sadly, the enemy mooks are a bunch of {{Jerk Ass}}es who go out of their way to be as awful to Gemma as possible.
* The Pirate-Poet in ''VideoGame/SunlessSea''. Sure, she'll try and sink you, but you can then hook up for drinks at Gaider's Mourn, and whenever you ''do'' sink her, she'll give you some stuff and bid you a cheerful goodbye.
* PlayedForDrama in ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'', as the reason why [[{{Tykebomb}} Anti-Skullgirl Weapon]] [[TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior Peacock]] and [[HumanoidAbomination Skullgirl]] [[UndeadChild Marie]] are so friendly with each other is because [[spoiler:they were both war orphans and slaves of the Medici mafia when they were younger. The reason Marie [[StartOfDarkness even became the Skullgirl]] was because she wanted {{revenge}} on those slavers for mutilating Patricia (Peacock) and leaving her for dead]]. It's pretty clear from their dialogue that neither one wants to kill the other and they would much rather hang out [[spoiler:like the old days]], and Peacock upon winning [[spoiler:decides to carry on annihilating the Medici mafia to [[TakeUpMySword fulfill her friend's last request]]]].
* The titular ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' is on surprisingly friendly terms with her assorted RoguesGallery. She'll gleefully thwart them when they start trouble, but when they're not up to no good she'll be amicable and will even help them out if they ask. ''Especially'' with Ammo Baron and his cronies who are AffablyEvil and honestly not ''that'' bad at heart, and Squid Baron who's an IneffectualSympatheticVillain at absolute worse. Unsurprisingly, she also gets taken advantage of for this sometimes.
* Viridi from ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' more or less becomes this in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series. Like in her game of origin, [[GaiasVengeance she's still hell-bent on destroying humanity for upsetting the natural order]]. This, of course, makes her an enemy of Pit and Palutena, whose jobs are to ''save'' humanity. Despite this, the Palutena's Guidance {{Easter Egg}}s in the Palutena's Temple stage show she has no issues casually speaking with her enemies or vice versa, and actually tends to give Pit advice for fighting his opponents. In fact, ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' shows she's perfectly willing to let Pit use the Lightning Chariot in her possession as a [[LimitBreak Final Smash]]. [[EvilCounterpart Dark Pit]] also counts to some extent due to [[VillainTeamUp affiliating with Viridi]], though he usually only does what serves ''his'' needs at any given moment.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Miss Brooks and Mr. Conklin often kvetch about being the bane of one other's existence. However, depending on their goals, they'll either be working together on friendly terms ("Citizen's League", "Two-way Stretch Snodgrass", "Postage Due"), helping one another ("Cure That Habit", "The Hobby Show"), socializing with one another ("Parlor Game" and "The Birthday Bag") . . . or at loggerheads as if they were sworn enemies ("Old Marblehead", "Business Course", "Secondhand First Aid").
* Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder in ''Series/{{Justified}}''. The two men started out as childhood friends who worked together in the deadly coal mines, depending on each other to survive each shift. After a stint in the Army, Boyd is now a career criminal who uses the explosives training his {{Uncle Sam|WantsYou}} taught him to rob banks. Raylan's job as a US Marshal is to arrest criminals. Despite this obvious conflict, in early seasons the two still have an obvious fondness for one another, even working together to stop more ruthless criminals on occasion.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The Doctor and The Master, though how friendly they are has varied during the ({{long|Runners}}) run of the series. He once introduced the Master as "my best enemy" in a clear parallel to the concept of best friends. They did break up once - in "The Deadly Assassin", the Master has gone [[CameBackWrong so much off the rails]] that the Doctor declares he's over him and he now genuinely wishes him dead - but he warmed up to him again after the Master got himself a new body and then gave ''him'' a new body.
** The Doctor has also had a chat or two with Davros. Davros enjoys talking with the Doctor to an extent, because of his intelligence; there are points, however, when the Doctor feels he's taking it too far.
--->'''The Doctor:''' We are not friends, Davros.
** In "The Witch's Familiar", The Doctor and Davros actually share a heartfelt laugh together.
-->'''The Doctor''': You really are dying, aren't you?
-->'''Davros''': Did you doubt it?
-->'''The Doctor''': Yes.
-->'''Davros''': Then we have established one thing only.
-->'''The Doctor''': What's that?
-->'''Davros''': That you...are not a very good Doctor.
-->{{Beat}}
-->'''Both''': [[ActuallyPrettyFunny (laughing)]]
** Of course, the aforementioned episode ends with Davros viciously backstabbing the Doctor and admitting that his hints of friendship were utterly and cold-bloodedly manipulative. [[KansasCityShuffle Except the Doctor saw this coming but played into his plan anyway]] to subvert it, since, as noted above, he never considered Davros to be a friend.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'':
*** Gul Dukat considered Sisko a friend for most of the series but it was not reciprocated. Dukat sometimes acted as if Sisko was just pretending to hate him to keep up appearances, although it was clear that he was genuine (what with Dukat being a mass-murderer).
*** Quark and Odo.
--->'''Zayra''': ''"I can't believe you're defending him, Quark. You're his worst enemy."''\\
'''Quark''': ''"I guess that's the closest thing he has in this world to a friend."''
** On ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
*** It's implied that this is the standard state of affairs with Klingons, at least as long as they are fighting their fellow Klingons, even openly drinking with the warriors on the other side during the Klingon Civil War during the "Redemption" two-parter.
*** The omnipotent being Q genuinely likes and respects Captain Picard. Don't be mistaken, he'll put the ''Enterprise'' in grave danger just for kicks and he still thinks humanity is a "grievously savage child race", but at the same time he's been shown to admire Picard and has it's been hinted that he's saved Picard's life once or twice.
** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': Kirk and Khan remained on good terms, even though Khan tried to kill Kirk and his crew. Kirk admired Khan to the point that he essentially allowed Khan go by marooning him and his crew on a nearby uninhabited planet. [[HarsherInHindsight Which in hindsight]] [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan turned out to be not such a good idea]] - although even in that movie, Khan kept referring to Kirk as "my friend", usually while trying to kill him.
* In ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'', Rio and Mele [[EnemyMine pull the Rangers' asses out of the fire]] so many times that [[spoiler:it doesn't surprise anyone when they [[HeelFaceTurn turn good in the end]]]].
* In ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'', Kitaoka Shuuichi (Zolda) is out for himself, but he also fraternizes with Shinji and the others throughout the series. Basically, it's a ThereCanBeOnlyOne situation and he's willing to save Shinji and Ren for last. Shinji and Ren, the two main Riders, are this as well, technically. [[spoiler: The Riders in this series are all fighting to the death to be the one who gets one wish (anything, RealityWarper style.) The friendlier ones don't ''hate'' you, but know you knew the rules when you signed up, and aren't gonna ''not'' heal their terminal illness in Kitoaka's case or save their loved one in Ren's case because you're having second thoughts. Or, in Shinji's case, weren't the one the Advent Deck was meant for and ''didn't'' know the rules when you signed up.]]
* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Clark Kent's best friend is ComicBook/LexLuthor. This isn't quite the standard trope since they have not yet become enemies. It's a DramaticIrony thing for the audience to see them as buddies when they will later be arch enemies.
* ''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, several episodes have ended with them cutting mutually beneficial backroom deals, where at least one of them sells out previously espoused principles.
** On one occasion, they're having one of their typical arguments on this case over the EEC, only for it to morph into this:
--->'''Hacker''' "The problem with Brussels isn't the internationalism, it's too much bureaucracy."
--->'''Humphrey''' "But the bureaucracy is a consequence of the internationalism, whey else would you have an English Commissioner, with a French Director General immediately below him and an Italian reporting to the Frenchman and so on down the line"
--->'''Hacker''' "Oh I agree."
--->'''Humphrey''' "It's like the Tower of Babel."
--->'''Hacker''' "Oh I agree."
--->'''Humphrey''' "No, it's even worse, it's like the United Nations."
--->'''Hacker''' "I agree."
--->'''Bernard''' "Perhaps, if I may interject, you are in fact, in agreement."
--->'''Hacker and Humphrey''' "No we're not!"
* Sylar and Peter on ''Series/{{Heroes}}''. In the fourth episode of season three, [[spoiler:Peter has been brought four years into the future and visits Sylar, who gives him a hug and offers to make him waffles]]. This is also when Peter learns that the two of them [[spoiler:are brothers]]. Once they realized that it's another Company scheme, they're back to punching each other's lights out.
* Jacob and "the man in black" in ''Series/{{Lost}}'' hang out with each other on the island and talk regularly, despite the fact that they are archenemies. It turns out that [[spoiler:they're twin brothers]].
* ''Series/ICarly'': Sam and Freddie become this in Season 2, wherein [[TeethClenchedTeamwork the first season, they were forced to work together]] out of their mutual interest in Carly.
* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'': Jade to Tori and the rest of the gang whenever she's in a decent mood or isn't pitted against Tori for some common interest.
* Despite being a challenger ''five'' times on ''Series/IronChef'', and leading two factions to take the Iron Chefs down, Toshiro Kandagawa was on good terms with them, and even sent flowers to Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba when he was hospitalized for exhaustion.
* In the second season premier of ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'', Topher explicitly refers to ex-Agent Ballard as a "frenemy". Their relationship is like a season-long EnemyMine-cum-HeelFaceTurn.
* ''Series/FTroop'': This occurs between the settlers and the Native Americans. Ostensibly, Fort Courage's mission is to "keep the peace" against the Hekawi Indians. In reality, the Hekawis are pacifists and the two factions tend to leave each other alone, except for the Hekawi's business deals...
* Max and Siegfried on ''Series/GetSmart''. The former refers to the later as "my old friend and bitter enemy".
* The various mads and their experiment subjects often behave this way on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. TV's Frank, in particular, is overheard wishing that he could hang out with the bots. In ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E21TimeChasers Time Chasers]]'', Mike goes over to visit Pearl for a cup of coffee in the opening and closing segments. In ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E24ManosTheHandsOfFate "Manos" The Hands of Fate]]'', Forrester and Frank famously apologize to Joel and the bots for the movie.
* Angel and Lindsey from ''Series/{{Angel}}'' occasionally team up with each other if they aren't busy killing/mutilating/beating the crap out of each other.
** Angel and Lilah also have shades of this, when they aren't actively trying to kill each other.
** You could also count the team's relationship with [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Harmony]] as this.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** Londo and G'Kar pass through this stage somewhere in the season 4 on the way to becoming FireForgedFriends.
--->'''G'Kar:''' ''[In response to Londo's proposition to sign an agreement to incite other races to do the same]'' "Issue the statement. I will sign my name. ...But not on the same page, do you understand that?"
** Like so many aspects in this show, this gives the long running foreshadowing of them killing each other (as in Londo's vision) a different meaning. [[spoiler:G'Kar doesn't kills Londo out of hate, as hinted in the reason for the vision, but because Londo is under the control of a PuppeteerParasite. Londo can't kill himself, even pumped full with alcohol to dull the parasite, and will resist if someone tries to mercy kill him. G'Kar sacrifices himself to free Londo from being a puppet.]]
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'':
** As of the season 1 finale, [[spoiler:Sue and Will; or rather, Sue seems to think this while Will is convinced that Sue is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold]]. This is combined with a healthy dash of TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou. Sue genuinely hates the Glee Club, but will often put it aside for truly important issues.
*** Sue in general seems to have this relationship with the other teachers. She often openly insults them, concocts crazy schemes to better her own position, and generally acts unpleasant. However, Sue will also occasionally do nice things for them (like buying coffee for everyone when the machine in the teacher's lounge breaks down), and, as mentioned above, will drop everything it means protecting her students or fighting a major problem like bullying.
** Kurt and Rachel, beginning in season two, as they realize that they have a great deal in common.
-->'''Rachel:''' (Teasingly) You were my only real competition!
*** In the third season, they start out ''much'' more friendly, sharing common dreams, but then the very commonality of those dreams and that they have to pursue competitive (and occasionally mutually exclusive) goals drives a wedge between them again.
** Shelby and Will's working relationship in the third season. The kids of the two glee clubs are very unhappy with one another, as both teachers admit, but they're collegial and friendly together and hope to channel their kids' energy to something positive.
* Todd of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' was not only prone to temporary alliances with Atlantis, but never openly opposed them. Had he not been a Wraith, he would have become a trusted ally. The whole "[[OurVampiresAreDifferent needing to eat people]]" thing makes trust a lot harder.
* Ba'al from ''Series/StargateSG1'' had some shades of this as time went on, compared to the more 'traditional' Goa'uld who considered the humans of earth as inferior life, no matter how badly said humans kicked their scaley butts. When he does get around to conquering the Earth, he does it in a peaceful, friendly way because by then he'd come to ''really'' enjoy human culture.
** Lord Yu might be a straighter example.
* A popular approach in {{Law Procedural}} series.
** Take ''Series/LawAndOrder'', for instance. Prosecution and defense spend all day battering each other to death in court, then end up sharing a table at an expensive steakhouse, chuckling about the absurdities of their clients.
** ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' had Renee Raddick, a district attorney who often spoke against the clients of Cage and Fish, the law firm that the titular character worked for. She roomed with Ally, was her rock when Ally needed one, and was close friends with the attorneys at Cage and Fish, even singing for John at his birthday.
** ''Series/ThePractice'': The first seasons had Helen (the ADA) & Lindsay (a member of the firm) as roommates sharing an apartment. When Lindsay got married to Bobby, she had Eleanor (another member of the firm) move in with Helen.
** On ''Series/{{Matlock}}'', Ben Matlock and prosecutor Julie March were always shown as bitter rivals in court, but close friends outside the courtroom.
** ''Series/LALaw'' and ''Series/{{JAG}}'' often featured this trope as well. And it's often TruthInTelevision; see RealLife section.
* ''Series/BurnNotice'' has a one-sided version: Larry Sizemore [[TheCorrupter wants to work with Michael again]], while Michael has a serious problem with his PsychoForHire ways. Unfortunately, Larry has a bit of trouble taking no for an answer, even when "no" is delivered via a sniper rifle. (It has been so delivered ''twice''.)
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** After Spike reveals his crush on her, Buffy remarks that he was "So much easier to talk to when he just wanted to kill me."
** In season seven, a new vampire says delightedly, "I was afraid to talk to you in high school, and now we're, like, mortal enemies. Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we became nemeses?" And a bit later: "I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I'm just new to this whole mortal enemy stuff."
* ''Series/RedDwarf'': Hogey the Rogey is constantly challenging the Dwarfers to duels across time and space. They've gotten bored of it which is counterproductive because the reason they were doing this in the first place was because they were bored.
* ''Series/TeenWolf'':
** Chris Argent is starting to become this with at least some of the werewolves. Especially since they are fighting the same foes on multiple occasions.
** [[spoiler: Peter Hale]], as of late season two. Does not mean anyone really trusts him.
** [[spoiler: Ethan]], who seems to regret what he is involved in, possibly because he is not really a bad person or possibly because he has fallen in love with [[spoiler: Danny]].
* ''Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury'':
** Princess Ardala and Buck.
** Kane and Tigerman also have a healthy deal of respect for Buck noting his honesty and insistence on fighting fair.
** In ''Flight of the War Witch'', Earth and the Draconians even join forces to fight the Zadds. It's implied that after their victory, Draconia and Earth do become allies. Somewhat fitting as that was the last episode of the first season (before the totally reformatted second season) and thus the last appearance or mention of the Draconians on the show.
* ''Series/HogansHeroes'': Although Col. Klink is duty-bound to remind Col. Hogan that he is a prisoner of war at every turn, the two develop a relationship that can only be described as friendship, with the two actually protecting one another from time to time, as Klink is clearly depicted as a "lesser evil" and not a Heer-Lutftwaffe-Gestapo-Shutzstaffel type soldier (indeed his disdain for the Nazi regime is unambiguous to the extent that speculation is possible that he is fully aware of Hogan using his camp as a base for secret operations, but allows it to go on). Similarly, Hogan and his men treat Sgt. Schultz as a friend, to the extent that Schultz deliberately ignores their indiscretions. Although one of the most criticized aspects of this series, the day-to-day relationship between these Anglo-American soldiers and their German captors (all of whom are conscripted civilians who have not served in the Eastern Theatre and, therefore, may have avoided committing ''any'' War Crimes!) actually comes closer to TruthInTelevision for [=PoW=] in their racial category than you might think; see Real Life, below.
* ''{{Series/Salem}}'': Alden and Mather pretty much hate each other, but they make a rather effective team when it comes to hunting down witches. Cotton later regards John as his only real friend in Salem.
* An episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has Gibbs being asked by his father to go with him to meet an old friend of his who saved his life during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Gibbs's father was a pilot in the European theater, whose fighter was damaged. Without working instruments, he couldn't tell which way the American base was. Another fighter pulled up alongside and pointed him in the right direction (the opposite of where he was flying). Later, Gibbs's father remembers that the other pilot was German. Not only did the German pilot show him where the American base was, but he risked his own life to guide Gibbs's father to safety (he could've been shot down by the base defenders). When Gibbs is bewildered why an enemy pilot would help his father, his father explains that, up there, in the lonely sky, all flyers are brothers.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Tywin and Olenna become this in season 3. Both are the heads of families who are technically allied but would rip the other apart in an instant and crush them if they had the opportunity. Yet due to each being [[TheChessmaster Chessmasters]] SurroundedByIdiots, they form a strange bond - during the purple wedding, they're seen strolling around the grounds together chatting like old friends.
** Similarly, Littlefinger and Varys share a mutual respect and banter back and forth, due to being the two smartest guys in the room not called Lannister. Varys even admits that he enjoys Littlefinger's company, however, since Varys is all about maintaining order and peace, while Littlefinger's goal is to create chaos that benefits him, their respective schemes are diametrically opposed. This is deconstructed by the fact that Littlefinger's ambition actually scares Varys. As the game ramps up and the stakes increase their friendly bickering becomes nothing but a light veneer.
** Wildling leader Mance Rayder treats Jon with surprising respect instead of just killing him in "The Children", and along with the wildling leader Tormund, comes to appreciate Jon as an earnest and capable man, and the feeling is mutual. Jon's connection with Tormund even leans towards FireForgedFriends.
** Renly exchanges verbal jabs with Littlefinger in a nonchalant tone. Both men strongly dislike each other.
* ''Series/LazyTown'': Even though Robbie Rotten is the bad guy, it's obvious that Sportacus and the kids see him as a friend, and deep down, the feeling is mutual. One episode even has all the other main characters leaving Lazytown; Robbie quickly realizes that being evil is no fun without someone to be evil ''to'' and is happy to see them again when they return at the end.
** In another episode, Robbie tries to make trouble by stealing Stephanie's diary and faking an entry that she dislikes everyone...until he discovers another page that mentions that Stephanie likes ''him'', and considers him a "big softie." Robbie is so touched that he returns the diary and even eagerly asks if she's going to put their interaction in a future entry.
* A number of demons in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' talk about and to the Winchesters as though they're close friends in a [[BlackComedy morbidly comical fashion]]; a few, particularly Azazel and Crowley, go so far with it that it seems like they actually believe it. In Azazel's case, it's completely one-sided. Crowley is a straighter example, as even though the members of Team Free Will hate him with a passion they still work together often enough that a lot of the fans sort of forget he's evil.
* Peralta and [[spoiler:Doug Judy]] have this dynamic on ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', what with having the exact same tastes, humor and centers of interest - only one is a criminal, and the other is a cop.
-->'''Peralta''' "Alright now you're taking it too far, [[spoiler:Judy]]. I don't need relationship advice from my criminal archnemesis."
* [[BigBad Negan]]'s first appearance on ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' has him kill two important members of Rick's group, kidnapping Daryl and psychologically torturing Rick himself. His appearances since show that while Rick's side despises him, Negan tends to compliment and admire Rick and most members of his group, sparing the lives of several more and [[GoKartingWithBowser being rather cordial in his own way to several, such as Carl and Eugene]]. Of course, Negan would also rather psychologically make them give them and have them work for him than kill them, so this is understandable.
* This is largely the dynamic between the Pranksters and the titular characters in ''Series/TheElectricCompany2009.'' As their group name implies, the Pranksters love to make mischief, especially when it causes the Electric Company to look bad-- but at the end of the day, they're also just as likely to to split an order of curly fries with them, help the heroes with school assignments, or even work together toward a common goal. It helps that the Pranksters' actions are [[HarmlessVillain largely silly and easily rectified]], and mostly center on contests and games rather than anything serious.
* [[BettyAndVeronica Fran Fine and C.C. Babcock]] occasionally have this dynamic on ''Series/TheNanny.'' C.C.'s antagonism toward Fran is largely because she sees her as a rival for Maxwell's affections, while Fran sees through C.C.'s frigid act and realizes that she's desperate for companionship. In just two different examples: Fran helped C.C. reconcile with her father and even sacrificed tickets and backstage passes to a Music/BarbraStreisand concert to do it (despite Fran quite literally ''worshiping'' Barbra), while C.C. became Fran's agent when she encountered a brief stint of fame on ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show.''
** Even more so with C.C. and Niles. While the two are downright cruel to each other most of the time, they often commiserate together, help each other out, and become depressed when they are separated for too long. This FoeYay eventually resulted in them marrying.
* In ''Series/WhiteCollar'', [[GentlemanThief Neal Caffrey]] and [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Peter Burke]] seem to have been this pre-series, [[RecruitingTheCriminal before they started working together]]. Neal evidently actually [[RefugeInAudacity sent champagne to a surveillance van on at least one occasion]], and sent him hand drawn birthday and Christmas cards while he was in prison. He also shook Peter's hand when he was caught, and thanked him for drawing him out of hiding by leaking his ex-girlfriend's whereabouts, because otherwise he might never have seen her again.
* 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 cher," 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 [[GreyAndGrayMorality just how much she really could have reformed]].]]
* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': In "Starcrossed", Michael Ryan and Alexandra Nevsky are this until the final scene in which they decide to join the UsefulNotes/{{NATO}} resistance.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Prince Vladimir from the ''Literature/NightfallSeries'' is very friendly with Myra, taking her to balls and performances, and teaching her how to write, although he knows she is there to assassinate him.
* 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.
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'':
** Servant Saber ([[spoiler:"King" Arthur]]) and Servant Lancer ([[spoiler:Diarmuid ua Duibhne]]). Both are knights hailing from the same age and masters of combat, and each regard the other with great respect and consider their duels as honorable fights between two knights.
** In addition, Rider appears to view the entire Holy Grail war, and in particular his interactions with Saber and Archer, as simply a fun game with some new friends. He even essentially invites Saber and Archer out drinking at one point.
* Aziraphale and Crowley (an angel and a demon, respectively) in ''Literature/GoodOmens''. This developed in their backstory, centuries before the timeframe of the novel, and by the time we meet them, they are [[OddCouple best friends]] (despite still technically working for heaven and hell, respectively). They even take on each other's job at times to be more efficient.
* As we learn in ''[[Literature/TheRiftwarCycle Krondor: The Betrayal]]'', this is common enough among the moredhel (dark elves).
--> '''Gorath''': ''A friend can betray you, but with an old enemy, you always know where you stand.''
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Two examples of this in Vimes' relationship with the Assassins' Guild and the traditional interactions of wizards. In the former case, the Assassins frequently try to kill Vimes and he invariably foils their plans. When he becomes so prominent in the governance of the city that his name is taken off of their open list of targets, he expresses some disappointment, and some members of the Guild are shown admiring Vimes' cleverness. However, Vimes is not exactly a big fan of the Assassins' Guild. He considers the big price on his head as a mark of status, because "it showed he was annoying people who ought to be annoyed."
** On the other hand, Vimes is on friendly terms with Mr Boggis, the head of the Thieves Guild. Boggis even serves in the citizens' militia that the City Watch organizes. Although licensed thievery is not an area that Vimes, as Commander of the Watch, is charged with stopping, the friendly and willing interaction of a policeman and thief still fits because Boggis is as much a crime-fighter as Vimes. The Thieves Guild spends much of its time combating unlicensed thefts (''Viciously'' - instead of a stylish weathervane like that nice Assassins' Guild over there, they have the body of an unlicensed thief turning slowly in the breeze)
*** Vimes is also ''slightly'' friendly towards Chrysoprase a trolling gang-leader, who though a criminal, is a politic one, who knows when not to rock the boat.
** 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 ''Discworld/{{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 ''Discworld/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.
*** It's been said several times throughout the series that the more contempt a wizard (or witch) has for another, the more Dangerously Polite he will become. Granny Weatherwax and Mrs Earwig are described as being like duchesses.
** Another example is the relationship between the old Count Magpyr and the villagers of Escrow in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum''. When the new Count was faced with the angry mob and tried to point at the old Count as a monster, all that happened was the villagers and the old Count having a jolly trip down memory lane about how this family's grandmother had such a striking figure in a nightie and how that family's ancestor was a damn good shot for killing him (the old Count) with a stake at twenty paces seventy-five years ago as a lot of the villagers beamed with family pride while they respectfully referred to the old Count as "yer honour" and other similar titles.
** The Ridcully brothers, Mustrum the Archchancellor of Unseen University and Hughnon the High Priest of Blind Io, insult each other in public because wizards and priests are supposed to dislike each other, but the two get on quite well.
* [[GeniusBruiser Anton Zilwicki]] and [[TheUnfettered Victor Cachat]] from ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' are ''technically'' enemies, as their respective governments are still lobbing salvos at each other but it's hard to find a time when the guys ''didn't'' work together. They're just like two {{buddy cop|Show}}s, and they pop [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome CMOAs]] like...[[{{Pun}} popcorn]].The defining factor here is that even though they are technically spies for two warring factions, what they're actually up to is a separate shadow war against a third, mutual enemy. On the otherside of the fourth wall it's an Author Collaboration where one is a naval historian with libertarian leanings and the other is a former mining union organizer with socialist leanings. They're {{Author Avatar}}s who [[TheyFightCrime Fight Crime]].
** Honor Harrington and Warner Caslet (the latter aiding the former in taking down pirates in Silesia and then later helping her escape from StateSec), an opposing Havenite officer.
** Harrington and Lester Tourville and Shannon Foraker (the latter two covering up her survival in said escape). Honor has quite a few of these from the Republic of Haven, actually, all of whom wind up on ''her'' side when Haven and Manticore wise up to the fact that they've been manipulated into going to war with each other. President Eloise Pritchart and Queen Elizabeth III, the star nations' respective leaders, are less than amused by this turn of events, and proceed to join up in a military alliance so badass it causes [[BigBad the Alignment]] to wet its collective drawers (alas, not literally).
** Then there's Harrington and Klaus Hauptmann, originally ready to professionally destroy each other but who became friends and business partners.
* In ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'', Lu Kang of Wu and Yang Hu of Wei have this relationship. Locked in a cold war where each is too sure of the other's abilities to make the first move, they treat each other respectfully. For instance, when each army called a hunt, the borders were strictly seen to. After the hunt, Yang Hu had all the animals inspected. Any animals shot by arrows of the opposing side were sent over to Wu. Later, they would exchange gifts of wine and even medicine, despite the risk of being poisoned. Their relationship can even be considered AnAesop on tolerating these relationships. Yang Hu is well trusted by the Sima family despite his familiarity to Lu Kang. Lu Kang, by contrast, is removed once news of the relationship reaches the Wu court. This is good news to Yang Hu, who only refrained from invading because he respected Lu Kang's ability as a general.
* Haplo and Alfred have this relationship in ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'', specifically starting in book 3, when they are forced to work together by the extreme environs and the attempt of a corrupt ruler to kill them.
** Haplo's status as a frenemy is further developed in ''Serpent Mage'', when, instead of causing chaos, he tries to help the lesser races cooperate with each other so that they can avoid being frozen to their island homes. This is meant to demonstrate Halpo's incipient HeelFaceTurn, since the entire reason he was traveling to the various worlds in the first place was to create as much chaos as possible, so that his master could eventually sweep in and conquer the lesser races.
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' with Holly Short and the other fairies. For the first several books was either ''the'' villain or the lesser of two evils in the eyes of The People. They engage in SnarkToSnarkCombat while fighting bigger threats and never directly threaten each other again.
* Franchise/StarWarsLegends:
** In the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', both the New Republic and the Empire have task forces working to hunt down Warlord Zsinj; at some point, TheLeader of the Imperial task force sends a message to the New Republic one, wanting to meet with someone with authority. They send Face Loran; he and the Imperial admiral banter with each other and decide to share information on Zsinj, although this would count as treason if word got out. Eventually, the admiral lends a rare Interdictor cruiser (which has the valuable ability to [[NoWarpingZone prevent jumps to hyperspace]]) to the Republic task force for the book's final battle, [[EnemyMine with himself as captain]].
** In ''Literature/DarkLordTheRiseOfDarthVader'', Roan Shryne and Darth Vader have quite a few exchanges that are dangerously close to a friendly conversation, if you ignore the fact that they're trying to kill each other. Vader considers Shryne to be a WorthyOpponent who reminds him of his past self as Anakin Skywalker.
* In the ''Literature/DonCamillo'' series, Don Camillo, [[GoodShepherd the priest in a small Italian town on the river Po]], has an interesting relationship with the Communist mayor, Peppone. While both are, in theory, in conflict with each other, and ''do'' work against each other constantly, they consider each other {{worthy opponent}}s. Peppone especially (because his Communist beliefs urge him into more extreme actions) has a tendency to [[EvilPlan make grand plots against Camillo]], then do everything in his power to make things right again. [[spoiler:When the chips really are down - or someone from outside tries something against one of them - it becomes clear that they will do ''anything'' for each other.]]
* Sparhawk and Martel in Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/TheElenium''. In their final battle, they make comments on each others style and equipment, and agree that their trainer would berate them for how sloppy they have become. [[spoiler: When Martel loses, Sparhawk waits for him to pass on before leaving.]] They have overtones of NotSoDifferent, as they were originally best friends and were trained by the same people, until Martel made his FaceHeelTurn. Throughout the series, Martel has made it somewhat clear that he still likes Sparhawk and his former teachers, in spite of his willingness to kill them if necessary to accomplish his ends. A number of things he says are clearly wistful (in a "I wish things could have been different" sort of way), and he clearly likes and respects Sparhawk and company far more than he does his own allies. Hence the second-last sentence Martel ever speaks in his life: [[spoiler: "I get to die in the presence of the only two people I ever really loved."]]
* Silk and Yarblek in ''Literature/TheBelgariad''. They're intelligence agents for countries which are about to go to war, and are implied to have directly gone up against each other in the past, but their default interaction is a snarky sort of friendship. After [[spoiler: Torak]]'s death and the cessation of hostilities they drop the pretense and go into partnership and proceed to build the largest business empire in the world and become obscenely rich.
* ''Literature/TheHollows'' series by Kim Harrison has the protagonist, Rachel Morgan, and Trent Kalamack cooperating. Despite Trent's crimes, Rachel saves his life on more than one occasion, and eventually, Trent undergoes a MoralityAdjustment.
* Atlan and Rhodan in ''Literature/PerryRhodan''. The first couple of times they meet, they try to kill each other, but both refrain from exploiting the obvious opportunities. After the second duel, they become friends and allies for the next 3,000 years.
%%* The Russian and British Missions in ''Literature/TheDeathOfTheVazirMukhtar'' (and especially Griboyedov and Doctor [=McNeal=]). Accurate, seeing as this is basically an early stage of the Great Game on the diplomatic front.
* In ''A Darkling Plain'', from the Literature/MortalEngines Quadrilogy, the Kriegsmarshal of Marnau fondly recalls how, after a Green Storm sniper injured him, the Green Storm General, Naga, sent him a bulletproof vest as a get well soon present, inscribed with the words 'sorry we missed you'. He also states that he finds Naga more likable than some of his allies in the Traktionstadtsgesellschaft.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** Harry himself and Cedric Diggory were this during ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' and ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire Goblet of Fire]]'', whether they were competing with each other in Quidditch or the Triwizard Tournament. They gave each other tips and never went at each others' throats, despite the fact that the school was torn in two between the pro-Harry Gryffindors and the pro-Cedric everyone else.
** The same could be said about Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum in ''Goblet of Fire'' during the Triwizard Tournament. None of the four competitors showed any real dislike for any of the other three. Note that one could say "perfectly normal, this is what sportsmanship is about" and it was a sport competition, not a war. However, Harry ''refused an easy victory over Cedric'' ''even as Cedric was now a romantic rival for Harry''. Also, there are hints that the mentor of each competitor DOES try to cheat and, whenever it's possible, harm the other kids.
* Jiaan and Patrius in the Literature/FarsalaTrilogy. Though on opposing sides of a war, they become good friends and make a habit of capturing, sitting down and talking with, and then releasing each other by the time the war comes to an end.
* In the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' novels, this is what the [[WolfMan Canim]] term ''gadara'' means, coupled with WorthyOpponent and TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou. To the Canim, a ''gadara'' is more trustworthy than an ally, as while an ally can betray you, a ''gadara'' is still an enemy and thus one can ''expect'' violence from them. Generally, to be acknowledged as a ''gadara'', the two who declare themselves as such exchange swords in front of witnesses. Prior to the events of ''Captain's Fury'', no Canim had ever had an Aleran (human) ''gadara,'' until Tavi became one of these with both Nasaug and Varg.
** On a lesser note, Captain Demos of the ''Slive'', slaver, smuggler, pirate and all-round ne'er-do-well, comments on how much he loves pulling occasional side-jobs for the [[SecretPolice Cursors]]. Apparently, the Cursors pay well and hardly ever [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness try to kill him when he's done.]]
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'''s Kamigawa novels have Toshiro Umezawa and Hidetsugu, two characters who formed a "truce" on their first meeting that they'd work together as far as they could while knowing that their ultimate mutually exclusive goals would demand one of them kill the other. They spend most of the trilogy sharing relatively friendly conversations and helping each other out and, when the time comes, they pause a moment to look sorrowfully at each other before promptly trying to murder one another.
* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'':
** In the ''[[Literature/TheImmortals Immortals]]'' quartet, Rikash Moonsword and Daine. They are at odds because Rikash is a Stormwing; an immortal being that lives to defile battlefield corpses while Daine is a NatureHero and so can't stand this disrespect. After discovering that he is a NobleDemon, they form a tolerance for each other.
** In the ''Literature/TrickstersDuet'', the spymaster of the Copper Isles and the spymaster of Tortall are on great terms and only work against each other because their jobs demand it. Justified as [[spoiler: They are family; daughter and father respectively]].
** In the ''Literature/BekaCooper'' books, the Dogs (guardsmen and women, that world's version of police officers) often have friendships with criminals. The main character even shares a lodging-house with a bunch of them. The justification here is that they are all members of a ThievesGuild and so they are kinda-sorta legit.
* Spartacus acts like this towards UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar in ''Emperor: The Death of Kings''. They first meet when Crixus and Brutus independently have the idea of looking over the other camp by climbing to the top of a big rock, and while the other three constantly look for an opportunity to off the others, Spartacus enjoys a pleasant chat.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** Vampires, the White Court particularly, tend to be very respectful and polite, even to their enemies. [[OccultDetective Harry Dresden]] and [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Lara Raith]] generally respect each other and end up working towards common goals more often than against each other. Every now and then the "Friendly" part goes away when Lara does something that reminds Harry that she is a monster who preys on humans and really wants to eat him or convince him to be her partner in crime or her sex slave. At one point when frustrated that his allies keep fighting while he's away, Harry complains that not only would he expect better behavior from Vampires once he invited them in, he would almost certainly get it.
** In ''Literature/SmallFavor'', Harry is hunted by The Billy Goats Gruff, for a previous wrong committed against the Fairy Summer Court. The Gruffs have nothing against Harry, and some of them ''like'' him and say so, but [[MyMasterRightOrWrong their duty is their duty]].
** As of ''Literature/ColdDays'', Harry and Fix find themselves on opposite sides [[spoiler:as the Knights of the Winter and Summer courts, respectively,]] but despite misgivings about Harry's state of mind, Fix hasn't quite forgotten that Harry saved his life in ''Literature/SummerKnight'', and Harry really doesn't want to be fighting Fix in the first place.
* Literature/VorkosiganSaga: Cordelia and Aral during the Escobar invasion. In this case they were not merely "friendly" but soon to be married.
* In Creator/MichaelFlynn's ''[[Literature/SpiralArm The January Dancer]]'', the opposing sides of the civil war, in peace time, gather in pubs to drink together and sing songs of the exploits of the war, in perfectly indifference to which side was being glorified.
* In the several sequels of ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'', the four musketeers often find themselves on different sides of political intrigues. At one point, they capture one another in battle. Still, they remain as close as brothers until they die, help each other escape even when ordered to arrest one another, and consider Athos' son "a son to us all."
* In the Literature/AmeliaPeabody Series, from the third book until sometime late in the series, Amelia Peabody-Emerson and the Master Criminal a.k.a Sethos, were enemies, mainly because the Emerson family were Egyptologists and the Master Criminal was, well, ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin mainly dealing in forging antiquities. Though there were bitter enemies, they had mutual respect for one another, to the point where Sethos often rescued Amelia or any member of the family from danger from any of the book's main antagonists. It wasn't until the book, He Shall Thunder in the Sky, that it is discovered by Amelia's son Ramses, who was working as a spy for British Intelligence in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI that Sethos was related to the Emerson family because he was the illegitimate brother of Amelia's husband Radcliffe Emerson, more commonly known as Emerson.
* Umasi and Zyid from ''Literature/{{Truancy}}'' are friendly and generally respect the other's wishes, despite one being a pacifist and the other leading a rebellion.
* In the ''Literature/AlexandriaQuartet'' novels, the crossdressing, rough-trade-seeking Scobie is regularly busted by the Egyptian vice squad. The policemen are all hugely fond of him, though, and are later seen bawling their eyes out at his funeral.
* Jack Aubrey and Captain Christy-Pallière from the Literature/AubreyMaturin novels. Christy-Pallière captures Jack (who is vastly outgunned) and they become friends on opposing sides of the war for many years.
* This is a major theme in the Shaara [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Civil War]] trilogy (''Literature/GodsAndGenerals'', ''Literature/TheKillerAngels'', and ''Literature/TheLastFullMeasure''). The protagonists all have close friends on the other side, Hancock (Union) and Armistead (Confederate) and Grant (Union) and Longstreet (Confederate) standing out in particular.
* In ''Literature/TheDollmaker'', Stephen and Brian are best friends, though [[spoiler: the relationship rots as they both change into something not quite human]].
* Thomas Cromwell and Eustace Chapuys are portrayed as this in ''Literature/WolfHall''. Politically they're enemies, but they seem to have genuine respect for each other and invite each other to dinner quite a bit.
* In Robert Graves' UsefulNotes/WorldWarI memoir, ''Literature/GoodbyeToAllThat'', 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.
* Literature/{{Biggles}} and his German opposite number Erich von Stalhein earn each other's respect as they cross figurative swords over a quarter of a century, and eventually [[spoiler: Biggles rescues his old enemy from behind the Iron Curtain]].
* DiscussedTrope in ''Mere Christianity'': C.S. Lewis imagines that if he'd died fighting in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, him and his opposite number would meet in paradise, have a good laugh about killing each other, and then go for a SpotOfTea.
* In ''Literature/ThisImmortal'', Conrad and Hasan are quite friendly with each other, chatting at the campfire and such, despite trying to protect and kill Myshtigo, respectively, and being aware of the other's goal.
* Literature/ArseneLupin and Literature/SherlockHolmes (or Holmes' expy "Holmlock Shears" at least) have this relationship in the Lupin novels, particularly during their first confrontation. It helps that both of them are extraordinarily intelligent men, each of them being one of the few recognized by the other as a WorthyOpponent. It also helps that Lupin is for the most part a thief and con artist, not a more hardened category of criminal that might draw Holmes' righteous anger, while Holmes is a private detective (from another country) and thus does not have a general mandate to fight crime as a police officer would - he is hired to solve his clients' cases and in one instance is quite happy to forget about Lupin as soon as he's forced him to return his client's property.
* In ''Literature/PathsOfDarkness'' Jarlaxle in is the ruthless leader of a drow mercenary band, who manipulates the companions into [[spoiler: ''not'' delivering the ArtifactOfDoom Crenshinibon to the priest]] that knows how to destroy it and ropes Drizzt into [[spoiler: having to fight Entreri in a duel]], but he is perfectly affable about it and even [[spoiler: rescues Drizzt from certain death (that he was more or less responsible for)]] and doesn't mean any of the companions any real harm.
* In ''Literature/TheWitchlands'', Esme considers Iseult her friend and is genuinely worried for her well-being even though the BigBad (to whom Esme is TheDragon) is hunting her using Esme's creations. Iseult, on her end, finds herself increasingly sympathetic to Esme's situation.
* In ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'', the [[AffablyEvil disturbingly friendly and well-mannered]] Nazi officer and true believer Captain Halsing approaches this, even after getting thrown in irons and beyond. Having to fight and risk your life to get out is part of the job, after all, nothing to take personally, and it was still nice of protagonist John Rumford to offer him a cup of coffee...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': Megamind and Metroman are an interesting example, although they appear to dislike each other at the start, it's later revealed that Metroman likes Megamind, calling him "little buddy", and Megamind loses all motivation when he thinks Metroman's dead. This is because there's no indication that Metroman has a SecretIdentity or life outside his heroics, and Megamind spends all his time in prison planning to destroy Metroman, or in his lair trying to do so. Add to that the film's Comicbook/LoisLane {{expy}} never dated Metroman and it all falls into place, they have no life or meaningful relationships apart from each other; they're friends by default.
* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', since Ralph is a PunchClockVillain and Fix-It Felix a PunchClockHero, neither bears the other any particular enmity and they actually get along pretty well in their off hours, Felix even trying to keep an anniversary celebration a secret so as not to hurt Ralph's feelings, and inviting him in when he does find out so Ralph doesn't feel left out. The Nicelanders, though, treat Ralph as if he actually ''is'' a villain, and ostracize him to the point it [[spoiler:nearly causes their game to get unplugged]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Rick Blaine (Creator/HumphreyBogart) and Captain Louis Renault (Creator/ClaudeRains) in ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' are a textbook example until [[spoiler: the closing scene, when, impressed by Rick's heroic sacrifice, Renault does a HeelFaceTurn. Rick famously declares, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."]]
* ''Film/CatchMeIfYouCan'': Frank Abagnale Jr. (Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio) and Carl Hanratty (Creator/TomHanks). This is based on real life. While Hanratty was a [[CompositeCharacter compilation of the men]] that chased Abagnale throughout his criminal career, he remained friends with several of them after he went straight.
* ''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.
* ''All'' the main characters are this at various points in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''. Most notably are Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa who are almost consistently on opposite sides ''and'' have a personal quarrel with one another[[note]]Barbossa was the one who staged the mutiny which cost Jack the ''Black Pearl'' prior to the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl first film]][[/note]], yet they are consistently quite friendly with one another and work ''incredibly'' well together.
* Subverted in ''Film/TheWatcher'' between David Allen Griffin (Creator/KeanuReeves) and Joel Campbell (Creator/JamesSpader). David ''thinks'' that this is what their relationship has become, but Joel does ''not'' agree.
* In ''Film/RobinAndMarian'': Myth/RobinHood and the Sheriff of Nottingham have grown into this. Just before their DuelToTheDeath, the two old enemies kneel in prayer, side by side. Robin then helps the Sheriff to his feet, and the Sheriff tells him: "God be with us, Robin."
%%* Hyoe Tadokoro in ''Film/TheHiddenFortress''.
* ''Film/FrenchKiss'' has one between Creator/JeanReno's Inspector Cardon and Kevin Kline's thief, Luc. Luc once saved Cardon's life, and Cardon believes that Luc will go straight if he has a chance, despite having stolen a $100,000 necklace. [[spoiler: Fortunately, he's right.]]
* Early on in ''Film/{{Casino}}'', mobster [[Creator/JoePesci Nicky Santoro]] sends his son to a little league team coached by a Las Vegas police detective; the two are seen chatting pleasantly about his son's progress. This is when Nicky was newly arrived in Vegas and before his increasingly AxCrazy antics made him public enemy number one.
* Burton Mercer, played by Creator/JohnCandy, in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers''. He never seems anything other than amused at the brothers' antics, and insists on watching their show before arresting them.
* In ''Film/ForgettingSarahMarshall'', Peter Bretter tries his best to hate Aldous, who has cuckolded him for over a year. However, Aldous' cheerful personality and lack of malice makes this so difficult that he eventually gives up.
%%* In ''Film/TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus'', Parnassus has this relationship with [[LouisCypher Mr. Nick]].
* In ''Film/AmericanGangster'', although drug baron [[Creator/DenzelWashington Frank Lucas]] and cop [[Creator/RussellCrowe Richie Roberts]] don't meet until the final 20 minutes of the film, Lucas immediately displays a grudging respect for Roberts when the latter turns down his offer of a bribe. The closing montage shows the amicable relationship evolving as the two work together to bring down NYPD's corrupt officers.
* ''Film/PulpFiction'': Marsellus Wallace seems to be the film's BigBad, but he is the employer and friend of the characters in the first and third story, and even in the second story, where he is the main enemy, greater antagonism comes from the minor character, Zed.
* In ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' Joe Cabot is friends with Mr. White, but Mr. Blonde is definitely far more evil than Joe, and [[spoiler: Mr. Orange, who is the policeman among them]] is an enemy of Joe and Blonde.
* Film/JamesBond movies
** General Gogol, head of the Soviet KGB in a number of Roger Moore-era films, is very much this character. He convinced M to have [[EnemyMine Bond and Anya work together]] in ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'', treated Bond as a WorthyOpponent in ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', and later appeared as a ReasonableAuthorityFigure in ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', in contrast with the main villain [[GeneralRipper Orlov]].
** Valentin Zukovsky occupies the same role, as Bond's ex-KGB counterpart in the post-Soviet Pierce Brosnan-era films. They two are briefly hostile in their first reunion in ''Goldeneye'' but quickly but their differences aside to help Bond's mission, and in ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' despite enduring considerable misery at his hands, Zukovsky even goes as far as to rescue Bond from captivity.
* ''Film/GodsAndGenerals'' has a rather touching scene of a [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Union soldier and Confederate soldier]] standing sentry duty on Christmas and commiserating across a river (including about how General Burnside is a GeneralFailure). They then each walk out to the middle of the river and trade a few puffs on a pipe for a mug of coffee.
* Magneto to Charles Xavier in the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''. As in most incarnations, they started out as very close friends who eventually found themselves on separate sides due to their ideological differences, and some friendship still remains. The two play chess together at the end of the first film, and Magneto is genuinely horrified when Xavier is disintegrated by Phoenix in ''The Last Stand'', sincerely grieving for him and promptly shutting Pyro up when he tries to talk disparagingly about Xavier:
-->'''Magneto''': Charles Xavier did more for mutants than you will ever know. [[AntagonistInMourning My single greatest regret is that he had to die for our dream to live]].
* In ''Film/TheManFromUNCLE2015'', the CIA and KGB handlers, Saunders and Oleg, are friendly with each other, to the point of Saunders sending regards to Oleg's wife and being on a FirstNameBasis.
* Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' display a surprisingly genuine respect for one another, in spite of their contrasting alignments.
-->'''Hannibal Lecter''': Clarice, people are going to think we're in love.
* ''Film/BridgeOfSpies'': Unlike his fellow Americans gripped by anti-Soviet hysteria, defense attorney James Donovan always treats Abel with dignity and respect, even when it endangers himself or his family. Similarly, Rudolf Abel is always well-spoken and deferential to his American captors.
* In ''Film/ThePrincessBride'', the Man in Black and Inigo Montoya start off as this, merrily discussing fencing techniques and complimenting each other's swordsmanship during their duel. Of course, [[HeelFaceTurn the "Enemy" part doesn't last too long]].
* ''Film/TheyShallNotGrowOld'': British veterans of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI featured in the documentary almost universally praise the captured Germans, describing them as boys much the same as the British who just wanted the war to end. There are many shots of British soldiers and German [=POWs=] posing, smiling and playfully exchanging hats. One veteran appreciatively notes how so many Germans would immediately volunteer for stretcher duty without being asked.
* ''Film/TheFugitive''. Richard Kimble calls US Marshal Sam Gerard as soon as he's found his wife's killer, despite the fact that the man has been pursuing him and tried to gun him down a few hours earlier, having clearly recognized him as someone he needs on his side.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Franchise/{{Batman}} has a hostile friendly rivalry with both ComicBook/RasAlGhul and ComicBook/TheJoker (usually, in both cases, with the friendly part strictly one-sided on the villain's part). Neither will stop trying to kill Batman, though their attempts are worthy of him and their history.
** Half the time, Ra's al-Ghul doesn't want Batman dead; he wants him to marry his daughter and become his heir.
** ComicBook/TheJoker is an interesting inversion because, from his point of view, this ''is'' their friendship. He commits all sorts of horrific and violent acts not because he's trying to cross the MoralEventHorizon but because he views this almost as a game he and Batman play, and it's sometimes portrayed as the only thing he lives for.
** ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'' is the defining example: after the Joker commits probably his most evil act in a long career full of them, the graphic novel ends with [[spoiler: the Joker finishing a joke [[ActuallyPrettyFunny that makes Batman laugh]], and the two of them laughing together as the police sirens draw closer]].
** One interesting ''Batman: Black and White'' (the first volume) story had ComicBook/TheJoker and Franchise/{{Batman}} as arch enemies...[[PunchclockHero but only because]] [[PunchclockVillain it's their job to be so]]; after the climactic comic book scene (which is treated as a movie-style shoot), they're completely cool with [[GoKartingWithBowser stopping by the local cafe to pick up lunch]]. In fact they even ''[[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments talk about their family lives!]]''
---> In a Menacing Face-off style Pose, staring each other down:\\
'''Batman:''' How are the kids?\\
'''Joker:''' Just fine, yours?
** A non-Batman (the person) example: in one issue of ''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'', the Joker claims that he took a liking to Jason Todd's rougher, more streetwise style...which was why the latter had to die.
** One ComicBook/TwoFace story ended with Two-Face ''waiting'' for Batman to come take him away after committing a murder. Harvey Dent is one of Bruce's close friends, and one of the few relationships where the Bruce-centric version of their relationship seems more important than the Batman-centric version of the relationship to him.
*** In another story that tracks a day in the life of Gotham City, Batman stops outside the window of Two-Face's cell at Arkham Asylum to continue a one-move-a-night chess game they're playing.
** Batman's [[DatingCatwoman relationship]] with ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} has always been inherently less hostile than with the other villains, primarily because she makes him [[FoeYay hot under the cowl]], and it's more justifiable here as her crimes are usually simple, for-profit theft (often stolen from {{jerkass}}es to boot) and very rarely involve directly hurting people.
** There's also ComicBook/TheRiddler, who considers his rivalry with Batman a game and who, like Catwoman, is generally not harmful enough to warrant being treated as a serious villain. He eventually takes this to its logical conclusion, by going straight and becoming a detective competing with Batman rather than against him - he still gets the buzz of the rivalry, but Batman isn't allowed to punch him anymore.
** ComicBook/ThePenguin can also be considered this, since he's one of the few sane villains Batman comes across. When he's not committing some sort of crime, he runs a semi-innocent nightclub in Gotham. Batman will occasionally turn to him for information such as rumors flying about the criminal underworld, and The Penguin will usually treat them as a business deal.
* ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'': In ''ComicBook/SupergirlCosmicAdventuresInThe8thGrade'', 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.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Luthor spends half an interview complimenting Clark Kent -- saying he writes like a poet, for instance. Some of it is backhanded, of course, and he derides Superman in the same sentence. It largely amounts to, "Clark, you're a good guy. Kind, strong, and intelligent, and you might amount to something if Superman wasn't making you look bad."
** A lot of lower-level criminals (including ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}) have this sort of relationship with Superman; it's been repeatedly noted that since Superman is so damn friendly and nice to everyone as long as they don't try to hurt or kill other people, very few non-super criminals dislike him. In one annual collection of short stories, it's made into a gag where a member of a gang of bank robbers' [[TitleDrop opening question]] "Why Metropolis?" (of all cities to rob a bank in), is answered, after a long discussion about those assholes in [[Comicbook/GreenArrow Star City]], [[Franchise/TheFlash Keystone City]], and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Gotham]], when Superman catches them and politely hands them over to the police while recommending the Metropolis reform program to get their lives back together: "Because when ''he'' catches you, he's not a jerk about it."
** Pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} Superman had this relationship with Bizarro and ComicBook/AmbushBug (Bizarro was more an AntiVillain, and Ambush Bug later became even more annoying to Supes by ''going straight.)'' In the ComicBook/PostCrisis days, Mr. Mxyzptlk is his main "friendly enemy."
* ComicBook/ProfessorX and ComicBook/{{Magneto}} from ''Comicbook/XMen''. It's rare when either actively seeks to harm the other, and when they do it's a ''really'' big deal. They've been compared to Malcolm X (Magneto) and Dr. King (Xavier) because they both want what's best for mutants as a whole, but disagree on what this is and the methods for getting there. Another RealLife analogy for these two would be Eric Raymond (Xavier) and Richard Stallman (Magneto), the two ideological leaders of the Free/Open Source Software movement; in terms of Raymond seeking reconciliation with the corporate world, and Stallman insisting that compromise is impossible. ''Film/XMen1'' shows them playing chess. However there are exceptions to this.
** Their Comicbook/{{Ultimate|XMen}} incarnations, where, for the first few issues, Magneto is willing to kill Xavier if he could get the chance. Xavier is opposed to [[ThouShaltNotKill killing in general]] - not to killing Magneto ''per se''. Their ''relationship'' ended in ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}... where [[spoiler: Magneto broke the Professor's neck with his bare hand]].
** In the ''WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded'' episode for ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', Franchise/{{Batman}} calls them "mortal frenemies" after Xavier says he and Magneto are old friends who are also occasionally mortal enemies. The short ends with Xavier expressing exasperation and disbelief that he and Magneto have been having the same argument for ''fifty years''.
* ''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]], Franchise/{{Wolverine}}, and Comicbook/GhostRider took over the title to uphold the legacy (as they had briefly done in the nineties). 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.
* In ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'', ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} the Terminator and Changeling (now Beast Boy) developed a relationship like this in the '80s. Changeling was about to fight him to the death when [[spoiler: [[https://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/6393690.html Deathstroke appealed to his humanity by showing up without his mask, stating that it was the faceless mask that he wanted to kill, not the person behind it. They later talked things over in a diner]]]].
* [[spoiler: The Comedian and Moloch]] of ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''. He specifically comments that [[spoiler: Moloch]] is the closest thing he has to a friend. He's known him for decades. He then immediately comments on how sad and pathetic that is. It's not a one-sided friendship either. [[spoiler:Moloch is one of the only people who visits the Comedian's grave.]]
* The Sandman has a less [[{{Pun}} venomous]] relationship with Franchise/SpiderMan than the wallcrawler's other adversaries, even when he's not [[HeelFaceTurn playing the good guy]]. Spidey has also formed an uneasy alliance with the first ComicBook/{{Venom}} occasionally and he really does pity Brock, but said alliances almost always end in betrayal due to Venom's ever-deteriorating mental health.
** Sandman also has a rather cordial relationship with Ben Grimm despite his past as a member of the Frightful Four. The two have been drinking buddies in the past and have even worked together on rare occasions.
* [[ComicBook/SonicX The Sonic X comic book]] portrays Sonic's and Eggman's relationship as exactly this. When Eggman's not launching an EvilPlan, the two are practically ''friends.'' They have civilized conversations, face off in (mostly) friendly competitions...Sonic even [[MoralDissonance helps Dr. Eggman get his secret lair back in control so he can get back to launching his evil plans again]]. When Eggman shows up for a party, no one bats an eye, either. Eggman's just the friendly neighborhood supervillain.
* ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'': While in the games, Sonic and Knuckles have been [[FriendlyRival friendly rivals]] ever since ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic & Knuckles]]'', these comics typically presented Knuckles as "Sonic's friendly nemesis" instead due to their relationship being more antagonistic than in the games. Eventually, Knuckles got enough character development for the "Enemy" part to be dropped.
* Franchise/TheFlash's RoguesGallery can be like this, especially during the Wally West era (though, Jay Garrick and his rogues all became friends after their mutual retirements), with such gems as Wally 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]], and when Clifford [=DeVoe=], the Thinker, was about to die, Jay spent the day racing around the world looking for a cure.
* When Eric Masterson served as replacement [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] for a while, he developed a friendship/rivalry with the villain, the Absorbing Man. [[AntagonistInMourning When Masterson died, Absorbing Man visited his grave and openly admitted to Thor that they were friends.]]
* Comicbook/CaptainAmerica has Batroc the Leaper. They both enjoy squaring off and are generally on good terms. He has even teamed up with Cap to defeat another villain on a number of occasions.
* Played with in ''ComicBook/DamageControl''. In the first issue, John Porter helps the villain Thunderball cut through Damage Control's Lost & Found department. Later, when several employees are trapped with the Wrecking Crew, Thunderball recognizes John among them; he instructs the Wrecking Crew to leave them alone and [[EngineeredHeroics claims that John has superpowers.]]
* In the [[ComicBook/TheTransformers Transformers Generation 1]] comic books, Optimus Prime and Scorponok (who was the Decepticon leader for most of the second half of the book's run) become this through a series of {{Enemy Mine}}s.
* In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'', Optimus's relationship with Megatron is...complicated. At one point, when Megatron has surrendered as part of a plot, they start swapping old war stories about the times they had attempted to kill each other, trading jokes about the assorted injuries.
--->'''Optimus:''' Or - or the siege of Massungrad, when you-\\
'''Megatron:''' When I trapped you in the antimatter chamber...\\
'''Optimus:''' They practically had to stitch me back together from the blast patterns on the walls!\\
...\\
'''Megatron:''' And what about Rada Mor, home to those sentient explosives you were so desperate to protect? I was reduced to ''cinders!'' They had to ''shovel'' me into the CR chamber!\\
...\\
'''Optimus:''' Heh.\\
'''Megatron:''' Heh.
* In ''ComicBook/RedHoodAndTheOutlaws'', there is a friendship between sidekick Arsenal (Roy Harper) and criminal Killer Croc (Waylon Jones) after the former hit RockBottom and tried to commit [[DeathSeeker suicide]] while fighting Killer Croc. Luckily Killer Croc wisened up to the scheme and [[WhatTheHellHero called]] him out on it. In issue #4 Roy mentions Waylon sponsoring him in the Alcoholic Anonymous program.
* ''ComicBook/{{Starman}}'': The Shade and Jack Knight started out like this; Shade made a full HeelFaceTurn later.
* ComicBook/CortoMaltese and Rasputin have this exact relationship. "I'll kill you one day, Corto. (...) You're missing out on a lot by not being my friend".
* Entombed from a Polish series ComicBook/WilqSuperbohater (Wilq the Superhero) is categorized as a villain. However, he is also the protagonist's best buddy and most stories involve both of them solving the problem at hand as a team. The same applies to Alc-Man, who shares a similar relationship with Wilq and is also technically a villain. [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything Neither of these two villains do much villainy]], in contrast to Wilq's real enemies.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Gothtopia}}'', Batgirl's best friend and ally, Daybreak, is actually her archnemesis, Knightfall. They have no memories of their previous confrontations and think they've first met rescuing a couple.
* It's surprisingly common in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse for supervillains to form friendships with superheroes that they don't typically fight:
** While ComicBook/{{Bullseye|MarvelComics}} has nothing but hatred for his usual punching partner {{ComicBook/Daredevil}}, he's formed a strange friendship with {{SelfDemonstrating/Deadpool}}. Deadpool is fully aware that Bullseye is a scumbag, but the two find each other to be oddly relateable thanks to their shared difficulties interacting with others. Even when they're trying to murder each other it comes off more like friendly ribbing than a serious situation. Bullseye has said that Deadpool is the only person he actually likes in any way and when Wade was believed to be dying, Bullseye ''cried''.
** [[ComicBook/IronMan Blizzard]] is good friends with ComicBook/SheHulk, after the two bonded over a glass of beer during a period where Jen was disbarred.
** ComicBook/AntMan and the supervillain Grizzly have formed an odd friendship; Grizzly attacked Scott because he mistook Scott for someone else, took him out to lunch to apologize, and from there the two hit it off. It helps that Grizzly is a professional and general NiceGuy rather than a lunatic/idiot/jerk like many supervillains.
** ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}} is a True Neutral at heart, so while he'll happily gun for anyone he's hired to kill, it's never personal. Like Bullseye, he actually became really good friends with Deadpool despite frequently being hired to kill him (in fact, when Deadpool hits a low, Tasky gracefully accepts losing to him and gives him a YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech), and after being forced to join the Secret Avengers, he actually took a liking to Mockingbird, despite being just as willing to kill her when his memory problems lead him into thinking he's loyal to AIM. His kindness to her is rewarded, as while brainwashed and ordered to kill him, Bobbi deliberately aims for a part of the brain [[BadassBookworm she knows will survive a gunshot wound without causing permanent brain damage]].
* [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Donald Duck as Paperinik]] (both in the classic stories and in ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'') has developed this kind of relationship with the lesser criminals of Duckburg, with the typical scene being of Paperinik catching them in the act and say hello, having a little chat, and the thieves then picking up everything and going to the closest police station to let themselves be arrested. The really interesting part is ''how'' it developed: [[TheDreaded the criminals are utterly terrified of Paperinik due the sadistic beatings he inflicts on everyone who tries and resists]], but as he's also polite and nice when they're not committing crimes or resisting they started giving up as soon as he shows up, resulting in this strange friendship. He'll also defend them when some newcomer butts in and hurts the criminals unnecessarily.
** In PKNA he and the Raider who rarely ever gets into direct conflict with Donald. In fact, he's more like a criminal that Donald has to ally himself with from time to time than an outright enemy.
* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' features the eponymous hero and Julius Caesar. Though the two of them are enemies--Asterix wants to keep the UndefeatableLittleVillage free of Roman rule and Caesar would like nothing better than to finally crush them and get that thorn out of his side--they have had several encounters where the two are functionally friendly to each other. Asterix treats Caesar with irreverent cordiality, which annoys Caesar to no end... yet privately Caesar still often finds himself admitting [[TakeThat it's still better than dealing with the Senate]].
** The latter partly explains the Friendly Enemy relationship. Caesar may be the BigBad, but he's surrounded by [[TheRival political rivals]] and [[TheStarscream ambitious underlings]] [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder eager to take his throne]], who are just as ambitious as Caesar while being nowhere near as skilled or as noble. Therefore, none of the Gauls really want him replaced, which leads to frequent EnemyMine situations. Many stories are resolved either by the Gauls defeating one of Caesar's enemies, or by Caesar showing up and putting a stop to one of his underlings' plans against them.
* ComicBook/BuckDanny has a relationship like this with [[spoiler:a defecting Soviet pilot, who later turns out to be a false plant still operating under Soviet orders]]. During their last dogfight, he salutes Danny as a WorthyOpponent, while Danny, after shooting him down, mentally acknowledges that the man gave his life for his country and deserves nothing but respect for it.
* Despite both being heroes, [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]] and ComicBook/BlackPanther have frequently been this. Both are kings of sovereign land (Atlantis and Wakanda, respectively), and due to diplomatic connections have on many occasions come close to war with one-another. However, they both share many allies and serve many of the same teams, so they're also just as likely to be on the same side. It was particularly prominent during the Incursions storyline, but even as far back as the 90s they were shown engaging in diplomatic squabbles and dealings.
** Similarly, and in a straighter example, both maintained this dynamic with ComicBook/DoctorDoom and Magneto, when the latter pair were heads of state themselves (Latveria and Genosha, respectively). They openly noted the latter as enemies of their allied heroes, but had no problem inviting one-another for dinner and diplomatic discussions.
* ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' reveals that Will Magnus, creator of the ComicBook/MetalMen, is friends with the villainous T.O. Morrow, creator of ComicBook/RedTornado, since they're both the fathers of artificial intelligence and both have problems with mental disorders. Will visits Morrow in jail and brings him news of the outside world and Morrow appreciates it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Seth, of ''Manga/{{Arago}}''. He's made it absolutely clear that he's just helping Arago so he can wait for the right time to take Arago's power for himself.
* Mei, a goat, and Gabu, a wolf, end up becoming the best of friends in ''Literature/ArashiNoYoruNi''. Needless to say, [[ForbiddenFriendship neither party is happy about this.]]
* This is the relationship most Wolves in ''LightNovel/BenTo'' have with one another.
* While not exactly friendly, Guts from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' and [[EvilCounterpart Nosferatu Zodd]] has shades of this, in addition to being [[WorthyOpponent worthy opponents]] to eachother. This is most likely because Zodd is the only notable long-running apostle in the series that has yet to do anything Guts would consider a truly [[ItsPersonal personal attack]], and most of Zodd's motivation for fighting Guts is simply because he [[BloodKnight likes to fight]], and Guts has proven that he gives as good as he gets. Zodd doesn't seem to be that high up on Guts shit-list either, since their interactions have mainly been straight up fights, and circumstantial at that, not personal or attempts at [[MindRape psychological torture and taunting]], like many, many other apostles have tried and failed. He even compliments Guts on occasion, praising his sword and technique. Zodd did not participate in [[spoiler:the Eclipse ceremony]] preferring instead to remain outside, [[spoiler:fighting the Skull Knight]] because that was far more fun. Lampshaded by the psychic Sonia at one point, where she predicts that Zodd must choose to either fight or [[EnemyMine cooperate]] with [[WorthyOpponent "the one he admires"]]. In the same fight, Zodd actually stops the apostles with him from attacking/killing a heavily injured and exhausted Guts, claiming they are there as warriors, and stating to Guts that their fight is on hold for now. He also gives Guts what seems to be a genuine smile as he is about to leave, giving the impression of being a literal NobleDemon. Although, this could simply be a case of [[TheOnlyOneAllowedtoDefeatYou extreme rivalry/bloodknight tendencies,]] which Zodd takes pretty damn seriously. Of course, because Zodd is an apostle, thus automatically sentenced to death in Guts' mind, and in addition serves as [[spoiler:[[BigBad Griffith's]]]] [[TheDragon dragon]], Guts is most likely never going to consider him anything but a WorthyOpponent at best, so this could turn out to be one-sided. And because both of them have massive [[BloodKnight blood knight personalities]], they will most likely never stop fighting or trying to genuinely kill the other.
** Zodd and the Skull Knight play this a bit more straight. They've clashed numerous times over the past 300 years with neither prevailing, and have similarly developed a mutual respect for the other's battle prowess in that time. They're capable of speaking to one another civilly and are even willing to put their fights on hold in special circumstances, as demonstrated after the Eclipse when Zodd saw that Guts, his ''other'' WorthyOpponent had survived. In the Japanese language of the manga, Zodd even refers to the Skull Knight as both his friend ''and'' nemesis.
* Most of the cast of ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. Eda and Revy have a MexicanStandoff one day, and share drinks in a bar the next. Shenhua is an ally in a mission against terrorists, an enemy in a CarnivalOfKillers, and a hired muscle for a later mission. This trope reached its ultimate in absurdity when [[GirlWithPsychoWeapon Sawyer]] shows up to "clean" a hotel room for Greenback Jane. Everyone else, having met her off the clock, just greets her and lets her do her business. Jane freaks out, since the last time she saw Sawyer, she was part of the aforementioned CarnivalOfKillers, and Jane was the target!
* ''Manga/CityHunter'':
** Ryo and Mick once the latter was hired to kill the former.
--->'''Mick:''' "I've been asked to kill you, Ryo."\\
'''Ryo:''' "Kinda expected it... In this case... Let's hit the pubs to celebrate our meeting!"\\
'''Mick:''' "Oh! Good idea!"
** Ryo and Umibozu started with this dynamic, with them friendly chatting and Ryo willingly paying him a breakfast while Umibozu is supposed to try and kill Ryo's charge.
* In ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Lelouch and Suzaku, depending on whether you see them as primarily friends ([[ShipTease or more]]) or enemies - they started out as friends when they were children, and Nunnally always said that together, they can do anything. At a few points, [[spoiler:they take this to heart and work together, resulting in the biggest wins for either of them]]. But the fact remains that they are on opposite sides, even when they're [[LivingWithTheVillain going to school together]]. What's more, over the course of two seasons, [[spoiler: they each go JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, betraying each other and swearing to kill each other, then somehow met up at the bottom of said slippery slope. They join up again and dig their way back to the top]]. They also have [[HoYay rather heavy doses]] of FoeRomanceSubtext.
* ''Manga/DeathNote's'' Light and L. There is room for debate on how genuine the relationship was, but this is not the place for it.
* Kaitou Kid, like Lupin III above, has this relationship with his favorite pursuers, especially Conan/Shinichi. In his ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' appearances, he has more meta-motive and opportunity, given that only 28 chapters of ''Manga/MagicKaito'' exist.
** Lupin himself (and Jigen) has this relationship with Conan in the [[Anime/LupinIIIVsDetectiveConanTheMovie crossover movie]].
* ''Anime/DominionTankPolice'' and the sequel series ''New Dominion Tank Police'':
** Feature the Puma Twins, a lovable, troublemaking pair of catgirls who have several run-ins with the title squad. Even though they are criminals, their relationship with the Tank Police is more one of friendly mischief than anything.
** In the first series, they are sidekicks to another example of this trope: the cyborg thief Buaku, an IneffectualSympatheticVillain who befriends Tank Police officer Leona.
* In ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}}'', Shin and Noi are quite friendly to Cayman's crew (they're ''not'' to Cayman himself, however, at least so far). With the GreyAndGrayMorality, however, the issue is a bit [[{{Pun}} shady]].
* Krillin in the early part of ''Manga/DragonBall'', and Piccolo and, later, Vegeta in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. Most of Goku's friends went through this stage at some point, though often not for long before the next BigBad pushed them into a full HeelFaceTurn.
** One interesting case was the android trio of 16, 17, and 18. After 17 and 18 [[AIIsACrapshoot killed Dr. Gero]], which actually went hand in hand with Future Trunks's prophecy about their terror, they only went after Goku because it was in 16's programming to do so and the twins needed some entertainment. When 17 and 18 curbstomped the Z Fighters on a mountain road somewhere, they didn't kill them, but instead actually left Krillin standing (as he was too scared to jump in), told him to use the Senzu beans to heal the others, and offered to fight them again anytime they wanted. When asked why they were going after Goku when they were already free from Gero, 17 said he only wanted to ''beat'' (not kill) Goku, and only because [[BloodKnight it would be fun]]. 16 actually didn't take part in this fight at all, as he would rather embrace his newfound love for nature rather than fight anyone not named Goku…until Cell showed up to absorb the twins. Then, they each had a gradual HeelFaceTurn, 16's being the most pronounced.
* Interestingly, most of the Rivalries in ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' seem to be of this nature. While always competing very aggressively with one another, the rival characters typically hold good feelings for each other.
** Sena had this kind of relationship played up with Shin, Riku, Yamato, and Panther.
** The moment that Gaoh seriously considered Kurita his rival, he had nothing but respect for him. In fact, AFTER being defeated by said rival, he openly declared Kurita to be a friend on the basis of his strength and honor.
** Hiruma and Kid were even seen at a bar playing darts (getting a perfect bulls-eyes every time...both of them), discussing what to do with Hakushuu.
* The Fukuyama siblings from ''Manga/GirlsBravo''. Though, they tend to get a little "too friendly" at times.
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** Andrew Waltfeld in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED''. Initially presented by the local Desert Dawn rebels as an oppressive and ruthless dictator, the [[RedBaron Desert Tiger]] turns out to be a likeable and friendly guy with a penchant for coffee. By the penultimate episode of the desert arc, [[spoiler:he's already become friends with Kira, despite knowing he pilots the Strike, and openly regrets having to fight him to the death in the next episode]].
** The two protagonists of ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'', Lowe Gear and Gai Murakamo, have this sort of relationship. They met as enemies, fought each other to a draw, and since then have demonstrated a profound respect for the other, both in fighting skills and in character. Though they occasionally wind up on opposite sides of a conflict (Gai being a mercenary means he doesn't really have a permanent "side"), they nearly always end up helping each other or finding some way to ensure that they both get what they want from the situation, and are willing to vouch for each other when asked.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'': That is the case of Asemu Asuno and his archenemy/best friend Zeheart Galette. Even after Zeheart is exposed as a Vagan spy, they cooperated in several occasions, with Zeheart saving his life a couple of times [[spoiler:the last time, even Asemu gives him the killing blow]]. An OVA focused solely on them is to be released in 2013.
* ''Manga/{{Gunnm}}'':
** Desty Nova and Alita in are just as often on the same side of a conflict as they are at odds with each other from [[spoiler: destroying the berserk Zapan in their first meeting]] to [[spoiler: trying to reach Ladder in ''Gunnm: Last Order'']]. This partially has to do with Nova's MadScientist nature, as he considers Alita a valuable experimental subject and/or variable in his continuing study of Karmatron Dynamics, and tends to consider her much more valuable alive than dead. This doesn't, of course, stop him from antagonizing her allies or dropping the occasional mind screw on her to see her reactions. Alita's on-and-off alliance with Nova is purely out of necessity, but they did share a critical moment of empathy [[spoiler: when Nova trapped her in the Ouroboros program and he let his emotional guard down. Unfortunately, the next back-up was right ''before'' that moment of empathy]].
** Similarly, Sechs, one of the rogue Tuned replicas of Alita, attempted to destroy Alita to prove her superiority when they first met. They soon became allies in the Z.O.E. tournament, but Sechs' desire for a final "proving" battle remains obvious.
* ''Anime/HandMaidMay'' has Kotaro Nanbara, who proclaims himself Kazuya Saotome's "best friend and worst enemy".
* In ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Nagato and Asakura. Nagato kills Asakura in the series, but in the Disappearance Movie, Asakura takes care of Nagato and cooks for her. [[spoiler:While Nagato was reborn without her memories, Asakura does remember everything, as seen in the 7th novel.]] This might fall in both FoeYay and [[HoYay Les Yay]].
* Alucard and Father Anderson in ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}''. It's clear that they enjoy fighting each other far more than anyone else, they take any excuse to go into open combat (even when ordered not to by their superiors, to whom they are ordinarily absolutely obedient), they often pass up opportunities to finish one another off for contrived reasons (though it's unclear at first whether either of them is capable of killing the other), etc. This is because they both [[BloodKnight really enjoy combat]], but are so powerful that anyone else is a boring CurbStompBattle. [[spoiler: Alucard is absolutely crushed when Anderson uses an ancient "holy" artifact that destroys his mind and turns him into a monster in order to become more powerful in the final battle.]]
* ''Anime/{{K}}'''s [[RedOniBlueOni Red and Blue Clans]] take this to something of an extreme. During one of their fights, the Red Clan's [[NonActionGuy Tatara]] and [[TokenMiniMoe Anna]] watch from the side and Tatara tells Anna that even though they're fighting, it's more like they're dancing, and communicating their feelings through their powers. The individual members have a lot of FoeRomanceSubtext. Saruhiko and Misaki seem to be the only ones who haven't gotten the memo that they're not ''actually'' enemies, and, well, [[EveryoneCanSeeIt they have the most]] FoeRomanticSubtext of the lot of them. And in the second season, [[spoiler: the Silver King gets them to form an alliance together]].
* In ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'', Yamamoto acts like a very friendly enemy towards Squalo, who can't stand him.
* ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'':
** Agaard Jum Sai, the resident Muay Tai master of the YAMI group's One Shadow Nine Fists. Although his disciple, Tirawat Koukin, is a mostly cold bastard, Agaard himself is quite friendly, has great respect for his rival Apachai even before and after the two fight each other, and freely and openly acknowledges Kenichi's growth as a martial artist under Apachai's tutelage. [[spoiler:He also gives Kenichi pointers for defending himself against a YAMI weapons master even while he himself is unable to assist directly due to temporary paralysis from his fight with Apachai]].
** Fellow Nine Fists member Akira Hongo comes in second place to Agaard in spite of his cool and aloof nature. While he and his rival Sakaki Shio aren't exactly on friendly terms due to their shared past, Hongo does acknowledge Kenichi as a worthy disciple of Sakaki, appreciates the bond that should exist between a martial arts master and his disciples [[spoiler:and encourages Sakaki to stay close to Kenichi and offer the boy support while Hongo himself takes the burden of fighting Silcardo Junazard]].
** Miu's father Furinji Saiga [[BigBad the leader of the Nine Fists]] is pretty friendly to Kenichi after revealing "John" was him in disguise all along. He thanks him for helping Miu, and gives his [[spoiler:parental]] approval for their developing relationship.
* In ''Anime/KillLaKill'', Ira Gamagoori goes out of his way for his Student Disciplinary Committee Chair responsibilities to help Ryuko and Mako out when he drives by the two hitch-hiking. As the three are driving back, they trade some friendly banter as if they weren't about to fight the very next day.
* In the ''Franchise/LupinIII'' franchise, the titular VillainProtagonist treats [[HeroAntagonist Inspector Zenigata]] more as an affectionate rival than a threat. If a severe threat to world peace appears, they team up to take them down. Both are sad if the other appears to die, and Zenigata typically goes into a fit of grief. Also, any time he's taken off the Lupin case or when Lupin appears TRULY dead, one of his first reactions is usually to go visit the gang. (Lupin and his gang returned the favor at least once, [[DueToTheDead showing up at Zenigata's funeral to mourn]] - from a distance - when he was believed dead.)
* Tohru and Elma were like this in the backstory of ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'', having become close friends despite being members of [[OrderVersusChaos opposing dragon factions]]. Their friendship has long since deteriorated into a fierce rivalry by the time the story starts due to personal issues (mainly related to [[ObsessedWithFood Elma's eating habits]]), albeit one with strong VitriolicBestBuds undertones [[spoiler:and they end up reigniting their friendship later on]].
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Naruto and Sasuke though they're more rivals than enemies. They constantly bicker and fight and attempt to outdo one another, but do have times when they get along fairly well. Later on in Shippuden they become the opposite--functional enemies who Naruto won't acknowledge aren't still friends. [[spoiler:By the end of the series, after one last fight Sasuke finally decides to come back to the village with Naruto.]]
** The dead raised by Edo Tensei are good guys made to fight other good guys. It reaches extreme levels during the Fourth Shinobi World War when summoned "enemies" happily warn the good guys of what moves they're about to be forced to perform and generally doing their dead level best to lose to former students and family despite their lack of free will.
** Madara and Hashirama are a good example of this. They share opposite ideals, and wage an intense battle that lasted for a day. They also grew up together as kids, as friends, and both shared a similar dream of a world where there is no more violence, even if it was through different means.
** The SequelSeries ''Manga/NarutoGaiden'' shows that Orochimaru is more or less this with Naruto and Sasuke. Despite him being a prominent antagonist of the original series who caused them quite a bit of grief, they're fairly cordial when dealing with him.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** Gold Roger and Vice Admiral Garp are shown to have become good friends after all of their encounters and fights, resulting in [[spoiler:Roger asking Garp to look after his child for him and hide him from the government after he dies, and Garp accepting. Despite the fact that Garp is committing a severe crime against the World Government he serves by doing so. Only his status as the World Government's greatest hero keeps him safe from punishment, as acknowledging his actions would have severely embarrassed the Government]].
** The same goes for Whitebeard and Roger, to the point where they were seen drinking together in a {{Flashback}} shortly before Roger's death when Roger told Whitebeard the truth about the Will of D.
** 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, despite knowing full well that Zoro's ultimate goal is to defeat him.]]
** [[spoiler:Trafalgar Law]] has shades of this toward Luffy and the Straw Hats as well [[spoiler:(his switching around of some of their hearts and minds notwithstanding)]]. Law was pretty friendly to Luffy at their first meeting, [[spoiler:and also acknowledges his role in saving Luffy's life during the Marineford arc even as Luffy himself acknowledges that they'll be enemies as long as they're both searching for One Piece--though he claims that that was something he did on a whim, thinking it would be a lame way for such an interesting rival to die. Now that they're in an official alliance, though, they're not really enemies anymore. By the beginning of Zou Arc, they are even full blown 'nakamas', having integrated himself fully with the Straw Hats (No, he didn't leave his own crew)]].
** Smoker has shades of this towards the Straw Hats as well, particularly towards Luffy. Sure, he still wants to capture them, but after the events in Alabasta [[spoiler:and Punk Hazard]], it's clear that he has respect towards them that no other pirate has ever earned from him, and Luffy returns it…though he's just a little too friendly by comparison.
*** Smoker's protégé Tashigi is the same way, though mostly in regards to Zoro.
** Franky and Senor Pink get fairly chummy during their fight, finding common ground in their [[RatedMForManly excessive manliness]] and honor, each accepting all other's blows without attempting to dodge or parry as if they were offered a drink at some bar.
* Through most of ''Manga/PeacemakerKurogane'''s prequel, Suzu and Tetsunosuke have this sort of relationship. Until [[spoiler: Suzu goes [[AxCrazy insane]] and becomes [[StalkerWithACrush obsessed]] with Tetsunosuke]]...
* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':
** [[TerribleTrio Team Rocket]] partake in this occasionally, such as in one episode where everyone enters an orienteering contest, including the Rocket trio in disguise. [[spoiler:James wins.]]
** Gary is this as of the D/P arc. Whenever he makes a rare appearance, it's usually to help Ash and the gang out with the [[MonsterOfTheWeek problem of the week]].
** Most of Ash's rivals are this. The most notable subversions of this trope are [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Pa]][[ShadowArchetype ul]] and [[LonersAreFreaks Tr]][[SugarAndIcePersonality ip]], until Ash earns their respect.
* Manga/{{Ranma|OneHalf}} and Ryoga are this trope to a tee. When Ryoga is first introduced, he tried to kill Ranma in his sleep. By the end of the series, they've saved each other's lives repeatedly, helped each other [[TimeToUnlockMoreTruePotential unlock more true potential]], and defeated near-demigods together. And then there was the whole [[LovePotion koi fishing rod]] story, in which Takahashi herself spoofed the "[[FoeYay Friendly]]" part of the equation by having Ryoga accidentally cause Ranma to fall madly in love with him.
* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'':
** Utena and Touga, strongly give off this vibe in their final duel - Utena wonders how often they've dueled, and comments that it feels like it's been dozens of times more than it has, while Touga swears to protect her. More evident in the manga, where he isn't as manipulative and [[spoiler:later makes a complete HeelFaceTurn away from Akio's influence]].
** A straighter example is Utena and Miki, the only member of the student council (and more or less the only duelist in general, other than [[ChildrenAreInnocent Mitsuru]]) who doesn't actively antagonize Utena and Anthy, and doesn't harbor any ill will toward either of them, even during his duels with Utena.
* ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' has this sort of relationship between the heroes and the [[FourIsDeath opposing side]]. This is mostly because the QuirkyMinibossSquad is headed by a literal NobleDemon and one of the members of the opposing side is [[spoiler: Gojyo's brother]].
* In one episode of ''Anime/SandsOfDestruction'', the World Destruction Committee and World Salvation Committee work together to escape from a sand submersible. The otherwise adversarial Lia goes [[{{Tsundere}} dere dere]] over Kyrie. When the ordeal is over, Naja opts to part ways with a gentleman's agreement rather than attempt to arrest the Destruction Committee, and Kyrie and Toppi suggest in a joking yet not-so-joking manner that it would be nice if they weren't at odds with one another.
* If they weren't swinging sharp objects at each other all the time, it'd be pretty hard to tell that the characters of ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' were enemies. Yukimura and Masamune have a friendly rivalry that borders on HoYay, Shingen and Kenshin never seem to have an ill word to speak about each other, Sasuke and Kasuga have some definite FoeYay, and Keiji...well, he wants to be friends with pretty much everyone.
* Extreme case: in ''Manga/{{Spiral}}'', [[GreatDetective Ayumu]] and [[EvilCounterpart Hizumi]] immediately hit it off, despite (or perhaps because of) everyone constantly assuring them that [[TheChessmaster Kiyotaka]] set it up so that one of them will have to kill the other. They go from strangers to HeterosexualLifePartners almost instantly; literally [[LivingWithTheVillain living, going to school, and hanging out together]]. They even share the housework.
* ''Manga/TentaiSenshiSunred'': Despite being the classic archetypes of masked hero and monstrous evil general, Sunred and Vamp are the best of pals in everyday life, even if Sunred is a bit too uptight to admit it sometimes. Vamp's even helped Sunred move into his new house.
* In ''Manga/UQHolder'', Episodes 4 & 5 (chapter 14) sees this with Kaito & Tota. [[spoiler: 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.]]
* ''Manga/{{Vagabond}}'': Despite the fact that, historically speaking, Musashi will kill Kojiro in their final duel, the two have nothing but admiration for one another. Musashi even thinks of Kojiro whilst dueling with another (inferior) opponent, and Kojiro, whilst practicing calligraphy, constantly draws the character for Musashi.
* Thorkell likes to think that he and Thorfinn have this relationship in ''Manga/VinlandSaga''. Thorfinn thinks otherwise.
* ''Anime/YuGiOh'':
** While he kidnapped Yugi's grandpa in the first episode of the anime (and flat out tried to kill Yugi and his friends in the manga), Seto Kaiba generally ended up helping Yugi and his TrueCompanions frequently.
*** The same could be said of Pharaoh Atem and Priest Seto, whom Kaiba is the reincarnation of. Priest Seto even referred to himself as 'the Pharaoh's true friend' on an epitaph of sorts for Atem.
** In the movie, Pegasus saved everyone with a helicopter.
** In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', Dr. Crowler (Professor Cronos) evolved from a villain to a more-or-less good guy, but was this in-between, and he wasn't always happy with it. (At one point, when he tried to help the students and they started cheering for him, he was a little annoyed by it; as he said in the dub version, "I think I liked it better when they hated me...")
* ''[[Anime/YuGiOhZexal Yu-Gi-Oh! ZeXal]]''
** III Arclight from with Yuma Tsukumo. [[spoiler:Up until the point that Tron used a ritual that made him AxCrazy and sociopathic, that is; but he got better.]]
** Gauche was also this towards Yuma in Season One, so much that he tended to help Yuma as much as he opposed him. (Gauche really [[PunchClockVillain wasn't truly bad anyway.]])
** In Season 2, Alit is this towards Yuma (at least to his own point of view). The friendly attitude ended for a while after [[GreaterScopeVillain Don Thousand]] woke up, however. [[spoiler:He returns to this status eventually.]]
* ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'':
** Bommer and Yusei respect each other as duelists, and Bommer even stood up for Yusei when he faced animosity from the spectators. The only reason they're fighting is because both have loved ones who are at stake.
** Team Unicorn and Team Taiyou during the WRGP arc. Team Unicorn are fierce competitors who are amicable enough to Team 5D's when they're not dueling. Team Taiyou are just a couple of friendly guys who happen to be facing Team 5D's due to the roster match-up (one of their members, Yoshizo, is even a Yusei {{fanboy}}).
* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' played this trope several times with numerous opponents of the Urameshi team during the Dark Tournament arc. Any character who wasn't killed or didn't show signs of being a total heartless bastard generally wound up making reappearances in the series as an ally. In fact, some characters, such as Chu and Jin, actually managed to get along fine with Yusuke during their actual fights. A particularly good example is Yomi. Considering how HotBlooded he was in his youth, 1000 later, Yomi is civil even to one of the people he'd been in a 500+ year stand off with, even if he does plan to destroy them.
* In ''Manga/ZettaiKarenChildren'', members of BABEL and PANDRA try to kill each other far less often than they have friendly conversations with them. Even to the [[BigBad Big Bad Hyobu Kyousuke]].
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