History Main / TragicBromance

** The founding trio of HOMRA: Izumo, Mikoto and Tatara - particularly the last two. They became good friends in their teenage years, and after Mikoto became the Red King, the other two became his first Clansmen, and Tatara helped him deal with his nearly uncontrollable powers. Tatara is murdered, and it very obviously effects Mikoto's psychological state. He becomes a DeathSeeker whose only goal is fiery, violent revenge on the killer, despite the fact that his own powers are going haywire - which he knows will cause [[SuperPowerMeltdown large-scale destruction]] if that's allowed to happen, and the only way to stop it is for someone to kill him.
** Mikoto and Reisi have this dynamic as well. Though the two fight constantly, it's clear that they care about each other, and spend the series trying to find a way to prevent Mikoto's powers from destroying the city and himself. [[spoiler: Mikoto chooses Reisi to be the one to kill him to prevent the aforementioned SuperPowerMeltdown, potentially causing Reisi to lose control of his powers in the same way. Reisi spends the second season grieving for Mikoto while dealing with that possibility.]]

** Reuenthal and Mittermeier. They were [[OddCouple unlikely friends]] who nevertheless became very close, and very loyal and attached to each other; eventually their friendship and military prowess earned them the nickname "The Twin Stars of the Empire". As the years went by and Reuenthal's already dark psyche became even darker and more conflicted, Mittermeier became [[LivingEmotionalCrutch the only one anchoring him and keeping him in line as much as possible]]. In the end due to circumstances and Reuenthal's darker thoughts getting the better of him, he betrays Reinhard, and in a cruel twist Mittermeier is ordered to subdue him, breaking his heart. To further twist the knife, Reuenthal was always associated with Tristan (the name of his flagship), and his death has ''Theatre/TristanAndIsolde'' parallels as he's clinging on to life hoping to see Mittermeier one last time. Their TragicBromance ends on a bittersweet note: Mittermeier adopts Reuenthal's orphaned infant son, giving him the loving family that his friend never had.)

* ''Manga/VigilanteMyHeroAcademiaIllegals'' gives us a flashback to [[TheCowl Aizawa's]] and [[MakeMeWannaShout Present Mic's]] past friendship with another UA student named Shirakumo. Despite Aizawa's gloomy demeanor and lack of confidence in his [[AntiMagic "boring"]] Quirk, Shirakumo was a bright, cheerful influence on him. But in the middle of a fight with a huge, powerful villain, the other heroes are knocked out of commission or so busy protecting civilians that Aizawa is the only one left. Thanks to words of inspiration from Shirakumo, Aizawa finds the confidence to figure out how to defeat the villain... but not really. After the fight is over, he finds out that Shirakumo died protecting others from falling rubble, and the voice he heard was just in his own mind. From this moment on, Aizawa becomes more driven and focused on perfecting the skills he needs to be the pro hero Eraserhead, but to the exclusion of almost everything else in his life.

** And for extra tragedy, [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia the main series]] revealed soon afterward that [[spoiler:Shirakumo's body had been taken and experimented on by [[BigBad All For One]], twisting his body, Quirk, and what remained of his mind into the villainous [[TeleportersAndTransporters Kurogiri]]]].

* In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, this is the center of an arc between Steve Rogers and James "Bucky" Barnes. Buck's ([[BackFromTheDead apparent]]) death in ''First Avenger'' shakes up Steve, and they can't fully go back to their previous relationship because of his bloody past as the Winter Soldier, which is either brought up or exploited by the antagonists when relevant. Ultimately, [[spoiler: he decides to put himself on ice at the end of ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' until his brainwashing is completely flushed out. While they do finally fight together near the end of the Infity Saga, Steve chooses to go back to the 1940s, leaving Bucky alone in the present day.]]

* The ''Alicization'' arc of ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' features this between the protagonist Kirito and his ChildhoodFriend in Underworld, Eugeo. The pair is inseparable, fighting and adventuring together for kost of the first half of the arc, but it all comes crashing down when [[spoiler:Eugeo is seduced by Quinella and later killed in battle. A lot of Kirito's behavior following the incident is fueled by his guilt and mourning over the boy.]]

* In the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, this is the center of an arc between Steve Rogers and James "Bucky" Barnes. Buck's ([[BackFromTheDead apparent]]) death in ''First Avenger'' shakes up Steve, and they can't fully go back to their previous relationship because of his bloody past as the Winter Soldier, which is either brought up or exploited by the antagonists when relevant. Ultimately, [[spoiler: he decides to put himself on ice]] at the end of ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' until his brainwashing is completely flushed out.

** [[spoiler:Aquitainus Attis]] is Septimus' closest friend outside of the man's bodyguards. He flew to join Septimus in battle and failed to arrive in time to save him. He [[spoiler:saw through the deception and knew it wasn't Marat who killed Septimus, but a cadre of his fellow Alerans who killed his friend. And Septimus' father Gaius failed to protect his own son. For these actions, Attis decides to seek out these men and take revenge, with him aiming to usurp Gaius from the throne]]

* This occurs between Daenerys Targaryen and Missandei of Naath in the final season of ''Series/GameOfThrones''. Since season 3, Missandei had been one of Daenerys' closest friends and confidants, not to mention the only woman near her own age that she could talk to things other than war and politics (like cute boys, for instance). In the fourth episode of season 8, however, Missandei gets captured and publicly executed by Cersei Lannister, crying out Daenerys' {{Catchphrase}} "[[KillItWithFire Dracarys!]]" with her dying breath. Missandei's murder, among other things, fuels Daenerys' descent into madness and she goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge in the next episode.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' gives us James Potter and Sirius Black. They were a part of a four-person group of friends at Hogwarts called the Marauders, but they were described as being the Fred and George Weasley of their time. When James dies at the hands of Voldemort, Sirius was ready to relinquish his rebellious lifestyle to look after James' son Harry, but when Hagrid mentioned that Dumbledore already had a plan in place, Sirius unsuccessfully went after the man responsible for allowing Voldemort to kill his friend, which got him wrongly imprisoned. Ever after both James' death and his imprisonment in Azkaban, he isn't nearly as cheerful or light-hearted as he is presented in flashbacks or in a little side-story, though he does briefly revert to his old self when he comes into possession of his old house.

* ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' has [[NamedAfterSomeoneFamous Dazai Osamu and Oda Sakunosuke]]. Oda is the first and only one who truly understands Dazai, yet he dies shortly after he has his [[PreciousPhoto last photo]] taken with [[PowerTrio Buraiha]] as friends. His last words lead to Dazai's [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal betrayal of the mafia]] and [[HeelFaceTurn gradual turn into a somewhat better person]] (that says, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality still far from “good”]]).
** And there is this huge {{Tearjerker}}: According to WordOfGod, he is doomed to die in every timeline where [[WhatIf he and Dazai are friends]]. [[ShoutOut Even in real life]].

** And there is this huge {{Tearjerker}}: According to WordOfGod, he is doomed to die in every timeline where he and Dazai are friends. [[ShoutOut Even in real life]].

* ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' has [[NamedAfterSomeoneFamous Dazai Osamu and Oda Sakunosuke]]. Oda is the first and only one who truly understands Dazai, yet he dies shortly after he has his [[PreciousPhoto last photo]] taken with [[PowerTrio Buraiha]] as friends. His last words leads to Dazai's [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal betrayal of the mafia]] and [[HeelFaceTurn gradual turn into a somewhat better person]] (that says, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality still far from “good”]]).

* ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' has [[NamedAfterSomeoneFamous Dazai Osamu and Oda Sakunosuke]]. Oda was the first and only one who truly understood Dazai, yet he died shortly after he had his [[PreciousPhoto last photo]] taken with [[PowerTrio Buraiha]] as friends. His last words led to Dazai's [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal betrayal]] of the mafia and [[HeelFaceTurn gradual turn into a somewhat better person]] (that says, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality still far from “good”]]).
** According to WordOfGod, he was doomed to die in every timeline where he and Dazai were friends. [[ShoutOut Even in real life]].

* ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' has [[NamedAfterSomeoneFamous Dazai Osamu and Oda Sakunosuke]]. Oda was the first and only one who truly understood Dazai, yet he died in combat shortly after he had his last photo taken with [[PowerTrio Buraiha]] as friends. His last words led to Dazai's [[HeelFaceTurn betrayal of the mafia]] and gradual turn into a somewhat better person (that says, still far from “good”).

* ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'' has [[NamedAfterSomeoneFamous Dazai Osamu and Oda Sakunosuke]]. Oda was the first and only one who truly understood Dazai, yet he died in combat shortly after he had his last photo taken with [[PowerTrio Buraiha]] as friends. His last words led to Dazai's [[HeelFaceTurn betrayal of the mafia]] and becoming of a somewhat better person (that says, still far from “good”).

* In ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', Revan and Malak were best friends before their fall the dark-side, leading Malak to eventually betray his oldest friend. When confronted with an amnesiac Revan who has returned to the light-side, he only regrets betraying them from afar and mourns the loss of the "[[ARealManIsAKiller real]]" Revan.

*** In the 13 Riders special, the roles are reversed.

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', [[spoiler:Gary and Avocato.]] Also, in more than one timeline, Gary and Mooncake, the latter reacting to the death of the former with [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum apocalypse-inducing]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds wrath]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', [[spoiler:Gary and Avocato]]. Also, in more than one timeline, Gary and Mooncake, the latter reacting to the death of the former with [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum apocalypse-inducing]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds wrath]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', [[spoiler:Gary and Avocato]]. Also, in more than one timeline, [[spoiler:Gary and Mooncake, the latter reacting to the death of the former with [[SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum apocalypse-inducing]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds wrath]].]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', [[spoiler:Gary and Avocato]]. Also, in more than one timeline, [[spoiler:Gary and Mooncake, the latter reacting to the death of the former with [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds apocalyptic wrath]].]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', [[spoiler:Gary and Avocato]]. Also, in one timeline, [[spoiler:Gary and Mooncake, the latter reacting to the death of the former with [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds apocalyptic wrath]].]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', [[spoiler:Gary and Avocato.]]