History Main / WhoNeedsEnemies

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' The Slayers themselves ''know'' that Xelloss is only using them as part of a scheme to advance Mazoku interests, but between the facts that he's incredibly useful for the period of time where their goals coincide, and that they don't have any practical way of forcing him to leave, they have no choice but to put up with him.

Compare DividedWeFall where genuine allies fight, and contrast EnemyMine where the above sentiment proves true. Not TheMole, but may as well be. Also contrast the AloofAlly whose motivations and goals legitimately match the hero's AND does earnestly work alongside them when needed or when their interests align--they just don't consider themselves to be a part of TheTeam.

Compare DividedWeFall where genuine allies fight, and contrast EnemyMine where the above sentiment proves true. Not TheMole, but may as well be.

*** From the Cardassians' perspective the Dominion fits, they obviously don't really trust or like each other (the Cardassians tried to wipe out the Dominion's homeworld only a year and a half before they allied), but [[LetsYouAndHimFight with Federation and the Klingons getting back together]], they have teamed up to fight the Federation and their allies in order to gain control of the Alpha Quadrant.
*** Garak is this on a more personal level. A true patriot ([[PlanetOfHats like all good Cardassians]]), he was banished from his home but still loves Cardassia with all of his heart, and sees Dominion rule as disastrous. As such, he will do anything to destroy the Dominion, and for most of the series, that means working with The Federation. His main differing point with The Federation is one of method, Garak has no qualms against any method that might achieve his ends. He has been willing to start wars, commit genocide, and manipulate, assassinate, and be accessory to the creation of chemical weapons in order to destroy the Dominion. Worst of all, he makes a good case for it.
*** Section 31 may also count. While acting in the interest of The Federation, they are willing to violate each and every single one its principles. The main characters of ''Deep Space Nine'' oppose them on the grounds that their methods ([[spoiler: which include an almost perfectly successful extinction of the Founders]]) are everything they are fighting against.

* Jerome in ''Series/HouseOfAnubis''. He's sneaky, manipulative, and uncaring, (at least at first). He does always end up helping Sibuna...but usually for his own benefit, or at least one that's different from the rest of the group's. Three seasons and he's still just an ally...an ally that none of them tend to even trust on a daily basis.

''With friends like these...''

* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', it would be a stretch to say that you can ally yourself to the Batarians in the fight against the Reapers. It's more like you get them to agree that, since you're fighting the Reapers, and they're fighting the Reapers, you might as well all fight them at once, on the same battlefield, at the same time. On a personal level, Balak makes it clear how much he despises humans and ''especially'' Shepard when s/he makes the alliance with him. The feeling is quite mutual.

[[folder:Film]]

** Taken UpToEleven with the eponymous Reaper-killer of ''[[{{DLC}} Leviathan]]''. It [[spoiler:or rather they, are the [=MEverse's=] ''original'' AbusivePrecursors who used MindControl to rule over the 'lesser races' as gods until one of their creations turned on them, created the Reapers and started the cycles. They fight the Reapers because they are angry at losing their position as the 'apex of life' and care nothing for anyone else beyond the fact Shepard has proven they can no longer hide.]] Shepard may have found more help for the war, but what will happen when there's no longer a common enemy to fight is a pretty worrying question.

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* The Northern and Southern Water Tribes in ''FanFic/TheStalkingZukoSeries''. They attempt to present a united front to get better say in the peace conference. Otherwise, they despise each other. The Southern Water Tribe remembers that Northern Water Tribe didn't lift a finger to help them when they were being slowly killed off while the North thinks the South as poor, uneducated yokels.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', the [[SpaceElves Eldar]] fight against whoever the current BigBad is, not ''along with'' the Imperium of Man.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Drop-Zone", Bane is willing to work with the Young Justice team in order to get his allies back. He winds up betraying them after this.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JoeOrioloFelixTheCat'' has Felix and Rock Bottom neighbors, but Rock is making relaxing for Felix on a Sunday morning nigh impossible. Felix quips "With Rock as a neighbor, you don't need any enemies!"

WithFriendsLikeThese

The hero is working to stop the EvilPlan of the EvilOverlord, and has, at long last, found an ally. No, wait... perhaps ally is too strong a word. This person is fighting the BigBad, just like the hero, but is doing so on their own terms with their own agenda. This agenda doesn't run contrary to the hero's, but at the same time the other person's agenda doesn't fall seamlessly in line with the hero's goals, either.

Occasionally, the "ally" will actually be another villain, who, for some reason, has decided that helping the hero is beneficial to their own long-term goals. Often, this is part of a XanatosGambit; if they can use the hero to do some dangerous dirty work then why not? They either accomplish a goal or lose a potential enemy. It's win-win.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, Doctor Doom once agreed to assist the ComicBook/XMen by successfully healing Shadowcat when she was about to die from the effects of a fight with the Marauders, after Reed Richards had tried and failed to do the same. Doom didn't actually give a damn whether Shadowcat lived or died... he just enjoyed the opportunity to show up Reed Richards. This was also Doom's logic when he helped deliver Valeria Richards -- her very existence would be a perpetual reminder to Reed that Doom was able to save his family when he wasn't.

* Played for laughs in Literature/DoraWilkSeries. To work out a mystery involving vampires, [[BadassUnintentional Dora]] enlists help of vampiric seneschal [[HypercompetentSidekick Teresa]]. Relationship works out well, but it turns out that Teresa's a raging vampire feminist, who wants Dora (recently a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampire Lady]]) to engage in vampiric politics and aid the women's cause. She still helps, in hopes that Dora will be so entangled in the matter she'll have no choice. So far, mixed results.

* In the Season Two finale of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Spike helps Buffy stop Angel because 1) he wants Drusilla to himself, and believes that with Angel out of the picture, he'll have her all to himself again and 2) he rather ''likes'' the world (all his favorite activities and foods are there) and doesn't see much fun in the whole thing, himself included, being sucked into hell. He really couldn't care less if Angel ended up killing Buffy.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': It's not a surprise that Jaime's distaste for the Freys is considerable. He feels that the Lannisters have to constantly bail them out. It becomes more than he can bear when Walder Frey toasts his men for the victory of re-taking Riverrun... which the Freys totally botched until Jaime personally took back the castle (in spite of these clowns). He tells Frey point blank that his house is a joke without the Lannisters backing him.

** In ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'', the Romulans, Gorn, Tholians and Ferengi (all at least antagonistic toward the Federation and in some cases downright hostile) banded together with the Federation and Klingons (already long allied) in opposing the Dominion.

*** Garak is this on a more personal level. A true patriot ([[PlanetOfHats like all good Cardassians]]), he was banished from his home but still loves Cardassia with all of his heart, and sees Dominion rule as disastrous. As such, he will do anything to destroy the Dominion, and for most of the series that means working with The Federation. His main differing point with The Federation is one of method, Garak has no qualms against any method that might achieve his ends. He has been willing to start wars, commit genocide, and manipulate, assassinate and be accessory to the creation of chemical weapons in order to destroy the Dominion. Worst of all, he makes a good case for it.
*** Section 31 may also count. While acting in the interest of The Federation, they are willing to violate each and every single one its principles. The main characters of ''Deep Space Nine'' oppose them on the grounds that their methods ([[spoiler: which include an almost perfectly succesful extinction of the Founders]]) are everything they are fighting against.

* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', Princess Lian starts out as this, but ends up joining your team and doing your bidding.

* Volke from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' is an assassin, thief and mercenary in every sense of the word. His motives are never explained and he only gives information for a fee. When asked why he always needs money, he asks for 100,000 in pay to answer.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', it would be a stretch to say that you can ally yourself to the Batarians in the fight against the Reapers. Its more like you get them to agree that, since you're fighting the Reapers, and they're fighting the Reapers, you might as well all fight them at once, on the same battlefield, at the same time. On a personal level, Balak makes it clear how much he despises humans and ''especially'' Shepard when s/he makes the alliance with him. The feeling is quite mutual.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode ''Injustice For All'' Lex Luthor gathers up some villains and, when The Joker muscles himself into the scheme, tolerates him at best because it's better to have the unpredicable lunatic close by and under surveilance than it would be to chase him away and risk incuring his wrath and sabotage. Despite spending the whole time basically being annoying and pleading to kill Batman, Joker proves his worth by capturing Bats to begin with and, believe it or not, being the voice of reason the entire time.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* During the "[[AlienInvasion Xorn Invasion]]" storyline, one of the [[Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse Global Guardians]]' greatest allies against the alien invaders was Abyss, who normally is one of the team's greatest enemies. He helped them because the aliens were interfering with his own plans for world domination.
[[/folder]]

* The [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Foghorn Leghorn]] cartoon "Raw! Raw! Rooster" has Foggy being victimized by practical jokes from his college classmate Rhode Island Red. Foggy gets even withy Red with an exploding "Goodbye" present, to which Red wearily comments "With you as a friend, I'll never need an enemy!"