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4[[quoteright:267:[[Webcomic/VGCats https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vg_cats.png]]]]
5[[caption-width-right:267:[[Franchise/MortalKombat Friendship? Again?]]]]
6
7->'''Carly:''' I thought we talked about this. We can be buds, but you gotta get over this crush thing.\
8'''Freddie:''' I am over it! Seriously! I'm in love with you, you just want to be friends, and I'm totally cool living with that constant pain!
9-->-- ''Series/ICarly'', "i{{Pilot}}"[[note]][[AllLoveIsUnrequited Though truthfully]] he's [[HopeIsScary trying to avoid pain]].[[/note]]
10
11Platonic friends who have the [[ShipTease possibility]] for [[UnresolvedSexualTension romantic intimacy]] but explicitly reject it.
12
13The force with which the two deny any feelings is always inversely proportional to the truth. Just Friends is in essence, a relationship, a potential relationship, or teased relationship between people who are simply Just Friends, in a normal, and regular manner. When a character uses the line "We're Just Friends" but [[EveryoneCanSeeIt no one]] seems to [[MistakenForRomance believe them]], this is likely to be the trope involved.
14
15It is used in such diverse ways as being the central driving force of the actual series, a subtext undercurrent to a main plot, or even [[AssPull pulled out of nowhere]] simply to create drama and tension. It is a safe trope to use for a writer, as it can develop in multiple directions, those directions can flip back and forth, and it can be done in a way that avoids overpowering the real 'genre' of a show until the writer decides to develop the relationship further. It can be delayed indefinitely, quietly abandoned, or dealt with in any direction extremely quickly without making characters look bad. Viewers can easily relate to the trope as the experience of liking or loving someone who only sees you as a friend is common in real life.
16
17[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin All this trope really needs is two characters who happen to be friends]] for the possibility to exist and because of that this trope can crop up anywhere, in any medium, at any time.
18
19There are genres where it is more common than others. It is used in {{SitCom}}s or dramas with single characters as principals. It is very popular in teen-centric series where the most intense a relationship can get is kissing and networks want to avoid the MoralGuardians by avoiding one-night-stand-style hookups that turn into relationships. Can also pop up in a CopShow or a BuddyCopShow. Given enough seasons even the least likely shows can go through with a relationship that would be considered to be a Just Friends one.
20
21It is an umbrella trope as the overall theme of a Just Friends relationship requires involving multiple other tropes to build up tension, develop viewer interest, develop the storyline, and determine an ending to the relationship story arc.
22
23Alice's characterisations often include: AllGirlsWantBadBoys, FirstGirlWins, SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan. Often suffers from ObliviousToLove.
24
25Bob's characterisations often include: UnluckyChildhoodFriend, RidiculouslyAverageGuy, a CelibateHero, a KnightInShiningArmor for his friend-girl.
26
27The RelationshipUpgrade is used as a major plot point for a season CliffHanger or [[GrandFinale series finale]]. An easy way to generate tension.
28
29This can take several forms:
30* AliceAndBob are friends but start to develop mutual feelings for each other over the course of the series. They may worry that acting on these feelings will end up [[IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship ruining their friendship]].
31* Bob has developed unrequited feelings towards Alice but has declined to tell her. Bob refuses due to a fear of rejection, fear he isn't good enough, because Alice is [[IncompatibleOrientation lesbian or asexual]], or simply because Alice is involved with Charlie. See IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy for more information.
32* Alice has developed unrequited feelings towards Bob, has told Bob of them, and been rejected. The driving force is often Bob's development of feelings towards Alice whilst Alice tries to control her feelings for Bob or works to overcome them. Can often become an UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo situation.
33* Bob develops unrequited feelings towards Alice, that she [[ObliviousToLove may or may not be aware of]], but she will never return his feelings. If he tries to push the issue, this often leads to a crushing DownerEnding and ShipSinking moment for Bob, often to the point where they never show up again, especially if they are a recurring character who isn't essential to the series.
34
35See also:
36* OfficialCouple: Just friends ships in works with the pair as two of a small cast of three or four characters will often have the only meaningful ShipTease and relationship development, as writers are reluctant to involve what is often their only male or female character into a LoveTriangle or make them look like a jerk for playing more than one of the other cast members against each other.
37* BelligerentSexualTension: Rarely used by a just friends couple. When done it's often part of a PowerTrio where the third character is the calming influence, or the third party is involved in their own more typical just friends relationship with the 'shared' partner of a LoveTriangle. ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' and ''Series/ICarly'' are the best examples of this kind of LoveTriangle, as the trios on both are obviously extremely close, but there is still a distinct difference between the relationships of Harry/Hermione and Carly/Freddie, compared to Ron/Hermione and Sam/Freddie.
38* IncompatibleOrientation: Maybe Bob likes Alice, but Alice likes girls. Maybe Alice likes Bob, but Bob likes boys. Maybe Bob likes boys and Alice doesn't like girls ''or'' boys. Whatever the reason, one or both of them aren't compatible and stay friends.
39* BetterAsFriends or IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: Used to [[ShipSinking sink]] one of these ships, or used as the starting state of the romantic pairing before they develop romantic feelings.
40* LikeBrotherAndSister: The characters literally think of each other as siblings despite lacking a blood relationship.
41* MistakenForRomance: The characters are thought to be romantically interested in each other but neither are remotely interested.
42* FriendsWithBenefits: How some writers deal with their UST or sexual frustration, whilst not dealing with the relationship's emotional core (read: enabling them to continue drawing it out).
43* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther, WillTheyOrWontThey, SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan, SheIsNotMyGirlfriend, EveryoneCanSeeIt, LastMinuteHookup and GreenEyedMonster: All potential aspects of the relationship as it is ongoing, but are not limited to the just friends type of romance.
44* HeterosexualLifePartners: Which is often given this type of relationship in slash FanFiction.
45* PlatonicLifePartners: When a man and a woman are the equivalent of HeterosexualLifePartners. They tend to be the closest relationship either of them has with anyone, but there is no sexual or romantic component to their relationship. In short, they really ''are'' just friends.
46* PlatonicCoParenting: They might be raising a child (or children) together, but they aren't a couple and have little to no interest in becoming one.
47* StupidSexyFriend: Even when they agree they ''should'' just be friends, one (or each) can't get rid of their sexual thoughts about the other.
48* LastHetRomance: In the event Alice or Bob discover they're gay once they start dating, they usually end up just friends... usually with a hefty heaping of "ItsNotYouItsMe."
49* LetsJustBeFriends: A standard line used to end a relationship.
50* StrictlyProfessionalRelationship: When it's a work relationship.
51
52It is also the title of a 2005 comedy film based pretty much entirely on the trope. It is now located at ''Film/JustFriends''.
53
54'''This is a {{Love Trope|s}} and entries may spoil the {{ending|tropes}}s of relationships and works as a whole. You have been warned.'''
55%%COMMENT: Please try to avoid completely unmarked spoilers. Especially for works that are recent, lesser known, have twist endings, involve deaths of characters, or where a romance arc is the core reason for the work as a whole.
56
57----
58!!Examples
59[[foldercontrol]]
60
61[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
62* ''Anime/FiveCentimetersPerSecond'': Takaki and Akari start as friends at a younger age, share their FirstKiss at age 13, and go back to just friends because of distance. [[spoiler:At least, Akari does. Takaki stays in love with Akari for another 15 years.]]
63** The 2nd part has Kanae end up with this by default, due to CannotSpitItOut by her to Takaki as well as [[spoiler:Takaki's ongoing feelings for Akari closing his heart to anyone but Akari.]]
64* ''Manga/BlueFlag'' has this as a major discussion point for Mami, as her desire to retain male friends ''without'' this trope coming to play is unfulfilled aside from her longtime friend Shingo. She hates that whenever she tries to make honest contact with boys, people (either the boys themselves or outsiders) always assume that it's really just a stepping stone to romance. This sentiment doesn't go away when the boys are dating someone else, either--then their ''girlfriends'' assume that she's a threat merely because she's a close female friend.
65* ''Manga/CaseClosed'':
66** Heiji and Kazuha believe they are just friends, even though EveryoneCanSeeIt.
67** Ran and Shinichi often say they're just friends. Though Shinichi is a bit more open to admitting that he has feelings for her, it took over 1000 chapters for Ran (and about 250 chapters after Shinichi's confession) to be open with her feelings.
68* ''Manga/DNAngel'':
69** In the first episode of the anime, Daisuke is looking forward to finally confessing his feelings to his longtime crush Risa. Only for just right before he can say anything, she thanks Daisuke for being such a good '''friend''' to her, heavily emphasizing the word friend. The look on Daisuke's face made it look like it would have hurt less if he was just kicked between the legs.
70** In the manga it's worse since he actually manages to approach her and she directly turns him down. Despite this, she wants to stay friends, and leans on him while pursuing her own romance; [[spoiler:even when he refuses later to stay friends, she can't understand the pain she'd cause him. Not until her own crush suggests a purely platonic relationship.]]
71* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Goku and Bulma have been friends for years and whether or not she saw him romantically is up for debate.
72* ''Anime/TheGirlWhoLeaptThroughTime'': This is how Makoto sees Chiaki and Kousuke [[spoiler:until she realizes her feelings for Chiaki.]]
73* In ''Manga/TheHatingGirl'', Asumi and Ryouji refer to themselves as this whenever someone asks about their relationship. Ryouji would definitely like to pursue things further, and Asumi slowly comes around to the same.
74* ''Manga/HeliosEclipse'': Helios and Mineko.
75* ''Literature/{{Kampfer}}'': Natsuru (in male form) and his childhood friend Kaede Sakura. He doesn't want to outright ask her out and potentially get shot down so he decides to stay friends with her. However, when he changes into a girl, Natsuru quickly gets a RelationshipUpgrade with her even though she doesn't seem to realize that the two Natsurus are the same person.
76* Hakuya from ''Manga/KokuhakuGame'' harshly claims to be this with Kimidori in chapter 2. Ayako and Akame start doubting it in the very next chapter.
77* ''Manga/KoreWaKoiNoHanashi'' has Haruka want to remain this with Sugita, who tries to be just friends with her despite his feelings for her, but he's obviously unhappy with the arrangement and throws his glove in for Haruka's heart.
78* Akko and Andrew's relationship in ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia2017'' is ultimately confirmed to be this via WordOfGod, with Yoh Yoshinari calling it a "playful guy-guy relationship".
79* ''Anime/{{Madlax}}'': Madlax and Vanessa ([[BodyguardCrush not really]]). Vanessa and Elenore in earlier episodes.
80* ''Manga/MaidSama'': Poor Hinata. He tries so hard to be more than Just Friends with Misaki, but she's already deep in the throes of BelligerentSexualTension with Usui before Hinata even makes the scene.
81* ''Manga/MedakaBox''[='s=] main characters Medaka and Zenkichi [[ChildhoodFriendRomance have known each other since they were two years old,]] yet they're seemingly no different than friends (with Zenkichi getting massively embarrassed when [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl Medaka changes clothes in front of him]]). However, both of them have deeper feelings but never act on them for various reasons: Zenkichi feels like she doesn't understand normal humans and doesn't think he can keep up with her. Meanwhile, Medaka thinks her feelings are one-sided because the first time she met, [[RejectedMarriageProposal she proposed to him and he said no]]; again, Zenkichi was '''two years old''' at the time and [[ForgottenFirstMeeting doesn't even remember the meeting,]] but she seems to think he hasn't changed his mind. When Zenkichi proves himself by defeating Medaka in the student council elections, he also encourages her to find her own purpose in life [[note]]symbolically "freeing" her of her obligation to help others, which he unwittingly gave her back when they first met[[/note]], which leads to Medaka giving him TheBigDamnKiss in front of the entire school. They're more open with their feelings from then on, but it still couldn't be called a RelationshipUpgrade because too much crazy stuff is going on to allow them to go on dates and such. It isn't until the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue ten years later that they decide to get married.
82* In the manga ''Manga/{{Momokuri}}'', Yuzuki and Shouta are in this relationship. For much of the series Yuzuki and Shouta are incredibly close, so much so that many people think they're dating, though their closest friend says they're LikeBrotherAndSister. The truth, though, is that the relationship between the two, and their close friend Rihito, is much more complicated: Shouta has always been in love with Yuzuki, who is crushing on Rihito, and Rihito secretly returns this crush. But while Yuzuki is infatuated or possibly in love with Rihito, ultimately she's always thinking about Shouta and treasures him at least as deeply if not more so; she just never even imagined that he might leave her and thus never considered their relationship being anything more either. This combination of her pining for one boy while treasuring another above anything else has left ''both'' boys out of luck.
83* A downplayed example in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', between Izuku Midoriya and his first friend at U.A., Ochaco Uraraka. As the series progresses, her feelings for him grow. She is rather unsubtle about it, with the result that several classmates, including [[ShipperOnDeck Mina]], Tsuyu, Kaminari, Aoyama, and Mineta can see it. (For Izuku's part, his feelings are more ambiguous and go mostly unmentioned, though the two do tend to [[ShipTease blush]] around each other frequently). Uraraka considers her feelings as [[LoveIsAWeakness distracting]] and decides to shelve them for the time being, choosing to just enjoy their friendship.
84* Played with in ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret''.
85** The story starts with Asahi Kuromine going to confess his feelings to his mysterious and beautiful classmate Youko Shiragami, only to discover that she's a [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire vampire]] and promised her father that she'd leave school if anyone found out. Not wanting to miss his chance, Asahi pleads with her to stay so they can be friends and promises to be her SecretKeeper. Nobody believes him at first because he CanNotTellALie and thus his crush on her was a case of EveryoneCanSeeIt, and in the meantime, he's trying to work up the nerve to confess. It's played straight for Youko; she starts the story ObliviousToLove and later on when the thought finally crosses her mind, she dismisses it since [[InsecureLoveInterest she (wrongly) thinks she causes Asahi too much trouble and he's just too nice to say anything about it]]. Eventually she does realize her own feelings for him, and they end up getting together.
86** For Asahi, the trope is more justified. As his friends note, he tends to admire women who possess traits that he lacks (such as being more "together") and often mistakes that admiration for love; by being friends first and getting to know the real Youko, he gets to form a deeper and more honest connection with her. Also, though he's initially mad at himself for unintentionally friend-zoning himself, later on he muses that it's probably better things went this way since if he'd confessed to her after learning her secret, it would have felt like he was blackmailing her.
87* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
88** Naruto and Sakura's relationship. Naruto had a [[LovingAShadow one-sided shallow crush]] on Sakura while [[SingleTargetSexuality Sakura is in love with Sasuke]]. Regardless [[FireForgedFriends they still managed to form a friendship]] over the course of the series with CharacterDevelopment and became TrueCompanions by mid-series. Yet three people InUniverse commented on their relationship possibly being romantic or at least taking it as romantic: Konohamaru and Gamakichi in Part I, and Naruto's dead father Minato in Part II. {{Subverted|Trope}} because in the end, they were legitimately '''[[LikeBrotherAndSister just friends]]'''; [[spoiler:Naruto [[OneTrueLove truly fell in love]] with and married Hinata, and Sakura married [[SingleTargetSexuality her only love Sasuke]] after the latter's definitive HeelFaceTurn]]. ''Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie'' even has Sakura being a CoolBigSis to both [[TwiceShy Naruto and Hinata]], [[ShipperOnDeck actively trying to bring the two together]]. Creator/MasashiKishimoto [[WordOfGod even stated]] in this [[http://www.saiyanisland.com/2017/01/naruto-creator-masashi-kishimoto-2017-interview/ interview]] that Naruto and Sakura were ''always'' going to be just friends and teammates; although he deliberately planted {{Red Herring}}s in the manga to [[TrollingCreator mess with the shippers]], he explicitly stated that ''nothing'' was set in his mind ''at all'' about making them a couple and he later reiterated that he '''never''' thought about making them a couple, because it was all about [[spoiler:[[OfficialCouple Naruto and Hinata]]]] getting married from the early stages of the manga.
89** Nagato and Konan are just friends since childhood, mostly because Konan was apparently in love with the late Yahiko, and Nagato never had romantic feelings for her and [[ShipperOnDeck supported Konan and Yahiko's relationship]].
90* In ''Manga/{{Nisekoi}}'', after saving Chitoge, Raku (at this point, hasn't fully realized his own feelings) straight up says to her face "Because you're my best friend". Understandably, she doesn't take it well and kicks him into the air.
91* In ''Manga/NodameCantabile'', [[DirtyOldMan Stresemann]] and [[SilverFox the Academy's director]] decided to stay this after the director received an illness that stopped her from playing the piano again when she was younger, though they had the potential to become lovers if the illness hadn't struck, as noted by Stresemann's assistant.
92* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman Boa Hancock]] falls in love with [[IdiotHero Monkey D. Luffy]]. Before the TimeSkip Luffy was ObliviousToLove, but after the TimeSkip he catches on to Hancock's feelings, but considers them just good friends.
93* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'':
94** In Episode 21, Souga Kazukiyo the class rep has feelings for Kurakano, and they have been good friends for most of their life. Souga doesn't want to cause problems or change things, and also has something of an IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy moment when relating Kurakano's feelings for Haruhi.
95** [[RunningGag Bossanova or Vossanova or Kossonova or Casanova or whatever his name]] is, has unrequited feelings towards Haruhi who's [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe one of the first people at school to not be scared of him]]. Thanks to [[SweetOnPollyOliver being a girl that's pretending to be a boy at school]], Haruhi complicates things by causing them to project an image that brings flocks of {{yaoi fangirl}}s to them. Haruhi being utterly, completely {{oblivious|ToLove}} to his crush, doesn't help either and makes it explicit that she considers themselves friends, disappointing him and all the fangirls.
96* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': All of Ash's companions are this to him and he is [[ObliviousToLove oblivious to the majority of them whom have feelings for him.]]
97* ''Manga/RandomWalk'':
98** Between [[spoiler:Yuka and Hiro]] in the past. The two were classmates who got along really well and decided to try dating each other, but both were too immature to handle a romantic relationship, so they broke up not long afterwards. They were moved to different classes the next year, and both start dating someone else. By the time they are classmates again, they are comfortable enough to return to being friends.
99** Later, it is also revealed that [[spoiler:Touko has a crush on Hiro]], but she dates other guys [[spoiler:because he's unavailable]]. When [[spoiler:Hiro breaks up with his girlfriend, Touko offers herself to Hiro, only for him to laugh it off, saying that he's fine without a girlfriend. Touko realizes that he only sees her as a friend, and decides to commit herself to her current on-and-off boyfriend, Tsukasa.]]
100* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'':
101** For most of the manga, Ryoga Hibiki greatly desires Akane Tendo to know of and reciprocate his romantic feelings toward her. Unfortunately for him, [[ObliviousToLove she is completely oblivious]]. Not only that, but she sees him as nothing more than her friend and treats him as such.
102--->'''Akane:''' Are you worried about what I said? You're the one who forced me to say it! You made me say I hated you.\
103'''Ryoga:''' Please don't try to comfort me!\
104'''Akane:''' But, Ryoga, it wasn't right! Because I actually... I like you, Ryoga!\
105'''Ryoga:''' You do? Really?\
106'''Akane:''' I really do, Ryoga. You're a good friend. Let's be friends forever!
107** In the manga, Akane says this when Ranma's mirror clone tells Akane that Ranma likes her.
108---> '''Akane:''' Wha- No way! Ranma and I are just friends.
109* ''Anime/{{Sarazanmai}}'' has a guy/guy variation: Enta's got a crush on his best friend Kazuki, but doesn't tell him out of fear he'll break it off. While it takes a connection to finally get it in the open, and their relationship does strain (for other reasons), they ultimately end the series subverting it by becoming TrueCompanions with Toi.
110* ''Manga/SingYesterdayForMe'': Near the beginning, Rikuo confesses to his longtime friend Shinako, but she tells him she's not ready for a relationship, and the two stay friends while Rikuo tries to pursue her. Eventually, [[spoiler: the two get together, though it doesn't last. After their breakup, the two vow to remain friends.]]
111* ''Manga/SugarSugarRune'': Chocolat and her male school friend, Mimura.
112* ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart'': Sugimura confesses his feelings for Shizuku, but she tells him that she only likes him as a friend for two reasons. One: her best friend Yuko had a crush on him and was hurt that he didn't realize it, and two: Shizuku and Sugimura have known each other for years and she had felt nothing romantic towards him. That and she dates Seiji in the end.
113%%* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': Kazuki Takahashi claims that this is what Joey/Jonouchi and Mai are.
114* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': Yuusuke actively denies that his relationship with Keiko is nothing more than friendship. However, it's assumed by everyone that the two are dating (including the mentioned pair, themselves -- Yuusuke asks Keiko not to dump him at one point). He stops protesting after he comes back to life the first time but it's a pretty strictly fighting manga, so they never discuss their relationship. It was established early on that neither has to even stop and think about dying for the other.
115[[/folder]]
116
117[[folder:Arts]]
118* Creator/RoyLichtenstein's work ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know...Brad I Know... Brad]]" is inspired by, and is, an example of this trope. The full text of the comic that inspired the work is "I know how you must feel, Brad... because I've been in love with you as long as I can remember." The work itself dispenses with the words after "I know how you must feel, Brad" but still conveys her feelings through her emotional expression.
119[[/folder]]
120
121[[folder:Comic Books]]
122* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel'': Kamala and Bruno tend to fall back on claiming that they're only good friends and nothing more on the numerous occasions where they don't want to analyze their feelings in particular depth. In ''ComicBook/MsMarvelBeyondTheLimit'', this is parodied during the Bollywood song sequence, where Bruno sings a romantic serenade about how he and Kamala are ''just friends''.
123-->''Every time you open the door my heart flutters as you walk in the store -- but I swear we're only friiiiiieeeeends and nothing mooooooooooooore!''
124* ''ComicBook/XForce'': Cable and Domino have a long history, during which they've been everything from genuinely just friends to teammates to FriendsWithBenefits to lovers.
125* ''ComicBook/YokoTsuno'': Yoko and Vic were like this for years, but began developing romantic feelings for one another.
126* In ''ComicBook/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl'', ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' informs ''Comicbook/{{Batgirl}}'' that she and ''Comicbook/LexLuthor'' are just friends, and the rumors claiming otherwise are only that: rumors.
127-->'''Barbara:''' My secrets may be the key to saving your boyfriend.\
128'''Supergirl:''' Don't be trite -- we're just friends.
129* The ''ComicBook/{{Static}}'' series has the title character, Virgil Hawkins, and Frieda having this type of relationship throughout the run. Although admittedly, Virgil was initially attracted to Frieda, but she wanted to keep their relationship at this level. However, Frieda became somewhat jealous once Virgil began dating a girl named Madison. Even Virgil's ex-girlfriend Daisy made mention that Frieda was never that way when Virgil was with her. Frieda's response? She didn't view Daisy as an actual romantic rival.
130* An issue of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' comics produced by SLG had Lexington ask a pair of gargoyles named Coco and Staghart if they're a mated pair. They both laughingly deny it but assure him they're very good friends. This has been taken as a hint that Staghart might be "like a nine bob note" as they say in London. Many fans speculate that if the comic had shown more of Lexington's adventures in London, Staghart would've at least been his ClosetKey, perhaps someday a permanent mate.
131* Played as a RunningGag in ''ComicBook/QuantumAndWoody'', as Woody regularly informs everyone within earshot that he and Quantum are "not a couple."
132* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': After a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship, Spider-Man and the ComicBook/BlackCat settled into this. It lasted from the '90s to the mid-2000s before ComicBook/BrandNewDay reset them back to sexual partners with Felicia not knowing Peter's identity and then had her become an antagonist as a result of the events of ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan. ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan2018'' has seen them reconcile as friends.
133[[/folder]]
134
135[[folder:Eastern Animation]]
136In ''Animation/ScissorSeven'', somehow played for both laughs and drama for [[MagicMusic Meow Kai]], [[spoiler: as his crush, Meow Kitty, is in love with [[InterspeciesRomance Mad Bark]]. It prompts him to attempt to prove himself stronger than Mad Bark, but it only ends with Meow Kitty turning him down for good. Lampshaded by [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Seven]], who's [[PassThePopcorn eating popcorn,]] to rub salt in the wound.]]
137--> '''Meow Kitty:''' ''You have nothing to prove... You're a nice guy.''
138--> '''Seven:''' ''Oh damn, [[JustFriends friendzone.]]''
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Fan Works]]
142* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Italy initially wanted to be this to Germany and Japan and [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretended to not notice their feelings for him]] [[spoiler:because [[InsecureLoveInterest he thought he wasn't good enough for them]].]]
143* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic.
144** ''Twi and Me'' discusses this in the narration:
145--->'''Narrator:''' As we walked through those flowery meadows (...) my heart became filled with increasing panic. I was in love with Twilight Sparkle! And she probably saw me as nothing much more than another interesting sample from an alternate universe, or even worse--A friend!
146** Main character in ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/114049/this-is-the-life-a-tale-of-a-human-in-equestria This is the Life: A Tale of a Human in Equestria]]'', another WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic fanfic. He's actually telling the truth though ([[UnresolvedSexualTension probably]]); He's just frustrated from being teased about it after sharing a bed with Lyra.
147---> '''Big Macintosh:''' What about Lyra Heartstrings? I heard you and her were close.\
148'''SelfInsert:''' We're ''friends.''
149** The relationship between Nav and Celestia remains this for much of ''FanFic/DiariesOfAMadman'' ([[OddFriendship for a strange definition of friendship]]), despite her repeated attempts at going for a RelationshipUpgrade. While Nav hasn't definitively said no, so far he's put her offers on hold.
150** ''Fanfic/TheElementsOfFriendship'': During Book I, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy get StrangledByTheRedString and become engaged. By the time of Book IS (1.5), they realize that they jumped into things out of fear over [=NightMare=] Moon's conquest of Equestria, and that they're actually better off as friends, so they call off the wedding.
151* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Carol and Harry, who insist that they're this while [[EveryoneCanSeeIt most everyone, from characters]] - including even outright villains, who've only seen them together for a couple of moments - to [[FanPreferredCouple fans]], is either [[ShipperOnDeck shipping them]] or completely disbelieves the 'JustFriends' claims of either. The truth turns out to be a bit more complicated. By chapter 35 of the sequel, Harry wouldn't be averse to a RelationshipUpgrade, but emphasises that he's Carol's friend first and foremost because she's had a number of bad experiences with guys befriending her just to try to get into her pants - something made all the more distressing since [[YoungerThanTheyLook she's only 14/15 at the start of the story]] - and just wants a friend. He also points out that psychologically, he's not exactly in the best place to be starting any kind of relationship. By around the same time, Carol, who'd admitted that she was a) attracted to him and b) loved him in a more-than-platonic sense, notes that she's interested in the idea, but she's got issues of her own (some mentioned, others not). [[spoiler: In chapter 46 of the sequel, after they've both grown up a bit and gotten over enough of their respective issues, they choose a RelationshipUpgrade. And it is adorable]].
152* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' has Harry and Hermione deny with insistence being anything more than friends, contrary to what literally everyone, both in- and out-of-universe, thinks. Harry and [[WordOfGod the author]] said that "maybe they'll get together later, maybe they won't, but for the time being they're just eleven and it's reductive to think that Hermione, because she's a girl, could only be a love interest and not a friend".
153* ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': At the beginning of the story. Asuka insists she and Shinji are just friends, even if she describes Shinji as "one of my dearest friends" in chapter 2. Nobody believes her, though.
154* ''Fanfic/DoingItRightThisTime'': Asuka insists that Rei is her friend and just a friend. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial She definitely has not a crush on Rei, not matter how cute she is]].
155* The ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10057943/11/Beacon-University-The-College-AU Beacon University]]'' has this dynamic between no less than three couples. It's lampshaded in chapter 11 when a jealous Yang convinces Pyrrha, Nora, and Blake to spy on the male characters' 'boys' night out'.
156-->"Not ''stalking''. [[InsistentTerminology Recon]]," Yang clarified, "girls, these are ''our'' boys. Not any other girl's. They're ''ours'', right?" The three hesitantly and unenthusiastically nodded, making Yang sigh. "So you'd all be okay if other girls decided to claim them as theirs?" She looked over to Nora, "If Ren got a new best friend?" then to Blake, "Adam a new girlfriend?" and finally Pyrrha, "and Jaune a new training partner?" The three shook their heads frantically, the thought of being replaced not too appealing to them.
157* What Neo in the crossover ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' and ''Film/TheMatrix'' ''Fanfic/HuntingSeries'' fears himself and Dean will be in part four, a prequel - The First Hunt. In between The First Hunt and part one - Hunting Dean and Neo become a couple.
158* In ''[[Fanfic/HotspringSouls Slice of Souls!]]'' Solaire and Lady Maria claim to be this, despite always being around each other, being openly affectionate in public, living in the same apartment, and even [[spoiler:having ''previously kissed''.]] Naturally, there's loads of ShipTease between them.
159* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'': When Toji and Kensuke tease Shinji about Rei, he insists that they're only friends.
160* In ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'', when Asuka insinuates that he and Rei are dating, Shinji replies that they're just friends. Shinji thinks to himself that it might be not entirely true, since whatever relationship he and Rei have is more complex and complicated than that, but he reasons that it is about as close to a coherent explanation as he can get (seeing how there is so much about Rei he is nowhere close to understanding himself) and believes that, as such, it suffices as a description.
161* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeelingCrazy88'': During a school dance, a girl asks Asuka if Shinji and she are together. Asuka replies that they're just friends. However, when the girl hints that she wants to get him all for herself, Asuka warns her away rather... ''pointedly''.
162* In Creator/AAPessimal's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12321109/30/Gap-Year-Adventures Gap Year adventures]]'', one of the spurs behind Mariella Smith-Rhodes wanting to leave Ankh-Morpork and go off adventuring is the realisation that fellow graduate [[NiceGuy Timothy Bellamy]] is hopelessly in love with her. Mariella only sees this as a Just friend thing and she's stuck for a way to let him down gently. So she does what any rational girl would do - which is to run away. But while touring Klatch and Howondaland, she meets ''another'' fellow student. Who she has seen for the previous seven years as brash, loud, abrasive, and stupid and a reminder of why she left [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica home]] in the first place. He's in love with her too. Mariella is reluctantly shifted from seeing him as an AbhorrentAdmirer to a position of Just Friends and at the end of the story is wavering on giving him a try.[[note]]The young idiot matures and changes as a result of his own misadventures and near-death experiences[[/note]] If only to keep her family happy.
163* ''Fanfic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': In the sequel ''Picking Up the Pieces'', Violet Lulamoon insists (truthfully) that she and her lieutenant Lunar Light are this. Her fellow captain Sweet Surprise isn't convinced.
164* In ''Fanfic/TheBerserkersBride'', Fishlegs has always had a crush on Hiccup, Hiccup having always seen him as her best friend while on Berk.
165* The ''RWBY'' fic ''Fanfic/LearningToBloom'' changes Pyrrha and Jaune's relationship so that Pyrrha is strictly on platonic terms with her teammate and friend Jaune, while Jaune is the one who is hopelessly in love. Pyrrha gives in to Jaune's advances and dates him for a few weeks, but it hurts her and she recognizes that she's just leading him on. They break up and Pyrrha ends up with the person she actually likes: Weiss.
166* In ''Fanfic/FuturesFreakMeOut'', Asuka several times insists that she and Shinji should remain just friends because she is afraid that she will lose one of her only friends in the event that they break up after getting together. After a jealousy-induced nervous breakdown, though, she admits to herself that she will not be happy with merely being friends, and she hooks up with Shinji.
167* This is the relationship status of Olive and Oscar at the start of ''[[Fanfic/FullCircleOddSquad Full Circle]]'' -- they are AmicableExes and remain friends even after breaking up at the end of ''Fanfic/ShipsAhoy''. However, the entire premise of ''Full Circle'' revolves around everyone else playing [[TheMatchmaker matchmaker]] and trying to get them back together as a couple. Olive and Oscar don't wish to have a major RelationshipUpgrade, though, and by the end of the story, they end up settling on just being reserved for each other without being in a serious boyfriend-and-girlfriend relationship.
168* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' story ''Fanfic/ASmallButStubbornFire'', [[CassandraTruth Marinette has to insist that she and Cat Noir are just friends after Sabine catches Cat in her room late at night]]. After Marinette has another panic attack where she says "Kitty" and that he loves her, Sabine mistakenly believes that Marinette is lying to her about this not knowing the panic attack is from what happened with Cat Blanc. Finding out that Marinette is Ladybug only makes Sabine suspect that it was a lie and her feeling for Adrein might be a cover.
169[[/folder]]
170
171[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
172* ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'': There's indications of this with Jack and Sally before their RelationshipUpgrade. Sally seems more into him from the beginning; Jack is too depressed at first and then too invested in his schemes to notice her in a different light than as a compassionate friend.
173* ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'': Sunny is in love with Dawn but helps her with her romances because they're [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friends]].
174[[/folder]]
175
176[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
177* ''Film/ThirteenGoingOnThirty'': Matt appears to be like this towards Jenna at the start of the movie when they are both 13.
178* ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer'' has Tom falling for Summer, as she starts a FriendsWithBenefits relationship but continues to lead him on with the potential of them becoming more. It culminates in Summer calling him 'her best friend' as he walks away when she breaks their relationship, and his heart.
179* Very narrowly averted in ''Film/AreWeThereYet'' when Music/IceCube's character is about to get stuck permanently in the "Friends Zone". he can practically hear the warning:
180-->"This is a Friends Zone only. I repeat, this is a Friends Zone only. Please dump your friend and move on with your life."
181* ''Film/CalamityJane'': The titular character and Bill Hickcock fit this, as they're VitriolicBestBuds for most of the movie. This overlaps with their BelligerentSexualTension until they get a RelationshipUpgrade.
182--> '''Katie:''' Do you dislike Mr. Hickock as much as you pretend to?\
183'''Calamity:''' Dislike ''Bill''? Why, me and Bill are thicker than flies in a Pawnee camp. We're like the seven-year itch to each other... but it's a lotta fun scratchin'. Yup. That Bill Hickock's about the best friend I ever had.
184* ''Film/ClerksII'' has Dante trying to tell himself that Becky and him and this. So not.
185* ''Film/{{Filibus}}'': When Leo Sandy declares his love for Leonora, she totally friend-zones him.
186* In ''Film/FriendsWithBenefits'', Dylan and Jamie veer between this and FriendsWithBenefits.
187* In ''Film/TheFWord'', this is the central conflict of the film, whether Wallace and Chantry can stay friends when they harbor such a great attraction towards each other.
188* Juan Herrera occupies the Friend Zone in ''The Furies''. He clearly carries a torch for heroine Vance Jeffords, but she has a thing for [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys bad boys]] like Rip Darrow, so he can only listen and give advice.
189* ''Film/HarryPotter'' has this sort of relationship with Hermione, outright stating that he thinks of her [[LikeBrotherAndSister like a sister]]. However, unlike in the books, the movies did a poor job of portraying the characters' relationships up until that point, so many movie-only fans thought the Trio was a love triangle and had a hard time accepting that the Harry/Hermione [[ShipSinking ship had sunk]].
190* ''Film/JustFriends'': Creator/RyanReynolds is the fat, nerdy teenager in love with his best friend, Amy Smart, who loves him "as a brother". He runs away and 10 years later is rich, cool, and good-looking. He comes back into town where she immediately is struck by his new appearance.
191* There's [[SimilarlyNamedWorks another]] film titled ''Just Friends'', this one released in 2018 in the Netherlands, that's about two teenage boys who consider themselves "just friends" until they come to terms with their sexuality.
192* ''Film/KalHoNaaHo'': Rohit and Naina, until the Relationship Upgrade.
193* In the Finnish film ''Lights in the Dusk'' (''Laitakaupungin Valot''), the only person Koistinen can depend on is the local hot-dog stand owner Aila ("Grillija"), who clearly wants them to be more than just friends. Koistinen blows her off the first chance he can get a lady but persists in returning to poor heartsick Grillija whenever he needs help.
194* Isabel told Morton that she wants to be this in ''Film/MozartAndTheWhale''. Soon after in his social clumsiness does something that provokes such trauma in Isabel that she attempts suicide. He asks her to marry him. When she has recovered from this she [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan actually does marry]].
195* ''Film/{{Nerve}}'': The main character Vee's best friend Tommy is so obviously in love with her, while she doesn't return his affection. It's so obvious their friend group remarks on the situation multiple times, and a late-arriving main character susses out Tommy's feelings almost instantly upon meeting the two of them. It ultimately doesn't impact the plot beyond popping up to create further antagonism between Vee, Tommy, and Sydney, who is Vee's female best friend.
196* ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'': The trope as a whole is mercilessly lampshaded. Ricky is madly in love with Janey, who completely ignores every word he says. She falls for Jake, the JerkWithAHeartOfGold. Ricky ends up having a RaceForYourLove, but he gets hit by cars. Whilst the drivers call out things like "You'll never be more than a friend", "She's not attracted to you" and "She'll never love you."
197* In ''Film/OnAClearDayYouCanSeeForever'', Tad Pringle (played by Creator/JackNicholson) is utterly in love with Daisy Gamble (played by Music/BarbraStreisand) and even declares outright that he'd be better for her than any of the men she's been seeing; unfortunately for him, she considers him her best friend, and only her best friend. The fact that he's ''technically'' also her step-brother (their parents married after both Tad and Daisy were adults) doesn't help his case much, despite his pointing out that "We're only related through marriage."
198* Parodied in ''[[Film/ScaryMovie Scary Movie 2]]'' when Buddy takes Cindy's friend-zoning of him to its logical extreme by playing rough with her like he would to a male friend.
199* ''Film/{{Thor}}'': [[ChildhoodFriends The titular character and Sif]], along with the Warriors Three, are all very close friends, as the five of them have been adventuring and fighting together for at least a thousand years. While the first film hinted that Sif might feel something more than friendship for Thor, it's been revealed since then that Sif does indeed have romantic feelings for him and there will be a LoveTriangle in [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld the sequel]]. Whether Thor has unrealized feelings in return or nothing more than purely platonic affection remains to be seen. Ultimately, Thor and [[spoiler: Jane get together while Sif doesn't make much of a move for Thor; the only time she and Jane interact, she only gives Jane a passing glare (which may have had more to do with her being the reason for the Dark Elves attack)]].
200* ''Film/TheToDoList'': Cameron plays a typical nerdy best friend in love with Brandy. Brandy is ObliviousToLove and thus complicates their friendship by ignoring his feelings, while simultaneously using him to fulfill several parts of the titular "To Do List".[[spoiler: While he doesn't win her over in the climax of the movie, the coda shows them hooking up]].
201* Theodore and Amy in ''Film/{{her|2013}}'' are just friends, swapping stories of their relationship woes over ice cream in Amy's apartment. Amy's husband shows no sign of jealousy and Samantha, Theodore's OS and girlfriend, displays fleeting curiosity about their past history but quickly gets over it.
202* ''Film/TheUnknown'': Alonzo winds up in Nanon's friend zone, and doesn't care for it one little bit.
203* ''Film/ZackAndMiriMakeAPorno'': Zack and Miri start the movie as PlatonicLifePartners. And then the titular porno comes along.
204* In ''Film/StarshipTroopers'' this happens to Johnny Rico after his girlfriend Carmen decides to go career as a federation pilot. However, they still remain friends. Ace [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it immediately after the video message ends.
205-->'''Ace:''' Funny how they still wanna be friends right after they rip your guts out.
206[[/folder]]
207
208[[folder:Literature]]
209* ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'': Padeen seems to be stuck in one of these in regards to Clarissa. In the later books, [[spoiler: Stephen and Christine Wood]].
210%%* ''Literature/{{Everlost}}'': Nick and Allie.
211* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Harry and Hermione were confirmed both within the text and via WordOfGod ("I dropped anvil-sized hints!") to be PlatonicLifePartners. The relationship was never intended to be seen romantically, and in the books, Harry never saw Hermione as anything other than [[LikeBrotherAndSister a sister]]. However, people who saw the films first saw Creator/EmmaWatson blossoming much earlier and more fully than Hermione's ugly duckling did in the book, and many couldn't imagine that Harry could ''not'' be interested in her. Those who read the books with that bias wound up bemoaning the sinking of the Harry/Hermione ship and vilifying Rowling for carrying on relationships that had been well-established in the books.
212%%* Literature/GirlFifteenCharmingButInsane: Jess and Fred.
213* One book in ''Literature/TheBabySittersClub'' series was based around Kristy's relationship with Bart and whether or not they would become an OfficialCouple. Kristy finally decides they should remain "just friends" when it becomes clear that Bart expects more from the relationship than she wants.
214* ''3001'', the final book in the Literature/TheSpaceOdysseySeries has Frank Poole introduced to the future by Indra, one of the few historical experts in time he came from. After forming an extremely close friendship, they begin a relationship when he returns from a mission to Jupiter.
215* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
216** Harry and Murphy fluctuate between this and something more. Both characters clearly care about each other a great deal, to the point where they discuss the potential of a relationship more than once, but so far nothing has come of it, mostly because Murphy is afraid of changing the nature of their friendship and what will happen if it fails. However, Thomas at least has a serious case of ShipperOnDeck.
217** At the end of ''Literature/{{Changes}}'', the possibility at becoming more is hinted at rather strongly [[spoiler:until Harry's apparent death]].
218** And then ''Literature/ColdDays'': [[spoiler:Harry returns to Chicago alive and the two finally share TheBigDamnKiss during a heated battle. And while they ''still'' aren't together by the end of the book, as Murphy feels that the Winter Knight's mantle has changed Harry too much, she does acknowledge that they've been past the point of truly being just friends for a long time and that someday they might both be ready for an actual relationship. More than that, she makes it clear that whether or not they ever become lovers, she will always be at his side, no matter what. By this point, they seem to be less of "Just Friends" and more "Just Two People Who Love Each Other Platonically, and Hope To Become More Some Day, However Unlikely".]]
219** ''Literature/SkinGame'' [[spoiler:ends with a pretty direct statement that they're going to try some sort of romantic relationship]].
220** Another, more unfortunate subversion of this is in the teacher/student relationship between Harry and Molly. Harry met her when she was still a kid and cares about her a lot, but really wants to maintain a purely platonic relationship and seems to think that's the case. After several years, a number of people finally point out to him that she is obviously still carrying a huge torch for him. He isn't happy about it. ''And Literature/ColdDays'' throws a huge wrench in this as well with Molly [[spoiler:now the Winter Lady]]
221* ''My Most Excellent Year'' by Steve Kluger plays with this. The protagonist, TC, spends most of the book in a mutually flirtatious not-quite relationship with his classmate Alé. At one point, he tries suggesting that they just remain friends... as a gambit to trigger a RelationshipUpgrade. It doesn't work.
222* In the early books of the ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' series, Anne is constantly telling people that she and her childhood-enemy-turned-friend Gilbert Blythe, are just friends. She's not in love with him, does not harbor any type of feelings for him other than friendship, etc., etc., etc. Anne really does have feelings for him, she is just unaware of them. This question is never posed to Gilbert since the entire town already knows he's madly in love with Anne.
223* Tre and Allie of ''Literature/{{Stuck}}''. The two of them are best friends, yes, but they both agree that they're better off that way.
224* Lampshaded and averted in ''Literature/TheWarAgainstTheChtorr'' when the protagonist Jim [=McCarthy=] and his ColonelBadass girlfriend Liz Tirelli have a very loud breakup. When things quiet down, Liz half-heartedly suggests that maybe they could just be...whereupon Jim interrupts saying -- forget it, they can definitely not be just friends. [[spoiler:They end up getting married instead.]]
225* Subverted in ''Literature/YouthInSexualEcstasy'', the LadyKillerInLove protagonist is outright told by his love interest that she prefers to be his friend first before getting into a relationship with him; the protagonist at first [[WrongGenreSavvy thinks that he is being friendzoned]] and is about to protest, but then he reconsiders and thinks "True Love knows how to wait"; needless to say, he does end up with the girl.
226* ''The Bronze Horseman'' by Paullina Simons. When Tatiana decides to end her LoveTriangle with her sister's boyfriend Alexander, he acts surprised as they're just friends and all he's doing is walking her home from work every day. Tatiana points out that while they have the pretense of not being up to much, that doesn't explain why they split up ''three blocks'' before Tatiana reaches her apartment so her sister won't find out about it.
227%%* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': [[spoiler:Katniss and Gale.]]
228* ''Literature/TheKharkanasTrilogy'': Cohort commanders Kagamandra Tulas and Sharenas Ankhadu -- who only ever get to talk because at first Sharenas entertains intentions to seduce Tulas' [[RunawayFiancee betrothed]] out of boredom -- develop a strong friendship during the course of the first volume, ''Forge of Darkness'', which eventually turns into mutual romantic feelings. They have a moment of [[UnresolvedSexualTension barely reigned in flirting]], but as Tulas is [[ArrangedMarriage betrothed]], he decrees that they shall [[LetsJustBeFriends never talk about it again]]. Sharenas' agreement amounts to "Sure, buddy".
229* In ''Literature/LittleWomen'', Laurie experiences the non-mutual form of this trope with Amy's older sister Jo. He loved Jo since they met as teenagers, but she only ever saw him as a brother/friend. When he finally has to say it straight out for her to accept it (with Jo ignoring all his advances and moving away to avoid the inevitable), she immediately shoots him down and he freaks. He gets better later, enough for him to fall for the now grown-up Amy.
230* In ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'', [[ReverseHarem despite how some viewers think about Aya's romantic life]], she sees her relationships with Detective Team KZ as this, to the point of thinking they're not the people she's going to give ChocolateOfRomance over Valentine's. In fact ''any'' relationship in this series is cast in friendship terms despite some of them being dangerously close to romantic, something that can be justified by the fact that the cast are just seventh graders.
231* In ''[[Literature/AuntDimity Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure]]'', Lori finds a gold and garnet bracelet in the attic of her cottage and goes to the blue journal to ask Dimity about it. Dimity eventually reveals it was a gift from a young man who befriended her just after World War II, and that he gave it to her and declared his love for her after [[GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals she had given him a stuffed badger]]. Dimity was taken by surprise (thinking they were only this trope), plus she was mourning her fiancé and couldn't return his feelings; she says, "I could do nothing but gape at him like an addled goldfish." He left the café abruptly, and though she searched for him in an attempt to explain, she lived out her life without finding him and asks Lori to do so.
232* ''Literature/LesMiserables''. As far as Marius is concerned, Eponine is reigning queen of the friend zone.
233* In ''Literature/TheMarkAndTheVoid'', Claude and Ish are good friends at work. Ish clearly has feelings for him, but Claude never returns them and pursues other romantic relationships.
234* In ''Literature/TheStoryOfValentineAndHisBrother'', Val and Violet insist that there is no romantic feeling between them and that they love each other LikeBrotherAndSister, up until they kiss.
235* In ''Literature/TheEvolutionOfEmily'', Miles asks Emily to the homecoming dance and she says no, saying she hasn't adjusted to public school yet. Later August asks her and she says yes. She tells Miles that the real reason she rejected him is that she wants them to stay friends. Miles doesn't talk to her for weeks.
236* Katarina in ''Literature/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'' obliviously manages to attract two members of royalty, the prime minister's son, her stepbrother, [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer and three girls]] only to firmly label them in her head under the 'friend' category except her stepbrother, who is off limits because he's her brother instead. Every time they bicker for her attention she fails to notice they're fighting over her and just assumes that they're all besties too.
237[[/folder]]
238
239[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
240* In the original shorts for ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'', Ellen would occasionally introduce herself as Big Pete's girlfriend, to which he would immediately correct her, saying, "You're a girl, and you're a friend, but you're not a girlfriend!"
241* ''Series/ANTFarm'':
242** Chyna and Fletcher. The former however seems to be acknowledging the latter's behavior but has returned the feelings ''too late'' in the second to last episode. They did go on a date in "[=SignificANT=] Other", however.
243** Paisley and Fletcher. Paisley likes him in an "Adorable kid" way. Neither is returning the feelings.
244* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' does this with one of DC comics top couples, Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance. They ''did'' date prior to the series, but then he cheated on her with her sister and was missing for five years. The first season has them as friends with a great deal of UST between them, which actually derails all of their other relationships. They eventually hook up again towards the end of the season, but it doesn't last (and a later {{Retcon}} has him dump her with a DearJohnLetter). They remain as friends ([[WithFriendsLikeThese but not always very good ones]]) [[spoiler:right up until her death]]. Interestingly, it's made clear that they actually ''are'' still in love with each other, just nothing ever comes of it largely due to Oliver believing [[InsecureLoveInterest he doesn't deserve her]].
245* ''Series/AustinAndAlly'': The Austin/Ally ship is [[AnchoredShip anchored]] in episode three via IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship.
246** In the middle of season 2, there is a 4 part story arc revolving around a LoveTriangle between Austin, Ally and Kira, who is the daughter of the owner of the record label that Austin is signed onto.
247** It is resolved when Austin and Ally realize they like each other. The next episode smashed the ResetButton and re-anchored the ship, angering all the viewers who expected their actual relationship to be treated with the same level of care that the writers took with the arc itself. The last few episodes of season 3 (Starting with "Last Dances and Last Chances") brought them back together ''permanently'' and stays that way for the whole season 4, all the way to having a family in the future!
248* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': Leonard and Penny. They eventually got a RelationshipUpgrade that lasted almost a full season before they broke up. They do go back on the WillTheyOrWontThey path for several seasons afterwards, but the final few seasons confirm that they stay together for good.
249* ''Series/{{Bones}}'': Booth and Bones often claim that this is the case, at least [[spoiler: until the 100th episode, at which point, Bones may consider this a reason not to start a relationship]].
250* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
251** Xander and Willow flirt with this, starting the show as PlatonicLifePartners; however Willow is very much the UnluckyChildhoodFriend who was secretly in love with Xander. Then they start developing feelings for each other while they're involved with other people before they finally decide they work BetterAsFriends. Then Willow [[spoiler:realized she's gay]], which [[ShipSinking slams the door]] on the question of her relationship with Xander for good.
252** Xander and Buffy have the unrequited form of this (Xander towards Buffy). For the first season, Buffy is [[ObliviousToLove blissfully unaware]] of Xander's affections toward her, just as Xander is in turn unaware of Willow's affections toward him. This becomes more complicated in the second season, with Buffy toying with Xander to [[OperationJealousy piss off Angel]] at least once (getting her [[WhatTheHellHero called out]] by ''[[AlphaBitch Cordelia]]'', of all people). Their friendship eventually norms out over time, though as late as the 6th season, it's still clear that he's got feelings towards her, but has accepted that it will never work between them.
253** Buffy pulls this with Angel (and later Spike) after their respective breakups. Nobody buys it.
254** Spike sums up this trope most famously in "Lover's Walk" when referring to the Bangel relationship.
255--->'''Spike:''' You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends.
256** Buffy says that she and Principal Wood are just friends. "Or mortal enemies, depending on what day of the week it is."
257* ''Series/BostonLegal'': Jerry and Katie became friends when they shared an office/cases together. Jerry develops feelings for Katie, which ends in a LastMinuteHookup in the last 5 minutes of the last-ever episode.
258* ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' gives us Detectives Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago, who appear to be nursing mild-to-heavy crushes on the other that they sublimate into competitive bets, frequent teasing, [[RomanticFalseLead temporary short-lived relationships with other people]] and varying degrees of immaturity.
259* ''Series/CarolineInTheCity'': Richard had been hiding his feelings for Caroline through the run of the show.
260* ''Series/TheColbertReport'' simultaneously parodied the trope and played it straight when discussing a report into this trope as it plays out in reality. He played it straight by playing the role of a male with unrequited feelings for a female friend checking off sub-trope after sub-trope like wanting to stay up all night, dreaming about the woman, being sad but supportive of a new guy for the woman. The parody is that he was playing it to the entire female audience in the Colbert Nation.
261* ''Series/CornerGas'' sets this up early with Brent and Lacey. In the season one finale, [[Recap/CornerGasS1E13ILoveLacey I Love Lacey]], they have an AlmostKiss. They resolve this in the first episode of season two, [[Recap/CornerGasS2E01TheBrentEffect The Brent Effect]]. It gets a reference here and there throughout the series before being revealed as a thing at the end of ''Film/CornerGasTheMovie''. The animated series has its own continuity, with some nods. The episode [[Recap/CornerGasAnimatedS1E09SpyMeToTheMoon Spy Me to the Moon]] rekindles this trope.
262* ''Series/{{Coupling}}'': Sally and Patrick are friends, but develop feelings for each other.
263* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'': Chuck and Sarah have feelings that they're hiding from each other (because of their professional involvement), while simultaneously faking a relationship for the outside world (as part of their professional involvement).
264* ''Series/{{Community}}'': Although Britta and Jeff primarily had this happening for them in the first season, the case can be quite convincingly made that practically ''all'' of the study group members have had this with most-if-not-all of the other members at some point or other. The primary examples are Britta/Jeff, Jeff/Annie, and Britta/Troy, as those pairings have more than just self-referential CrackShip style ShipTease.
265* ''Series/ThePunisher2017''. A variation when Beth tells her son that she and Frank are "just friends" ''after'' they've had sex, but that's because her son asked if they were planning on getting married.
266%%* ''Series/DawsonsCreek'': Joey and Dawson.
267* ''Series/{{Degrassi|TheNextGeneration}}'': Fiona and Imogen are a LesYay example with Fiona being Imogen's ClosetKey.
268* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
269** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink "Blink"]]: Near the end, Sally says that this is all there is between her and Larry. This lasts for all of one scene.
270** A DVD exclusive scene set after [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E5FleshAndStone "Flesh and Stone"]] has the Doctor describing his previous companions this way. Unfortunately Amy tricks him into making the TARDIS computer display their images, and notes how many are young sexually-attractive females.
271--->'''Amy:''' Is that a [[NubileSavage leather bikini]]?
272** And in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E1TheImpossibleAstronaut "The Impossible Astronaut"]]:
273--->'''The Doctor:''' [[ScreamingWoman Shout if you get in trouble.]]\
274'''River:''' Don't worry, I'm [[TheImmodestOrgasm quite the screamer]]. Now ''there's'' a spoiler for you.\
275'''Canton:''' OK, what's going on here?\
276'''The Doctor:''' Errr, nothing...she's just a friend.\
277''[awkward pause]''\
278'''Rory:''' I think he's talking about the possible alien incursion.
279** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E8LetsKillHitler "Let's Kill Hitler"]] shows that Rory and Amy had known each other since primary school and that Amy was the only girl Rory had ever shown an interest for the entire 10 years they knew each other. Amy has an extreme case of ObliviousToLove because she thought [[MistakenForGay he was gay]] due to the fact he hadn't shown any interest in girls the entire time they'd known each other.
280** Clara attempts to indicate this with regards to her relationship with the Twelfth Doctor in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E8MummyOnTheOrientExpress "Mummy on the Orient Express"]], but the woman she mentions it to doesn't buy it. And neither, ultimately, does Clara as the episode ends with the formal establishment of a LoveTriangle scenario.
281** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E12HellBent "Hell Bent"]], the Twelfth Doctor nearly utters the trope by name when claiming to Ashildr that Clara is "just a friend". This after he spent 4.5 billion years punching a wall 400 times stronger than diamond ''with his bare fists'', and executed a BatmanGambit to prevent Clara's [[spoiler:death]] — an act that threatens all of time and space because of the paradox. And ran away with Clara to the very last minutes of the universe. Needless to say, Ashildr's "yeah right" response is the personification of a DeadpanSnarker.
282** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E11WorldEnoughAndTime "World Enough and Time"]], Missy wants to know what the Doctor calls his companions: [[TheWatson exposition]], [[PluckyComicRelief comic relief]], [[HumanPet pets]], [[BreadEggsMilkSquick snacks]]? When Bill says they're friends, Missy responds, "Ew, Doctor! But think of the age gap!" The irony is that Bill is a lesbian and her relationship with the Doctor is indeed platonic.
283* ''Series/DowntonAbbey'': Carson and Mrs Hughes, due to the many years they had spent working together, until Season 5 Christmas Special when Carson proposed to her. However, it is hinted even in Season 1 that Carson had a crush on her which became overt in Season 3.
284* ''Series/{{Eureka}}'': In the later seasons, Jack and Allison have had their friendship as the core of their romantic interaction. [[spoiler: After being sent to and back from 1947, they get in a LoveTriangle, that is eventually resolved when they [[DiscussedTrope discuss being]] just friends and both hesitantly decide not to risk it. Carter then turns back and kisses Allison, who kisses him back and they get together.]]
285* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Barry Allen and Iris West. Barry has been in love with Iris for years, and it's been confirmed that Iris has been in love with him for just as long. Unfortunately, Iris was also completely oblivious to not only Barry's feelings but her own. Not helping the situation is that the two are best friends that are so close that many can tell how they really feel about each other, and/or assume they're already a couple. Eventually, after finally confessing to Iris, Barry decides to no longer wait for her and tries to move on with Linda Park and (more successfully) Patty Spivot, while Iris continues to deny her feelings for Barry even though the only person she was really fooling was herself. It isn't until late Season 2 that they finally decide to do something about the massive amounts of UnresolvedSexualTension between them.
286* ''Series/ForeverKnight''. Don Schanke scoffs at the idea that his partner Nick Knight is "just friends" with the coroner Dr Natalie Lambert, but the situation is more complicated than he thinks, as Nick is a vampire and so can't consummate any romantic affection he might have for Natalie; not without killing her.
287* ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
288** Monica and Chandler, who in early seasons [[{{SubvertedTrope}} really are just friends]]. (It's hinted Chandler has a mild crush, but nothing serious). They start a FriendsWithBenefits relationship which quickly develops into love and later [[{{HappilyMarried}} marriage]].
289** Joey and Phoebe, who have a more obvious ShipTease but never get together. Averted with Ross and Rachel: Ross had a crush on Rachel ''before'' they get close, and doesn't want 'friendship', constantly trying for a RelationshipUpgrade.
290* ''Series/GilmoreGirls'':
291** Marty towards Rory in the later college seasons. The pairing got sunk, he got written out in exchange for the rich, bad boy Logan, and he came back a season later as a huge {{jerkass}}.
292** Before that Rory and Jess also qualified, with a bucketful of BelligerentSexualTension and denial.
293** [[WillTheyOrWontThey Luke and Lorelai]] are incredibly close, knew each other for years before the series started, and hang out together, on average, three times a day. Anyone brings it up and it's instantly denied.
294* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': After a nasty breakup, Kurt and Blaine try to fix things between them by becoming friends again since they were best friends before they dated. Of course the next time they're in the same city they basically go on a date (it even ends with them having sex), but the whole time Kurt keeps repeating over and over that they are just friends and none of it means anything. No one really buys it.
295* ''Series/GossipGirl'':
296** Vanessa and Dan. A strange version where they both apparently had some feelings for each other when they were younger, but it became PlatonicLifePartners until they had a drunken threesome with Dan's current girlfriend. That threesome revealed previously hidden (even to the audience) feelings for Dan towards Vanessa. They got together shortly afterward, but being a drama/soapy show, it hasn't been straightforward.
297** Dan/Blair. From what used to be a CrackShip, in Season 4 they have started to develop a snarky, SheIsNotMyGirlfriend, BelligerentSexualTension-styled version of this.
298* ''Series/HannahMontana'': Lily and Oliver. Quite a weird example as they'd been friends since pre-school, but their friendship had evolved into a PlatonicLifePartners type deal, then something of a bickering SlapSlapKiss thing, until it had a very sudden, off-screen RelationshipUpgrade and turned into a [[TheMasochismTango Masochism Tango]].
299* ''Series/TheHour'': Freddie and Bel. It is implied that Freddie had feelings for Bel when they first met, but she did not reciprocate and now they're just friends with {{UST}}.
300* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': Barney and Robin's slow-building romantic relationship starts as this during season 3.
301--> '''Blah Blah:''' So Robin, how did you and Barney meet?\
302'''Robin:''' Oh no! No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No! [[HeIsNotMyBoyfriend Barney and I are not together.]]\
303'''Barney:''' Really? Sixteen 'no's?
304* Series/InspectorLynley and [[TheNotLoveInterest his partner]] Sergeant Havers are this. Really. Even though they've both called each other their reason to get up in the morning. And even though he turned up at her flat at midnight to tell her that he wasn't sure [[spoiler:he had ''ever really loved his wife'']], something he'd never talked to ''anyone'' about before. Swear to God, [[BlatantLies they're just friends]]!
305* ''Series/ICarly'':
306** Freddie has had a crush on Carly for his entire adolescent life, being in LoveAtFirstSight. Carly initially wants to stay as just friends. Freddie grows up physically and emotionally in Seasons 2 and 3, into a mature and sensitive young man, and it appears Carly is beginning to realize her feelings for him. Also an example of an OfficialCouple (Albeit temporarily). In the show's finale episode "iGoodbye", they finally get their RelationshipUpgrade. Carly comes up to Freddie in the studio and gives him a LastMinuteKiss. He returns the kiss and then celebrates.
307* ''Series/ICarly2021'', the reboot refloats the ship, with Freddie having got out of his second marriage recently and Carly being plain unlucky in love. They have a few moments of ShipTease like nodding back to their slow dance from the original and early in Season 2 they have the slightest hint of an AlmostKiss as well as a FakeRelationship in one episode that goes fine until Freddie "cheats" on Carly with another woman in order to resolve the episode's plotline.
308* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': Harm and Mac are forced into {{UST}} though just friends under the excuse of avoiding fraternization rules. ''Workplace'' fraternization amongst peers is generally discouraged as a rule. It didn't help early on that Mac was a dead ringer for Harm's [[IdenticalStranger murdered ex-girlfriend.]]
309* ''Series/JustGoodFriends'': Almost the TropeNamer, this documents, in comedic terms, the relationship between Vince and Penny when Vince comes back into Penny's life five years after he jilted her at the altar. At first they try to play the trope straight, but Vince starts to develop feelings for Penny again. Penny rebuffs his advances but accepts they have too much history to make a clean break. Finally, Penny leaves to take a job in Paris, and it looks like even the friendship is over. But after an abortive marriage with Penny, and Vince now being in an unhappy marriage (he married the AlphaBitch), they meet up in Paris and it starts all over again. Finally, Penny accepts that Vince really does love her, and Vince has to go through a ''lot'' of hoops to get out of his unhappy marriage.
310* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'':
311** Benson and Stabler are portrayed as PlatonicLifePartners, but that subtlety is often lost, by the writers as much as by the fans. In the early and late seasons, when Elliot is married, it is upheld but there are some fairly ShipTease moments in the middle, and it's understandable - they are, after all, very close. It doesn't help that Olivia often acts as if she were hopelessly in love with Elliot, which is obviously problematic and only adds to her IronWoobie status, or that she has no family but him. On the whole, the fandom are split between thinking that they are an intense barrel of {{UST}} waiting to explode, or that they really ''are'' just friends, but of such an unusual sort that it is often mistaken for sexual tension.
312** After Stabler leaves the series, Benson gets this with ADA Barba. Unlike with Stabler, this is very mutual, and the two are {{Ship Tease}}d to kingdom come.
313** Rollins and Carisi. Carisi is initially TheFriendNobodyLikes, but he develops a friendship with Amanda and eventually steps in as ParentalSubstitute when she finds coping as a single mother difficult. While the show initially played this much the same as Benson and Stabler, it JumpedTheShark by having Carisi nearly confess his feelings while they are out of town on a case. Rollins' feelings were always played more ambiguously, with her LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces and insisting to others (including her ''therapist,'' since she's discussed Carisi in sessions) that they are this trope. Her feelings aren't 100% clear until their RelationshipUpgrade, though considering this was preceded by a hard LoveEpiphany, it's implied this is more UnknowinglyInLove than ObliviousToLove. However, in season 23, Carisi reveals he's been in love with Amanda since before the birth of her six-year-old, giving this trope a bittersweet edge to it.
314* ''Series/{{Lewis}}'' has a certain ''frisson'' between the title character and the pathologist Dr Laura Hobson. The two have known each other since their ''Series/InspectorMorse'' days, but during that series, Lewis was [[HappilyMarried married]] to someone else and Laura didn't seem to have any particular feelings for him beyond friendship. During this series, though, their intimacy gradually develops; it's hinted that by the time they get together, Laura has harbored feelings for him for quite some time, but Lewis needed to work through the grief of losing his wife before they got their RelationshipUpgrade.
315* ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'': Gordo developing feelings for Lizzie, as Lizzie remains oblivious. Eventually, the AlphaBitch points out that Gordo isn't trying to show off because he thinks he's better than Lizzie, but that he's trying to impress Lizzie because he likes her.
316* ''Series/LifeWithDerek'': This trope is the actual title of an episode that is devoted entirely to playing straight, subverting, deconstructing, and generally having fun with the trope.
317* ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'': Randy towards Catalina. Randy loved her, but she considered them Just Friends. They end up getting married for a green card. For some reason, they went through with the wedding night sex except that Catalina made herself completely undesirable. Randy got over her because of her actions. This led to a UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo that was never really followed up on.
318* ''Series/MysteriousWays'' has a just friends triangle-type thing going on. Declan can be shipped with either his brilliant grad student Miranda or his psychiatrist friend Peggy as both spend plenty of time with him on cases. It is implied that both Peggy and Miranda have feelings for Declan, but there is never any evidence that he is interested in either of them. In one episode, the idea of "not being able to shake" your soul mate is posited. After Peggy and Miranda have called Declan's girlfriend's cell phone for the umpteenth time trying to reach him, said girlfriend says "Seems like you can't shake either one of them." That's about the strongest ship tease you get, though.
319* ''Series/NoahAndSaskia'' have this going on big time. Saskia decides she's in love with Max (aka Noah), but Noah's getting hassled at school about his [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend internet girlfriend]], so to prove to himself he's not ''that'' much of a geek, he has a chat with Indy (aka Saskia) about how he's just figured out the point of the comic-in-progress, that is, that guys and girls can just be friends. Like they are. You know, 'buddies'. As the tie-in novel puts it: "what's about to happen is that two people who are friends are going to decide they're friends and that's kind of going to ruin their friendship".
320* ''Series/NUMB3RS'': Charlie and Amita had to remain just friends whilst Amita was still a student (or a student teacher, one or the other) at ''[=CalSci=]''. After she became a professor, their relationship blossomed.
321* ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'': Ned and Moze. Complete with LastMinuteHookup.
322* ''Series/NewGirl'': Nick and Jess. And later Nick in his freshman year of college with Amelia.
323* WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}} in ''Series/OnceUponATime'' claims that she and Prince Phillip are this, while Phillip's LoveInterest [[WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty Aurora]] doesn't quite buy it and [[WordOfGod statements from the writers]] seem to confirm her suspicions. Later, Mulan and ''Aurora'' have a version of [[IncompatibleOrientation this]] after the reveal that Mulan is now harboring feelings for her instead.
324* ''Series/OneTreeHill'': Lucas and Peyton. They spend the entire season 3 and part of season 4 repeatedly saying they’re just friends. Come to halfway through season 4 they officially become a couple as they’ve definitely both realized they love each other (despite being in a WillTheyOrWontThey since season 1) and then they get married and have a daughter after the 4-year time jump.
325* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': Ben and Leslie is an OfficeRomance version of the trope.
326* ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars'':
327** Hanna and Lucas. Lucas the nerd, Hanna the homecoming queen. That was before his FaceHeelTurn in season 3, so they don't remain as friends in the end.
328** Aria and Holden, a relationship that seemed to be shaping into ChildhoodFriendRomance but both decide to end up as simply ChildhoodFriends (not to mention Holden's a ShipperOnDeck for Ezra/Aria).
329* ''Series/ReadyOrNot1993'': Busy has a crush on her friend Jamie, but he likes someone else--her best friend, Amanda. The episode is aptly titled "Just Friends."
330* ''Series/{{Reaper}}'': Andi wants to remain just friends with Sam, even when he wants more. Until she decides to be his girlfriend.
331* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': J.D. and Elliot went down this road for 7 seasons. They covered pretty much every variation of these tropes, the WillTheyOrWontThey getting [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] on multiple occasions, becoming FriendsWithBenefits, EveryoneCanSeeIt, NearKiss, BetterAsFriends. It was torture. In the final season, the writers finally decided not to play games with the pairing anymore, hooked them up, and gave them only minor drama.
332* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Clark, Lana, Chloe, Lois, Pete, Lex, Oliver, and pretty much all of the young characters have all [[BlatantLies claimed]] they are just friends with various other characters for more times than you could remember.
333* Will and Sydney do this in the initial seasons of ''Series/{{Alias}}'', complete with an ambiguous (drunken) kiss whose meaning neither of them can quite figure out...
334* ''Series/SonnyWithAChance'': Sonny and Chad unconvincingly denied being in love with each other almost OnceAnEpisode before eventually getting together (and then breaking up).
335* ''Series/{{Spaced}}'': Tim and Daisy became just friends after pretending to be a fake couple to move into a flat, but WordOfGod is that they had a post-finale relationship upgrade. This is confirmed in a DVD extra showing the pair together with a newborn son.
336* ''Franchise/{{Stargate|Verse}}'':
337** ''Series/StargateSG1'':
338*** Carter and O'Neill, going so far as to have the characters admit that they do have feelings for each other, but never letting them get together ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evV0kDWa5E well...]])
339*** Also used in the season 7 premiere when Daniel returns from being Ascended with no memory. Sam goes to talk to him and tells him how important he is and how much they miss him. Daniel asks if they were ever in a relationship; Sam replies that they're "just very good friends."
340** ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' did this with both John/Elizabeth and Sheppard/Teyla, neither of which ever went anywhere, but both ships were definitely teased.
341---> Caldwell:''' You two (John and Elizabeth) are pretty close.\
342'''Elizabeth:''' ''[icily]'' We've been through a lot together. Yes. ''[walks out]''
343** ''Series/StargateUniverse'':
344*** Eli and Chloe. Eli is unlucky because the guy on the other side of the triangle is his best friend on the ship (they have something of a [[Series/StargateAtlantis Shep and McKay]] vibe at times). And the three of them got marooned together after missing the ship. As of "Incursion", it's made perfectly clear that Chloe isn't ObliviousToLove at all. She also drops some major friend zone bombs on Eli, and in a way tells him off for acting like her friendship is "SecondPrize".
345*** Varro and TJ after the [[spoiler:time travel to 2,000 years in the past]].
346* Subverted in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine.'' After dancing around each other for most of a season, Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax talk it out and agree to just be friends. As a result, they stop trying so hard and relax around each other... which turns out to be ''exactly'' what they need to make a relationship happen.
347-->'''Bashir:''' You know, I was thinking. If it hadn't been for our little talk the other day, we'd probably be just standing here staring at our shoes.\
348'''Ezri:''' Not a chance. I'd have turned and walked the other way as soon as I saw you.\
349'''Bashir:''' I'm glad we've put it all behind us.\
350'''Ezri:''' Me too. (''both get into a turbolift'')\
351''Cut to turbolift arriving in ops, with Julian and Ezri now engaged in a BigDamnKiss.''
352* ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'':
353** Stefan and Caroline is the primary example of the series. They started out as a straightforward example of platonic best friends the first 3 seasons but began to get teased romantically by S4 and S5. Still, they remained "just friends". Then S6 came along and they developed feelings for each other, finally getting a RelationshipUpgrade in early Season 7.
354** [[VitriolicBestBuds Damon and Bonnie]], who became very close friends throughout Season 6. In Season 7 they're continually described as "just best friends", though there is [[UnresolvedSexualTension an obvious attraction]]. By mid to late Season 7 they start getting teased hardcore, but remain "friends".
355** Stefan and Lexi, though it's made abundantly clear from the writers and the characters themselves nothing romantic was ''ever'' between them.
356* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' has random strangers discuss the relationship between Tori and Beck at a pet surgery.
357* ''The Wild House'': Arthur and his friend Emily, who remain platonic despite Arthur's mother and several others assuming they are in a relationship. They did kiss in the final episode but decided they didn't like it.
358* ''Series/TheXFiles'': Mulder and Scully are constantly trying to explain to people that they're just partners and that they have a StrictlyProfessionalRelationship. Including two ghosts in a haunted house. And the series BigBad. And random people off the street. [[EveryoneCanSeeIt It never works]].
359* ''Series/Zoey101'': Zoey and Chase.
360--> '''Lola:''' Ginny, could you come here a minute?\
361'''Ginny:''' What's up?\
362'''Lola:''' 'Blank' is in love with Zoey. Fill in the blank.\
363'''Ginny:''' ''[as though it were the most obvious answer in the world]'' Chase.\
364'''Lola:''' Thanks for playing.
365[[/folder]]
366
367[[folder:Music]]
368* An early example in music: "Can't We Be Friends?" by Music/FrankSinatra (off 1955's ''Music/InTheWeeSmallHours'', an early ConceptAlbum musing on lost love and love that could never be). The lyrics say it all:
369-->I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams\
370Now it seems\
371This is how the story ends\
372She's gonna turn me down and say\
373"Can't we be friends?"
374* Music/GreenDay had a lot of early tracks focused on this subject such as "Paper Lanterns" and "Only Of You".
375* "Just Be Friends" by [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Luka Megurine]].
376* "Just Friends" by the Jonas Brothers. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well...]]
377* "Roll to Me" by Del Amitri.
378* "Just a Friend to You" by Music/MeghanTrainor.
379* "You Belong with Me" by Music/TaylorSwift.
380* "Why Don't You Kiss Her?" by Jesse [=McCartney=].
381* "Seven Days in Sunny June" by Music/{{Jamiroquai}}.
382* "You Don't Know Me", which is a country song that was written by Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold. Covered many times but the two most recognisable ones are by Music/RayCharles and Music/MichaelBuble.
383* "Friend Is a Four Letter Word" by Music/{{Cake}}.
384* "Just a Friend" by Mario.
385* "Deep Waters" by Incognito.
386* "My Best Friend's Hot" by The Dollyrots.
387* ''Don't Let Go'' by En Vogue.
388* "Friendly Duet" by Music/FlandersAndSwann parodies this trope.
389* "Why Do All Girls Think They're Fat" by Music/ReelBigFish is about a character who develops feelings for his friend but she refuses to let him go further than being this trope.
390* "Love To Love You" by Music/TheCorrs is just one of several songs that reference these type of relationships. [[{{WMG/TheCorrs}} The Corrs Wild Mass Guessing]] page shows that several of their songs put together to portray a just friends relationship with a happy ending. At the start, the woman's feelings for her ex block any romance with the man. Despite both knowing he has feelings for her, he helps her through her pain. However, the man decides that [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy he wants his beloved to be happy]] and stops trying to make her fall for him. There is the woman's LoveEpiphany, an UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo, until both finally realize their feelings are now reciprocal. Next comes [[IntercourseWithYou the moment they first make love]], the honeymoon period, falling deeper for each other, until they are well and truly in love with each and wanting to spend the rest of their lives together.
391* "Friend Zone" by WebAnimation/YourFavoriteMartian, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin obviously]].
392* "Dilemma" by Nelly, with the just friends role being forced by Nelly as he doesn't want to do anything to break up the relationship for the object of his affections and decides to play it cool.
393* "Heartbeat" by Music/ChildishGambino. A dark version, with him and his girl who is involved with another man, in their own not quite a relationship where Gambino can't break it off, but isn't able to make it more than what they are already.
394-->'''Gambino:''' Are we dating? Are we fucking? Are we best friends? Are we something in between that?
395* "You To Me Are Everything" by The Real Thing.
396* "We're Just Friends" by Music/{{Wilco}}
397* "Slow Down" by Music/TheBeatles.
398* "I'll Be Around" by Music/TheSpinners.
399* "Someone I Used To Know" by Music/PattyLoveless is a variation of this. The narrator carries a photograph of herself with a man. Whenever someone asks about him, she says he's just an old friend because it's too painful to talk about how much they loved each other and how heartbroken she's been since the relationship ended.
400* "The Other Side" by Tonight Alive chronicles a friendship in which the singer was clearly in love with her friend, but he/she (it's never specified) did not reciprocate. It's implied the friendship was eventually destroyed by distance and time, ending on the lines: "and if you're wondering/I'm great/I'm stronger now but still/the same/my love for you it will remain/my friend."
401* "Peach Scone" by Music/HoboJohnson describes being in love with someone who's in a relationship while continuing to be a supportive friend to her and restraining yourself from making a move.
402* "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette
403* Music/MaddieAndTae's "Friends Don't," about all the things two "friends" do that really blur the line between friendship and romance.
404-->''Friends don't call you in the middle of the night\
405Couldn't even tell you why\
406They just felt like saying hi\
407Friends don't stand around, playing with their keys\
408Finding reasons not to leave\
409Trying to hide their chemistry\
410Drive a little too slow (slow), take the long way home (home)\
411Get a little too close (close)\
412We do, but friends don't''
413[[/folder]]
414
415[[folder:Poetry]]
416* [[https://youtu.be/yMKi-Eu1jcA "Just a Friend"]] is a poem about a couple trying to explain to a couple's therapist the issue they came in about: that the boyfriend feels threatened by his girlfriend's relationship with her "best friend". The two of ''them'' were friends before they got together -- he knows it's not an impenetrable barrier. It's succinctly summed up in these lines:
417-->'''Boyfriend:''' You're beautiful in ever sense and he's noticed--we know this.\
418Do you really think he'd turn you down if you stuck it on him for real?\
419...\
420If he tried a thing, I know you'd say no,\
421But you two are only "friends" as long as ''you'' say so.
422[[/folder]]
423
424[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
425* Wrestling/TripleH, Wrestling/KurtAngle, and Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon name-dropped the trope several times after Triple H became jealous of the attention Kurt and Stephanie were paying each other as Kurt kept saving Stephanie from various attacks. Being ProfessionalWrestling of course, it resulted in a triple threat match with Wrestling/TheRock for the WWF Championship, at Summerslam in 2000. The storyline collapsed eventually when Triple H played his real-life creative control card and nixed the planned ending where Steph would leave H for Angle.
426[[/folder]]
427
428[[folder:Radio]]
429* ''Radio/ImSorryIllReadThatAgain'' once made a pantomime special edition called ''Black Cinderella 2 Goes East'', which subverted this trope with Cinderella and Buttons. At first, it seemed like Cinderella didn't know that Buttons was in love with her, but thought they were just friends...and then it turns out she knows but just doesn't like him. It could have stopped there, fairly graciously, but then she gets a ''song'' about it.
430-->''Oh I never could marry you, Buttons\
431I'm sorry, but that's how it goes\
432Partly because I'm in love with another\
433But mainly because you get right up my nose''
434* The old radio series ''Our Miss Brooks'' often played with Connie Brooks' unrequited love for the clueless Mr. Boynton.
435[[/folder]]
436
437[[folder:Video Games]]
438* Averted by ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings''. The game assumes that any two characters of the opposite sex who are friends are actually lovers. The sequel changes this as part of its general overhaul of personal relationships in general; "Lovers" is now a separate relationship modifier, meaning that two people of the opposite sex can have a platonic friendship.
439* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' subtly hints at Faridah having feelings for Adam. His responses differ based on what the player chooses.
440* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Tifa says this to Aerith about her and Cloud. After [[spoiler: Aerith's murder at the hands of Sephiroth]], and depending on RelationshipValues, Cloud and Tifa can potentially get a RelationshipUpgrade during their "moment" under the Highwind. Of course, all subsequent supplemental materials never really confirm either way if such an "upgrade" ever happened.
441* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', after Zidane and Dagger/Garnet get "married" at Conde Petie, Zidane comments to Eiko "Anything for my lovely wife," and Dagger says that they're actually "just friends." Zidane comments that that's better than nothing. Later, Eiko asks if they're really "just friends" because it seems to her like they're something more. Zidane says that they are more than friends: they're a team.
442* ''VideoGame/GoodbyeVolcanoHigh'': This is one of the two possible outcomes of Fang's relationship with their secret admirer. In Episode 7, after [[spoiler:Naomi]]'s emotional breakdown and private conversation with Fang, they ask Fang what they have between each other. The player can choose for them to be friends, with Fang saying that while they admire how much [[spoiler:Naomi]] has supported them throughout the year, everything is too complicated now with TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt only days away, and they need to keep things simple by being just friends. [[spoiler:Naomi]] is visibly heartbroken, but relieved to have an honest answer.
443* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonSunshineIslands'':
444** Harvest Goddess devotee Alisa has heart events just like the other normal marriage candidates even though her heart color is invisible, making it seem like she is a secret marriage candidate like the Witch Princess. But when you propose to her after all prerequisites have been met, you get a proposal scene similarly titled with that of the other candidates'... that ends with you two agreeing to remain friends after her declaring with {{Brutal Honesty}} that she ultimately cannot abandon her faith to the Goddess, even though the thought of marrying you did cross her mind. However, this is not the case in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonTaleOfTwoTowns'', where Alisa is marriageable with GuideDangIt requirements, which includes having to wish for the Harvest Goddess to tell Alisa that's she okay with her getting married.
445** The [[=DLC=]] marriage candidates Stephanie and Woofio can be this if you choose not to [[FourthDateMarriage propose to them in their final love event]], which [[PermanentlyMissableContent bars the player from marrying them anymore for the file]].
446* In ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', Kensou is Athena's DoggedNiceGuy and very openly in love with her (and some of his fellow fighters [[ShipperOnDeck seem to encourage him]]). Athena cares for him greatly but said feelings are all ''but'' romantic, and views their relationship as this since [[JusticeWillPrevail she has other priorities]]. Also, Kensou's awkward advances on her are...awkward.
447* In ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrange'', Warren is firmly in Max's friend zone. When we first meet him, he goes in for the hug, only for Max to hand him his flash drive back. Later, Chloe comments "That guy is so fucking in love with you", to which Max replies "I know" while face-palming herself. On the other side to this, Brooke is in Warren's friend zone; even when [[spoiler: Max changes the past and ends up in an alternate timeline]], Warren hooks up with [[spoiler: Stella]].
448* ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'':
449** Naturally, Rin and Riki, who have been childhood friends since they were little. Unusually, though, even though multiple characters either think they're together or assume they will get together eventually, they actually don't seem to get any real romantic feelings for each other until ''after'' they start going out in Rin's route (Rin asked him out apparently just because she thought it seemed like a good idea and Riki agreed for the same) - in all other routes, they're PlatonicLifePartners right alongside the other Little Busters.
450** Compare with Riki and Kyousuke: Riki is often distracted by his appearance and is very eager to please him, and multiple characters joke that they probably have crushes on each other. In one scene, Riki even admits that he does have feelings for him, but doesn't want to ruin their friendship, at which point Kyousuke suddenly starts giving off some ''very'' [[MasterOfTheMixedMessage mixed messages]] about whether or not he feels the same. But because this is a [[BishoujoSeries bishoujo game]], Kyousuke doesn't even merit so much as a mini-route, and though [[spoiler:their relationship is central to the true route in Refrain]], their romantic tension never explicitly goes anywhere.
451* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
452** The romances between Male Shepard and Tali, and the romance between a Female Shepard and Garrus are much like this, as they were not romance options in the first game. Tali herself says she wants to be "more than just friends", whilst the romance arc with Garrus is about overcoming his initial doubts, and hoping to make their strong friendship into something more. It was established later that this was also the case between [[GayOption Male Shepard]] and Kaidan; Kaidan's love confession in that scenario is about how he wanted something deeper with someone he was already friends with.
453** In ''[[VideoGame/MassEffect2 ME 2]]'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehXpPl7iW2w there is]] a turian male and a quarian female talking to one another at a bar. If you listen in to their conversations, the quarian is complaining about breaking up with her human boyfriend. It becomes clear over the series of conversations that the turian is clearly infatuated with her. At one point, he asks if she wants to watch a movie that "won awards for portraying turian and quarian relationships". The quarian is [[ObliviousToLove completely oblivious to his advances]].
454** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' a female Shepard can hit on Joker, who declines, saying he never really thought of it. He then declines because of the 'chain of command', his crush on EDI, and possibly due to the chance that between Shepard's cybernetic enhancements and his brittle bone disease, [[OutWithABang Shepard could accidentally kill him]].
455* A possible ending in ''VisualNovel/OneNightStand'' involves you and Robin agreeing to be friends... but nothing more than that.
456* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield have never shown any overt romantic interest in each other, but are ''always'' together on missions.
457* This apparently cheeses off a MadScientist in the intro to ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxHitTheRoad'':
458-->'''Scientist:''' Friends? ''Friends?!'' We've only gone out together three times, and already you're telling me you just want to be friends?!
459* In ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' Rena actually invokes this trope regarding her relationship with Claude a number of times, despite Claude's interest. Later in the game, she stops being so vocal about it. It's possible for them to end up together, and the obscure sequel establishes that they do. Rena also explicitly says this about [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend Dias]], and says that she actually thinks of him as [[LikeBrotherAndSister her big brother.]] But it's still possible for them to [[RelationshipUpgrade end up together in the ending]], although subsequent games [[CuttingOffTheBranches confirm that she ended up with Claude while Dias ended up with Chisato]].
460* In the ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' backstory and novels, Majors Kyle Brennan[[note]]PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/XBeyondTheFrontier'' and ''X-Tension''[[/note]] and Elena Kho had this relationship, verging on PlatonicLifePartners except there actually ''was'' some sexual attraction there. Their coworkers in the United Space Command jokingly nicknamed them "the lovebirds." They did end up sleeping together once (they were trapped in a disabled starship on a desolate moon for nine weeks, [[PreClimaxClimax so why not?]]), but didn't want to complicate their relationship. They ''did'', however, get some amusement out of {{troll}}ing the {{shipper|OnDeck}}s.
461* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', Melia had a crush on protagonist Shulk that unfortunately [[spoiler:is doomed the moment his love interest Fiora, who's death began the story, is revealed to still be alive]]. While she struggles with her feelings and even expresses some resentment over how things pan out, she ultimately lets him go without him ever knowing. By the time of ''Future Connected'' the two are much more comfortable together as she no longer expects something from Shulk he can't provide and instead readily accepting the friendship he always gladly provided.
462* In the backstory of ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', Sophia only ever saw Krelian as a friend. Krelian accepted this state of affairs and managed to be friendly with her true love Lacan despite his hidden jealousy. So friendly, in fact, that [[spoiler: 500 years later Krelian and Lacan are still -more or less- working together to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt avenge Sophia]] in the [[DisproportionateRetribution most destructive way possible]].]]
463[[/folder]]
464
465[[folder:Visual Novels]]
466* ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'':
467** The protagonist and Jade... [[spoiler:that is, if there’s any chance of a good ending with Melody. They both liked each other (and Jade still likes the protagonist), but they can never be in a relationship.]]
468** Of course, the protagonist can steer clear from the romantic path of any girl in the story.
469* In ''VisualNovel/MajikoiLoveMeSeriously'', Miyako is madly in love with Yamato, and while Yamato ''is'' attracted to her, he repeatedly turns her down because he finds her obsession with him off-putting and is concerned that hooking up with her will make her even more reliant on him for her own stability. [[spoiler:He also feels too guilty about how Miyako's crush on him developed after he brought her into the Kazama family to save her from a miserable school life, when part of the reason her situation had gotten so hopeless is that he'd been so worried about his reputation that he'd refused to intervene in the bullying or so much as speak with Miyako at school even after becoming friends with her.]] They keep this dynamic in every route except Miyako's.
470[[/folder]]
471
472[[folder:Webcomics]]
473* One {{Creator/Baalbuddy}} comic has two childhood friends end up as [[https://safebooru.donmai.us/posts/5308658?q=pool%3A18772 the hero and demon lord of a generic isekai world.]] When they realize their true identities, the demon lord (well, lady) is about to finally confess what she wanted to tell him since childhood... just as he invites her to his wedding as his best friend. The resulting diappointment is visible from orbit.
474* ''Webcomic/BittersweetCandyBowl''… Oh ''dear'', BCB! They've jumped from point 1 to 3 recently, and that's only the central pairing.
475* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has [[LoveDodecahedron a lot of examples]], especially [[AllLoveIsUnrequited among the Alpha kids]], but probably the best example is Dirk and Jake. They have been best friends for years and are ''very'' close, to the point where Jake used to joke that if Dirk were a girl he'd totally go out with him. Later, it becomes obvious that Dirk does have romantic feelings for Jake. And Jake? [[spoiler:He isn't really sure what he feels, but he can't deny that it makes sense.]]
476* ''Webcomic/{{Hypergamouse}}'': Stoke and Kira are ''tennis'' partners, nothing more. The clarification leaves Jami's jealousy undiminished.
477* ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'': [[TheHero Misho]] and [[TheLancer Marena]] are pretty much stuck as this trope, though neither wants to be. Marena wants to be FriendsWithBenefits. Misho balks at that; he wants [[RelationshipUpgrade more than that]]. Marena won't entertain the notion of a more serious relationship [[spoiler:until she's satisfied that Misho sees her as she is now, not [[{{Reincarnation}} as she was when she knew him in her past life]], where they also stayed friends.]]
478* ''Webcomic/MenageA3'':
479** The normally sexually omnivorous Zii seems to have stuck Gary firmly into the friend zone from very early on, basically because he's such a hopeless geek. Her attitude towards him is mostly [[LikeBrotherAndSister sisterly]] at best, patronising at worst; she finds the idea of sleeping with him [[http://www.ma3comic.com/strips-ma3/vivacious_woman ridiculous.]] Gary accepts this; while both his confidence with women and his awareness of Zii's attractiveness grow through the course of the plot, he identifies her as a cool friend who is prepared to help him (and as unattainable, if only because she has made that clear). However, there have been very broad hints of a growing mutual attraction between them (and Zii is certainly intellectually curious about Gary's peculiar sexual talents); the problem is whether this can overcome their shared established assumptions.
480** Even when she thinks [[http://www.ma3comic.com/strips-ma3/it_is_encouraged she may be bisexual,]] [=DiDi=] sees Zii as [[IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship too good a friend]] to risk a sexual relationship with her (except when she gets ''very'' drunk and desperate). Zii's opinion on the matter is different.
481** Matt and Kiley hit the trope at a very odd angle. They quickly enter a strong FriendsWithBenefits relationship, which they both refer to as a process of [[IntimateHealing mutual therapy]]. Kiley wants to think of herself as a cool, objective therapist, and Matt doesn't see himself as a one-woman man. However, [[http://www.ma3comic.com/strips-ma3/just_in_mutual_therapy it then becomes clear to readers that they are becoming a couple,]] with strong hints of real mutual affection. Matt and Kiley, however, develop a bad case of shared SelectiveObliviousness.
482--->'''Matt:''' Don't worry, Kiley. We are just in mutual therapy, like you said. We're not a couple.\
483'''Kiley:''' K.\
484'''Matt:''' By the way, we're low on bread and milk.\
485'''Kiley:''' And bottles of laundry detergent. Let's stop by the market to pick up a couple.
486* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': Faye and Marten danced around this for [[WhamEpisode exactly 499 strips]].
487** Marigold and Angus. They get drunk. She puts his hands on her boobs. He shoots her down.
488** Elliot towards Padma.
489** During the InSpace arc Marten's relationship with Hannelore is seen this way by Hannelore's father and Lt Potter. Marten responds to Potter's remark about them being together with the exact words ''We're just friends''.
490* ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'' has an innovative attempt by a man named Steve to convince Carol that a [[http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2474#comic peer-reviewed study suggest that she should take him out of the friend zone and put him into the lover zone]].
491* This appears to be at the heart of Jack and Sam's relationship in ''Webcomic/TheSpaceBetween''.
492* Discussed in ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'' when Theo and Benjamin point out that Landon helping Larisa study for a test will cause her to see him as a friend rather than a romantic option... and then promptly averted in the next strip where she repays [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe his act of kindness]] by frenching him and [[GiveGeeksAChance becoming his girlfriend]].
493[[/folder]]
494
495[[folder:Web Original]]
496* In ''WebOriginal/IceGift'' Elie friendzones Rikter. That doesn't end well.
497* WebVideo/EchoChamber: The {{Shipping}} on the show is mostly this, with only TheAce storyline diverging from it. It hasn't been done as a trope video though.
498** Zack was put into the ''I don't even like you as a Friend'' Zone by Dana.
499** Zack puts Gaelyn in the Friend Zone as part of a recurring season 2 storyline, but [[spoiler: [[RelationshipUpgrade they get together in the end]]]].
500** Tom's feelings for Dana appear to be developing into a typical CannotSpitItOut for Tom and ObliviousToLove for Dana. Dana's feelings for Tom are ambiguous but the possibility exists that their relationship will develop down the mutual feelings path of the trope.
501* In ''Literature/GreekNinja'', there are at least two relationships like this.
502* Website/TheOnion have their own take on this trope: [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/but-if-we-started-dating-it-would-ruin-our-friends,11473/ But If We Started Dating It Would Ruin Our Friendship Where I Ask You To Do Things And You Do Them]].
503* Website/CollegeHumor: Hilariously, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHZsleyKons Adam finds himself sent to the friendzone by Eve]], despite them being the only people in Paradise. When she tells him that she just got out of a bad relationship, [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys it turns out]] to be [[SnakesAreSexy the snake]].
504* ''WebAnimation/ActionBunnies''' [[https://youtu.be/utaUd7ThMUc sixth episode]] parodies the Friend Zone by portraying it as [[Film/SupermanII the Phantom Zone]].
505-->'''Woman''': [[MundaneMadeAwesome And so I banish you forever to the FRIEND ZONE!]]\
506'''Brad''': [[BigNo Nooooo]]!\
507'''Woman''': (''Cutting out of the ImagineSpot'') Brad? Brad?\
508'''[[CreepyMonotone Brad]]''': [[IfICantHaveYou I'm a serial killer now]].
509[[/folder]]
510
511[[folder:Western Animation]]
512* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Finn and Flame Princess following their breakup in ''Fire & Ice''. Partly due to the fact she now has to rule a kingdom that she acquired following a coup on her father. Though mostly because she still has some issues to work through. Finn doesn't take the hint after they break up, resulted in a DownerEnding where he gets a ShipSinking as she hooks up with [[spoiler:Cinnamon Bun]] (in his eyes, at least; WordOfGod states things between Flame Princess and [[spoiler:Cinnamon Bun]] are strictly platonic, continuing to play this trope straight, and indeed, the Finn/FP ship was refloated a smidge recently following a period where Finn cut off all contact with her, opening the door for future developments in their relationship).
513* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': In the episode "Bitzi's Break-Up", Buster learns that his mother Bitzi is breaking up with her boyfriend Harry. Not wanting to lose Harry's friendship, he tries to get them back together and although it doesn't work, Bitzi and Harry reassure him that they can still be friends, much to Buster's relief.
514* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', Howard has the nerve to say this to a super-strong gynoid girlfriend he bought when said gynoid has been actively trying to kill people for most of the episode. Terry, as Batman, actually {{Face Palm}}s shortly before lampshading it.
515-->'''Howie:''' ''[as Cynthia starts to malfunction in rage]'' Wrong thing to say?\
516'''Batman:''' Is it EVER the right thing?!
517* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'': Yumi and Ulrich. From the first episode of season 3, "We're friends, that's all..." comes close to being their catchphrase.
518* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Danny and Sam. EveryoneCanSeeIt from roughly episode 11, but nothing becomes concrete until the final episode.
519* Zig-zagged for a laugh: On an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', Fred and Barney are assisting a mysterious lady on some mission. When she asks if they're married, Barney quips, "No, we're just good friends." Fred double-takes to the camera.
520* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' with Fry and Leela. The series itself had a lot of ShipTease between them, and the post-movie re-launch series had them in a very ambiguous romantic relationship, the strength of which is dictated by RuleOfFunny. They do end up together for good in the end, though.
521* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': Harley and Ivy have been best friends for years, but it's not until after they share a passionate kiss during their escape from Bane's pit that they realize their feelings for each other are romantic. This only makes things awkward between them because Ivy refuses to acknowledge she's in love with Harley and Harley is forced to suppress her feelings for Ivy to not get in the way of Ivy's engagement to Kite Man. [[spoiler: After they wind up having sex following a rager in "Bachelorette", Harley finally confesses to Ivy, only for Ivy to turn her down in favor of going through with marrying Kite Man, believing her and Harley are incapable of having a lasting romantic relationship. However, in "The Runaway Bridesmaid", Kite Man realizes that Ivy truly has stronger feelings for Harley than she has for him and breaks off their engagement, leading Ivy to allow herself to reciprocate Harley's feelings.]]
522* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', Franchise/{{Batman}} insists that he and Franchise/WonderWoman are just friends. No one really buys it, including Wonder Woman herself, since she wants a RelationshipUpgrade. Whilst the feelings might be there, nothing ever comes of it. [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Bruce grows old alone.]] Nothing is seen or heard of Wonder Woman in the ''Batman Beyond'' series, and only in the expansion comics do we find out what happened to her. In short, there was some more to do with the Justice Lords universe, and in the end, she [[IChooseToStay stayed behind]] because she and Lord!Batman had found each other.
523* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': Kim and Ron. Quite an unusual example, as their relationship is only really explored in Season 3, although they are hints and ShipTease taking place in earlier seasons. They get a LastMinuteHookup. The results of the RelationshipUpgrade are then explored, as the show was brought back for a 4th season.
524* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
525** In the episode "The Spirit of Competition," the SiblingTriangle of Bolin, Mako, and Korra articulate their feelings towards each other in various ways. After resulting interpersonal tensions nearly cost them their place in the finals, the three settle back into a mutually friendly dynamic, with the larger underlying LoveDodecahedron unresolved. [[spoiler: The season ends with Mako realizing he is in love with Korra, and Korra reciprocating his feelings. Bolin, by his own admission, has gotten over his crush on Korra and holds no ill will towards his brother's new relationship. It's also implied that Asami, who had been dating Mako, settles into something like this after he apologizes for kissing Korra behind her back and trying to cover it up.]]
526** Then the second season ends [[spoiler: with Korra and Mako choosing to be this. After many hardships throughout the season, the both of them came to realize that they had such different goals in life that a romantic relationship would simply not work out between them so they work much better as friends. This is also the case for Bolin and Eska, as the latter has to go back to the Northern Water Tribe and so cannot stay by his side anymore, and later it's confirmed when Bolin starts dating Opal.]]
527** Of course, at almost literally the last minute, a new pairing is introduced that grew out of this trope. [[spoiler:[[PairTheSuitors Korra and Asami]]. There is a bit of wiggle room for those who would prefer not to see it, but it is a very, very heavily implied.]] Moreover, the WordOfGod confirms that they are a canon couple, even though all they physically do as a couple on screen is hold hands.
528* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Early on in Season 3, Lincoln becomes smitten with a new girl, Stella, and tries to impress her. When she officially shows up in "Be Stella My Heart", Clyde, Zach, Rusty, and Liam also fall for her, and they compete to see who gets her. In the end, Stella reveals she doesn't have romantic feelings for any of them; she only just wanted to be friends.
529* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Marinette is in love with Adrien, but he, oblivious, always insists they are "Just Friends." On the flip side, his alter ego Cat Noir is in love with his teammate Ladybug, who he doesn't realize is actually Marinette]]. However, when questioned Ladybug just takes the HeIsNotMyBoyfriend route, because she also has no idea that Cat Noir is actually Adrien.
530* ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'': In "Molly and the Great One," Mac and Andie don't give much indication that they're a couple, though they do tease each other as if they were. And Andie clearly cares deeply for Mac. In the end, they're still shown to have a platonic relationship.
531* In ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' episode "[[Recap/TheRaccoonsS4E6SpringFever Spring Fever!]]", Bert develops a crush on Lisa, and she notices, which prompts her to write a letter saying that [[LetsJustBeFriends she'd prefer for them to just be friends]].
532* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
533** Towards the end of "Lisa's Date with Density", after finding out that he lied to her, Lisa and Nelson eventually broke up and simply became friends. The friendship is sustained later at the end of "Loan-a-Lisa" in which Lisa and Nelson skate with each other.
534** Milhouse towards Lisa. The somewhat screwy future continuity suggests that Milhouse eventually got somewhere with Lisa, even though she doesn't really count it.
535* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Sixteen}}'', Wyatt and a girl named Marlowe eventually break up after spending too much time together. When Wyatt wonders if they would be just friends, Marlowe instead said they could be the "best of Exes".
536* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' has one of Star and Marco's favorite songs by [[FakeBand Love Sentence]] actually be called "Just Friends", which naturally has the lyrics match the UnresolvedSexualTension-filled dynamic that the main characters have developed by that point. Later episodes would have the duo attempt to retain their "best friend" relationship, as [[spoiler:Star developed a crush on Marco while he was dating Jackie-Lynn Thomas, and Marco realizes his crush on Star after she gets back with her ex-boyfriend Tom. Late in the final season, after Star and Tom have broken up again, Star and Marco [[LoveConfession confess that they love each other]] and realize there's no reason they can't be "best friends" ''and'' a romantic couple]].
537-->I didn't mean to hurt you
538-->You didn't have a clue
539-->So you went out and got busy
540-->And found somebody new, new, new
541* Despite being one of the more popular ships due to their belligerent but supportive nature, this was ultimately the case for Beast-Boy and Raven in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' with even the creators admitting that they always saw them as having a "Sibling" relationship. Ironically, the series greatly popularized the ship which led to it gaining a relationship upgrade in both the comics and Teen Titans Go.
542* After hooking up in ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama Island'', [=LeShawna=] basically cancels her relationship with Harold after the season, deciding they should just be friends and feeling that she was too hasty in her decision. Harold still pines for her though, and while [=LeShawna=] is touched by his attempts to impress her, she remains adamant about being friends (though it's occasionally implied she has mutual feelings for him).
543[[/folder]]

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