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Basic Trope: Fighting on the same side leads to two or more characters becoming close friends.

  • Straight: Two characters, who were strangers or hostile, fight the same foe and feel warmly toward each other after.
  • Exaggerated:
    • They hate each other to the point of being mortal enemies, and become Sworn Brothers after a minor scrape.
    • A paintball fight turns them into Sworn Brothers.
    • Alice and Bob are enemies, then somehow end up fighting a battle together. The fans instantly claim them to be this, (Despite the fact their alliance only lasted about ten minutes) and since Alice died in the same battle, there's no telling how things would have been between the two if Alice had lived.
    • They're mortal enemies, but a minor injury not only makes them friends, but causes them to fall in love with each other.
  • Downplayed:
    • They were hostile to each other, but although they still have their differences, they become respectful to each other.
    • While the one more or less continues to be aloof and hostile, they are noticeably warming up to the other after fighting together.
  • Justified: They have demonstrated their trustworthiness and support of each other in battle.
  • Inverted:
  • Subverted: Fighting together leaves them sniping and abusing each other, as opposed to a former politeness.
  • Double Subverted: But that's because they are far past needing to bother with formality.
  • Parodied: Bob and Charlie was bickering when they suddenly burst into flames. After the flames are extinguished, the pair are now best buddies.
  • Zig Zagged: The characters are united by a major conflict..until the next battle when they realize they were better off working alone. But then in the next battle they need each other again. Et cetera.
    • The effect on the relationship depends upon character traits. "Big" Bob and Charlie usually grate at each other from differences but grow to like each other fighting together. Meanwhile Alice and Daniel were almost a couple until they started fighting together. Alice is disgusted by Daniel's psychopathic 'kill them all' attitude and Daniel considers her foolish for attempting to capture her foes when they are hopelessly outmatched.
  • Averted: People on the same side see no change in relationship; they are either friends to begin with, or remain enemies.
  • Enforced: "These are the two lead actors, and we need to show how different their personalities are, and how serious the conflict is. So nothing's going to make them work together unless they absolutely have to."
  • Lampshaded: "I thought you two were enemies." "Not since that battle forced us to cooperate. That's when we learned we're not so different."
  • Invoked: Hazing.
  • Exploited: The enemy the two are fighting instructs his minions to keep them apart, because he doesn't want his two greatest enemies teaming up.
  • Defied: The two heroes refuse to be friends because of their differences in beliefs and personality.
  • Discussed:
    • "Here's where we fight the Mooks and become friends."
    • "Keep them apart until Monday. That's when the Mooks will attack, and that will forge them together."
    • "Just because we fought the Dark Lord together doesn't mean I've forgotten how you refused to pay the library the fines for the overdue books."
    • "Look at all these new recruits snapping at each other. A good battle, now, that usually changes their attitudes pretty fast."
  • Conversed: "Weren't those two sworn enemies mere minutes ago?! Those Mooks must've knocked some sense into them!"
  • Deconstructed: They learn each other's faults after the battle and are disillusioned; a fight doesn't show all your relevant traits.
  • Reconstructed: But hey, no one's perfect.

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