Friendship holds incredible power when it comes to the plot of animated content. The primary reason being a lot of people love the characters and the stories they tell. Animated shows depict some of the greatest and most moving examples of friendship in all of fiction, with examples of sacrifice, loyalty, devotion, and unequaled support between characters – and all for platonic love. Friends come in all forms, between two people of the same gender, different genders, or even different species! But what matters is that they are always there for each other, and their relationship has withstood the test of time.
So, when it comes to the best friendship duos, we were spoilt for choice. The world of animation includes too many best friend pairs across all genres of stories. We have covered some of the strongest, most impactful, or most famous best friend pairs, so read on to see who made the final cut!
Let’s look at 10 special friendships of the animated world that are an inspiration, have stood all odds, fought battles and stuck together.
1) Tom and Jerry, the lifelong buddies
Tom and Jerry, the two most iconic characters of the cartoon world, with their friendship are not far behind! Friendship, yes, you read that right because that’s the beauty of the The Tom and Jerry Show. The legendary chase-comedy with an undertone of rivalry is still a fan-favourite on Cartoon Network, and has kept us entertained for years. Despite their constant fights, antics, and chasing, they also have genuine concern for one another. Remember the exciting time when they fought Spike the dog together, and teamed up to get Robocat out of the house? So memorable, endearing and fun to watch! Let’s celebrate this Friendship Day by soaking in some of that Tom and Jerry magic, from old episodes to the new ones with ‘thought-over’ commentaries.
2) Badrinath and Buddhadeb, ekdum lallantaap (very fantastic)
If you ask a kid to name two best friends of the comic world, chances of him/her picking Badrinath and Buddhadeb from the show Bandbudh Aur Budbak are high. This quirky pair makes each day thrilling by indulging in fun adventures that mostly gets them into trouble at school. Badrinath and Buddhadeb are BFFs who exemplify friendship with traits such as honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness, and supporting one another. Although both have their unique sense of adventure, they still encourage each other’s crazy ideas. They’ll make you want to relive your school days and connect (or reconnect) with your friends.
3) Zim and GIR (Invader Zim), the most fun master and servant combo
To his knowledge, Zim was sent on an important mission to invade Earth and prepare to be dominated by his alien race. To help him on his supposed conquest, he is given a SIR robot unit. However, due to circumstances, the highly advanced robot named GIR is not as advanced as it should be. Zim and his robotic assistant, GIR, disguised themselves as a human child and a green dog respectively as they lived their life on Earth. What makes this duo so interesting is how eccentric they both are but in different ways.
It is interesting to see these two opposite characters interact with each other as the team they are. Zim’s determination and GIR’s obliviousness mixed together made things go haywire in the show and yet was endearing to watch. Do you think Zim will finish his mission with his dim-witted sidekick around? Watch the show to find out. It was aired on Nickelodeon in 2001.
4) Ekans and Chiku, the inseparable duo
Ekans and Chiku from Cartoon Network’s first-ever made in India sci-fi, action-comedy superhero show Ekans – Ek Se Badhkar Snake are the newest friends to become the talk of the town. The two do everything together, from studying, playing, and even solving obstacles. Though Chiku is goofy and mischievous, he is also honest and sincere in keeping the secret of Ekans’ superpowers under wraps. And Ekans, of course, does everything in his power to protect Chiku – at his every beck and call! Does this camaraderie sound like you and your bestie?
5) Ben and Gwen, forever together
The affability of Ben and Gwen from the show Ben 10 is a classic story of one of the best friendships there is! It all began with bickering and arguing, but they both very quickly became inseparable partners in fighting galactic evils. Gwen and Ben on occasions also displayed genuine care for each other. They eventually strengthened their friendship and have grown up to become an amazing team. We bet their story got a smile on your face, reminding you of your best buddy.
6) Motu and Patlu, classic and still going strong
Motu and Patlu illustrate the imperishable bond between two friends living in an imaginary town. Both Motu and Patlu have a strong fan following with kids and parents due to their clean and fun content that has led to many memorable adventures for the duo. They are noted for getting into hilarious situations from which they manage to extricate themselves only through luck. The iconic characters, created by Mr. A.P Bajaj of the Lotpot Group in 1969, is among the most popular kids series on television.
The Indian animated sitcom television series is written by Niraj Vikram for Nickelodeon India and is produced by Cosmos-Maya Studios.
7) Titoo and Golu, sibling love
Siblings can be the best of friends, and Titoo and Golu make for the perfect example! An overprotective big brother to the ultimate troublemaker, Golu will happily face the consequences of Titoo’s antics at school. As Golu goes to any lengths to make sure Titoo is okay, this sibling pair will take you back to all those shenanigans with your partner-in-crime. You can watch their priceless friendship on Titoo – Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu on POGO.
8) Pinaki and Happy, the ghost-friendly duo
These two are the main characters of the Nickelodeon show The Bhoot Bandhus that started airing in November 2020.
Taking the kids into a new world of fun, the show portrays an unusual family of ghosts, who adopt the central character of the show — Pinaki and raise him as one of their own. The high-octane comedy combined with some “Bhootbaazi” takes the viewers on a laughter ride with mysterious and hilarious stories of Pinaki and Happy. The show illustrates the daily adventures of Pinaki and Happy as the fun unfolds when the bhoot world meets the real world.
Pinaki and Happy’s fun equation of friendship is loved by one and all. They are among the most favourite TV pairs.
9) Spongebob and Patrick (Spongebob Squarepants), the ideal BFFs
Speaking of an animal duo, now we have the sponge and starfish. Spongebob and Patrick are best friends and neighbours. The interactions between the idiotic duo is always hilarious. Most of the time, the two do simple things like hanging out in the park or playing around in their front yard. So, it isn’t really what they do that is interesting, it is the conversation they have with each other and other people that is hysterical. The dim-witted duo always find a way to create something wild and riveting out of nothing. Using their imagination in an empty box or selling chocolate can only be an engrossing story when two wild cards like Spongebob and Patrick are doing it.
Spongebob Squarepants aired on Nickelodeon and can now be watched on Netflix.
10) Chhota Bheem and Chutki, an iconic pairing
While there are several special friendships in Dholakpur, Bheem and Chutki share the sweetest and most extraordinary relationship. Friends who are always by each other’s side whether they are having fun or nabbing the bad guys. Throughout their endless adventures, they make each other stronger and better, quite like that one best friend who encourages you to be the best version of yourself!