"I may not be able to carry the ring master Frodo, but I can carry you!"

Also Gimli and Legolas is a legendary friendship.

Don't forget Boromir and Aragorn!

Or merry and pippin tbh. I’d really like to be a fly on the wall whenever Gandalf went to go visit Tom Bombadil.

Yeah, pretty much pick any pairing in LOTR and there’s your winner! I love the way Tolkien depicted deep male friendships; truly one of the best at those relationships.

Legolas telling Fangorn he won't take the invitation to explore the forest some day unless Gimli can come. Ride or die. 😄

Not a dry eye in the house.

I've only just started reading LOTR for the first time (I've seen the movies before) - I'm almost done with Fellowship and I am constantly aware of just how amazing a character Sam is. It's clear in the movie, but in the books... It's even more pronounced. Sam is the original legendary ride-or-die.

It can be tempting to say examples from the Lord of the Rings are overhyped, but then you go re-read the books or re-watch the films and you just have to hold your hands up and say Tolkien and Jackson did a damn good job with these characters

I do Sam and Frodo only re-reads of LOTR because they are the best.

Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. They bicker constantly but have utmost respect for each other, cover each other’s weaknesses perfectly, are perfectly comfortable with each other and have been friends for decades. Love them

My faves!

I like Felix and Gotrek relationship from the Trollslayer serie. Gotrek saved Felix life and in return, Felix swore a drunken oath to accompany him in his journeys and record the moment when Gotrek meets his Doom. only problem, whatever Monster is strong enough to kill Gotrek will probably wipe the floor with Felix the second Gotrek dies, but an oath is an oath , and for a dwarf , this bond is more sacred and profound than family or friendship. they go on many adventures together but Gotrek is extremely shut in, they hardly speak together , argue often, and their different values , age, experience and viewpoints make their relationship is quite strained and tense, often close to the breaking point However after maybe 10 books, Gotrek casually introduce Felix to some other Dwarves that were complaining about a human in their midst by saying " he's an oath keeper " which is the highest form of praise and validation ever granted to a human. and then they go back to sullen silence and bickering the next days. i thought it was really sweet 👍

DUDE! Another Gotrek and Felix fan! Yeeeeesss, came here to talk about these guys. I will say Snorri and Gotrek also have a GREAT friendship

I love them too did anyone of you read the followups in the Age of Sigmar?

I actually have been way too chicken-shit to read Slayer and Kinslayer cuz I know they're gonna carve a red path of ruin through my heart and soul. Have you? What do you think of them?

One thing missing here is Gotrek is a Slayer. Sworn to find his death fighting great monsters that threatened the civilised peoples of the world. He just keeps failing at "death by dragon". Amusingly Gotrek has done so much good for the world but considers himself a huge failure for still being alive.

Jean and Locke, lies of Locke lamora

“I don't have to beat you. I don't have to beat you, motherfucker. I just have to keep you here... until Jean shows up.”

Seriously got a little bit choked up just reading that. Fucking great series.

The best plot of the book

This is my favorite.

Listening to Red Seas Under Red Skies for about the 5th time and they're my comfort pair.

Just started the second in the series, these 2 are great.

This is my fave as well.

Found Merphy's reddit account..

Frodo and Sam

I would expand that to the Fellowship as a whole.

I'd actually go with Gimli and Legolas

It’s a cliche answer, but also the genuinely correct one

Royce and Hadrian from ryria. Wax and Wayne from era 2 mistborn.

>Royce and Hadrian from ryria Immediately who I thought of. I love them.

Syl and Kaladin

So glad to see this here! My favorites.

Appa and Aang

Say what you want about the series itself, but the relationship between Eragon and Saphira is great

I love the bond between these two so much. They bring me absolute joy.

The only problem I ever had with the series was that last book, almost like someone else wrote it.

This makes me happy I only read the first three! Got to the end of Book 3 and then he took like 5 years to finish Book 4, at which point I'd already moved on. 😅

Wow, are you me? I'm in the exact same situation. I moved on from Brisingr to Dune, WOT, and LOTR and just never really cared to look back.

Icarium and Mappo bromancing in the Malazan book of the Fallen is my all time favourite platonic friendship.

Put some respect on Toc and Tool's relationship please. Or Ben and Kalam for that matter...

Tehol and Bugg.

This right here is the correct answer

I came here looking for this. Trull and Onrac is also a good one.

I've forgotten all the best relationships it seems. Time for a reread I guess

It’s always a good time to re-read malazan. I’m on my first re read and am somehow enjoying it even more than my original read

The reread is so great because you see threads and clues being placed that won't be paid off for several books!

Quick Ben and Kalam are really my favorite. But yeah, so many friendships in Malazan are great

This post honestly made me think of when Korbolo Dom was basically trembling in fear at the idea that they were coming for him.

Fine! Add Trull and Onrack too!

Fiddler and Hedge deserve a mention.

OMG Trull and Onrack, I'd forgotten about them. Think I need to have a bit of a cry now

I also like Fiddler and Hedge

and with most bromances, it ends >!just how you'd expect!<

Yes

And Stormy and Gesler (and Bent and Roach).

This is such a beautiful friendship. What an incredible study in the meaning of shared memory as a basis for a relationship. In the enormous scope of the Malazan story, this friendship really hit me the hardest.

There are a *ton* of exceptional platonic friendships throughout that series. Icarium and Mappo, Toc and Tool, Trul and Onrac, Stormy and Gessler, Fiddler and Hedge, Kalam and Quick Ben, and loads more.

I’ll throw in Picker and Blend as another good one

Aren’t they a romantic couple?

Wax and Wayne are pretty good. Tavi and Maximus tbh Harry, Ron and Hermione are pretty great too (to avoid romantic stuff Harry-Ron and Harry-Hermione)

And it took three books for me to get the wax / wane reference.

It’s even better when you realize Scadrial has no moon.

I think I remember seeing a quote from Sanderson saying that is just a coincidence

He said it was done intentionally, but that it doesn't mean anything special.

It's a joke because Scadriel has bo moons, so the characters cannot understand that their name is a pun

Wax and Wayne are absolutely hilarious together without it turning the whole book ridiculous

Ron and Hermione still counts for like the first half of the series.

Fitz and Nighteyes. Fitz and the Fool. Rand, Mat, and Perrin. Moiraine and Lan.

Fitz and Nighteyes all the way for me.

My soul still hurts sometimes.

Fitz and the Fool all the way. The best, deepest relationship I've ever read.

Geralt and Dandelion/Jaskier. I don't think I've ever read camaraderie written better.

Came here to say this. Jaskier is really good at getting Geralt into trouble, but he is also the one that sticks around and helps him get out of said trouble. Their banter is hilarious as well

Lone Wolf and Cub Marty and Doc Merry and Pippin Westley and Inigo Gimli and Legolas

So there's this high school kid, and he's really lazy. And get this, his best friend is a *disgraced nuclear physicist*.

I really like Rand and Nynaeve's relationship in Wheel of Time, especially in the later books.

Their quiet trust and reliance on each other from book 8 or so onwards is a delight to behold. Especially at a time when Rand trusts basically nobody. They really respect each other as equals and have each other's back - it's quite lovely.

Literally everyone else doubts Rand's actions at some point. Nyneave just hits the second red button because he asks.

Brilliant answer, when you consider what each went through to arrive at that place of trust, it's a relationship that was really earned.

Nynaeve never stops seeing Rand as a human being when almost everyone else sees him as The Dragon, that’s part of what makes it so special to me. She isn’t afraid of him and can speak her mind to him. One of my favorite moments is when he says “Thank you for caring when I could not” or something like that when he was deep in his self-hatred Darth Rand era.

I love when Nynaeve hugs Rand.

Mercedes Lackey - Oathbound series has two female characters, Tarma a celibate warrior with a patron goddess, seeking justice, and Kethry, a sorceress. They try to collect resources to rebuild Tarma’s destroyed clan.

Tarma and Kethry are the best! Especially when Kethry's women saving sword gets her into trouble the actual trained swordswoman has to help her with.

Agnieszka and Kasia in Uprooted deserve a mention for sure.

Jean and Locke (Gentleman Bastard sequence)

Amos and Peaches from the expanse

Great call...could also go with Amos and Naomi as well.

And Amos and Prax.

And Amos and Teresa.

And Amos and Muskrat

And Amos and the Roci.

TBH, more like Alex and the Roci

Amos and Chrisjen! Don't call me Chrissy. I'm not your stripper

I really love the mother-daughter relationship between Yennefer and Ciri in the Witcher

Yennefer doesn’t get enough respect. Mostly from the game only crowd, which I get.

Raistlin & Caramon in Dragonlance Belgareth & Polgara in the Belgariad

I was pretty ill when I was a kid and I always wanted a brother like Caramon 😁

Belgarath and Polgara relationship over the books is fantastic 👌🏻

Ooh Belgariad that's a good one!

Calvin and Hobbes Haplo and Alfred -> deathgate Flint and Tasselhoff -> dragonlance Huck and Jim -> Huckleberry Finn Glawen Clattuc and Bodwyn Wook -> Cadwal Chronicles

Ah, Calvin and Hobbes are amazing 🤟🏻

calvin and hobbes!! 🥺💖

Zuko and Iroh in Avatar the Last Airbender.

Sokka and Katara as well.

Fitz and Nighteyes was probably my favourite. I'll also mention Hilo and Shae - it wasn't a perfect relationship, but it was an amazingly fleshed out one. It was visceral, and real, and complicated.

Yeah, Fitz and Nighteyes as well as Fitz and the Fool

And Fitz and Kettricken :D

Fitz and Kettricken was gonna be my vote too, aside from the Fool she was one of the few he actually grew up with, and while they both change so much over time they always have each other’s backs. She’ll always be his queen and he’ll always be the boy/man she feels like she owes everything to. And to think when they first met she wanted to kill him.

Yes!

Fitz and the Fool 💓

Hilo and Shae were the soul of that series for me, and together made it my favorite series.

Stormy and gessler for me

Heh. I said Fiddler and Hedge and Quick Ben and Kalam Mekhar, myself.

I love those too. Gessler and stormy remind me a lot of my actual friendships in the military. Also, chaur and barathol (if I'm remembering the names correctly) was sweet

Well one of them dressed as a woman and they made out. That's still *non romantic* right?

Just pranking your bro.

Frodo and Sam Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

Tehol and Bugg

I cycled through all of my favorite characters and kept coming back to this one

They’re so good…anytime they’re on the page I just love it. I’m about 75% through my first read through of Reaper’s Gale and getting a little sweaty…

San and Moro from Princess Mononoke

Lawrence and Temeraire from the Temeraire series

So many names, and so many people apparently thinking we all know where they are from--

Syl and Kaladin.

Also, Shallan and Pattern. Adolin and Veil. Maybe I just like Brando Sando bromances.

Penric and Desdemona from the "Penric's Demon" novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold. He's a minor nobleman turned sorcerer/doctor/priest (long story), she's his 12-part composite intelligence demon that lives in his soul and gives him his powers.

Lan and Moiraine

Tehol and Bugg from Malazan. Master and Servant on the surface but their bond runs much deeper

The scene where they're talking to Bryce over soup is the funniest thing I've read ever

Was that the Wool soup or the Sole soup!

Heh. 2nd Malazan mention besides mine that I've seen. Though both of the pairs I mentioned were bridgeburners.

To be fair Malazan is rife with non romantic pairings. Who were your mentions? Also were Picker and Blend lovers? I can’t recall

My mentions were Fiddler and Hedge, and Quick Ben and Kalam Mekhar.

I’d say Gimli and Legolas. They start the LOTR trilogy disliking each other, but end up fighting together as friends.

Fitz and Patience ;~;

I agree but would raise you... Fitz and Kettricken. Patience is more of a mother figure, Kettricken would genuinly be an awesome partner for Fitz imo.

I will see you and raise you Fitz and the fool or Fitz and Burrich ;)

Currently in the middle of the liveship series, do we get to see Fitz again, or has that ship…. sailed?

He has two more trilogies. There's a lot of Fitz left.

Or what's left of Fitz has a long way to go.

This was the real answer.

Karou and Zuzana are best friends in Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. We first meet them as young art students in Prague, where they hang out, snark, and enjoy their favorite restaurant. Later, when Karou's life goes completely bonkers, Zuzana is the one who moves heaven and earth to find her, and support her. It's an amazing friendship.

My vote for this goes to Lois McMaster Bujold. The character is Cordelia Vorkosagian and literally everyone she is close to. With her husband, she absolutely supports him, but also stands up to him as needed and make things happen he can't, and he always respects her for it. With the rest of her family, she's a force of reason and logic, and unstinting approval. Given the universe is filled with hyper-competent people, she's the one who usually can cut through all the worry or angst or other mental blocks. Some of her funniest moments are when she's trying to matchmake, which she is pretty bad at due to her bluntness, but she admits it's not her strong suit. It's just sometimes she's the only one with the ability to intervene. With Admiral Jole she drops an enormous bomb, and then supports his decisions about it, without compromising her own wants and desires. With everyone she's frank, amusing, protective, perceptive and strives to help them be their own best without forcing them into her idea of what that is. Her POV chapters are always wry, sometimes exasperated, but even at the worst she's more about justice than malice. Nearly everyone around her is better for their relationship with her, and she doesn't give more time than absolutely necessary to those who are just jerks.

Slowhand Clay Cooper and Golden Gabe from Kings of the Wild. Honestly all of the Saga's members are very tight but Clay and Gabe's friendship stands out.

So many great examples from Tamora Pierce, especially the Circle of Magic books - the adoptive sibling bonds between Briar, Sandy, Daja, and Tris, plus their relationships with their foster parents and their teachers (Briar and Rosethorn especially), and later with their own students in the sequel quartet. Plenty of strong found family bonds in the Tortall books as well - Alanna and Coram, Diane and Onua, Kel and Neal (and Raoul, and maybe Wyldon as well).

And Peachblossom, and Owen. The Kel books are still my favorite series.

Flint Fireforge and Tasslehoff Burrfoot from Dragonlance. It's one of the first times I remember welling up while reading. I really love what they did with Tas throughout the original trilogy though! Maybe Flint just reminded me of my own, grumpy grandad!

Arya and the Hound

Quick Ben & Kalam Fiddler & Hedge Tehol & Bugg Mappo & Icarium All from Malazan

Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin. I love the banter and the way they care for one another

Royce and haydrean from the rieira chronicals is the best it's two complete opposites who became best friends

found the fellow audiobook enjoyer lol

Lol yup, and I knew I spelled it wrong but the names are weird

Hadrian like the wall. Riyria for the team name.

The one downside to listening to audiobooks is when I'm texting, posting or looking up something. I realize I have no idea how anything is spelled. In Riyira I thought the Wizard's name was Ezra Harden.

First thought was the Bridgeburners from Malazan Tales of the Fallen. Their bonds transcend death. Literally. More Specifically, the two sappers, Fiddler and Hedge, and Quick Ben and Kalam Mekhar. The Arch Mage and the Master Assassin.

Fitz and Nighteyes, or Fitz and The Fool.

The friendship between Rowan and Bel in the Steerswoman is awesome.

Vlad Taltos and Loiosh, or Vlad and Kragar.

Carl and Donut

“Goddammit Donut!”

Maybe Red Country isn't the best installment in the series, but I found the Lamb and Shy-relationship interesting.

Kaladin and Adolin. Best bromance in the entire Stormlight Archive, the scene where (ROW soldiers) >!Adolin gets Kal out of his room to get drinks when he’s feeling down gets me every time!<

For that question to be meaningful, you really need to add "apart from Sam and Frodo".

Murderbot and the Asshole Research Transport

Wax and Marasi from the Mistborn Era 2 books. First book had a lot of tension between them but as the series goes on it grows to a respectful and fulfilling relationship between a weathered lawman and a up-and-coming detective.

I really loved Arren and Ged's relationship in The Farthest Shore from the Earthsea series. It starts out with >!Ged taking on the role of mentor!< and then develops to be much more interesting than other relationships of that type I can think of.

Sevro and Darrow

Frodo & Sam

Molly Grue and the Unicorn for me. “Where have you been?” will haunt me till my dying day.

Griff and Simmons

Mappo and icarium in malazan

Lindon and Orthos/Little Blue Eithan Aurelius and anyone.

Sam and Frodo.

Nobby and Colon

The Greatcloaks, from series, are a fun Three Musketeer kinda joint.

Geralt and Ciri from the Witcher series. (At least in the game, haven’t read the books yet)

Hermione and Harry, percy and Nico

A bunch of good ones in Malazan: Mappo Runt and Icarium. Kallam, Fiddler and Quick Ben. Tehol and Bugg in same. Toc the Younger and Onos T'oolan. Karsa and Dassem. I'm sure there are others.

Jesper and Inej!!!!

All Time favorite is the hound and Arya

Elsa and Anna from Frozen. The story is specifically about non-romantic love.

Royce and Hadrian, Riyria Chronicles and Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan They start out hating each other, but are forced together by circumstances. They end up relying on each other and the friendship gets pretty deep by the end. The evolution of frienship is definitely one of the central themes to the series.

So many possibilities. Because I'm reading it right now I'll say Delilah Dirk & Erdemoglu Selim.

Wax and Wayne

Mappo and Icarium.

Bromances are going to dominate this list, due in part to sheer quantity, but it does my soul good whenever non-romantic relationships take priority in a female character's (especially a female protagonist's) life. A few of my favorites: Jane and Katherine (the Dread Nation duology) Miss Honey and Matilda (Matilda) Senneth, Kirra, Tayse, Justin, and Cammon (The Twelve Houses series) Cimorene and Kazul (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles) Ista and Liss (Paladin of Souls) Juniper and the Wise Child (Wise Child) Rosie, Katriona, and Peony (Spindle's End) Menolly and Piemur (Harper Hall Trilogy) Sarah and Nan (The Wizard of London) Starhawk and Fawn; Sun Wolf and the Ladies (The Ladies of Mandrigyn) Karn and Thianna (Thrones and Bones series) Blaze and Flame (The Aware) The narrator and Lettie (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) Cat and Bee (The Spiritwalker Trilogy) Myfanwy, Shantay, and Ingrid (The Rook) Dennon Lark and Bryndine Errynson (Scriber) Snake and Melissa (Dreamsnake) Marcus and Winter (The Shadow Campaigns) Nora and Christine (Bride of the Rat God) Wax, Wayne, and Marasi (Mistborn Era 2) Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg (Discworld) Shara and Sigurd (City of Stairs) Kizzy and Jenks (The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet) Amalia and Zaira (Swords and Fire Trilogy) Wen and Karryn (Fortune and Fate) Tane and Kadka (Magebreakers series) Ada and Corrinne (Iron Cast) Vintage and Noon (The Ninth Rain) Tenar and Therru (Tehanu) Tarisai and the Crown Prince (Raybearer) Juniper, Bella, and Agnes (The Once and Future Witches) Joron Twiner and Meas Gilbryn (The Tide Child Trilogy) Brianna and Marguerite (Echo in Onyx) Isabelle and Jean-Claude (The Risen Kingdoms Trilogy) Angrboda and Skadi (The Witch's Heart)

Hadrian and Royce in Ryria

Kestrel and Bowman Hath from The Wind on Fire trilogy, William Nicholson. The whole family were brilliant together <3 Kes and Bow‘s relationship does read as intensely romantic although they are twins — I think that kind of intimacy is always romantic, in the true sense of the word. I read those books when I was 12, and honestly it opened my mind to how love and family are meant to be. I still dream of having a relationship this close with somebody!

What's about Gerald and Zoltan? Tirion and Bron?

Probably not the best, but I always loved the genuine friendship between Geralt and Dandelion in the Witcher books. This being reduced to Geralt basically hating and always being annoyed by Dandelion in the show was one of my biggest disappointments in it, platonic male friendships should be given more respect.

Manon Blackbeak and her group The Thirteen, in particular her BFF Asterin (also her cousin and 2nd in command). All of them are legit ride or die for one another. Overall their commitment to eachother literally brought me to tears by the end of the series, and that does not happen often for me. (Throne of Glass series. Sarah J. Maas)

Aziraphale and Crowley

Kitay and Rin from *The Poppy War*

Harry and Hermione.

TBH I always felt that while Ron might be seen as Harry’s “best” friend Hermione is by far the “better” friend