History Main / ArrangedFriendship

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[Characters/TheOwlHouseAmityBlight Amity Blight]] and Willow Park were childhood friends who were inseparable until Amity cut off ties and became a bully to her. In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E15UnderstandingWillow Understanding Willow]]", it's revealed that Amity's parents threatened to ruin Willow's future if she didn't cut ties with her and start hanging out with Boscha and Skara because, unlike them, Willow's parents were neither rich nor influential enough for their approval. After revealing the truth, Amity breaks off her friendship with her girl-posse and starts hanging around Luz, Willow, and Gus (or "[[Characters/TheOwlHouseTheHexsquad The Hexsquad]]" as the fans call them). However, Amity is still on good terms with Skara, even saving her life multiple times, and Boscha really did see Amity as a friend, and felt betrayed and jealous when Amity stopped hanging out with her.

Alice and Bob hang out and call themselves "friends", but they only hang out because their parents make them. Alice's parents and Bob's parents share the same social circle and they don't want their kids associating with the "riff-raff", whether it's based on class, race, or religion.

Friendship is usually something that has to happen organically and can't be forced in such a manner without causing serious problems for the people involved. This usually results in those involved in the Arranged Friendship becoming LonelyAmongPeople, or they may [[ToxicFriendInfluence adopt some rather toxic personality traits]] since their "friendship" is based on [[SecretlySelfish self-interest and social status]] instead of {{True Companions}}hip. At best, you get a LonelyRichKid who learns what real friendship is after they're given enough CharacterDevelopment. At worst, you get an AlphaBitch who drives away everyone, even their fake friends, because their social skills are just that bad.

When those in an Arranged Friendship are of the opposite sex, it's often used in a prelude to an ArrangedMarriage, having either been planned from the beginning, or their parents having crafted their social circle to weed out candidates.

* ''Literature/TheDarkDescentOfElizabethFrankenstein'': Elizabeth Lavanza was seemly brought to the Frankensteins to be Victor’s playmate. [[spoiler: in reality, it was both in the hopes of keeping the increasingly dangerous Victor in line and for Alphonse to eventually take her family fortune before she could claim at 21.]]

* In the first episode of ''Series/TheInbetweeners'', Mr Gilbert assigns Simon to help new student Will get adjusted to the school. Simon is mortified at having to hang around Will, but at some point he accepts him as the fourth member of his friend group, and by the middle of the first season, his best friend out of all of them ([[WithFriendsLikeThese though that isn't saying much]]).

* In ''Manga/SpyXFamily'', [[DeepCoverAgent agent Twilight]] is assigned to Operation Strix, in which he is to infiltrate the inner circle of [[TheParanoiac the reclusive Donovan Desmond]], to confirm or deny the possibility that Donovan is trying to restart the war between their nations, and who is known to only publicly engage with people outside his inner circle during functions of the elite private school where his two sons attend. To get close to Donovan, Twilight takes on the identity of Loid Forger, a married psychologist with a child, and he adopts Anya with the intent of having her become an honor roll student to get into the school function Donovan goes to with his oldest son. Since [[BookDumb Anya doesn't have the grades to become and honor roll student]], the new plan became having her befriend Donovan's youngest son, Damian as a way for Twilight to get closer to Donovan. Unfortunately, [[ParentalNeglect the elder Desmonds' parenting style]] and [[SkewedPriorities Donovan's sole focus in running]] [[TheDictatorship the nation]] resulted in [[LonelyRichKid Damian]] becoming a [[SpoiledBrat self absorbed brat]] who has [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex no intention becoming friends with a "commoner."]] Although it's heavily hinted that [[{{Tsundere}} Damian may have some attraction to Anya, which he denies]], Anya sees being Damian's friend as nothing more than a means to an end; specifically, if Anya helps Twilight/Loid accomplish his mission to "preserve world peace," then Twilight/Loid will see she's a good girl and keep her as his daughter and not send her back to the orphanage he found her in.

** Ramona's mother wants her to be friends with Susan, the snooty TeachersPet, because the Quimby parents and the Kushner parents are friends, and don't seem to understand that Ramona and Susan dislike each other. In ''Ramona's World'', Ramona's mother makes her invite Susan to her birthday party despite her protests that Susan will ruin it. She gets proven right when Susan makes a big show of eating an apple instead of cake and says that birthday cake is covered in germs, which starts a small argument among the guests. However, after Daisy calls her out for being rude, Susan cries and reveals that she knows nobody likes her because she always has to be perfect all the time, which helps Ramona understand her better and is implied to set them on the path to becoming real friends.

** Ramona's mother wants her to be friends with Susan, the snooty TeachersPet, because the Quimby parents and the Kushner parents are friends, and doesn't seem to understand that Ramona and Susan dislike each other. In ''Ramona's World'', Ramona's mother makes her invite Susan to her birthday party despite her protests that Susan will ruin it. She gets proven right when Susan makes a big show of eating an apple instead of cake and says that birthday cake is covered in germs, which starts a small argument among the guests. However, after Daisy calls her out for being rude, Susan cries and reveals that she knows nobody likes her because she always has to be perfect all the time, which helps Ramona understand her better and is implied to set them on the path to becoming real friends.

* In ''Manga/SpyXFamily'', agent Twilight is assigned to Operation Strix, in which he is to infiltrate the inner circle of the reclusive Donovan Desmond, to confirm or deny the possibility that Donovan is trying to restart the war between their nations, and who is known to only publicly engage with people outside his inner circle during functions of the elite private school where his sons attend. To get close to Donovan, Twilight takes on the identity of Loid Forger, a married psychologist with a child, and he adopts Anya with the intent of using her to befriend Donovan's youngest son, Damian as way for Twilight to get closer to Donovan. Unfortunately, [[ParentalNeglect Donovan's parenting style]] and [[SkewedPriorities sole focus in running]] [[FascistButInefficient the nation]] resulted in [[LonelyRichKid Damian]] becoming a [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex self absorbed brat]] who has no intention becoming friends with a commoner. Although it's heavily hinted that [[{{Tsundere}} Damian may have some attraction to Anya, which he denies]], Anya sees being Damian's friend as nothing more than a needs to an end, specifically to "preserve world peace," and to ensure Twilight/Loid will keep her around as his daughter and not send her back to the orphanage he found her in.

* ''Theatre/DearEvanHansen'': Jared is very quick to remind Evan that they're "family friends," not ''friends''. Jared only hangs out with Evan because his parents make him in exchange for paying for his car insurance.

->'''Alador:''' You may choose a new friend from one of the suitable companions we invite.
->'''Amity:''' But they're mean! Just because you work with their parents doesn't mean I have to like them!
->'''Odalia:''' Good children don't squabble, dear.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': [[Characters/TheOwlHouseAmityBlight Amity Blight]] and Willow Park were childhood friends who were inseparable until Amity cut off ties and became a bully to her. In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E15UnderstandingWillow Understanding Willow]]", it's revealed that Amity's parents threatened to ruin Willow's future if she didn't cut ties with her and start hanging out with Boscha and Skara because, unlike them, Willow's parents were neither rich nor influential enough for their approval. After revealing the truth, Amity breaks off her friendship with her girl-posse and starts hanging around Luz, Willow, and Gus (or "[[Characters/TheOwlHouseTheHexsquad The Hexsquad]]" as the fans call them).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': A particularly insidious example is seen in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS25E21PayPal Pay Pal]]". When Lisa declares she is comfortable with not having friends, Marge - in her typical fashion - reacts overdramatically. Out of concern, she ends up secretly paying another second grade girl to hang out with Lisa, thinking she is doing a good thing. Yet when Lisa finds out she is beyond furious, and even Marge realizes how far she overstepped. The two make up in the end, and Lisa tries to establish a normal friendship with the girl but flees upon finding out that she is interested in eating raw horse meat.

* ''ComicBook/SuperSons'': In the beginning, Damian Wayne and Jon Kent did not got along at all (Jon being a NiceGuy and Damian being an InsufferableGenius who [[FantasticRacism hated the alien]]), but their parents Superman and Batman were not going to hear any protesting. [[VitriolicBestBuds Occasional insulting aside]], the hatred [[FireForgedFriends dies pretty fast once they ended up on a mission]] -- [[HistoryRepeats just like their dads]].

* ''Fanfic/VengeanceOfDawn'': When Twilight was a filly, some unscrupulous ponies tried to take advantage of the fact that Princess Celestia was her personal mentor. She had a friend named Scarlet Shine who kept asking when she was going to get to meet Princess Celestia. One day, Twilight askes her why, and Scarlet reveales that her parents had told her to make friends with Twilight so they would get to talk to the Princess. She goes on to say that Twilight is boring and an egghead and a loser.

** Ramona's friendship with Howie also starts out this way in the early books. In preschool and kindergarten, their opposite personalities make them prone to butting heads, but they have to spend time together because their mothers are friends. But in first grade, Howie introduces Ramona to the game of "brick factory," which they both enjoy. As a result they bond and become genuine best friends, still slightly [[VitriolicBestBuds vitriolic]] at first , but less so as time goes on.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': A particularly insidious example is seen in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS25E21PayPal Pay Pal]]". When Lisa declares she is comfortable with not having friends, Marge - in her typical fashion - reacts overdramatically. Out of concern, she ends up secretly paying another second grade girl to hang out with Lisa, thinking she is doing a good thing. Yet when Lisa finds out she is beyond furious, and even Marge realizes how far she overstepped. The two make up in the end, and Lisa tries to establish a normal friendship with the girl, but flees upon finding out that she is interested in eating raw horse meat.

* ''Literature/RamonaQuimby'': Ramona's mother wants her to be friends with Susan, the snooty TeachersPet, because the Quimby parents and the Kushner parents are friends, and doesn't seem to understand that Ramona and Susan dislike each other. In ''Ramona's World'', Ramona's mother makes her invite Susan to her birthday party despite her protests that Susan will ruin it. She gets proven right when Susan makes a big show of eating an apple instead of cake and says that birthday cake is covered in germs, which starts a small argument among the guests. However, after Daisy calls her out for being rude, Susan cries and reveals that she knows nobody likes her because she always has to be perfect all the time, which helps Ramona understand her better and is implied to set them on the path to becoming real friends.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': A particularly insidious example is seen in ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS25E21PayPal Pay Pal]]''. When Lisa declares she is comfortable with not having friends, Marge - in her typical fashion - reacts overdramatically. Out of concern, she ends up secretly paying another second grade girl to hang out with Lisa, thinking she is doing a good thing. Yet when Lisa finds out she is beyond furious, and even Marge realizes how far she overstepped. The two make up in the end, and Lisa tries to establish a normal friendship with the girl, but flees upon finding out that she is interested in eating raw horse meat.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', [[Characters/TheOwlHouseAmityBlight Amity Blight]] and Willow Park were childhood friends who were inseparable until Amity cut off ties and became a bully to her. In "[[Recap/TheOwlHouseS1E15UnderstandingWillow Understanding Willow]]", it's revealed that Amity's parents threatened to ruin Willow's future if she didn't cut ties with her and start hanging out with Boscha and Skara because, unlike them, Willow's parents were neither rich nor influential enough for their approval. After revealing the truth, Amity breaks off her friendship with her girl-posse and starts hanging around Luz, Willow, and Gus (or "[[Characters/TheOwlHouseTheHexsquad The Hexsquad]]" as the fans call them).

* {{Literature/How to Train Your Dragon}} {{subverted}} this trope as Stoick wanted his son Hiccup, the {{Loser Protagonist}} to befriend Snotlout instead of {{straw loser}} Fishlegs but Stoick changes his tune due to realizing just how bad {{the bully}} Snotlout is.

* ''Literature/WagonsWest'': Growing up, Toby Holt and Beth Blake were constantly being put together by their mothers in the hope that one day they would eventually marry, but instead they ended up dreading each other. It is realized later by their mothers that -- had their relationship been allowed to grow naturally -- they probably would have been attracted to each other, but by the time they *are* attracted to each other, one and/or the other had married someone else.