History Main / BetterAsFriends

* One of Gerald Morris's Arthurian novels, ''The Ballad of Sir Dinadan'', has the hero end the book by going to find his female companion, who is currently training to be a nun. He proposes to her. When the Mother Superior comes out and realizes what has happened, she prepares to go pack her pupil's bags.
-->'''Dinadan''': Yes, I asked her. And she's made me the happiest man on earth.\\

* In Creator/PhilFoglio's ''ComicBook/AngelAndTheApe'' miniseries, sentient gorilla Sam Simeon is turned human by a superpowerful cosmic thingy (long story) and shares a long kiss with his partner Angel O'Day...then backs off; he feels that their relationship as friends is too important to mess with. She agrees, a touch wistfully.
* Creator/JoeQuesada is [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay trying to set up]] [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson]] as this after they spent multiple decades as the OfficialCouple and HappilyMarried. Needless to say, fans aren't buying it (both literally ''and'' figuratively). [[spoiler:It finally ended when they got back together [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan2018 in 2018]]]].
** Spider-Man also has this dynamic with his two other exes, Betty Brant and Felicia Hardy.
* In the ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' spinoff ''Jughead'', Jughead befriends Pop Tate's hamburger mascot girl (it's a bit of a challenge since he doesn't like girls, but he warms up to her over time; also, she's constantly dressed as a hamburger, which he loves). When she springs a date on him, he tries to go along, but the unfamiliar territory (and getting poor advice from Archie and friends) make him uncomfortable and the date ends disastrously. After a day of wacky revenge hijinks (did we mention that the girl in question is ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch?), they have a heart-to-heart talk, when he admits he's not interested in dating at all but is okay with being friends. It ends on a happy note.
* In another ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' story, Reggie saves Betty's life when she's knocked into traffic, she knits him a sweater as a thank you, and they start dating. They realize that it's starting to get serious after they each turn down a date with their typical objects of desire (Archie and Veronica) to keep a date with each other. They talk about it, and kiss... and she says "Oh Archie" and he says "Oh Veronica." They burst out laughing and decide to just be friends.

* Happens several times in Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, most notably to Kris and Talia of the "Queen's Own" trilogy and Daren and Kerowyn of "By the Sword." They ''all'' go on to relationships with other people, and very happily so, without losing their friendships. [[spoiler:Except for Kris, who gets killed.]]
** Subverted with Talia and Skif, who fall comfortably into this trope without ever getting into an actual physical relationship (they ''try'', but various bits of serendipity get in the way). Amusingly, their peers assume the trope played out straight.

** Honestly they seem to have more of sibling relationship than anything else.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''. Justin and Melissa were childhood friends who decide to have a RelationshipUpgrade... but it's this very thing that makes Justin realize he's [[IncompatibleOrientation gay]]. They decide to remain friends... but here's where things get sour. [[spoiler: Melissa was so distraught by this revelation that she confides in her sister... who is a ''huge'' gossip. Soon, everyone at their school knows, and Justin's parents even learn it by overhearing it at the grocery store. It also leads to lots of bullying aimed at poor Justin, who came very close to committing suicide over the whole ordeal. Justin blames Melissa for all this, which leads to the end of their friendship.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Dipper and Wendy come to this conclusion in "Into The Bunker", partially cause she likes him better as a friend and partially because she's fifteen while he's twelve-going-on-thirteen and it's clearly a puppy dog crush on his part.
** Also Wendy and Robbie to a certain extent. After Wendy dumped him he initially didn't take it well. But after Mabel sets Robbie up with Tambri ([[spoiler: with the use of some [[LovePotion magic dust]] she stole from the Love God]]), him and Wendy appear to go back to being friends in subsequent episodes.

* Creator/JoeQuesada is [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay trying to set up]] [[Franchise/SpiderMan Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson]] as this after they spent multiple decades as the OfficialCouple and HappilyMarried. Needless to say, fans aren't buying it (both literally ''and'' figuratively). [[spoiler:It finally ended when they got back together [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer in 2018]]]].

* ''Series/DontTrustTheBInApartment23'': Mark and June. They become fast friends in the pilot and share some UnresolvedSexualTension throughout most of the show's 2 season run. They finally hook up in the series finale, but neither enjoyed it. PlayedForLaughs when the two tried having sex again several times afterward, ultimately coming to the conclusion that it was really bad and agreeing they were better off as friends.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Arya gets m'lady-zoned by Gendry in "Kissed By Fire," when Gendry recognizes that even if he serves House Stark as Arya wishes, class differences mean the two can never be equals.
* Jerry Series/{{Seinfeld}} and Elaine. One {{UST}} episode that [[NegativeContinuity doesn't actually seem to be canon]]. It's PlayedForLaughs in the last episode as they seem on the edge of a DyingDeclarationOfLove during a plane crash, only to quickly backpedal once they survive (Elaine claims she was about to say "I've always loved U...nited Airlines").

* On ''Series/CriminalMinds'', JJ and Reid go on one date . . . and end up close friends, and nothing more.
* Harry and Christine in ''Series/NightCourt'' (lampshaded later where, after Christine turns down an invitation from Harry, Harry responds giddily "Isn't it great? We can say 'no' again!")

* Ted and Robin from ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. [[spoiler:Although they hooked up in Slapsgiving and Benefits, and eventually got back together in the series finale.]]
%%* Nate and Blair on ''Series/GossipGirl''.
%%* Margaret and Rain in ''Series/NaturallySadie''.
* In ''Series/{{Bones}}'' we have Booth and Cam. Dated before the show started, broke up, hooked up briefly after she joined the cast, broke up again, and seem determined not to mention it ever again. Since he's [[OfficialCouple obviously]] [[EveryoneCanSeeIt in love]] [[BelligerentSexualTension with Brennan]], [[FanPreferredCouple the fans]] are mostly willing to accept this.

%%* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' has Jack and Rachel becoming this after briefly dating each other.
* Bernard and Fran on ''Series/BlackBooks''.
-->'''Bernard:''' Well, I did [[[WhatDidIDoLastNight remember what happened]]] for a while. I think so. Then she made me block it out. That's it - she remembers, and I'm not allowed to.

* ''Series/{{ER}}'' has Doctor Kovac and Nurse Sam after they dated and decided to remain friends. Likewise with Abby and Carter. Even earlier, with Elizabeth and Peter, when she finally realizes that their personalities are far too different and that he'll never get over his discomfort with their interracial relationship.
* ''Series/TheWonderYears'' ends like this for [[spoiler:Kevin and Winnie]].
-->''[[spoiler: Still we never forgot our promise. We wrote to each other once a week for the next eight years. I was there to meet her when she came home...with my wife, and my first son, eight months old.]]''

* ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'' ''tried'' to pull this with Big Pete and Ellen, though the show's reluctance to bother with continuity meant it didn't stick and Big Pete was back to pining for Ellen a mere seven episodes later.
* In ''Series/{{Community}}'', Jeff Winger and Britta Perry have zigzagged between just good friends and FriendsWithBenefits. It was revealed in the latter half of season two that they'd been hooking up on occasion, but since then it appears they've just settled into a "purely platonic friends" dynamic.
** Between season three and four, Troy and Britta start a relationship but near the end of the season, they decide to go back to just being friends.

* In ''Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll'', Clarissa and Sam try dating in one episode and even share a kiss, but they eventually decide on this.
* ''Series/TheLWord''. PlayedForLaughs when Jenny takes home another girl after her first lesbian crush, only to find that their awkward fumblings lack chemistry. In the end, the two girls blurt out simultaneously, "Let's just be friends."
* In ''Series/MyMadFatDiary'', Rae and Archie quickly come to this conclusion after Archie discovers that he's actually gay.
** Finn and Chloe [[spoiler:seem to have a similar fate after Rae and Chloe reconcile.]]
%%* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Rachel and Joey.
* After a (very) brief marriage, ''Series/BabylonFive'' characters John Sheridan and Elizabeth Locksley realize they have made a horrible mistake and that this trope definitely applies to their relationship. Despite years of separation and being on opposite sides in the war they still have implicit trust in each other and an excellent working relationship. They prefer not to tell people they are exes though, they may draw the wrong conclusions.
* Jonathan and Maddy in ''Series/JonathanCreek''. After having loads of {{UST}} and sharing a few kisses under non-traditional circumstances in the first two seasons, they eventually end up having sex, only to agree that it was too weird and they should never do it again. The {{UST}} never entirely disappears, but that seems to be mostly unintentional.
* David and Stevie on ''Series/SchittsCreek'' sleep together in season one and briefly have UnresolvedSexualTension afterwards, but quickly settle back into a platonic friendship to the point that in later seasons they call themselves best friends.
* ''Series/ElCorazonNuncaSeEquivoca'': Diego and Temo dated briefly before the start of the series, and broke up because Temo was still in love with Ari.
* In the GrandFinale of ''Series/RadioEnfer'', [[spoiler:even though they were supposed to get married, Jocelyne and Giroux ultimately decide against it and to remain friends.]]

->'''Joey:''' I don't get it. I mean, I was so sure this was what I wanted.\\

There are a lot of tropes for platonic relationships between characters.

There are a lot of tropes for platonic relationships between characters.

'''This trope is for when it happens once and won't happen ''ever again.'''''

Two people date for a while, realize they're Better As Friends, and use that as their excuse when asked. Sometimes this leads to a {{UST}} plotline, but not always.

Note that this isn't just people who stay on good terms after a break-up, but who really do remain good friends to the point where the plot uses them as an OddCouple at times.

[[folder: VideoGames]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

--> '''Dinadan''': Yes, I asked her. And she's made me the happiest man on earth.
--> '''Mother Priscilla:''' Ah, she has, has she?
--> '''Brangienne:''' Yes, I have. I turned him down.

-->''And after all the obstacles''
-->''It's good to see you now with someone else''
-->''And it's such a miracle that''
-->''You and me are still good friends''
-->''After all that we've been through''
-->''I know we're cool''

* [[spoiler: Saizou and Kagerou]] from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' used to be lovers but decided to split up [[spoiler: so [[WorkingWithTheEx they'd be able to serve their sworn lord better]].]] If the player doesn't pursue their whole support chain, they stay like this and are free to either stay single or find {{second love}}s.