History Main / FriendlyRivalry

-->'''F.E. Trimbach'''(''at a wine trade dinner and tasting'') This wine of Hugel's outdoes even us, it is the closest to perfection I have ever tasted or drunk - that's if perfection actually exists,of course!

* Voice actor Creator/VicMignogna has one of these going with both Creator/TravisWillingham and Creator/ToddHaberkorn. He and Todd had a long-standing "battle" in which they would make elaborate Website/YouTube videos making fun of one another (''CSI: Mignogna'' was a classic example from Todd's side), while with Travis it's a friendly rivalry in the form of (playfully) warring fan clubs -- [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist Vic's loyal Risembool Rangers and Travis's devoted Miniskirt Army]].

Compare and often overlaps with WorthyOpponent, SpiritedCompetitor, and MirrorCharacter. Related to TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou. Contrasts with TheRival, who serves more as a {{foil}} and is usually antagonistic. Can overlap with VitriolicBestBuds if there is some teasing involved in the rivalry, or BullyTurnedBuddy, if one of the rivals was an outright bully before turning friendlier. See also OpponentInstruction.

* Franchise/TheDCU:

* Franchise/MarvelUniverse:

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Scarecrow and Elderane have this in the ''Fanfic/AvantasiaProtagAU'' series. They tease each other and try to one up each other over silly things, but are friends who won't hesitate to rescue the other if danger appears or work together when the situation calls for it.
* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'' has [[RivalryAsCourtship a romantic variant]]. After they get together, Asuka finds the idea of Shinji catching up with her Synch test scores to be a genuine thrill as it constantly pushes her to improve. Shinji has similar feelings about it, though not to the same extreme due to lacking Asuka's [[BloodKnight lust for battle]].
* Due to his more serious mindset in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11803928/1/ Challenger]]'', Ash develops a fairly friendly rivalry with Paul. They still trash talk each other and battle any chance they get, but it's also clear they respect each other as well.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Jessica}}'', Cameron and his friend, "P," play ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' simultaneously to see who finishes first. Cameron leaves P in the dust.
* In ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' and its sidestories, this is shown with several characters. The most prominent in the main story is Ash with A.J., who develop a degree of respect for one another after Ash breaks A.J.'s winning streak. Since then, A.J. always awaits eagerly their next encounter, and a sidestory reveals that he considers Ash a friend.
* The relationship between [[Franchise/DragonAge Varric and Dorian]] in ''Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook'' might be best described this way. They snark at and denigrate each other periodically, and play ridiculous over-the-top pranks on one another -- but they also look out for, help, confide in, and respect each other a great deal. Eventually, they jokingly refer to one another as "the brother I never wanted."
* Contrasting with their canon counterparts, Naruto and Sasuke are closer to this in ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin''. While they remain highly competitive with each other, [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul the two respect each other's skills much more and their canon animosity is virtually non-existent]]. It also helps that Sasuke has Itachi [[MoralityChain to help curb down his ego]], so when Naruto finally catches up to him [[spoiler:and defeats him in the Chunin Exams]], he's able to cope better with it.
* Cadets [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kate Kane]] and Sophie Moore are girlfriends in ''Fanfic/WellMatched'', but have zero problem beating the tar out of each other in a championship boxing match. They're good sports about it afterward, and still just as much in love. ''Fanfic/CadetScrap'', which ''Well-Matched'' is a prequel to, has a similar premise, with the same characters duking it out in a private LightheartedRematch and remaining on good terms.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Jack and the Blacker Baron in ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'' are in constant competition with each other, and neither can resist chances to land verbal (and sometimes physical) jabs at the other's expense... but when actually pushed, the two will immediately band together to crush anything that threatens either.
* ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' (and related Creator/{{SNK}} titles):
** [[HeirToTheDojo Ryo]] and [[SharpDressedMan Robert's]] rivalry is lampshaded in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLIYe5akbdg the original game's intro]] and also by its Japanese title: ''"Ryuko no Ken"'' (lit. ''[[TigerVersusDragon "Fist of Dragon Tiger"]]''). This carried over to the ''[[Franchise/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' series, where they often have special pre-fight intros and victory quotes for when they face each other.
** In games where they appear together (''KOF'' included), Ryo also has this sort of rivalry with [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry]]; this was even the main draw of ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters94 KOF '94]]'' before the series decided to center the story on Kyo. ''KOF: Maximum Impact 2'' also gives them a special intro where [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall they acknowledge how long they've been squaring off]] and agree that it's not all bad; doing so with their alternate versions ([[LegacyCharacter Mr. Karate II]] and [[VideoGame/GarouMarkOfTheWolves Wild Wolf]]) has the exchange end with [[HandshakeSubstitute a fist bump]] before the battle commences. In fact, pretty much all ''KOF'' heroes [[{{Jerkass}} that aren't named Iori Yagami or K']] are quite respectful of one another's skills (even if Kyo can get cocky sometimes and Ash is fond of [[{{Troll}} deliberately riling up people]] [[HiddenHeartOfGold as part of his facade]]).
* ''[[VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo Advanced V.G.]]'' features several among its main cast:
** Yuka and her best friend, Satomi, were both taught by Yuka's grandfather and [[ChildhoodFriends grew up together]] as sparring partners at his dojo. So they've been competing with each other since childhood, though their rivalry is {{downplayed|Trope}}, as they have little interaction in either game's story mode.
** It's played straight between Yuka and Tamao, [[{{Fangirl}} who looks up]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21x4eowrKkk to Yuka]] as her role model and affectionately refers to her as, "sempai."
** Jun also competes with Yuka, but her main rivalry is with [[GorgeousGaijin Erina Goldsmith]], with whom she's become close friends. They've [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyk1LDU6iWk competed directly]] in almost every game and often [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XntbUZj4tMI appear in each other's endings.]]
* At the end of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', [[spoiler:Dante and Vergil settle into this relationship. They work together to keep the demons at bay in the underworld while still taking every opportunity to show each other up or spar with each other]].
* At their best, this is what a rivalry represents in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. While Hawke and the other character may have differing viewpoints, they respect the fact and still value each other as friends, or even more. The other part of it is that Hawke think the other person can do better. So rather than the friend-path "I'm with you all the way," it's more "Come on, you can do better than that!"
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': The two most famous wineries in Skingrad are competitors but won't say a word against each other; Davide Surilie even admits that Tamika's wines are even better than the Surilie Brothers' -- albeit less affordable.
* In Setzer's backstory in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', he and Darill were good friends who loved competition with one another. [[spoiler:Sadly, she died in a crash long before the story began, setting up Setzer's drinking and gambling issues.]]
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** Boyd is this to Ike, TheHero of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''. Despite his cockiness and brash nature, Boyd is genuinely a NiceGuy who's determined to one-up Ike in combat in the most friendly way possible, to the point that he can be regarded as Ike's equal. [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration And if you play your cards right]], [[GameBreaker that's]] ''[[LightningBruiser exactly]]'' [[OneManArmy what happens]].
** Flavia and Basilio from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' rule the East and West halves of the militant nation of Regna Ferox. Flavia tends to call Basilio an "oaf" due to his grumpy attitude, and the two hold regular CombatByChampion competitions (usually won by Basilio) to determine the full ruler of Ferox, but they are quite friendly with each other, both on and off the battlefield.
* You can be a competitive gamer with Alex in ''VideoGame/GrowingUp'', and if so, she'll also see her neighbor Shane as her friendly rival, even if she gets jealous when he beats her high score in Space Sheep. She even doesn't hold ill will against him when [[spoiler:he gets injured in her dare in high school, but blames herself for it because she had to cut classes to visit him in the hospital. If you date her, she'll play Space Sheep with you in Shane's honor and even give you the choice to put his name in the scoreboard. He even becomes their wedding officiator in her good ending if you marry her.]]
* Though it started off on a bitter note, Sol and Ky's rivalry in ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' eventually becomes more brotherly. By the time of ''Overture''[[note]]five years after ''[=GG1=]'' and four years after the ''X'' and ''XX'' titles[[/note]], they're practically a combination of this and VitriolicBestBuds. Ky even entrusts the safekeeping of his son to Sol, something that would've been unthinkable earlier on in the series. [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Slayer]] also has a friendly rivalry with President Gabriel.
* A friendly rivalry between the protagonist and Jamie in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonMagicalMelody'' is possible. Since Jamie is always the opposite sex, the option of marrying him/her is always an option. Doing so lands you a rare NonStandardGameOver good ending.
* Sora and Riku start off like this in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''. The two would actually keep score of how many wins they had in their competition. [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget But then Riku's jealousy of Sora and his own ambition for strength serves at the catalyst of him falling to the Dark Side.]] After his HeelFaceTurn, the rivalry in general started to die down and the two became BashBrothers instead.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series, this is what King Dedede's relationship with the titular pink puffball has settled down to in the modern era. While he still proclaims they're "destined rivals" (as per his figurine in ''[[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand Forgotten Land]]'' states), and he certainly won't hesitate to take a chance to one-up the pink puffball, at the end of the day he's one of Kirby's most stalwart companions and equally won't hesitate to have his back at the face of any massive crises they may go through. In ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', a Waddle Dee even states that the king was "crestfallen" when he failed to find Kirby in the new world.
* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Jayce and Viktor, two young, brilliant inventive minds from the technologically-forward city-states of Piltover and Zaun, respectively, worked closely together on many of their inventing projects, and challenged each other to greater and greater achievements. Things went sour once Jayce, disagreeing with Viktor's growing unconcern with human free will, reported him to the authorities and had him ostracized from the inventing community. Viktor struck back by stealing the power source Jayce was experimenting with to fuel his human-turned-machine goal he called the "Glorious Evolution," while Jayce, wielding his newest and greatest invention, the [[SwissArmyWeapon Mercury Hammer]], broke into Viktor's lab and destroyed the power source. At this point, they're just plain [[TheRival rivals]], and Jayce, hailed as a hero by Piltover's general population, awaits another confrontation with Viktor.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'', Smith and King Daltus had one when they were young men, having fought a sword duel during a past Picori Festival that ended in a draw. This is probably the reason why Smith's grandson Link and Daltus' daughter Zelda grew up as ChildhoodFriends.
* [[RedOniBlueOni Masato and Kengo]] in ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'' Though they're both part of the group of TrueCompanions that are the eponymous Little Busters and often show that they care about each other, both are very competitive, to the point where [[spoiler:Kyousuke is able to convince Masato to take his side in the baseball game in Rin's route by appealing to his need to prove himself over Kengo]]. Sasami and Rin also stumble into one of these, though both the rivalry and the friendship [[UnknownRival are mostly on Sasami's side]].
* ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames'':
** This is apparently the relationship that [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Tails]] and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Yoshi]] have in the ''Mario & Sonic'' series. This can also be seen with the main duo Mario and Sonic themselves.
** And Peach and Amy; Daisy and Blaze; most of the rivalries in the games... However, it's averted with Luigi and Shadow, who spend most of the time on-screen glaring at each other.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': Liu Kang and Kung Lao's relationship originally didn't start out as this, with them being straightforward friends. However, ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' reimagined Kung Lao as being jealous of Liu Kang being TheChosenOne which added some antagonism to their relationship. Since then, Liu Kang and Kung Lao have been depicted as being close friends who still compete with each other.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Most of the rivals from Gen III onward are very friendly to the protagonist, either being neighbors that want you as the new kid to feel welcome (Brendan/May and Wally in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald]]'', Calem/Serena -- alongside your overall friend group -- in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY X and Y]]'', and Hau in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'') or close childhood friends (Barry in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum]]'', Cheren and Bianca in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]'', Hugh in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 Black 2 and White 2]]'', Hop in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]'', and Trace from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!]]''). This is in stark contrast with the first two rivals, [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Blue/Green]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Silver]], who would regularly insult and belittle the player.
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' games are about four schools (well, three schools and one band of runaway ninja) competing to out-ninja the others, so there is a lot of this trope going around.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** In contrast to his much more bitter relationship with the likes of [[AntiHero Shadow]] or [[JerkJock Jet]], Knuckles eventually ends up having this relationship with Sonic over time. Their usual spats lack any real malice and are treated more like playful teasing.
** Sonic tries to invoke this on Shadow in the hero path story of ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', but Shadow is rather annoyed about it. However, he reciprocates in the Pure Hero -- Dark ending, where he decides that he is the most powerful hedgehog in the world.
* In ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', Danette is Revya's childhood friend/rival. In her ending (male), it is heavily implied that they will become intimate.
* In the ''Franchise/StarFox'' series, [[TheHero Fox]] and [[TheLancer Falco]] are this to one another. Despite being teammates, the two have a tendency to snark at one another's skills and try to show each other up given the opportunity.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** Ryu and Ken are one of gaming's earliest and longstanding examples. They've been training together since childhood and have remained competitive with each other throughout the series. Ken's story in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 2'' concluded with them having a friendly match, when he saw Ryu was still shaken by his duel with Sagat (in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterI SFI]]'') and the ramifications of his victory. Ken is also one of Ryu's Rival Battles in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV SSFIV]]''. In games that have special intros, you'll often see Ryu and Ken either [[FistBump tapping fists]] or doing something else that shows [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen they're not in it to kill each other]] (like Ken playfully putting Ryu in a headlock before he gets tossed to his own side of the screen).
** In the earlier parts of the series, Sagat was an enemy of Ryu and hellbent on getting revenge for being scarred by his {{Shoryuken}}, which served as [[ItsPersonal a permanent reminder of his defeat at Ryu's hands]]. This was {{retcon}}ned years later, to make it so Sagat had actually been the winner of the match. Ryu still scarred him but it was an upsurge of ''[[KillingIntent Satsui no Hadou]]'' ki that inspired it and it happened after he had lost. However, he still comes around during ''Alpha 3'' after running into Dan (whose father was killed by Sagat in the ring years ago) and having a HeelRealization, so Sagat now sees Ryu as his inspiration to delve deeper into his own spirituality as a warrior and relishes the opportunity to face him again.
** [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Sakura and Karin]]'s relationship began as a one-sided rivalry on the latter's part, as she previously suffered a defeat at Sakura's hands. After settling the score in ''Alpha 3'', Karin realizes her victory was a fluke and remembers Ken's words (from earlier in her ''A3'' story) that the outcome of a match isn't as important as [[SpiritedCompetitor the match itself]]. [[DefeatEqualsFriendship Karin then changes her tune about Sakura]], with ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' [[BashBrothers pairing them up]] and later games like ''SFIV'' implying the two now enjoy a much healthier rivalry like Ryu and Ken do. Sakura's appearance in Season 3 of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' would solidify their status as [[HeterosexualLifePartners close friends]]; Karin regularly invites Sakura to the Kanzuki estate, which leads to the two squaring off nearly every time they catch up, but also lends an ear and offers some counsel when Sakky is unsure about where her life's path is leading her.
** The ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' series has two more examples. The first, Yun and Yang, are [[PolarOppositeTwins twin brothers]] who protect their hometown of Hong Kong together but also consider [[RedOniBlueOni the other]] to be their greatest rival (though Yang's unrequited and unvoiced pining for his brother's girlfriend Houmei may also factor into this). The second pair, Ibuki and Makoto, have a special intro in ''3rd Strike'', but also appear together in several pieces of official art (often alongside Elena), where it's suggested they're schoolmates and possibly close acquaintances. Ibuki regards Makoto more neutrally in ''SSFIV'' (likely because the game is set [[AnachronicOrder before]] the ''III'' series), where she instead partakes in a friendly spar with Sakura for her Rival Battle.
** Ibuki's aforementioned encounter with Sakura seems to have also developed into one of these, albeit largely off-screen. When Karin requests the kunoichi's services and brings Ibuki into the fold in ''V'', she does so almost entirely based on all the positive word of mouth she had heard from her chats with Sakura.
** ''SFV'' sheds some light on the wrestling promotion which Rainbow Mika is a part of by way of adding Yamato Nadeshiko, a character who was previously only seen in artbooks and [[AllThereInTheManual mentioned in Mika's backstory]] as her main rival, as her tag team partner.
* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'':
** Reimu and Marisa's relationships with other characters often end up becoming this. It is not unusual for both Reimu and Marisa to mercilessly beat down their enemies in battle, only to hang out and engage in witty banter with them later. When they're not investigating incidents, Reimu and Marisa get along fairly well with others, but both will jump at the chance to settle scores and see how much their former enemies' skills have improved.
** Reimu and Marisa's relationship with each other is like this as well. They're good friends and Marisa readily admits Reimu is stronger (proudly calling herself the second-strongest person in Gensokyo), but she still tries to become stronger and resolve incidents faster.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Wildermyth}}'', a given pair of heroes can become rivals through player choice, events, or in-game interaction. Their interaction tends to be aggressive, but they're still comrades who work together to accomplish the party's goals, and their rivalry inspires them to try to outdo one another in battle -- when one of them performs a successful [[CriticalHit stunt]], their rival gains an increased chance to stunt as well, indicated by the status "Oh Yeah? Watch This!"
[[/folder]]

* You can be a competitive gamer with Alex in ''VideoGame/GrowingUp'', and if so, she'll also see her neighbor Shane as her friendly rival, even if she gets jealous when he beats her high score in Space Sheep. [[spoiler:She even doesn't hold ill will against him when he gets injured in her dare in high school, but blames herself for it because she had to cut classes to visit him in the hospital. If you date her, she'll play Space Sheep with you in Shane's honor and even give you the choice to put his name in the scoreboard. He even becomes their wedding officiator in her good ending if you marry her.]]

* You can be this to Alex in ''VideoGame/GrowingUp'', and if so, she'll also see her neighbor Shane as her friendly rival, even if she gets jealous when he beats her high score in Space Sheep. [[spoiler:She even doesn't hold ill will against him when he gets injured in her dare in high school, but blames herself for it because she had to cut classes to visit him in the hospital. If you date her, she'll play Space Sheep with you in Shane's honor and even give you the choice to put his name in the scoreboard. He even becomes their wedding officiator in her good ending if you marry her.]]

* Music/TheBeatles and Music/TheRollingStones had this kind of relationship. The Beatles helped the Stones early on get a record deal, and then threw them a [=Lennon/McCartney=] song ("I Wanna Be Your Man"), when the Stones needed a hit. It got to the point in the late '60s that if one band had a single that still doing well in the charts, the other would hold off the release of their next single a couple of weeks, so it wouldn't interfere with the sales of the other band's release.

* MMA fighters Nina Ansaroff and Amanda Nunes, who are engaged, have stated they intend to fight each other before either of them retires.[[note]]Moving up and down a weight class, respectively.[[/note]]

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The rivals from Gen III onward are very friendly to the protagonist, either being neighbors that want you as the new kid to feel welcome (Brendan/May and Wally in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald]]'', Calem/Serena -- alongside your overall friend group -- in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY X and Y]]'', and Hau in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'') or close childhood friends (Barry in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum]]'', Cheren and Bianca in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]'', Hugh in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 Black 2 and White 2]]'', Hop in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]'', and Trace from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!]]''). This is in stark contrast with the first two rivals, [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Blue/Green]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Silver]], who would regularly insult and belittle the player.

* Canada and Denmark were locked in a decades-long border dispute over Hans Island. Militarily, the conflict involved one side occasionally sending an expeditionary force to raise their flag, installing a sign that says "Welcome to [Country]", and leave a bottle of liquor (the Danes leave a bottle of brandy, the Canucks leave a bottle of whiskey) and the other side coming later to replace the flag and sign and enjoying the booze left behind before leaving their own bottle. Civilians on both sides also occasionally got caught up in search engine optimization wars to see which side could get their claim on the island to reach the top of Google's search results. The two sides eventually signed a treaty to resolve the conflict, agreeing to split the territory with Denmark controlling 60% and Canada 40%.

* Canada and Denmark are locked in a decades-long border dispute over Hans Island. Militarily, the conflict involves one side occasionally sending an expeditionary force to raise their flag, installing a sign that says "Welcome to [Country]", and leave a bottle of liquor (the Danes leave a bottle of brandy, the Canucks leave a bottle of whiskey) and the other side coming later to replace the flag and sign and enjoying the booze left behind before leaving their own bottle. Civilians on both sides also occasionally get caught up in search engine optimization wars to see which side can get their claim on the island to reach the top of Google's search results.

* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Despite befriending Relkin in the end, Swane still occasionally acts this way towards him, invariably eager to prove that he is no worse as a man and a soldier.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series, this is what King Dedede's relationship with the titular pink puffball has settled down to in the modern era. While he still proclaims they're 'destined rivals' (as per his figurine in Forgotten Land states), and he certainly won't hesitate to take a chance to one-up the pink puffball, at the end of the day he's one of Kirby's most stalwart companions and equally won't hesitate to have his back at the face of any massive crises they may go through. In ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'', a Waddle Dee even states that the king was "crestfallen" when he failed to find Kirby in the new world.

* This is apparently the relationship that [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Tails]] and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Yoshi]] have in the ''Mario & Sonic'' series. This can also be seen with the main duo Mario and Sonic themselves.

* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'' has [[RivalryAsCourtship a romantic variant]]. After they get together, Asuka finds the idea of Shinji catching up with her Synch test scores to be a genuine thrill as it constantly pushes her to improve. Shinji has similar feelings about it, though not to the same extreme due to lacking Asuka's lust for battle.

* Contrasting with their canon counterparts, Naruto and Sasuke are closer to this in ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin''. While they remain highly competitive with each other, the two respect each other's skills much more and their canon animosity is virtually non-existent. It also helps that Sasuke has Itachi [[MoralityChain to help curb down his ego]], so when Naruto finally catches up to him [[spoiler:and defeats him in the Chunin Exams]], he's able to cope better with it.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Jessica}}'', Cameron and his friend, "P," play Pokémon Black and White simultaneously to see who finishes first. Cameron leaves P in the dust.

* Zach and Hodgins on ''Series/{{Bones}}'' were like this. They both wanted to be honorary "King of the lab".

* ''Series/MasterchefAustralia'' distinguishes itself from the other countries' versions of ''Series/{{Masterchef}}'' (especially the US) by its almost complete lack of antagonism between the contestants. Bench-mates have no problem sharing ingredients with each other, engage in friendly banter and offer words of encouragement to each other even as they try to cook the better dish.
* The contestants of ''Series/MyKitchenRules'' tend to get along quite well with each other, particularly during the Instant Restaurant rounds, which is usually more like a group of friends having dinner together. Most even root for the teams whose turn it is to cook, and hope they do their best, even though they are still competitors.
* ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'': The contestants almost never show any antagonism towards each other, being incredibly friendly and helpful.
** Contestants who finish their bakes early will frequently pitch in and help those who are struggling to complete their own bakes within the time limit, as when Richard and Chetna of Series 5 stepped in to help colleague Martha recover from a mishap during the Pastry Showstopper. In Series 7, Jane, Kate, and Tom stepped in to calm Candice down and help make her chocolate loaf look presentable as she was becoming increasingly upset and panicking.
** In one incident in series 1, David's oven shorted out and Ruth offered to share her own (which would have hurt her own cooking due to having to open the oven door more than necessary), though it didn't ultimately prove necessary to do so.
** Sarah-Jane and Cathryn in series 3 became close enough that they actually went into business together after the series ended.
** Jane and Candice in series 7 had something of a rivalry between them, most notably when they both decided to make lime and coconut meringue pies for their signature bakes. Despite this they remain good friends and constantly cheer each other on. The "Where are the now" epilogue even revealed that they were going on a baking road trip together.
** Steven and Sophie in series 8 quickly identified each other as major rivals and nearly as quickly became friends.
* ''Series/MakingIt'', much like ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'', is all about the mutual celebration of the contestants' favorite activity. Everyone is supportive of one another and even critiques from the judges are extremely mild. Creator/AmyPoehler and Creator/NickOfferman lampshade this friendliness and occasionally jokingly try and drum up some drama.
* Most game show contestants. Unless they are the kind of person who [[SeriousBusiness takes games way to seriously]] they probably don't have any real malice towards the other team.
* Jason Lee Scott and Tommy Oliver, the [[TheLeader Red Ranger]] and [[SixthRanger Green Ranger]] of Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers. The rivalry part was mostly present during Tommy's time as Rita's brainwashed minion and a later episode where they were competing in a martial arts tournament.

* Music/BackstreetBoys and Music/{{NSYNC}} were the two biggest {{Boy Band}}s of the late 1990s and early 2000s with a vicious FandomRivalry, but the two groups themselves are close friends and [[http://stillgottheflow.tumblr.com/post/75882322047/nsyncbdabombyo-bsb-nsync get]] [[http://picturesmcgee.tumblr.com/post/67927360426/nsync-backstreet-boys-united-we-stand-benefit along]] quite well. Music/JCChasez even produced a song for Backstreet Boys' album ''Unbreakable'' and has written solo material for AJ [=McLean=]. In 2021, members of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC combined for the quartet [[https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/06/21/backstreet-boys-nsync-members-form-dream-band-backsync/7776763002/ Back-Sync]].
* Music/FryderykChopin and Music/FranzLiszt apparently were both friends and rivals, as shown by [[http://www.page45.com/store/Step%20Aside%20Pops%202.jpg this]] strip by [[Webcomic/HarkAVagrant Kate Beaton]].

* In the current [[UsefulNotes/{{Tennis}} tennis world]], the most famous and friendliest rivalry is between UsefulNotes/RogerFederer and UsefulNotes/RafaelNadal. A ''very'' friendly rivalry.
** In earlier decades, among the most famous examples in that sport were John [=McEnroe=] and Björn Borg, and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

* For all the talk of who ''really'' is the Greatest Quarterback of all time (with both in contention, to say the least) and the hyped up rivalry talk (with plenty of FanDumb), Creator/PeytonManning and Creator/TomBrady speak highly respectfully of each other and seem to genuinely enjoy playing against one another. Maybe helped by the facts that the two are actually never on the field at the same time (both playing on offense) and football is a sport where a harsh tackle can quickly make you eat your words.
* Happens a lot in hockey, at least among individual players (friendly rivalries between teams are almost non-existent). One of the more famous ones was the rivalry between UsefulNotes/WayneGretzky and Mario Lemieux, arguably the two best players to ever play the game, period. Though the arguments between fans about which player was better can sometimes result in SeriousBusiness, Gretzky and Lemieux always admired each other on and off the ice, to the point where Lemieux suggested playing in the 1987 Canada Cup with Gretzky taught him how to become a winner, eventually resulting in him and his Pittsburgh Penguins winning UsefulNotes/TheStanleyCup in 1991 and 1992. The fact that Gretzky and Lemieux only played in the same Conference for one season (1996-97, Lemieux's last season before coming out of retirement in 2000-01, and Gretzky's first of 3 seasons with the New York Rangers before his own retirement in 1999) and never playing a playoff series against each other (and rarely more than 2 games per regular season) probably helped.
* Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, two of the world's top-ranked professional golfers, became good friends after they both participated in several junior golf events together while [[https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/896875002623963136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2017%2F08%2F2017-pga-championship-justin-thomas-jordan-spieth-old-picture they were kids]]. They still hang out together when not competing against other in PGA Tour events and even take [[https://www.golfchannel.com/article/grill-room/spieth-fowler-thomas-kaufman-vacationing-together-bahamas/ vacations with their fellow pro golf rivals Rickie Fowler and Smylie Kaufman]].
* Gymnasts Simone Biles of the USA and Larisa Iordache of Romania consistently go head-to-head in major all-around competitions, with the 2014 World title coming down to half a point between them (Iordache took silver to Biles' gold). This doesn't stop them from maintaining a strong year-round friendship, including constantly tweeting each other affectionately and congratulating each other after a great set in competition.
* MMA fighters Nina Ansaroff and Amanda Nunes, who are engaged, have stated they intend to fight each other before either of them retires.[[note]]Moving up and down a weight class, respectively.
* Men's singles figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, despite being TheDreaded of his field, is known for being nothing but nice and friendly to his rivals. When he moved to the Toronto Cricket Club to skate, he fully expected to have an acrimonious relationship with Javier Fernandez (whose quadruple jumps partially fueled Hanyu's decision to move) in the style of the fierce rivalry between Evgeni Plushenko (who Hanyu idolizes) and Alexei Yagudin. His expectations were unfounded -- Hanyu and Fernandez got along so well they got awards from their home countries for it, and a quick Website/{{YouTube}} search will turn up clips of them being sweet & affectionate friends. In interviews, Fernandez has stated that their friendship and rivalry pushes both of them to constantly improve. The first person Fernandez told about his decision to retire was Hanyu, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics -- their last competition together. Hanyu burst into ManlyTears and told Fernandez, "I can't do this without you." Unfortunately, after the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Fernandez made some remarks [[https://twitter.com/blau_angel/status/1495407157537386496 on Spanish media]] that indicates he thinks Hanyu was lying about there being a hole on the ice (which Hanyu's skate got caught on, and of which there were [[https://enby-axels.tumblr.com/post/676735748425318400/going-as-far-as-saying-he-doesnt-think-there-was-a media pictures]]) and making excuses. Fans unearthed evidence of Fernandez trash-talking Hanyu in Spanish-language sources and being nothing but complimentary in English-language sources.
* Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon is perceived to be a heated rivalry, but overall, it was rather friendly. Although Earnhardt didn't like the outsider coming into his domain, both drivers respected the other's accomplishments and the ribbing was good natured.
[[/note]]

* This is how Franchise/SpiderMan and [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Human Torch's]] dynamic was for years. They become less competitive with each other as they get older, but there's still an element of ragging on each other/trying to outdo each other there, only now mixed with actual respect -- to the extent that Johnny left instructions for Peter to replace him on the team in the event of his death.
* Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/{{Batman}} went through a lengthy phase of this in roughly the middle third of their friendship. These days, it's down to the occasional joke between them -- but the rivalry seems to have been handed down to ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and the third Comicbook/{{Robin}}.
** Lois and Clark also show a bit of rivalry as reporters at the Daily Planet. Lois is the type of person who openly welcomes a bit of healthy competition and sees it as a challenge, and the two often try to outscoop one another. They are also HappilyMarried.
** Superman traditionally has this kind of relationship with [[Characters/SupermanSupportingCast Vartox]] and [[Comicbook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]. They're friends, but just by virtue of being some of the only guys around who can actually give each other a good fight (and because of the ever-present ConflictBall), they seem to end up punching each other around a lot anyway.
** While the friendly rivalry between Conner and Tim evolved into full-on friendship, Jon and Damian have a very conventional friendly rivalry, being VitriolicBestBuds (although Damian's stunted social skills meant that it took a while for him to warm up to Jon).
** In speed, Superman and ''ComicBook/TheFlash'' have a back-and-forth rivalry over who's the fastest. The ebb and flow of the rivalry will always vary. Sometimes Flash will leave Superman in the dust while telling him that any past race Superman won was just for charity. Sometimes, they'll be evenly matched or be close enough that one isn't really massively faster than the other. Or sometimes Superman will really exert himself to be able to catch or surpass Flash. DependingOnTheWriter, you might also have scenes where the Flash will express frustration that he feels Superman was deliberately holding back in all their races. However, the two of them are still portrayed as friends despite their back-and-forth over the years.
* [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk The Hulk]] and [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] are depicted as this nowadays. They fight along side each other but both of them think they're the strongest which causes their rivalry. Although their relationship was originally depicted as HeadbuttingHeroes their relationship has grown over the years and are on friendlier terms now.
** Thor and [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] are an even better example. Though they have fought on occasion, and there's still a little rivalry, ultimately, they understand and can talk to each other in ways they really can't with the other Avengers.
* Andy and Cooper from ''ComicBook/TheInternship'' started out as best friends and later became frenemies who both competed to become better than the other. This rivalry was a cover up for [[ShipTease deeper feelings]] they have been harboring for each other.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Starting in [[ComicBook/WonderWomanNumberOne issue one]] it's established that Diana and Mala are best pals on Paradise Island and train together, but have different viewpoints on rules and are fiercely competitive with each other in athletic abilities (which on Paradise Island mostly means martial arts and running).
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Diana and ComicBook/{{Artemis}}' relationship starts out as antagonistic due to them being from different Amazon tribes and worsens when Artemis [[AntiHeroSubstitute replaces Diana as Wonder Woman]] during ''ComicBook/TheContest''. After numerous battles together and having saved each other's, lives the two become friends though they still occasionally disagree for one reason or another.
* [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kate Kane]] is implied to have had a boxing-related one with her girlfriend and roommate, Sophie Moore, when the two were West Point cadets. Kate is hinted to have beaten Sophie in an official boxing match at the Academy, and Sophie later wins a private, illegal bare-knuckle bout against Kate.

* Due to his more serious mindset in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11803928/1/ Challenger]]'', Ash develops a fairly friendly rivalry with Paul. They still trash talk each other and battle any chance they get, but it's also clear they respect each other as well.

* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'' has a [[RivalryAsCourtship romantic variant]]. After they get together, Asuka finds the idea of Shinji catching up with her Synch test scores to be a genuine thrill as it constantly pushes her to improve. Shinji has similar feelings about it, though not to the same extreme due to lacking Asuka's lust for battle.

* Cadets [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kate Kane]] and Sophie Moore are girlfriends in ''Fanfic/WellMatched'', but have zero problem beating the tar out of each other in a championship boxing match. They're good sports about it afterward, and still just as much in love.
** ''Fanfic/CadetScrap'', which the above work is a prequel to, has a similar premise, with the same characters duking it out in a private LightheartedRematch and remaining on good terms.
* Scarecrow and Elderane have this in the ''Fanfic/AvantasiaProtagAU'' series. They tease each other and try to one up each other over silly things, but are friends who won't hesitate to rescue the other if danger appears or work together when the situation calls for it.

Creator/TheBrewingNetwork: The Sour Hour has one with The Session, though it's pretty much one way. Jay encourages people to leave [=iTunes=] reviews that say his show is better than The Session, and he reads reviews he likes on air. On The Session they're barely aware of this.

* In the current [[{{UsefulNotes/Tennis}} tennis world]], the most famous and friendliest rivalry is between UsefulNotes/RogerFederer and UsefulNotes/RafaelNadal. A ''very'' friendly rivalry.

* ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'': [[HeirToTheDojo Ryo]] and [[SharpDressedMan Robert's]] rivalry is lampshaded in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLIYe5akbdg the original game's intro]] and also by its Japanese title: ''"Ryuko no Ken"'' (lit. ''[[TigerVersusDragon "Fist of Dragon Tiger"]]''). Which has carried over to the ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters King of Fighters]]'' series, where they often have special pre-fight intros and victory quotes for when they face each other.
** In games where they appear together (''KOF'' included), Ryo also has this sort of rivalry with [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry]] (this was even the main draw of ''[='=]94'' before they decided to center the story on Kyo). In fact, pretty much all ''KOF'' heroes [[{{Jerkass}} that aren't named Iori Yagami or K']] are quite respectful of one another's skills (even if Kyo can get cocky sometimes).

* In Setzer's backstory in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', him and Darill were good friends who loved competition with one another. [[spoiler:Sadly, she died in a crash long before the story began, setting up Setzer's drinking and gambling issues.]]

* Though it started off on a bitter note, [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Sol and Ky's]] rivalry eventually becomes more brotherly. By the time of ''Overture'', they're practically a combination of this and VitriolicBestBuds. [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Slayer]] also has a friendly rivalry with President Gabriel.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends:'' Jayce and Viktor, two young, brilliant inventive minds from the technologically-forward city-states of Piltover and Zaun, respectively, worked closely together on many of their inventing projects, and challenged each other to greater and greater achievements. Things went sour once Jayce, disagreeing with Viktor's growing unconcern with human free will, reported him to the authorities and had him ostracized from the inventing community. Viktor struck back by stealing the power source Jayce was experimenting with to fuel his human-turned-machine goal he called the "Glorious Evolution," while Jayce, wielding his newest and greatest invention, the [[SwissArmyWeapon Mercury Hammer]], broke into Viktor's lab and destroyed the power source. At this point, they're just plain [[TheRival rivals]], and Jayce, hailed as a hero by Piltover's general population, awaits another confrontation with Viktor.

* [[RedOniBlueOni Masato and Kengo]] in ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters''. Though they're both part of the group of TrueCompanions that are the eponymous Little Busters and often show that they care about each other, both are very competitive, to the point where [[spoiler:Kyousuke is able to convince Masato to take his side in the baseball game in Rin's route by appealing to his need to prove himself over Kengo]]. Sasami and Rin also stumble into one of these, though both the rivalry and the friendship [[UnknownRival are mostly on Sasami's side]].
* This is apparently the relationship that [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Tails]] and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Yoshi]] have in the ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames Mario & Sonic]]'' series.
** As well as with the main duo Mario and Sonic themselves.

** Ryu and Ken are one of gaming's earliest and longstanding examples. They've been training together since childhood and have remained competitive with each other throughout the series. Ken's story in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 2'' concluded with them having a friendly match, when he saw Ryu was still shaken by his duel with Sagat (in ''SFI'') and the ramifications of his victory. Ken is also one of Ryu's Rival Battles in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV SSFIV]]''. In games that have special intros, you'll often see Ryu and Ken either [[FistBump tapping fists]] or doing something else that shows [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen they're not in it to kill each other]] (like Ken playfully putting Ryu in a headlock before he gets tossed to his own side of the screen).

* Reimu and Marisa's relationships with other characters in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' often end up becoming this. It is not unusual for both Reimu and Marisa to mercilessly beat down their enemies in battle, only to hang out and engage in witty banter with them later. When they're not investigating incidents, Reimu and Marisa get along fairly well with others, but both will jump at the chance to settle scores and see how much their former enemies' skills have improved.

* ''Blog/BloggerBeware'' and ''Blog/CinnamonBunzuh'' covered similar material, namely taking books written in the nineties for children born in the eighties, in the 201st.

* Pick ''any'' episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''. Especially those that feature Green Arrow.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRidonculousRace'': Gerry and Pete are basically described as this tripe through their racing team name of the "Tennis Rivals". They have been competitive against each other for decades and don't hesitate to make insulting jokes towards each other but they still remain good friends

* Many neighbor countries have some bitterness to each other, but are still major commercial partners -- America and Canada, Brazil and Argentina, Japan and China\South Korea...

* Men's singles figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, despite being TheDreaded of his field, is known for being nothing but nice and friendly to his rivals. When he moved to the Toronto Cricket Club to skate, he fully expected to have an acrimonious relationship with Javier Fernandez (whose quadruple jumps partially fueled Hanyu's decision to move) in the style of the fierce rivalry between Evgeni Plushenko (who Hanyu idolizes) and Alexei Yagudin. His expectations were unfounded -- Hanyu and Fernandez got along so well they got awards from their home countries for it, and a quick Website/{{YouTube}} search will turn up clips of them being sweet & affectionate friends. In interviews, Fernandez has stated that their friendship and rivalry pushes both of them to constantly improve. The first person Fernandez told about his decision to retire was Hanyu, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics -- their last competition together. Hanyu burst into ManlyTears and told Fernandez, "I can't do this without you."

%%

Not all rivalries are bitter. Some are competitive, with both parties being driven by [[SpiritedCompetitor a healthy desire to one-up each other]] and, regardless of the outcome, they'll continue to push themselves in anticipation of their next eventual showdown. As such, they develop [[WorthyOpponent a mutual respect]] for each other's talents, [[DefeatMeansRespect even in defeat.]] If taken to extremes, their rivalry can border on [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou exclusivity.]]

It's a staple of {{Fighting Game}}s and martial arts media, usually involving {{the protagonist}}. Their rival can be anyone from the {{deuteragonist}}, or their BestFriend, or even [[FriendlyEnemy a former enemy.]] Woe be to any enemy who stands against either of them, because then the unfortunate adversary will have ''[[TrueCompanions both]]'' friends to deal with and much ass ''[[ThePowerOfFriendship will be]]'' kicked that day.

* Music/BackstreetBoys and Music/{{NSYNC}} were the two biggest {{Boy Band}}s of the late 1990s and early 2000s with a vicious FandomRivalry, but the two groups themselves are close friends and [[http://stillgottheflow.tumblr.com/post/75882322047/nsyncbdabombyo-bsb-nsync get]] [[http://picturesmcgee.tumblr.com/post/67927360426/nsync-backstreet-boys-united-we-stand-benefit along]] quite well. JC Chasez even produced a song for Backstreet Boys' album ''Unbreakable'' and Nick Carter has joked that the two groups should do a concert together.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The rivals from Gen III onward are very friendly to the protagonist, either being neighbors that want you as the new kid to feel welcome (Brandon/May and Wally in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald]]'', Calem/Serena -- alongside your overall friend group -- in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY X and Y]]'', and Hau in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'') or close childhood friends (Barry in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum]]'', Cheren and Bianca in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]'', Hugh in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 Black 2 and White 2]]'', Hop in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]'', and Trace from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!]]''). This is in stark contrast with [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Blue/Green]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Silver]], who would regularly insult and belittle the player.

* You can be this to Alex in ''VideoGame/GrowingUp'', and she also sees her neighbor Shane as her friendly rival, even if she gets jealous when he beats her high score in Space Sheep. [[spoiler:She even doesn't hold ill will against him when he gets injured in her dare in high school, but blames herself for it because she had to cut classes to visit him in the hospital. If you date her, she'll play Space Sheep with you in Shane's honor and even give you the choice to put his name in the scoreboard. He even becomes their wedding officiator in her good ending if you marry her.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': The rivals from Gen III onward are very friendly to the protagonist, either being neighbors that want you as the new kid to feel welcome (Brandon/May and Wally in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald]]'', Calem/Serena -- alongside your overall friend group -- in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY X and Y]]'', and Hau in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'') or close childhood friends (Barry in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum]]'', Cheren and Bianca in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]'', Hugh in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 Black 2 and White 2]]'', Hop in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]'', and Trace from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!]]''). This is in stark contrast with [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Blue/Green]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Silver]], who would regularly insult and belittle the player.
* In ''VideoGame/SoulNomadAndTheWorldEaters'', Danette is Revya's childhood friend/rival. In her ending (male), it is heavily implied that they will become intimate.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** Ryu and Ken are one of gaming's earliest and longstanding examples. They've been training together since childhood and have remained competitive with each other throughout the series. Ken's story in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha 2'' concluded with them having a friendly match, when he saw Ryu was still shaken by his duel with Sagat (in ''SFI'') and the ramifications of his victory. Ken is also one of Ryu's Rival Battles in ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterIV SSFIV]]''. In games that have special intros, you'll often see Ryu and Ken either [[FistBump tapping fists]] or doing something else that shows [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen they're not in it to kill each other]] (like Ken playfully putting Ryu in a headlock before he gets tossed to his own side of the screen).
** In the earlier parts of the series, Sagat was an enemy of Ryu and hellbent on getting revenge for being scarred by his {{Shoryuken}}, which served as [[ItsPersonal a permanent reminder of his defeat at Ryu's hands]]. This was {{retcon}}ned years later, to make it so Sagat had actually been the winner of the match. Ryu still scarred him but it was an upsurge of ''[[KillingIntent Satsui no Hadou]]'' ki that inspired it and it happened after he had lost. However, he still comes around during ''Alpha 3'' after running into Dan (whose father was killed by Sagat in the ring years ago) and having a HeelRealization, so Sagat now sees Ryu as his inspiration to delve deeper into his own spirituality as a warrior and relishes the opportunity to face him again.
** [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Sakura and Karin]]'s relationship began as a one-sided rivalry on the latter's part, as she previously suffered a defeat at Sakura's hands. After settling the score in ''Alpha 3'', Karin realizes her victory was a fluke and remembers Ken's words (from earlier in her ''A3'' story) that the outcome of a match isn't as important as [[SpiritedCompetitor the match itself]]. [[DefeatEqualsFriendship Karin then changes her tune about Sakura]], with ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' [[BashBrothers pairing them up]] and later games like ''SFIV'' implying the two now enjoy a much healthier rivalry like Ryu and Ken do. Sakura's appearance in Season 3 of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' would solidify their status as [[HeterosexualLifePartners close friends]]; Karin regularly invites Sakura to the Kanzuki estate, which leads to the two squaring off nearly every time they catch up, but also lends an ear and offers some counsel when Sakky is unsure about where her life's path is leading her.
** The ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' series has two more examples. The first, Yun and Yang, are [[PolarOppositeTwins twin brothers]] who protect their hometown of Hong Kong together but also consider [[RedOniBlueOni the other]] to be their greatest rival (though Yang's unrequited and unvoiced pining for his brother's girlfriend Houmei may also factor into this). The second pair, Ibuki and Makoto, have a special intro in ''3rd Strike'', but also appear together in several pieces of official art (often alongside Elena), where it's suggested they're schoolmates and possibly close acquaintances. Ibuki regards Makoto more neutrally in ''SSFIV'' (likely because the game is set [[AnachronicOrder before]] the ''III'' series), where she instead partakes in a friendly spar with Sakura for her Rival Battle.
** Ibuki's aforementioned encounter with Sakura seems to have also developed into one of these, albeit largely off-screen. When Karin requests the kunoichi's services and brings Ibuki into the fold in ''V'', she does so almost entirely based on all the positive word of mouth she had heard from her chats with Sakura.
** ''SFV'' sheds some light on the wrestling promotion which Rainbow Mika is a part of by way of adding Yamato Nadeshiko, a character who was previously only seen in artbooks and [[AllThereInTheManual mentioned in Mika's backstory]] as her main rival, as her tag team partner.

* Though it started off on a bitter note, [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Sol and Ky's]] rivalry eventually becomes more brotherly. By the time of ''Overture'', they're practically a combination of this and VitriolicBestBuds. [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Slayer]] also has a friendly rivalry with President Gabriel.

* Jack and the Blacker Baron in ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'' are in constant competition with each other, and neither can resist chances to land verbal (and sometimes physical) jabs at the other's expense... but when actually pushed, the two will immediately band together to crush anything that threatens either.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** Boyd is this to Ike, TheHero of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''. Despite his cockiness and brash nature, Boyd is genuinely a NiceGuy who's determined to one-up Ike in combat in the most friendly way possible, to the point that he can be regarded as Ike's equal. [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration And if you play your cards right]], [[GameBreaker that's]] ''[[LightningBruiser exactly]]'' [[OneManArmy what happens]].
** Flavia and Basilio from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' rule the East and West halves of the militant nation of Regna Ferox. Flavia tends to call Basilio an "oaf" due to his grumpy attitude, and the two hold regular CombatByChampion competitions (usually won by Basilio) to determine the full ruler of Ferox, but they are quite friendly with each other, both on and off the battlefield.
* Sora and Riku start off like this in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''. The two would actually keep score of how many wins they had in their competition. [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget But then Riku's jealousy of Sora and his own ambition for strength serves at the catalyst of him falling to the Dark Side.]] After his HeelFaceTurn, the rivalry in general started to die down and the two became BashBrothers instead.
* [[RedOniBlueOni Masato and Kengo]] in ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters''. Though they're both part of the group of TrueCompanions that are the eponymous Little Busters and often show that they care about each other, both are very competitive, to the point where [[spoiler:Kyousuke is able to convince Masato to take his side in the baseball game in Rin's route by appealing to his need to prove himself over Kengo]]. Sasami and Rin also stumble into one of these, though both the rivalry and the friendship [[UnknownRival are mostly on Sasami's side]].
* In Setzer's backstory in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', him and Darill were good friends who loved competition with one another. [[spoiler:Sadly, she died in a crash long before the story began, setting up Setzer's drinking and gambling issues.]]
* Reimu and Marisa's relationships with other characters in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' often end up becoming this. It is not unusual for both Reimu and Marisa to mercilessly beat down their enemies in battle, only to hang out and engage in witty banter with them later. When they're not investigating incidents, Reimu and Marisa get along fairly well with others, but both will jump at the chance to settle scores and see how much their former enemies' skills have improved.
** Reimu and Marisa's relationship with each other is like this as well. They're good friends and Marisa readily admits Reimu is stronger (proudly calling herself the second-strongest person in Gensokyo), but she still tries to become stronger and resolve incidents faster.
* At their best, this is what a rivalry represents in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. While Hawke and the other character may have differing viewpoints, they respect the fact and still value each other as friends, or even more. The other part of it is that Hawke think the other person can do better. So rather than the friend-path "I'm with you all the way," it's more "Come on, you can do better than that!"
* ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' games are about four schools (well, three schools and one band of runaway ninja) competing to out-ninja the others, so there is a lot of this trope going around.
* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends:'' Jayce and Viktor, two young, brilliant inventive minds from the technologically-forward city-states of Piltover and Zaun, respectively, worked closely together on many of their inventing projects, and challenged each other to greater and greater achievements. Things went sour once Jayce, disagreeing with Viktor's growing unconcern with human free will, reported him to the authorities and had him ostracized from the inventing community. Viktor struck back by stealing the power source Jayce was experimenting with to fuel his human-turned-machine goal he called the "Glorious Evolution," while Jayce, wielding his newest and greatest invention, the [[SwissArmyWeapon Mercury Hammer]], broke into Viktor's lab and destroyed the power source. At this point, they're just plain [[TheRival rivals]], and Jayce, hailed as a hero by Piltover's general population, awaits another confrontation with Viktor.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'', Smith and King Daltus had one when they were young men, having fought a sword duel during a past Picori Festival that ended in a draw. This is probably the reason why Smith's grandson Link and Daltus' daughter Zelda grew up as ChildhoodFriends.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', [[spoiler:Dante and Vergil settle into this relationship. They work together to keep the demons at bay in the underworld while still taking every opportunity to show each other up or spar with each other]].
* Most people playing video games in PVP/competitive mode. Typically they don't have any ill will towards each other and may well be good friends in real life.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'': The two most famous wineries in Skingrad are competitors but won't say a word against each other; Davide Surilie even admits that Tamika's wines are even better than the Surilie Brothers' -- albeit less affordable.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': Liu Kang and Kung Lao's relationship originally didn't start out as this, with them being straightforward friends. However, ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' reimagined Kung Lao as being jealous of Liu Kang being TheChosenOne which added some antagonism to their relationship. Since then, Liu Kang and Kung Lao have been depicted as being close friends who still compete with each other.

* In Creator/DavidWeber's ''[[Literature/HonorHarrington The Honor of the Queen]]'', relations between chancellor Prestvick and Protector Benjamin Mayhew were described as this concerning interpretation of of monarchical power limits.