History Main / LoserFriendPuzzlesOutsiders

[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]

-->'''Owen''': You're going to have to explain Stewart to me.
* In ''Series/{{House}}'', Wilson is very well-liked and considered by most of the hospital to be a sensitive, friendly NiceGuy - so ''nobody'' can understand why he spends so much time with misanthropic {{Jerkass}} House. The reason is something of an inversion from most cases of this trope: rather than House being nicer than he's thought to be, it's ''Wilson'' who's much less of a good person than his reputation suggests, with only House familiar with his less-stellar qualities and able to understand him. In particular, the fact that House is so incapable of normal friendships is precisely why he appeals to him, because Wilson loves to be needed, and nobody is as determined to keep himself from ever getting better as House.

* ''Series/NoahAndSaskia'' lampshades this trope. Saskia envisions the mental landscape of Renee - a wealthy fashionista with straight-As - as a glamorous store filled with giant metaphorical price tags. One of these tags is 'No loser friends except for Saskia'.

** Harry's friendship with Neville and Luna.
--->'''Luna''': People expect you to have cooler friends than us.\\
'''Harry''': I didn't see any of ''them'' fighting alongside me at the Ministry last year.
** Gryffindor's reactions to Snape in regards to his childhood friend [[spoiler: Lily]] who was popular in school.

* In ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen'' everyone wonders why such a normal guy like George hangs out with a big dumb brute like [[CloudCuckoolander Lennie.]] George claims (falsely) that they're cousins to give people an easy reason to understand.
* ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' subverts this in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." Two former Australians, John Turner and Charles [=McCarthy=], are apparently such good friends that John is letting Charles live on his land for half-rent, and there is even talk of their children marrying. [[spoiler: [=McCarthy=] is actually blackmailing Turner due to a robbery he committed in the past, and the marriage, while mutually agreeable to both children, would have allowed [=McCarthy=] to control Turner's money.]]

* Discussed extensively in ''Film/{{Chronicle}}''. Steve, who's the BigManOnCampus, forms a tight friendship with Andrew, a silent kid that everyone picks up on. This leads to a few talks Steve and Andrew have about it. But more importantly, Steve's girlfriend is ''more eager to assume he's cheating on her'', rather than simply spending his free time hanging with someone like Andrew.

!!Examples

* ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'''s FiveManBand includes the ace of the school's futsal team, an up-and-coming actress, the beloved StudentCouncilPresident, and her childhood friend who works at the school library. And everyone is perplexed by how these four extraordinarily popular girls seem to gravitate around Nozomi Yumehara, TheDitz who is notorious for having been kicked out of every club for her sheer uselessness.

[[folder:Films]]

--> '''Luna''': People expect you to have cooler friends than us.
--> '''Harry''': I didn't see any of ''them'' fighting alongside me at the Ministry last year.

--> '''Owen''': You're going to have to explain Stewart to me.

--> You'd think he could find a better friend than a former [[EvilLawyerJoke appeals court judge.]]

--> Luna: People expect you to have cooler friends than us.
--> Harry: I didn't see any of ''them'' fighting alongside me at the Ministry last year.

--> '''Owen''': "You're going to have to explain Stewart to me."

People who may fall on the wrong side of this include the MuggleBestFriend, the "lower-class" character in an InterclassFriendship, or the "loser" in a CoolKidAndLoserFriendship.

--> Harry: "I didn't see any of ''them'' fighting alongside me at the Ministry last year."

** Harry's friendship with Neville and Luna. She says "People expect you to have cooler friends than us." He replies that they are cool. "I didn't see any of ''them'' fighting alongside me at the Ministry last year."

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': Local JerkJock Karl Ranck tries to pry Tim away from his friends by insulting Ives and [[TheDividual Hudster]] as "geekoids" and repeatedly telling Tim that Tim is better than them. These pathetic attempts seem to be rooted in Karl wanting to make connections with one of the richest kids in school. Tim responds that he'd much rather have actual friends than hang out with the most "appropriate" clique for someone of his family background.

* In ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'', the [[ProtagonistTitle titular character]] attracts derision from other adventurers and the general public due to his attitude and eccentric appearance. This gets worse when he is around beautiful girls like [[WhiteMagicianGirl Priestess]], [[FarmersDaughter Cow Girl]] and [[OurElvesAreDifferent High Elf Archer]], because others assume the only reason why they would associate with him is through some sort of dark secret or coercion rather than genuine respect, affection or infatuation.

People who may fall on the wrong side of this include the MuggleBestFriend, the "lower-class" character in an InterclassFriendship or the "loser" in a CoolKidAndLoserFriendship.

* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', the student body know nothing about the Sohmas' BigScrewedUpFamily, and consequently wonder why so many Sohmas go out of their way to befriend [[AllLovingHero Tohru]]. Yuki Sohma explains why the students feel this way: on the ''outside'', Yuki is a handsome SchoolIdol who all the girls admire; on the inside he is a disillusioned, self-loathing mess of neuroses.

* In ''Manga/KaijuGirlCaramelise'', Raimu "Rairi" Kouno is TheFashionista who became popular thanks to her good looks and willingness to give other girls fashion advice. Kuroe Akaishi is a nearly [[FriendlessBackground friendless]], [[NoSocialSkills socially awkward]] girl who [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer regularly gets shunned by her classmates]]. So when Rairi gives Kuroe an impromptu makeover upon their first meeting before proudly introducing herself, their onlooking classmates are astonished. Kuroe herself is similarly surprised when Rairi unhesitatingly agrees to go makeup shopping with her later that day. It's revealed that Rairi's backstory is pretty similar to Kuroe's, which explains her desire to help Kuroe avoid the kind of pain she went through.
* ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5''’s FiveManBand includes the ace of the school’s futsal team, an up and coming actress, the beloved StudentCouncilPresident, and her childhood friend who works at the school library. And everyone is perplexed by how these four extraordinarily popular girls seem to gravitate around Nozomi Yumehara, TheDitz who is notorious for having been kicked out of every club for her sheer uselessness.

* Discussed extensively in ''Film/{{Chronicle}}''. Steve, who's the BigManOnCampus, forms a tight friendship with Andrew, a silent kid that everyone picks up on. This leads to few talks Steve and Andrew have about it. But more importantly, Steve's girlfriend is ''more eager to assume he's cheating on her'', rather than simply spending his free time hanging with someone like Andrew.

* In ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', students are segregated by class (no, not that kind of class). "Heroes" (the kids with conventionally useful powers) are treated as- and believe themselves to be- [[TheSocialDarwinist superior]] to "Sidekicks" (everyone else). When the "Hero" protagonist befriends several "Sidekicks", it bemuses the other "Heroes".
* ''Film/ToHaveAndHaveNot'': Bogart's character is friends with a not too bright drunkard who always begs Bogey to give him some money so he can visit a bar. Nobody understands why he keeps having contact with this loser, but Bogey explains that the man once helped him out in the past and now he feels responsible for him.

* In ''Literature/AfternoonOfTheElves'', Sara-Kate is a badly-dressed, strange girl who happens to live near Hillary. Nobody can figure out why Hillary enjoys Sara-Kate's company, or vice versa, and Hillary's friends and family actively try to pry them apart. Even the girls themselves are a little bewildered by their own friendship, at times.

** Gryffindor reactions to Snape in regards to his childhood friend [[spoiler: Lily]] who was popular in school.

* Jane from ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' is a variant. She's attractive, confident and socially apt, and could easily be more popular with peers than her best friend Daria, who's the school outcast. However, doing this would also mean giving up or hiding her alternative interests, so she'd rather not bother. Case in point, one episode has Jane showcase her athleticism and start dating a popular kid. However, she dumps him and quits the team when it's clear they don't respect her friendship with Daria.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DynomuttDogWonder'' [=/=] ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' crossover "Dyno-might", Dexter, recruited to fix Dynomutt after a mission gone wrong, is appalled at his ditziness (thinking he's too much like his sister, [=DeeDee=]) and creates a DarkerAndEdgier replacement. Blue Falcon calls him out for this when he learns, saying that Dynomutt "wasn't just a [[BumblingSidekick goofy idiot sidekick]]; he was a go-go dog person!"

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', "Power Ponies", the Mane-iac mocks [[{{Muggle}} Humdrum]][=/=]Spike, saying that the only reason they keep him around is because they feel sorry for him. [[AnIcePerson Masked Matterhorn]] [=/=] Twilight instantly snaps, "ShutUpHannibal", telling her that even if they don't always need Spike's help they have faith that he'll save them all, since he always comes through for them.

* In ''ComicBook/ArkhamAsylumLivingHell'', Aaron Cash is rather bewildered that a "model inmate" like Humpty Dumpty would befriend Warren White, the PariahPrisoner whom everyone (including The Joker) considers "the worst person [they've] ever met".
* In an old ''[[ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]'' comic, a teenage lifeguard keeps putting Jimmy down and scoffs about the absurdity of his reputation when Franchise/{{Superman}} apparently ignores his "pal". (Said "Superman" is a crook.) Fortunately, Jimmy is nice enough not to taunt him about it when the relationship is eventually confirmed.

* In ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', students are segregated by class (no, not that kind of class). "Heroes" (the kids with conventionally useful powers) are treated as- and believe themselves to be- [[TheSocialDarwinist superior]] to "Sidekicks" (everyone else). When the "Hero" protagonist befriends several "Sidekicks", it bemuses the other "Heroes".

* In ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen'' everyone wonders why such a normal guy like George hangs out with a big dumb brute like [[CloudCuckoolander Lennie.]] George claims (falsely) that they're cousins to give people an easy reason to understand.

* In ''Literature/AfternoonOfTheElves'', Sara-Kate is a badly-dressed, strange girl who happens to live near Hillary. Nobody can figure out why Hillary enjoys Sara-Kate's company, or vice versa, and Hillary's friends and family actively try to pry them apart. Even the girls themselves are a little bewildered by their own friendship, at times.

* In ''Series/{{House}}'', Wilson is very well-liked and considered by most of the hospital to be a sensitive, friendly NiceGuy - so ''nobody'' can understand why he spends so much time with misanthropic {{Jerkass}} House. The reason is something of an inversion from most cases of this trope: rather than House being nicer than he's thought to be, it's ''Wilson'' who's much less of a good person than his reputation suggests, with only House familiar with his less-stellar qualities and able to understand him. In particular, the fact that House is so incapable of normal friendships is precisely why he appeals to him, because Wilson loves to be needed, and nobody is as determined to keep himself from ever getting better as House.

* A lot of students at Yokohama's Enchant Academy in ''VideoGame/EnchantedArms'' are baffled by the friendship between the charismatic and intelligent [[BigManOnCampus Touya]] (who has his own fan club) and the lazy, dimwitted [[IdiotHero Atsuma]] (who is so disliked some students have formed the Anti Atsuma Association).

* Despite being very attractive, confident and socially apt, Jane from ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' prefers to be rather alone than SurroundedByIdiots. In one episode, Jane signs for auditions for the athletics team, where she is discovered to be a great athlete (jogging was always her hobby) and starts dating a popular kid. However, said guy was also a JerkJock who criticized Jane's best friend Daria for being a total loser. Jane then says that she realizes that she ''has'' being hanging around too much with losers, dumps her boyfriend, quits the team and keeps being friends with Daria.[[note]]Jane's character is based on the premise that she could be popular with ease, but she is very fond of her alternative interests (Indie Rock, experimental arts) and doesn't want to fake her personalty to fit in such shallow social circle. When she met Daria, an outcast girl with similar interests and view of life, they quickly started a strong friendship.[[/note]]

* As a result of [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Roy Harper]] being turned into a [[AdaptationalDumbass moron]] thanks to the New 52, he became the Loser Friend portion of this trope to Jason Todd in ''ComicBook/RedHoodAndTheOutlaws''. [[spoiler:Even after Roy dies in ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'', Jason's told by Batwoman and Damian Wayne that neither of them understood why he was ever friends with Roy.]]

* Despite being very attractive, confident and socially apt, Jane from ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' prefers to be rather alone than SurroundedByIdiots. In one episode, Jane signs for auditions for the athletics team, where she is discovered to be a great athlete (jogging was always her hobby) and starts dating a popular kid. However, said guy was also a JerkJock who criticized Jane's best friend Daria for being a total loser. Jane then says that she realizes that she ''has'' being hanging around too much with losers, dumps her boyfriend, quits the team and keeps being friends with Daria.[[note]]Jane's character is based on the premise that she could be popular with ease, but she is very fond of her alternative interests (Indie Rock, experimental arts) and doesn't want to fake her personalty to fit in such shallow social circle. When she met Daria, an outcast girl with similar interests and view of life, they started quickly a strong friendship.[[/note]]

* In an old ''[[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]'' comic, a teenage lifeguard keeps putting Jimmy down and scoffs about the absurdity of his reputation when Franchise/{{Superman}} apparently ignores his "pal". (Said "Superman" is a crook.) Fortunately, Jimmy is nice enough not to taunt him about it when the relationship is eventually confirmed.

* In an old ''[[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]]'' comic, a teenage lifeguard scoffs, "Franchise/{{Superman}}'s pal! How did he get ''that'' reputation?" Fortunately, Jimmy is nice enough not to taunt him about it when the relationship is eventually confirmed.

* In an old ''ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' comic, a teenage lifeguard scoffs, "Franchise/{{Superman}}'s pal! How did he get ''that'' reputation?" Fortunately, Jimmy is nice enough not to taunt him about it when the relationship is eventually confirmed.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

[[/folder]]

** Harry's friendship with Neville and Luna. She says "People expect you to have cooler friends than us." He replies that they are cool.

* One episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' inverts this with the GirlOfTheWeek that Jerry is dating, who looks perfectly normal... except that every single person other than Jerry (even the poor woman's parents) treats her like such a horrible loser that Jerry's friends even stage an intervention for Jerry because they assume that there must be something wrong with him and he definitely can do better. Jerry keeps wondering what the hell is wrong with her that everybody else is having such a reaction... and he eventually decides to ditch her when they finally encounter the only other people who like her: Jerry's parents.