History Main / ThreePlusTwo

** ''Anime/DigimonFusion'', however, both played it straight ''and'' subverted it at the same time. Taiki, Akari and Zenjirou appear to be the three, with Nene and Kiriha as the Two. However, by the time that Kiriha and Nene have joined Xros Heart, Akari and Zenjirou are stuck in the real world[[spoiler:, only being reunited when they return for the GrandFinale]]. So, in the end, Taiki, Kiriha and Nene serve as the Three, with Akari and Zenjirou as the Two.

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', there is a group of OlympusMons called the Legendary Titans, a group of Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation III. In ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'', the trio are composed of Regirock, Regice and Registeel. However, in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'''s ''Crown Tundura'' DLC, they added Regidrago and Regieleki.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': The series started with the 'Original Team Arrow' of [[{{TheHero}} Oliver]], [[{{TheLancer}} Diggle]] and [[{{TheSmartGuy}} Felicity]]. From the second half of Season 2 several others characters join the team, starting with [[{{TheBigGuy}} Roy]] and [[{{TheChick}} Sa]][[{{ActionGirl}} ra]] and by the end of Season 3 they've left and been replaced by [[{{TookALevelInBadass}} Thea]] and [[{{TheTeamWannabe}} Laurel]], respectively. However the central trio are still much closer.

* ''Franchise/PrettyCure'':

[[folder:Comics]]

** ''[[Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters Go-Busters]]'' / ''[[Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers Beast Morphers]]'': The main trio were joined by Beet Buster and Stag Buster / the Gold and Silver Rangers, another pair of beetle-themed extra rangers, who are notable for being the first non-sixth extras who are gold and silver, colors normally reserved for sixth members and above. Much like ''Abaranger'' before it, the team never had more than five members.

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}''

** ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'', however, both played it straight ''and'' subverted it at the same time. Taiki, Akari and Zenjirou appear to be the three, with Nene and Kiriha as the Two. However, by the time that Kiriha and Nene have joined Xros Heart, Akari and Zenjirou are stuck in the real world[[spoiler:, only being reunited when they return for the GrandFinale]]. So, in the end, Taiki, Kiriha and Nene serve as the Three, with Akari and Zenjirou as the Two.

* The three in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' tends to be Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna. The plus two is usually Nodoka and Yue. That being said, this trope can shift about the cast, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters given its size]].

* ''Franchise/PrettyCure''

* TabletopGame/YuGiOh:

* The action in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' begins with SEES comprised of a FiveManBand... but only the three newest members are available to fight at the start. The other two are more experienced members, one serving as your initial MissionControl, and the other recovering from injuries, but both of them join the front lines in relatively short order.

* In the ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' MagicalGirl / SuperRobotGenre [[ShowWithinAShow show/game within a show]] ''[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly]]'', the power trio was Strawberry ([[CallingYourAttacks on the Shortcake!]]), Blueberry (Cheese Brownie!), and Cranberry (Chocolate Sundae!). In the sequel ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'', they add Gooseberry (Sugar Donut) and [[OddNameOut Nutberry]] (no attack given). The new opening to the show highlights the ThreePlusTwo trope.

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', there is a group of Main/OlympusMons called the Legendary Titans, a group of Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation III. In ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'', the trio are composed of Regirock, Regice and Registeel. However, in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'''s ''Crown Tundura'' DLC, they added Regidrago and Regieleki.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''Franchise/Pokemon'', there is a group of Main/OlympusMons called the Legendary Titans, a group of Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation III. In ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'', the trio are composed of Regirock, Regice and Registeel. However, in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'''s ''Crown Tundura'' DLC, they added Regidrago and Regieleki.

* Some seasons in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai''/''Franchise/PowerRangers'' franchise have started with three rangers instead of [[FiveManBand the usual team of five]], usually a trio composed of Red, Blue and Yellow (and it's usually TwoGuysAndAGirl), who are then joined mid-series by at least two [[SixthRanger extra rangers]]. They typically get just as much, if not more, exposure as the primary heroes, much like the sixth rangers.

* The first ''Franchise/ArchieComics'' story introduced Archie, Betty and Jughead, with [[RichBitch Veronica]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Reggie]] added a few months later. They grew into a FiveManBand, but the first three still have their ThreeAmigos bond after all this time.

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' introduces second-years Kaguya Shinomiya, Miyuki Shirogane, and Chika Fujiwara right at the beginning, and first-years Yuu Ishigami and Miko Iino appear in the student council later on. Much later, in Iino's case.

[[caption-width-right:350:The three Wind Rangers and the two Thunder Rangers.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/data_top_hurricanger.jpg]]]]

** The initial release of VideoGame/SonicMania featured the series' iconic PowerTrio of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as playable characters, with [[VideoGame/SegaSonicTheHedgehog Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel]] (the long-forgotten members of Sonic's initial PowerTrio) joing in the ''Plus'' update.

* This happens a lot on ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans''. Uniqua, Pablo, and Tyrone appear in almost every episode, while Tasha and Austin are each absent a third of the time. Many episode that feature all five characters have the former three in one group and the latter two in another, notably "Cave Party". The boys are also both a FreudianTrio and a BigThinShortTrio while the girls are a TomboyAndGirlyGirl duo, resulting in a few three plus two episodes that are also {{Gender-Separated Ensemble Episode}}s, notably "The Legend of the Volcano Sisters".

[[caption-width-right:350:The three Wind Rangers are joined by the two Thunder Rangers]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/600full_power_rangers_ninja_storm_screenshot_9.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The three Wind Rangers are joined by the two Thunder Rangers]]

[[spoiler:[[CaptainObvious That equals 5.]]]]

** ''[[Series/UchuSentaiKyuranger Kyuranger]]'': Oddly enough, this time the team starts out with Chameleon Green, Oushii Black, and Kajiki Yellow, and gains Shishi Red and Ookami Blue[[note]]In all prior Sentai series, Red and Blue are part of the team at the beginning; in ''Kyuranger'', Lucky and Garu, the team's blue rangers, are discovered by Hami, Champ, and Spada - the team's Green, Black, and Yellow rangers - before the former 2 become Kyurangers[[/note]] by the end of the first episode. Following ''[=Go-onger=]'' and ''[=Go-Busters=]'' above, the next two to join the team are Gold and Silver (Tenbin Gold and Hebitsukai Silver), and after that, Sasori Orange and Washi Pink joined the team separately. After that, the team gains Ryu Commander, Ooguma Skyblue, and Ho'ou Soldier.

** ''[[Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters Go-Busters]]'': The main trio were joined by Beet Buster and Stag Buster, another pair of beetle-themed extra rangers. Beet and Stag are notable for being the first non-sixth extras who are gold and silver, colors normally reserved for sixth members and above. Much like ''Abaranger'' before it, the team never had more than five members.

* In the classic ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' games on Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, the playable characters consisted of Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles 'Tails' Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna, who became a Power Trio by the end of ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''. They were the only characters to be playable in any of the side-scrolling platforming installments released in the 90's, with the exception of ''VideoGame/KnucklesChaotix''. In the ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance]]'' trilogy, all three were playable again, this time alongside Amy Rose (making her playable side-scrolling platforming debut after being playable in the ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 games]]) and Cream the Rabbit (who debuted in ''Sonic Advance 2'').

[[spoiler:That equals 5.]]