History Main / WithFriendsLikeThese

Related to VitriolicBestBuds, who are confirmed to actually care about each others and whose bickering is more a case of brutal teasing. Not to be confused with DontShootTheMessage. For the romantic version, see TheMasochismTango and BelligerentSexualTension. Compare/contrast FriendlyEnemy which has enemies acting like friends are used, and when both are used you may end up with PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes. Compare AcquaintanceDenial, and OddFriendship. Contrast WhoNeedsEnemies, where two characters really ''ought'' to be friends given their similar goals, but somehow aren't. May be due to coming from a FriendlessBackground. If one friend in particular gives or gets this treatment, there's a chance they're TheFriendNobodyLikes.

* In UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks, Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}'s friends, especially [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]], have a strange predilection for trying to discover his secret identity against his obvious wishes. In the [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]], the writers get away from that when they presumably realized a true friend would respect his privacy.

* Unknowingly sharing a name with the Trope is the short story ''With Friends Like These'' by Alan Dean Foster. Several alien races come in search of humanity and Earth after the planet and its inhabitants had been locked away for millennia for being unable to play nice with the rest of the universe. Now they were desperately needed to defeat aggressive aliens known as Yops. [[spoiler:At first the aliens are disappointed because the humans are hospitable and friendly, but appear utterly defenseless and technologically backwards. Until they find out mankind has... evolved. It's pointed out near the end of the story that the problem exists of what to do with the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Humans]] (and the rest of their planet) once the Yops have been defeated. (At this point it's obvious that the question is no longer ''if'' the Yops will be defeated but only how quickly. One character even remarks that the poor Yops won't know what hit them.)]]

* Website/GoAnimate:

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': R2-D2 and C-3P0 were said to have been modeled off of Tahei and Matashichi from ''Film/TheHiddenFortress'' who bicker and fight constantly (when they're not swearing eternal friendship to each other).