Basic Trope: Both the villain and the hero are friendly towards one another and share a code of honor.
- Straight: Alice Virtuous foils Davina Vile's plans, yet they have friendly chats and don't attempt to sneak up on each other.
- Exaggerated:
- Alice and Davina are lovers and go on dates regularly.
- Alice is The Hero and Davina is The Dragon; they go to the movies together, share brainstorming session for problem-solving, tell jokes to each other, play video games, and so on.
- Alice and Devina are Heterosexual Life-Partners yet practically hate each other on the battlefield.
- Downplayed:
- Alice and Davina are often at cross purposes, and this often harms their friendship, but at the end of the day they stay in touch with one another.
- Friendly Rivalry (same friendship, less enmity.)
- While Davina likes Alice and avoids harming her, she extends no such mercy to Alice’s allies and behaves Faux Affably Evil to them.
- Justified:
- Worthy Opponent to the extreme has friendliness with respect.
- They were friends before they parted ways and they promised to each other to stay friends, no matter what.
- Davina Vile is a Punch-Clock Villain, and/or Alice Virtuous is a Punch-Clock Hero. Their paychecks might paid and signed for by opposing sides, but that doesn't mean they have to make it personal.
- Davina is Alice's Evil Former Friend... Only not quite "former" yet, as she can't bring herself to completely sever her emotional ties with Alice.
- They are Birds of a Feather whom just happen to be on opposite sides of the conflict. They might as well get along well when not engaged in direct conflict.
- The story is a White-and-Grey Morality type conflict, and Davina Vile is an Anti-Villain whom Alice Virtuous respects due to her goal but fights against due to her methods.
- Inverted:
- Alice and Davina are friends - nominally - or fight on the same side despite their deep-rooted disdain for each other and preference to stay as far away from each other as possible.
- Vitriolic Best Buds and/or With Friends Like These...
- Subverted: Alice and Davina's friendship is only an act. Either one or both is trying to get information or covertly destroy another.
- Double Subverted: ... Or so they would have their allies believe.
- Parodied: Alice and Davina become such good friends that they sing, dance, drink, eat, and live together. Davina insists that it's to spy on her, and Alice insists that it's to keep her under control, and they often hit each other with sticks. Then it moves from there, and Hilarity Ensues.
- Zig Zagged: Alice and Davina shift from best friends to worst enemies and everything in between.
- Averted: Davina and Alice hate each other. The idea of being friendly to one another disgusts them.
- Enforced: Due to popularity ratings, the executives force the writer of the work to make Davina move towards good so Alice has less reason to kill her and end the show. To show that the writer did not want to do this, he retools the relationship into one of these.
- Lampshaded: During a battle (and after Davina tells a joke that they both enjoy), Alice asks, "Hey, if we're enemies, why exactly are we acting like best friends?" Davina answers by saying that, even if they are enemies, there's no point in being rude or hateful about it.
- Invoked:Davina (as the cops tow her to jail): "You were good. So will you come play crosswords with me in prison?"
Alice: "I said I would and I will."- "I can't help spending time with her, being her enemy is just too much fun!"
- Exploited:
- Davina's partner-in-evil, Duchess, notices her weakness in Alice and uses it against Davina.
- In the other direction, Davina's friendship with Alice is what eventually prompts her Heel–Face Turn, as well as provide her a means of preventing a Heel–Face Door-Slam.
- Defied:
- "I have no interest in spending time with her, she's a total bitch and I hate her guts!"
- "I don't want to get too fond of someone I might have to kill."
- Discussed: "I respect her because she's the only one who can pose a worthy challenge."
- Conversed: "Long-time enemies can eventually become friends of sorts. Not REAL friends but good sports."
- Implied: Alice and Davina have no problem getting along out-of-costume, and they're both more than perceptive enough to see through the Paper-Thin Disguise that is the other's outfit.
- Deconstructed: In the end, they're still on opposing sides, and eventually one of them is forced to to harm, or even kill, the other.
- Reconstructed: Of course, being professionals, they're equally matched and their efforts aren't from a lack of trying. After all, part of their relationship comes from the challenge they have to offer each other.
- Played For Laughs: Alice beats Davina and sends her off to jail, the latter screaming curses at her the whole way. Jump Cut to the two of them laughing about it as they have a coffee.
- Played For Drama:
- Davina and Alice genuinely care for each other, meaning neither can well and truly bring themselves to stop the other entirely, thus perpetuating the conflict between them. Furthermore, this kind of relationship also causes them both to decide that nobody else has the right to end the conflict. Meanwhile, both are using up precious resources to fight the other, and the collateral damage is astounding. When this finally kicks in with Alice, she breaks down.
- Conversely, Davina or Alice kill the other, intentionally or not, and break down in grief and guilt.
- Davina and Alice mortally wound each other during a fight, intentionally or not. They spend their last moments joking and reminiscing with each other.
- Alice’s partner Bob brutally kills Davina, prompting Alice to do a Face–Heel Turn in memory of her fallen friend.
- Conversely, Duchess kills Alice and Davina does a Heel–Face Turn to avenge Alice.
Back to Friendly Enemy.
