Some of television's most memorable relationships weren't romances at all. The best friendships brought heart, humor, and unforgettable moments to their shows, proving that loyal friends can be just as important as any leading couple. Here are 27 of the greatest best friends on TV shows.
Joey Tribbiani & Chandler Bing (Friends)
Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing lived together for years, turning their apartment into one of television's funniest settings. Their friendship survived failed romances, constant pranks, and even Joey accidentally falling asleep during Chandler's wedding movie.
Troy Barnes & Abed Nadir (Community)
Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir bonded over movies, imagination, and absurd adventures. Their fake morning talk show, elaborate blanket forts, and dream worlds became some of the sitcom's most memorable running jokes.
Shawn Spencer & Burton "Gus" Guster (Psych)
Shawn Spencer constantly dragged Burton Guster into increasingly ridiculous investigations. Gus complained almost every episode but never stopped backing his lifelong best friend.
Turk & J.D. (Scrubs)
Christopher Turk and John Dorian treated their friendship like a full-time commitment. The musical number "Guy Love" jokingly summed up how inseparable they were.
Meredith Grey & Cristina Yang (Grey's Anatomy)
Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang supported each other through career setbacks, marriages, trauma, and loss. "You're my person" became one of the show's defining lines because of them.
Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins (Parks and Recreation)
Leslie Knope greeted Ann Perkins with increasingly ridiculous compliments every episode. Their friendship balanced Leslie's endless enthusiasm with Ann's grounded personality.
Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson (Sherlock)
Sherlock Holmes relied on John Watson to keep him connected to ordinary people. Watson, meanwhile, repeatedly risked his life despite knowing Sherlock attracted danger wherever he went.
Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson (Stranger Things)
The unlikely pairing of Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson became an instant fan favorite. Steve gradually transformed from popular jock into Dustin's protective older-brother figure.
Lucy Ricardo & Ethel Mertz (I Love Lucy)
Lucy Ricardo almost always convinced Ethel Mertz to join another disastrous scheme. Ethel knew the plans would fail but tagged along anyway.
SpongeBob SquarePants & Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)
SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star approached almost every adventure with childlike enthusiasm. Even their simplest plans usually spiraled into complete chaos.
Cory Matthews & Shawn Hunter (Boy Meets World)
Growing up together from middle school into adulthood, Cory and Shawn constantly pushed each other to become better people despite coming from completely different family backgrounds.
Jake Peralta & Charles Boyle (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Charles admired Jake almost to a fault, while Jake genuinely appreciated having someone who never stopped believing in him. Their detective partnership was just as dependable as their friendship.
Jerry Seinfeld & George Costanza (Seinfeld)
Jerry spent years listening to George's endless complaints, failed schemes, and social disasters. Somehow, neither ever gave up on the friendship.
Marshall Eriksen & Ted Mosby (How I Met Your Mother)
Ted and Marshall remained best friends from college through marriage, careers, and parenthood. Even after moving apart, they stayed each other's first phone call during major life events.
Sam Winchester & Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
Although they were brothers, Sam and Dean also functioned as lifelong best friends. They spent fifteen seasons saving each other almost as often as they saved the world.
Andy Dwyer & April Ludgate (Parks and Recreation)
Their marriage worked because they genuinely enjoyed acting like best friends. They invented elaborate alter egos like Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole simply for fun.
Timon & Pumbaa (The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa)
The carefree duo wandered the world looking for food and avoiding trouble, usually finding much more trouble instead. Their complete loyalty never changed.
Raven Baxter & Chelsea Daniels (That's So Raven)
Chelsea willingly joined Raven's increasingly ridiculous disguises and plans, even after they repeatedly backfired in spectacular fashion.
Finn & Jake (Adventure Time)
Jake's magical stretching powers solved plenty of problems, but his calm personality mattered even more. He constantly encouraged Finn to grow into a wiser hero.
Penelope Garcia & Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds)
Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan greeted each other with playful nicknames like "Baby Girl" and "Pretty Boy." Their constant flirting never became romantic, making their friendship stand out from most TV pairings.
Eleanor Shellstrop & Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place)
At first, Eleanor could barely tolerate Tahani's constant name-dropping. Over time, they became genuine friends who helped each other overcome insecurities they had carried throughout their lives.
Daryl Dixon & Carol Peletier (The Walking Dead)
Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier survived years of loss without ever losing faith in each other. Their bond remained one of the emotional anchors of the series.
Buffy Summers & Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Buffy Summers encouraged Willow's confidence, while Willow's intelligence repeatedly helped save Sunnydale. Their friendship lasted through vampires, apocalypses, and countless supernatural disasters.
Steve Urkel & Eddie Winslow (Family Matters)
Eddie spent years pretending to be embarrassed by Steve, yet he repeatedly stood up for him when it mattered. Steve's loyalty never depended on whether Eddie was popular or not.
Turk & Carla Espinosa (Scrubs)
Although they eventually married, Turk and Carla always felt like best friends first. Their ability to joke with each other through stressful hospital shifts became one of the show's strengths.
Xena & Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)
Xena transformed from a feared warrior into a hero partly because of Gabrielle's influence. Gabrielle, in turn, evolved from an inexperienced bard into a capable fighter beside her closest friend.
Michael Scott & Dwight Schrute (The Office)
Michael Scott often took Dwight's loyalty for granted, but Dwight rarely hesitated to defend his boss. Beneath the awkward comedy, the two shared one of the show's most unexpectedly genuine friendships.
