Romance wasn't in the cards for duos like Harry and Hermione, Jerry and Elaine, or Carrie and Stanford, but that didn't make them any less dynamic.
Rob Reiner's 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally ponders whether men and women can be friends without sex getting in the way. However, there are plenty of examples of platonic relationships in media that demonstrate how respectful friendships can be forged and maintained regardless of gender, from Dorothy and friends in The Wizard of Oz to Steve and Robin on Stranger Things.
Of course, that hasn't stopped some fans from "shipping" certain platonic pairs, but we've found that certain duos are simply better as friends — no need for messy romance. Here are some of our favorite platonic power couples from movies and TV shows.
Harry Potter & Hermione Granger — Harry Potter series
The Boy Who Lived (Daniel Radcliffe) and the cleverest witch at Hogwarts (Emma Watson) make a formidable team, whether she's escorting him back through time to save an innocent Hippogriff or he's helping to get her mind off guy troubles (and, you know, Voldemort's rise) by wordlessly asking if she'll have this dance. While free of romantic sparks, their on-screen bond is strong enough to make book fans fume — of course, poor Ron (Rupert Grint) gets the shaft. —Hillary Busis
Joan Watson & Sherlock Holmes — Elementary
While there was definite tension between Elementary's version of Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu), the pair kept their relationship strictly business. Though Joan — the first female Watson riff on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous stories — brought intuition and empathy to their cases, the detectives were most effective when emotions didn't get in the way of their work. Sorry, shippers! —Lanford Beard
Joey Tribbiani & Phoebe Buffay — Friends
Sure, Friends teased the possibility of the two quirkiest characters hooking up once or twice: Reportedly, Lisa Kudrow pitched the idea that the friends had been secretly sleeping together for the duration of the series. Be glad, though, that this notion was rejected — Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Pheebs' (Kudrow) similarly offbeat outlooks made them one of the show's most fruitful pairings, devoid of the romantic drama that often derailed their other pals. For proof, just watch her trying to teach him French. —H.B.
Hawkeye & Black Widow — Marvel Cinematic Universe
Seven words: "You and I remember Budapest very differently." With one random line in the middle of a giant battle, a couple of master assassins (Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson) proved that all you need to be powerful is wit, skill, a complicated past, and an incredible amount of chemistry (and, okay, maybe some old-fashioned guns and arrows, too). The relationship reached an emotional crescendo in Avengers: Endgame, with the Disney+ series Hawkeye further showing the meaningfulness of their bond. On their own, both characters proved their kick-ass capabilities. Together (and even without romantic entanglements), they could save the world. —Andrea Towers
Max Rockatansky & Imperator Furiosa — Mad Max: Fury Road
Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) had been through some harrowing experiences in the first three Mad Max movies, but nothing compares to the gonzo series of events in Mad Max: Fury Road. After Max is captured by a cult leader's army, he soon finds himself strapped to a war rig in a race across the desert chasing after Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a lieutenant who has gone rogue. Max eventually unchains himself and helps Furiosa in her quest to free the cult leader's wives, gaining mutual respect along the way. —Kevin Jacobsen
Liz Lemon & Jack Donaghy — 30 Rock
Jack (Alec Baldwin) and Liz (Tina Fey) were an unlikely pair. He was a Reagan-idolizing executive who wore a tux after six because he wasn't "a farmer." She was a Star Wars-obsessed writer who relished her time with her night cheese. And yet, they were always there for one another. Liz was willing to rip her shirt open to save Jack from embarrassment at a company retreat, and Jack freed up his schedule to pick up Liz from oral surgery on Valentine's Day (or, rather, Anna Howard Shaw Day). Nothing cements the bonds of friendship like non-sexual nudity and seeing your pal at her lonely worst. —Esther Zuckerman
Ted Lasso & Rebecca Welton — Ted Lasso
Who would have expected such a powerful bond to form between a dad-joke-spewing American football coach and a sharp-edged British soccer team owner? When Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first arrived in England to take over as the coach of AFC Richmond, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) was initially thrown by his folksy charm, but they eventually got to a point of relying on each other in times of need. Some Ted Lasso fans hoped the relationship would take a romantic turn — and the series finale even featured a teasing misdirect — but "Tedbecca" were simply good friends 'til the end. —K.J.
Don Draper & Peggy Olson — Mad Men
Throughout the course of Mad Men, Don (Jon Hamm) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) were boss/mentor and secretary/protégé to one another. As the show went on, they were also each other's adversaries and saviors. He visited her in the hospital after her season 1 pregnancy; she was there with him when he learned about the death of Anna Draper (Melinda Page Hamilton). Though their relationship had moments of tenderness (think of the way they clasped hands at the end of season 4's "The Suitcase" or the way they danced to "My Way" in season 7), sex was never an option. —E.Z.
Leslie Knope & Ron Swanson — Parks and Recreation
The director (Nick Offerman) and deputy (Amy Poehler) of Pawnee's Parks Department were so much more than just co-workers. They were perfect complements, forging an unlikely friendship between a libertarian and a proud bureaucrat that blossomed into a deep mutual respect. Leslie's hyperactive enthusiasm for improving Pawnee was guided by Ron's steady, sage advice. Whether they were building literal campaign platforms or keeping diabolical ex-wives at bay, Ron and Leslie had each other's back. —Kat Ward
Veronica Mars & Wallace Fennel — Veronica Mars
Few pairs have quite as unique a platonic meet-cute as these two. When Veronica (Kristen Bell) found Wallace (Percy Daggs III) duct-taped to a Neptune High flagpole, she saved him and became fast friends with the basketball star. Their friendship provided one of Veronica Mars' most enjoyable dynamics: Wallace trusted Veronica almost unquestioningly, and the two could confide their darkest secrets to one another — two characteristics essential to safely surviving amid the seedy underbelly of Neptune. —Jonathon Dornbush
Marlin & Dory — Finding Nemo
On a long journey, there's nothing more powerful than friendship. At the beginning of their time together, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) doesn't look at Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) as an equal partner in helping him find his son, mostly because her memory sucks. But, after a few adventures, he realizes he can't make it without her. Not only does Dory overcome her biggest flaw, memorizing the address where she and Marlin can find Nemo, she also becomes Marlin's friend (and he, hers). —Samantha Highfill
Julianne Potter & George Downes — My Best Friend's Wedding
If Julianne (Julia Roberts) is going to lose her best friend (Dermot Mulroney) to a college dropout (Cameron Diaz), she's going down fighting alongside her gay best friend, George (Rupert Everett). And by "fighting," we mean George leading a Dionne Warwick singalong and him telling Julianne that, man or no man, "by God, there will be dancing!" —Kathryn Luttner
Lexi Branson & Stefan Salvatore — The Vampire Diaries
Lexi (Arielle Kebbel) was one of the few women Stefan (Paul Wesley) could truthfully say was just a friend. All these two shared was a love for humanity, a love for each other, and, of course, a love for Bon Jovi. Lexi kept Stefan on the right path, and he trusted her completely until her death. Let's just say there was a reason why she was the one to pull him out of his Ripper days. —S.H.
Joan Clarke & Alan Turing — The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game portrays the unique symbiosis between two of the greatest minds of their time, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley): Alan champions (and, though he is gay, even offers to marry) Joan so that she can defy the sexist conventions of the era and change the world. In turn, Joan smoothes over Alan's prickly personality so that he can't get in the way of his own genius. —L.B.
Daisy Werthan & Hoke Colburn — Driving Miss Daisy
We tease the ones we love. Over the years, the daily Southern driving rigors of Hoke and his aging employer Daisy have been the fodder for parody in films ranging from Bad Boys to Be Kind Rewind. But, the story of their age-, race-, and society-blind friendship is seriously affecting, thanks to moving character work by Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy (who took home the Best Actress Oscar for her performance). Anyone who doesn't appreciate this bond is — as Daisy would say — a g.d. fool. —Jason Clark
Arthur Abbott & Iris Simpkins — The Holiday
Arthur (Eli Wallach) takes down-on-her-luck Iris (Kate Winslet) — a Brit who's new to L.A. — under his wing and shares his firsthand knowledge of Hollywood's Golden Age. Still grieving his late wife, Arthur teaches Iris that even love lost is love worth having...but he also nudges her in the direction of lovable goofball Miles (Jack Black) so that his young friend doesn't give up too soon on her chance at romance. —L.B.
Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley — Stranger Things
Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin's (Maya Hawke) relationship arc is a positive depiction of platonic friendship in the wake of romantic rejection. Season 3 introduced Robin as Steve's co-worker at Scoops Ahoy, and though their chemistry was apparent, Steve's intentions to take things a step further were shot down when Robin revealed she was a lesbian. From there, they became best buds while fighting the multiple demonic entities that have invaded Hawkins. —K.J.
Vada Sultenfuss & Thomas J. Sennett — My Girl
Ah, the innocence of youth! Other than one chaste kiss, the charming rapport between these two outsiders — death-obsessed Vada (Anna Chlumsky) and her sickly pal Thomas J. (Macaulay Culkin) — is decidedly pre-sexual. (They're 11 years old!) After Thomas J.'s tragic, sudden death, it's a relationship that forces Vada to grow up and realize how special and formative a childhood connection can be. —L.B.
Carrie Bradshaw & Stanford Blatch — Sex and the City
True friends don't judge friends for wearing Candie's. Pairing their love of fashion and boys, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Stanny (Willie Garson) supported each other through singlehood and marriage, sobfests and shopping sprees. Though they each had personalities that could range from grounded to whimsical, the key to their friendship was that each knew when to summon the right perspective to help the other in times of need. —L.B.
Meredith Grey & Alex Karev – Grey's Anatomy
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) were each other's "person," but, after Cristina left to run a hospital in Zurich at the end of season 10, their co-worker Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) filled the friendship void for Meredith. Their relationship was a bit rocky in the first few seasons, but in the wake of Cristina's departure, Alex stepped up and became a sounding board for Meredith and her many woes. In a show where just about every doctor hooks up with each other, it was refreshing that the Grey's writers resisted the temptation to cross that barrier with Meredith and Alex. —K.J.
Truman Capote & Harper Lee — Capote
Author Truman Capote may have found himself obsessed with the details of In Cold Blood and its Kansas milieu, but whenever his masterful, Oscar-winning stand-in (Philip Seymour Hoffman) held court with best friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) in Bennett Miller's top-drawer biopic about the high-voiced author/social butterfly, it was like watching a tough-love match made in heaven. (The stars' chemistry was duly noted, even as mere besties — as Hoffman and Keener would go on to play husband and wife in two later movies, 2008's Synecdoche, New York and 2012's A Late Quartet.) —J.C.
Elaine Benes & Jerry Seinfeld — Seinfeld
Seinfeld fans were schooled on the difference between that and this all thanks to the platonic power couple that was Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). What makes this duo quite possibly the most impressive of the bunch is how effortlessly cool they remained in the years after the aforementioned season 2 relapse. In fact, since they technically dated before the series' pilot, one could argue the two chose to embrace their platonic power even more than Jerry and best friend George (Jason Alexander). —Ben Boskovich
Dorothy Gale & her pals — The Wizard of Oz
The team goes off to see the Wizard to find the things they think they lack. Little do they know that their friendship will prove the opposite to be true: the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) uses his wits to help rescue Dorothy (Judy Garland) from the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton); the Tin Man (Jack Haley) shows great empathy for his new pal; the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) is anything but when Dorothy's in trouble. And then, of course, there's the girl from Kansas herself, who discovers that "home" isn't a place so much as a feeling — one you'll have as long as you're surrounded by people you love. —H.B.
Will Gardner & Diane Lockhart — The Good Wife
Right up until his death, Will (Josh Charles) and Diane (Christine Baranski) were equals. Yes, they were literally equal partners in their law firm, but what made them a force to be reckoned with was that neither one of them was the designated leader. Their ability to come together to make the right decision — coupled with their ability to work a courtroom — made them successful. They weren't scared to butt heads, but they always ended things on a good note, sometimes even with a dance. —S.H.
Bob Harris & Charlotte — Lost in Translation
Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a faded middle-aged actor filming a series of commercials in Tokyo; Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is in the city to accompany her celebrity photographer husband. Both Bob and Charlotte find themselves at crisis points, questioning their respective marriages, but, despite connecting at the Tokyo hotel at which they're both staying, their bond does not evolve into romance. Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning dramedy is ultimately the story of lonely souls coming together, if only for a brief period of time. —K.J.
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