They are like salt and pepper. You probably have heard the saying before. It means two people or two persons or two animals are inseparable. Friendship drives so much of the emotional core of a TV show. That is why shows often say their show is like Starsky and Hutch. Or Will and Grace. Or some other famous duos.
What makes a great duo? Well, the great famous duos can exist independently of each other, but totally shouldn’t. They complement each other perfectly.
Today, we will look at some of the best fictional and non-fictional duos. Hope you like it.
Scooby-Doo and Shaggy
What made this pairing so wonderful is that they are almost identical. Both Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are afraid of everything around them. Yet, somehow, they manage to overcome their fear and solve the mystery along with the gang. Scooby is the dog version of Shaggy.
And Shaggy is the human version of Scooby. They love to eat and share food all the time.
Tom and Jerry
You can hardly find a more iconic duo in cartoons. Tom and Jerry are just meant for each other. You might think they chase each other all the time, but that is the beauty of the show.
Now, as a kid, you might have more love for Jerry. But once you get older, you start to sympathize with Tom who just cannot catch a break.
Batman and Robin
One might say the more famous duo is Batman and Joker. As Heath Ledger’s Joker said in The Dark Knight, “we need each other”.
But back to Batman and Robin. Batman is the mentor, Robin is the apprentice. The famous duo is so iconic, that many people use it for pop culture references and real-life references.
For example, in sports teams, one player is the star or Batman, and another is Robin, the one who does the dirty work. Think Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen.
Woody and Buzz Lightyear
What makes this TV duo so fun is that, unlike other famous duos on the list, they are nothing alike. They are polar opposites of each other. Buzz is flamboyant, I can fly in a space character, while Woody is down-to-earth.
But together, they work side by side to help their master. And the other toys.
Han Solo and Chewbacca
If you want a cool costume, you can always go as Han Solo and Chewbacca. To this day, many shows and movies have tried to replicate the friendship between a human and a person from another species like Chewbacca.
But only the great George Lucas could find a way for these two to work. So many iconic lines between the two, and so many great scenes. Punch it Chewie!
Mario and Luigi
Now let’s go to video games for a moment. Mario and Luigi are the most popular duo in video game history. Period. Nothing can come close. Super Mario is the most successful franchise in video games.
Their popularity has spawned numerous shows, movies, cartoons, and comics.
SpongeBob and Patrick
Talking about cartoons, we have to put SpongeBob and Patrick on the list. These two have been on bad terms many times throughout the TV series. Yet, they always come back together as best friends.
And that is the reality in life. Your best friend will stay by your side no matter the argument or anything that happens.
R2D2 and C-3PO
Going back to the Star Wars universe, this is another costume idea you can try. The two most famous robots in television history.
Fun fact: these two are the only characters to appear in every theatrical Star Wars film, with the exception of Solo: A Star Wars Story.
And Anthony Daniels, who portrays C-3Po, is the only actor to appear in all nine films of the Skywalker saga.
Outcast
Now we go to a music duo, one that is impossible to forget. The two rappers, Andre 300 and Big brought a new sound to the hip-hop scene.
They produced six studio albums and brought a special flair to them.
Simon and Garfunkel
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel is another music duo that defined the sexual revolution and social justice movement. They produced music during a tough period, including the Vietnam War.
The harmonizing duo echoed New York’s folk revival. Their first big hit, Mrs. Robinson signaled the coming wave of sexual liberation.
Ike and Tina Turner
Probably one of the biggest what-ifs stories in the history of music. Ike and Tina Turner were amazing together. But his physical abuse caused the duo to split in 1976.
Tina came back stronger than ever. Yet, the question remains how bigger these two could find a way to work together? Their versatile interchangeable traversed genre was like nothing before them. The famous couple mixed folk and funk and country to deep soul and even musicals. All while reinventing rock and roll performances.
Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani
Speaking of famous TV duos, you cannot ignore Chandler and Joey. Their run lasted for 10 years, from 1994 to 2004.
Though Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani were part of an ensemble group, their roommates and best friends dynamic made a central part of the story.
You can say it was one of the first bromance relationships on television. But they were much more than that.
Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble
Going back to the cartoons, we have to talk about Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. Do not pay attention to the movie. Just focus on the show that aired on ABC for many years.
These two also made an appearance in comic books, video games, and more. They were two men who were different, yet worked so well together.
Jerry Seinfeld and George Constanza
Before there were Chandler and Joey, the TV world had Jerry Seinfeld and George Constanza. Their bromance was not to the level of Chandler and Joey, but it was good enough.
Seinfeld aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998, becoming one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. The lifelong friends in the show made fun of each other’s weaker qualities, but they always found a way to come back together.
Bert and Ernie
We go to Sesame Street, a show that airs to this day. From 1969 to the present day, Bert and Ernie have been inseparable. They were created to show children that people could be friends regardless of their differences.
Their comedy is aimed at kids. But you are never too old to watch Sesame Street.
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully
Speaking of iconic TV shows, we have to mention The X Files. It aired from 1993 to 2002 with the revival series airing from January 2016 to March 2018.
If the combination of a skeptic and a believer feels like an archetype it is because Scully and Mulder made it so. The two had a platonic friendship that began when Dana Scully was sent to debunk Fox Mulder and his work.
They grew close and formed a partnership that lasted for years.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
It might be time to have a romantic relationship on this list, right? Unlike Ike Turner and Tina Turner, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse had no problems. Mickey didn’t beat her.
The two Disney characters are iconic. Minnie is his love interest, and it is amazing to see how she makes him a better “man”.
Holmes and Watson
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. How many shows with these two characters have you seen? Many amazing actors have portrayed Sherlock Holmes, including Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch.
That is all you need to know about the famous duo.
Starsky and Hutch
It is only fitting that we finish off the list of iconic duos with the most famous duo of all time, Starsky and Hutch. The buddy cop action show and comedy film has had so many different versions. Todd Philips directed the 2004 movie that was a revival of the buddy cop action. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson starred as David Starsky and Ken Hutch Hutchinson.
The film adaptation of the original television series was not as successful, but it was still good.
