Friendships that could've been if fictional rivalries turned legendary friends

Just imagine if fiction’s fiercest foes like Batman and Joker or Cersei and Daenerys had simply talked it out and become best of friends! Here’s how that alternate universe could’ve looked!

In life and in stories, the most compelling conflicts often aren’t born out of pure evil, but out of opposing ideologies. It's easy to paint someone as a villain when they stand in the way of what you believe is right. But what if, instead of letting that ideological clash turn into lifelong animosity, both sides paused and tried to understand? Something Dumbledore and Grindelwald could have benefited from. Though this isn’t something new, war of the ideologies has always existed in stories. The truth is, some of the greatest fictional enemies are essentially two sides of the same coin just driven by personal trauma, conviction, or a fierce desire to make the world better on their own terms. But imagine if they had put their weapons down and joined forces! The result could have been chaos, yes. But also one where balance, brilliance, and maybe a hope for an even better world was created! In honour of Friendship Day, we take a wild, slightly unhinged look at some iconic rivalries from pop culture, the kinds of love-hate dynamics that could’ve gone down in history as the most powerful friendships if only they had chosen to talk instead of fight.

Also Read: Breaking down Rangeen and Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper - two tales that fall short of saying anything real about sexual pleasure and desire!

Check them out! 

Batman and The Joker

Batman is a vigilante obsessed with justice while Joker is an anarchist addicted to chaos. But deep down, their dynamic is more about co-dependency than anything else. Joker exists to push Batman’s moral code, as Batman refuses to kill him, no matter the cost, something so gray yet beautifully explored in Christohpher Nolan’s Dark Knight! If only Bruce Wayne had dragged the clown prince of crime to therapy with him, maybe they could’ve channeled that energy into a Gotham-wide rehab project rebranding Arkham as a comedy club with nightly shows headlined by Joker himself, while Batman handled security. So we could’ve seen a dysfunctional but effective crime-fighting team with a flair for drama instead of decades of moral standoffs and expensive property damage.

Thanos and The Avengers 

Thanos wasn’t entirely wrong; he only wanted to save the universe from overpopulation that could one day very well be a threat to life in general so he wanted to wipe the slate clean to start anew while The Avengers wanted to protect life, no matter the cost. The concern was the same just the solution was different. What if Tony Stark and Dr Strange had sat Thanos down with a sustainability pitch instead of a photon blast? Just think about it! If Wakandan tech, Stark funding, Doctor Strange’s time tricks, and Thanos’ long-term vision could’ve come together, they could've restructured the cosmos without mass extinction, perhaps with galactic urban planning and universal healthcare. So we could’ve seen the ultimate think tank of superpowered futurists instead of witnessing “I am inevitable” and avoidable.

Daenerys and Cersei 

Two women, who burned the bridge, not built it, both not born to lead but shaped by their traumas and prophecies, became leaders who were unwilling to compromise. Daenerys had fire (literally), kindness and idealism. Cersei had strategy, ruthlessness, and wine. Had they chosen alliance over animosity, Westeros could’ve seen its first stable, co-ruled monarchy, blending compassion and cunningness in equal parts. And aren’t women supposed to act differently in a position of power? Because imagine if Cersei handled diplomacy while Daenerys modernised infrastructure with dragon-based solar power! We could’ve seen a version of Fire and Ice where Westeros’ became the most iconic female-led regime instead of ashes, betrayal, and one very roasted capital.

Harry Potter and Voldemort

Even though this one feels like a stretch as Voldemort was, after all, born a vile and became a villian because of a prophecy concerning a baby threatening his power. But Dumbledore often hinted that he and Harry weren’t all that different. Both were orphaned boys shaped by identity, abandonment, and fear. What set them apart was love and empathy, something Hogwarts gave Harry but failed to offer Tom Riddle in the way he needed. If only Tom Marvolo Riddle could’ve received it with care instead of neglect, and hadn’t let his past define his desires the way Harry chose not to, we might have seen them co-leading a post-war Hogwarts where they tackled systemic inequalities, banning cursed objects, and teaching emotional literacy in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It could’ve been the ultimate redemption arc, instead of seven Horcruxes, one prophecy, and a war where magic healed as much as it harmed.

Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty 

The war of ideologies couldn’t be clearer than with these two, both brilliant minds, just on opposite sides of the same coin. One’s a consulting detective solving crimes, the other, a consulting criminal orchestrating them. But imagine if Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty teamed up, they could’ve been the smartest, sassiest duo in literary history. Sherlock craves intellectual stimulation, and Moriarty lives to provide it. So why not channel that mutual obsession into solving the unsolvable and exposing the corrupt? Picture a prestige drama where they spar, scheme, and save lives like True Detective meets Fleabag, but with violin solos and dangerous chess matches! We could’ve had two high-functioning sociopaths taking on the system, instead of endlessly outwitting each other.

Scar and Mufasa

Scar always felt unseen and Mufasa always ruled with pride. But what if, instead of hierarchy, they embraced shared power? Scar could’ve handled foreign diplomacy (he speaks fluent sarcasm), while Mufasa protected the Pridelands. Together, they might have taught Simba the value of different perspectives, including tricky stuff like jealousy, insecurity, and middle-child energy. So we could've probably gotten to see a Hakuna Matata of the co-parenting years; instead we got a Cliff-hanging tragedy and hyena-fuelled revenge plots.

Friendships across ideological divides aren’t just possible, they’re often the most powerful. In fiction and life, enemies are sometimes just allies waiting to be understood. Bridging that gap isn’t about giving in, it’s about imagining a future neither side could create alone. So this Friendship Day, celebrate the people you don’t always agree with, those who challenge you, balance you, or show you a perspective you hadn’t considered. Because somewhere between a bat and a clown, two Queens, wizards, superheroes and genuisess, lies the kind of connection that could save the world. Even if it makes for less dramatic storytelling!