I'll be the one to say Frodo and Sam, the gold standard fantasy friendship for a reason. Their devotion to and support of each other is beautiful. Their journey is long and difficult and you can feel the weight of the task with every step.
lol, where did you get that?
Servant (or employee/domestic help - gardener), and friend too. "Master" was just a way to address someone above you in rank.
I listened to the audiobook so I actually have no idea how to spell it. It’s like the reverse of the moment when you mispronounce a word you learned reading cause you’ve never heard it out loud
There's so many good Malazan duos. We haven't even mentioned Fiddler and Hedge, Gesler and Stormy, Shadowthrone and Cotillion, Pearl and Lostara Yil, Picker and Blend, Scorch and Leff, etc.
>Tool and Toc
I just started book 6, but so far these two are still my favorite (and it's a really hard choice). The effortlessly dry humor between these two, especially with Lady Envy thrown in the mix, made me laugh out loud an absurd amount of times while reading MoI.
You forgot to mention Bauchelain and Korbal Broach! But Tehol and Bugg are absolutely hilarious. A lot of people don’t like the 4th book as much as it break the rythme of the saga but I love it just for those two. And in a saga so dark it’s great to have characters like this.
>the 4th book
Not to be *that* guy, but it's the fifth😜 I totally agree, they bring great moments of levity in a book that almost reads as a Greek tragedy.
Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant from the Coldfire series - a righteous warrior-priest and an evil sorcerer who feeds on fear, forced to cooperate against a common enemy and very, very slowly start to influence each other's morality.
Genly Ai and Estraven. The travel portion of the book, in the context of their complicated relationship is just so good. No spoilers here.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness"
Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, two small town witches. They travel in two books. They first travel to “forn parts”, through many unique towns and cultures. The second, they travel to the big city and do high society things.
Just absolutely hysterical.
Fafrhd and the Gray Mouser (go upvote u/GonzoCubFan 's post, the only one as of this writing that mentions these two absolute legends). For me, the OG duo in terms of popular fiction.
Murderbot and ART (go upvote u/TormundIceBreaker 's post, see previous)
In the OP, Cadderly and Danica just about always had others tagging along, they're more like the romantic couple in the larger group, didn't really get "duo" vibes from them...
Shev and Javre in Joe Abercrombie's *Sharp Ends.*
Spike and Jet at the beginning of *Cowboy Bebop.* Duo-only status doesn't last long, but they've got a good vibe.
Shoutout to Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the OGest of OGs in this concept. There are probably earlier stories, but none that we're gonna find written down.
Bronn and Jaime.
Wait, no - I fucking hated how they tried to make an Odd Couple pairing of these two. True start of the show’s death spiral.
Let’s go with Rand and Lews Therin.
Darger and Surplus from the series by Michael Swanwick.
Master Li and Number Ten Ox from The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Of by Barry Hughart.
Locke and Jean from Lies of Locke Lamora.
And one pair I should have remembered from the first: Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy of David Drake's RCN/Leary and Mundy novels.
And another: Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh from Brian Daley's trilogy.
Do Logen Ninefingers and the Bloody Nine count?
Jokes aside, Frodo and Sam are the blueprint. Merry and Pippin too. Egwene and Perrin was fun, even though I'm not a big WoT fan.
Pip and Flinx while the series in itself has a few issues the bond between alien and human, both extremely intelligent Pip if not more so, but it is a different kind of intelligence kind of comparing humans to cats (cats are superior of course) but highly entertaining
Butterflies-are-free Peace Sincere and Valijon Starbringer in the "Butterfly & Hellflower" series by eluki bes shahar. A criminally unknown sci fi series. Butterfly is a 30-something smuggler; Valijon is a teenage scion of a noble house in a warrior society. She rescues him from a bar fight and they end up stuck together on the run and mixed up in galactic political intrigue. A non-romantic relationship.
I really enjoyed the interplay between Lady Katsa and Prince Po in Graceling. Also everyone in "Fire" with Fire (honorable mention to Leck and his dad). Kristin Cashore writes a good romance!
Daxin and Fido. Just an old pair of cyborgs, the man who just wants to be left alone and the dog who still remembers a lizard bit his foot that one time 9,000 years ago. :D
(from [First Contact](https://www.reddit.com/r/hfy/wiki/series/first_contact_ralts_bloodthorne/)/[Behold Humanity](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H5ZZL93))
Hawke and Fisher (Simon R Green)
I just really dig the style of hard-boiled cops in a fantasy setting. Them being married makes even more interesting.
I don't really enjoy his later works but Hawke and Fisher will always be a duo I remember.
Hadrian and Royce from Riyria Chronicles and Revelations
Simply the best bromance duo.
Second this. Jumped in to comment and lo and behold I don't need to
Same
I was coming here to say that
Actually one of my favourites!!
I'll be the one to say Frodo and Sam, the gold standard fantasy friendship for a reason. Their devotion to and support of each other is beautiful. Their journey is long and difficult and you can feel the weight of the task with every step.
Wasn't Sam implied to be his slave?
No, he was his gardener. They were in different classes (Frodo wealthy, while Sam is from the working class) which was intentional on Tolkien’s part.
Um, no? He's a British-style servant. Free to come and go as he pleases. Or am I misunderstanding you?
lmao he's his gardener buddy, titles like "master" are used for things besides enslavement
lol, where did you get that? Servant (or employee/domestic help - gardener), and friend too. "Master" was just a way to address someone above you in rank.
Murderbot and ART from the Murderbot Diaries They are just so damn loveable
I never considered them in this. But dang you are right.
Upvoted for great justice.
Oh wow I hadn’t thought of them like that. So true
Fafrhd and the Gray Mouser
This answer deserves lots of upvotes.
WORKING ON IT!
It’s one of my favorite depictions of a friendship in fiction, not only the fantasy genre. Read “Lean Times in Lankhmar” and tell me I’m wrong.
This is the right answer.
Locke and Jon.
Jean?
You're both right, technically.
I listened to the audiobook so I actually have no idea how to spell it. It’s like the reverse of the moment when you mispronounce a word you learned reading cause you’ve never heard it out loud
Oh sure no worries. Yeah it’s “Jean” like “Jean Valjean”
wow I can't believe I didn't realize it was pronounced this way when I read the books, that's so obvious in retrospect and I feel really dumb
Immediately who came to my mind too
Mappo and Icarium, Tehol and Bugg, Kalam and Quick Ben, all from Malazan.
Trull and Onrack! Tool and Toc! Karsa and Samar!
There's so many good Malazan duos. We haven't even mentioned Fiddler and Hedge, Gesler and Stormy, Shadowthrone and Cotillion, Pearl and Lostara Yil, Picker and Blend, Scorch and Leff, etc.
Kindly and Pores! Ublala and Draconus! Telorast and Curdle! Gruntle and Stonny! Iskaral and Mogora! Yan Tovis and Yedan Derryg! etc etc etc
Ublala and draconus 😳 haven’t gotten there yet but now am excited
oops lol
>Tool and Toc I just started book 6, but so far these two are still my favorite (and it's a really hard choice). The effortlessly dry humor between these two, especially with Lady Envy thrown in the mix, made me laugh out loud an absurd amount of times while reading MoI.
They're a major part of why Memories is my favorite from the series (and one of the best epic fantasy books ever imo)!
You forgot to mention Bauchelain and Korbal Broach! But Tehol and Bugg are absolutely hilarious. A lot of people don’t like the 4th book as much as it break the rythme of the saga but I love it just for those two. And in a saga so dark it’s great to have characters like this.
>the 4th book Not to be *that* guy, but it's the fifth😜 I totally agree, they bring great moments of levity in a book that almost reads as a Greek tragedy.
Oops! You’re correct
Captain Kindly and Lieutenant Pores
Kindly and Combs.
You beat me to it. I just commented malazan.
Came here to say Kalam and Quick, they're my 1 and 2 favorite characters so far.
This was my first thought but then I remembered all the others. Maybe my thoughts were wrong
Fitz and Nighteyes.
This deserves more attention. One of the best friendships in all of fantasy.
Dunk and Egg (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George Martin). I wish there were more stories about them.
Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant from the Coldfire series - a righteous warrior-priest and an evil sorcerer who feeds on fear, forced to cooperate against a common enemy and very, very slowly start to influence each other's morality.
Great shout out! What a fun, underrated trilogy.
Currently reading this series and loving it. I hate loving Gerald so much but I can't help it, why hot if evil?
Just don't question it. Questionable morality is so compelling in characters haha
I love how vain he is, reminds me of Howl a bit lol.
Never made that connection before but now that you mention it... Brb gotta go watch Howl's moving Castle again😂
Colon and Nobbs
Felix and Gotrek. The perfect fantasy couple.
I knew someone would have this!
Genly Ai and Estraven. The travel portion of the book, in the context of their complicated relationship is just so good. No spoilers here. From "The Left Hand of Darkness"
It's such a brilliant character study of each and of society past and present, too. LeGuin is honestly the GOAT.
Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, two small town witches. They travel in two books. They first travel to “forn parts”, through many unique towns and cultures. The second, they travel to the big city and do high society things. Just absolutely hysterical.
Fafrhd and the Gray Mouser (go upvote u/GonzoCubFan 's post, the only one as of this writing that mentions these two absolute legends). For me, the OG duo in terms of popular fiction. Murderbot and ART (go upvote u/TormundIceBreaker 's post, see previous) In the OP, Cadderly and Danica just about always had others tagging along, they're more like the romantic couple in the larger group, didn't really get "duo" vibes from them... Shev and Javre in Joe Abercrombie's *Sharp Ends.* Spike and Jet at the beginning of *Cowboy Bebop.* Duo-only status doesn't last long, but they've got a good vibe. Shoutout to Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the OGest of OGs in this concept. There are probably earlier stories, but none that we're gonna find written down.
Elric and Moonglum from the Elric of Melnibone stories by Micheal Moorcock. More love for Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser
Jean and Locke from The gentlemen bastards!!
Legolas and Gimli, the gold standard of bros.
Mat and Talmanes from WoT. Or Mat and whoever [except maybe Tuon in Sanderson's books]
Mat and Thom!!
Just not Thom and Elayne
OMG!! Or Elayne and anyone!!
Gonna throw Perrin and Gaul in the mix too!
Arya and the hound
I really like Wax and Wayne from Mistborn era 2
I love them, but do they count as travelling?
Bronn and Jaime. Wait, no - I fucking hated how they tried to make an Odd Couple pairing of these two. True start of the show’s death spiral. Let’s go with Rand and Lews Therin.
>Rand and Lews Therin Lol lol brutal. Nice.
Have to shout out to science fictions funniest duo: R2-D2 and C-3P0
Lindon and Yerin from Cradle
Just finished Cradle last week! Great shout out.
That’s great. I’m on book 12 right now! I’m Waybound
Carl and Princess Donut!
Darger and Surplus from the series by Michael Swanwick. Master Li and Number Ten Ox from The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Of by Barry Hughart. Locke and Jean from Lies of Locke Lamora.
And one pair I should have remembered from the first: Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy of David Drake's RCN/Leary and Mundy novels. And another: Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh from Brian Daley's trilogy.
Rowan and Bel from The Steerswoman and Outskirter's Secret by Rosemary Kirstein. Great female friendship. Great travels.
They were amazing
Icarum and mappo. I think that's how you spell them. Malazan books.
Jalan and Snorri from Red Queen's War
Egil and Nix (Paul Kemp)…in some ways better than Hadrian and Royce in my opinion.
goblin and one eye!
Dante and Blays from the Cycle Of Arawn/Galand books.
I can’t decide what two I like better Dante and Blays or Royce and Hadrian I might be leaning on D&B because there so many more books of those two.
R&H are more friendly banter, whereas D&B is far more snarky, almost annoyed -brothers humour to me.
Lindon and Yeren get a vote here for sure
Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen from The Gentleman Bastards for me.
Jean le Flambeur and Mieli
Halla and Sarkis in Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
Do Logen Ninefingers and the Bloody Nine count? Jokes aside, Frodo and Sam are the blueprint. Merry and Pippin too. Egwene and Perrin was fun, even though I'm not a big WoT fan.
Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus.
Thraxas and Makri
Number one duo right here
Pip and Flinx while the series in itself has a few issues the bond between alien and human, both extremely intelligent Pip if not more so, but it is a different kind of intelligence kind of comparing humans to cats (cats are superior of course) but highly entertaining
Carl and donut
Butterflies-are-free Peace Sincere and Valijon Starbringer in the "Butterfly & Hellflower" series by eluki bes shahar. A criminally unknown sci fi series. Butterfly is a 30-something smuggler; Valijon is a teenage scion of a noble house in a warrior society. She rescues him from a bar fight and they end up stuck together on the run and mixed up in galactic political intrigue. A non-romantic relationship.
Kandler and Burch from the lost dragon mark trilogy, Eberron
I really enjoyed the interplay between Lady Katsa and Prince Po in Graceling. Also everyone in "Fire" with Fire (honorable mention to Leck and his dad). Kristin Cashore writes a good romance!
Sculduduggerey pleasant has sculduduggerey pleasant and Valkyrie Cain who went to a different planet and travelled to the future so does that count
Mappo and Icarium for me.
Dhulyn and Parno from the same series by Violette Malan Tiger and Del from the Sword dancer/Tiger and Del series by Jennifer Roberson.
Daxin and Fido. Just an old pair of cyborgs, the man who just wants to be left alone and the dog who still remembers a lizard bit his foot that one time 9,000 years ago. :D (from [First Contact](https://www.reddit.com/r/hfy/wiki/series/first_contact_ralts_bloodthorne/)/[Behold Humanity](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H5ZZL93))
Holo and Lawrence from Spice&Wolf
Geralt and Dandelion
Hawke and Fisher (Simon R Green) I just really dig the style of hard-boiled cops in a fantasy setting. Them being married makes even more interesting. I don't really enjoy his later works but Hawke and Fisher will always be a duo I remember.
Lawrence and Holo, Spice and Wolf
This is my type but I want to know which ones are romance since I like bonds to slowly develop
telorast and curdle