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Ten Iconic Dynamic Duos

Double-acts in fiction can be great. I like how the dynamics between two characters adds a different dimension compared to stories with a single protagonist. For the most iconic dynamic duos, it is impossible to imagine one without the other. Below, I’ve listed some of my favourites. Many of them are classics, but a few more recent duos have made it onto the list as well.

1. Tom & Jerry (Tom & Jerry, WB)
Tom & Jerry was a childhood favourite of mine. It may be considered politically incorrect by modern standards with all its violence and revenge acts. But I have spent many happy hours laughing at this particular dynamic duo.

2. Poirot & Hastings (Poirot series, Agatha Christie)
Holmes & Watson may be the original detective duo, but my favourite pairing is Poirot & Hastings. These characters are drawn with so much warmth and humour, you can’t help loving them. Their opposing personalities supplement each other perfectly and their interactions are always fun.

3. Murderbot & ART (Murderbot series, Martha Wells)
What does relationships look like in the time of AI? Who knows. But Martha Wells’ imagined friendship between Murderbot (a security unit, which has gone rough) and ART (a sophisticated bot-piloted research spaceship) is as fun and endearing as any human relationship. They may not go down in history as AI’s highly sarcastic answer to Romeo & Juliet, but they do – in my opinion – deserve a place on the list.

4. Marianne & Elinor (Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen)
Sense and Sensibility has a special place in my heart and I love how the central relationship is between the two sisters. The strong bond between two characters with such different dispositions is what makes the story special.

5. Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett)
Good Omens features a huge range of characters, but Aziraphale and Crowley are my favourites. They both have unique personalities and they always make me laugh. Furthermore, their friendship illustrates nothing is black and white, not even for an angel and a demon.

6. Jeeves & Wooster (Jeeves & Wooster series, P.G. Wodehouse)
The Jeeves & Wooster stories are rather silly and perhaps a bit dated as well. However, the young, mischievous gentleman and his stiff-upperlip valet with a high IQ do provide lighthearted entertainment for a rainy day. And I firmly believe, everyone ought to have a Jeeves in their lives, who can reliably save the day when needed.

7. Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen)
I thought we should have at least one romantic couple on the list and of course it has to be Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Their chemistry, banter and character development are just perfection.

8. Sam & Frodo (The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien)
Frodo wouldn’t have gone far without Sam. That is a fact. The unassuming hobbit and his gardener represent a duo where the combined strength is so much bigger than the sum of the the two individuals. Hobbit synergy?

9. Lady Hardcastle & Miss Armstrong (Lady Hardcastle series, T.E. Kinsey)
Lady Hardcastle and her maid have retired from their work in the world of espionage and now seek a quiet life in the country. The plot makes as much sense as your average Jeeves & Wooster story, but the characters and their banter have me in stitches.

10. Fred & George Weasley (Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling)
Let’s finish where we started – with a set of trouble makers. Fred & George are some of my favourite characters in the HP series; fun, creative and daring with the unique connection only experienced by identical twins.

These were some of my favourite dynamic duos. Do you have any good examples?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

49 comments

  2. Well. I’ve never heard of Murderbot & ART. Nor Aziraphale & Crowley or Lady Hardcastle & Miss Armstrong , but these pairings are an excellent idea from which I think Jeeves and Wooster may be my favourites.

    • I guess the three you haven’t heard of are more modern duos and they may belong to genres you don’t read? (SciFi for Murderbot, Cosy Crime for Lady Hardcastle and comedic fantasy for Good Omens). Jeeves and Wooster are a great duo!

  5. Great list, wow. Gosh I have drawn a complete blank on any … though dynamic duos remind me of course of Batman and Robin … and who else … hmm Charlie and Grandpa Joe (charlie & the chocolate factory). Or Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. okay so my examples aren’t too good ha

    • These are great examples! I did think of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, but I had to narrow down my list to 10 and they didn’t make the cut. I do love the Pooh stories, though. 😊

    • I enjoyed A Study in Scarlet as well, even if I was a bit puzzled at first about the complete change in setting halfway through.

    • You should – it’s lighthearted, fun and a bit silly. If you can cope with audiobooks, I would recommend listening rather than reading. The narrator perfectly captures the humour and tone of the book.

    • Yup, I have never forgiven the author for that particular detail!

    • Thanks! Fred and George seem like the most popular duo in the comments.

  14. Batman and Robin sprung to mind first! The second pair I thought of were Jo and Laurie from Little Women, because they would be sure to be friends for ever.

    • Batman and Robin are one of the classic duos! I I like Jo and Laurie as well, they are perhaps a more unusual choice, but friends forever, for sure!

  16. What a lovely idea for a post! Marianne and Eleanor are a wonderful pair, they add so much to eachother’s characters and a huge yay for Fred and George!

    • Thanks Jane! Exactly, Jane and Elizabeth (P&P) have a great sister dynamic, but Marianne and Elinor are the best. 😊

  18. What a great topic, and there are some of my favourites here too, especially Poirot and Hastings and Jeeves and Wooster. I’m now thinking I might need to try the Lady Hardcastle series if it’s the same sort of Wooster-ish plots.

    • i am glad you like Poirot / Hastings and Jeeves / Wooster. They are so entertaining! I wouldn’t say the plot in Lady Hardcastle books is similar to Jeeves / Wooster, but it is equally nonsensical and fun.

  21. Here we go! Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Katniss Everdene and Peeta plus Captain Ahab and the Whale – because without both there’s no story. 😊

    • I love these, well done! Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are such a classic example, Can’t believe, I didn’t think of them. Katniss and Peeta did cross my mind, but in the end I screened them out, when narrowing down to 10. Thanks for joining in!

      • You’re welcome! I love these sort of posts, it’s such good exercise to trawl through the book memories and come up with more examples. Thanks for a good subject. 🙂

    • Haha, sry, I have never been much of a Batman fan. Frodo and Sam, on the other hand, we can agree on. 😀

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