Disney love stories get a lot of attention, but today we’re going to talk about a different kind of love: that of the true Disney friendship. As a thank you to Disney movies for teaching us to aspire to be great friends, here are 12 of the most inspirational Disney friendships:

1. Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King



We’re not exactly breaking any ground when we say that these two have a friendship for the ages. Their identities are so intertwined that you can’t think of one of them without immediately also thinking of the other. We love how they accept each other exactly as they are, wart(hog)s and all.

2. Dory and Marlin, Finding Nemo



There’s no friendship like an unlikely friendship, and unlikely barely begins to cover it when you’re talking about a nervous clownfish dad and a cheerful blue tang with short-term memory loss. But alas, Dory can win anyone over, and she and Marlin help each other grow in beautiful ways.

3. Lilo and Stitch, Lilo & Stitch



If your movie is named after the two of you, your friendship automatically makes this list. Lilo and Stitch give each other the warm, accepting, happy ‘ohana that the both of them were searching for, and we just know that neither of them will ever be left behind or forgotten.

4. Lumiere and Cogsworth, Beauty and the Beast



No matter how much they may cheerfully bicker, Lumiere and Cogsworth’s friendship was made to be. Lumiere keeps Cogsworth from becoming too tightly wound, and Cogsworth keeps Lumiere’s fiery spirit in check.

5. Rapunzel and Pascal, Tangled



When you’re best friends, words become unnecessary. No set of pals is better proof of this than Rapunzel and Pascal. Let’s look at the facts: They kept each other company for years while cooped up in Rapunzel’s tower, they are constantly watching each other’s backs, and they are both good sports when it comes to their lively games of hide-and-seek. Who wouldn’t love a friendship like this?

6. Sven and Kristoff, Frozen



These two have been best buddies since their toddling ice-harvester-in-training days, and before the trolls adopted them they were each other’s oldest and only friends. Kristoff’s conversations with Sven give us many warm and fuzzies because we know that as goofy as the two of them are, nothing could ever get between them.

7. Aladdin, Genie, and Abu, Aladdin



Abu and Aladdin are such good friends that they wear matching outfits, and Genie is such a good friend to both of them that he performs lively song and dance routines, saves their lives, and offers some pretty great advice. It’s true that they ain’t never had a friend like Genie, and it’s also true that the rest of us ain’t never seen a friendship like this one.

8. Buzz and Woody, Toy Story



These two may have gotten off to a rough start, but we imagine that a sheriff and a space ranger have little in common except for a healthy respect for the law (and, you know, being toys). Buzz and Woody’s eventual ability to set aside their differences and become the best of friends is inspirational in so many ways, the biggest being that it reminds us that our best friends can sometimes come from the places we least expect.

9. Flounder and Ariel, The Little Mermaid



Flounder may not be the biggest, bravest fish in the sea, but he’ll stop at nothing to support Ariel—even if that means close encounters with sharks or watching her go and be a part of another world. When we were tiny humans watching The Little Mermaid three times a day, we wanted a Flounder of our own … and we still do now.

10. Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl



As we’ve discussed in great detail before, Jack and Will’s friendship is the true treasure in Pirates of the Caribbean. Sure, they may perplex and bemuse each other, and no one ever really knows what Jack’s up to except Jack himself, but when push comes to shove, Will defends Jack’s honor as “a pirate and a good man.” That moment is worth more than all the Aztec gold in the world.

11. Pooh and Piglet, Winnie the Pooh



One of them’s a silly old bear. One of them’s a shy, slightly stuttering pig. Together they form the most lovely, supportive friendship we could imagine. Neither of them expects anything from the other, and both are happy to just exist together as they are.

12. Mushu and Mulan, Mulan



They may not have chosen to be paired up, but fate brought these friends together, and the line “My little baby’s all grown up and saving China” made us extremely grateful for it. We love how Mulan respects Mushu—travel-size and all—and we love even more how Mushu supports and believes in Mulan.

What’s your favorite Disney friendship? Tell us below!

Posted 5 years Ago