What classifies two people as a dynamic duo? Do they have to be partners in fighting crime like Batman and Robin? Longtime best pals like SpongeBob and Patrick? Or how about frenemies like Buzz and Woody? No matter the dynamic between a dynamic duo, there’s a certain level of trust — whether they’re friends, siblings, or a secret third thing.
The relationships of the twosomes in the movies and series below run the gamut. So hit play, and decide for yourself if they have what it takes to go to infinity and beyond. Read on to learn more.
Dynamic duo: Adam and Adam
If you can’t love yourself, how are you going to love anybody else? Adam (Ryan Reynolds) has journeyed back in time to save his wife (Zoe Saldaña) from certain doom and stop an evil CEO from destroying the world. When he accidentally reenters the time stream in the wrong year, he worries that his mission is doomed. But fear not! Adam teams up with his motor-mouthed, 12-year-old self (Walker Scobell) and his estranged father (Mark Ruffalo) to set things right. Together, Adam and Adam kick butt, take names, and learn some important lessons from each other in this sci-fi adventure directed by Shawn Levy (Stranger Things).
Dynamic duo: Sokka and Katara
Your sibling can be your greatest ally and your biggest opp. No two siblings know that better than Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio). Left behind by their father to defend the remaining members of the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka and Katara find themselves on the road trip of a lifetime. After discovering the Avatar, an airbender named Aang (Gordon Cormier), trapped in the polar ice, they join him on his world-saving mission to master all four elements. And the siblings bicker the whole way. But Katara’s knowledge as a waterbender and Sokka’s sweet boomerang skills are trumped only by the necessary family bond they bring to the Gaang’s great adventure.
Dynamic duo: Jen and Judy
These two unlikely best friends are bonded by tragedy with a twist. At the start of this three-season black comedy, Jen (Christina Applegate) is grieving her husband, who recently died in a car accident. She’s feeling especially low when she meets the strangely upbeat Judy (Linda Cardellini) in a grief support group. Judy claims to have lost her fiancé, who she says died of a heart attack. Little does Jen know that Judy’s fiancé is alive and well — and that Judy was involved in the crash that killed Jen’s husband. James Marsden (27 Dresses), Max Jenkins (Dead Boy Detectives), and Sam McCarthy (All These Small Moments) co-star.
Dynamic duo: Kate and Danny
Every big friend group has its smaller breakouts. Kate (Tina Fey) and Danny (Colman Domingo) are one such duo among the close-knit friends at the heart of The Four Seasons. Season 2 sees the larger crew struggling in the aftermath of a tragic loss. All the couples have their ups and downs — and so do Kate and Danny, whose best friend status is put to the test in more ways than one. Plans may go awry, but when you’ve known someone as long as these two have known each other, a friend becomes more like a family member. And you do anything for family, even if they occasionally drive you (so very lovingly) up a wall.
Luckily, Kate and Danny’s shenanigans will continue in Season 3.
Dynamic duo: Grace and Frankie
What do you do when your husband of 40 years leaves you for his law partner and best friend? You strike up a tentative friendship with the other man’s wife, of course. While they couldn’t be more different — Grace (Jane Fonda) is a prickly former cosmetics mogul, and Frankie (Lily Tomlin) is a quirky, spiritual artist — this duo initially bonds over their mutual loneliness and loss. However, Grace and Frankie’s Odd Couple dynamic soon becomes the most significant, defining relationship of their lives. Martin Sheen (The West Wing) and Sam Waterston (Law & Order) also star in this heartfelt seven-season comedy.
Dynamic duo: Dreux and Alyssa
Roommates and best friends Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) have One of Them Days when they go looking for Dreux’s no-good boyfriend, Keshawn (Joshua David Neal), after he takes off with their rent money. They find Keshawn — but the money is gone, leading them on a misadventure all over Los Angeles in search of quick cash. Chaos ensues, and their bond is tested in more ways than one. But at the end of the day, no one has your back like your bestie, especially when you’re in a bind. Lil Rel Howery (Fatherhood) and Katt Williams (Katt Williams: The Last Report) also star in this buddy comedy.
Dynamic duo: Harry and Asta
Sometimes your best guy friend isn’t even a guy. Instead, he’s a shape-shifting alien sent to Earth to destroy humanity. But as Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko) gets to know Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk) over the course of this four-season sci-fi comedy, they develop an unbreakable bond. It’s built on hard-won mutual trust, late nights at the local watering hole, and pizza — so much pizza. Luckily for the humans Harry initially despises, his bond with Asta and the good people of Patience, Colorado, just might be the key to saving the planet. Corey Reynolds (The Closer) and Alice Wetterlund (People of Earth) co-star.
Dynamic duo: Ollie and Ivy
Ollie (voiced by Michael B. Jordan) and Ivy (Juno Temple) gain a fresh perspective on their world — and each other — in this animated family comedy reminiscent of Freaky Friday. Despite their species being mortal enemies, they’re forced to walk in each other’s feathers and fur after accidentally swapping bodies. Ivy is suddenly small and fuzzy, while Ollie can miraculously fly. While the initial switch goes just about as smoothly as you might expect, this dynamic duo finds common ground when the valley they both love is threatened. Tracy Morgan (Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive) and Cedric the Entertainer (Madagascar) provide additional voices in this heartwarming film.
Dynamic duo: Tuca and Bertie
Everyone needs someone they can be a lil’ messy around. Tiffany Haddish (Bad Trip) and Ali Wong (BEEF) star as this animated comedy’s eponymous bird besties, who stick together through thick and thin. Tuca Toucan (Haddish) is impulsive and dramatic while her best friend, Bertie Songthrush (Wong), is more shy and anxious. Despite their polar opposite personalities, they love each other. The pair stumble into avian adulthood side by side, taking on life in the big city, career changes, and dating woes. Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), Richard E. Grant (Ladies First), and Reggie Watts (Creative Control) provide additional voices.
