Overcome Their Differences

Besides the Conflict between the protagonist and antagonist/situation, the most common form of conflict is between allies. It would not only take away the suspense, but also the depth, to have everyone on one side working as one, with no problems. Thus the heroes and the villains have conflict with each other, and the side that usually wins is the first to Overcome Their Differences.

This isn't always easy to pull off. Done wrong it looks like the writers are just handing out Conflict Balls. Or it's so Anvilicious the drama is undermined.

The difference can be between allies, between friends, between leaders and subordinates, between lovers or between those who are falling in love.

But it's still essential in many stories. It looks all the more triumphant for the winning side to get past such a major obstacle. This is especially true when the differences are the antagonist of the story instead of a person, such as in many romantic comedies.


 * Every Buddy Cop Show and movie, ever.
 * Ratchet and Clank both played this straight in the first game and Lampshaded it in the "Secret Agent Clank" level in Up Your Arsenal.
 * The term was used in The Film of the Series of Wild Wild West, but these differences came across as way too obvious.
 * The love interest variant is mentioned in item 98 in the Evil Overlord List.
 * "If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them. However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each other's lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution."
 * WALL-E and M-O, in a very emotional scene.
 * The basis beyond several Teen Titans episodes such as "Divide and Conquer", "Forces of Nature", and "Switched".
 * The X-Files: Agents Mulder and Scully, FBI Agent!!
 * A prevalent theme in Dubious Company. Just about any character pairing will need to do this to save the day or help each other Take a Level In Badass. Tiren and Walter, Elly and Walter, Sal and Tiren, Leeroy and Sal, Marty and Gary, Sue and Mary, Marty and Sue, Mary and Gary, & Walter and Izor are the most reoccuring examples.