You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like These: The Best Types Of Friend You Can Be, With On-Screen Examples
Friendship is a many-factored thing. There are several different types of friends you can have; you've got your best friends, your work friends, your practically-family friends, your drinking buddies, etc...and that makes sense!
"Ranking" friends in order of how close you are ain't it, kids. We all need different types of relationships to make our lives whole, and you yourself may play these roles in different peoples' lives as well. (Can you imagine being BEST friends with everybody you're friends with?)
Everybody also has different strengths - your Mom Friend probably doesn't have it in them to be your drinking buddy too. That's why we NEED different types of friends to make the world go round...and perhaps nothing makes that point better than pointing out OTHER people's friendships.
Here are a few types of friends everybody needs (with examples.)
The Mom Friend
Some people make friends; others adopt them. Every group of friends needs a Mom friend - someone who will pull the reins in when everybody else wants to do something insane, and somebody to remind you to take care of yourself. The Mom Friend is often like a nervous chicken over their brood, caring for people who would....probably end up dead if it wasn't for them. Bottom line, the Mom Friend makes sure nobody gets hurt or dies.
You may be The Mom Friend if you:
Rarely instigate antics yourself
Are constantly attracting chaotic beings you must care for
Are Prepared no matter where you go
Examples: Schmidt (New Girl) Pam (The Office), Monica (Friends), Kimmy (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Chuckie Finster (Rugrats)
The Drinking Buddy/The Clown
These friends are the good-time friends. These are the people you want to call for a party, or to run with your crew when you're going out - they're also awesome buds to Netflix and chill with (platonically) - the ones who are just always up for a good time no matter when or where they are. (They're also great people to spill all your drunken repressed feelings to, who won't try to judge you or give you advice unless you ask.)
You may be The Drinking Buddy if you:
Are literally always down to go out
Make jokes even in wildly inappropriate situations
Love nothing more than to just Chill With Peeps
Examples: Tom Haverford (Parks and Rec), Andy Dwyer (Parks and Rec), Eleanor Shelstrop (The Good Place), Chandler (Friends), Issa Rae and Molly (Insecure)
The Mentor
Have you ever had a truly great boss or teacher? Or a close relative or coworker with a bunch of knowledge and wisdom about something you love? That's a mentor friend! These friends sneak up on you, because they often start as authority figures in our lives, but they're authority figures who care. They take the time to help you grow into the best person you can be - it's a unique and truly beautiful relationship, and one that doesn't get talked about often enough.
You may be The Mentor if you:
Always push your friends to do better or be better
Are not afraid to give criticism or broach uncomfortable topics if it means growth
Seem to constantly find yourself giving (sage) advice to your buds
Examples: Ron Swanson (Parks and Rec), Michael Scott (The Office), Chidi, (The Good Place) Tony Stark (Spider-Man), Walter White (Breaking Bad)
The Bad Influence
This isn't necessarily a bad thing! There are people who would never have any fun at all if they didn't have a "bad" influence in their lives. These friends are always making sure their friends are expanding their horizons, trying new things, and getting into trouble. You can always count on a bad influence friend to push you outside your comfort zone - just make sure you know how far you're willing to go when you're with them.
You may be The Bad Influence if you:
Think all of your friends need to loosen up
Are prone to getting into trouble
Are the person people call for advice when they want "permission" to do something crazy
Examples: Cece (New Girl), Jason Mendoza (The Good Place), the Entire Cast of Always Sunny, Larry and Jeff (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Angie Ostrowiski (Baby Mama)
The Good Influence/The Cheerleader
Slightly different than the Mom friend, the Cheerleader doesn't exactly push you or try to take care of you - they aren't trying to keep you safe or alive, they're pushing you to be better, either by reminding you of another point of view like Luna Lovegood, or giving you just the pep talk you need like Chris Traeger.
You may be The Cheerleader Friend if you:
Are filled to the brim with positivity
Are sometimes seen as "quirky" or "different" in the group
Seem to always find yourself hyping up your friends
Examples: Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Phoebe (Friends), Chris Traeger (Parks and Rec), Kate Holbrook (Baby Mama) Cole (Martin)
The Friend Who's Practically Your Sibling
These are the kinds of friends who come and nestle into your life without you even realizing it. Maybe you were super young when you met them, or maybe you became friends through work or school or a club, but what you do know is that now they are nothing like any of your other friends, and you love them so much that you would put up with them through anything, even - no, especially - when they get on your nerves.
You may be The Sibling Friend if you:
Tend to make friends just by Being Nearby A Lot
Are constantly getting on your friends' nerves (maybe on purpose, for fun)
Have not lost all your Little Kid Energy in adulthood
Examples: Winston and Nick (New Girl), Dwight and Jim (The Office), Abed (Community), Jazz (Fresh Frince), Coach Beard (Ted Lasso)
The Friend You Argue With
But, like, for fun. Things might get heated occasionally when things get passionate, but some people really like having a friend who challenges them, and really makes them think about their opinions or positions on things. Friends like this know that you don't have to get mad to argue - you can always have a friendly debate.
You may be The Debate Friend if you:
Are a contrarian by nature
Are incredibly, INCREDIBLY passionate (and also probably very intelligent)
Are fascinated by other points of view
Examples: Oscar (The Office), George Costanza (Seinfeld), Jeff Winger (Community), Vincent and Jules (Pulp Fiction), Esther and Benji (Alone Together)
The Helper
Listen, for some people, the assistant relationship just works. One friend is usually a high-powered, ambitious person with a lot of ideas (and either no organizational skills or no time in which to organize) - and the other is the helper. These friends are always willing to go above and beyond to help their buddies achieve their goals - and because of that, they'll always get to share in the glory when it's all said and done.
You may be The Assistant Friend if you:
Are a people pleaser and live to be helpful
Are incredibly organized task-oriented
Have a sense for greatness anda deep loyalty to those you admire
Examples: Happy (MCU), Charles (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Dwight (again, with Michael this time) (The Office) Ruth (Ozark), Phoebe (Hey Arnold!)
BONUS: Babe, This Is Just Homoeroticism, Y'all Need To Talk
Seriously, if your friendship looks like these, eventually, one of you HAS to make a move. You both know it deep down.
Examples: Ryan x Chad (High School Musical 2), Eleanor x Tahani (The Good Place), Velma x Daphne (Scooby-Doo)
