You Were My Brother: Writing Friends to Enemies Relationships

By Chelsea Hindle

There’s something heart-wrenching about the friends to enemies trope. Over the course of a movie or book, we watch a pair of best friends as their relationship deteriorates until eventually they are archenemies. Some of the most famous characters in fiction suffer through this heartbreak. 

Who among us hasn’t despaired over Obi Wan and Anakin’s final duel, or Loki and Thor growing further and further apart over the course of Thor? And was there truly anyone that wasn’t traumatized by the ending of that beloved children’s classic (which really shouldn’t be for children), The Fox and the Hound?

Ok, so we all love some good drama and relationship issues between two best friends as they slowly turn into enemies…but how do we write that drama? How do we make our stories as compelling as the examples listed earlier?

Well, today we’ll be diving into that topic. We’ll be looking at eight different motivations that can drive a friends to enemies transformation and how to apply these principles to our own novels.

Motivation #1: Corruption

Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (from the Star Wars franchise)

The Trope: 

We all know this classic trope, mainly because it’s been implemented in storytelling for thousands of years. In this trope, friends become enemies when one is corrupted and turns to evil, betraying his friend in the process and destroying their relationship. 

It’s a simple plot device, but a very effective and memorable one if done right. So let’s take a look at our case study and see what made it the pop culture icon it is today.

The Case Study: 

Obi Wan and Anakin begin as mentor and mentee, but slowly become friends, and then—as they describe themselves—brothers. Anakin falls to the Dark Side, and betrays his beloved friend. But despite this, Obi Wan sacrifices all he has ever known to protect Anakin’s children. In A New Hope, this arc comes to a head when Darth Vadar murders Obi Wan, and then is finally redeemed—becoming Anakin, the man who Obi Wan loved like his own brother, again.

Why It Worked: 

It worked so well simply because Lucas put so much effort into making us care about both Anakin and Obi Wan, and showing how their trust in each is slowly eroded, and finally explodes in a fiery duel. It doesn’t happen all at once, the entire story unravels over six movies, with dozens of side characters impacting and changing the story. It is also deeply emotional and Anakin’s final redemption is often cited as one of the greatest examples of villain redemption.

Applying This To Your Novel: 

1. Develop your main characters, don’t just slap a shallow personality on them and call it good. 

2. Add emotion to your story, make the reader care about your characters and devastate them when one turns away from the light. 

3. Ask questions instead of blindly following examples of this trope you’ve seen before. How do your characters react? Do they respond defensively? Try to save their friend? Sacrifice their life for them? or give them up as a lost cause?

Motivation #2: Moral Values

Professor X and Magneto (from the X-Men franchise)

The Trope: 

This trope relies on characters who both have the same goal, but have different ideas of what is morally acceptable in achieving that goal. A classic example would be two people, one of which believes that killing is acceptable, and the other believes it is not.

The Case Study: 

Professor X and Magneto met after World War II and quickly became friends, both being mutants. However, as time goes on and the threat to mutants grows stronger, they begin to drift apart. Magneto spent his teenaged years in a Jewish concentration camp, being tortured by Nazi scientists. Hence, he believes all humans are evil and the only way mutants can live in peace is to eliminate humanity. Professor X, on the other hand, believes that humans can be educated and are able to live alongside humans. Their difference in morality drives them apart, leading them to become enemies on opposite sides of a war.

Why It Worked: 

The creators of the X-Men put a lot of effort into showing us both sides of the story. Through several heartbreaking flashbacks, we’re shown Magneto’s past and why he thinks the way he does. This gives us compassion for him and we understand his views. However, most of do think that mass genocide is bad and most of us believe that humans are capable of change, which allows us to sympathise with Professor X as well.

Applying This To Your Novel: 

1. Give us both sides of the story. We need to be able to see and understand why both characters believe the things they believe.

2. Make both characters sympathetic, even if you portray one as clearly being in the wrong.

 3. As always, make sure both of your characters have complex and unique personalities.

Motivation #3: Rivalry

Arthur and Lancelot (from Arthurian legends)

The Trope: 

Rivalry is another perennially popular trope, happily destroying relationships in both the fictional and the real world. In essence, this trope boils down to “two people have a rivalry over something, usually a woman, or, less commonly, a talent or skill they both possess”.

The Case Study: 

Our case study today is Arthur and Lancelot, and their rivalry over the love of Queen Guinevere. It’s a story that has been retold countless times over the last (almost) thousand years, and we’re all familiar with at least the bare bones of the tale.

Arthur falls in love with Guinevere and marries her, but Lancelot—his best friend and truest knight—also falls in love with her. After an intense amount of “will-they-won’t-they”, Lancelot and Guinevere finally engage in an affair. This affair ultimately leads to the fall of Camelot and the death of Arthur.

Why It Worked: 

It worked simply because it is relatable. Admittedly, most of us haven’t been involved in a love triangle that sent thousands of innocent people to their deaths and ended an era, but most of us have some experience with rivalry. Whether that’s sibling rivalry, rivalry over a talent, or maybe even a love triangle, who knows?

Applying This To Your Novel: 

1. Rivalries are very personal things, make sure whatever rivalry you choose is relevant to your characters and feels personal to them.

2. While love triangles are an incredibly popular cliché, make sure you don’t limit yourself to it! Rivalries over resources, a job, or a parent/s favouritism are equally compelling choices. 

3. Like every other motivation on this list, rivalries can take a long time to chip away at resources, so don’t be afraid to make this a slow burn relationship collapse.

Motivation #4: Politics

 Moses and Ramses (from The Prince of Egypt)

The Trope: 

This trope is one of the less popular ones on this list, but it still has its place in both classic and modern literature. Essentially, this trope relies on two characters who are on opposite sides of a political power struggle. For an example, let’s look at our case study.

The Case Study: 

The Prince of Egypt presents a fictional version of the Biblical Exodus story, focusing on the characters of Moses and Ramses. Following the Bible’s version of events quite closely, Moses is adopted by the Egyptian royal family and grows up believing that Ramses is his brother. Later on, he encounters his biological family, flees Egypt, and then God. 

As many of us know from Sunday school, God commands him to return to Egypt and release his enslaved people. Moses does this, at first attempting to reconcile with Ramses.

However, his brother’s pride makes this impossible and the chasm between them deepens as Ramses refuses again and again to free God’s people. Eventually, the movie ends with them parting ways forever, their broken relationship symbolised by the entirety of the Red Sea standing between them.

Why It Worked: 

Moses and Ramses are both in positions of power and are utterly opposed to one another. Ramses wants to keep God’s people oppressed and in slavery, Moses wants them freed. These two things cannot exist in unison, so they have to fight to get their way. As with all relationships in fiction, it worked so well because the creators developed both the characters and their complex relationship. They gave us a reason to root for Moses, and also a reason to desire Ramses’s redemption.

Applying This To Your Novel: 

1. If your novel deals with politics, this is a great trope to employ. It works particularly well if your characters are both powerful, such as two princes, or the children of two rival members of parliament.

2. This trope is also primarily about a clash of ideals and not simply a private feud. Whatever the characters are arguing about must be bigger than themselves. 

3. Despite this, the conflict must also be deeply personal—Moses’s conflict comes down to choosing between God’s calling and the privilege he once enjoyed.

Motivation #5: Society

Copper and Tod (from The Fox and The Hound)

The Trope:

As The Fox and The Hound demonstrates all too well, this trope can be traumatizing and heartbreaking. It involves two characters, usually children, who become friends despite societal norms, but are later broken up because of society’s influence and become enemies. To illustrate this trope, we’re going to look at Disney’s heartrending childhood classic.

The Case Study: 

The Fox and the Hound tells the story of an orphaned fox cub named Tod, who becomes clandestine friends with a hound dog named Copper. Obviously, this doesn’t have a happy ending. As Copper and Tod grow up, a series of events gradually tear them apart, until they eventually end up on opposite sides of the hunter’s gun.

Why It Worked: 

Again, this is a trope that works well because it's relatable. Obviously, Tod and Copper become enemies because foxes and foxhounds don’t tend to get along, however in the context of the story, it is about society. Societies all around the world are constantly pressuring people to only maintain relationships that are the societal norm. In the past, that has been as varied as forbidding relationships between people of different classes, races, and sexes. Even today, there are unspoken “rules” about who can be friends with who.

Applying This To Your Novel: 

1. Think about the society you’ve created in your story, whether it’s a real or fictional one, and the social biases that might exist and how that may affect your characters.

 2. How do your character view these biases? Are they unaware of them (as children might be)? Or do they know they exist, but simply don’t care?

3. Think about what might provoke these friends to become enemies. Do they become aware of societal influences? Are they forcibly parted? Does one character do something that seems to reinforce negative stereotypes?

Motivation #6: Betrayal

Gandalf and Saruman (The Lord of the Rings—J.R.R. Tolkien)

The Trope: 

Another classic, this trope simply involves one character betraying another—either for good or for ill—and the relationship deteriorating from there.

The Case Study: 

In LoTR, we never get a good glimpse of Saurman as a good wizard, so it's more difficult to see Gandalf and Saruman as the close friends they once were. However, Tolkien makes it clear that they were good friends, as well as Saruman serving as a superior to Gandalf. Gandalf frequently turns to Saruman for advice and knowledge, as can be seen in the first few chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring. However, their friendship comes to an abrupt end when Saruman turns on Middle-Earth and aligns with Saruman, tempting Gandalf to do so as well. Gandalf obviously refuses.

Why It Worked: 

Again, it’s a relatable trope! Betrayals that we face in our rather mundane lives don’t usually involve world ending magical rings, but it can feel like it at the time, and it can lead to friendship breakdowns. It also works because it has consequences, both to Gandalf and to those who are on Gandalf’s side. They lose a valuable ally and gain a powerful and dangerous enemy.

Applying This To Your Novel:

 1. Consider what might cause your character to betray his or her friend. Would they do it for power? Love? Self-preservation?

2. What are the consequences of their betrayal? How does it affect other characters?

3. Make sure you keep things in character as well! If your character has never shown a great need or want for power, would they really betray their loved ones in order to gain it? 

Motivation #7: A Crime

Mr Darcy and Mr Wickham (from Pride and Prejudice—Jane Austen)

The Trope: 

This trope occurs when one character commits a crime against the other. Sometimes it is purposeful, other times it’s accidental. It usually occurs when the character is humiliated or suffers a consequence they don’t deserve. I’ve noticed this trope tends to crop up particularly in historical and romance fiction, as we’re about to see.

The Case Study: 

Mr Darcy and Mr Wickham are godbrothers and grow up together. They are so close that when Mr Darcy’s father dies, he leaves Wickham a sizable inheritance and the means to make a living as a vicar. However, Wickham, in prodigal son fashion, gambles away his inheritance and refuses the profession, preferring to accrue gambling debts, which he depends on Darcy to fish him out of. When Darcy refuses to pay for anymore of his debts, he attempts to elope with Georgiana Darcy, attempting to gain her inheritance as well. This does not go down well, and this act finally cements Darcy’s hatred of Wickham.

Why It Worked: 

Austen’s tale of friends to enemies works so well because she constantly keeps you guessing as to who is in the right and who isn’t. We first hear the story from Wickham’s point of view, and of course, he’s the hero and Darcy is the villain. Then Darcy tells his side of the tale, and Lizzie, as well the reader, doesn’t believe him. Eventually, after a lot of back and forth, we settle on Darcy’s side. However, it isn’t immediately obvious who truly has committed a crime against the other.

Applying This To Your Novel:

 1. Consider the motive behind the crime. Was it purposeful, as Wickham eloping with Georgiana was? Or was it accidental? Did the character spread a rumour which proved to be untrue, or unwisely repeated some gossip? Was it a misunderstanding all along?

2. Do be cautious though! Using a contrived crime will make your characters seem petty and your story silly. 

3. Look at the society that your story is set in to decide what the crime may have been. As I mentioned before, this trope often crops up in settings where honor and reputation are highly valued and involve a sullying of this reputation.

Motivation #8: Fate/Destiny/Prophecy

Odin and Loki (Norse Mythology)

The Trope: 

This trope has to be handled carefully, but it can be done well in the hands of a skilled author who knows what they’re doing. In short, this trope involves a prophecy which usually predicts that one character will betray another, or that two characters are doomed to destroy each other.

The Case Study: 

In this case study we’re going to the past, before the pop cultural icon that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe and to the original Norse myths spun a thousand years ago. In these myths, Odin and Loki are blood brothers, dedicated to each other. For centuries, they go on adventures and quests together, Loki advises Odin, and uses his trickery to aid the gods, even if Odin doesn’t always condone it. But as time goes on, Loki’s mischief becomes more and more malignant.

Eventually, he murders Odin’s son, Baldr, the god of light and joy, simply because Baldr is more beloved than he is. This sets Loki and Odin against each other forever, and a prophecy is revealed. Loki will be bound to a stone until Ragnarok, when he will finally be released. He and his monstrous children will destroy the gods, particularly Thor and Odin.

Why It Worked: 

The pathos of this story is what makes it work so well. Ancient myths are full of tragic prophecies, but this one is particularly tragic because it deals with two powerful gods who loved each other and swore to give their lives for each other, prophesied to kill each other. It’s the type of story that never fails to tug on our heartstrings.

Applying This to Your Own Novel: 

1. There are a lot of cons to this trope, particularly in the hands of inexperienced writers. It can be used as a “quick fix”, if the writer has no other ideas, and this usually results in a lazy plot.

2. However,it can be done well, especially if the trope is allowed to unravel slowly and naturally, showing the full cost of the broken relationship and the emotional damage it causes the characters. 

3. Also consider each individual character's response. Do they try to fight destiny? Are they able to change the prophecy? Do they resign themselves to fate? There is a lot of potential to explore in this trope if you put the effort into it.

To finish this article off, I want to reiterate a point that is essential in writing evolving relationships. Very few friendships disintegrate over one incident. It is almost always a piling up of mistakes, offenses, and misunderstandings which are left unaddressed.

 Then one thing, even an apparently minor thing, causes one or both people to snap. Make sure to include the little moments that build up to the final, fiery duel. Don’t cheat the reader out of their emotional payoff and you’ll be well on your way to creating a heart-wrenching friends to enemies scenario.

Have you written a friends to enemies relationship? Do you have any tips? Which of these tropes are you keen to try out now?