Not every Disney movie needs romance. Friendship can be just as captivating. Pre-existing friendships or ones born out of unlikely alliances can be the best type. The movies explore the friendships in-depth, showing how they go from enemies to looking at each other as family.
Regardless of if these dynamics are born out of circumstance or if they are brought out by a catalyzing event, there are plenty of Disney movies that highlight the joys, highs, lows, and importance of friendship. In some cases, the best friendships in Disney movies can lead to one or more members learning from the other. Zootopia relies on that as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde undergo a mission to discover the cause of the missing and feral predator animals.
Other friendships, such as Timon and Pumba from The Lion King,pre-date the events of the movie, with their friendship being part of the foundation for the trio they eventually become when Simba runs away. Grief or the need for character development can also be heavily used themes toward forcing characters together and allowing them to come out the other side stronger than ever before.
10 Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde - Zootopia (2016)
Judy and Nick do not meet on the right foot. Nick happily tricks Judy into believing that he is an innocent victim, up until she realizes he is a con artist. The main plot of the movie forces the duo together to solve the mystery of what is really happening to the residents of Zootopia.
Judy's optimism is a breath of fresh air for Nick's cynicism, as he had lived his entire life knowing discrimination lived in his backyard, while Judy had hoped for a utopia setting to pursue her future. They challenge each other's views and become better for them when they question their environment to make Zootopia a better place.
9 Mowgli and Baloo - The Jungle Book (1967)
Raised entirely by the animals of the jungle, Mowgli never knew what it really meant to be human. However, that never really mattered to the young boy, who had found a family in the other animals who had happily taken him in. Baloo loved Mowgli like one of his own and was devastated at the thought of Mowgli leaving to join the human village. However, he also understood that Mowgli needed to go where he was safe. Mowgli always considered Baloo to be his family.
8 Anna, Elsa, and Olaf - Frozen (
Anna and Elsa's relationship as sisters is one of the central themes of Frozen. But, one of the things that also works as a stand-out relationship is what they have with Olaf. Olaf is a connection to their past, when Anna and Elsa, as young children, would make a snowman. He was a meaningful memory of their history and an integral part of bringing them back together when they are older.
7 Hiro, Baymax, and the Big Hero 6 Team - Big Hero 6 (2014)
Hiro has a hard time coming back from his grief after Tadashi's death. But, when he realizes he can solve the truth about what really happened to his brother, and potentially avenge him, Hiro comes back to life. He latches onto Baymax and Tadashi's friends as a lifeline, and even if he is not intending to, Hiro is making friends. He works with them and enjoys spending time with them.
Meanwhile, the group had reached out to Hiro after Tadashi's death, trying to be there for him. Baymax, while not human, still exhibited traits that allowed him to understand empathy and be the friend Hiro desperately needed.
6 Kuzco and Pacha - Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Before being forced to travel with Pacha, Kuzco was a very selfish and uncaring person. The only person he thought of or cared about was himself, and everyone else was collateral damage to his desires.
However, by working with the far more kind-hearted Pacha on a journey to return to his human form, Kuzco relents in his selfish ways, seeing that friendship holds more power than the loneliness he had before. Pacha breaks through Kuzco's exterior, and in return, Kuzco decides to build his water park in a place that allows Pacha and his family, along with all his neighbors, to keep their homes.
5 Ralph and Vanellelope - Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Ralph's journey to prove he can be good leads him to Vanellelope, and it is a friendship that helps ground Ralph in realizing that he can be a good person. He may be a video game villain, but he is not a bad person, and Wreck-It Ralph makes the right choice to give Ralph a beautiful platonic friendship with another young girl who also sees herself as an outcast.
They accept each other for who they are, even when who they are means going their separate ways for a while when Vanellelope finds a new love in Ralph Breaks The Internet. While Ralph does latch on to Vanellelope in an unhealthy way in Ralph Breaks The Internet, when he recognizes his behavior and supports Vanellelope instead of tearing her down, it allows them both the opportunity to grow.
4 Simba, Timon, and Pumba - The Lion Kind (1994)
Timon and Pumba are already best friends by the time they come across Simba. This trio is one of the highlights of The Lion King. Timon and Pumba easily welcome Simba into their lives, not asking many questions about his background. Instead, they happily bring Simba into their small family. When they learn the truth about Simba, while shocked and slightly upset, they still stand by him and help Simba try to take down Scar and save Pride Rock.
Meanwhile, Simba never looks at Timon and Pumba any less after taking on his role as King.
3 Lilo and Stitch - Lilo and Stitch (2002)
Lilo always had trouble making friends. But, she likely never would have thought that her best friend would arrive in the form of a runaway alien project. Stitch is not your average anything, but he still manages to see in Lilo what no one other than her sister knows is there. Lilo and Stitch help each other fill the void. Stitch becomes the friend Lilo desperately needs, and Lilo becomes the home Stitch had not realized he would ever have.
2 Moana and Maui - Moana (2016)
Although Moana and Maui are not best friends at first, Moana still ends up being the person Maui confides in after years of silence about his past. Meanwhile, Maui signifies a bright future in adventure for Moana. They argue and debate, but he also acts as Moana's teacher in learning how to cross the sea. Meanwhile, her attitude and determination to help rub off on Maui when it needs to.
1 Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald
The iconic characters, and all the various iterations of them, have played a role as the backdrop for Disney friendships. They are the faces of the studio and stuck together for decades in Disney's past. It is impossible to think of one without thinking of all of them. They are the backbone of Disney. Together on screen for years, no matter in which format, this group will always be affiliated with each other.