***CW: This article contains spoilers from Disney shows and movies***

Disney friendships are special. The characters are always so well created that the friendships between them quickly become some of the most memorable. In honor of this, we've compiled a list of some of Disney's greatest friendships.

◆ Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King

A classic duo that spawned a 3-season TV series and a movie of their origin story. If you've seen The Lion King 1½, then you may remember that Timon is cast out for essentially being a bad meerkat, meanwhile Pumbaa is ostracized for his flatulence. After accidentally scaring one another, they each continue their journey together. Though it is initially a friendship of convenience, mostly on Timon's side (after all, he is on a low level of the food chain), Pumbaa's willingness to yield to Timon's fun and ambitious schemes, and Timon's ability to withstand Pumbaa's potent gasses and appeal to his sensitive  personality help them create a strong bond that lasts through thick and thin.

"Friends stick together to the end." - Timon

◆ Mulan, Mushu, and Cricket from Mulan

Mushu and Cricket meet with one goal in common: help Mulan maintain her disguise in the army. While Mushu's primary motive for this is to save his own hide, he manages to bond with Cricket and Mulan throughout the journey. Though the three often bicker about how to best keep Mulan's disguise, with Cricket and Mushu having their own discussions about how to best help Mulan, the three work well together. Their sometimes clashing personalities result in a fun and entertaining journey.
 
  "We started this thing together, and that's how we'll finish it. I promise" - Mushu

◆ Lilo and Stitch from Lilo & Stitch

Another classic, though not from as far back as Timon and Pumbaa. Those who grew up watching Disney Channel will likely remember Lilo and Stitch's adventures with Pleakly and Jumba, whether in the movies or the TV series. The movie itself is actually pretty sad in many moments, with Lilo's family situation and Stitch's behavior not helping, but despite the issues that originally plague this friendship, it is one of the strongest because it is built on the concept that friends are not just friends, they're family. They really have one of the sweetest friendships in the Disney world once they learn more about each other and Stitch learns to care for Lilo as she does him. That is probably what makes it so heartwarming: the fact that a destructive alien learns about family and friendship, and that Lilo freely accepts and loves him despite the fact that he is a destructive alien.

"This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It's little and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good." - Stitch

◆ Aladdin and Genie from Aladdin

"You ain't ever had a friend like me" - Genie

Probably one of the most recognizable songs in Disney's repertoire, it easily brings to mind Genie's one man show. These two are originally stuck together by unfortunate circumstances; Aladdin stuck in the cave of wonders and Genie in the lamp. However once Genie is out of his lamp, apart from fulfilling Aladdin's wishes, he voluntarily acts as a wingman and a friend to Aladdin as he attempts to woo Princess Jasmine. He is honest with Aladdin, and Aladdin, true to his humble beginnings, treats Genie as a friend and a mentor rather than someone to grant him wishes. Aladdin's laid back attitude and sense of adventure plays well with Genie's silliness, and even though there are some rough spots when things go wrong, Aladdin manages to free Genie and they remain friends thereafter.

◆ Anna and Olaf from Frozen

Who doesn't love Olaf? He's cute, funny, and has the perfect balance of childish innocence and wisdom. He's a creation of Elsa's magic but he has been one of Anna's best friends (alongside her sister) since childhood. Their interactions are some of the most entertaining; Olaf amuses himself most of the time, but Anna never fails to humor him. They are both positive, caring characters who are extremely devoted to protecting and helping those they love, and their easy friendship brings laughter and melts hearts through all the films.

"Some people are worth melting for." - Olaf

◆ Flynn Rider and Maximus from Tangled

Also known as "Maxgene" on a fandom website. These enemies to friends are a hilarious duo all throughout Tangled and even in the spin-offs. They "meet" when Flynn Rider steals the royal crown, but end up being coerced into working together by Rapunzel's sweetness. There is a clear line between the two marking who is the seemingly irresponsible and fun one and who is the responsible and serious one, and this is exactly what makes the two so much fun; even as they try to help Rapunzel, they still fight and tease each other consistently. By the end of the film, even the hardened thief can't help but express his feelings towards the horse that executed his escape.

◆ Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable from Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time

Their names say it all. They balance each other out and work great as a team of butt-kicking spies. Their friendship goes way back to preschool where even then they had each other's backs against junior villains on the playground. Though it sometimes seems like Kim gets all the action and does the heavy lifting, Ron always comes through as the trusty sidekick, even if not in the most elegant manner. And while Ron and Rufus have their own little bond, the care and understanding between Kim and Ron knows no bounds considering all the situations they end up in due to their profession.

"You're weird...but I like you." - Kim to Ron

◆ Mei, Miriam, Priya, and Abby from Turning Red

This group embraces all of the eccentricities and it's fantastic. The four are completely different but accept one another as they are (red panda and all), and have a great time bonding over 4*Town, their favorite boy band. Their love for each other and the value they place on their friendship is freely expressed throughout the film and is especially highlighted when Mei discovers that thinking of her friends calms her emotions and her inner panda. It's delightful to see that through all the difficulties of puberty, these girls have each others' backs.

"The panda is a part of me, and you guys are too." -Mei Lee

◆ Fun Facts

> Timon and Pumbaa's surnames are revealed in the TV series: Timon Berkowitz and Pumbaa Smith.

> The Mulan production team originally considered having Mushu sing a song about teaching Mulan how to act like a man, but Eddie Murphy was not on board with the singing.

> Animators had to make Stitch such an active character due to his lack of pupils which prevented his emotions from showing through.

> Aladdin was inspired by Tom Cruise.

> Flynn Rider went through various concepts including wayward prince and British farmer. And he was briefly named Bastian.

> Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable's roles were reversed on purpose in order to give young girls a strong female character instead of a damsel in distress.

> In the film, Mei mostly wears pinks and reds that match her panda; this is balanced by the green that surrounds Mei, specifically in Miriam. Miriam, whose color palette is green, holds the most sway over Mei and is the one that mostly helps her balance her emotions.