Watching Adventure Time with the kiddos and it struck me that what I like about this show is how loyal Jake and Finn are to each other. I know there are plenty of other characters who stick by each other through thick and thin; put their lives on the line for each other; and generally stick up for each other without question. Other examples?
Frodo and Sam.
Batman and Robin.
We all know Batman and Robin were more than friends…
Pikachu and Ash Ketchum.
Holmes and Watson in all their incarnations, including House and Wilson.
Alacrity Fitzhugh and Hobart Floyt.
Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin.
Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.
Even ignoring the gay jokes, I’d not call Batman & Robin friends, exactly. They’re mentor & protege; they’re adoptive father and son; sometimes they’re abusive adoptive father & son. But the power imbalance between them is even greater than that between Frodo & Sam–too great, I think, for the word friend to be appropriate.
Spenser & Hawk from Robert B. Parker’s novels are a good example, I think. Their relationship is close enough that it overrides even their honor codes. About the only thing either of them loves more than the other is Susan Silverman, and maybe Paul.
Excellent one!
I thought so too. 
And I’m specifically thinking of Cold Service, which is basically a Hawk novel in which Spenser is more Watson than anything else. Hawk’s roaring rampage of revenge in that story requires Spenser to do tons of stuff he believes to be immoral, and Susan comments on it. It was a nice comment on the years Hawk has been doing things for love of Spenser even when he thinks they’re terribly stupid.
Charlie Brown and Linus Van Pelt
Kirk & Spock
Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
Tony Stark and James Rhodes
Fafhrd the Barbarian and the Grey Mouser
Elric of Melnibone and Moonglum
Kinsey Milhone and her landlord Henry
I was thiking of them as well.
Anne Shirley & Diana Barry
Jennings & Darbishire
Asterix & Obelix
Norm & Cliff
Ritchie & The Fonz
Sam Beckett & Al
Oscar & Felix
Now you’re just naming famous friends. Would Norm risk his life for Cliff?
I had the same thought.
A lot of these are legitimate. The kids from Harry Potter are quite devloved to one another. Kirk demonstrates on at least two occasions that he’ll throw his career away for Spock, if it comes to it. (60s!Kirk, I mean; I don’t know about the new version). But Oscar and Felix don’t reach that level, and Norm & Cliff don’t even approach it.