What makes television series so addictive is how characters develop and grow along the seasons; they sneak into your life, even if only in the background. The spotlight may mostly stay on lead actors, but sometimes, secondary characters also manage to steal your heart.

Whether the genre is comedy, fantasy, action, sci-fi, or drama, and whether you catch them in every episode or occasionally, you can't help but feel fascinated, amused, or touched by their mannerisms, strange habits, sense of fashion, or catchphrases.

And when those peculiar characters are cleverly paired on the same show, be it as friends or significant others, you’re in for an unusual interaction. They might be on opposite sides of the spectrum or birds of the same feather, but they’ve got each other’s backs (most of the time), and you’ll have your eyes peeled for that on-screen chemistry, banter, or wholesome dialogue.

10 Chloe and June—Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
20th Television 

A highly underrated sitcom, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 brought us the unlikely friendship of two New York roommates: Chloe (Krysten Ritter), a spontaneous, snarky, promiscuous, loudmouthed party animal and con-artist, and June Colburn (Dreama Walker), a sweet, romantic, responsible, somewhat naive Midwestern. Despite their pettiness and widely opposite philosophies and lifestyles, June earns Chloe’s respect and protection, and attempts to restore both her conscience and her faith in humanity.

Chloe: Since you got that new job, you're never around.

June: That's what this is? You missed me?

Chloe: No, I don't miss you. I miss you reacting to me. I mean, if I can't come home from a crazy night and shock you with my stories, what am I even doing it for?

9 Jane and Petra—Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin
The CW

Jane the Virgin is a telenovela parody, so it’s only natural for its main characters to find themselves in farfetched situations. Jane Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez) is a romantic, innocent young woman. Much to her shock, she is accidentally inseminated with Rafael Solano’s (Justin Baldoni) sperm, and upon meeting him, starts developing feelings for him.

Petra (Yael Grobglas) is Rafael’s sophisticated and cunning wife. Though she has every reason to hate Jane, she gradually grows fond of her, often seeking her help and showing her vulnerable side to her. She even turns out to be the one who’s been secretly paying Jane’s rent.

Their rocky but wholesome relationship can be summed up in the following exchange:

Jane: You know I love you.

Petra: But do you like me?

Jane: Well, yeah, mostly. I mean, do you like me?

Petra: Sometimes.

8 Kimmy and Titus—Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt
NBC Universal

One of the keys to Netflix’s satirical series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s success is the bond between the lead character and her roommate. After being kidnapped and kept in a bunker for 15 years, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) is finally freed, but she still feels and acts like a naïve teenager. She moves in with Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), a cynical aspiring actor, and he does his best to protect her innocence and help her adapt to her new life.

Titus: Kimbecile, what do I always say?

Kimmy: Don’t touch my dolls, they’re strictly look-upons.

Titus: Not that.

Kimmy: Only Aladdin can pull off harem pants?

Titus: Nor that.

Kimmy: John Cusack got fat, but I still would?

7 Shran and Archer—Star Trek: Enterprise

Shran and Captain Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise
Paramount Network Television

Star Trek: Entreprise ran for 4 seasons and followed the optimistic and compassionate Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and his crew in the first-ever deep-space exploration. When Archer and aggressive Andorian Commander Thy'lek Shran (the versatile Jeffrey Combs) first cross paths, it isn’t in the best of situations. The blue-skinned Andorians believe those “pink-skinned” explorers have been collaborating with the Vulcans to spy on their home planet, until Archer and his team prove them wrong.

The Captain and Shran continue coming to each other’s aid, culminating in a fan-favorite scene, in which the Andorians save the Earth from the hostile Xindi race.

Shran: The last time we met, you helped my people avert a war. I don't like unpaid debts.

Archer: We keep doing each other favors.

Shran: Isn't that how alliances are born?

Related: Jeffrey Combs' Best Performances, Ranked

6 Big Boss and Wolf—Descendants of the Sun

Big Boss & Wolf in Descendants of the Sun
KBS

Captain “Big Boss” Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and Sergeant “Wolf” Seo Dae-young (Jin Goo) always have each other’s backs on their dangerous missions for the South Korean Army. They’re not only brothers in arms in the special forces’ Alpha Team, but also best friends and drinking buddies.

Big Boss is charismatic, outspoken, and witty, and he often teases Wolf for his calm and reserved demeanor. Both are equally honorable, brave, and selfless, and their tight bond is one of the reasons for the success for multi-award winner K-drama Descendants of the Sun.

Related: Best Song Joong-ki Movies and TV Shows, Ranked

5 Dean and Crowley (Supernatural)

Dean and Crowley in Supernatural
The CW

The loyal, brave, witty, pie-loving Dean Winchester, portrayed by Jensen Ackles, has two best friends in his Supernatural hunting journey: his younger brother Sam and the angel Castiel. In theory, Crowley (Mark Sheppard), a powerful, cynical demon turned King of Hell, has no business being his buddy. Yet, as circumstances would have it, Dean and Crowley would form an on-and-off alliance, and the latter would guide the former when he in turn becomes a demon, which would eventually strengthen their bond.

The Winchester brothers' influence on Crowley is such, that the demon would eventually sacrifice himself to seal Lucifer away for good.

Crowley (to Sam about Dean): He’s my best friend, my partner in crime. They’ll write songs about us. Dean Winchester completes me. And that’s what makes you lose your chickens.

4 Finn and Jake—Adventure Time

Finn and Jake-2
Cartoon Network

Animated series deserve a spot on this list, and Adventure Time, set in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, is certainly not lacking in bizarre and entertaining duos, especially the two leads, Finn the Human (voiced by Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio).

Finn is Jake’s adoptive brother and companion with a mysterious origin. He is brave and kind, albeit short-tempered, while Jake is a laid-back, multilingual bulldog, skilled musician, and creative cook.

Together, they explore many dimensions and help out others as well as they can, thanks to the teenage boy’s magical swords and mechanical arm, and the dog’s stretching and shape-shifting abilities.

Jake: All right, I'll help you, but you have to swear not to beat me up.

Finn: I swear.

Jake: And also, you have to talk in rhymes. Talk in rhymes all the times.

Finn: I swear. And pigs have hair.

Related: Adventure Time: The Genius of Cartoon Network Storytelling

3 Red and Kitty—That '70s Show & That '90s Show

Red and Kitty in That 90's Show
The CW

Long-time married couple Reginald ‘Red’ and Katherine ‘Kitty’ Forman embodies the saying that opposites attract. Red (Kurtwood Smith) is a tall, grumpy, sardonic, aloof Navy combat veteran who is only interested in fishing, hunting, sports games, and reading the newspaper. Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) is a petite, bubbly, affectionate, nurse who lives for hugs, baking, and drinking. His catchphrases are “dumbass” and “my foot in your ass”, and her signature sound is a loud, uncomfortable laugh (which Rupp absolutely hates).

She’s the only person who’s not scared of him, and there’s nothing he hates more than her being upset.

That '90s Show may not be as successful as That '70s Show, but most viewers agree that Red and Kitty’s interactions always steal the spotlight.

Red: I got something to cheer my girl up.

Kitty: Good, because I finished off the last bottle this morning.

2 Sheldon and Penny—The Big Bang Theory

Penny and Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory
Monty Brinton - CBS

The Big Bang Theory, a sitcom which ran from 2007 to 2019, features many peculiar characters, and one particular friendship stands out. Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) couldn’t be more different.

The first is a theoretical physicist, an intellectual nitpicker with an eidetic memory, a skilled chess player, and a role-playing gamer, whose heroes include Stephen Hawking and Star Trek’s Mr. Spock. The other is a free-spirited, small-town waitress/actress without a high school diploma, who enjoys running, free food, and yoga, has a lot of dating experience, and favors wine over games and documentaries.

And even though Sheldon is often condescending to her, Penny is first to come to his defense whenever his friends complain about him. She sings him Soft Kitty when he’s sick. She is thoughtful enough to get him Leonard Nimoy’s signature on a napkin, which would then warrant a tight hug (a rare event, considering Sheldon’s germophobia and aversion for physical displays of affection). She drives him around and takes him to amusement parks, and he lets her mooch off his Wi-Fi and takeout. She teaches him how to act in his Fun with Flags videos and how to read social cues, and in return, he tells her about physics, comics, and science-fiction movies.

One particularly entertaining scene is a breakfast flash card game where Penny has to guess scientists and scientific symbols and Sheldon has to identify pop culture celebrities. Their interactions are fun, and sometimes wholesome, like when Sheldon hides in his bathroom from his overwhelming birthday party, and she rushes to join him.

“If what you need is to spend your birthday in a bathroom, I’m happy to do it with you.”

1 Xena and Gabrielle—Xena: Warrior Princess

Xena and Gabrielle
Universal/NBC

When Xena (Lucy Lawless) meets Gabrielle (Renée O’Connor) in the very first episode of the Emmy Award-winning TV series Xena: Warrior Princess, she is still at the beginning of her path to redemption. In Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, the beautiful blue-eyed warrior used to be known as the ruthless and greedy "Destroyer of nations," until Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) made her see the errors of her ways. Her character was so charismatic, though, that she was given her own spin-off show, in which she attempted to make up for her terrible past by defending the weak from warlords and deities alike.

Xena, a tall, dark, sarcastic, reserved, and feared warrior, crosses paths with her polar opposite: a tiny, blonde, kind, outspoken bard with no physical strength or fighting skills, and who insists on following her around to chronicle her adventures. The warrior reluctantly allows the poet to follow her around, and would soon train her and grow to care for her, touched by her innocence and selflessness.

Gabrielle: What in Tartarus have you been carrying on these shoulders?

Xena: I wouldn't know. I try not to overanalyze my life, like SOME people.

Gabrielle: SOME people say that an unexamined life is not worth living.

Xena: Those people haven't led my life.

Xena and Gabrielle’s bond becomes so strong that it even survives Gaby’s evil child, Hope, killing Xena’s own son, Solan. For all of those reasons, and all the dangerous journeys that would take them to distant lands, including the underworld (so, literally to hell and back), Xena and Gabrielle, however different, are the ultimate charismatic TV soulmates.