“Top 5 Wednesday” is a weekly meme currently hosted on Goodreads by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes, where you list your top 5 for the week’s chosen topic. This week’s topic is: Favourite Friend Groups.

Me: *Muttering* I will not make this post all about Dragon Age and Final Fantasy and anime. I will not make this post all about Dragon Age and Final Fantasy and anime. I will not–

Me #2: Oh, please. You know you want to.

Me: …….I will not–

Me #2: C’mon. Just do one.

Me: ….

I’m weak and it’s late (why oh why do I keep writing these posts at 1 AM??), so I added one Dragon Age to the list. But the rest are examples from books and you’re spared from having to scroll through a 5000-word essay on how much I love Bioware and Final Fantasy games. For today, anyway!

1. The Raven Cycle Kids

I’m only halfway through the series right now but I’m already very much in love with the Blue + Raven Boys dynamic. These kids could not be more different from one another, but they still somehow manage to fit together perfectly. And I love how Gansey is the one who holds them all together.

2. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, Lena

I have no idea how the Travelling Pants series holds up as an adult but I adored it when I was 12-14 years old. These girls supported each other unconditionally in every way, regardless of the distance between them, and I found that to be so inspiring and moving. It offers such a positive depiction of female friendships that we always need more of in YA.

3. Kings of the Wyld – Saga

Saga used to be a mega-famous mercenary group back in the day and now, decades later, they’re a bunch of retired middle-aged men with families, beer guts, and confidence issues. And I love them to bits–especially their willingness to drop everything to help out one of their members.

As individuals they were each of them fallible, discordant as notes without harmony. But as a band they were something more, something perfect in its own intangible way.

4. The Gentleman Bastards

The dynamic of Locke, Jean, Calo, and Galdo (and later, Sabetha) is one of the main things that make The Gentleman Bastards series so addictive and compelling. They may drive each other crazy, but their love runs deep and wide and they’ll do just about anything–kill, rob (well, more so than usual), sacrifice–for one another.

“Bug,” Calo said, “Locke is our brother and our love for him knows no bounds. But the four most fatal words in the Therin language are ‘Locke would appreciate it.'”

“Rivalled only by ‘Locke taught me a new trick,'” added Galo.

“The only person who gets away with Locke Lamora games …”

“… is Locke …”

“… because we think the gods are saving him up for a really big death. Something with knives and hot irons …”

“… and fifty thousand cheering spectators.”

5. Dragon Age 2 – Hawke and Co.

I will defend this game until the day I die because, among other things, DA2 is the “found family” trope at its finest. In this ensemble we have a lady guard captain, a pirate captain, an elven blood mage, a storytelling dwarf, a former slave, a would-be revolutionary, plus Hawke the protagonist and their sweet sister/asshole brother. While calling them “friends” might be a bit of a stretch–half of them hate each other and the other half just want some peace and quiet in their lives–they’re most definitely family. A weird, dysfunctional family who go on murder sprees adventures together.

And there you have it! Tell me about your favourite friend groups! (I’m gonna take a wild, wild guess that one of them’s Harry/Ron/Hermione)