Opposite Gender Protagonists

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A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle. —Laputa: Castle in the Sky summary on IMDB

One of the best ways to create an emotionally resonant relationship is having The Heroes of the story be opposite genders, and focusing on their interactions. In other words, the main characters are a boy and a girl. The two go on adventures, help each other out, experience The Power of Friendship, and sometimes fall in love. What's almost guaranteed is that the two stick together through the story. There may be a Second Act Breakup, but you can rest assured that they'll eventually get back together.

This is a great way to establish and forge a relationship between two characters. No one is perfect, but someone else can remedy our flaws, and make our best parts shine. Having Opposite Gender Protagonists is a great way to establish a strong friendship, potentially developing into a romantic pairing. A couple that's been through a lot together, at the centre of the adventure, inevitably forges a stronger relationship. Compare Platonic Life Partners, where the couple don't have to be the heroes and they are not dating.

Remember that this is a character driven trope, relying on how characters come together. In order for something to quality:

1. The male and female must be protagonists. If the male is the protagonist, then the female cannot be a mentor, parent, or any other character who doesn't play a central role. Check if the characters' ages are the same. If they are, then it almost always fits, if it doesn't, then there's a chance it may not fit, so proceed with caution.
2. There should be two characters clearly identifiable as the main characters. A Ragtag Band of Misfits does not count. Similarly, a trio of two girls and one boy or two boys and a girl is also disqualified.
3. There should be some sort of interaction between the two characters. We don't want "boy hunts MacGuffin Girl sitting in dungeon for five hours". We want "Boy and girl go on epic quest to find MacGuffin".

Generally speaking, the trope is used more often in Film than in TV shows. In a movie, you've only got two hours to introduce and develop not only the characters, but the whole world and story. Thus, the amount of characters one could have before other aspects of the film are compromised is much lower compared to TV shows. It's not uncommon for long running shows or books to start out using the trope. Then, as the series progresses and more characters are introduced, no single character can be defined as a protagonist as their roles are delegated to a larger group, therefore ending the usage of the trope.

Battle Couple is related, where there is an explicit romance between the leads. A Battle Couple could also have the couple be of the same sex (Ho Yay!), but Opposite Gender Protagonists cannot. Furthermore, a Battle Couple must see battle, whereas people falling under Opposite Gender Protagonists does not. A Slice of Life story does not work with a Battle Couple, but is made more powerful using Opposite Gender Protagonists. These heroes may be a Brother-Sister Team. A typical combination is The Hero with their Love Interest.

Contrast Heterosexual Life Partners. If the trope is used, then expect some variation on Boy Meets Girl.

No real life examples, please; everyone's the protagonist of their own story and we'll be here all year listing every heterosexual couple on the planet.

Examples of Opposite Gender Protagonists include:

Anime and Manga

• Happens quite often in Studio Ghibli productions, where the dynamic is more interesting due to Ghibli's frequent usage of a Plucky Girl. Around half of the studio's films uses the trope:
  • Kiki and Tombo in Kiki's Delivery Service, who initially start out disliking each other, but once Kiki saw who Tombo really was, she starts to open up to him. Tombo has a passion for aviation, which Kiki fulfils because her witch powers enable her to fly, and the ending shot shows them flying together; Tombo on the plane he built, and Kiki on her broomstick. An interesting thing is that the two protagonists, despite having great chemistry, never engage in romance and the work remains No Hugging, No Kissing.
  • Sheeta and Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, who is almost the textbook example of this trope. The two go on adventures, face many difficulties, and is even separated at one point. Their interactions are interesting, as they are pre-teen children racing against the military and finding a Castle in the Sky, and thus them being the protagonists strength their relationship.
  • Howl and Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle, also occurring in the novel of the same name. Here the trope is used as a vessel for a romance, as the two leads meet and slowly fall in love. It gives Howl something to protect, and Sophie something to support her status as a newly cursed ninety year old woman. Howl builds a garden for Sophie, and the two work together to face the war going on around them.
  • Arrietty and Sho in The Borrower Arrietty. The Huge Guy, Tiny Girl dynamic between them makes the relationship more interesting, as well as the fact that Arrietty, being a four inch tall Borrower, isn't allowed to visit the boy as human beings are perceived as dangerous. The two are dependent on each other: Sho needs someone to support him with his heart condition; and Arrietty is powerless due to her small size, and needs help from a human whenever she wants to do something adventurous. Thus, placing them at the center of the film strengthens their relationship, and gives audiences a feeling of sorrow when they inevitably have to part.
  • Umi and Shun in From Up on Poppy Hill. The two work together to save the Quartier Latin clubhouse that is set to be demolished, and takes a trip to Tokyo to convince the head of the school board to let it stay. Umi is called the "Goddess of Good Luck" by other students, so her and Shun makes a powerful combination while doing this. These events are backdropped by a romance blooming between the two characters, which adds drama and intrigue to their character dynamics.
  • Seiji and Shizuku in Whisper of the Heart, where the trope is developed into a romance. The two start out bickering, with Shizuku disliking Seiji, as he mocked her lyrics for the Real Song Theme Tune "Country Roads". Later, while singing at night, they get over their differences and start forging a relationship. Shizuku looks up to Seiji, a violin maker, and believes that herself is lacking in talent, and is lost for what to do in life. She eventually picks up writing, and writes the titular Whisper of the Heart story. This relationship gives audiences a reason to care when Seiji eventually departs to Italy, as well as allows us to understand the significance when Seiji returns.
  • Ashitaka and San in Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka, after being cursed, journeys to the west and finds a conflict involving Iron Town, led by Lady Eboshi, and the inhibits of the forest, one of which is San. The pair learns to work together, and eventually saves Iron Town and its inhabitants. Ashitaka never takes sides, so he never joins anyone in war. This eventually leads to a romance, which they cannot pursue because of San's hatred for humanity. At the end of the film, San lives in the forest, while Ashitaka lives in Iron Town, although the two does occasionally visit each other.
  • Ponyo and Sousuke in Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. The characters are both around five years old, but that doesn't stop the trope from being used for romance. Ponyo, after tasting Sousuke's blood, wishes to become human. Once she reaches Sousuke's place, the two get The Glomp and play together. Sousuke's mum Lisa departs to look after elder residents, leaving the two alone for the night. Ponyo's departure causes the world to be unbalanced, leading to huge floods and massive storms, and the film focuses on the two navigating the environment, as well as Ponyo becoming human.
  • Haku and Chihiro in Spirited Away. Haku helps Chihiro navigate through the perils of the spirit world, and helps her get a job, find her parents, and avoid being turned into a pig. In return, Chihiro helps Haku remember his true name, and to help him realise that he should not be Yubaba's apprentice. A romance between the two ensures, resulting in a Free Fall Romance when Chihiro informs Haku what his true name is as the two start Holding Hands. All of this makes the film more emotional when the two inevitably have to say goodbye.
  • The Baron and Haru in The Cat Returns. Them being two completely different species does not stop a bond forging between them. Haru seeks the Baron for help after being blessed with gifts she absolutely does not want anything to do with. She knows she will be dragged off to the Cat Kingdom and forced to marry their prince, and talks to the Baron. The two go on adventures in the Cat Kingdom, with the Baron leading Haru back to the human realm. When they reach the human world, Haru even admits that she has a little crush on the Baron.
  • Nohoko and Jiro in The Wind Rises. Jiro meets Nohoko during the Great Kanto Earthquake, and helps her and her family. Several years later, the two fall in love, being Star-Crossed Lovers, and Opposite Gender Protagonists is used to develop their relationship, and create sweet romance scenes.
  • Sutemaru and the titular Princess Kaguya in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Sutemaru does a Diving Save to save the Princess Kaguya from a charging boar. He calls her "Little Bamboo" to reflect her rapid rate of growth. A major plot point revolves around Princess Kaguya trying to return to the Arcadia lifestyle she and Sutemaru lived before being forced to move into the capital, and their relationship provides something special for Princess Kaguya. Sutemaru is established to be helpful, kind, and most importantly genuine, whereas members of royalty are established to be fake, and contrived, wishing only to marry Princess Kaguya for her beauty instead of who she really is.
  • Asbel and the titular Nausicaä in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
  • Fio and Porco from Porco Rosso. Porco is a Ace Pilot, and Fio is a brilliant engineer who jumps on Porco's plane to ensure he'll pay his debt back and to assist him with his newly modified plane. Fio's hand in marriage is used in a wager at the end of the film. Porco barely wins the wager, and sends Fio away with
  • Aaron and Therru in Tales From Earthsea. There are less character dynamics, due to the relative inexperience of director Goro Miyazaki, than in other Ghibli productions.
  • The unnamed man and titular red turtle in The Red Turtle. The character dynamic here is interesting, as the man is washed up on the island the turtle resides. The turtle, wishing for companionship, prevents the man from leaving, destroying his bamboo raft when he tries. The man, being angry, flips the turtle over so it cannot move. After Humanity Ensues with the turtle, the man retracts his previous actions, and starts looking after the turtle — well, girl — as well as being genuinely nice towards her. They even have kids, and survive on the island as a family.
• Mary and Peter in Mary and the Witch's Flower. Considering that the production studio Studio Ponoc descended from Ghibli, there's no surprises here. The trope is used to establish and strength the relationship between the two lead characters, and later give Mary a reason to return back to the Wizarding School.
• Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms stars Maquia and Erial. This is an interesting case, due to their age difference. It's clear that Maquia is the protagonist, however Erial, being the orphaned child, plays a huge role in the film, as the film focuses on his growing up and interactions with his ageless mother Maquia. Instead of the heroes facing an external conflict, the first part of the film sees the heros facing an internal conflict between themselves, before introducing an external source of conflict with a war.

Film

• Buttercup and Westley in The Princess Bride. The two leads instantly fall in love within the first three minutes, and Westley's departure makes Buttercup worry. When Buttercup is put into an Arranged Marriage and gets kidnapped, the conflict starts. Eventually, the two meet up again, and they help each other through their adventures, bringing them closer together.
• Tristan and Yvaine in Stardust, where the trope is again used as a vessel for romance. Tristan initially sees Yvaine, a falling star turned girl, as a present for his lover Victoria, but he eventually falls in love with Yvaine during their trip back. Yvaine comments that, as a star, the violence and wars on Earth make her exhausted, but she places her faith in love, developing the relationship between the two leads. This eventually leads to Tristan rescuing Yvaine after she's kidnapped, in the climax.
• Hiccup and Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon. Hiccup initially has a crush on Astrid, but his clumsy nature contrasts with Astrid's skills as a fierce warrior. This initially leads to a gap between the two leads, although the gap grows smaller and smaller as Hiccup finds and tames the Night Fury Toothless. Astrid starts to see Hiccup's ways with dragons, and over the course of the trilogy they grow closer. Eventually, this leads up to their marriage at the end of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
• Pixar productions:
  • Marlin and Dory in Finding Nemo.
  • Joe and 22 in Soul. The former is trying to get back into the human world from the spirit world. The latter is being forced to get into the human world and doesn't want to. Needlessly to say, this is a catch-22 situation which will force someone to have character development to get what they want. Joe, as a result of these interactions, learns how to live.
  • WALL-E and EVE in WALL-E, where the romance delivered by the trope is as strong as ever despite the leads being robots. WALL-E, living on a deserted, trashed Earth for several hundred years, is more than happy to have some sort of companionship in the form of EVE. When EVE is shut down remotely, and taken away, WALL-E follows, where the little guy attaches to a spaceship and goes to the Axiom, living with the rest of humans. It's a testament to how far the trope can be pushed and its applicability, as well as to Pixar's storytelling ability.
• In Dragonslayer, Galen and Valerian. Valerian initially disguises herself as a man, but when it is revealed she is a girl, the trope comes into play. The trope is used to help deliver a romance between the two leads.
• Joe and Rita in Idiocracy, where these two average citizens are used as contrast for the rest of the, well, "society". Being frozen and forgotten, these two have survived 500 years into the future, with society around them crumbling to bits as the dumbest people reproduces the most. Joe is arrested for refusing to get a barcode tattoo, whereas Rita is wanted by almost every single male as a hooker. The dynamic is interesting, as they provide some semblance of sanity in a world where the most popular show is called Oh My Balls!
• Valerian and Laureline in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Valerian constantly chases after Laureline, trying to get a Relationship Upgrade, and often breaking professional codes of conduct expected for them. The two are assigned on a mission to the city of Alpha, where the duo must reach the centre of the city, inside a radio dead zone. Cue character interactions as they try to get each out of sticky situations and understand strange alien customs.
• Disney Animated Canon films. The trope is more commonly used in older productions, due to old Disney's usage of the Princess Classic. Also quite prominent in Disney renaissance films due to the studio returning to their roots:
  • Beauty and The Beast. Just because the two leads are entirely different species, with one of them being cursed, does not mean they cannot form a romantic relationship. The trope is used to enhance the 'fairy tale' feel of the film.
  • Jasmine and the titular Aladdin in the 1992 Aladdin film. This time, Jasmine is a Rebellious Princess, and her interactions with the titular Aladdin, as well as Aladdin's quest to make her fall in love, make up half of the film. The other half revolves around Aladdin's interactions with the genie.
  • Flynn and Rapunzel in Tangled. Just like the original fairy tale, the titular Rapunzel is locked away in a tower. Flynn, while running away from city guards, comes across the tower and climbs up to it. The two initially do not get along, with Rapunzel using her Rapunzel Hair to tie him to a chair and begin the world's most informal interrogation sequence. Eventually the two learn to get along, with Flynn convincing Rapunzel to move out of the tower, and explore the wider world, eventually leading the two to fall in love.
  • In Zootopia, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. They're opposites in more than gender -- one's a cop and the other's a con man, and in a World of Funny Animals, one's a prey and one's a predator. The latter leads to interesting character interactions between the two as civil unrest grows between prey and predators.
  • In Atlantis: The Lost Empire, we have Milo Thatch, who goes on an expedition to find the titular Atlantis. The second lead, Kida, isn't introduced until the party are already at Atlantis. From there, Milo and Kida have some calm, Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene bonding sessions, before teaming up to save Atlantis from a greater threat.
  • Ralph and Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph. One's the villain of a video game, and the other a playable hero. Being the Big Bad of a game isn't particularly good, and leads to Ralph being treated badly by the citizens in his own game. Thus, he defects, or "goes Turbo", from his own game, and found Vanellope in Sugar Rush, where the two bond together as Vanellope tries to use her status of being a "glitch" to her advantage.
  • Meg and Hercules in Hercules, where Meg serves to motivate the titular character. She often gets kidnapped, requiring Hercules to save her, advancing the plot. The two initially start out disliking each other, but slowly warm up over the course of the runtime.
• Dr Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski in Gravity (2013 film). There, they're forced to have good relationships and chemistry, because they're stuck up in space by themselves and everyone can see their faces. The Russians shot down a satellite, and, because they forgot about the Kessler syndrome, the debris from the satellite is quickly rushing towards them and threatening their survival. Thus, the two have to help each other make it back to Earth.

Literature

• Howl's Castle series:
  • Sophie and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle. Unlike the film adaption, the two in the book are less friendly, and bicker a lot more. Sophie, after being cursed, plays the role of the cleaning lady in Howl's castle. Howl is a peculiar man, living in a Trash of the Titans house, and refuses to let Sophie clean some areas, insisting that the spiders there be kept alive. He constantly keeps calling Sophie "Mrs Nose". Eventually, they overcome their differences for the climax, and unite against the Witch of the Waste.
  • Charmain and Peter in House of Many Ways. Charmain, sent to look after Great-Uncle William Norland's house, encounters Peter, an apprentice at the house. The two does not get along, and their interactions provides some humour. Charmain, being a secluded child lacking many basic skills, has to learn from Peter how to wash dishes and hang up the laundry. Charmain only wishes to be a Bookworm, reading books instead of helping Peter out. She also volunteers to sort out letters and books in the royal library, leaving Peter alone to do jobs in the house -- a fact which he complains a lot about.
• The unnamed boy and Arrietty in The Borrowers. Arrietty reads to the illiterate boy, strengthening the bond between them. The boy, being far larger than Arrietty, protects her.
• Morrigan and her best friend Hawthorne in the Nevermoor series. In the first book, Hawthorne is notable for being the first person her age who Morrigan is friends with. Back in her home town of Jackalfax, she is perceived as being a cursed child and blamed for all the misfortunes occurring around her. She and Hawthorne trial together for a position in the Wunderous Society, and in the second book plays a huge role in shutting down the Ghastly Market As the series progresses, the trope is used less as the rest of Unit 919 opens up to her, leading to a situation where there is no clearly identifiable hero.

Music

• Eurtan (katethegreat19)'s album Raindancer features "The Willow Maid", which tells the story of a man trying to take the titular willow maid in the forest, and make her his wife. The maid says no, but the man doesn't give up. The man eventually resorts to brute force, cutting down the maid's tree and forcing her to follow him. Needlessly to say, this does not end well and the maid collapses, providing a rare case where the protagonists are working against each other.

Video Games

• Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts in To the Moon, returning in the sequel Finding Paradise. They are two professionals travelling around to fulfill their clients' wish before they die, and their interactions provides plenty of snarky responses, hilarious dialogue, and fun moments, contrasting out the emotional stories of the clients they help such as Johnny.
  • Within Johnny's story, him and River also qualifies for this trope, as the two support each other throughout their lives and fall in love.
• Raymond Lawrence and Laeticia Aucerius, the main male and female hero of Star Ocean 6. You can even pick one as the canon main character, which will cause the story focus more on events from their POV whenever there is a story fork where they must split up. Certain characters can only be recruited for each one on their respective player path and certain scenes are only viewable for each character. This means it's worth playing as each character once per playthrough to see all the content glossed over or not available when playing as the other

Western Animation

• The Pine siblings Dipper and Mabel in Gravity Falls, where they go on wacky hijinks around the town they stayed in for the summer.
• Sprig and Anne in Amphibia. The fact that the former's frog and the latter's a thirteen year old girl does not stop them from going on whimsical adventures and yelling "Spranne against the world!" The trope is quite prominent in the first season, which mostly features lighthearted adventures of them in the frog world, although Sprig's family occasionally takes centre stage. Later, when the ice around Wartwood melts and Cerebus Syndrome kicks in, more human characters appear and the trope is used less. In season three, emphasis is placed on both Anne and Sprig's family interacting.