Seeing our favourite characters on-screen is always a joy, but even better when they’re part of a duo or group of close friends. These fictional friendships often develop throughout a TV series or movie, with characters going through trials and tribulations together and building closer bonds the more we see them.
But how would these friendships play out in real life? While there’s no way to be completely sure, their birthdays could give us a clue. Depending on their date of birth, each character is born under a star sign, influencing which friendships would be most likely to succeed, and those that could be less harmonious.
Just like playing slots or tossing a coin, your date of birth is a matter of chance. With this in mind, which of our favourite fictional friendships would fortune favour? And which would the fates frown upon?
The fictional friendships that were meant to be
We’ve compared the star signs of popular characters from various movies and TV shows to figure out which on-screen friendships would hold up in real life. These are our top five!
Rachel and Joey from Friends
It may have been destiny that a show called Friends would feature one of the most compatible on-screen friendships. Of the six that make up the group, Rachel, a Taurus, and Joey, a Capricorn, would have the best chance at a friendship in real life.
As a Taurus, Rachel can be a little stubborn at times, while Joey’s straightforward Capricorn qualities make him appreciative of her clear stance on things, without having to guess what she’s thinking.
Carrie and Charlotte from Sex and the City
Another group of friends with a standout pair who could be an amazing duo in real life are the ladies from Sex and the City. Carrie, a Libra, and Charlotte, an Aquarius, are the most aligned according to their birth signs.
This pair’s star signs would allow them to form a really strong bond of friendship, just like we see in the show. Both air signs, Carrie and Charlotte would have a lot in common, building mutual respect and sharing similar passions.
Dustin and either Mike or Will from Stranger Things
Everyone’s favourite D&D group, the gang from Stranger Things has some of the on-screen friendships with the most real-world potential. Dustin, a Gemini, would likely form a great friendship with either Mike or Will, both Aries.
Aries and Gemini often work well together because of their shared playful nature and passion for adventure. However, breakdowns in communication can sometimes cause bumps in the road for these friends, which we’ve certainly seen in the show.
Pam and Dwight from The Office (US)
The Office (US) is one of the most-loved sitcoms of the 21st century, with an exceptional cast of unique and well-loved characters. There’s a huge range of friendship dynamics in the show, but the pair with the best cosmic alignment is Pam, an Aries, and Dwight, an Aquarius, which matches up perfectly with the show.
Pam and Dwight don’t exactly start off as close friends, with Pam helping Jim pull pranks on Dwight in almost every episode. However, after several seasons of plot and character development, the pair have built a really strong relationship, with Dwight even naming Pam as his best friend.
Kyle and either Stan or Kenny from South Park
The legendary and somewhat infamous cartoon show, South Park, has followed its cast of childhood friends from small-town Colorado for 26 seasons, with the 27th due in 2025. With so many seasons and episodes aired, the friendship group has gone through countless trials and tribulations. However, when it comes to birth signs, the most compatible friendships in the group would be between Kyle, a Gemini, and either Stan, a Libra, and Kenny, an Aries.
While Stan is the de facto leader of the group on the show, it appears that his best friend Kyle is the glue holding it together. Kyle exhibits classic Gemini traits of being curious and intellectual, which balances well with Stan’s Libra generosity and Kenny’s classic Aries confidence and courage.
The friendships that are truly fictional
Unfortunately, not all friendships in our favourite movies and TV shows would work out in real life. Based on their star sign compatibility, here are five friendships that sadly might not work out in the real world.
Phoebe and both Rachel and Joey from Friends
While Rachel and Joey would be a fantastic real-life duo, the same can’t be said for their relationship with fellow Friends character Phoebe. Rachel and Joey are both earth signs, meaning they naturally have a stronger affinity for one another, while Phoebe, an Aquarius, is an air sign.
Phoebe exhibits several characteristics typically associated with Aquarius, such as being creative, eccentric and unconventional. Who could forget her musical exploits with “smelly cat”? However, Rachel, a Taurus, has ambition and too much of a dominating presence for a deep friendship with Phoebe. Meanwhile, Joey, a Capricorn, could get frustrated with Phoebe’s overly whimsical nature.
Harry and Ron from Harry Potter
While many of us have fallen in love with the Harry Potter books and films, the core friendships of the franchise might not play out as well in real life. According to their star signs, there’s a good chance that Ron, a Pisces, would struggle to maintain a friendship with Harry, a Leo.
Ron is a classic Pisces, one of the more emotional characters in the series who is a loyal and caring friend. However, Harry’s Leo tendency to always be the leader could lead him to be self-centred and the centre of lots of drama, which Ron’s sensitive personality might struggle to accept.
Rick and Morty from Rick & Morty
The titular characters of Rick & Morty make a strange pair at the best of times, but you can’t choose your family. While they might have love for one another as grandfather and grandson, their friendship would be unlikely.
Rick, a Capricorn, could find it difficult to accommodate Morty’s Aquarius characteristics. Capricorns can be logical and don’t always do well mixing with people who see the world differently. A common Aquarius trait is being compassionate, which fits Morty’s character like a glove, but is clearly at odds with Rick’s more ruthless approach to the situations they encounter.
SpongeBob and Patrick from SpongeBob Squarepants
One of the most iconic animated duos, SpongeBob and Patrick’s friendship is strong on the show but certainly has its ups and downs. If these characters were real (and more human than a sponge and a starfish) their buddy act would be less likely to succeed.
SpongeBob’s star sign is Leo, while Patrick's is Cancer, two star signs that don’t always do well together. SpongeBob exhibits some of the typical negative traits of Leo, such as being inflexible and the constant centre of drama. Meanwhile, Cancers like Patrick can be quite emotional, needing more understanding and empathy than some Leos can provide.
Pam and Michael from The Office (US)
Two of the most popular characters in The Office (US) are Pam and Michael. While Michael has a tendency to annoy his coworkers, he’s the only one to show up for Pam’s art exhibition and really is proud of her work. Pam, on the other hand, is the only person to stand by Michael when he quits the company.
However, these might not have had such a strong and loyal relationship in real life. While Pam demonstrates the typical Aries quality of loyalty in her friendship with Michael, she is also honest and impulsive. These traits could spell disaster in a friendship with Michael, who exhibits the Pisces traits of being overly sensitive, indecisive and inability to take honest criticism.
Dream friendships for every star sign
Using the traits associated with each star sign, as well as their compatibility with one another, we’ve imagined some of the best cross-franchise friendships for our favourite fictional characters.
We’ve picked one character for each star sign and paired them with a perfect buddy, but do you think they’d get along?
Chandler Bing - Aries
Potential friend: Tarzan - Sagittarius
Based on his Aries birth sign, Chandler Bing, from Friends, would most likely form a brilliant friendship with Tarzan, a Sagittarius. Chandler’s laid-back comedic personality would mix well with Tarzan’s simple life in the jungle, though it’s difficult to imagine him swinging from vine to vine through the jungle!
Lorelai Gilmore - Taurus
Potential friend: Hermione Granger - Virgo
Lorelai Gilmore would have a fantastic friendship with Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger. Taurus and Virgo are both earth signs, sharing the values of hard work, loyalty and patience. With so many traits in common, these two brainiacs would be the best of friends.
Dustin Henderson - Gemini
Potential friend: Bart Simpson - Aries
Dustin Henderson of Stranger Things, a Gemini, would be great friends with Bart Simpson, an Aries. Dustin and Bart share a deep sense of curiosity and adventure, so while their friendship may see them getting into all sorts of trouble, they’d have fun doing it together.
Eric Cartman - Cancer
Potential friend: Michael Scott - Pisces
Eric Cartman, the most abrasive member of South Park’s main friendship group, could be great friends with Michael Scott from The Office (US). Eric, a Cancer, is highly compatible with Michael, a Pisces. Both characters are highly emotional yet also enjoy pranks and humour at other people’s expense, making them a difficult duo for anyone else to get along with.
Harry Potter - Leo
Potential friend: Mike Wheeler - Aries
Harry Potter, a Leo, would be highly compatible for a friendship with Mike Wheeler from Stranger Things, an Aries. People born under either of these signs are prone to being loyal to their friends and positive in their outlooks, making them a great match for one another.
Mr Bean - Virgo
Potential friend: Mr Spock - Capricorn
Mr Bean is a Virgo, and while he doesn’t have many friends other than his Teddy, he would be a perfect match for Star Trek’s Mr Spock, a Capricorn. Bean is an excellent yet unorthodox problem solver, which Spock would surely appreciate even if he finds Bean’s actions highly illogical.
Carrie Bradshaw - Libra
Potential friend: Phoebe - Aquarius
Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City could be firm friends with Phoebe from Friends, with both being air signs. Carrie is a Libra, and is both a hopeless romantic and emotionally vulnerable. Phoebe, on the other hand, is an empathetic Aquarius who could support Carrie and bond with her on an emotional level.
Miranda Priestly - Scorpio
Potential friend: Gretchen Wiener - Cancer
The indomitable antagonist of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, is a Scorpio, making her a perfect match for Mean Girls character Gretchen Wiener, a Cancer. Miranda shows typical Scorpio determination and is ruthless in achieving her business goals, while Gretchen is a loyal Cancer, and is used to supporting tyrannical antagonists like Regina George.
Bruce Banner / The Hulk - Sagittarius
Potential friend: Goku - Aries
Bruce Banner, the scientist who transforms into the Hulk when he’s angry, could be firm friends with Goku, the protagonist of Dragon Ball. Not only are these two characters’ birth signs, Sagittarius and Aries, highly compatible, but Goku is probably one of the only people who could keep Bruce in check when he’s on an angry rampage.
Sherlock Holmes - Capricorn
Potential friend: Forrest Gump - Gemini
Sherlock Holmes is a typical Capricorn, hardworking and practical with a disciplined mind. The famous consulting detective could form a great friendship with Forrest Gump, a Gemini, due to his adaptability, curious nature and intellectual honesty.
Dwight Schrute - Aquarius
Potential friend: Captain Kirk - Aries
Dwight Schrute, possibly the most eccentric character in The Office (US), is an Aquarius and could be an excellent friend for Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, an Aries. Dwight is someone who loves having a strong leader to follow, while Kirk would appreciate the dedication that he would bring to the relationship.
Sheldon Cooper - Pisces
Potential friend: Seong Gi-hun - Scorpio
Sheldon Cooper, the dysfunctional genius from The Big Bang Theory, could form an unlikely friendship with the lead character of Squid Game, Seong Gi-hun. A Pisces and a Scorpio, the pair could make a brilliant team to make it through Squid Games’ deadly challenges, combining Sheldon’s intellect with Gi-hun’s determination.
Methodology
The data in this study is accurate as of January 2025.
We researched a range of fictional characters’ birthdays, using sources such as Wikipedia, show-specific wikis, and various articles from sources like GameRant and So Synced.
We used these birthdays to assign each character a star sign, using dates taken from Britannica.
We then used information from AskGanesha to determine which characters would most likely be friends and foes based on their star signs.
We revealed five of the most compatible friendships from TV, along with five on-screen friendships that their birth signs indicated wouldn’t work out in real life.
Lastly, we mixed characters from different shows to create fictional friendships across franchises, presenting one for each zodiac sign.
