It’s been over 5 years since the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother ended on one of the most sour notes to ever grace cable television, but let us not forget that said show gave audiences one of the greatest triangle bromances in sitcom history: Ted, Marshall, and Barney.
The three Y-chromosomed members of the Maclaren’s Pub gang were three of the closest friends that television has ever produced with the group getting into more hijinks than they could count. But one question they never officially answered: which of the two was Ted’s real best friend? Here are 5 cases for both Marshall and Barney.
MARSHALL: Known Since College/Roommates
It’s hard to argue that you could be anything other than “best” friends when you’ve genuinely been friends for as long as Ted and Marshall have been. The two met on the very first day of college as roommates, and even though Marshall originally thought Ted was the Dean of the school, they ended up staying roommates for well after their college years.
They had their ups and downs during that time, but between the road trips back and forth to Minnesota and the countless number of sandwiches smoked, the several-decade long friendship is hard to argue with.
BARNEY: Never Made Bets About Ted’s Life
It’s commonly known that seasons 6-8 of How I Met Your Mother weren’t exactly the show’s A-game, and one of the reasons why were when it made decisions like this. Marshall and Lily were both great friends and the fact that they would do something as seriously messed up as making bets about their friends’ lives seemed incredibly out-of-character.
Nevertheless, they apparently did make several long-term bets about their closest friends, including betting whether or not Ted would go bald or end up with Robin. By the way, Marshall, we’re not glad you won that one.
MARSHALL: Let Ted Move Back In
This may not seem like a big one, but once you’ve lived in an apartment with somebody (especially in a large city like New York City) and realized what a hassle it is to go through lease agreements and security deposits, then the actual process of moving all of your stuff into cardboard boxes, and then loading it up into a truck… we’re getting winded just thinking about it.
But even putting all of that aside, and the fact that they were happy to have Ted back, Ted had already decided to leave and realistically that could’ve been a real jerk-move on his part, to expect his friends to just let him back in like that. But then again, Marshall and Lily aren’t ordinary friends.
BARNEY: Let Him Push The Button To Destroy Arcadian
Barney got a lot of flak during the duration of the show, and deservedly so since he was incredibly selfish for the majority of the episodes. But every now and then, the genuine, heart-felt Barney would shine through and he would prove that when the moment really mattered, he would gladly step up, or in this case step aside, when his friends needed him too.
They may have spent the entire episode fighting about who was going to press it, but ultimately Barney knew that Ted needed to press the button to get his ultimate closure. New is always better, Ted (except when it comes to Robin, apparently).
MARSHALL: Let Ted Be His Best Man At His Wedding
Here we have another example of Marshall’s friendship that may not seem like a big deal on the face of it. Again, Ted and Marshall had known each other since college and it had always been expected that Ted would be the best man. But this particular extension of friendship is special specifically because of what Barney did for Marshall in order to get Lily to come back from San Francisco.
In any other case, the move that Barney pulled would’ve earned him a first-class ticket to the best-man spot, but because Ted and Marshall were still such good friends, he allowed Ted to retain co-best-man status.
BARNEY: Wanted To Have A Baby With Ted
There aren’t many commitments on earth that are more serious than having a baby with somebody. Ergo, wanting to have a baby with somebody means you must have a pretty solid bromance for them.
Of course, Barney would be the one person on earth crazy enough to actually go out and find himself a baby to pass off as his own in an attempt to make Ted see having a baby would be awesome, but that doesn’t negate the sincerity and loving gesture behind it (not entirely, anyway). But one can’t deny that “Hurricane” would be a legendary name for a baby.
MARSHALL: Never Slept With Robin
Barney spent episode after episode, season after season yapping on about the “Bro Code” and how a true bro could never break any rules within said bro code - but apparently, those rules don’t apply to him, especially when it comes to women in his supposed best-friends’ life.
Not only did Barney sleep with Robin, but he also married her and made out with Ted’s mom! There’s got to be some sort of penalty in the “Bro Code” about multiple violations to a bro’s family/former girlfriends. All we know for sure is that Marshall has never been with anybody even remotely affiliated to Ted.
BARNEY: Hired Tracey’s Band For Wedding
We’re just including this one by default because, in all honesty, Barney had nothing to do with the hiring of Tracy’s band for the wedding. In all actuality, Ted was the one who ran into his old girlfriend who was roommates with Tracy in order to book her the gig.
But putting all of that aside, the fact that Tracy was at Barney and Robin’s wedding (which then put her in the opportune spot to meet Ted, and fall in love with him) is a good enough reason for it to make this list.
MARSHALL: Convinced Ted To Keep His House
Throughout the entirety of the show, a much older Ted Mosby (voiced by Bob Saget, for some reason) explains to his kids the story of how he met their mother, but for five seasons audiences had no idea where this older Ted Mosby actually was. It stood to reason that he was in their future home, but fans had no idea where said home might be - until season five when Ted spontaneously purchased a house after his mother’s second wedding.
The house was run down and seemed like an incredibly stupid purchase at the time. But Marshall, Ted’s everlasting friend, grilled up a few burgers and sausages and made his buddy see that it was one of the best choices he ever made.
BARNEY: Got Ted A Job Designing The GNB Building
Once people reach a certain point in life, they tend not to take much of an interest in their friends work lives. Whether they’re too busy or what they work on is just too different, work usually stays at work and friends usually stay among friends. Barney Stinson had no such feelings and was always looking for opportunities to help his friends out when he could, especially when he got his best friend the job designing a skyscraper that would become part of the Manhattan skyline.
In case you’re new to the show, that had been Ted’s dream since he was a kid playing with blocks and Legos. Heck of a move, Barney, it more than makes up for sleeping with Robin (maybe not marrying her, though).
