A Tale of Two Besties

Meeting your lifelong best friend in first grade is not very common. I know that I’m not friends with anyone from my first grade class and I’m only 15. So when most people hear that internet duo Rhett and Link (two men in their 40’s,) met and became best friends in first grade, it’s often a shock.

“How have they stayed best friends for so long?” is a very popular (and understandable) question. I personally think that Rhett and Link are platonic soulmates and were destined to meet. Their chemistry is unparalleled, and at this point they have been friends for so long it seems like nothing could tear them apart. They’ve also just been through so much together, from happy moments, tragedy and personal losses, and even the same first girlfriend.

Their story starts in 1984, Buies Creek, North Carolina. More specifically, first grade teacher Ms. Locklear’s class. Rhett and Link were both held in from recess on the first day of first grade because they were writing naughty words on their desks. The bad words weren’t really even actual bad words, seeing as they were six or seven years old at the time. Rhett wrote “hell” and Link wrote “damn,” (but he spelled it without the n.)

Their punishment for the profanity was very fitting for two seven year old children.

“We had to color together,” Rhett said in an interview with Jimmy Fallon from 2016. “We got held in from recess, so they just made us color pictures of Paul Bunyan and a unicorn.”

“Mythical Beasts,” Link said.

“That’s where we got the whole Mythical thing from, was having to color pictures of Mythical Beasts,” Rhett said.

I think it’s so sweet and fitting that the pictures they colored the first time they met ended up being the name of the company they founded, woven into their Youtube show, and also worked into a motto of the Mythical community, “Be your Mythical Best.”

Rhett and Link continued to stay friends after their first meeting and essentially grew up together. They went to elementary, middle, and high school together, and then went to college together (they even roomed together.)

As children, the pair would hang out constantly, and there’s so many stories that could be told from their adventures together! They also got their start making videos at a young age, as they would make mini movies together when they were kids. Their shared love for entertaining led them to start their company Mythical and pursue the world of entertainment, even though they went to college to get engineering degrees (and successfully did so.)

Rhett and Link continuing to stay with each other through everything, and move across the country to start a company is very telling of how close they are. They are just a fantastic pair and have the best, “best friend” vibes I’ve probably ever seen from two people.

Fallon, Jimmy. “Rhett & Link Bonded Over Swears in First Grade.” Youtube, uploaded by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, 24 December 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_22brTJkL3o.

“Link Neal.” Rhett and Link Wiki, rhettandlink.fandom.com/wiki/Link_Neal.

“Rhett McLaughlin.” Rhett and Link Wiki, rhettandlink.fandom.com/wiki/Rhett_McLaughlin.