Of course, these arguments are often resolved within one episode. But in the instances of one of Rachel and Ross' spats, the effects can last way beyond the initial fight, and then some arguments even bring a new layer to a friendship like Chandler and Joey's, making them far more significant for fans.
Monica & Rachel Fight Over Jean Claude Van Damme
This argument is a pretty small one compared to some of the others; it is an episode-long secondary storyline that sees Monica and Rachel fight over how Rachel went out with Jean Claude Van Damme.
What earns its place here, though, is the fact that it is one of the only times audiences see the gang get really physical with each other as the two best friends come to hair pulls and head flicks, prompting Phoebe to come in and sort the two out.
The Apartment Battle
The entire battle for the big apartment escalated far beyond the epic game between Rachel, Monica, Chandler, and Joey. Starting with Joey and Monica both claiming to know each other better, it is one of the best mini-feuds in Friends.
After the game itself, fans see Rachel and Monica fight with Joey and Chandler about having to move out of the apartment. There is then Monica and Rachel's hatred of the boy's apartment, which led to them moving the apartments around again. It is a hilarious, lighthearted fight that lasted a few episodes but never looked like it would break up any friendships.
Ross & Monica Reveal Secrets
Fans can always count on a Thanksgiving episode of Friends to bring about some drama, with one of the best very being "The One Where Ross Got High."
The episode has not only Rachel's iconic trifle, as well as Ross and Joey's desperation to spend time with Janine and her dancer friends, but it also has Ross and Monica reveal a slew of secrets to their parents. Stemming from Ross's lie about Chandler smoking pot in college, Monica and Ross squabble until a boiling point is reached, and Judy and Jack are left to take everything in.
The Gang Locked Out On Thanksgiving
Sticking with the Thanksgiving episodes, the very first one the whole gang spent together was not initially supposed to be that way. Everyone had their own plans, and these going quite literally up in smoke led to a big six-way fallout.
Monica got uncharacteristically frazzled at the challenge of cooking, Ross was no help, Rachel was meant to go skiing, Chandler hated thanksgiving, Joey was being treated as an outcast, and Phoebe was just Phoebe. When they all get locked out of the apartment and the Thanksgiving dinner goes up in flames, it is one of the biggest arguments between the group as a whole, but it also led to a touching moment as they share grilled cheese sandwiches.
Chandler & Monica Fight About Monica's Lunch With Richard
Chandler and Monica are probably the most stable couple in Friends, never breaking up when together and not fighting very often. Arguably, the biggest argument they ever had came when it was revealed Monica had lunch with Richard.
Phoebe revealing this to Chandler put a dampener on the gang's trip to Las Vegas, which saw Chandler nearly leave altogether out of annoyance. The argument was more than just the lunch; it was the fact Chandler tried to forbid Monica from seeing Richard again, escalating the fight to an unnecessary level, until the two resolve it and nearly get married.
Ross & Rachel Argue Over The Letter
Moving onto Ross and Rachel, they are undoubtedly the source of most of the series' huge fallouts, especially Ross, who seemed to find himself getting in fights with many a person throughout the show.
The entire letter ordeal is pretty unnecessary. Ross could have easily owned up to having fallen asleep and simply read the letter there and then to save a huge fall out which ended up catching Chandler in its crossfire. Luckily this temporary get-together of the couple never had many long-term effects on them or the gang; it simply continued the "we were on a break" saga.
Ross & Emily
From one Ross relationship to another, his short yet serious stint with Emily led to one of the show's most iconic moments, which in turn led to one of its biggest fallouts.
By saying the wrong name at the altar, Ross kicked off a series of events that included fighting with Emily, agreeing to kick Rachel out of his life, adhering to all of Emily's ludicrous demands before one final fight saw the pair finally divorced. Audiences never got to hear the majority of that final phone call, but it is easy to place it high on big fights in the show, given its repercussions.
Ross & Rachel Fight Over The Pro/Con List
Arguably the first huge falling-out of Friends came in season two between Ross and Rachel, as the infamous pro-con list was born and Ross managed to alienate two women, who both had feelings for him.
The list was another unnecessary mishap from Ross, which Joey and Chandler certainly did not help. It was hard to watch Rachel read it and for the two to have that first argument, which was only prolonged by Ross' attempts to prove he really did love her in the next couple of episodes.
Joey Falls Out With Chandler Over Kathy
Joey and Chandler have perhaps the best friendship within the group, having so many iconic and hilarious moments together. However, that does not stop them from having their arguments.
There are a couple between them, like when Joey gets the apartment robbed or when Chandler hooked up with Joey's sister. However, by far, the most serious is when Chandler kisses Kathy. This fight was so severe that Joey even tried to move out of the apartment until Chandler convinced him to let him prove how much their friendship means to him, asking him to get in the wooden box at Halloween. Joey, being the sweet guy he is, let everything go after Kathy came to say goodbye to Chandler in the box.
Ross & Rachel Breakup
There is undoubtedly no argument, no confrontation in Friends as significant or heartbreaking to watch as Ross and Rachel breaking up.
Even though Rachel is completely right to leave Ross after he slept with Chloe, it is hard for audiences not to feel the tears coming on. Everything in the episode, from Rachel comprehending what has happened to Ross begging for her forgiveness, is painful to watch, even all these years later.