Battle Couple: Difference between revisions

[[File:cit shakugan no shana - yuji and shana - 2nd season opening.jpg|link=Shakugan no Shana|frame|She's a [[Playing with Fire|flaming]] [[Tsundere]] with a [[Katanas Are Just Better|katana]]. He's a ghostly [[Mission Control|tactical]] power supply. [[They Fight Crime]] and [[Demonic Invaders]].]]

 

 

You know, the kind of couple where bullets figure prominently in the story of their early romance. Where "war buddy" and "significant other" are synonyms. Where if you harm either one, the other [[Berserk Button|will kill you]] as surely as the sun rises. Likely to have a [[Back-to-Back Badasses]] moment.

 

{{examples}}

* Narumi and Shirogane of ''[[Karakuri Circus]]'' were beginning to lean that way...until [[Rule of Drama|'circumstances']] got between them.

* Pictured above: Yuji and Shana of ''[[Shakugan no Shana]]'' develop into this over the course of two seasons, as Yuji finds ways to make himself useful in battle {{spoiler|at least until [[Wham! Episode|"Snake Of The Festival"]] and [[The Reveal|even then he is the]] [[Big Good]]}}.

* In ''[[Kaze no Stigma]]'', Kazuma is often paired up with Ayano for his missions.

* Max and Milia/Miriya from ''[[Macross]]/[[Robotech]]'' are probably one of the earliest examples in anime. Their races were at war. Max is a human, and Milia is a Zentradi, but after she defects, the two end up marrying. Milia gets a red variable fighter to match her husband's blue one. They even lead different squadrons together for a time span of about 30 years after the events of the original series.

* Kiri and Elraine in ''[[Double Arts]]''. They even developed the [[Title Drop|Titlular]] ''Double Arts'' fighting style to fight while constantly connected. They are the official couple of their series and will never let go of each other. [[Can't Live Without You|No matter what]]. {{spoiler|Elraine is afflicted with a special disease that killed a third of the world's population, and the only reason she isn't dead yet is because of Kiri's mysterious ability.}}

* You'd think [[Sailor Moon]] and Tuxedo Kamen would be this, being the main characters, but this trope instead goes to [[Schoolgirl Lesbians|Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune.]]

* A common fandom interpretation of the meister-Weapon partnerships in ''[[Soul Eater]]''. Shipping aside, canon does ''nothing'' to dissuade this [[Boys Love|whatever your]] [[Schoolgirl Lesbians|pairing preferences]]. Except for Kirikou and his weapons, which would be somewhat problematic.

* Elfin and Preyas from ''[[Bakugan]]'', complete with [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]] and [[Cannot Spit It Out]]. They constantly argue about which one of them is Marucho's guardian, as well as other things, but when the time to fight comes, they make a great team. And whatever you do, do not, I repeat, '''''DO NOT''''' attack Elfin, or else Preyas will go [[Ax Crazy]] on you.

* Rust Blaster: A BL example (however, although the series is classified as shounen-ai, there are only vague hints of their being an actual couple).

* ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]]'' has Kenichi and Miu, who, due to having sparred together for a long period of time, naturally fall into this slot whenever they have to fight side by side.

* In ''[[Liar Game]]'', despite not actually physically fighting together, Nao and Akiyama make one heck of a team, able to psychologically and mentally defeat their opponents. Combined with his wits and skills and her often deceiving honest nature, they are a near invincible team.

* Though we have yet to see them actually fighting together, [[Badass Normal|Minato]] [[Four-Star Badass|Namikaze]] and [[Action Mom|Kushina]] [[Sealed Evil in a Can|Uzumaki]] from ''[[Naruto]]'' can pretty much be assumed to be this.

* Saya's parents, Soichiro and Yuriko, in [[Highschool of the Dead]].

 

* Snake-Eyes and Scarlett from [[Larry Hama]]'s run on the Marvel ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' comic

* In [[Garth Ennis]]'s run on ''[[The Punisher]]'', the title character had this with O'Brien. For a little while, anyway.

 

 

* Yolei and Ken from the ''[[Tamers Forever Series]]''

* [[Final Fantasy VI|Terra]] and [[Final Fantasy VII|Cloud]] in ''[[Shards of Memory]]''

 

 

* Blane and Daisy from the first two seasons of ''[[M.I. High]]'' were almost one of these. And probably would have been if they'd stayed on the show.

* Michael and Nikita from ''[[La Femme Nikita]]'' are definitely this, also overlapping with [[Spy Couple]].

* [[Word of God]] says that [[24|Jack Bauer and Renee Walker]] are headed this way (and will get together in Season 8).

** And they were... {{spoiler|[[Cartwright Curse|for less than one episode]]}}.

** As would Apollo and Starbuck, who, ironically enough, do better together in battle than as a couple.

*** Funny enough, Starbuck and her other love, Anders, are probably a minor example.

** They also qualify as [[Spy Couple]].

* Another battle couple/SpyCouple cross are Steven and Samantha Bloom in ''[[Undercovers]]''.

* John Sheridan and Delenn in ''[[Babylon 5]]''. Although, the inclination is more to die for each other rather than to kill for each other.

** Well...it's not ''quite'' as if they mind killing for each other. After all, they won two separate wars (against all odds, of course) and reshaped the future of the galaxy. See these two quotes:

* Prince Charming and Snow White in ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]''. He is a badass with a broadsword and she doesn't seem all that unfamiliar with weapons either when she unhesitatingly drew Charming's at the wedding when the Queen shows up

* While not a war situation, I'd include Danny and Lindsay from ''[[CSI: NY]]'', since they both spend a lot of time fighting evil and bad guys, and there have been a lot of flying bullets in that romance thus far. And the "hurt one, the other will hunt you down" applies.

* Tristan and Isolde from ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]''.

* The music video for Mayer Hawthorne's ''The Walk''.

* Rick Castle and Kate Becket in ''[[Castle]]''. Of course Kate will [[She Is Not My Girlfriend|never admit they are a couple]].

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* ''[[Golden Sun]]'' fandom almost universally accepts villains Saturos and Menardi as a couple, despite the lack of clear canon support.

** Issac and Jenna, officially, though they married ''after'' the period they did fight together. Though considering how long it took for their kid to pop out, they probably [[Cannot Spit It Out|did not spit it out]] until some time after the first series ended.

** [[Black Magician Girl|Arche]] and [[The Lancer|Chester]] are a bona-fide example, [[Belligerent Sexual Tension|not that they'd ever admit it]]: the two of them are very ''[[Tsundere|tsun]]''[[Buffy-Speak|-y]].

** ''[[Tales of Destiny]]'' gives us [[Wide-Eyed Idealist|Stahn]] and [[Classy Cat Burglar|Rutee]].

* [[Germanic Depressives|Sasha Nein]] and [[Mama Bear|Milla Vodello]] of ''[[Psychonauts]]''.

* ''[[Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse]]'' lets the you (Trevor) have [[Official Couple|Sypha]] as a partner from the possible three, [[Sweet Polly Oliver|though he doesn't know she's a girl until the very end.]]

* ''[[Rune Factory 3]]'' allows you to pick up a partner and go into battles. If your partner is your love interest or wife, it's this trope. Sonja and Aden from ''[[Rune Factory Oceans]]'' may or may not count, since they share a same body for a large amount of gameplay.

* ''[[Dragon Quest V]]'', after you marry a girl, she helps you in battles, [[Stay in the Kitchen|up until you reach Gotha.]]

* Although most of it takes place off screen, Altair and {{spoiler|Maria}} are said to be this in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]: [[Assassin's Creed: Revelations|Revelations]]''

* Dart Feld and Shanna of [[Legend of Dragoon]] become this after shanna admits her feelings at the end of Disk two

 

* If lawyering counts as combat (which in ''[[Ace Attorney]]'', it practically does), {{spoiler|Mia Fey and Diego.}}

* ''[[Fate/stay night]]'': Saber and Shirou could be considered to be this, even though they don't really admit their feelings until the end of the series. {{spoiler|A [[Bittersweet Ending]] ensues where they can't be together because Saber is being called back to her time. You can imagine the outrage that resulted from this ending.}}

** Rin and Shirou as well, during the Unlimited Blade Works path in the original game. Saber backs them up as often as they go it alone, though, and considering [[Bi the Way|Rin's preferences]]...perhaps a rare example of a Battle [[OT3]]?

*** It's also interesting to note that out of the three routes, it's only in the UBW route that {{spoiler|both people in the pairing survive/remain}}.

** After the release of ''Dawn of the golden witch'', it's pretty safe to call Battler and {{spoiler|Beatrice}} the most straightforward examples of this to show up there.

 

== Web Comics ==

* Almost all couples in ''[[Chaos Fighters]]'' are battle couples. This is even lampshaded in ''Route of Earth'' and ''Chemical Siege''.

* [[Whateley Universe]] examples: the superheroes the Mystic Six were actually three Battle Couples, until Cirque died. The other two couples are still together, although nominally retired. Then there's Pendragon and Gloriana, the leaders of the Future Superheroes of America at the school.

 

 

* Dr. Orpheus tried to set this up in the episode "Tag-Sale... You're It!" in ''[[The Venture Bros]]'' with Dr. Venture, but Venture didn't want any part of it.

* THE [[Ambiguously Gay]] DUO!!

* Yumi and Ulrich of ''[[Code Lyoko]]''.

* The title characters from ''[[Delilah and Julius]]''.

* In his book ''The Greatest Battle'' (on the Battle for Moscow in [[World War II]]) Andrew Nagorski interviewed two former members of an NKVD special forces unit who were ordered to go [[Undercover As Lovers]] (in the belief that a married couple would draw less attention) who, despite their initial awkwardness, ended up getting married for real.

* George VI and Queen Elizabeth in [[World War II]].

* "Molly Pitcher" who took her husband's place at a gun when he fell.

* Agustina de Aragón, "The Maid of Saragossa", a Spanish Molly Pitcher at the siege of Saragossa.

* Sir Thomas and Lady Katherine Cochrane, a British Battle Couple in the early nineteenth century. [[Chuck Norris]] would have to consider them [[Badass]].

* Common enough among Scythians to the point of being a possible origin of the [[Hot Amazon|Amazons,]] the women rode, fought alongside and even [[Bifauxnen|dressed]] like their husbands and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|were buried together]] [[Together in Death|in the same graves.]]

 

{{reflist}}