Right Makes Might: Difference between revisions

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If the defeated party acknowledges the wrong of his/her/their ways, this may also include [[Defeat Means Friendship]]. If the meaning of the battle is supposed to be particularly obvious, the characters will actually engage in a [[World of Cardboard Speech]] or [[Reason You Suck Speech]] before or [[Talking Is a Free Action|during]] the battle, explaining their particular beliefs, the lessons they've learned and why they have faith that they will carry them through this battle successfully.

Though usually done with a hero and somebody darker, it can also be done in a [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]] or [[A Lighter Shade of Black]] scenario, to show that, while their ideas and worldviews might still be rather flawed, the winning side at least has a better understanding of how the world should be or at least got more points right than the enemy. <ref> While a [[A Lighter Shade of Black]] villain might not exactly believe in the powers of truth, justice and honor, he might still be a firm believer in [[Pragmatic Villainy]] and consider [[Stupid Evil]] behaviour of his opponent [[Even Evil Has Standards|pathetic and disgusting.]]</ref>

Though usually done with a hero and somebody darker, it can also be done in a [[A Lighter Shade of Grey]] or [[A Lighter Shade of Black]] scenario, to show that, while their ideas and worldviews might still be rather flawed, the winning side at least has a better understanding of how the world should be or at least got more points right than the enemy.<ref>While a [[A Lighter Shade of Black]] villain might not exactly believe in the powers of truth, justice and honor, he might still be a firm believer in [[Pragmatic Villainy]] and consider [[Stupid Evil]] behaviour of his opponent [[Even Evil Has Standards|pathetic and disgusting.]]</ref>

Not to be confused with [[Might Makes Right]].

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* In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' the outcome of a card duel is decided by who has stronger convictions, rather than by random chance. They call it "The Heart of the Cards". Yugi (or Yami) always pull out the card they need to reverse the otherwise impossible situation.

* ''[[Naruto]]'''s Might Guy actually believes in this, but it's impact on the show is questionable, as his apprentice, Rock Lee, is forbidden from using his most powerful techniques except for when it's to protect a friend or loved one. Also questionable in the fact that [[The Worf Effect|Rock Lee loses a lot.]] In Naruto, there's one sure-fire way to win which even works for Lee. Promise someone important that you will win. Naturally, you can't break your promise, so you'll just have to win instead.

* The titular character from ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' is driven by justice, the [[Power of Friendship]], and his [[Always Save the Girl|love for Saori (that is, the Goddess Athena.)]] He's a Bronze Saint --[[Underdogs Never Lose|the lowest class of guardian, beneath Silver and Gold Saints, Specters, Marine Shoguns, and God Warriors]]~~-- and~~ he's arguably the least naturally powerful of the [[Five-Man Band]]. And yet, his [[Determinator|all-encompassing determination]] to defeat evil has allowed him to [[Time to Unlock More True Potential|awaken the Seventh Sense]] and fight actual ''Gods'' to a standstill. At least, hold them back long enough for Athena herself to finish the job.

* The titular character from ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' is driven by justice, the [[Power of Friendship]], and his [[Always Save the Girl|love for Saori (that is, the Goddess Athena.)]] He's a Bronze Saint --[[Underdogs Never Lose|the lowest class of guardian, beneath Silver and Gold Saints, Specters, Marine Shoguns, and God Warriors]]—and he's arguably the least naturally powerful of the [[Five-Man Band]]. And yet, his [[Determinator|all-encompassing determination]] to defeat evil has allowed him to [[Time to Unlock More True Potential|awaken the Seventh Sense]] and fight actual ''Gods'' to a standstill. At least, hold them back long enough for Athena herself to finish the job.

* The fight between Marco and Luchist in the ''[[Shaman King]]'' republications. Although Marco's clothes (or lack of), and his [[Bishonen]] looks led many fangirls to think that true justice is [[Stripperiffic|the one that's hotter and uses the less clothing pieces as possible]].

* Used all the way to [[Dead Horse Trope|death]] in ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'' and ''[[Digimon Adventure 02]]''. The Chosen Children "wielded" various virtues (yes, as in Wielder of Courage, Wielder of Friendship, Wielder of Purity, etc.). Their [[Mons]] got bigger when the kids developed positive character traits. This is fairly blatant [[Right Makes Might]].

* Used all the way to [[Dead Horse Trope|death]] in ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'' and ''[[Digimon Adventure 02]]''. The Chosen Children "wielded" various virtues (yes, as in Wielder of Courage, Wielder of Friendship, Wielder of Purity, etc.). Their [[Mons]] got bigger when the kids developed positive character traits. This is fairly blatant Right Makes Might.

** One episode of the ''fifth'' season is named "Justice Equals Power," which is the trope name slightly rephrased. Though ironically in that case it was one of the ''villains'' who believed this, Duftmon of the [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|Royal Knights]]. Suffice to say, his belief didn't stop the heroes from smashing him via an [[Eleventh-Hour Superpower]].

* A key element of [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]: Spiral Power is based on the ability of organic life to adapt to and ultimately overcome adversity. Though any strong emotion can produce it, more Spiral Power can be derived from [[The Power of Love|Love]], [[The Power of Friendship|Friendship]], and [[Papa Wolf|Protective]] [[Mama Bear|Instinct]] than mere [[Unstoppable Rage]].

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== Mythology and Religion ==

* [[The Bible]] - [[Playing with a Trope|Played with]] - Gideon has an army of 22,000 that God says is too many because then Israel might think they won with their own strength rather than God's support, averting a possible [[Might Makes Right]]. There are only 10,000 left, and then God gives them ultimate Hebrew test of righteousness - ritual physical cleanliness. If they lap water from a stream like dogs instead of cupping it with their hands, they go home. There are only [[300]] men left and they triumph.

* [[King Arthur]] spent the majority of his reign trying to dispel the idea that [[Might Makes Right]] and implement a legal system where [[Right Makes Might]]. Unfortunately, [[Bastard Bastard|Mordred]] used this against Guinevere and Lancelot. [[King Arthur]] was forced to [[Sadistic Choice|choose between]] the woman he loved and the system he had spent his life working on for the good of his people. If Arthur had abandoned his legal program, Lancelot could have taken Trial By Combat to avoid the charges but in doing so removed any support by both commoners and nobles for his plan, while the [[Right Makes Might]] would remove any advantage Lancelot or Guinevere had, but would prove his system was equal and truthful. In the end, he [[Tear Jerker|stuck with his ideal]], and his new laws sentenced Guinevere to burn at the stake, which caused Lancelot to rebel, which signalled [[It Was His Sled|the end of Camelot]].

* [[King Arthur]] spent the majority of his reign trying to dispel the idea that [[Might Makes Right]] and implement a legal system where Right Makes Might. Unfortunately, [[Bastard Bastard|Mordred]] used this against Guinevere and Lancelot. [[King Arthur]] was forced to [[Sadistic Choice|choose between]] the woman he loved and the system he had spent his life working on for the good of his people. If Arthur had abandoned his legal program, Lancelot could have taken Trial By Combat to avoid the charges but in doing so removed any support by both commoners and nobles for his plan, while the Right Makes Might would remove any advantage Lancelot or Guinevere had, but would prove his system was equal and truthful. In the end, he [[Tear Jerker|stuck with his ideal]], and his new laws sentenced Guinevere to burn at the stake, which caused Lancelot to rebel, which signalled [[It Was His Sled|the end of Camelot]].

* This is a constant theme in Egyptian Mythology, resulting in nearly universally happy endings. The good guys (champions of order, justice, goodness, the gods, and Egypt) always triumph over the bad guys (fighting for rebellion, chaos, injustice, and anarchy) every time. Even when gods do things [[Values Dissonance|modern readers may object to]], it's always depicted as unambiguously the right and just action, not because [[Might Makes Right]], but because the gods (such as Re and Amun) are always good and always want what's best for the world. They always ensure the triumph of good, just mortals over bad, chaotic ones. Goodness, cosmic order, social order, justice, and monarchy are inextricably linked together as the concept/goddess of Ma'et, and it/she needs to be firing on all cylinders to prevent the sea of chaos from dissolving the whole universe. Thus, even violently putting down a rebellion against the Egyptian empire is supposed to be important for ensuring the stability of the cosmos. (Your enlightened conquerers obviously know what's best for you...)

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* In the ''[[Double Dragon]]'' cartoon, the power of the Dragon was literally drawn on the strength of their belief that good was stronger than evil. They even had the phrase [[By the Power of Greyskull|"For Right" "For Might"]] and they received armor that was tempered in the fire of Hope.

* Downright inverted in ''[[Justice League]]'', where a battle between Batman and Justice Lord Batman, his Fascist [[Evil Twin]] from another dimension, is interlaced with a debate between the virtues of the Justice Lords' [[Utopia Justifies the Means|fascist utopia]] and the ~~free~~ ~~-- but chaotic -- world~~ of the Justice League. Lord Batman ''wins'' through argument, just when Batman has gotten the upper hand. {{spoiler|Batman wins round two -- completely nonviolently this time.}}

* Downright inverted in ''[[Justice League]]'', where a battle between Batman and Justice Lord Batman, his Fascist [[Evil Twin]] from another dimension, is interlaced with a debate between the virtues of the Justice Lords' [[Utopia Justifies the Means|fascist utopia]] and the free—but chaotic—world of the Justice League. Lord Batman ''wins'' through argument, just when Batman has gotten the upper hand. {{spoiler|Batman wins round two -- completely nonviolently this time.}}

* Bionic-1 uses this exact phrase in a ''[[Bionic Six]]'' episode.