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{{trope}}
[[File:jojowham_8060.jpg|link=Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure
{{quote|''"I regret that we meet in this way. [[Not So Different|You and I are of a kind.]] In a different reality, I could have called you friend."''|'''Romulan Commander''', ''[[Star Trek:
{{quote|''"You may have only enemies whom you can hate, not enemies you despise. You must be proud of your enemy: then the successes of your enemy are your successes too."''|'''Zarathustra''', ''Thus Spake Zarathustra'' ([[Peep Show|not to be confused with]] ''[[
The equal and opposite enemy to the hero, who, save for the tragic circumstances of his life, upbringing, political ideology, or financial situation, might have been the hero's best friend. Unfortunately, though, he must be the hero's opposition. Evenly matched, with a sense of honor that allows the hero to trust him about a select few things, and an honest respect for the hero, the [[Worthy Opponent]] also fights to the same standards of fairness as the hero; he will not shoot you [[In the Back]], and may even prevent someone else from doing so; in military situations, he will obey [[Useful Notes/The Laws and Customs of War|The Laws and Customs of War]]. The [[Worthy Opponent]] will also do things like [[I Gave My Word|negotiate honestly]] or allow the wounded hero to escape to fight another day. He will invariably even the terms of a fight when he possesses a clear advantage, often being unwilling to fight an unarmed foe (either discarding his weapon or [[Give Me a Sword|allowing the protagonist to reclaim his own]]), and waiting until an unconscious enemy has woken and can engage in an honorable [[Duel to
The [[Worthy Opponent]] is rarely a recurring character, but is usually likely to evolve into a [[Friendly Enemy]]. More often, he is killed (sometimes by a fanatic on his own side) after one or two episodes, prompting the hero to [[What a Senseless Waste of Human Life|mourn the loss of such an honorable but misguided soul]].
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When worthy opponents are of different genders, it can develop into a situation of [[Dating Catwoman]].
See also [[Antagonist in Mourning]], [[Anti-Villain]], [[Touche]]. [[Noble Demon|Noble Demons]] tend towards this trope, as do members of [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Proud Warrior Races]]. Contrast with the [[Evil Counterpart]], [[Dark Magical Girl]], [[Unknown Rival]] and [[Minion
----
== Anime and Manga ==
* Wham from ''[[Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure
* Yuuri and, later, Mimi and Sheshe from ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]''.
* L and Light from ''[[
* Ashram from ''[[Record of Lodoss War]]'', at least in the TV version.
** He was this in the OVA, too -- it's just that, for most of the series, he was ''Kashue's'' [[Worthy Opponent]], not Parn's (or rather, Parn had to level up quite a bit to be a worthy opponent for ''him'').
* Yusuke Urameshi and Younger Toguro in ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]''. Younger Toguro even {{spoiler|has to pretend to kill [[The Lancer|Kazuma Kuwabara]] in order to greatly increase Yusuke's [[Power Level]] for him to truly become his [[Worthy Opponent]]}}
* [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] Schwarzwald of ''[[
* Viral from ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' {{spoiler|ended up doing a [[Heel Face Turn]] and became [[The Lancer]].}}
* Shimi from ''[[Outlaw Star]]'' makes a great drinking buddy to Gene until he has to kill him. He eventually decides to settle this in a duel where his gun jams and the crew bury him before setting off...until he digs himself out ("They should have buried me deeper.") and reveals that he faked the whole thing since he hated being a space pirate and was looking for a way to quit.
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** [[The Rival|Char Aznable]] exhibits some of these traits as a recurring character, but he and Amuro later become [[Fire-Forged Friends]], {{spoiler|until he becomes a [[Rival Turned Evil]].}}
** Dozle Zabi goes out with the expressed purpose of giving his men time to escape.
** And from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team]]'', Norris Packard to the titular protagonists.
** Andrew Waltfeld of ''[[Gundam Seed]]'' probably counts as well.
** From ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'', Graham Aker is this to Setsuna F. Seiei, and Soma Peries is this to H/Allelujah Haptism, {{spoiler|who happened to be [[Forgotten Childhood Friend|Forgotten Childhood Friends]]}}. Sergei Smirnov has traits of this as well.
* Although they are enemies, Ankoku Daishogun and Tetsuya Tsurugi (both from ''[[Great Mazinger]]'') respect each other as warriors, and when the first falls, Tetsuya gave him a salutation for being a [[Worthy Opponent]]. Obviously, this gets carried over in [[Super Robot Wars]].
* Nanoha and Fate quickly become [[Worthy Opponent|Worthy Opponents]] of each other in ''[[Lyrical Nanoha|Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'', complete with adorable, pre-teen [[Foe Yay]] and [[Defeat Means Friendship|inevitable]] [[Heel Face Turn]]. In the second season, [[Sword Fight|Fate and Signum]] pair off similarly, maintaining a friendly rivalry even after the ''second'' inevitable [[Heel Face Turn]] (never mind that Fate's [[Just a Kid]] when they meet and Signum is [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old]], respect is respect). Nanoha and Vita, on the other hand, are more like [[The Rival|rivals]] due to the latter's attitude.
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* Mugen and Jin of ''[[Samurai Champloo]]'', from the moment they first meet. Within seconds of coming into contact, they fight to the (almost) death, then get arrested together and commiserate ([[Foe Yay|half naked, too]]), all while swearing to murder each other once they escape.
* Father Anderson and Alucard in ''[[Hellsing]]'' (at least, in the manga and recent OVA). In one sequence from the manga, Alucard watches admiringly as Anderson {{spoiler|slices his way through an army of mooks Alucard summoned in order to have a final showdown with Alucard.}}
* In ''[[
** Applies best to Vegeta, who's Goku's rival/''Lancer''. He hates Goku with a passion through most of the series and spends half that time trying to kill the latest ''[[Big Bad]]'' so he can finally get his fight with Goku. First, he learns to respect Goku, then, he learns to understand Goku's motivations. Finally, ultimately, he makes his peace, recognizes that Goku is simply the better warrior, and, if you don't count ''Dragonball GT'', may even have found peace in his life.
** Earlier in the series, during the Namek arc, Captain Ginyu treats Goku as a worthy challenge for his skills and refuses to take advantage of Jheese's surprise attack. However, when he realises that Goku is actually more than twice as powerful as he is, this attitude goes out the window and he uses his body change technique instead.
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** It's confirmed midway through the Hoenn arc that he mentored Brawly as well. From one badass to another, it seems...
* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|Negi and Kotaro]] in ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' start out this way with Kotaro as Negi's enemy. Tsukuyomi also appears to feel this way about Setsuna ([[Foe Yay|among feelings beyond mere admiration]]).
** And now Tsukuyomi has [[Psycho Lesbian|gone]] [[Stalker
** Fate now considers Negi this. {{spoiler|Indeed, his face heel turn now seems all but guaranteed.}}
* In ''[[Full Metal Panic]]'', apparently [[Stalker
* [[Fist of the North Star|Kenshiro and Raoh]]. The ending of series one even credits Raoh as helping restore stability to the world.
* ''[[Code Geass]]'' gives several examples of this relationship. The most obvious example is Suzaku and Kallen in their piloting skills. Lelouche and Schneizel have this in their [[Magnificent Bastard|Magnificent Bastardry]].
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** Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Whitebeard. The commander-in-chief of the Marines also says he was the best of the pirates.
** Whitebeard and Shanks are both members of the Yonko, reigning over the New World, but when another Yonko, Kaidou, attempted to attack Whitebeard when the latter was distracted trying to rescue Ace from the World Government, Shanks stopped him. And later, {{spoiler|after Whitebeard's death, Shanks stepped in and allowed the Whitebeard pirates to bury his and Ace's bodies without the Marines defacing them.}}
* ''[[Ghost in
* ''[[
* ''[[Legend of Galactic Heroes]]'' has Reinhard von Lohengramm expressing this sentiment towards Yang Wen-li for much of the series, even while he has yet to meet the man in person. Yang, on his side, does not have the personality nor the strategic luxury of being able to consider any of his opponents as 'worthy', but he does at least seem to respect Reinhart's tactical and political acumen. Yang does express sentiments of this nature towards Reinhart's second-in-command, Siegfried Kircheis, after the two met during a hostage exchange and cessation of hostilities agreement, {{spoiler|but nothing more comes of it as Kircheis is assassinated not long afterwards}}.
* Sayoko of ''[[Ah!
* Rou Barabba Dom in ''[[The Irresponsible Captain Tylor]]'' acts this part; his problem is that Tylor doesn't seem to be quite as worthy as Dom thinks he is.
* Kisame towards Might Guy and, in turn, Guy to Kakashi in ''[[Naruto]]''. Guy has trouble remembering who Kisame is, and Kakashi would rather not deal with Guy's idea of a rivalry.
* Bleed/{{spoiler|Jotaro}} Kaga towards Hayato Kazami in ''[[
** Before Kaga, [[Something About a Rose|Randoll]] considers Hayato this. One for a [[Love Triangle]] problem with Asuka Sugo, second for the fact that he's the first one to beat him in a race.
** Leon Earnhardt and Henri Claytor for secondary characters.
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
* The DC [[Elseworlds]] story ''[[Red Son]]'', in which the infant [[
** Every incarnation portrays their relationship this way. Luthor is the one person Superman can't defeat with strength and Superman is the one person Luthor can't [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|control with his wealth.]]
** This is only true of the post crisis continuity, since the golden and silver age Luthor was a known criminal rather than the percieved philanthrapist he is now
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* [[Captain Mar-Vell|Captain Marvel]] (no, [[I Am Not Shazam|not that one]]), after Nitro exposed him to a certain gas, developed cancer. On his deathbed, Mar-Vell was visited by many heroes and champions, but by none of his own creed (little pun there). Yet he was visited by ''a Skrull high commander'', the people who had been in war with his species since fuck knows when, who then ''commemorates'' him with the highest honour an opponent of the Skrull could have.
** But wait! There is more! As Mar-Vell reaches Death's door...He sees [[Thanos]] [[Omnicidal Maniac|of Titan]], who was dead at that time. He walks up to him and says that an end like this was unworthy of [[Worthy Opponent|his greatest enemy]] and then proceeds to battle him, [[The Undead|calling forth upon the souls of defeated enemies of the Captain]] until he reaches Death, and hence, relief and rest from life's burdens. Some say this is Starlin's best work.
* In the ''[[X Wing Series]]'' comics, readers encounter the Baron Soontir Fel, the Empire's [[Ace Pilot|best pilot]] since Vader died. He's death on a pair of twin ionizing engines, but unlike [[Card-Carrying Villain|nearly every other Imperial in the series]], he doesn't wallow in evilness. Far from it: [[What You Are in
* [[Disney Ducks Comic Universe|Scrooge McDuck]] and Arpin Lusene have a Rich Victim - [[Gentleman Thief]] type of mutual respect in [[Don Rosa]]'s comics. Lusene is a very good sport about losing, and Scrooge admits that the Frenchman is the greatest threat his fortune has (which says a lot, coming from him).
* In one issue of Marvel's ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' comic, Ace and Wild Weasel (with Lady Jaye and [[The Baroness]] as co-pilots) accidentally encounter each other while flying their jet fighters one day. They spend the entire issue using every trick they know to try to shoot the other out of the sky. At the end, they both realize that they're completely out of ammunition. They fly their heavily-damaged planes past each other close enough to [[It Has Been an Honor|salute]], then fly home (while their respective co-pilots ask, "That's it? We're just going to let them go?").
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== Fanfiction ==
* Hilariously subverted in the ''[[Firefly]]'' fanfic ''[[
* [[Villain Protagonist]] Tyrin Lieph and the [[Man Behind the Man|advisor]] to the krogan overlord, Halak Marr, in ''[[
* Katara and Azula in ''Avatar The Last Airbender Revised''. Over the course of various battles and confrontations, the two develop a begrudging respect for each other.
* In the ''[[Teen Titans (
* In the ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Evangelion]]'' fic ''[[Nobody Dies]]'', Zeruel appears to consider Shinji Ikari to be this. According to Junior, Zeruel actually fears Shinji, and this is why, when he attacks, he singles Shinji out among all other opposition. Shinji himself is rather astonished by that revelation.
{{quote| '''Shinji''': "That... that thing killed three Cherubim, took a nuclear missile to the ''face'' and it's ''afraid'' of me?"<br />
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* Said by resident badass Tai Lung in ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'': "So that's his name? Po. Finally! A worthy opponent! Our Battle will be legendary!" [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|And, oh, what a worthy opponent Po was....]]
* [[Rango]] receives this from [[The Dreaded|Rattlesnake Jake]] at the end of the film. "I tip my hat to you. One legend to another."
* [[Defied Trope]] by [[The Joker]] in ''[[Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker]]'', as he is about to finally kill off Bruce Wayne/Batman.
{{quote| '''The Joker:''' Adios, Brucie. I guess I should salute you as a worthy adversary and all that, but the truth is I really did hate your guts. ''**Blows raspberries at Bruce**''}}
* This is essentially the view the Colonel has of the wild horse by the end of ''[[Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron]]'', as evidenced by the scene where he subtly nods to him and rides away on his own horse.
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And later:<br />
'''Patton''': "You know, Dick, if I had my way, I'd meet Rommel face to face; him in his tank and me in mine. We'd meet out there somewhere... salute each other, maybe drink a toast, then we'd button up and do battle. The winner would decide the outcome of [[World War II|the entire war]]." }}
* In ''[[The Princess Bride (
* The World War II movie ''The Enemy Below'', in which U-boat captain Von Stolberg (Curt Jurgens) was the [[Worthy Opponent]] of destroyer escort captain Murrell (Robert Mitchum).
* ''[[Star Trek Nemesis]]'' is quite literally about an equal and opposite opponent to Picard, a clone of him who grew up in different circumstances.
* Bill Cutting from ''[[Gangs of New York]]'' considered Priest Vallon, the leader of the Irish immigrant gang, the last man he could truly respect. After the gang battle in the beginning of the movie ends in Vallon's death, Cutting orders that Vallon's body "will cross over whole", while the other dead are mutilated for trophies, and is himself buried beside Vallon at the end.
* The Operative from ''[[
* In ''[[Troy]]'', Achilles eventually comes to feel this way about his nemesis Hector, despite having already killed and desecrated him in vengeance for the death of [[Ho Yay|his cousin]]. Also, Hector's father, King Priam's attitude towards Achilles himself ("We are still enemies tonight. But even enemies can show respect.").
* Detective Lt. Vincent Hanna of the LAPD and master thief Neil McCauley in Michael Mann's ''[[Heat]]'' are excellent examples of this trope; see especially the scene where Hanna pulls over McCauley's car and suggests they go grab a cup of coffee.
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* The [[Predator]] in both movies lets the human who shows most combat ability (Dutch and Harrigan) fight him in more even circumstances, with the alien removing its mask and [[Shoulder Cannon]].
** ''Predator 2'' shows that they are willing to reward a human who has managed to kill one of their own and let that person walk away.
* In the 2000's film ''[[King Arthur (
* ''[[Kingdom of Heaven]]'' features this with the rivalry between King Baldwin of Jerusalem and Saladin of the Muslims. The backstory mentions that they've been warring on and off for at least a decade, with Baldwin winning a smashing victory when he was only 16 before he contracted leprosy. When their armies meet again, after Saladin marches to avenge his sister's death, they meet in the middle of the battlefield and Baldwin promises that [[Complete Monster|Raynald]], the knight who raided a caravan under Saladin's protection, will be rightfully punished. Saladin accepts this and offers his physician's services to Baldwin, whose condition drastically worsened due to the forced march. After Baldwin dies and Guy takes over, Guy provokes an open war, [[Too Dumb to Live|marching his army into the middle of the freaking hot desert with no water or supplies]], where they are cut to pieces. He is taken captive by Saladin, who asks him, "Were you not in the presence of a great king long enough to learn by his example?". When Saladin reaches Jerusalem, Guy is [[Humiliation Conga|stripped down, tied to a donkey, and paraded before the city walls to the raucous laughter of the Muslim army]].
* In ''[[The Battle of Algiers]]'', Col. Mathieu pays his respects to a fallen foe.
** "I will say that I had the opportunity to admire the moral strength, intelligence, and wavering idealism demonstrated by {{spoiler|Ben M'Hidi}}. For these reasons, although remembering the danger he represented, I do not hesitate to pay homage to his memory."
* ''[[Monty Python and The Holy Grail]]'' has an explicit example. When Arthur has just cut off the Black Knight's arm, he utters: "Now stand aside, worthy adversary!"
* Near the very end of ''[[Smokey and
* [[
* By the end of ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]] The Curse Of The Black Pearl'', Commodore Norrington seems to have developed a grudging admiration for Captain Sparrow and Will Turner, [[Mercy Lead|going so far as to give them a head start when Jack yet again escapes his hanging and they give chase.]]
* ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' gives us Captain Lorth Needa, who sacrifices himself to save his crew from [[You Have Failed Me|Vader's wrath]].
* In ''Red Dog'', this is mentioned as a possible reason as to why Red Dog and Red Cat became friends.
* In the [[Sherlock Holmes]] movies with [[Robert Downey, Jr.]], this is [[The Chessmaster|Moriarty's]] fascination with Sherlock.
* [[Zatoichi]] has met several in his [[Long Runners|long career]], but a notable one is the [[Ronin]] [[Victorian Novel Disease|Hirate]] from the first film. Ichi sheds tears after their inevitable duel to the death, pays for Hirate's funeral and returns to visit his grave later.
* Captain Hook in [[Hook]]. Beaten by Peter: "Well done, Peter. Good form."
== [[Literature]] ==
* In the ''[[
** Victor Cachat and Anton Zilwicki.
* In [[David Gemmell]]'s ''Ravenheart''. One of the Villain's men, Huntsekker, kills one of his own men for breaking a promise made to one of the enemy
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** It is also interesting to note that when Maurice Le Blanc needed a worthy opponent to his own character, [[Arsène Lupin]], especially as Ganimard simply wasn't cutting it, he instead decided to use Sherlock Holmes, though for copyright reasons, his name was changed to Herlock Shears or Homlock Sholmes (who lives in ''Parker Street'' with his roommate ''Wilson''). The first Crossover, where Sherlock Holmes arrives too late, kept the original names, however. Since Holmes became Public Domain, most editions today change it back to the original names.
* The ''[[Sharpe]]'' books often included this type of character among the French ranks. Often, the character would be a portrayal of a real French officer whom the author respected. In a military context, this character [[Justified Trope|makes more sense]].
* In the ''[[Aubrey
* Sergey Golovko or the Soviet Union as a whole in [[Tom Clancy]] novels.
** Yet never anyone from China or the Middle East. [[Unfortunate Implications]] abound.
* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' ''[[Eisenhorn]]'' novels, Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn regards the [[Sealed Evil in
* Rudyard Kipling's ''The Ballad of East and West'' is a prolonged exploration of this trope, culminating in the purportedly villainous character being so impressed with his enemy that he sends his own son to serve as the hero's bodyguard.
* In Scott's ''The Talisman'', Sir Kenneth and the Saracen.
* The titular magicians from ''[[Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell]]'' never lose their mutual respect for each other's abilities, even as their rivalry grows more intense.
* ''[[
* The Canim from the ''[[Codex Alera]]'' series consider one of these better to have than a friend.
** Specifically, they have a term for "trusted enemy", which is ''gadara''. To be a ''gadara'' is to be highly respected, both as an opponent and a peer; for example, a ''gadara'' can enter his own ''gadara's'' camp and expect to not be attacked by the guards, as only ''gadara'' can spill their blood. ''Gadara'' are, however, still ''technically'' enemies, just [[Friendly Enemy|friendly ones.]] Warmaster Varg considers his own ''son'' as ''gadara'' to him, and vice versa.
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** Also, Domodara, to a lesser extent, and {{spoiler|before ''their'' [[Heel Face Turn|Heel Face Turns]], Kungas and Vasudeva}}. In fact, the Rajputs and the Kushans in general, being [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Proud Warrior Races]], kind of qualify for this.
* In ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]'', Uther Pendragon cries because the death of a viking king he slew, calling him a good enemy.
* Lancer and Saber in ''[[Fate
* Emeth, the good Calormene from [[
* [[The Dresden Files|Harry Dresden]] and Gentleman Johnny Marcone seem to invoke this trope even though they seem to end up working together more often than not. Both mistrust yet respect the other's accomplishments. Marcone seems to always keep his word and, in ''Small Favor'', refused to be rescued before the twelve year old Archive. {{spoiler|Also, when Harry found out about the comatose girl, he told Marcone that he could keep the Shroud of Turin for three days as long as he mailed it back afterward.}}
** Harry also earned this status with the Erlking, Faerie Lord of goblins and master of [[The Wild Hunt]]. He initially pissed off the Erlking by trying to bind him in place to save the world (long story, involving ghosts, ghouls, necromancers, and a couple of very important books) and the Erlking intended to kill Harry for the offense, but then Harry {{spoiler|raised a freaking T-Rex zombie and rode it to war}}, which impressed the Erlking so much that he put off the impending wizard-killing until their next meeting. When they ''do'' meet again, the Erlking sarcastically refers to Harry as a "guest" and Harry [[Sacred Hospitality|latched onto that like a bulldog]], further impressing the Erlking with his quick mind and [[Politeness Judo]].
* Varr in [[Ben Counter]]'s ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' novel ''[[Soul Drinkers
* Simok Aratap in Asimov's ''The Stars Like Dust''.
{{quote| '''Rizzett:''' You know, if the Tyranni were all like him, damned if I wouldn't join their fleet.}}
* The Earl of Thirsk is regarded by the protagonists in ''[[Safehold]]'' to be the single most dangerous commander the enemy has. Given that he was able to score the first victories against the otherwise [[Curb Stomp Battle|Curb Stomping]] Imperial Charisian Navy, this assessment is completely justified.
* In the ''[[Iron Man (
* Patrius in the ''[[Farsala Trilogy]]''.
* Given that it's set in a war-torn universe with prominent [[Humongous Mecha]], ''[[
* The Science Fiction and Fantasy of [[Poul Anderson]] are full of worthy opponents; in fact, the opponents in most of his works fit into this type. For example, in the novel ''Star Fox'', a relationship of grudging respect is built up between the hero, space privateer Gunnar Heim, and his enemy, Cynbe, an exceptionally gifted member of the alien Alerione, trained from a young age to understand his species' human enemies to the point of being alienated from his own kind. In the final scene, Cynbe challenges Heim to a space battle which only one of them would survive. Heim accepts, whereupon Cynbe says, "I thank you, my brother."
* In [[Wilkie Collins]]'s epistolary novel ''[[
* Bungo Pete in ''Run Silent, Run Deep''.
* Captain Marco Ramius and the titular submarine to Captain Bart Mancuso and the ''USS Dallas'' in ''[[The Hunt for Red October]].'' The two actually ally and help command the same submarine in the later book ''The Cardinal of the Kremlin'' {{spoiler|several years after the former's defection}}.
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* [[Sherlock Holmes]] and Professor Moriarty: at their fateful last encounter, gentleman Moriarty lets Holmes write a farewell letter to Watson before starting their fight to the death, and Holmes knows he can trust Moriarty to wait patiently until the letter is finished and not to push him into the nearby falls while his attention is on the paper.
* Ned Stark felt this way about the Kingsguard he and his companions had to slay in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]].'' One particular instance that highlights this is when Ned makes it a point to return [[Knight in Shining Armor|Arthur Dayne's]] sword, Dawn, back to his family.
* The marlin that nearly kills Santiago in ''[[The Old Man and
* Martel is portrayed this way in [[The Elenium]], despite his betrayal of the Pandion Knights. Before the final duel, he espresses a similar sentiment about Kurik. {{spoiler|When Martel is killed, Sparhawk and Sephrenia both mourn over him, and Martel calls them "the only two people that I ever loved"}}
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* The Romulan commander in the ''[[Star Trek]]'' episode "Balance of Terror", as quoted above. This episode was specifically inspired by the movie ''The Enemy Below'' (see the Film section above).
** The [[Lady of War|Female Romulan Commander]] in ''The Enterprise Incident''.
** It is extremely common throughout the [[Star Trek:
** In the movie ''[[Star Trek II:
** Also from Trek (and also Romulan), Commander Sela was Data's Worthy Foe - a concept ''[[Star Trek:
** [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]: ''By Inferno's Light''. Worf has spent the last several days fighting Jem'Hadar in death matches. When he finally faces the biggest and most badass of them, his refusal to quit makes the Jem'Hadar back down.
{{quote| '''Ikat'ika:''' I yield. I cannot defeat this Klingon. All I can do is kill him. And that no longer holds my interest.}}
* Of the three men who pursue [[
* This is sort-of played with on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' with the segment "Formidable Opponent", where Stephen debates ''himself'', with the footage flipped and the background color changed (from red to blue, naturally).
** Similarly, red and blue ties.
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* Mr. Wolf, leader of a bank-robbing team of former Marines, who engages in an epic duel of wits and will with police negotiator Horst Cali in ''Kill Point''.
* Steven Keane from ''[[Highlander the Series|Highlander: The Series]]''.
* Hilarious subverted in ''[[
{{quote| '''Baron von Richthoven:''' Ah, and the Lord Flasheart. This is indeed an honour. Finally, the two greatest gentleman fliers in the world meet. Two men of honour, who have jousted together in the cloud-strewn glory of the skies, face to face at last. How often I have rehearsed this moment of destiny in my dreams. The panoply to encapsulate the unspoken nobility of a comradeship.<br />
'''Lord Flasheart: (Shoots him)''' What a poof! }}
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* In the pilot of ''[[Firefly]]'', Mal calls a previous clash with Patience a "legitimate conflict of interest"; this is not QUITE this but almost.
** Early may be interpreted as having a bit of respect for Simon, at least enough to know that he could only threaten him with Kaylee.
* Delenn and Sinclair expressed respect for each other's race because of the [[Babylon
* FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy was this to the titular character of ''[[Dexter]]'' in season two. Dexter even uses the term himself after {{spoiler|Lundy's death in season four.}}
* ''[[The West Wing]]'': Republican presidential candidate Arnold Vinick. He had an almost sure-fire way of beating Santos but didn't use it, simply because it would have been dishonourable.
* In ''[[The X-Files]]'' episode "Pusher", the supernaturally persuasive Robert Patrick Modell is looking for this. He finds it in Mulder, whom he then tries to destroy (it fails). In the sequel episode, Modell's sister tries to pick up where he left off.
** In "Two Fathers", The Cigarette Smoking Man reveals that he sees Mulder as this by telling his son ''"You pale in comparison with Agent Mulder."''
* Fuwa Juzo from ''[[Samurai Sentai Shinkenger]]'' sees Shiba Takeru/Shinken Red as the biggest opponent for him and is very obsessed with [[Duel to
** The same can be said for his [[Power Rangers Samurai]] counterpart, Deker.
** Before that, there was Grey from [[Choujin Sentai Jetman]], who formed this type of relationship with [[The Lancer]], Gai. Over the course of the show, the two dueled every time they saw each other. This culminated when {{spoiler|the two had their final duel (which Gai won), and ended with Gai lighting a cigarette in remembrance of Grey. In the end, they were [[Not So Different]].}}
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== Mythology ==
* Hector and Achilles of [[Homer]]'s ''[[
** Hector was an honorable man and considered a worthy foe by many of the Achaean heroes fighting at Troy. Achilles had no such feelings for the man; he spent the early parts of the war pissed at his own leaders and the later parts in nothing less than a homicidal rage toward everyone after Hector killed Patroclus, and spent a lot of time and effort trying to desecrate Hector's corpse. Although he did relent after he'd taken his revenge and cooled down a bit. Achilles actually seemed to think more of Hector's father, Priam, as a worthy opponent (in the overall war) when the latter came to beg for his son's body for proper burial. Achilles agreed to allow Hector the honor he deserved, but Priam's love for his son and his bravery in coming alone to the Greek ships also got to him.
** Also, the Amazon queen Penthesilea to Achilles. In fact, this, according to some commentators at least, goes all the way into [[I Love the Dead]] territory (see the trope's page in question).
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== Theatre ==
* ''[[
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* Gogandantes, [[Insistent Terminology|the Greatest Swordsman of]] ''[[Insistent Terminology|all]]'' [[Insistent Terminology|the Demons]], from ''[[Onimusha]] 2'', is essentially a demonic ''[[Samurai]]''. He appears to be entirely invincible, but repeatedly refuses to finish off the hero, since that would be dishonorable. During the hero's final fight against him, he rescues the main love-interest from a fiery death before engaging him in an honorable duel. When, thanks to a magic flute, you actually defeat him, the hero acknowledges his honor and skill as he dies. [[What a Senseless Waste of Human Life|What a senseless waste of demon life...]]
** Given that the higher-ranked demons in ''[[Onimusha]]'' are of a western bent and Gogandantes uses a straight sword and a fencing stance, he's probably closer to a demonic ''knight'' than a samurai. Still, chivalry, bushido, close enough.
* It is stated repeatedly throughout ''[[Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney]]'' that one of the primary reasons Phoenix became a defense attorney is that he could meet his childhood friend Miles Edgeworth in court, as Edgeworth is a prosecutor. Despite their positions as adversaries in court, their mutual desire for justice leads them to jointly take down quite a few criminals. In the fourth game, Apollo Justice gets his own [[Worthy Opponent]], Klavier Gavin.
* Vergil from ''[[Devil May Cry]]'' fills this role in the third outing and, arguably, somewhat in the first, as well, being [[Cain and Abel|Dante's brother]], with a definite tendency towards only using melee weapons.
** He nearly invokes this trope with his devil triggered catchphrase 'You are not worthy as my opponent!'
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** In ''Revenge of Meta Knight'', he'll wait thirty seconds for you to pick up the sword before starting the fight. This seems insignificant until you realize that you are both on [[Honor Before Reason|a giant warship that is about to crash into the ocean.]]
* The ''[[Drakengard]]'' games have two examples. The first game has Caim and Inuart. Inuart bemoans early in the game how he is never as strong as Caim, but when [[Rival Turned Evil|he turns evil,]] he gains the power of a pact with a dragon and handily defeats Caim in a tense cinematic. They hold each other to a certain standard as Inuart doesn't take advantage of the situation to kill Caim. The second game has Caim appear as the [[Worthy Opponent]] to Nowe, the protagonist of that game. Caim's duel with Nowe is only a formality as Nowe isn't the one Caim wants dead, and Caim only fights Nowe long enough to weaken him and achieve his real objective, which, once learned, is actually [[Anti-Villain|quite sympathetic.]]
* ''[[
** Also, the explanation given about his backstory puts emphasis on the fact that, although he did some monstrous things, it was to help other half-elves out and to protect them. He was considered a hero of sorts among his people. He probably even grew up hearing horrible stories about humans or seeing the racism first hand. He, Pronyma, and Magnius were all monsters, yeah, {{spoiler|[[Well-Intentioned Extremist|but they simply wanted a better world for their kind.]] [[He Who Fights Monsters|It was how they went about it that made them into the monsters we encountered.]] [[Pet the Dog|For all we know, Magnius was a relatively nice guy when just his half-elven troops were around.]]}} For all we know, without the racism and stuff, the Five Grand Cardinals might have been friends with the group. Except [[A Nazi
* Wodan Ymir in ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Original Generation 2'' to Sanger Zonvolt, his still-living [[Alternate Universe]] counterpart. In one battle, he actually helps Sanger out [[Enemy Mine|versus another enemy faction]] because he is [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You|The Only One Allowed To Defeat Him]].
* In ''[[Battle Moon Wars]]'', [[Fate/stay
* Forsythe from ''[[Nintendo Wars|Advance Wars: Days of Ruin]]'' fights on the side of the Lazurian army, but is a kind-hearted general who stands by a strict code of honor and turns down Caulder's offer to resort to dirty tactics when fighting against Brenner and the Rubinelle army. When he is defeated, he promptly surrenders without resistance {{spoiler|and is killed by Admiral Greyfield}}, leaving his subordinates Tasha and Gage to fly the Lazurian banner for him after his loss.
** In the Wars World-based ''Advance Wars'' trilogy, Hawke of the Black Hole army holds some grudging respect for young Orange Star CO Andy. In ''Dual Strike'', he {{spoiler|and his Perky Hench-Goth Lash switch sides and help them fight the remnants of the Bolt Guard during the last few missions}}. Hawke and Andy even get a bonus when teaming up in ''Dual Strike'' multiplayer.
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** Camus in the first game of the [[Fire Emblem Akaneia|Akaneia series]] is the trend setter.
** Eltshan and Ishtar of the first and second gen respectively in ''[[Fire Emblem Jugdral|Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War]]''.
** Generals Selena, Duessel, and Glen from ''[[
** The Black Knight in ''[[Fire Emblem Tellius
*** This is exacerbated in the sequel, ''Radiant Dawn,'' especially once you discover his true identity: {{spoiler|General Zelgius of the Begnion military}}. He fights his opponents on equal ground, grants them mercy if their deaths are unnecessary, and, in his final battle with Ike, emphasizes how he is mainly fighting Ike to test his own strength - hence why he won't accept having unfair advantages over his foes. This isn't quite the case when the Daein army ''controls'' him, as [[Crutch Character|he can easily wipe out their enemies without breaking a sweat, although it is not recommended.]]
** General Bryce in ''Path of Radiance'' too, contrasted with [[Badass Grandpa|General]] [[Cool Old Guy|Tauroneo]]. Even after [[Big Bad|Ashnard]] tells him that he {{spoiler|murdered anyone between him and the Daein throne}}, Bryce still fights for Daein.
** ''Fire Emblem'' (Burning Blade in Japan, or just FE outside it) has the Four Fangs {{spoiler|or, at least, the Reed brothers and Uhai, since Ursula seems to have switched loyalties to Sonia, who's one of Nergal's Dragons}}. If you send Hector, Eliwood, Lyn, or [[Defector From Decadence|Legault]] to fight any one of them, they say that [[Honor Before Reason|regardless of whether you're bad guys or not, it's their mission to kill you]].
*** There's also Lord Lundgren's [[Dragon]], General Eagler, who mentored [[Straight Man|Kent]] and [[Chivalrous Pervert|Sain]] and was a contemporary of [[Bald of Awesome|Wallace]]. Additionally, the heroes constantly gush over how amazing he is. {{spoiler|He's also somehow being manipulated by Lundgren into fighting the heroes, though we never find out exactly how.}}
* In ''[[Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater]]'', Ocelot and Naked Snake view one another as [[Worthy Opponent|Worthy Opponents]] even though they stand at opposite sides of the Cold War. This causes Ocelot to act like a [[Stalker
** Also, [[Cold Sniper|The End]] seeks to end his life with a [[Sniping Mission|sniper duel]] against a worthy opponent - the player.
** After defeating Sniper Wolf, Snake comforts her and delivers the [[Mercy Kill|final blow]] while telling her that she died without betraying her ideals.
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* ''[[Ace Combat]] 04: Shattered Skies''' Yellow Thirteen calls [[AFGNCAAP|Mobius]] [[Player Character|One]] this after Mobius One makes a name for himself, and it's reinforced after Mobius One {{spoiler|destroys Stonehenge and shoots down Yellow Thirteen's wingman, Yellow Four}}. Mobius One, however, proves that he's actually ''better'', {{spoiler|shooting Yellow Thirteen down during the Siege of Farbanti}}.
** ''[[Ace Combat]]'', as a rule, tends to do this quite a bit, throwing entire ''squadrons'' of Worthy Opponents at the player. In fact, the [[Karma Meter|Knight path]] in ''The Belkan War'' was specifically designed for the player to be a [[Worthy Opponent]] to the enemy aces. Also, from the Soldier Path, Erich Hillenberand (Schnee 1) considers Cipher a worthy opponent and says that he would be glad to fly with him again (even though he became a civilian pilot instructor after the war).
* Admiral Gregorio in ''[[
** The soldier in charge of shipping the remains is told that the corpse is more valuable than his life.
** This becomes [[Harsher in Hindsight]] when Galcian later {{spoiler|[[Rocks Fall Everybody Dies|summons the Rains of Destruction from the Yellow Moon]].}}
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* The Amarr and Minmatar roleplayers in ''[[Eve Online]]'' view each other this way. Out of character, they recognize that the only real difference between them is which fictional nation they chose to fight for.
** An excellent example is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTGiAo5CU30 this video], made by the Amarr alliance CVA in tribute to their enemies, the Minmatar alliance Ushra'Khan.
* Boomerang and Lucied from ''[[
* ''[[The Suffering]]: Ties That Bind'' has a strange variation on this. Copperfield is the ghost of a slave catcher, and as Torque's ancestors were slaves, Copperfield continues to hunt Torque down. He seems rather pleased that Torque puts up such a struggle, especially when compared to everyone else who just died, and compliments him on his actions and fighting style. The feeling is ''not'' mutual.
* In the [[Backstory]] of ''[[Knights of the Old Republic (
{{quote| '''Canderous:''' We wanted to fight the best in a battle that would be remembered for centuries, and Revan won. I don't hold a grudge against Revan, and neither do any of my people. {{spoiler|(Not realizing at the time that he's talking to the mind-wiped Revan. Dialogue is slightly different if it's accessed after [[The Reveal]].)}}}}
* Played with in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'', where Grunt, the resident [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] who was apparently built from the ground up to be the ultimate example of the krogan species, lays out the ''krogan'' definition of a [[Worthy Opponent]]: an enemy who does indeed test you in battle, but then whom you ''utterly destroy''. Apparently, the krogan mindset says that the greatest honor that can be offered to an enemy is to completely wipe them out; to the krogan, the worst insult they can offer is to say someone isn't worth fighting and slaughtering.
** In the first ''[[
** It's arguable that the [[Eldritch Abomination|Reapers]] see Shepard as this as well, considering how [[Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?|s/he continues to thwart their efforts at a galactic harvest]] and [[Why Won't You Die?|just won't die]], something no organic has done in recorded history.
*** Harbinger labels him/her "an annoyance", and given that the Reapers see organic life as nothing more than an accident and organics themselves lower than dirt, this is probably the biggest compliment they're going to make to an opponent.
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{{quote| '''Arishok''': (To Hawke) "You alone are Basalit-an<ref>an outsider worthy of respect</ref>." (To the nobles) "This is what respect looks like bas! Some of you will never earn it!"}}
* Thassarian and Koltira Deathweaver in ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' regard each other like this following the end of the Scourge war. However, in a twist, it is Thassarian's fault to begin with that they're on opposite sides, as it was he who told Koltira to join the Horde instead of coming with him to the Alliance.
* Bowser of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' considers the Mario Brothers to be worthy opponents, and enjoys fighting them, even though he really wishes he could win against them. But, hey, they're the ''[[Back-to-Back Badasses|Mario Bros]]''. He beat Mario [[Paper Mario|once]], in tradition with most examples of this trope, he sees it as quite a feat.
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda:
** Although minor in their appearance, the [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja|Garo]] [[Ninja|Ninjas]] consider Link a worthy opponent. They not only praise him upon their defeat, but also provide him with some helpful tips as a token of their respect before they finally [[No Body Left Behind|dispose of their own bodies]].
** Ganondorf has shades of this in the ''The Wind Waker,'' where the tragic circumstances of the storyline have granted his feud with the Hero a rather profoundly personal significance. He goes so far as to declare his belief that Link must be the "Hero of Time, reborn" and their clash a matter of fate. This is a notable departure from the majority of the games, where Ganondorf is either completely [[Ax Crazy]] or suicidally overconfidant to the point of dimissing the Hero outright.
* [[Wings (
{{quote| I waved to the single approaching Fokker, partly in greeting, partly to say goodbye. There probably wasn't a reason to risk our lives, yet what better way to say goodbye than one final man-to-man dogfight?}}
** This is applied especially strongly to the case of Baron von Richtoffen, who killed many Allied fighters, and yet was admired by them. [[Truth in Television]], as this mirrors the Allied perception of him in real life.
* In the air combat game ''Crimson Skies 2'', a mission requires you to commandeer a Zeppelin. At the end of the mission, you receive a letter from the Captain of said zeppelin thanking you for your mercy and courtesy regarding the passengers, and finishes his letter by saying "I wish we had met under different circumstances".
* Dr. Eggman has this view of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', once even solumnly refering to him as his "admirable adversary" when he believes he has finally taken him out. ''[[
* In ''[[The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim]]'', the dragons see the player character, who is "''Dovahkiin''" (literally, "Dragonborn," a mortal blessed by the gods with the soul of a dragon) as a worthy adversary, both due to personal prowess and also out of respect toward a fellow dragon. Despite the fact that they are ''[[The Dreaded|terrified]]'' of the player (because [[Your Soul Is Mine|only the Dragonborn can permanently slay them by consuming their souls]]) they will still attack the Dragonborn and refuse to back down, willingly testing their [[Make Me Wanna Shout|Thu'um]] against your own. The fact that Alduin, their leader, {{spoiler|flees when you overwhelm him with the Dragonrend shout}} eventually makes the other dragons question his leadership because he fled rather than stand and fight to the death.
* In ''[[
* [[The Rival|Rivals]] in ''[[Pokémon]]'' series start thinking of you as such during the second half of the game. The first half they are just the fans' [[The Scrappy|Scrappies]] [[Jerkass|for a reason]].
** Taken [[Up to Eleven]] with [[Big Bad|N]] from ''[[Pokémon Black and White]]''. He starts actually thinking otherwise of Pokémon Trainers after the first time he meets you. And then {{spoiler|[[Man Behind the Man|Ghetsis]] comes}}.
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== Visual Novels ==
* Lancer (again, see above ''[[Fate
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*** The guy '''blew off Dominic's leg in revenge for saving his life and soul'''. Well, actually, revenge for being right when Celesto was wrong, but still.
** The fact that they're each the only powerful seer the other one knows and keep running into each other in extreme contexts mean that they ''get'' one another in ways no one else does, which may be part of why their [[The Rival|rivalry]] isn't as bitter as it may be.
* ''[[
** Hank seems to be one of these to Haley, to contrast her [[Arch Enemy]] Crystal. In the [[Backstory]], he warns Haley that Crystal will be after her when she leaves the thieves' guild, and when they meet again as opponents, they clearly have some mutual respect.
** More recently, [[Evil Overlord|General Tarquin]] views [[The Hero|Roy]] as one, respecting him as an intelligent, resourceful warrior. It gets to the point that he {{spoiler|appoints himself to the Linear Guild in place of [[The Brute|Thog]], who Roy does ''not'' view as either a proper [[Evil Counterpart]] or [[Worthy Opponent]]}}, just to get the chance to fight Roy himself.
*** When the ''entire Order'' (minus V) assaults him (thinking he's Thog thanks to some quick acting) Tarquin's response to seeing five high-level adventurers charging straight toward him? [[Blood Knight|"Magnificent."]]
* Colonel Pranger's [[Private Military Contractor|mercenary company]], Pranger's Bangers, from ''[[
* The Paladin considers Sebastian this in [[True Villains]].
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== Web Original ==
* In ''[[The Antithesis]]'', Yahweh, the leader of Heaven, and Lucifer, the leader of Hell, become friendly enemies when a Civil War between the angels and demons tragically force them to oppose one another. Previously, both had worked together as scientists in Heaven's main corporation for Technology and Science, 'The Plexus', and though now friendly enemies, they still strive for the same objective: peace between Heaven and Hell.
* In the ''[[
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Prince Zuko from ''[[
* Robin and the second Red X in ''[[Teen Titans (
* ''[[The Venture Brothers]]''' Brock Samson and Molotov Cocktease are one part this, two parts really ''frustrating'' [[Foe Yay]].
{{quote| '''Brock Samson''': "[[Shut UP, Hannibal|Could you spare me the 'We're not so different' speech? I kinda get that a lot.]]"}}
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** A warrior cursed by Aku to spend eternity encrusted in the rockbed but who then managed to shape himself into a huge lava monster actually ''begged'' Jack to become his [[Worthy Opponent]] and strike him down in a battle in order to lift the curse and free his spirit.
** Desperate to beat Jack, Aku enlisted a tribe of superb hunters from another planet to capture the elusive samurai. They scored a success but, unfortunately for himself, Aku [[Did Not Do the Research]] and thus didn't know that, by the hunters' custom, a prey that demonstrated such remarkable prowness as Jack deserved to run free.
* The titular character of ''[[Where
* Zim and Dib from ''[[Invader Zim]]'' are certainly worthy of one another. [[Failure Is the Only Option|Doesn't mean they are particularly good at what they do though]].
* ''[[
* ''[[Peter Pan]]'' has Captain Hook, who views Peter as this. Peter doesn't really care, but when Hook thinks he's killed Pan, he says "So passes a [[Worthy Opponent]]."
* Storm Shadow on ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' was usually portrayed this way. He eventually makes a [[Heel Face Turn]].
* In the ''[[
* [[Complete Monster|Dr. Robotnik]] tells Sonic that he's this in ''[[Sonic Sat AM]].''
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** Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's own opinion about the ANZACs can be read [[wikipedia:File:Attaturkswords5.jpg|here]].
* Many of the old guard in the United States military regarded the Soviet Union as having been a fine and worthwhile adversary - at least when the prospect of nukes wasn't involved. The two superpowers stood toe-to-doe for decades without managing to get into a [direct] shooting war with each other, and often copied each others' tactical doctrines and combat innovations. Especially among the United States Navy and double among the submarines, now largely without a job, it's not unknown for senior American officers to lament the fall of the Soviet Union - fighting terrorists just isn't the same, and mileage varies on the idea of China as a replacement adversary.
** Many upper intelligence officers and diplomats of both sides found a strange comfort in the certainties of the Cold War. The enemy was clearly defined, (mostly) equally armed, and, in many ways, [[Not So Different]]. After the Cold War, things went upside down and, suddenly, you have [[The War
* There are several instances of the Victoria Cross being awarded (posthumously) in World War II partly or, in one case, entirely on the recommendation of German officers:
** The destroyer HMS ''Glowworm'' fought the much larger German cruiser ''Admiral Hipper'', ramming the larger vessel before being sunk. The captain of ''Glowworm'', Lieutenant Commander [[wikipedia:Gerard Broadmead Roope|Gerard Broadmead Roope]], received the Victoria Cross in part at the urging of the commander of the ''Hipper'', who wrote to the British via the Red Cross of the courage displayed by the skipper of the much smaller Royal Navy vessel.
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* Perhaps all the more poignant for the fact that the [[Worthy Opponent]]'s name or even his unit is not known, Israeli pilot Asher Snir's story of an encounter with a Syrian [[Mi G]]-17 during the 1970 War of Attrition: [http://www.mirage4fs.com/iaf_m3cj.html The Man in the MiG]
* At [[The American Revolution|The Battle of Bemis Heights (Second Battle of Saratoga),]] Daniel Morgan ordered sharpshooter Timothy Murphy to kill British General Simon Fraser with these words: "That gallant officer is General Fraser. I admire him, but it is necessary that he should die, do your duty."
* [[Friendly Sniper|Carlos Hathcock]] and the Viet Cong sniper [[Only Known
* [[The Ace|Duke Cunningham]] also found a [[Worthy Opponent]] with the still not reliably identified North Vietnames fighter pilot variously called Nyugen Toon or [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Tomb ]] who engaged him in a dog fight he only managed to win by the hair of his teeth.
* To this day, the Mexican military respects the French Foreign Legion ''a lot'' for the Battle of Camarón. A Mexican soldier meeting a Legionnaire salutes...even if the Mexican is a general and the Legionnaire a private.
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