Defeat Means Friendship: Difference between revisions

[[File:fatenanohabattle 1249.jpg|link=Lyrical Nanoha|frame|"Nanoha's Guide To Making Friends: 100% Effective Or Your Money Back!"]]

 

 

In a series based around an endless series of [[My Kung Fu Is Stronger Than Yours|one-on-one fights]], defeating a [[Worthy Opponent]] or [[The Rival]] will sometimes [[Magnetic Hero|convert them to the hero's side]], if not always to his cause. Furthermore, no matter how many people the [[Worthy Opponent]] has killed, how much grief he has caused, even if he slaughtered helpless children or the hero's own family, as soon as he shows a bit of remorse or goes out of his way to help the hero even once, he will be welcomed into the hero's circle of [[True Companions]] [[Easily Forgiven|with open arms]].

----

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* ''[[Pretty Sammy|Magical Project S]]'': after Pixy Misa is beaten in the "journey to the mind" episode she befriends and even fights alongside Sammy.

*** Though, according to ch78, not the entire story - {{spoiler|Kid, being a naive rich guy with symmetry on the brain, comes to find the pair known as the 'Demons of Brooklyn' to have them as his Weapons. They agree originally because they want his money, and only later come to realise they genuinely [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|like]] being with the boy.}} The Defeat's there, but the Friendship took time.

** Black Star tries a new job as Warrior Therapist when he faces Crona. It doesn't work, for if anything Crona's mental state is worse, and no amount of [[My Kung Fu Is Stronger Than Yours|Kung Fu Strength]] was enough to snap them out of it.

** The current title of most befriended goes to Vivio, who took the title from Fate when {{spoiler|she received five [[Wave Motion Gun|Starlight Breakers]] ''at the same time'' and managed to remain conscious ''and'' stand on her own afterwards. A considerable feat since Fate couldn't even claim that when Nanoha struck her with one.}} Nanoha officially adopts Vivio as her daughter afterwards.

*** {{spoiler|In Fate's defense, Vivio was powered up well beyond her normal capacity by a Lost Logia at the time. Also, Fate was weakened by a Divine Buster just prior to being hit by the Starlight Breaker.}}

*** It should be noted that in ''[[Triangle Heart 3 ～sweet songs forever～|Triangle Heart 3 Sweet Songs Forever]]'', Chrono ''does'' in fact get blown up by Nanoha, and becomes romantically involved with her afterwards.

** Coincidentally, the first time Nanoha met Fate, the latter "befriended" her nearly into the hospital. Is it any wonder she fell in [[Love At First Sight]] [[Love At First Punch|Punch]]?

** Referenced in episode 12 of ''[[Kämpfer]]'' when Seppuku Bunny (voiced by Nanoha's voice actress) threatens to befriend several other characters just before they're about to fight.

** Jokingly brought up in [[The Movie]] sound stages, the full excerpt is on the [[Ascended Meme]] page.

* This is a recurring theme in ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'':

**** It would probably be more accurate to say that they became friends because Tsukune always forgave them for everything.

* A longstanding tradition in ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]''. The first real friend that Jonathan Joestar makes is Robert E. O. Speedwagon (haha), who tried to mug him. Jonathan's great-great grandson Jotaro makes friends with Kakyoin and Polnareff by freeing them from Dio's mind control, and nearly all of Jotaro's 16 year old uncle (long story) Josuke's friends were people who tries to kill him the first time they met.

** And Mikitaka, but he may or may not be all there.

* The entire Shuffle Alliance in ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam]]'' is assembled in this fashion (except Sai Saici, who fought Domon to a draw rather than being beaten). Main rival Chibodee Crocket goes back and forth between violently beating the hero and having breakfast with him at least three times.

** Naruto ''is'' a [[Warrior Therapist]], so it isn't just that he defeats them.

** Averted with Ino and Sakura, who renew their friendship after fighting to a draw. The nature of their rivalry suggests that a clear victor would have been detrimental to reconciliation. Then again, technically, they '''both''' lost, since as a result of the draw, both failed that attempt at the Chunin exam.

* ''[[Flame of Recca]]'' is notorious for this, particularly during the [[Tournament Arc]]. People who were trying to kill Team Hokage just hours ago are suddenly eating snacks, playing videogames, and sharing stories with our heroes in their hotel room.

** And one of them creates a fan club for Fuko.

* In ''[[Harlem Beat]]'', almost all rival teams become this with Johnan team.

* Possibly subverted in ''[[Black Lagoon]]'': Chang and Balalaika became friends after their (intended) fight to the death turned out a draw.

* Averted in ''[[wikipedia:ShootFighter Tekken|Shootfighter Tekken]]''. Kiichi defeats Kiba handily after a long and grueling fight, but Kiba still thinks he's just some punk kid. After telling him what a damn fool he was for being merciful, Kiba probably continues to be a massive asshole of a teacher.

* In the [[Shoujo Demographic]] manga ''[[Crown]]'', bad guys come after [[The Ingenue|Mahiro]], get their butts kicked by [[Badass|Ren and Jake]], and then hang around and help with the housework.

* ''[[Amazing Agent Luna]]'' has Luna {{spoiler|offering her protection to the [[Evil Twin|evil clone]] she had just defeated}}.

* From ''[[Liar Game]]'', the only times that Nao does lie is to help out those in the game. And once she advances to the next round, she gives her winnings to them, so they could pay off their debts. Once she does, they see that her honest character isn't faked and they become friends/allies with her to help ''her'' advance. Best example would be Fukunaga and Akagi.

* Hayato from ''[[Future GPX Cyber Formula]]'' makes friends with Kaga, Osamu, Shinjyo, Johji and others after a few or more races with them, although he made friends with Kaga and Johji ''before'' the race started.

* Played straight with some villains-of-the-week (such as Bucci) in ''[[Gun X Sword]]''. Subverted in that this is what {{spoiler|The Claw}} wants, or claims to want, with all of his enemies. In the latter case, the desire to make friends with everyone comes across as a sign of [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|extremism]] at best, and insanity at worst.

* This is standard operating procedure for ''[[Sailor Moon]]''. Usagi believes that there is always a way to solve things without violence or killing and that somewhere inside of them, everyone has some good to them. While there are some villains she has to outright destroy, she has a pretty good track record of turning enemies into friends.

* One arc of ''[[Sakigake Otokojuku]]'' featured a bunch of transfer students from the closest thing to Otokojuku anywhere else in the world—the prep school for the Annapolis naval academy. Principal Edajima organized a series of "friendly" boxing matches between select new students and old students, ostensibly as a bonding exercise. In reality, the gloves used in the matches were metal and covered in spikes. The American students all lost their matches, but became the best of pals with their adversaries (and the Japanese students in general); when time came for the new arrivals to head home, unofficial class leaders Momotaro Tsurugi and Kieth Jackson both state that they cherished their time together.

* There's an interesting variant in ''[[Claymore]]''. {{spoiler|Miria}} vows not kill any of her former comrades when she leads a revolt against The Organization. She fights and defeats all of them... only to get butchered horribly when they regenerate. {{spoiler|Her resolve not to kill inspired every single enemy Claymore to defect to her side and they faked her death.}}

* In ''[[Holyland]]'', {{spoiler|Iwado, Shougo, Taka and Tsuchiya}} after their defeat by Yuu.

 

== Comic Books ==

**** Well, the Rebels didn't exactly make a habit of being easy to find, especially to the Imperial Navy. Defections are somewhat more difficult when the enemy army is almost always in hiding.

* In the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage]]'' comics, Casey Jones spent most of his first appearance having a knock-down-drag-out brawl with Raphael over Casey's overly violent street vigilantism. Raphael ultimately won, and Casey thereupon became one of the turtles' closest allies and Raphael's best friend. The [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003|2003 cartoon]] had a similar sequence.

* This trope is how [[Popeye (comic strip)|Popeye]] befriends Toar, the immortal caveman. After Toar admits defeat ("You hit too hard, no fight crazy fool like you!"), Popeye offers him a friendship and Toar accepts.

 

* ''[[Hogyoku Ex Machina]]'' lampshades this when [[Bleach|Ishida]] asks, "Kurosaki, is there anyone you've fought that you haven't become best friends with?"

* Two examples in ''[[With Strings Attached]]'', though in both cases the “defeats” were pretty mild:

** As'taris, dying to take the newly revealed Kansael from John, threatens to cut it out of his chest. Ringo [[Mind Over Matter|telekinetically]] shoves him away, takes his sword, and threatens to drop him in the ocean if he tries it again. As'taris is so impressed that Ringo actually fought back that he immediately drops his main objection to the four (that they were noncombatants) and thereafter views them as peers—more or less.

** The four “defeat” {{spoiler|the Hunter (and by proxy Jeft)}} simply by [[True Companions|being themselves]]; their obvious love for one another makes him long for an alternative to his friendless, loveless life of adventure and murder. He becomes the best friend they make in the entire book.

 

== Film ==

* In Christopher Stasheff's ''[[Warlock of Gramaraye|The Warlock In Spite of Himself]]'', a goon named Big Tom picks a fight with the hero, Rod Gallowglass; when Rod proves he can best him, Tom asks humbly to be Rod's man. Subverted in that {{spoiler|Tom is a canny agent of Rod's enemies, taking advantage of this trope to get close to him}}.

* A rare example of ''pre-emptive'' Defeat Means Friendship occurs in the ''[[Belgariad|Malloreon]]'', when Emperor Zakath finally dawns to the awareness that the Alorn religious myths are ''real'', and Belgarion isn't just a rival overlord but also the designated custodian of cosmic power. Zakath takes one look at the odds and decides to just skip the "defeat" and get right to the "friendship".

'''Zakath:''' You know something, Garion? I've always believed that someday you and I would go to war with each other. Would you be terribly disappointed if I decided not to show up? }}

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' novel ''Turn Coat,'' Harry {{spoiler|calls up the very foreboding spirit of an island and essentially challenges it to a contest of strength and will. By winning, he forges a magical alliance between himself and the spirit}}. He later explains it in terms of this trope: see the quotes page.

* On [[Disney]]'s ''[[Davy Crockett]]'' mini-series, Mike Fink becomes friends with Davy and Georgie after the beat him in a riverboat race.

* In ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey|Rumpole and the Married Lady]]'' Horace Rumpole by an underhand trick makes neophyte barrister Phillida Trant (acting for the prosecution against him) quote legal precedent to such an extent that it antagonizes the judge and she loses the case. It turns out to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

 

 

* Happens a lot in [[Professional Wrestling]], as well; for example, this was the impetus for [[AJ Styles]] and [[Christopher Daniels]] to form a tag team and go after the NWA Tag Team Championship. Usually comes with a [[Heel Face Turn]] for the [[Heel]] side of the previous rivalry, though the opposite happens occasionally.

* Hilariously subverted at [[Wrestlemania]] XIX - after losing to [[Shawn Michaels]], [[Chris Jericho]] seemed to be going in for the big weepy [[Heel Face Turn|face-turning]] hug... and instead [[Groin Attack|boots HBK full force in the crotch.]]

 

== Tabletop Games ==

** In ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', it's Yuffie, who joins your party after a fight in an attempt [[Wutai Theft|to screw you over]]. Eventually becomes a sincere member of the party after you {{spoiler|save her from Don Corneo.}}

** In ''[[Final Fantasy XIII-2]]'', Most of the monsters you beat (non-boss only) become your familiar and help you in fights.

* In the ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' series if you defeat a boss you can create it through fusion, and this will remain in the compendium even in [[New Game+]] and can be summoned regardless of level provided you have enough money to summon it.

** ''[[Devil Survivor]]'' has the <s>Nintendo DS lookalike</s> COMP, which upon activation summon a demon for you to fight. If you defeat it, it will become your subordinate. And then a fraction of the way into the game, [[Cosplay Otaku Girl|Midori]] defeats a [[Series Mascot|Jack Frost]] and teaches him about [[The Power of Love]] and [[The Power of Friendship|Friendship]]. {{spoiler|A few days later, he reappears and depending on your choices, you can ''recruit him into your party'' on the last day.}}

** One of Reimu's alternate outfits/color schemes in 12.3, ''Hisoutensoku'', is a [[Shout-Out]] to the [[Lyrical Nanoha|Nanoha herself]]. Makes sense, as they both are fans of Friendship Through Superior Firepower.

** In ''Labyrinth of Touhou'', a fanmade CRPG based on ''[[Etrian Odyssey]]'', a boss fight with one of the major ''Touhou'' girls pretty much always ends with the girl ([[The One Guy|or guy, in the case of Rinnosuke]]) in question "joining" Reimu's party in the post-battle cutscene. How willing each girl is at the matter varies individually, though.

** Shadow in ''[[Sonic Adventure 2]]'' is an exception in that {{spoiler|he's the one orchestrating the evil}}, so even after his defeats at the hands of Sonic, he continues to be evil. His [[Heel Face Turn]] comes later.

*** Speaking of ''Sonic Adventure 2'', this is definitely played straight with Knuckles, who manages to befriend Rouge {{spoiler|after he defeats her in a battle, and soon afterward saves her life and earns her respect.}}

* ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' spoofs this with the "Friendship" [[Finishing Move]].

* In ''Battle For Meridell'', a game available on the website [[Neopets]], you battle monster versions of the species you can fight as. When defeated, they turn good and fight for you. This also works both ways, as them defeating one of your characters turns them evil (and makes them lose any equipment they were carrying).

* In the NES version of ''[[Double Dragon]] III'', the bosses of the China (Chin) and Japan (Ranzou) stages join your side after you defeat them. Interestingly, they actually become playable characters, allowing you to continue if Billy or Jimmy is killed or even to temporarily use their strengths (powerful claw punch and speedy ninjato respectively) where most useful.

* In ''[[Mega Man Powered Up]]'', The [[Updated Rerelease]] of ''[[Mega Man 1]]'', if you defeat the bosses using only Mega Man's Buster said boss will be left intact upon defeat and be taken back to Dr. Light's lab for repairs, making them playable. Using any other weapon will just destroy them.

* This occurs once in ''[[Valkyrie Profile]]''. Throughout the game, you witness the deaths of heroes, and recruit their souls for Ragnarok. At one point, the Valkyrie is commanded by the goddess Freya to kill a wizard named Gandar and take his soul. After he's dead, he refuses to join up with Valkyrie. She gives him the ultimatum of joining her or being sent to Hell. He grudgingly accepts.

* In ''[[Paper Mario (franchise)|Paper Mario]]'', <s>Lakilester</s> Spike fights Mario on Huff N. Puff's orders. After Mario beats him, he joins his party.

* In ''[[Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale]]'', Charme gives you her Adventurer Card a few days after she's defeated at Jade Way, allowing you to recruit her for other missions.

* In ''[[Banjo-Kazooie|Banjo-Tooie]]'', Terry, the boss in Terrydactyland, accuses Banjo and Kazooie of stealing his eggs, and they fight him in a boss battle. After Terry is defeated, Banjo says that they haven't stolen his eggs, and offers to look for them for him. After finding them, he thanks them and rewards them with a Jiggy.

* ''[[Inazuma Eleven]]'' is full clock of this. Even the most evil people becomes good by the end of the third games after you have beaten them again and again. Bonus point goes to the fact that you can recruit almost every of them into your team.

* Opponents also become allies after they are beaten in ''[[Danball Senki]]'', which is from the same creator as Inazuma.

* In ''[[Solatorobo]]'', a quest with Alman has him asking Red to teach his new apprentice to work harder. The apprentice wants none of it, telling them to leave him alone, and eventually prompts Red to fight him. Once beaten, his attitude does a 180 and he'll do anything "Boss" Red tells him to, including working as hard as he possibly can.

 

== Visual Novels ==

* In ''[[Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!|Maji De Watashi Ni Koi Shinasai]]'', Yamato gets Chris to come around to his way of doing things by defeating her with such tactics.

* [[Ace Attorney|Miles Edgeworth.]] A bit more like Defeat Renews Friendship, [[Character Development|and pulled off excellently.]]

 

 

== Web Comics ==

* Played with in ''[[Misfile]]'' while most of Ash's races are nothing more than just races (some friendly, some less so), when Ash gets defeated by [[Big Bad|Kamikaze Kate]] it is Kate that declares Ash not only to be her friend, but surrogate "[[Replacement Goldfish|little sister]]".

** Though just about everyone at least suspects that mind control is involved, with most people believing it completely.

* ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' clearly ''wants'' to subvert it at the climax of ''Sister II'', even using the title "Not Quite BFFs", but no one actually expected it in the first place.

* Played straight in ''[[Our Little Adventure]]''. Pauline the barbarian joins the group after getting defeated in combat.

** Inverted later in the comic when [[Talking Animal|Norveg]] 'defeats' [[Jerkass|Angelika]] by deflecting a thrown bottle at him back at her. Norveg joins her after as her familiar.

 

== Web Original ==

* In ''[[Misfiled Dreams]]'', Jenny loses everything she has/is to Ash. Emily and Ash eventually bring Jenny through a [[Heel Face Turn]].

* Played somewhat straight in ''[[The Leet World]]'' with Cortez and the Domination Guy, who is hired by Cortez's [[Cain and Abel|insane brother]] Mendoza to kill him. However, Cortez earns [[Worthy Opponent|his respect]] when he beats him in single combat. While the Domination Guy doesn't join Cortez's side, he does return later in the series to save Cortez's life during the final confrontation with Ahmad. Possibly partially subverted in that Mendoza is not pleased with the Domination Guy's [[Heel Face Turn]] and captures, tortures and eventually executes him.

* In ''[[Greek Ninja]]'', Sasha and Daichi came close to defeating each other. Later on, Daichi joins her and her team on their quest.

 

** Discord actually manages to [[Subverted Trope]] this. He is defeated the same way, but the Elements deem him to be undeserving (or incapable) of redemption and instead [[Taken for Granite|stick him right back]] in the [[Fate Worse Than Death]] he crawled out of. Before the attack, Discord even goes so far as to dare them to "Friend me".

*** [[Word of God]] states this is because Nightmare Moon was under the [[More Than Mind Control|influence]] of [[The Corruption]], while Discord, by contrast, is himself [[Reality Warper|a corrupting force]], not to mention a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]].

* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'', [[Violent Glaswegian|Groundskeeper Willie]] defends the school from a [[Big Badass Wolf|wolf]], fighting the beast ''[[The Simpsons (animation)/Awesome|with his bare hands]]''. A later scene shows the two of them battered and bruised and sharing a drink.

* In a ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]: Secret of the Furious Five'', a short feature that explores the backstory of [[Kung Fu Panda]], we learn that Monkey was once a mischievous trickster, and only become good after being defeated by {{spoiler|Oogway}}.

* This is how [[Lilo and Stitch (Disney film)|Liloand Stitch]] tame Jumba's other experiments. Stitch fights them and once they're subdued Lilo finds their 'one true place'. Some of them, like Splodihead, even help Stitch befriend other cousins.

 

== Real Life ==

* Salah-al-Din, a Muslim warlord of Kurdish ancestry, became something of a [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|"Noble Heathen"]] folk hero to Europeans following his conquest of Jerusalem, which inspired the Third Crusade. According to legend, Saladin made friends with Richard the Lionheart, although in real life they more or less fought each other to a standstill and never met in person.

** Most importantly was what Salah-al-Din (romanticized as Saladin) ''didn't'' do: when he conquered Jerusalem, he ''didn't slaughter the Christians or Jews living there.'' This is the absolute opposite of what European Crusaders had done when they first took Jerusalem - the Crusaders mercilessly slaughtered every Muslim and as many Jews as they could find. When Salah-al-Din took Jerusalem back, Europe was positive news of massacre would follow, but they never did. Salah-al-Din simply took the city back and nothing more. Hence, the legend of the Noble Heathen.

* Also the reason why the Nepali Gurkhas fights in the British Army. In 1814, the British invaded the Kingdom of Nepal in order to expand the British Empire; however the Gurkhas fought the British so hard that the British only managed to conquer a third of Nepali land and even than it took them two years and large numbers of casualties to do so. The British were however impressed by the Gurkhas' fighting spirits and abilities so ever since 1816 they have recruited Gurkhas in their forces.

** The trope was still played straight with white Northern and Southerners after the end of the Civil War, unlike some other places where a civil war leads to a [[Cycle of Revenge]]. Unfortunately it was done at the expense of America's black population, who lost a lot of the initial gains (there were several black members of Congress during Reconstruction, and many black members of southern state governments; after that it was effective disenfranchisement and Jim Crow in the south, and a refusal to recognize black contributions to the Union cause during the Civil War) they had made post-war.

* This is actually how Rome grew as fast as it did. Those it defeated in battle were treated well and made a part of the Roman Empire. This is actually why Carthage was unable to defeat Rome despite doing so well earlier on in the Punic wars; [[The Power of Friendship|Rome's allies wouldn't abandon it.]] Even though the Roman Empire [[What You Are in the Dark|wouldn't have lasted to do anything about it if they had]].

* [[Howard Stern]] often gained the praises or at least acceptance of many former radio and celebrity rivals once he established his ratings supremacy and celebrity credibility.

* [[Jimmy Carter]] became good friends with former rival [[Gerald Ford]] after his presidency ended.

** Likewise with [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George Bush]], who seem to have spent most of the last decade co-organizing charity events.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combat Tropes]]

[[Category:Friendship Tropes]]