History Main / CombatByChampion

Compare DuelsDecideEverything, TrialByCombat, WorthyOpponent.

** This is also a common part of Clan culture in that universe. Because of their emphasis on individual honor and glory, there's a strong tendency to keep forces as small as possible (while still achieving one's objectives, of course) and settle disputes in single combat between champions every so often. Perhaps the most famous example was Natasha Kerensky's bid to take the planet Rasalhague with a single warrior...

** Routinely done in the Suikoden series, through the Duel system.

* In the {{Angel}} episode Judgment, Angel mistakes the champion (protecting a pregnant woman and her child) for a villain, kills him and is then forced to take the role as champion himself.

->"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 the entire war."\\

Compare DuelsDecideEverything, TrialByCombat.

Compare DuelsDecideEverything.

[[TheSilmarillion http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/021-Finglofins-Challenge-p_2583.jpg]]
[[caption-width:350:Fingolfin versus Morgoth, place your bets!]]

** Keep in mind, this was Africa. There were a "handful" of Tigers there very late on. Everything else was Mark [=III=]s and [=IV=]s (the former much weaker and the later only slightly better than Patton's likely Sherman).

* In ''Cry of the Icemark'', a general on the villains' side challenges the heroes' queen to single combat to decide the war between their lands. The deal is that if he wins, she surrenders Icemark, and if she wins, he leaves. Though [[TheHero Thirrin]] realizes and [[LampshadeHanging notes]] that this would only keep them away until a new general comes along, they do battle anyway.

* At the end of ''Film/ThePostman'', General Bethlahem and The Postman decide the war by fighting each other. "Wouldn't it be great if wars could be fought just by the assholes who started them?"

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/021-Finglofins-Challenge-p_2583.jpg
[[caption-width:350:[[TheSilmarillion Fingolfin versus Morgoth, place your bets!]]]]

-- '''General George S. Patton''' in ''Patton''

* Mentioned but averted in two books of the XWingSeries. In ''The Krytos Trap'', Wedge is nearly challenged to a ritualistic sword duel with Tal'dira, which he, as a short pilot, might have had trouble with. In ''Starfighter of Adumar'', Wedge reflects that he'd be fine with flying against and killing a champion, be he Imperial or Adumari, to decide the planet's allegiance, but instead he's expected to fly against bad Adumari pilots and kill them for "honor", which is weighed against how the Imperials do.
** [[{{Understatement}} "Bad]] ''[[InsistentTerminology Cartannese]]'' [[{{Understatement}} pilots"]] is right. No formation discipline, almost no simulated-weapons drills or flight simulators, and a "combat equals honor" mentality that leads to top pilots dying in droves. Not all of the Adumari are poor pilots (although not up to galactic standards by any means), but the Cartannese were truly duel-happy maniacs.

* Alice in Tim Burton's ''[[Film/AliceInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]]'', against the Jabberwocky.
* TheChroniclesofNarnia: Prince Caspian had Peter offering single combat against Miraz. He wounds Miraz, but lets Caspain decide Miraz's fate. Caspian spares Miraz, but one of his advisers kills Miraz with a Narnian arrow to make it look like Narnia cheated.
* At the end of ''[[Film/ThePostman The Postman]]'', General Bethlahem and The Postman decide the war by fighting each other. "Wouldn't it be great if wars could be fought just by the assholes who started them?"

* TheChroniclesofNarnia: Prince Caspian had Peter offering single combat against Miraz. He wounds Miraz, but lets Caspain decide Miraz's fate. Caspian spares Miraz, but one of his advisers kills Miraz with a Narnian arrow to make it look like Narnia cheated.

* There was one in 1351 during the Breton War of Succession, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_of_the_Thirty The Combat of the Thirty]]. Actually didn't have any effect on the outcome of the war, but, hey, Rule Of Panache !

*''DoctorWho'' "The Christmas Invasion"; a newly regenerated Doctor [[spoiler:saves the world by beating the leader of the Sycorax to ritual combat, standing as Earth's champion. During the course of this fight, the Doctor loses and regrows his right hand. Then kills the Sycorax. With a satsuma. At Christmas. Having just woken from a coma.]]