History Main / Foil

* The {{Sonic}} series has [[TheHero Sonic]] and [[TheRival Shadow]], Sonic representing the fun loving adventure seeker and Shadow as the dead serious lethal enforcer, and while both are heroes both of them have contrasting methods on how to take action which usually ends in both of them [[CoolVersusAwesome fighting]] each other. Sonic himself has many foils in the series, but these two are the most emphasized.

-->''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', Act V, scene ii

* [[StraightMan Will]] and [[LoveableRogue Jack]] from ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean''.

** Jade has several foils amongst the female trolls, particularly Aradia (both self-prototyped their sprites, were seen as [[StrangeGirl weird]] by their peers, had [[DreamingOfThingsToCome precognition]] earlier than most of their co-players and tried to [[YouCantFightFate control their timelines]] with mixed success, and they have similar [[GenkiGirl typing styles]] after Aradia comes back to life) and Kanaya (both Space players, both had highly unusual guardians, woke up early on Prospit, and have similar theme colors).

* In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Lady Olenna Tyrell, soon-to-be Queen Margaery Tyrell and Ser Loras Tyrell are foils to Lord Tywin Lannister, Queen Cersei Lannister and Ser Jaime Lannister, respectively.

* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', despite being partners, the character developments of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman have run parallel but in completely separate directions. Originally it appeared that Jesse would be the remorseless criminal to Walt's principled, well-intentioned one. As the series went on, Walt eventually showed himself to be a textbook example of a {{Sociopath}}, selfish and egotistical, and even willing to [[spoiler:poison a child]] to save his own skin. Meanwhile Jesse showed himself to be one of the few morally decent people on the show, feeling incredible guilt and self-loathing for the horrible things that he's done while also feeling trapped in the life he's in, which he is clearly not cold enough for.

* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', despite being partners, the character developments of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman have run parallel but in completely separate directions. Originally it appeared that Jesse would be the remorseless criminal to Walt's principled, well-intentioned one. As the series went on, Walt eventually showed himself to be a textbook example of a {{Sociopath}}, selfish and egotistical, and even willing to [[spoiler:poison a child]] to save his own skin. Meanwhile Jesse shows himself to be one of the few morally decent people on the show, feeling incredible guilt and self-loathing for the horrible things that he's done and wanting to protect those he loves from the life that he lives.

* In {{Lost}} , Jack and John Locke are practically the poster boys for this. Jack's the Man of Science, John Locke's the Man of Faith. But by the end Jack becomes the Man of Faith himself, with [[spoiler:John Locke dead and Jack knowing that, if it weren't for him, if he had only believed John Locke, he would've still been alive,]] he finally begins to believe.

* While most obviously, [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch and Suzaku]] are foils of each other, this editor thinks an argument could be made that Diethard is also a foil to Lelouch, being a Britannain aristocrat who at the beginning of the series expresses a similar dissatisfaction with Britannian society. However, whereas Lelouch is very active in enforcing change (for good or ill), Diethard is more of a cheerleader for change and pretty much joins LaResistance because it seems interesting and midway through ''R2'' [[spoiler:betrays Lelouch when Prince Schneizel seems to be a more captivating leader. In episode 24 of the series right before he is killed, he is shown enthusiastically supporting Schneizel's plan to nuke cities around the world in order to bring "peace"]].

* The following quote comes from [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0548.html this]] ''[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Order of the stick'' strip, featuring Jirix and the AntiVillain Redcloak talking about their CardCarryingVillain partner Xykon. Coincidentally, this strip occurs just after several in which the paladin O-Chul and Redcloak had served as different but excellent foils for each other.

* In ''TheIndefensiblePositions'' we have Foil (no pun intended) and Frank. [[spoiler: It's revealed that Foil was Frank's imaginary friend. After they split up, without him Frank's personality was changed to completely opposite of Foil's.]]

* Tedd and Susan of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' are foils for each other.

** The Cosmic Empires of Kree and Skrulls fit this.

** Kherubins and Deamonites in {{Wildcats}}., at similar level to the Kree and Skull example.

** Saruman and Gandalf are both powerful wizards, however, Saruman is seduced by power, whereas Gandalf refuses to take the ring.
** Denethor and Théoden are both the rulers of their countries who succumb to the influence of Sauron and Saruman respectively (Denethor via the palantir, and Théoden through the influence of Wormtongue.) Both kings also struggle with despair. Ultimately, Denethor succumbs to despair and commits suicide, but Théoden triumphs over it and dies an honorable death in battle.

%* Rukawa and Sakuragi of SlamDunk.

%* Rosamond serves as one to Dorothea in ''{{Middlemarch}}''.

%* ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'': Damon to Stefan. Katherine to Elena.

%* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. Seven of Nine played this role for Captain Janeway (at least during her first year on the ship).

** SilverSurfer and Mephisto. One is pretty much the personification of the devil, and hates the other just because he's so damn ''good''.
** [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] and DoctorDoom. They have very similar personalities (bossy, arrogant, brilliant, fascinated by science, prone to SesquipedalianLoquaciousness), with [[GreenEyedMonster jealousy]] being the culprit for Doom's FaceHeelTurn-inspiring [[RivalTurnedEvil hatred for Reed.]] The fundamental difference between them is exemplified by their [[ComesGreatResponsibility divergent]] [[NeverMyFault reactions]] to their respective [[MyGreatestFailure Greatest Failures]].