History Main / Foil

* ''PhantomOfTheOpera'': Erik portrays dark and passion, Raoul light and clear thinking.

* [[TheHero Solid Snake]] and [[Raiden in ''Franchise/MetalGear''. Snake is older and grizzled, Raiden is young and inexperienced. Snake is [[KnightInSourArmor cynical]], Raiden is [[WideEyedIdealist idealistic]]. Snake is TallDarkAndHandsome, Raiden is a WhiteHairedPrettyBoy. Snake... has a healthy libido, Raiden has a steady relationship. Snake is a modern stealth operative, Raiden is a more traditional ninja. Snake likes guns, Raiden prefers blades. Total opposites.

* Flynn and Yuri in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' were designed to be perfect opposites: Yuri is dark, snarky, cynical, rebellious, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking a good cook.]] Flynn is blonde, serious, optimistic, by-the-book and [[LethalChef his food is terrible.]] The only thing they share is their past in the Knights and the fact that they're [[ContrivedCoincidence exactly the same height.]]

* The two main characters of ''Manga/KurokoNoBasuke'' serve as [[{{Foil}} foils]] for each other: Kuroko, a short, physically weak specialist player and a [[TheStoic stoic]] DeadpanSnarker; and Kagami, a tall, naturally talented power player and a HotBlooded IdiotHero.

** The reason Choujirou became Yamamoto's NumberTwo is because he made a conscious decision to become Yamamoto's {{Foil}}.

** [[TheInhumans Black Bolt]] and [[LargeHam Maximus]]. After Maximus' HeelFaceTurn, [[TheCaligula Vulcan]] filled the void during WarOfKings.
** Interesting example comes from TheAuthority - while they are a big subversion of common superhero tropes, during WarrenEllis' era all their enemies were [[CardCarryingVillain very typical and schematical]].
%% ** Kherubins and Deamonites in {{Wildcats}}., at similar level to the Kree and Skull example.

* [[FarmBoy Luke Skywalker]] and [[LovableRogue Han Solo]] in ''StarWars''.

** In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''TheSilmarillion'', Tuor and Túrin might be considered each other's foil. They're cousins (though they -almost- never meet), are separated from their human families to be fostered by Elves, go live in hidden Elven cities, fall in love with Elven ladies... However, Túrin is a rash, not always sympathetic TragicHero BlessedWithSuck while Tuor is an all out good guy who ends pretty well - what with being one of the few characters who actually survive to the end of the book.

* SherlockHolmes and [[TheWatson Doctor Watson]] are classic foils. In addition to physical attributes (Holmes tall and lean, Watson shorter and stout), Holmes leaps into plans without explanation and follows up on wild clues. Watson, as [[TropeNamer his namesake trope points out]], tends to ask realistic questions and accept more conventional theories. Holmes is also highly excitable when "the game is afoot" and Watson, a war veteran, is a skilled marksman and cool-headed in combat.
** Actually, Watson was never stout in the books -- the two times he is described physically, he is "thin as a lathe and brown as a nut" in the first book, and "strongly built, with a square jaw and a thick neck", several years later. This description (plus the mustache) still counts as a physical foil next to Holmes' thinness, pallor, and severe, aquiline features, though. He's also usually portrayed as having brown or blond hair, while Holmes' is black.
* Quite a few examples in the TortallUniverse;

* In a ''RomeoAndJuliet'' story that's ''way way'' different from the original, the titular characters are a demon and angel respectively, whose physical appearances(he wore [[SpikesOfVillainy black spiked armor and had black demonic wings]] to contrast with her white dress and wings and personalities ([[TheStoic he was stoic]], [[TheQuietOne quiet]], and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] and she was [[FriendToAllLivingThings kind]], [[GenkiGirl spontaneous]], and [[{{Pollyanna}} cheerful]]) differed. The places they lived in reflected this as well: Juliet's was a peaceful, well-lit, and beautiful realm as opposed to Romeo's gloomy, perilous, and quite frightening one. Despite the current war between the two races, this doesn't stop them from falling in love. [[spoiler:Until Paris, Romeo's EvilTwin tricks Juliet into thinking that Romeo killed her father during the last war(which is actually proven to be true) and is just pretending to be in love with her so that he can find out the weaknesses of the Angels and kill ''her'' next, putting her in a HeroicBSOD until Romeo tells her that he is deeply in love with her because she is the only one that truly understands him and he proves his love by giving her the necklace her father wanted to give her and he had to kill her father, who was succumbing to fatal injuries that ''Paris'' caused. This, combined with [[YouAreNotAlone Jessica's and Ron's words,]] makes her eventually forgive him.]]

* Every character in ''TheStranger'' is basically a foil for the narrator, Meursault. Not surprising, of course, since the point of the novel is to develop a particular Exitentialist philosophy.
* In JamesSwallow's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' ''Literature/BloodAngels'' novels ''Deus Encarmine'' and ''Deus Sanguinius'', Sachiel is used as a foil to Rafen, for his {{Pride}}. At his first appearance, Rafen remembers [[TheRival their rivalry]] and how Sachiel had always preferred to talk, and Rafen to let his actions speak for themselves. Most starkly contrast when Sachiel thinks Rafen dead (NoOneCouldSurviveThat!) and [[TalkingToTheDead gloats]] to the empty air -- "Rafen, you are dead." -- versus when Rafen sees Sachiel's corpse and feels sorry for him.

** Later in Mockingjay [[spoiler: District 13 acts as one to the Capitol. The Capitol is dependent on the districts, while District 13 is self reliant. The Capitol's people live in luxury, while the people of District 13 have only there basics needs.]] In the end [[spoiler: it is revealed that Alma Coin the leader of District 13 is just as tyrannical as President Snow, the leader of the Capitol, without his redeeming honesty.]]
%%* Rosamond serves as one to Dorothea in ''{{Middlemarch}}''.
* ''QuantumGravity'': The worlds serve as this. Interestingly enough, all of them are foils for ''all'' the other ones:

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's "A Witch Shall Live", ConanTheBarbarian's InHarmsWay reaction to victory is explicitly contrasted to Valerius's HomeSweetHome.

* In ''ASongOfIceAndFire'':

* Stolz to {{Oblomov}}. The latter is a fat, lazy and pessimistic {{Cloudcuckoolander}}; the former is industrious and optimistic.

** [[NeverMessWithGranny Granny Weatherwax]] and [[DirtyOldWoman Nanny Ogg]]. Both are powerful, smart, and tough-as-nails Lancre witches. But Nanny is easy going, has a huge family, behaves in a friendly manner, and is usually drunk and telling bawdy jokes. Granny is serious, stoic, never married, feared and respected by all, and has no sense of humor. Naturally they are best friends.

* The ''Literature/InDeath'' series:

* The ''{{Smallville}}'' version of [[{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] and LexLuthor, [[CaptainObvious naturally]].

* In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Joffrey and Stannis, (rivals for the throne) become very direct foils to each other in the climactic Battle of the Blackwater. Stannis, instead of leading from the rear as he does in the books, becomes an AdaptationalBadass who is AuthorityEqualsAsskicking all the way and personally leads the assault on the capital. This shows that for all of Stannis' LawfulStupid {{Jerkass}}ery, he truly believes in his cause and is willing to fight and put himself in tremendous danger for it. Joffrey, meanwhile, is DirtyCoward who brags endlessly about what he'll do while being a useless, entitled RoyalBrat who prevails because other people are doing all the work for him, and he chickens out at the first signs of a setback.

** Gus and Lydia. Both are consummate business people, who dress perfectly and try to approach the meth trade with a degree of professionalism not normally seen in the "game". However, while Gus was calm, unflinching and relatively reasonable, Lydia is paranoid, unpredictable and unwilling to accept the brutality of the drug world. The contrast is best illustrated in [[spoiler:Gus' massacre of the cartel]] and [[spoiler:her disposing of Declan's crew]] - he moves between bodies without fear while taunting the remains of his enemies, while Lydia plugs her ears not to hear gunshots and later has to literally be guided by hand with her eyes closed through the carnage.

** Back in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} III'', Thrall's story arc seemed to very strongly mirror Arthas'. Thrall starts off as a slave but eventually becomes the warchief and saves the world through his sheer charisma and decision to ally with his peoples' former enemies. Meanwhile, Arthas has everything going for him in the beginning but his single-mindedness and arrogance lead to his becoming a slave to the Lich King and the death of his people. Unfortunately, this relation doesn't get any spotlight in the game itself.

** ''TheLegendOfKorra'' gives us Korra and Asami. Both girls are involved in the resistance against Amon and the Equalists and both are extremely badass. Korra, as the Avatar, has spent her entire life being trained to master the four elements and is pretty much the embodiment of all bending. She also is a buff ActionGirl who doesn't show a ton of interest in feminine pursuits. Asami is a nonbender [[spoiler:and, though unknowingly, the daughter of a guy heavily supporting the Equalists]] who fights using stolen Equalist technology and spent her life indulging in various hobbies such as racing and watching Pro-Bending. She also is very [[SilkHidingSteel elegant]], dressing fashionably and enjoying classy things.

** Korra and the first Avatar Wan, separated by 10,000 years, are both present in the recurring Harmonic Convergence. [[spoiler:Both have been tricked to do the bidding of the enemy and determined to fix their failure.]] While Wan is much like Aang - good with spirits and traveled the world to learn- Korra is not talented with spiritual matters and was secluded and controlled almost all her life. There's also the fact that Wan was initially a firebender (having lived on a Fire Lion Turtle) while Korra is a Water Tribe native. Their differences and similarities are also highlighted by the eras they live in- Wan lived in a time where humans and spirits live together and people rely on nature, Korra lives in a time where spirituality is decaying and technology is advancing. At the end of the Book [[spoiler:Korra defeats Vaatu without the aid of past lives just like Wan does but instead of closing the spirit portal she has kept them open. Korra also ended Wan's avatar cycle.]]

** Korra and the first Avatar Wan, separated by 10,000 years, are both present in the recurring Harmonic Convergence. [[spoiler:Both have been tricked to do the bidding of the enemy and determined to fix their failure.]] While Wan is much like Aang - good with spirits and traveled the world to learn- Korra is not talented with spiritual matters and was secluded and controlled almost all her life. There's also the fact that Wan was initially a firebender (having lived on a Fire Lion Turtle) while Korra is a Water Tribe native. Their differences and similarities are also highlighted by the eras they live in- Wan lived in a time where humans and spirits live together and people rely on nature, Korra lives in a time where spirituality is decaying and technology is advancing.

* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', despite being partners, the character developments of [[VillainProtagonist Walter White]] and [[AntiVillain 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, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold which he is clearly not cold enough for.]]

** Anise and Arietta are both Fon Master Guardians. Both are also having [[spoiler: a bit of family trouble: Arietta's mother is the liger you kill in the first hour or so of the game, and Anise's parents are basically being held captive by Mohs.]] They both have a single goal that drives them - Arietta wants the Fon Master back and Anise wants a rich husband. Arietta doesn't get over her desire, and Anise does.

** Korra and the first Avatar Wan, separated by 10,000 years, are both present in the recurring Harmonic Convergence. [[spoiler:Both have been tricked to do the bidding of the enemy and determined to fix their failure.]] While Wan is much like Aang - good with spirits and traveled the world to learn- Korra is not talented with spiritual matters and was secluded and controlled almost all her life. There's also the fact that Wan was initially a firebender (having lived on a Fire Lion Turtle) while Korra is a Water Tribe native.

** The first Avatar Wan and Korra, separated by 10,000 years are both present in the recurring Harmonic Convergence. [[spoiler:Both have been tricked to do the bidding of the enemy and determined to fix their failure.]] While Wan is much like Aang - good with spirits and traveled the world to learn- Korra is not talented with spiritual matters and was secluded and controlled almost all her life. There's also the fact that Wan was initially a firebender (having lived on a Fire Lion Turtle) while Korra is a Water Tribe native.

* In the Simpsons AU fic ''The Fourth Simpson Child'', Lisa and Samantha serve as stark foils to each other. Lisa is cold, self-absorbed and cynical, and, as TheUnfavourite, motivated entirely by jealousy of her older sister. Samantha on the other hand is a friendly WideEyedIdealist who is Homer and Marge's favourite. Samantha is legitimately talented, but [[Genius Ditz ditzy]] and is kind to everyone she meets (as seen with the bullies, Fat Tony and eventually Sideshow Bob). Lisa is less talented, but is a SmugSnake InsufferableGenius, has virtually no contact with anyone except her family and she has no friends. Even their bedrooms play off of each other. Samantha's room has light blue cloud wallpaper, a "WELCOME" notice on the door, with pictures on the wall of herself and her friends, in which she is always smiling. Lisa's room has dark red wallpaper, has a "GO AWAY" notice on the door and has pictures of herself with a sour expression on her face.

* ''FairyTail'' loves this trope. Pairings include [[HotBlooded Natsu]] and [[AnIcePerson Gray]], [[ActionGirl Erza]] and [[TheHeart Lucy]], [[TheBigGuy Erza]] and [[BewareTheNiceOnes Mirajane]], [[InnocentFanserviceGirl Lucy]] and [[TheTease Cana]], [[PsychoElectro Laxus]] and [[TheStoic Mystogan]] or [[MyMasterRightOrWrong Fried]] [[spoiler: (at least before Laxus takes a round trip through the HeelFaceRevolvingDoor)]], and those are just the obvious ones.

* ''GundamSeedDestiny's'' protagonist Shinn Asuka could be considered a foil to both main protagonists of GundamSeed, Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala.
** Who are themselves foils to one another.

* {{Touche}}

** Not as noteworthy but still present are Katara & Toph, Sokka and Zuko, & Katara and Azula.

** In a far more complex way, Zuko and his sister Azula. Zuko isn't favored by their father because he wasn't as talented as his sister while Azula was adored because she's a firebending prodigy and similar to their father Ozai in ruthlessness. This led to the mother Ursa (and to an extent, Uncle Iroh,) devoting more love and attention to Zuko while Azula was doted by Ozai. When Zuko envied Azula for their father's favor, Azula also envied Zuko for their mother's love. When Zuko was banished, lost his status as crown prince, and lived like a peasant Azula was doing impressive feats and even [[spoiler:conquered the last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom.]] As the series finale Zuko has peace of mind, love, friendship when [[spoiler:he gave up his allegiance to Fire Lord Ozai.]] On the other hand, even if Azula has always been their father's favorite and she cemented her status as the heiress she ended up being betrayed, unloved, alone and losing her sanity.

** In a far more complex way, Zuko and his sister Azula. Zuko isn't favored by their father because he wasn't as talented as his sister while Azula was adored because she's a firebending prodigy and similar to their father Ozai in ruthlessness. This led to the mother Ursa (and to an extent, Uncle Iroh,) devoting more love and attention to Zuko while Azula was doted by Ozai. Azula also When Zuko was banished and lost his status as crown prince, Azula was doing impressive feats and even [[spoiler:conquered the last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom.]]

* Aang and Zuko in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. In a far more complex way, Zuko and his sister Azula.

* ''{{Friends}}'': Monica Geller and Rachel Green. They grew up together but Monica was TheUnfavourite FatBestFriend who got nothing but hell from her parents, and Rachel was the SpoiledSweet LoveableAlphaBitch who everyone adored. As adults Monica is the TeamMom of the gang and focused on her goals. Rachel is the baby of the group and totally lost in the real world. Even their romantic lives contrast with Monica settling into a happy relationship with her best friend but [[spoiler: having to push through infertility issues and adopt a baby]] while Rachel has a ten year CantStandThemCantLiveWithoutThem dance with [[spoiler: an unplanned pregnancy in the middle]]. Their original characters descriptions spell it out nicely: