History Main / ILetYouWin

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]

[[AC: Live Action Television]]

[[AC: Mythology]]
* [[GreekMythology The myth of Hippomenes and Atalanta]] has this as [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation one of its interpretations]], where Atalanta had evidently ''let'' Hippomenes beat her (With Aphrodite's help, of course.)

[[AC: Video Games]]

* Used by the Black Knight in ''FireEmblem: Radiant Dawn'''s localized version (replacing a retcon of questionable quality the Japaneses version uses) to explain how he was back after being defeated and LeftForDead by Ike back in ''Path of Radiance''. (Although [[NotQuiteDead his return was obvious]] if only because [[BlackKnight his identity was never revealed.]]) For comparison:

** Likewise the [[BigBad Emperor]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'': He sold his soul to the devil (or equivalent) to gain the power to summon TheLegionsOfHell to aid in [[TakeOverTheWorld Taking Over The World]]. It logically follows that at his death, he's gonna go to {{Hell}}, hence the protagonists are eager to help [[CompleteMonster him]] get there. [[spoiler:They fight him, and they kill him, which is where this trope comes into play--you see, [[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning his plan was to let them kill him]], so that when he did head down to Hell he could double-cross the devil, take over hell, and come back to the land of the living to finish taking it over.]] The [[VideogameRemake remakes]]/[[UpdatedRerelease updated rereleases]] only make him even more CrazyAwesome.

* Used contstantly in many of the ''{{Touhou}}'' games, partially because most denizens of Gensokyo view fighting as a game and mostly to justify defeating some of the most absurdly powerful beings imaginable (manipulation of fate, manipulation of boundaries, killing anyone with a thought, control of ''nuclear fusion'' etcetera). Explicitly stated in ''Subterranean Animism'', in which the stage 3 boss Yuugi says she was just playing around, her sake [[MemeticMutation NOT EVEN DROP!]]
* Surprisingly used after beating the Penultimateboss of ''{{Bayonetta}}''.

[[AC: Western Animation]]

* ''Warcraft III'' begins with a nice example of this in the Human Campaign with [[spoiler:The Lich King tricking Arthas into picking up a {{BFS}} and becoming his champion/bitch.]]

You see, there was a reason why he won. This character was involved in some kind of XanatosGambit, and part of the process required him to lose the battle. That's right! You're not as tough as you looked! Robbing you of the satisfaction of victory makes him just as much of a MagnificentBastard as the fact that you have been [[UnwittingPawn unwittingly aiding]] his scheme!

* The ''entire campaign'' of ''[[{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40,000]]: DawnOfWar'' is [[XanatosGambit one giant I Let You Win]] by [[spoiler:a Khornate Daemon looking to be released from its [[SealedEvilInACan can]].]]

** Likewise the [[BigBad Emperor]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'': He sold his soul to the devil (or equivalent) to gain the power to summon TheLegionsOfHell to aid in [[TakeOverTheWorld Taking Over The World]]. It logically follows that at his death, he's gonna go to {{Hell}}, hence the protagonists are eager to help [[CompleteMonster him]] get there. [[spoiler:They fight him, and they kill him, which is where this trope comes into play--you see, [[XanatosGambit his plan was to let them kill him]], so that when he did head down to Hell he could double-cross the devil, take over hell, and come back to the land of the living to finish taking it over.]] The [[VideogameRemake remakes]]/[[UpdatedRerelease updated rereleases]] only make him even more CrazyAwesome.

* In ''{{Wild ARMs 4}}'', Gawn, [[BadassNormal the only Brionac villain without a special power]], stops fighting you after he runs out of bullets. He obviously let you win, because he could have just ''reloaded'', or better yet, used his ''bare hands'' since he [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome can punch missiles with them]]. Since he shoots you before you can ever ''do anything'' offensive against him, this might seem like a HopelessBossFight, but surviving through it actually counts as a win for you.

** Likewise the [[BigBad Emperor]] in ''FinalFantasyII'': He sold his soul to the devil (or equivalent) to gain the power to summon TheLegionsOfHell to aid in [[TakeOverTheWorld Taking Over The World]]. It logically follows that at his death, he's gonna go to {{Hell}}, hence the protagonists are eager to help [[CompleteMonster him]] get there. [[spoiler:They fight him, and they kill him, which is where this trope comes into play--you see, [[XanatosGambit his plan was to let them kill him]], so that when he did head down to Hell he could double-cross the devil, take over hell, and come back to the land of the living to finish taking it over.]] The [[VideogameRemake remakes]]/[[UpdatedRerelease updated rereleases]] only make him even more CrazyAwesome.

** [[OlympusMons Some of the pokémon themselves]] can be caught simply because they allow you so. Especially [[spoiler: Reshiram or Zekrom]] in ''Videogame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', who [[spoiler:literally tell you]] to catch them.

** [[OlympusMons Some of the pokémon themselves]] can be caught simply because they allow you so. Especially [[spoiler: Reshiram or Zekrom]] in Pokémon Black and White, who [[spoiler: literally tell you]] to catch them.

* ''DevilMayCry 3'' has the recurring boss and/or advisor, Jester, who claims he needs Dante alive but doesn't hold back. Given that Jester was only a boss in the "Special Edition", which was somewhat panned for its quality, it is difficult to say if this trope occurs intentionally or out of developer laziness. [[spoiler:He's actually Arkham.]]

* ''TalesOfEternia'', about halfway through the game, the temporary party member Ras reveals that he's the incredibly powerful knight you've been hearing about, and attacks you to prevent you from escaping to Celestia. After you beat him to a pulp and get to the next town, your party realizes that he couldn't have been fighting you for real - he kept pulling his punches and not taking advantage of openings, leading them to conclude that he let them win.
* In ''TalesOfSymphonia'', this takes place [[spoiler:the first time you fight Kratos]] -- provided that you ''do'' win, which for a first-time player isn't a given ([[TheBattleDidntCount the story goes the same way regardless]]). Lloyd is all too aware of this. Amusingly enough, he is far easier [[RecurringBoss the next times you fight him]] when he ''isn't'' holding back -- of course, you've gained quite a lot more power in the meantime.

* Skip does this to [[AngelTheSeries Angel]] in season 3. It had something to do with the Jasmine arc in season 4, in which Skip was Jasmine's ally and NighInvulnerable, but is never fully explained.

Or maybe this is just GameplayAndStorySegregation. After all, there would be a lot of drama lost if you demonstrated that you were truly capable of destroying your enemies so early in the plot. And there would be a lot of gameplay lost if you weren't expected to win that boss battle. (Although [[HopelessBossFight another method]] is often used here...)

** Orignal: The Black Knight's warp powder malfunctioned, leaving Ike to fight his spirit, that was not only weaker then his true self, but returned to his body after defeat.

* The game ''InFAMOUS'' has Cole fight Kessler at the end, who constantly taunted him throughout the game and later implies that he hopes Cole kills him. [[spoiler:When he does, Kessler implants his own memories into Cole, showing the reason why he went through all the actions in the game - he is Cole from the future, having gone back in time to shape his past self into a powerful being to fight against a creature named "The Beast". Kessler was the final test to ensure that Cole would be ready.]]

* Television example: In an episode of ''{{Farscape}}'', Rygel lets a villain win a chess-like game as part of a con.

* In {{Naruto}}, this is stated to be the real reason why [[spoiler:Sasuke]] could winagainst [[spoiler:Itachi, who still completely dominated their fight and dropped dead right before he could finish the fight]].

* In SuperPaperMario, Mr. L claims that he was scouting the heroes, and he was a ridiculously strong boss (his attacks do more damage than anything else likely to hit you until you reach Count Bleck) for that particular part of the game. Considering Luigi's abilities in other games, he's probably telling the truth.

** In the actual manga, this is stated to be the real reason why [[spoiler:Sasuke]] could [[strike: beat]] not die instantly against [[spoiler:Itachi, who still completely dominated their fight and dropped dead right before he could finish the fight]].
*** Much earlier, this is the reason Sasuke won his fight against Naruto at the Valley of the End. [[WallBanger Naruto threw the fight by aiming to scratch his foreheard protector instead of actually trying to win.]]

* In {{Yu Yu Hakusho}} the Toguro Brothers faked their loss at the end of the [[RescueArc "Rescue Yukina" arc]] for [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Sakyo]] and so they can challenge the heroes in a {{tournament arc}}.

* Evangeline was the first villain in MahouSenseiNegima. Nearly three hundred chapters later she's ''still'' the most powerful character to appear, curbstomping [[spoiler:a demon god and ''then'' what turned out to be the BigBad]], who even Jack Rakan could only just barely beat. [[spoiler:And that battle didn't even matter since Fate is a cheater.]] Some are beginning to suspect that she is in fact more badass than the Thousand Master himself and are starting to look at her defeat and memories with great suspicion.
** Well, to be fair, there is strong evidence that she has a crush on the Thousand Master, not to mention that (in the battle we saw) used really underhanded techniques against her... so it could very well be just a case of can't fight the one you love?

* Used by the Black Knight in ''FireEmblem: Radiant Dawn'''s localized version (replacing a retcon of questionable quality the Japaneses version uses) to explain how he was back after being defeated and LeftForDead by Ike back in ''Path of Radiance''. (Although [[NotQuiteDead his return was obvious]] if only because [[BlackKnight his identity was never revealed.]]) For comparison:

*** The above is considerably amusing when you consider [[spoiler:when you fight the Black Knight in the second stage of the Epilogue, he is considerably easier then he is in Path of Radiance, where it's almost entirely luck-based. In Radiant Dawn, he can be killed with a Hammer, one of the rather cheap weapons in the game, in two hits.]]

* Surprisingly used after beating the Penultimateboss of ''{{Bayonetta}}''. After Balder appearently dies from a Lipstcik bullet, Bayonetta returns her past self back to her own time. Howcever, because of the fact that she thought you were her mommy, she tried to emulate everything you do as she grew up, thus becoming you and the power within is awakened and Balder, despite being beat up after seemingly using everything he had to defeat you, He had BEEN HOLDING BACK THE ENTIRE BATTLE, despite the fact that he throws buildings, fires a laser from a satellite repeatedly, trys to THROW IT AT YOU FROM MID ORBIT, and apparently let himself be hit by the bullet that supposedly kills him. This suggest that even with bayonetta's past self fused with him, he was far more powerful than the boss fight had let on, despite killing to of Bayonetta's CLIMAX ATTACKS of all things like they were nothing to him, and actually combs his hair with a father from his peacock wings. He surprisingly easy for most penultimate bosses, simply because if he wasn't holding back, he could of killed you as soon as the battle started if he wanted to.

* Television example: In an episode of ''{{Farscape}}'', Rygel lets a villain win a chess-like game as part of a con.

* Spoofed in ''SouthPark''. Satan challenged Jesus to fight for the fate of the world. It was a scam. Satan knew everyone would bet on him, given how strong he was compared to Jesus (this was before he turned {{Badass}} in "Red Sleigh Down"), so Satan bet on Jesus and threw the match, returning to hell with all the money.
** Man! That guy is a jerk!
* Skip does this to [[AngelTheSeries Angel]] in season 3. It had something to do with the Jasmine arc in season 4, in which Skip was Jasmine's ally and NighInvulnerable, but is never fully explained.
* Used contstantly in many of the ''{{Touhou}}'' games, partially because most denizens of Gensokyo view fighting as a game and mostly to justify defeating some of the most absurdly powerful beings imaginable (manipulation of fate, manipulation of boundaries, killing anyone with a thought, control of ''nuclear fusion'' etcetera). Explicitly stated in ''Subterranean Animism'', in which the stage 3 boss Yuugi says she was just playing around, her sake [[MemeticMutation NOT EVEN DROP!]]

* Employed in ''RutlandWeekendTelevision'', in which a prisoner who is going to be hanged tomorrow is playing chess against a guard, while another guard idly watches. The guard eventually says he's letting him win, to the prisoner's disbelief -- both of the guards then reminisce about a time when he ''didn't'' let the prisoner win, effectively making him a JerkAss.
-->'''Playing Guard''': I had this whole setup, could beat him in one move! But did I do it? No, I didn't!
-->'''Watching Guard''': ...Well, you did.
-->'''Playing Guard''': ...Yeh, I did. Beautiful move.
-->'''Watching Guard''': Beat him in his last game'a chess...YouBastard.
* Evangeline was the first villain in MahouSenseiNegima. Nearly three hundred chapters later she's ''still'' the most powerful character to appear, curbstomping [[spoiler:a demon god and ''then'' what turned out to be the BigBad]], who even Jack Rakan could only just barely beat. [[spoiler:And that battle didn't even matter since Fate is a cheater.]] Some are beginning to suspect that she is in fact more badass than the Thousand Master himself and are starting to look at her defeat and memories with great suspicion.
** Well, to be fair, there is strong evidence that she has a crush on the Thousand Master, not to mention that (in the battle we saw) used really underhanded techniques against her... so it could very well be just a case of can't fight the one you love?

* In ''OnePiece'', [[BadassGrandpa Garp]] let Luffy win so he could save Ace, since Garp is a marine and Ace a pirate and his [[spoiler: adopted]]grandson. His relation to Luffy was also a factor.

** Inverted in ''Dawn of the New World'', where [[spoiler:In order to get the good ending, Emil, that is to say, ''YOU'', has to let Lloyd and Marta win]].

*** Used ''again'' in MGS4, when [[spoiler:Liquid at the end of the game fights Snake, it's pretty obvious that, having completed his agenda, he's just looking to go out with a bang. Which in this case means kicking Snake's ass a lot until Snake kills him.]]

* In ''OnePiece'', [[BadassGrandpa Garp]] let Luffy win so he could save Ace, since Garp is a marine and Ace a pirate and his [[spoiler: adopted]]grandson.

* In ''TalesOfSymphonia'', this takes place [[spoiler:the first time you fight Kratos]] -- provided that you ''do'' win, which for a first-time player isn't a given (the story goes the same way regardless). Lloyd is all too aware of this. Amusingly enough, he is far easier [[RecurringBoss the next times you fight him]] when he ''isn't'' holding back -- of course, you've gained quite a lot more power in the meantime.
** The second battle is interrupted by angels surrounding and capturing you, so story-wise, the party didn't really win. In the third battle, Kratos is statistically weakest, [[YourMileageMayVary but this is arguably the hardest of the three fights]].

You see, there was a reason why he won. This character was involved in some kind of XanatosGambit, and part of the process required him to lose the battle. That's right! You're not as tough as you looked! Robbing you of the satisfaction of victory makes him just as much of a MagnificentBastard as the fact that [[XanatosSucker you have been unwittingly aiding his scheme]]!