History Main / InevitableTournament

* ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'' is a brutal {{deconstruction}} of this.

** The human tournament is also played with- the purpose of fighting in it is to buy some time for another person. You don't have to win.
*** True, but winning gives you more opportunities to stall. You can even get [[GuideDangIt a unique item]] from one of the bosses by [[SheatheYourSword constantly defending and healing instead of attacking him]].

* The Franchise/{{Tales series}} almost always has an arena. It's rarely necessary to ''complete'' the tournament, though the BonusBoss therein often coughs up some sweet stuff if you beat it, but you are often required to participate in a fight or three when the plot calls.

* In ''SuikodenV'' the main character does ''not'' compete in the Sacred Games, a multi-layered fighting tournament meant to determine the future husband of the princess of Falena, despite its legendary status. Mainly this is because the main character is the prince of Falena and said princess is ''your little sister''. You ''are'' required to participate in a ceremonial opening match, though, which leads to a rather hilarious cutscene if you win when it turns out nobody told your sister that it was only ceremonial...

* While fighting in Trotmobile tournaments is part of ''SteambotChronicles''' WideOpenSandbox nature, a scenario pops up at around the halfway point where you have to participate in a single-elimination tournament. The final opponent you face is the undefeated Elder in his "White Phantom" Trotmobile.

* This trope is subverted in ''MegaManStarForce 3''; around the beginning of the game, everybody is talking about a Wizard tournament at the mall. When you go there, however, you see that Ace has already finished it, after which the Noise Wizards attack. Considering how similar the plot of the third game was to that of Battle Network's fourth, this could arguably be construed as a TakeThat to its hated predecessor.

* ''MechWarrior 2'' has many important missions for you to take part in. Spread evenly among the campaigns, however, are a few duel scenarios, called Trials, which you cannot avoid. And where your average mission is typically composed of several objectives of varying complexity, Trials consist of no more than fighting a single Mech vastly superior to your own (which is a lot easier than it sounds, thanks to ArtificialStupidity); you can choose to fight more opponents for more points, but doing so doesn't change subsequent gameplay.

* In ''WebAnimation/RWBY'', there is the Vytal Festival tournament, which was mentioned in the very first episode. It serves as a symbol of unity for the various nations of Remnant and a way for Hunters and Huntresses to prove their skills in a safe environment. The show finally gets around to it in Volume 3 (About three years later in real time, 6 months in-universe). However, [[spoiler: it is brought to an abrupt stop when, due to the manipulations of [[TheMole undercover villains]], one of the heroes accidentally [[KillTheCutie kills another]] in a fight that is broadcasted to the entire world. [[CerebusSyndrome Things go]] [[FromBadToWorse downhill from there]].]]

** ''StarOcean'' games as well. Considering the first Tales game essentially split off into the Tales and StarOcean series, they share quite a few common elements despite now being made by entirely different companies.

* The ''WildArms'' series likes to throw in arena battles though they are often not plot relevant.They usually contain some of the [[BonusBoss bonus bosses]].Wild Arms 3 is the exception, making the completion of the lowest tournament tier required to get a plot required item.

* ''BarkleyShutUpAndJamGaiden'' features a tournament in the B-Ball Dimension. It's possible to enter and fight a series of {{Duel Boss}}es using only Charles in your party.

* The title tournament in ''TwistedMetal'' is the central focus in every entry of the series.

* The pod-racing in ''StarWars: ThePhantomMenace''. The prize money is needed to advance the plot, since Republic credits are no good on Tatooine.

* The [[http://www.goldcoincomics.com/?id=70 tournament challenge]] in ''GoldCoinComics''.

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->''"If I see one more story where some kids have to fight in a tournament to win some prize [[ToBeAMaster and prove they are masters at whatever it is they are doing]], [[BerserkButton I’m going to explode.]]"''

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* This is the bread and butter of most {{Fighting Game}}s' plots ever since their inception, as it provides an [[ExcusePlot easy excuse and motivation]] to have ten-odd {{Arrogant Kung Fu Guy}}s gathered and willing to kick the crap outta each other. Given that, it's actually much easier to just list those examples which avert the trope:

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** The Pokémon League at the end of every single Pokémon RPG to date. It's the whole bloody point ([[GottaCatchEmAll catching 'em all]] aside)...

** There's also the Pokémon Contest / Super Contest in which Pokémon are judged for their looks rather than their battling ability. You don't have to enter these to advance the plot, however they do unlock bonus items. (Replaced by Pokemon Musical, a talent contest of sorts, and Pokéstar (a Hollywood expy) in Gen V, still optional and still rewarding you with bonus stuff.)
** Played straight with the Pokémon World Tournament in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 Black 2/White 2]]'', where you must enter one Driftveil Tournament. Further tournaments are optional.

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* The title tournament in ''TwistedMetal'' is the central focus in every entry of the series.

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* The Pokémon League of each region in the ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' anime.

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* A variation on the theme: try as he might, [[ASongOfIceAndFire Eddard Stark]] couldn't stop his friend the king from holding an exorbitant tournament in his honor after naming him Hand of the King, never mind that the kingdom is basically bankrupt.
* In the ApprenticeAdept series, Stile's entry into the Tourney of Proton was quite inevitable and forced by circumstances. He had been training to enter the Tourney in three years, but he got on the bad side of the [[UpperClassTwit capricious ruling class of Citizens]] ([[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity being fired for an incident that wasn't his fault]]), and most of the time when that happens to someone, they have to leave their home planet of Proton forever. He was able to find an employer willing to let him stay, but he had to play the Tourney of Proton immediately, before he was truly ready for the task. And the penalty for losing the Tourney would have been--once again--having to leave Proton forever.

* ''{{World of Warcraft}}'' in patch 3.2 added the Argent Tournament in Northrend where players fight in a coliseum type format in various challenges.

* ''EVEOnline'': Twice a year CCP, the developers, hold the [[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Alliance_tournament Alliance Tournament]]. A series of matches pitting small teams from various player Alliances against each other for cash prizes and unique ships. True to the spirit of EVE, it is plagued with player corruption. There are recorded incidents of ransoms being offered. A number of fights blatantly thrown, with one side activating their ship's self-destruct mechanisms or violating the rules. In the 8th Alliance Tournament, Hydra Reloaded negotiated said match throw while the match was still being fought(albeit victory for Hydra would have been all but academic at that point). After payment Hydra activated their self destructs and "lost".

* An entire chapter of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' is devoted to making one's way up the ranks in the Glitz Pit, a gladiatorial fighting arena. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope At least, it begins this way:]] the chapter [[CerebusSyndrome takes a darker turn]] [[HalfwayPlotSwitch when you have to solve the mystery of the disappearing fighters,]] and by the end you've thwarted a conspiracy to [[YourSoulIsMine steal]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext souls.]] It's considered by fans to be [[NightmareFuel the darkest chapter in the game.]]]] Once you've gotten to the top and beaten the chapter boss, Mario retires and his information is erased, [[PostEndGameContent letting you fight your way back to the top as a SideQuest]]-[[spoiler: and this time, ''without'' [[BitchInSheepsClothing Grubba]] getting in your way.]]
* In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', King Sammer insists that you defeat the Duel of 100, defeating 100 Sammer Guys, before he gives you the [[PlotCoupon Pure Heart.]] [[spoiler: The Duel [[HalfwayPlotSwitch is interrupted by]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the Void devouring the Sammer Guy world]] before you can finish, though you can play through its entirety as an optional SideQuest [[PostEndGameContent after you beat the game.]]]]

* An entire chapter of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' is devoted to making one's way up the ranks in the Glitz Pit, a gladiatorial fighting arena. Once you've gotten to the top and beaten the chapter boss, Mario retires and his information is erased, letting you fight your way back to the top as a sidequest.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', King Sammer insists that you defeat the Duel of 100, defeating 100 Sammer Guys, before he gives you the Pure Heart. The Duel is interrupted by [[spoiler:the Void devouring the Sammer Guy world]] before you can finish, though you can play through its entirety as an optional SideQuest after you beat the game.

* The initial part of ''DarkSun: Shattered Lands'' was spent in the gladiatorial pits, giving the player several chances to escape to freedom and the rest of the game. Of course, you could ignore these opportunities and continue fighting opponents in the arena, who continued to get stronger to match your current level. You can get absurdly powerful after a few hours of these matches and can then simply wade through the guards at the front gate.

** Parodied in ''WebComic/EightBitTheater'' with [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2007/04/28/episode-839-wide-world-of-sports/ Drownball]], which Fighter enters while his friends are slaughtering/taking a city.

** Arena or the entire concept of PVP really but especially Arena. This makes "tournaments" really important in WoW since PvP is invaluable to the success of WoW.

-->-- '''[[http://www.mmhp.net/Commentaries/Musing07.html The MegaMaster]]''', on ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 3'''s [[FollowTheLeader similarities]] to ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''[[labelnote:*]][[HilariousInHindsight This was before the fourth game came out]], which was widely criticized for ''revolving entirely around'' tournaments.[[/labelnote]]

* Subverted in ''BaldursGate 2'': when the Illithids capture your entire party, you are set up to fight in a tournament for your new mind-controlling masters' amusement, however, you can break out and organize a gladiator uprising before the tournament even begins.

* In ''WebAnimation/RWBY'', there is the Vytal Festival tournament, which was mentioned in the very first episode. It serves as a symbol of unity for the various nations of Remnant and a way for Hunters and Huntresses to prove their skills in a safe environment. The show finally gets around to it in Volume 3 (About three years later in real time, 6 months in-universe). However, [[spoiler: it is brought to an abrupt stop when, due to the manipulations of [[TheMole undercover villains]], one of the heroes accidentally kills another. [[CerebusSyndrome Things go]] [[FromBadToWorse downhill from there]].]]

In ''WebAnimation/RWBY'', there is the Vytal Festival tournament, which was mentioned in the very first episode. It serves as a symbo of unity for the various nations of Remnant and a way for Hunters and Huntresses to prove their skills in a safe environment. The show finally gets around to it in Volume 3 (About three years later in real time, 6 months in-universe). However, [[spoiler: it is brought to an abrupt stop when, due to the manipulations of [[TheMole undercover villains]], one of the heroes accidentally kills another. [[CerebusSyndrom Things go]][[FromBadToWorse downhill from there]].]]

* ''[[{{Gunnm}} Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita]]''. Twice. Well, three times thanks to alternate continuities. One is two versions, same tournament.

* ''[[LegendOfHeroesVI Trails in the Sky FC]]'' has a plot-forced tournament in the last chapter, with the winner invited to dinner at Grancel Castle. A particularly fun one - after fighting [[spoiler: The Ravens, [[DestinedBystander Kurt, Anelace]], and company, the player has their first fight with [[TheDragon Lt. Lorence]].]]

* ''InazumaEleven 3'' is all about tournaments. Not only that you have to play through a Football Frontier International, you can set up your own mini tournament to play older teams from the prequels.

* Averted in ''{{Solatorobo}}''. Yes, there is a tournament in the form of the Duel Ship, but it's entirely optional. Only a few of the battles have skill points as a prize (which'll help inflate your rank as a [[BountyHunter Hunter]]), whereas most of the time you'll just recieve cash as a prize. It's still probably one of the fastest ways to grind money for the overpriced NewGamePlus-exclusive Dahak frame upgrades outside of playing through the story again.

->''If I see one more story where some kids have to fight in a tournament to win some prize [[ToBeAMaster and prove they are masters at whatever it is they are doing]], [[BerserkButton I’m going to explode.]]''
-->--'''[[http://www.mmhp.net/Commentaries/Musing07.html The MegaMaster]]''', on ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 3'''s [[FollowTheLeader similarities]] to ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''[[labelnote:*]][[HilariousInHindsight This was before the fourth game came out]], which was widely criticized for ''revolving entirely around'' tournaments.[[/labelnote]]

* The Blackwater City hoverboard race tournament is briefly referred to toward the beginning of the original ''RatchetAndClank.'' The player, sure enough, is later forced to enter and win in order to acquire an item.
** Every ''RatchetAndClank'' game since the first has an arena level, with at least one tournament being required to continue the game. "Deadlocked", the fourth game in the series, is nothing but one huge tournament.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Banjo-Kazooie}} Banjo-Tooie]]'', not once but twice do the bear and bird have to transform into a Stony to win a Jiggy in a Mayan kickball tournament.