History Main / LightHeartedRematch

* "Free Match" mode in all ''InazumaEleven'' games. After you beat opponent teams during the main game in the SeriousBusiness sense, you can play exhibition matches with them just for fun.

** Then Nanoha and Signum go at it at the end of the [[NanohaStrikerS StrikerS]] manga.
** Inverted with [[spoiler:Subaru and her older sister Ginga in [[NanohaStrikerS StrikerS]]. They have a mock battle in Episode 15 that Subaru seems to enjoy, but loses despite putting up a good effort. In the final battle, Subaru faces Ginga, who has been captured and brainwashed, in a life-or-death battle in order to bring her to her senses. She ultimately manages to defeat Ginga this time]].

** Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect had a heated rivalry going into ''SummerSlam 1991'', which saw Hart win Perfect's Intercontinental Title despite rampant foul play from the latter. The two met again at King of the Ring 1993, but due to a HeelFaceTurn Mr. Perfect refrained from cheating flagrantly. Hart won again.

* In the TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} universe, the SpaceMarine chapters of the [[WarriorMonk Dark Angels]] and the [[BarbarianHero Space Wolves]] have something of a rivalry, essentially due to a perceived [[KillSteal injustice]] between their primarchs. Whenever the chapters meet, they have a ritual reenactment of the battle between two of their champions. Of course, as in the [[GrimDark grim darkess of the far future there is only dark grimness]], "lighthearted" in this case translates as "Doesn't involve death. ''Usually''."

* SCryEd subverts this - the two heros fight it out but it's ''anything'' but lighthearted - they do more damage to each other than the villains ever did. It also takes up an ''entire episode'' - and was the GrandFinale to boot!

* In WaqWaq, Shio has a rematch with [[spoiler:Leo]] that is played less seriously than their initial battle, as it ends with [[spoiler:Leo on the ground, arguing with Shio over whether he held back, and the two promising to have a rematch one day]].
* Kazuki and Papillon end up having one of these in the final episode of Busou Renkin, after [[spoiler: Papillon saves Kazuki's life for the purpose of having such a rematch. In return, Kazuki spares Papillon's life.]]

* In the finale of KamenRiderKiva, Wataru and Taiga, who [[spoiler:have been trying to have a fight to the death that Bishop kept interrupting for several episodes, have already made up and become loving half-brothers again. But they still want to fight, if only to fully get rid of their stress and bring them a bit closer together. Of course, how "close" they become is anyone's guess.]]

** Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect had a heated rivalry going into SummerSlam 1991, which saw Hart win Perfect's Intercontinental Title despite rampant foul play from the latter. The two met again at King of the Ring 1993, but due to a HeelFaceTurn Mr. Perfect refrained from cheating flagrantly. Hart won again.

* Andy vs Eagle in the bonus battle in AdvanceWars. The mission is appropriately named "Rivals".

* While in a fighting ring in a recent episode of TheSimpsons Bart and Lisa decide to have what is apparently one of these, complete with a freezeframe ending. Until the credits roll and Lisa downs Bart with one punch.

* In ''FilM/{{Rocky}}'' and ''RockyII'', Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed fight in high-profile boxing matches with the world heavyweight championship at stake, each winning one. Apollo does a HeelFaceTurn in ''RockyIII'', taking over as Rocky's trainer after Mickey dies, in exchange for a favor. That favor turns out to be a friendly rematch in an empty gym, just to settle it once and for all.

* In ''Rocky'' and ''Rocky II'', Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed fight in high-profile boxing matches with the world heavyweight championship at stake, each winning one. Apollo does a HeelFaceTurn in ''RockyIII'', taking over as Rocky's trainer after Mickey dies, in exchange for a favor. That favor turns out to be a friendly rematch in an empty gym, just to settle it once and for all.

* Yugi and Joey in ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}'' at the end of the Marik saga. We only see the beginning, not the outcome. But [[spoiler: considering Joey has his red-eyes black dragon back in the following arc, it stands to reason that Joey won.]]

* Kazuki and Papillon end up having one of these in the final episode of Busou Renkin, after [[Papillon saves Kazuki's life for the purpose of having such a rematch. In return, Kazuki spares Papillon's life.]]

* This is the cause of Hakuoh's HeelFaceTurn in ''DuelMasters''. After Shobu defeats him, he congratulates him on a good match and offers to play him again later. This stands in stark contrast to Hakuoh's previous belief that once a player lost a game, he was no longer worthy to compete.

The LightheartedRematch is most commonly a {{Superhero}} trope. For one reason or another, two heroes are at odds against each other with high stakes resting on the right one winning. Which of course, happens, even if the "right" hero has to cheat to win. Then the two heroes team up to fight the evil, save the day, yada yada.

!!Examples:

* ''DragonballEvolution'': Goku knocks Chi-Chi out in a fight because he mistook her for the bad guy. At the end, after the day has been saved, Goku returns to apologize for hurting her. Her response is to insist she let him hit her. They playfully argue about it before running at each other to decide which of them is the better fighter.

[[AC:Live Action TV]]

[[AC:{{Professional Wrestling}}]]

* In the {{Warhammer 40000}} universe, the {{Space Marine}} chapters of the [[WarriorMonk Dark Angels]] and the [[BarbarianHero Space Wolves]] have something of a rivalry, essentially due to a perceived [[KillSteal injustice]] between their primarchs. Whenever the chapters meet, they have a ritual reenactment of the battle between two of their champions. Of course, as in the [[GrimDark grim darkess of the far future there is only dark grimness]], "lighthearted" in this case translates as "Doesn't involve death. ''Usually''."

* ''FamilyGuy'' sends up the ''RockyIII'' ending with a friendly boxing match between Cleveland and Quagmire... after Quagmire slept with Cleveland's wife and ended their marriage.

----

* This is subverted in the ''ElGoonishShive'' arc "Indiana Elliot and the Temple of Swedish Furniture." After Elliot and Noah's race through [[FictionalCounterpart Swedekea]] for the last TV stand ends with a victory for Elliot, but the TV stand wasn't there anyway, Elliot suggests a rematch for fun when the next shipment arrives. However, a store employee threatens to [[PersonaNonGrata ban both of them for life]] [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-03-26 if she catches them running again.]]

* In ''{{Rocky}}'' and ''Rocky II'', Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed fight in high-profile boxing matches with the world heavyweight championship at stake, each winning one. Apollo does a HeelFaceTurn in ''Rocky III'', taking over as Rocky's trainer after Mickey dies, in exchange for a favor. That favor turns out to be a friendly rematch in an empty gym, just to settle it once and for all.

* ''FamilyGuy'' sends up the ''Rocky III'' ending with a friendly boxing match between Cleveland and Quagmire... after Quagmire slept with Cleveland's wife and ended their marriage.

<<|ActionAdventureTropes|>>
<<|AnimatedTrope|>>
<<|ComicBookTropes|>>

** Later still, after Negi's TournamentArc fight with [[BeyondTheImpossible Jack Rakan]], Rakan declares him the winner and they have a friendly slugfest to end the match.

* It took at least ''five years'', but Ben and Kevin have one in ''Ben10AlienForce'' episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of".

* At the end of season one of ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'', [[spoiler: Keiichi [[PowerOfFriendship manages]] to turn a DeadlySerious fight with AxCrazy Rena into this after she's been infected with a HatePlague. As a result, when Rena disarms and defeats Keiichi, instead of delivering a killing blow as she initially intended, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming she breaks down and cries]] at the [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realization of what she's done]].]]

* ''BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' gives us Bronze Tiger taking all comers in the ring. He even warns Batman that he never loses. But Batman says if he wins, Tiger helps him protect the temple. Batman cheats to win the fight, and after the temple is safe, Tiger says "you owe me a rematch". Smiling, they rush at each other to begin fighting.

* This is subverted in the ''ElGoonishShive'' arc "Indiana Elliot and the Temple of Swedish Furniture." After Elliot and Noah's race through [[FictionalCounterpart Swedekea]] for the last TV stand ends with a victory for Elliot, but the TV stand wasn't there anyway, Elliot suggests a rematch for fun when the next shipment arrives. However, a store employee threatens to [[BannedFromArgo ban both of them for life]] [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-03-26 if she catches them running again.]]

*** His one claim to fame is being the "Fastest Man Alive" [[{{Superpowerdickery}} Why should Superman steal his Shtick?]]

*** His one claim to fame is being the "Fastest Man Alive" [[SuperpowerLottery Why should Superman steal his Shtick?]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* [[TheThreeMusketeers D'Artagnan]] has several of those with his ''Nemesis'' [[TheDragon Rochefort]] in the epilogue of the book.

[[AC:Live Action TV]]
* In the finale of KamenRiderKiva, Wataru and Taiga, who [[spoiler:have been trying to have a fight to the death that Bishop kept interrupting for several episodes, have already made up and become loving half-brothers again. But they still want to fight, if only to fully get rid of their stress and bring them a bit closer together. Of course, how "close" they become is anyone's guess.]]

The LightheartedRematch is most commonly a {{Superhero}} trope, and also common in [[AnimatedSeries animation]].

For one reason or another, two heroes are at odds against each other with high stakes resting on the right one winning. Which of course, happens, even if the "right" hero has to cheat to win. Then the two heroes team up to fight the evil, save the day, yada yada.

** Then Nanoha and Signum go at it at the end of the [=StrikerS=] manga.
** Inverted with [[spoiler:Subaru and her older sister Ginga in StrikerS. They have a mock battle in Episode 15 that Subaru seems to enjoy, but loses despite putting up a good effort. In the final battle, Subaru faces Ginga, who has been captured and brainwashed, in a life-or-death battle in order to bring her to her senses. She ultimately manages to defeat Ginga this time]].

* This is subverted in the ''ElGoonishShive'' arc "Indiana Elliot and the Temple of Swedish Furniture." After Elliot and Noah's race through [[FictionalCounterpart Swedekia]] for the last TV stand ends with a victory for Elliot, but the TV stand wasn't there anyway, Elliot suggests a rematch for fun when the next shipment arrives. However, a store employee threatens to [[BannedFromArgo ban both of them for life]] [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2010-03-26 if she catches them running again.]]