History Main / LightHeartedRematch

** ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' has a Superman and Flash race for charity that they stop to protect the world from the Weather Wizard. At the end, they race again just for the fun of it. [[spoiler:An exhibit at the Flash Museum in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' seems to suggest The Flash won (hey, it's ''his'' episode).]]

** ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' has a Superman and Flash race for charity that they stop to protect the world from the Weather Wizard. At the end, they race again just for the fun of it. [[spoiler: An exhibit at the Flash Museum in WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited seems to suggest The Flash won (hey, it's ''his'' episode).]]

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': The writers of Pokemon love to do this all the time. It was especially common in Johto and Hoenn. The way it generally would work is that Ash or one of his friends would meet a one or a group of {{One Shot Character}}s that would have to battle seriously, be it for pride or some sort of wager. But then after the episode's conflict is resolved, they are able to have a less tense rematch with no strings attached. A good example is the episode ''Go Go Ludicolo''. In the episode, Corphish is extremely jealous of Ash's Grovyle and [[BloodKnight demands to fight Ludicolo to redeem itself.]] The battle over Brock's sandwiches, and Corphish loses due to being too impatient. But after Corphish saves Ludicolo and its trainer from Team Rocket, Ash agrees to have a rematch with the guy but with his Torkoal. While the battle is ultimately an EvasiveFightThreadEpisode, it's heavily implied that Ash won.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': The writers of Pokemon love to do this all the time. It was especially common in Johto and Hoenn. The way it generally would work is that Ash or one of his friends would meet a one or a group of {{One Shot Character}}s that would have to battle seriously, be it for pride or some sort of wager. But then after the episode's conflict is resolved, they are able to have a less tense rematch with no strings attached. A good example is the episode ''Go Go Ludicolo''. In the episode, Corphish is extremely jealous of Ash's Grovyle and [[BloodKnight demands to fight Ludicolo to redeem itself.]] The battle over Brock's sandwiches, and Corphish loses due to being to impatient. But after Corphish saves Ludicolo and its trainer from Team Rocket, Ash agrees to have a rematch with the guy but with his Torkoal. While the battle is ultimately an EvasiveFightThreadEpisode, it's heavily implied that Ash won.

* A major fight scene in ''Film/JusticeLeague'' has Superman proving capable of moving in BulletTime, tracking and intercepting the Flash, which no one else has been able to do. At the end of the movie, the two agree to a footrace to see who's faster. The stakes are a simple bet: if Flash wins, he gets to tell everyone he's faster than Superman; if Superman wins, Flash has to [[{{Callback}} take everyone to brunch]].

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* It may be worth it to note that ComicBook/{{Superman}} and various [[ComicBook/TheFlash Flashes]] have raced no less than seven times in the comics, almost always ending ambiguously, or on a tie, with the promise of a future rematch. [[spoiler:Flash won both the clear ones: in the first, Flash (Barry Allen) won by a couple feet, after they crawled across the desert without the use of their legs. It's implied that Superman is less used to running as compared to flying, while running is what the Scarlet Speedster does all the time. In the second, Flash (Wally West) won by mere inches, and Superman confirmed that Wally was The [[FastestThingAlive Fastest Man Alive]].]]

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* 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''."

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* ''Series/{{Noob}}'' inverts this. [[spoiler:Episodes happening in training grounds always have Gaea and Omega Zell use the sparring sessions as an excuse act on their respective urges to beat the pulp out of each other. The second-to-last episode of Season 4 ends with Gaea asking to have a real duel with Omega Zell, and the ensuing fight is treated much more seriously than their training ground squirmishes by both of them.]]

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* A more dramatic example at the end of volume 2 (anime episode 7) of ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar''. Kirin Toudou, the #1 rank at Seidoukan Academy, challenged protagonist Ayato Amagiri to an informal duel at her DrillSergeantNasty [[DomesticAbuse uncle]]'s behest at the beginning of the volume (episode 5) and defeated him. At the end, to show her CharacterDevelopment she challenges him again on her own initiative, and this time Ayato wins, taking her #1 spot.

* Negi and Kotaro of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' become training partners after beating the bad guys. As of yet, they still haven't figured out who is stronger.
** Actually, as of the more recent manga, Kotaro does know that Negi is stronger, he just doesn't say it out loud.
** Later still, after Negi's TournamentArc fight with Jack Rakan, Rakan declares him the winner and they have a friendly slugfest to end the match.
* This is the cause of Hakuoh's HeelFaceTurn in ''Anime/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.

** Fate and Nanoha had a rematch in the supplemental materials as well, after the first season, seems Fate won when shes going all out, rather than fighting half heartedly.

** In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode "Grudge Match," [[BadassNormal Huntress]] notices that [[MakesMeWannaShout Black Canary]], who often engages in TeethClenchedTeamwork with her, has been exhausted lately and tails her one night. She discovers that Black Canary has been [[MindControl mind-controlled]] by the villainous Roulette into taking part in grudge matches against other hypnotized female members of the Justice League. After a pitched battle, Huntress manages to undo the mind control, and she and Black Canary lead the charge to free their fellow heroes. They [[FireForgedFriends bond]] over the experience, and the episode ends with the two women deciding to have one last brawl against one another, this time as friends.

** In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode "Grudge Match," [[BadassNormal Huntress]] notices that [[MakesMeWannaShout Black Canary]], who often engages in TeethClenchedTeamwork with her, has been exhausted lately and tails her one night. She discovers that Black Canary has been [[MindControl mind-controlled]] by the villainous Roulette into taking part in grudge matches against other hypnotized female members of the Justice League. After a pitched battle, Huntress manages to undo the mind control, and she and Black Canary lead the charge to free their fellow heroes and [[FireForgedFriends bond]] over the experience. The episode ends with the two women deciding to have one last brawl against one another, this time as friends.

** ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' has this happen when Huntress frees Black Canary from MindControl and fighting in an arena for entertainment, they must then fight Wonder Woman and Shayera. At the end of the episode, they take off cape and jacket respectively and go for the rematch just for fun.

* Negi and Kotaro of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' become training partners after beating the bad guys. As of yet, they still haven't figured out who is stronger.

* ''Anime/{{Scryed}}'' subverts this - the two heroes 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]].

* In ''FanFic/FantasyOfUtterRidiculousness's'' post-ending scenes, it's suggested that Coop and Suika have one of these later, this time taking place in an unknown location and refereed by Yukari.

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*** His one claim to fame is being the "Fastest Man Alive" [[{{Superdickery}} Why should Superman steal his Shtick?]]
*** As the comic book version of the Flash notes to Superman that "Those races were for charity, Clark." before demonstrating that he was in no way going all out in the races.
*** This is a retcon. [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks When most of those races took place]], Superman's speed was a match for Barry Allen's but Superman's running speed was reduced in the ComicBook/PostCrisis era so if they wanted those stories to remain canon, this explanation was needed. In fact in some of those races lives were at stake.

** ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' has a Superman and Flash race for charity that they stop to protect the world from the Weather Wizard. At the end, they race again just for the fun of it. [[spoiler: An exhibit at the Flash Museum in WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited seems to suggest The Flash won, hey... it's his episode.]]

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* The premise of ''Fanfic/CadetScrap'' is [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kate Kane]] and Sophie Moore having one of these in private after their earlier fight for an academy boxing championship in ''Fanfic/WellMatched''.

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

The '''Lighthearted Rematch''' 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.

Related to IronicEcho in that the first fight or competition is always serious --in deadly earnest, even-- and the last one is always another fight, but no high stakes are involved. It is almost always the ending to the EvasiveFightThreadEpisode. As such, the outcome rarely ever actually shown. Both to save from having to film/draw/animate the fight, and to show that whoever wins this particular fight no longer matters between them.

->''"No TV, no newspaper. Just you and me."''

* At the end of season one of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', [[spoiler: Keiichi [[PowerOfFriendship manages]] to turn a deadly serious 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]].]]

* ''Manga/MedakaBox'' has [[spoiler:the very last chapter, where at their 10-year reunion, Zenkichi challenges Medaka to one last fight (which, given that [[DePower everyone seems to have lost their superhuman abilities upon growing up]], may actually be a fair fight). We don't see the end, but given that each of them said "If I win, you have to marry me!", [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming we don't need to]].]]

* In ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' and ''Film/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 ''Film/RockyIII'' (although he was never really villainous), 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.
** This received a CallBack in ''Film/{{Creed}}'', where Apollo's son Adonis asks Rocky who won their legendary secret rematch. Apollo did.

** And that friendly match that escalated to a full team on team battle between the Wolkenritter and our heroines in the manga after As. It did enough damage to burst the containment barrier, demolish the room, knock everyone out and caused the entire interdimensional TSAB base to shake.

** The [[YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Abridged Series]] plays this for laughs, noting how [[spoiler: Joey actually managed to beat the king of games in a duel but no one ever brings it up again.]]