History Main / OppositeTropes

* StarDerailingRole vs. StarMakingRole: The role that breaked or made an actor's career.

* {{Squee}} vs. {{Squick}}: reaction to something favorable vs. reaction to something repulsive

* FalseDichotomy vs. GoldenMeanFallacy: strawman argument where only one of two choices is right vs. one where both choices are wrong and the only "correct" answer is somewhere in the middle.

* IdiotBall vs. SmartBall: Unnatural act of idiocy vs. unnatural act of competence

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* NotSoHarmlessVillain vs. VillainDecay: non-threatening villain becomes more dangerous over time vs. threatening villain becomes less dangerous over time

* OfficialCouple vs. PlatonicLifePartners: Romantic couple vs. platonic couple

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!!Examples of "opposite number" series:
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism in MagicalGirl
** ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' vs. ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' (the main characters even wear similar pink outfit)
** ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' is sometimes said to be somewhere in the middle of the two.
* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' vs. ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials''
* ''The Fairy Tale of Lost Time'' vs. ''Literature/{{Momo|1973}}''. "Never, ever waste your precious time" vs. "'Wasted' time is not always wasted and 'spared' time is never actually spared".
* [[http://www.givesmehope.com/ Gives Me Hope]] vs. Website/NotAlwaysRight[=/=]F My Life Personal anecdotes that will rebuild that faith. vs. personal anecdotes that may just make you lose all faith in humanity
* ''Literature/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' vs. ''VisualNovel/SayaNoUta'': Boy meets girl. Girl is actually an EldritchAbomination. The difference is that the former is a LovecraftLite romantic comedy series, while the latter is a CosmicHorror[=/=]{{Hentai}} story.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' vs. ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism in HeroicFantasy
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' vs. ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' (Made by [[Creator/StudioGainax the same studio]]!): SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism in HumongousMecha
* ''Evangelion'' vs. ''Anime/GaoGaiGar''
* ''Series/CanadasWorstDriver'' vs. ''Series/LastCarStanding''
* ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' vs. ''Anime/OruchubanEbichu'' both feature cute hamsters as the main characters. But while the first one [[SugarBowl is a very idealistic and adorable series aimed at little kids]], the other is a very cynical (and sometimes shocking) series which is [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids definitely NOT for kids.]]
* SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness
** ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' vs. ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'' were it come to superhero films this is the UrExample , but is fair to say that in the last years these two have apparently [[{{CerebusSyndrome}} inverted]] [[{{ReverseCerebusSyndrome}} the roles]].
** latter Showa era Franchise/{{Godzilla}} vs. Heisei era Franchise/{{Godzilla}} But is fair to say that the franchise has been in a constant oscillation between the two extreme opposite since [[CerebusRollercoaster ever]]
* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' vs ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': both are [[PrequelInTheLostAge Prequels In The Lost Age]] that aired in the same time, but the first one is HighFantasy and the other is LowFantasy.

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* HillbillyIncest vs RoyalInbreeding: Incest among extremely poor, lower class, rural people and incest among extremely rich, high class, urban people.

* FireIsMasculine vs. WaterIsWomanly: Men that use fire vs. women that use water.

* ForWantOfANail vs. InSpiteOfANail: A minor thing causes a bunch of changes vs. doesn't change anything.

* BeautyEqualsGoodness vs. EvilIsSexy: Not always opposites in a technical sense, and in fact is usually played at the same time. Often, the attractiveness of a good person is usually in a modest, almost innocent and "classy" way, while an attractive Evil person is in a more primal, overt, and lustful way.

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome vs. ReedRichardsIsUseless: Heroic character who uses awesome technology and money to change the world for the better vs. one that keeps their toys to themselves becayse StatusQuoIsGod.

* ''The Fairy Tale of Lost Time'' vs. ''Literature/{{Momo}}''. "Never, ever waste your precious time" vs. "'Wasted' time is not always wasted and 'spared' time is never actually spared".

* IAmNotSpock vs. IAmNotLeonardNimoy:An actor/actress is known for being the face of a certain character/s vs. a character/s is/are known for being portrayed for a certain actor/actress.

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' vs ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': both are [[PrequelInTheLostAge Prequel In The Lost Age]] that aired in the same time, but the first one is HighFantasy and the other is LowFantasy.

* ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' vs. ''VisualNovel/SayaNoUta'': Boy meets girl. Girl is actually an EldritchAbomination. The difference is that the former is a LovecraftLite romantic comedy series, while the latter is a CosmicHorror[=/=]{{Hentai}} story.

* GratuitousEnglish vs. SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: Bad or good English in non-English works.

* [[MagicVersusScience Magic and Science]] vs. [[GunsVsSwords Swords and Guns]]. The brains of fantasy and science-fiction, respectively, versus the brawns of said genres.

* TheSquad vs. CommandRoster: The frontline soldiers fighting and dying on the battlefield, versus the commanding officers issuing orders to said soldiers at home base.

* [[MagicVersusScience Magic and Science]] vs. [[GunsVsSwords Swords and Guns]]. The brains of fantasy and science fiction, respectively vs. the brawns.

See also the CanonicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions, TropeGrid (which covers when there's more than one possible Opposite Trope), DistaffCounterpart for a list of tropes with gender counterparts (male vs female), and EvilCounterpart for a list of tropes with moral counterparts (good vs evil).