History WorthyOpponent / AnimeAndManga

*** Daniel J. D'Arby is acknowledged as this by both Jotaro and Avdol. Avdol states that while D'Arby may be no fighter, he's a man of strength who's gambling skills are way out of Avdol's league. Meanwhile, Jotaro claims that D'Arby was too skilled a gambler for him to cheat with Star Platinum, and he praises D'Arby for being brave enough to take on the entire group by himself. When Telence T. D'Arby, Daniel's brother, faces them later and mocks Daniel for being a cheat, Jotaro and Joseph respond by beating him with cheating, capping it off with Jotaro telling him that Daniel would have easily seen through it.

** Senor Pink and Franky begin to see each other as this during their second fight. It gets to the point that they've agreed to never dodge nor block the other's attacks, instead proving their respective manliness by taking said attacks head-on. [[FireForgedFriends It evolves into]] [[SwornBrothers sworn brotherhood]] territory after Franky wins.

** Senor Pink and Franky begin to see each other as this during their second fight. It gets to the point that they've agreed to never dodge nor block the other's attacks, instead proving their respective manliness by taking said attacks head-on. [[FireForgedFriends It evolves into]] [[BloodBrothers sworn brotherhood]] territory after Franky wins.

* In ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'' Mary is engaged to Alan, but is in love with Katarina, the main character. Alan is also in love with her, but doesn't realize it at first. When he does, he tries to call off the engagement. Mary had been trying to call it off as well for some time indirectly, but at this point she begins taking Alan seriously as competition and declines to dissolve the arrangement. Of course, in the process of taking him seriously she also begins tricking him into working against his own interests.

** In the Shinobi World War arc, we learn that [[spoiler: Hashirama]] is this to a revived [[spoiler: Madara]].

** Vanica only ever bothers to remember the names of people who can [[BloodKnight give her an exciting fight]]. This is ''not'' a good thing for said people, as Vanica has a tendency to KickTheDog in order to motivate her opponents into fighting harder. This includes killing innocent bystanders by [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness turning her own Dark Disciples]] into [[WhyAmITicking living bombs]] and attacking her opponent's [[WouldHurtAChild children]].

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': Dante views Yami Sukehiro as one. During their battle Dante calls Yami magnificent for being a human who made him need to use his Body Magic, acknowledging Yami's battle techniques and instincts as greater than his own.

*** Alain had no interest in participating in the Kalos League up until his second meeting with Ash. ''After'' said battle gave him a fun time, he collects the eight badges over the course of ''seven'' episodes and spends the entire League Curb-stomping all his opponents while impatiently waiting for his battle with Ash. When said battle comes, he outright admits battling Ash feels fun and makes him lose track of time.

*** Alain had no interest in participating in the Kalos League up until his second battle with Ash. ''After'' said battle gave him a fun time, he collects the eight badges over the course of ''seven'' episodes and spends the entire League Curb-stomping all his opponents while impatiently waiting for his battle with Ash. When said battle comes, he outright admits battling Ash feels fun and makes him lose track of time.

* ''Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** After getting his ass kicked by him, [[BigBad Dio Brando]] eventually came to see Jonathan as a worthy adversary. Jonathan is notably the only person Dio ever shows any real respect for.
*** He also seems to see Jotaro as this. However, unlike Jonathan, who Dio sees as this out of respect, he sees Jotaro as this out of ''fear''.

** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'':
*** Rikiel acknowledges Jolyne as this [[GracefulLoser after she beats him]].

** Senor Pink and Franky begin to see each other as this during their second fight. It gets to the point that they've agreed to never dodge nor block the other's attacks, instead proving their respective manliness by taking said attacks head-on. It evolves into [[BloodBrothers sworn brotherhood]] territory after Franky wins.

** Senor Pink and Franky begin to see each other as this during their second fight. It gets to the point that they've agreed to never dodge nor block the other's attacks, instead proving their respective manliness by taking said attacks head-on.

** Kenpachi Zaraki constantly seeks an opponent who is capable of giving him a [[BloodKnight great fight]]. Anyone that can bring him to the brink of defeat or death is a worthy opponent. [[spoiler:His greatest worthy opponent was 11th Division founder, Kenpachi Yachiru, who later became 4th Division's Captain Retsu Unohana. The feeling is mutual.]]

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', apparently [[StalkerWithACrush Gauron]] feels something of this sort towards Sousuke. It's one-sided, though -- Sousuke [[WhyWontYouDie really, REALLY hates him]]. The first time they meet, Gauron even wanted to take Sousuke in. However, Sousuke refused. As an ally or as an enemy, Gauron has a great appreciation for Sousuke's [[TheStoic stoic-ness]] and skill. His affection and obsession, however, may have actually deepened ''because'' they became enemies.

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': The UnscrupulousHero Akira, on a personal vendetta to kill a girl and confronting TheRival Katsuya, compliments him on his reason for refusing to give up being due to having promised to defend the girl, something Akira appreciates as he’s been betrayed countless times in his life. IGaveMyWord is a key part of Akira's own [[BlueAndOrangeMorality unique moral compass]] revolving around fairness. Akira calls Katsuya a good person just before planning to attack him, but a third force intervenes.

* In ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'', [[HeroKiller Sabrac]] praises Wilhelmina Carmel's strength and skills as the only warrior in history who has ever survived a fight with him and escaped. The feeling is not mutual. She's terrified of him and fights each rematch solely to finally get him out of her hair.

* ''Manga/ShuumatsuNoWalkureRecordOfRagnarok'':
** UsefulNotes/LuBu and [[Myth/NorseMythology Thor]] come to see each other as this as their battle progresses, finding their battle to be the first time either is able to [[BloodKnight truly indulge in their love for fighting]] [[VictoryIsBoring after spending their entire lives unable to find a fulfilling challenge]].
** UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro sees UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi as this. When Sasaki was alive, he would constantly challenge strong opponents, but would give up when it became clear continuing would end in his death. Musashi was the exception, as he was the only opponent Sasaki fought where he wanted to keep fighting until the bitter end, which ultimately resulted in his death.
** [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Ares]] sees Heracles as this, having nothing but respect for him ever since the two faced each other back when Heracles went by Alcides.
** According to the spin-off manga, ''Shuumatsu no Valkyrie - The Legend of Lu Bu "The Flying General"'', Lü Bu sees Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo, and Red Hare as these, as while they're all still beneath him in terms of strength, they were the only three opponents he ever faced when he was alive that forced him to get serious, even if only briefly.

* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'':

** Played for heartwarming in ''[[Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid ViVid]]'' when [[TheAce Einhart]] and [[TheChick Corona]] face each other in the tournament. Everyone ([[DeterminedDefeatist Corona included]]) thought that Einhart was guarenteed to win the match... everyone except Einhart that is, who openly stated during her training that Corona was a fierce opponent who would beat her if she didn't go all out. [[spoiler:And while Corona may have lost the match, she definitely lived up to Einhart's expectations.]]

* Manga/{ {Black Clover} }'': Dante views Yami Sukehiro as one. During their battle Dante calls Yami magnificent for being a human who made him need to use his Body Magic, acknowledging Yami's battle techniques and instincts as greater than his own.

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' has Reinhard von Lohengramm expressing this sentiment towards Yang Wen-li for much of the series, even while he has yet to meet the man in person. Yang, on his side, does not have the personality nor the strategic luxury of being able to consider any of his opponents as 'worthy', but he does at least seem to respect Reinhart's tactical and political acumen. Yang does express sentiments of this nature towards Reinhart's second-in-command, Siegfried Kircheis, after the two met during a hostage exchange and cessation of hostilities agreement, [[spoiler:but nothing more comes of it as Kircheis is assassinated not long afterwards]]. This trope is also [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]], with many characters remarking on the hypocrisy of respecting your foes while at the same time sending countless men to fight and die against them.

* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', before Goku obliterates Kid Buu with the [[CombinedEnergyAttack Spirit Bomb]], he comments that the fight with him was so good and intense that he wishes he wasn't evil. He wishes that, maybe in another life, they'd get to do this again. Interestingly, his wish came true (since [[PalsWithJesus King Yemma is a friend of Goku's]] and does this as a favor to him), as Buu was reincarnated into a human boy named Uub, and in the 28th Tenka'ichi Budokai, he loved the fight so much that he left his family, friends, and [[TheRival the most persistent rival of the series, Vegeta]] (who truly ''is'' a worthy opponent looking at [[CantCatchUp what happened to the rest of Goku's rivals]] [[WeAreTeamCannonFodder in the series]]) to help him master his abilities and fight him again. In ''Anime/DragonBallGT'', this took ''ten years''.

*** Alain is also a case of this turned UpToEleven, as he had no interest in participating in the Kalos League up until his second battle with Ash. ''After'' said battle gave him a fun time, he collects the eight badges over the course of ''seven'' episodes and spends the entire League Curb-stomping all his opponents while impatiently waiting for his battle with Ash. When said battle comes, he outright admits battling Ash feels fun and makes him lose track of time.