Line #214 Main/Foil


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13	[[quoteright:270:[[Literature/DonQuixote https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/quijote_y_sancho.png]]]]
14	[[caption-width-right:270:[[LordErrorProne Don Quixote]] and [[CloudcuckoolandersMinder Sancho Panza]].]]
15
16	->''"I'll be your foil, Laertes. In mine ignorance\
17	Your skill shall, like a star i' th' darkest night,\
18	Stick fiery off indeed."''
19	-->-- '''Hamlet''', ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', Act V, scene ii
20
21	Jewelers often put shiny metal foil underneath a gem to make the stone shine brighter, or display them on dark velvet to bring attention to their brightness. A literary foil serves a similar purpose; it is to provide contrast to another character by accentuating their differences.
22
23	{{Sidekick}}s often serve as the hero's foil: [[Main/RedOniBlueOni a calm and pragmatic sidekick will accompany a hot-headed hero]], for example, or a conventionally-brave hero will drag a LovableCoward. In the classic story of Good vs. Evil, the hero and villain play the other's foil, in that each acts to show how the other behaves in certain situations. But virtually any story with multiple characters can use contrast to show greater depths to them; two persons do not have to be on opposite ends of the moral spectrum to be foils.
24
25	Foils need to be ''seen together''; the interaction between the contrasting characters is what makes this trope work. A pair of foils may be strangers when the story begins, but they need to come together at some point in the story and let their opposed personalities shine through. Otherwise, we just have a [[Administrivia/PeopleSitOnChairs pair of characters with different personalities.]]
26
27	If you've got a series where a hero from a later installment is the opposite of a hero from earlier on, they've got to interact with each other somewhere in the series for them to count as foils. Otherwise, you've got a ContrastingSequelMainCharacter. The same goes for the baddies: unless the contrasting villain from the earlier installment interacts with the villain from the later installment, you're looking at a ContrastingSequelAntagonist.
28
29	Many foils are depicted as physical contrasts to the main character, though a contrasting appearance alone ''isn't sufficient'' for a character to be a foil. Thin vs. fat and tall vs. short are among the most common ways of setting up a contrast. Opposing genders and races are common even in modern media, but often tend to be handled more delicately due to these types of differences being an UnfortunateImplications minefield.
30
31	If you're feeling a little poetic and look around at your surroundings enough, you'll probably discover that this trope is a bit of TruthInTelevision.
32
33	For this trope's own foil, see MirrorCharacter, which is about characters who highlight each other's similarities.
34
35	See also DuoTropes.
36
37	[[folder:Common Foils]]
38	[[index]]
39	!!Standalone {{Characters}} who foil others:
40	* TheAntiGod
41	* AntiRoleModel
42	* ArchEnemy: The BigBad is TheHero's main enemy and opposite.
43	* BigGood: The antithesis of the BigBad.
44	* BitchInSheepsClothing: The manipulative antithesis of the genuine [[NiceGuy Nice Guy/Girl]].
45	* BlackSheep: The outcast of the group.
46	* BromanticFoil
47	* ClassicVillain
48	* CommanderContrarian
49	* CowardlySidekick
50	* DeliberatelyBadExample
51	* EvilCounterpart: The evil version of a good character.
52	* EvilCounterpartRace
53	* EvilKnockoff
54	* EvilTwin: An evil lookalike of a hero, sometimes a literal twin.
55	* FutureFoil: The character's future self is different from the character's present self.
56	* GenerationXerox: The grandchild/descendant of the character shares the same story.
57	* TheImp
58	* JuniorCounterpart
59	* TheLancer: TheHero (or) TheLeader's second-in-commander who is different from the hero.
60	* LiteralSplitPersonality
61	* PluckyComicRelief
62	* ThePsychoRangers
63	* CowardlySidekick
64	* NonHumanSidekick
65	* OlderSidekick: The {{Sidekick}} is older than TheHero.
66	* PsychoSidekick
67	* PrivilegedRival: The rival is more privileged than the lower-class hero.
68	* TheRival: The antagonistic foil of the hero who is not the BigBad.
69	* RivalTurnedEvil: Where the rival becomes more antagonistic towards the hero.
70	* RockIsAuthenticPopIsShallow
71	* ShadowArchetype: The character who possesses a trait the hero hates about himself.
72	* {{Sidekick}}
73	* StockShonenRival: A type of rival who is stoic and standoffish in contrast to the StockShonenHero.
74	* StraightMan
75	* StrawLoser
76	* TokenEvilTeammate
77	* ATrueHero: One person or group proves themselves more worthy of the title "hero" than others.
78	* TokenGoodTeammate
79	* WhiteSheep
80	* WorthyOpponent: When an antagonistic foil shows regards for the character's abilities.
81
82	!!Pairs of Foils:
83	* AdventureDuo: A pairing of a hotblooded lancer and a more straight-laced hero.
84	* AloofLeaderAffableSubordinate
85	* BeastAndBeauty
86	* BetaCouple: The less dramatic pairing that highlights how screwed up the main pairing actually is.
87	* BettyAndVeronica: Two potential {{Love Interest}}s in a LoveTriangle: The lovable GirlNextDoor or the enticing GoodBadGirl. The Veronica shows how innocent and good the Betty is, and the Betty shows the rebellious and attractive nature of the Veronica.
88	* BickeringCouplePeacefulCouple: A couple who argues a lot make the relationship of the couple that gets along look even better.
89	* BigGuyLittleGuy
90	* BrainsAndBrawn: A dumb, but strong character is contrasted with a weak, but smart character.
91	* BullyAndWimpPairing: A brutish, antagonistic kid contrasts with a meeker, more spindly kid.
92	* BustContrastDuo: When two females opposite each other not just by their personalities but the size of their chests.
93	* CainAndAbel: When one sibling is good while the other is villainous.
94	* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough
95	* ChevalierVsRogue
96	* ChildishVillainMatureHero: The villain is an overgrown brat while the hero is a responsible adult.
97	* CoolKidAndLoserFriendship
98	* CopAndScientist: The scientist's logical, impersonal, intellectual-oriented approach contrasts with the cop's rougher, more physical and action-oriented approach.
99	* CopCriminalFamily
100	* DuelingMessiahs: Two heroes who oppose each other on how to protect the world.
101	* EnergeticAndSoftSpokenDuo
102	* EvilDuo: Two villains where one is cunning and bossy, the other is obedient and dim-witted.
103	* FatAndSkinny
104	* FemaleFighterMaleHandler
105	* FemaleFlatfootAndSnarkyGuy: [[WunzaPlot One's a]] {{By the Book\|Cop}} FairCop, and one's a StreetSmart LovableRogue.
106	* GentleTouchVsFirmHand: One guides people through gentleness, while the other guides through harshness.
107	* GeodesicCast
108	* GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: One is generally happy, while the other is mostly moody.
109	* GoodCopBadCop: The good cop's empathy and gentleness highlights the bad cop's brutality and coldless.
110	* HairContrastDuo: The character with light-colored hair is bright, cheerful and expressive, while the character with the darker-colored hair is moody, cynical and stoic.
111	* HammyVillainSeriousHero: A contrast between a LargeHam villain and a serious hero.
112	* IrishmanAndAJew
113	* MonsterBrotherCutieSister
114	* NightAndDayDuo
115	* OldCopYoungCop
116	* OpposedMentors
117	* OppositesAttract: When characters with contrasting personalities fall in love.
118	* PolarOppositeTwins: Twins whose personalities are opposites of one another.
119	* RichSiblingPoorSibling
120	* RightWayWrongWayPair: One character does things properly while the other doesn't. The wrong-doing character makes the good-doing character look even better.
121	* RivalDojos: The PacifistDojo vs. the ThugDojo. Thuggish badguys make the pacifists look even more peaceful and good.
122	* RudeHeroNiceSidekick: If the hero is rude, the sidekick is a NiceGuy. Rude hero makes the sidekick look nicer.
123	* ScienceFoils
124	* SiblingYinYang: Two siblings who have opposite personalities.
125	%%* SitcomArchNemesis
126	* StudentAndMasterTeam: The master's experience and wisdom contrasts with the student's youth and naivete.
127	* SympatheticVillainDespicableVillain: One villain is capable of redemption while the other is irredeemably evil.
128	* TanukiKitsuneContrast: {{Tanuki}} are fat, jolly, and playful. [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]] are slender, graceful, and ambitious.
129	* ThoseTwoGuys
130	* VileVillainLaughableLackey: The lackey's incompetence highlights the villain's evil.
131	* VitriolicBestBuds: Specifically the variant where one picks on the other and the other doesn't notice.
132	* WackyParentSeriousChild: The wackiness of the parent highlights the seriousness of the kid.
133	* WhiteBreadAndBlackBrotha: A straight-laced white guy partners up with a streetwise black guy.
134
135	!!Feeling & Thought foils:
136	* See also HarmonyVersusDiscipline.
137	* AndroidsAndDetectives
138	* AllWorkVsAllPlay: One who is focused on work while the other wants to have fun.
139	* BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine: One of them comes up with dumbass ideas, while the other has to correct them. Often violently.
140	* BrainsVersusBrawn: Intellect and strength are presented as opposite, contrasting attributes.
141	* CynicIdealistDuo: One who has a positive outlook on life whereas the other has a negative outlook on life.
142	* ElvesVersusDwarves
143	* ForceAndFinesse: One of them fights with strength and power, the other with speed and precision.
144	* FoolishHusbandResponsibleWife: A wife is mature while her husband is not.
145	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: One sibling is immature while the other isn't.
146	* FurAgainstFang
147	* HamAndDeadpanDuo
148	* InsecureProtagonistArrogantAntagonist
149	* LoveInterestVsLustInterest
150	* OpposingCombatPhilosophies
151	* RedOniBlueOni: EmotionsVsStoicism encapsulated in two characters.
152	* SoldierVsWarrior: One fights to live, the other lives to fight.
153	* SlobsVsSnobs: One who is lazy and poorly groomed while the other is neat and sophisticated.
154	* SmartAnimalAverageHuman
155	* SmartJerkAndNiceMoron: One who is smart, but mean while the other is dumb, but nice.
156	* StraightManAndWiseGuy: One is serious while the other is a wisecracker.
157	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry
158	* TalkerAndDoer
159	* TechnicianVersusPerformer: One seeks to perfect their craft, the other seeks to enjoy it.
160
161	!!Gender foils:
162	* BifauxnenAndLadette: Two girls who are [[{{Bifauxnen}} both]] [[TheLadette masculine]], but in different ways.
163	* BisexualLoveTriangle: The opposite- and same-gender characters will be used as foils that represent separate life choices.
164	* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: ByronicHero and NiceGirl.
165	* ChubbyMamaSkinnyPapa: A couple consisting of an overweight female character with maternal traits and a thin male character with paternal traits.
166	* FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter
167	* GoodPolicingEvilPolicing: Law enforcement officials or agencies are portrayed as moral opposites of each other.
168	* HotGuyUglyWife
169	* HugeGuyTinyGirl
170	* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Two girls who are both feminine, but in different ways.
171	* MaleMightFemaleFinesse: ForceAndFinesse + gender stereotypes.
172	* MaleSunFemaleMoon: The sun portrayed as male and the moon as female.
173	* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A masculine girl and feminine guy]].
174	* NobleMaleRoguishMale: Two guys who are both masculine, but in different ways.
175	* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: OnlySaneMan and GenkiGirl.
176	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Two guys: one masculine, and [[InTouchWithHisFeminineSide one feminine]]
177	* SopranoAndGravel: Musical duet between a female singer with a high clear voice and a male singer with a deep scratchy voice.
178	* StrongGirlSmartGuy: BrainsAndBrawn + gender {{stereotype}}s.
179	* TenderTomboyishnessFoulFemininity: A {{nice\|Girl}} tomboy and a [[{{Jerkass}} mean]] girly girl.
180	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Two girls: [[GirlyGirl One feminine]], and [[{{Tomboy}} one masculine]].
181	* TinyGuyHugeGirl
182	* UglyGuyHotWife
183
184	!!Situations that can arise from pitting foils against each other:
185	* FightingTheLancer: When TheHero and TheLancer battle each other for some reason.
186	* NotSoDifferentRemark: When one foil points out that he shares something in common with the other foil.
187	* NotSoSimilar
188	* OddCouple: When two foils (such as a slob and a snob) must share the same space.
189	* OddFriendship: The same as above, but for side characters.
190	[[/index]]
191	[[/folder]]
192
193	Compare {{Shadowland}}, which applies to settings, and SpiritualAntithesis, which applies to works, and OppositeTropes, which applies to {{tropes}}.
194
195	----
196	!!The following have their own pages:
197	[[index]]
198	* Foil/TheDCU
199	* Foil/MarvelUniverse
200	[[/index]]
201
202	!!Example subpages:
203	[[index]]
204	* Foil/AnimeAndManga
205	* Foil/FanWorks
206	* [[Foil/AnimatedFilms Films — Animation]]
207	* [[Foil/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
208	* Foil/{{Literature}}
209	* Foil/LiveActionTV
210	* Foil/VideoGames
211	* Foil/WebAnimation
212	* Foil/WebComics
213	* Foil/WesternAnimation
214	[[/index]]
215
216	[[foldercontrol]]
217
218	[[folder:Asian Animation]]
219	* ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'' features its eponymous character and his rival, Cham Cham Chakraborty. While both characters are self-centered to some extent, Samosa means well and will help others if a situation calls for it, whereas Cham Cham is willing to (for example) work them to exhaustion, if not outright try to knowingly hurt them, due to not having much regard for most people - especially Samosa.
220	[[/folder]]
221
222	[[folder:Audio Plays]]
223	* In AudioPlay/AlienAbductionRolePlay, the two human abductees serve as foils to each other. The unnamed human is an Unfazed Everyman who was depressed and unhappy with his life before being abducted by aliens, and has no desire to return to Earth. Tori is a frightened teen girl who had a normal, almost idyllic life with her family on Earth, and wants desperately to return home. The unnamed human is a xenophile who finds Acktreal attractive, and doesn't seem bothered by the appearance of the other aliens, whereas Tori does not shy away from showing her discomfort with the other aliens, including the one who is trying to console her. The unnamed human is a Nightmare Fetishist who takes Acktreal's taste-testing and threats to eat them in stride, whereas Tori found it traumatizing and refused to forgive Ackt for what she did.
224	[[/folder]]
225
226	[[folder:Comic Books]]
227	* ''ComicBook/BerrybrookMiddleSchool''
228	** Mari to Peppi. Unlike the klutzy and awkward Peppi, Mari is passionate, hard-working, and TheAce amongst her peers. However, Peppi is much closer to her family, and isn't constantly pressured into being the way she is by any of them, unlike Mari who cowers under the shadow of her domineering father.
229	** Jenny to Akilah. One prioritizes professionalism and has a rather short temper, while the other tends to be more open and emotionally driven when it comes to her job. Rather inevitably, it puts them at odds with one another at times.
230	** Jorge to both Zeke and James, more so the latter. Jorge is a large intimidating stoic kid who's otherwise charitable and very kind-hearted. Zeke meanwhile is a small meek-looking guy who uses his innocent looks to woo girls and generally get his own way. As for James, he's basically Jorge minus any of his morals and respect for others.
231	** On the subject of teachers, Mr. Ramirez and Ms. Tobins couldn't be farther apart in terms of personality and looks. Ramirez is a heavily-built individual and a total neurotic mess who has less authority over his club than his own students, while Ms. Tobins is an athletic BadassTeacher whose mere presence commands authority.
232	* ComicBook/CortoMaltese, by Hugo Pratt: he does not have a permanent "sidekick", but many times he has adventure partners who are much crazier and more violent than him: Rasputin, an Ethiopian warrior, A Chinese Assassin girl. He also has had partners who are more of the "professor" type, which turns him into the guy who leads the action.
233	* ''ComicBook/Elsewhere2017'': Amelia Earhart is pointed out as having an unusual trust in authority by today's standards and is generally hopeful and naive, contrasting with D. B. Cooper's snarky attitude.
234	* In ComicBook/{{Jeremiah}}, by Hermann: The protagonist's partner, Kurdy Malloy, is much more cynical, streetwise and childish than he is. Jeremiah is no fool by any means, and he is an action guy, but he is much nobler and more romantic than his friend, and puts more trust in others.
235	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'':
236	** On a faction-wide level, the Suppression Squad is this to the Freedom Fighters. The clue is in the name, suppression versus freedom. Otherwise, they are literally the same ensemble of characters. The SS come from a planet in an anti-verse of sorts called Moebius (the extra 'e' in the name no doubt referring to it being evil), while the FF live in Mobius. All of the [[EvilCounterpart evil equivalent characters]] (like Evil Sonic/later Scourge to regular Sonic, etc.) share many similar character traits with the originals, but are evil, cruel, selfish and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin suppressive]].
237	** Scourge and Sonic deserve special mention considering how many different ways they contrast each other. Both being speedsters who try to look cool, they otherwise couldn't be any more different. Scourge is a purely spiteful, egotistical {{Jerkass}} while Sonic is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold hero type. Scourge is later revealed to be a DirtyCoward while Sonic is a genuinely brave {{Determinator}}. Scourge also succumbs to an inversion of EvilFeelsGood with his super form. Despite its power, he feels horrible when he's in that state, as opposed to Sonic who feels great when in his super form. A back and fourth NotSoDifferentRemark between the two drives this home. What makes them different overall is how Scourge fell victim to a whole "One Bad Day" occurrence, while Sonic has a certain level of selflessness and decency that Scourge lacks. If not for those things, they would be pretty much the same.
238	** Sally Acorn and Fiona Fox. One is a Freedom Fighter, the other an ex-Freedom Fighter. Sally is loyal and trustworthy while Fiona has a tendency to [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder turn on people she's aligned with]]. Sally is a well respected leader amongst the heroes and often plays the role of CoolBigSis to some of the younger male characters like Tails. Fiona [[FemmeFatale exploits the feelings of male characters]] to her advantage, much to Sally's annoyance and disgust, as displayed when Sally gut punched her for toying with Tails. Sally is a {{Tomboy}} who subverts the role of PrincessClassic by leading the Freedom Fighters as a competent battle strategist and tactician, with an [[LadyLooksLikeADude androgynous appearance]]. Meanwhile, Fiona is a bit more of a {{GirlyGirl}} with a knack for using her feminine charms to manipulate male characters, with a [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics relatively feminine appearance]]. Both are tough BadassNormal girls (in the context of the Sonic universe, anyway) who often find themselves as rivals whenever the Destructix or whatever group of villains Fiona has teamed up with crosses paths with Sally's Freedom Fighters.
239	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
240	** ''ComicBook/{{Kanan}}'': Commander Grey and Captain Styles are both clone troopers under General Depa Billaba, and together make up half the survivors from her first Battalion. They are however very different from each other and Grey is affiable, kind and devoted to Billaba, while Styles is sarcastic and devoted to the Republic. Grey ends up being the only known clone to fight off Order 66 (though only after [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone killing Billaba]]), but when he tries to point out just how messed up the order is to Styles the captain refuses to listen and continues trying to kill Caleb so Grey sacrifices himself to ensure their transport is destroyed, killing all the clones hunting the Jedi apprentice.
241	** ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
242	*** ''ComicBook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' has its hero Zayne and villain Haazen. Both were incompetent Padawans, routinely humiliated, but best friends with the most outstanding member of their class. But while Zayne accepts that he's going to flunk, Haazen expected to skate by on his friend's coattails. Zayne didn't blame anyone for his expected failure; Haazen blamed everyone in the Galaxy except himself. While Zayne was ready to find a new path, Haazen trailed after his friend and grew so bitter that he betrayed him to his death. Then Haazen spent the next decades trying to rot the man's legacy, while Zayne is so true to Jedi principles he outdoes most of the ''actual'' Jedi in the story.
243	* [[BenevolentMageRuler K'Kruhk]] to [[EvilOverlord Darth Krayt]] in ''ComicBook/StarWarsLegacy''. Both were Jedi who survived Order 66 by killing every clone trooper around them, and went on to lay low in the Dark Times that followed. Both became instrumental in rebuilding their respective orders, Krayt by rebuilding it from scratch on Korriban, and K'Kruhk by training Jedi in secret until Luke came along, and both eventually ascended to become rulers of the entire galaxy. Whereas K'Kruhk survived by hiding and finding those he could trust, Krayt survived by killing any witness, and whereas Krayt was an EvilOverlord who held absolute power, K'Kruhk is a BenevolentMageRuler who shares power with his fellow triumvirs.
244	* The Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles are a quartet (Leonardo [[TheLeader leads]], Donatello [[TheSmartGuy does machines]], Raphael is [[HairTriggerTemper rude]], and Michelangelo is [[FunPersonified a party dude]]) where every combination brings up opposites:
245	** FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Mikey > Donnie ~ Raph > Leo
246	** AllWorkVsAllPlay: Leo and Mikey
247	** TheHero vs TheLancer: Leo and Raph.
248	** BrainsAndBrawn: Donnie and Raph.
249	** GleefulAndGrumpyPairing: Mikey and Raph.
250	** TheSmartGuy vs BookDumb: Donnie and Mikey, sometimes played as academic intellect vs (pop) cultural awareness.
251	** [[AgentMulder Spirituality]] vs [[AgentScully Science]]: Leo and Donnie, but they're both levelheaded enough to defer to the other's expertise so they usually don't have any real tension when they pair up together.
252	* In IDW's ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' comics, Soundwave in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'' is a foil to Tarn in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye''. Both were originally persecuted by the Functionists and the Senate, and both became Decepticon true believers and went FromNobodyToNightmare, but Soundwave retains a certain streak of idealism, while Tarn is violent and sadistic. Tarn started out as one of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime's allies and underwent a FaceHeelTurn, while Soundwave ''becomes'' one of Prime's allies after doing a HeelFaceTurn. Even their powers are opposed; Soundwave's are focused around listening (he can hear thoughts), while Tarn's are focused around speaking (his voice can kill).
253	* Elorin to Praxton in ''ComicBook/WhiteSand''. While Praxton is a FantasyForbiddingFather who attempts to bend rules to force Kenton to resign from his aspirations and resorts to ''ad persona'' to humiliate him, Elorin is more worried about Kenton's safety, yet ultimately states that it's Kenton's decision and enforces the rules to let him participate in the exam.
254	[[/folder]]
255
256	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
257	* Literature/TheBible has plenty of examples, which is unsurprising, given the prevalence of parallelism in ancient Hebrew writing.
258	** All the patriarchs of the Literature/BookOfGenesis has a family member to stand as a contrast against their mark of faith, and the contrast is often re-iterated in later books (especially in the book of Hebrews).
259	*** First, of course, we have the brothers CainAndAbel who respectively represent sin and rebellion vs. righteousness and obedience.
260	*** Abraham's title as the man of faith is contrasted against his nephew Lot, who in his attachment to material wealth, chose to dwell in Sodom, which would eventually lead to his family's downfall when the entire city is obliterated.
261	*** JacobAndEsau. The latter is a rough and manly hunter who is unfortunately not too bright, and seems incapable of thinking long-term. The former is a meek MommasBoy who prefers to stay indoors, but is extremely cunning, and was able to cheat his older brother of his birthright and blessing.
262	*** Joseph is one of the few characters in the Bible who has no [[IncorruptiblePurePureness apparent flaws in his character]], and remains upright even when he is unfairly mistreated by others. Halfway through his story, the narrative moves to focus on his brother Judah, who is at his least virtuous when he had sex with a prostitute who turned out to be his disguised ''daughter-in-law'', and the placement of this appalling subplot simply highlights Joseph's virtues all the more.
263	** Literature/TheFourGospels has Jesus and Peter. Jesus is calm, collected, and singularly focused on his mission. Peter is impulsive and HotBlooded, and abandons the cause for a little while. Frequently, Peter's actions give Jesus an opportunity to teach a lesson to the disciples.
264	[[/folder]]
265
266	[[folder:Podcasts]]
267	* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'': [[spoiler: Edward and Lydia]] are foils to [[spoiler: Taako and Lup.]] They're all [[spoiler: very and tight-knit fashionable twins with a tendency to screw over others for personal entertainment or pragmatic heroism. Lup, like Edward and Lydia, is also a lich. For both Taako and Lydia, losing a sibling is a {{Despair Event Horizon}}.]] Unlike [[spoiler: Taako and Lup]], however, [[spoiler: Edward and Lydia are willing to {{Take A Third Option}} and explicitly kill others to gain power.]]
268	* In ''Podcast/TheHiddenAlmanac'', the main characters are Mord, a calm, scholarly fellow, and Drom, an ebullient ditz. The only thing they appear to have in common is a fondness for gardening, though her interest seems to be primarily pharmacological.
269	[[/folder]]
270
271	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
272	* A recipe for many a {{tag team}}. Either there is very little to differentiate the two, [[TagTeamTwins sometimes not even that much]] or there is some immediate difference everyone with sight can see.
273	* Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} served to show how reserved Wrestling/{{Ivory}} had become in Right To Censor, how much more [[OneOfTheBoys of the boys]] she was with the Kat, who was a GirlyGirl and how much more fun she was to be around compared to snobbish tease Traci Brooks. In the latter case, Wrestling/JamesStorm and Wrestling/BobbyRoode were also foils as SlobsVsSnobs, only they worked together as "Beer Money".
274	* In Wrestling/RingOfHonor, [[GarbageWrestler The Carnage Crew]] were given the rich, disrespectful burnouts [[SpotMonkey Special K]] to feud with, in order to better get the blue collar audience to identify with them. This backfired as the [=ROH=]bots hated both groups.
275	* This trope was basically the angle of the Wrestlemania XXV match between Wrestling/TheUndertaker and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels. The Heartbreak Kid cast himself as the "Light" that is fated to defeat the "Darkness" embodied by the evil Deadman, and consequently end the latter's legendary winning streak.
276	* [[Wrestling/EvanBourne Matt Sydal]] to ANX, The All Nights Kenny King and Rhett Titus. All three entered Wrestling/RingOfHonor as cocky upstarts but while Sydal matured into a wise veteran who imparted his knowledge to other cocky upstarts like KUSHIDA and ACH, King and Titus became bitter veterans out to hold new wrestlers to ROH down.
277	* Wrestling/TaelerHendrix to Seleziya Sparx in [[Wrestling/TruthMartini House Of Truth]]'s ROH branch. Sparx is [[AffablyEvil a nice girl]] from a FriendlessBackground who really just wants attention and fell in with a bad crowd. Hendrix is a [[RagsToRiches formerly impoverished]] snob who resents pretty much anyone who has anything that is not immediately benefiting her. Sparx does not get angry too easily and though her job calls her to be ''very'' violent, she rarely displays more than TranquilFury. Hendrix has a HairTriggerTemper and even when she's not angry she takes [[{{sadist}} great pleasure]] in hurting people. Sparx is a [[TheTease tease]] and a FemmeFatale who certainly knows the power of sex appeal but doesn't use sex itself as a weapon. Hendrix is TheVamp, pure and simple. Unfortunately, Sparx [[RealLifeWritesThePlot being banned from working in the US]] prevented the two from directly interacting before the fall of the HOT's ROH branch. Still, the two show the DarkerAndEdgier turn the HOT took from it's hedonistic party beginnings very well. While Sparx was the ButtMonkey who suffered trying to help Wrestling/JayLethal, Hendrix ''was worse than he was'' and the ''only'' HOT member not to undergo a HeelFaceTurn.
278	* As ANX expanded into The Cabinet their foils became Search And Destroy. Both groups [[ShadowArchetype have similar beliefs and goals]], wanting to take things back to way they used to be, when times were better, but their philosophy and methodology are completely different. The former taunt and shout at those the supposed brainwashed masses about while the latter wait for down time and breakdown their view points in respectful manners. As The Cabinet frustrations changed them into The Riot, out to destroy all contrary to themselves with reckless abandoned, Search And Destroy are lead by [[TheSocialDarwinist social Darwinists]] who believe their core approach is right but continually analyze their opposition in order to adapt their strategies, especially after setbacks.
279	* Wrestling/JeffHardy and Wrestling/CMPunk. They're both slight, heavily tattooed guys who don't fit the mold and move to the beat of their own drums, but that's just about where their similarities end. Jeff is a high-flying daredevil with notorious addiction problems, while Punk wrestles with a more ground-based style and is UsefulNotes/StraightEdge to the core. While Jeff is confident in his abilities, he's also humble and openly acknowledges and accepts his faults, but also won't tolerate any disrespect. Punk, meanwhile, has an over-inflated ego with a hidden savior complex and superiority complex, and looks down on those who don't live up to the same standards he has. This is one of the reasons their rivalry worked so well; they were the perfect foils to each other and it translated into their dynamic.
280	[[/folder]]
281
282	[[folder:Roleplay]]
283	* In ''Roleplay/WeAreOurAvatars'', Selim Bradley the Homunculus of Pride from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' and Selim Bradley from the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 2003 anime version]] are polar opposites; the two have bad chemistry together.
284	[[/folder]]
285
286	[[folder:Theatre]]
287	* In ''Theatre/AntonyAndCleopatra'', the two nations of Rome and Egypt play foil to each other, with Rome with a superego, duty before self set of ideals while Egypt is far more hedonistic and leans towards the id.
288	* In Creator/DorothyLSayers' ''Theatre/TheEmperorConstantine'', Helena awaits the arrival of the ex-husband who divorced her for a political match, and then took her son away when he was eleven, with calm and dignity, while her elderly servant fumes over the indignities she was subjected to. (Thus also making clear what it takes for her to be calm and dignified.)
289	* ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'':
290	** Jasper and Gretchen are total opposites. Jasper is TheWatson, with no context for anything in Deadland, and Gretchen has been there long enough to act as a NativeGuide. Jasper has to get out of Deadland and reach the Living World before he loses all the memories of his life, whereas Gretchen has already lost her memories and her life and doesn't care about getting them back. Jasper has a cynical outlook on his existence due to how awful his life, whereas Gretchen is more optimistic due to how trouble-free her ''afterlife'' is.
291	** In the song "The Killing", Jasper explains that his parents are awful for opposite reasons - his mother only cares about herself, and his father doesn't care about anything, including himself.
292	* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': Erik portrays dark and passion, Raoul light and clear thinking.
293	* Ariel and Tupolski from ''Theatre/ThePillowman'' are constantly at odds. Even when Tupolski starts getting aggressive with executing Katurian, it's immediately after [[spoiler:Katurian is revealed to have never murdered any children]]. Ariel, originally being depicted as ready to kill Katurian at the word, backs down completely at that point.
294	* Creator/WilliamShakespeare has many, many foils in his plays (appropriate since he's going for dramatic effect):
295	** In ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway is a foil to Hamlet, having none of the latter's introspection when it comes to avenging his father's death. Another classic example of Hamlet's foil is his friend, Horatio, whose level-headedness clearly serves as foil to Hamlet's rash nature.
296	** Several other characters serve as a foil to Hamlet as well. Before they engage in the climactic swordfight, Hamlet describes himself as a foil to Laertes ("I'll be your foil, Laertes: in mine ignorance your skill shall, like a star i' the darkest night,stick fiery off indeed."). Of course, it is in fact the other way around, and Laertes can tell that Hamlet is mocking him. This passage may be the TropeNamer.
297	** Hamlet is also making a play on words, since "foil" is the term for the flexible sword-like weapons used in fencing practice.
298	** ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' has Macbeth and [[NoManOfWomanBorn Macduff]], and (more obviously) LadyMacbeth and Lady Macduff.
299	** Falstaff is the foil to either Prince Hal's father, Henry IV, in the ''King Henry'' plays. And oh, what a foil he is.
300	** In ''Henry IV, Part 1'' Hal has a foil in the form of Henry Hotspur, who's everything Hal's supposed to be but isn't.
301	** Mercutio is Romeo's foil: he's brash, upbeat and joking while Romeo is always [[{{Wangst}} moping]] and mooning around.
302	** [[Theatre/TheTempest Arguably]], Caliban and Ariel are foils for each other, or they're both foils for different sides of Prospero (id and superego, respectively). Caliban is ugly, crude, hated by Prospero, not too smart, and an unwilling slave; Ariel is airy, graceful, beloved by Prospero, and serves with his best efforts (at least until his contract is up).
303	* In ''Sweeney Todd'', [[WideEyedIdealist Anthony Hope]] is clearly meant as a foil to [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Todd.]]. Also, to a lesser degree, [[TheOphelia Johanna]] and [[{{Yandere}} Mrs. Lovett]]. Both are madwomen, but have entirely different ways of expressing their issues.
304	* In ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'', Galinda and Elphaba. Galinda acts like [[DumbBlonde a stereotypical blonde]], pretty, popular, and not much going on in her head. Elphaba is (viewed as) ugly and a bookworm. Elphaba is also much more responsible and mature, and when faced with a discovery that turns their world upside-down, one spreads the word, reputation be damned, and one uses it to her advantage.
305	[[/folder]]
306
307	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
308	* ''{{TabletopGame/Cyberpunk}}'': Johnny Silverhand to Saburo Arasaka, believe it or not. Both men are veterans who came home from the war with crippling injuries and new ideas about what the world should be like. However, Arasaka doubled down on his Japanese-supremacist nationalism, founded the Arasaka corporation and became a cornerstone of the reactionary establishment, while Johnny ended up mistrusting authority in general, the military-industrial complex in particular and the Arasaka corporation specifically, and took to the chromatic rock scene to incite rebellion and preach anarchism.
309	* The Tau Empire of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' serves as one to the Imperium of Man. While the Imperium is ancient, impossibly vast and slowly decaying, the Tau Empire is comparatively young, small and on a meteoric rise. They also serve as a foil to every other established race to a lesser extent: while other races use traditional, FantasyCounterpartCulture inspired weapons and tactics, the Tau use modern military tactics and futuristic weapons in modern ways; they have MiniMecha with jump-packs and foot soldiers with plasma rifles, rather than, say, guys with [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon chainsaw-swords]] and PoweredArmor, or massive bayonet charges supported with artillery fire. Most notably, though, is that they inject a sense of hope and optimism in the otherwise deeply cynical {{Black And Gray\|Morality}} CrapsackWorld that is the setting.
310	** According to WordOfGod, the Kroot were conceptualised as a standalone army before being integrated into the Tau as auxiliaries. Their "savage" tribal appearance and up-close fighting style along with their healthy scepticism of the Greater Good ideology contrasts with the high-tech, mechanistic appearance and modern combat doctrine of the Tau.
311	** The [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orks]] and the [[SpaceElves Eldar]] are also this to each other, as the [[ProudScholarRace wise and cultured]] but [[CantArgueWithElves hugely xenophobic and elitist]] Eldar with their sleek and shiny {{Magitek}} weapons and vehicles contrast sharply with the [[AxCrazy thuggish and universally-violent-to-just-about-everyone]] Orks with their [[ImprovisedWeapon low-tech firearms and wagons cobbled together from scrap]].
312	** The Ultramarines and the Alpha Legion were vicious rivals during the Great Crusade and eventually the Horus Heresy because they used doctrines which were similar but also antagonised each other. The Ultramarines' creed was "Information is victory", the idea that no matter how daunting the foe seemed, you could beat them if you knew everything about them. The Alpha Legion went one further and said "Why only focus on the intel ''you'' have? An enemy that knows nothing about you, or better still only has carefully-crafted disinformation about you that ''you allowed'' them to have, is doomed to defeat." They both were different takes on the SuperSoldier, highly elite JackOfAllTrades with different approaches: the Ultramarines used a rigid and centralised command structure, the Alpha Legion was decentralised and preferred relying on personal initiative; the Ultramarines followed a highly complex Codex to dictate their actions, the Alpha Legion relied on simple tricks and plans with multiple contingencies, all well-executed; the Ultramarines avoided collateral, while the Alpha Legion actively sought it to sow chaos.
313	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'': The Stormcast Eternals can be seen as this to the Astartes of ''40,000''; both are knightly [[SuperSoldier Super Soldiers]] in massive armor created in service to the BigGood (relatively speaking) of the setting, but there are crucial differences: where Space Marines are deliberately engineered to lose their connection to humanity and see this as a boon, the same occurence is seen as a tragic flaw in Stormcast Eternals, who start out completely human and become progressively less so as they come BackFromTheDead. What's seen as bug in one setting is a feature in another.
314	* The Zefra archetype in the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh TCG'' is a foil to the Qliphort. Both archetypes are named after concepts from Judaism and focus on Pendulum Monsters. However, the Qliphort uses Pendulum Summon alongside Tribute summon while the Zefra uses it with Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz summon.
315	[[/folder]]
316
317	[[folder:Web Original]]
318	!!!Subpages
319	[[index]]
320	* ''Foil/DreamSMP''
321	[[/index]]
322	----
323	* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-6001 SCP-6001]] "Avalon" was intentionally written as a foil to [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-5000 SCP-5000]] "Why?". In 5000, the Foundation declares war on humanity for seemingly no reason. They just start killing people en-mass one day with barely any warning. In 6001, they have instead "declared peace". It's a utopian alternate reality where the Foundation and its rivals got together to help people.
324	* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': roommmates and teammates Chaka and Fey are definitely foils for each other. One's black while the other's white, one's hyper and the other's calm, one's human and the other one's mostly [[TheFairFolk Sidhe]]. Also, Solange is a foil to Phase, since Solange is the RichBitch that Phase could have easily been.
325	[[/folder]]
326
327	[[folder:Web Videos]]
328	* ''WebVideo/TheFinalMinutes'' has The Path and the Commonwealth of United Territories; post-apocalyptic survivor collectives that sit at the two extremes of the SlidingScaleOfLibertarianismAndAuthoritarianism.
329	* ''WebVideo/HeroHouse'' has the Red Hood, who serves to contrasts Nightwing's optimism.
330	* In ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries'', both Mr Collins and Darcy are initially disliked by Lizzie due to certain personality traits but eventually make their peace with her. Whereas Darcy knows what to say but [[BrutalHonesty not how to say it]], Collins talks a lot but [[KnowNothingKnowItAll says very little]].
331	* ''WebVideo/SMPLive'': Schlatt is the outgoing, extroverted contrast to his business partner Connor's introverted and quiet self, though there's more to it than just that — Schlatt's manipulation tactics rely more on making himself out to be important and powerful, while Connor's tend to fall back on him being nonthreatening and appearing to be easy to push around.
332	* WebVideo/TheUnluckyTug {{discusse\|dTrope}}s this a lot in his ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' videos:
333	** In both the season 6 retrospective and the Sodor's Finest on Cranky, he says Salty is Cranky's foil. While Cranky is snappy and looks down on everyone, Salty is chipper as long as he's by the sea. Tug compares them to [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants SpongeBob and Squidward]].
334	** In the Sodor's Finest on Diesel, he says the Brenner Era turned Paxton into a foil for Diesel. Both are Class [=08s=], but Diesel is cunning and manipulative, whereas Paxton is naïve and easily manipulated.
335	[[/folder]]
336
337	[[folder:Real Life]]
338	* Frequently invoked by Presidents in the UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem, who have been known to choose running mates (and future Vice Presidents) who are as different from them as possible -- increasing the chances that voters can personally identify with at least one of them. To name a few notable examples:
339	** Fiery Carolinian populist orator and former war hero UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson chose (for his second term) crafty, mild-mannered New York-born political organizer UsefulNotes/MartinVanBuren.
340	** Northern, staunchly anti-slavery Republican UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln formed a national unity ticket with Southerner UsefulNotes/AndrewJohnson, who remained loyal to the union but tended to sympathize with the southern cause.
341	** Party-going, hedonistic, and bombastic UsefulNotes/WarrenGHarding chose quiet, composed, and modest UsefulNotes/CalvinCoolidge.
342	** Fatherly, buzzcut-sporting military man UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower chose slick, cynical career politician UsefulNotes/RichardNixon.
343	** Youthful, handsome, idealistic New Englander UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy chose rotund, middle-aged, veteran Texan lawmaker UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson.
344	** Affable, easy-going, religious UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush chose terse, frequently grumpy ex-CEO Dick Cheney.
345	** Young, worldly, idealistic ex-professor UsefulNotes/BarackObama chose sexagenarian Washington insider and lifelong politician UsefulNotes/JoeBiden.
346	** Brash, flamboyant, tough-talking New York billionaire UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump chose soft-spoken, religious Midwesterner Mike Pence.
347	** Elderly Mid-Atlantic political veteran Joe Biden chose the middle-aged, up-and-coming Californian senator UsefulNotes/KamalaHarris.
348	* This has also been the case for several losing tickets:
349	** Liberal northeastern governor Michael Dukakis chose the more moderate Texas senator Lloyd Bentsen.
350	** The solidly liberal, climate change activist Al Gore, the sitting Vice President of Bill Clinton, chose Joe Lieberman, a staunch Clinton critic who often aligned himself with Republicans on many issues.
351	** Elderly, bipartisan, Vietnam war hero UsefulNotes/JohnMcCain chose fiery, arch-conservative soccer mom UsefulNotes/SarahPalin.
352	* Often common with English Monarchs, where the monarch often contrasts with the preceding ruler:
353	** Muscular, War-obsessed, UsefulNotes/RichardTheLionheart who never cared about ruling England contrasts his brother [[UsefulNotes/KingJohnOfEngland King John]] who is more book-like and is bad at running military campaigns and feels he should do whatever he wants as ruler of England.
354	** [[UsefulNotes/EdwardLongshanks Edward I]] is obsessed with war and campaigning, is fairly popular, and had a long life as king who contrasts his son Edward II who is more feminine and doesn't care about fighting, was very unpopular and was overthrown, and died horrifically in prison.
355	** Pious long living and war obsessed Edward III contrasts hedonistic, authoritarian, and diplomatic [[UsefulNotes/RichardTheSecond Richard II]] who died in prison of starvation.
356	** Henry VII was skinny, tried to save more money than spend it, had one long happy marriage with Elizabeth Of York, and focused more on diplomacy in contrast to his son UsefulNotes/HenryVIII who grew very fat, had a dysfunctional marriage life and was more into war than diplomacy and often drained the treasury to the point where he had to dissolve monasteries to make more money.
357	** UsefulNotes/MaryTudor was a Catholic who wants to undo the policies of her father, got married, and was intolerant towards non-Catholics. By contrast her sister UsefulNotes/ElizabethI never married, wanted to build on her father's policies with the Church Of England, and was religiously tolerant with non-Protestants and even executed Protestant puritans. There's even a contrast between their portraits with Mary often wearing black and grey, while Elizabeth is often seen in bright colors.
358	** While not a monarch, UsefulNotes/OliverCromwell and UsefulNotes/CharlesII contrast each other heavily with Cromwell being a puritan who banned many things seen as fun while Charles being the "merry monarch" who had numerous mistresses.
359	** UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria made few public appearances, married once, and was very conservative, while her son Bertie (Edward VII) made lots of public appearances, being very liberal, and having numerous mistresses. One could extend to their marriages with Victoria being devoted only to Albert and outliving him, while Edward had numerous mistresses and his wife Alexandra of Denmark outliving him by a few years.
360	** The serious, composed and mostly beloved UsefulNotes/ElizabethII contrasts {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and more divisive UsefulNotes/CharlesIII.
361	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Wild Jonathan Wild]], the corrupt "Thief-Taker General" of England, and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sheppard Jack Sheppard]], the dashing young thief who he repeatedly failed to imprison, are usually portrayed this way in later stories covering them - Wild ostensibly represented law and order, but actually ran a violent criminal empire; whereas Sheppard was non-violent petty thief. When they were finally executed, Sheppard went to his hanging as if it was a festival (even joking with the priest who gave him his last rites) and refused to inform on his compatriots for a reduced sentence, whereas Wild begged for a reduced sentence, then attempted suicide and was in a coma during his execution as a result.
362	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Foil