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Versus Title

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And vs. stands for versus.

"Apollo Creed versus the Italian Stallion. Sounds like a damn monster movie."
— Apollo, Rocky

When you are creating a work in which two clearly distinct entities are in conflict or compete against each other, a common way to name your work is to identify the two entities and insert a word or symbol indicating the conflict.

These most frequently take the form of X Versus Y (or X vs Y). Titles of this form were particularly common for older B Movies, and is now something of a Dead Horse Trope within that field, though often used straight in homages. They continue to be frequently used in names of episodes of Western Animations and Live-Action TV shows.

Another variant, replacing "Versus" with a simple X, as in Alice X Bob, is particularly common in Video Games developed in Japan. Where it is a crossover, it may take the form of X Meets Y, although these are relatively rare. Not to be confused with the Just for Fun page X Meets Y, which describes works as combinations of two or more other works.

May involve an Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny or Cool Versus Awesome. Where both entities are antagonists, this may be an Antagonist Title. Similar to The Noun and the Noun and Name and Name. Often mirrors Character Name and the Noun Phrase.

    open/close all folders 
     Tropes with this naming style 

Examples:

    Anime & Manga 
  • Dragon Ball Z episode "The Nameks Versus Frieza".
  • Grendizer Vs Great Mazinger.
  • King of Kings: GaoGaiGar vs. Betterman
  • Several episodes of Naruto and it's sequels have them
    • "Chunin Challenge: Rock Lee vs. Sasuke!"
    • "Gaara vs. Rock Lee: The Power of Youth Explodes!"
    • "Byakugan vs. Shadow Clone Technique!"
    • "Light vs. Dark: The Two Faces of Gaara"
    • "Eye to Eye: Sharingan vs. Sharingan!"
    • "Roar, Chidori! Brother vs. Brother!"
    • "The Battle Begins: Naruto vs. Sasuke"
    • "Showdown: Gaara vs. Kimimaro!"
    • "Hot-Blooded Confrontation: Student vs. Sensei"
    • "The Eight-Tails vs. Sasuke"
    • "The Next Challenge! Naruto vs. The Nine Tails"
    • "Battle in Paradise! Odd Beast vs. The Monster!"
    • "Shino vs. Torune!"
    • "Jinchūriki vs. Jinchūriki!!"
    • "Naruto vs. Mecha Naruto"
    • "The Blue Beast vs. Six Paths Madara"
    • "The Sharingan vs. The Lightning Blade, Kiba the Fang!"
    • "Boruto vs. Shikadai"
    • "The Hidden Leaf vs. The Hidden Sand"
    • "Inojin vs. Houki"
  • Pokémon:
  • Shin Getter Robo Vs Neo Getter Robo.
  • Several chapters in One Piece.
  • Lupin III Vs Cat's Eye
  • Mazinkaiser Vs The Great General of Darkness
  • Cyborg 009 vs. Devilman
  • Voltron episode: "Voltron Versus Voltron"
  • Several episodes of Tamagotchi have one.
    • Episode 41a, "Go! Typhoontchi VS Secret Base"
    • Episode 46a, "Datchi! Kuchipatchi VS Mecha Kuchipatchi"
    • Episode 69a, "Lazy Reasoning? Detective Anpan VS Melody Investigator"
    • Episode 73b, "Go Go! Gluttony! Kuchipatchi VS Kuishinbotchi"
    • Episode 79b, "Dream Co-star? Gotchiman vs. Detective Anpan"
    • Episode 118, "Big Fight!? Moriritchi vs. Anemoriritchi"
    • Yume Kira Dream episode 9, "Queen of Tears vs. Yume Kira Comedians"
    • GO-GO Tamagotchi! episode 4a, "Guruguru Battle! Memetchi vs. Makiko... Again!!"
  • Jewelpet:
  • The 2020 Doraemon episode "Battle! Gian vs. Army of Monsters".
  • My Hero Academia has several of these:
    • “Deku vs. Kacchan” (episode 7) and “Deku vs. Kacchan, Part 2” (episode 61)
    • “Bakugo vs. Uraraka” (episode 22) and “Todoroki vs. Bakugo” (episode 25) in the Sports Festival arc
    • “Hero Killer: Stain vs. UA Students” (episode 29)
    • “Deku vs. Gentle Criminal” (episode 84)
    • “Clash! Class A vs. Class B!” (episode 91)
    • “League of Villains vs. UA Students” (episode 121)

    Asian Animation 

    Comedy 
  • The Firesign Theatre, on one of their TV Guide parody sequences, announce a Late Late Show movie entitled Mud Wrestlers from Outer Space vs. the Mexican Mole Women.

    Comic Books 

    Comic Strips 
  • Garfield: In this strip, Garfield is about to watch a movie titled "The Giant Bloodsucking Leech Versus a Personal Injury Attorney".
  • Spy vs. Spy.

    Fan Works 

    Films — Animation 

    Films — Live-Action 

    Literature 

    Live-Action TV 
  • All in the Family episodes "Edith Versus the Bank" and "Edith Versus the Energy Crisis".
  • Buffalo Bill episode "Buffalo Bill Versus the Kremlin".
  • Chuck uses this as its Idiosyncratic Episode Naming.
  • CSI episode "Grissom Versus the Volcano".
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm episode "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox"
  • Deadliest Warrior uses this as its Idiosyncratic Episode Naming.
  • The first The Flash and Arrow crossover was titled Flash vs. Arrow.
  • Good Vs Evil (originally known as G vs E).
  • Reality Show Hogan Knows Best episode "Hogan Versus City Hall".
  • How I Met Your Mother episodes "Mystery vs. History", "Robots versus Wrestlers" and "Girls versus Suits".
  • Leave It to Beaver episode "The State Versus Beaver".
  • Mama's Family episode "Harper Versus Harper".
  • Man v. Food.
  • Man vs. Wild.
  • Melissa & Joey episode "Joe Versus the Reunion".
  • Parenthood episode "Man Versus Possum".
  • Private Benjamin episode "Ross Versus the Robot".
  • Sarabhai vs Sarabhai
  • Smart Guy episode "T.J. versus the Machine".
  • Common in Toei's Toku series:
    • The Super Sentai "Vs. Series" featuring two teams together in a crossover. However, it's rare for the "vs." to actually mean that the teams end up fighting each other; more often they become allies immediately.
    • Super Sentai’s use of this is Parodied in Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger - after the team's show is taken over by Ultraman pastiche Hikonin Kyoujin Prism Ace, they convince the studio executives to produce an "Akibaranger vs Prism Ace" team-up movie so they can have one last hurrah. However, as soon as the movie starts they form their team bazooka and shoot Prism Ace in the face, mocking him for not knowing what "versus" means.
    • Kamen Rider’s Movie Wars series initially start their titles with "Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider [X] & [Y]", though like with its Sentai counterpart Kamen Rider [X] and Kamen Rider [Y] tend to work together rather than fight each other.
    • And then there's the multi-franchise Superhero Taisen series, which like with Movie Wars starts its titles with a form of "[X] X [Y]": the first and fifth were "Kamen Rider X Super Sentai", the second was "Kamen Rider X Super Sentai X Space Sheriff", and the third is "Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider" (referring to the two subdivisions of the Kamen Rider franchise). In these cases, though, the various sides do fight each other.
    • It finally appears in a series itself with Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, which features two heroic teams competing with one another. Played with in that "VS" is used in contexts besides just meaning "versus"; the teams' shared tech is called the "VS System" (pronounced Vee-Ess, with VS Changers, VS Vehicles, etc.) and each team wears one of the letters as their logo (the Lupinrangers wear a V insignia while the Patrangers have the S). Noel Takao, inventor of the VS System and a member of both teams, refers to the Lupinrangers and Patrangers collectively as the "VS Sentai". It isn't made clear if VS stands for anything in-universe; the closest it gets is that later in the series the Lupinrangers receive a Victory Striker mecha while the Patrangers’ counterpart is a Siren Striker.
  • Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites (twice), Heroes vs. Villains, et cetera. A variant in Blood vs. Water (twice), where the title doesn't refer to the castaways.
  • The Beverly Hillbillies episode "Granny Versus the Weather Bureau".
  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis episode "Dobie Versus the Machine".
  • The Walker, Texas Ranger episode "Texas vs. Cahill", where Alex is brought up on charges for a murder she didn't commit. The victim in this case is the defense attorney in her current trial, who was one of her ex-boyfriends and while Walker, Trivette and her father try to prove she is innocent, they eventually find out that the defendant in that trial framed her.
  • Wizards of Waverly Place has a few episodes with this:
    • The "Wizards vs. Vampires on Waverly Place" Story Arc, ending with "Wizards and Vampires vs. Zombies".
    • "Wizards vs. Werewolves"
    • "Wizards vs. Finkles"
    • "Alex vs. Alex"
  • Zorro (1957) episode "Zorro Versus Cupid".

    Music 

    Pro Wrestling 
  • Dantai Taikosen LLPW vs. AJW
  • UWFi vs. WAR: Super Summer Wars
  • AWS Sonjay Dutt vs Super Dragon
  • Carmen Electra's NWWL, Vol. 1: Bush vs Hussein
  • IWC vs WMF Confrontation ~ Super Hardcore Night
  • FWA Academy vs. WAW Academy - Academy Warfare
  • WWE vs ECW: Head To Head
  • PWU Versus JCW
  • ChickFight VII: The UK vs The USA
  • CWA Pro Skirts vs. Fins
  • GOUGE vs ACW Legends
  • EVOLVE 1: Richards vs. Ibushi
  • DG:UK: Yokosuka vs. Shingo 2
  • Chikara vs Osaka Pro
  • NWA Houston Showdown... Tennessee vs. Texas
  • Invacion de I.W.A Vs W.W.C
  • PWE Elite vs. Phenomenal
  • WSU vs Beyond
  • XICW 158: Rhino vs. Williams III
  • ROH vs NJPW: Global Wars
  • WC Christopher Daniels Vs. Lance Storm
  • Lucha Underground #1.22 - Mask Vs. Mask
  • IMPACT Wrestling #578 - TNA vs. GFW
  • Heavy Montreal Presents Freedom To Fight - IWS VS CZW
  • Zelo Pro vs Journey Pro: Kingdom Come

    Theme Parks 

    Video Games 

    Web Animation 

    Webcomics 

    Web Videos 

    Western Animation 
  • Arthur:
    • "Arthur vs. the Piano" sees Arthur worrying about making a mistake in a recital.
    • "Arthur vs. the Very Mean Crossing Guard" has Arthur and Brain think of ways to outwit an ominous new crossing guard, fearing that he'll eventually follow up on his threats and won't let them get to school. They later find out that the crossing guard is an old friend of Grandma Thora.
    • "Binky vs. Binky" is about Binky's internal struggle with a bike rice, wondering whether he should focus on beating others or just trying to improve his own times.
  • The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Hulk Versus the World".
  • The Batman vs. Dracula.
  • Dan Vs. is an interesting case where the Episode Finishes the Title, such as the first episode, New Mexico, intended to be read as Dan Vs. New Mexico.
  • Doug, in both the Nickelodeon and Disney versions, all of which being Quailman episodes:
    • "Doug Vs. the Klotzoid Zombies"
    • "Quailman Vs. Supersport"
    • "Quailman Vs. the Annoying S.T.U.A.R.T."
    • "Quailman vs. the Whackhammer"
    • "Quailman Vs. the Quizzler"
    • "Quailman Vs. the Triad of Terror"
    • "Quailman Vs. the Little Rubber Army"
  • Eek! The Cat episode "Eek vs. the Flying Saucers" (a play on Earth vs. the Flying Saucers).
  • Gravity Falls:
    • "Dipper vs. Manliness".
    • "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future".
  • OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes has the episode "K.O. vs. Fink" and the short "Enid vs. Rad".
  • Samurai Jack episodes "Jack Versus Demongo, the Soul Collector", "Jack Versus Mad Jack", "Samurai Versus Ninja", "Samurai Versus Samurai", "Jack Versus Aku", and "Robo-Samurai Versus Mondo Bot".
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) episode "Raphael Versus the Volcano".
  • The Simpsons has a number of episodes like this, such as:
    • "Bart vs. Australia"
    • "Bart vs. Itchy and Scratchy"
    • "Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade"
    • "Bart vs. Thanksgiving"
    • "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson"
    • "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy"
    • "Homer vs. Dignity"
    • "Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment"
    • "Homer vs. Patty and Selma"
    • "Homer vs. the 18th Amendment"
    • "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy"
    • "Marge vs. the Monorail"
    • "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays" (also known as "Marge vs. Everyone")
  • The Tick uses this as its Idiosyncratic Episode Naming.
  • The Super Globetrotters also uses this as its Idiosyncratic Episode Naming.
  • SpongeBob SquarePants:
    • "Krabs vs. Plankton" is a Courtroom Episode about Plankton sueing Krabs for an injury.
    • "SpongeBob vs. the Patty Gadget" is a Rhyming Episode that features SpongeBob's battle against Squidward's efficient new patty-cooking robot.
    • "Mermaid Man vs. SpongeBob" has Plankton brainwash Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy to turn them against SpongeBob and the Krusty Krab.
    • "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One" has SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward wash up on a mysterious island. Taught by a surf legend, they must successfully ride a sentient giant wave known as the Big One to make it home.
    • "Sharks vs. Pods" is about SpongeBob joining a street gang named The Sharks, unaware of their rivalry with a fellow group, the Pods. He tries to find a way out of the gang before their "showdown", which turns out to be a dance-off.
  • Star vs. the Forces of Evil
  • Strawberry Shortcake in official YouTube by Wild Brain is "The Berrykins vs. The Boat".
  • Kid vs. Kat
  • The episode "Hong Kong Phooey vs. Hong Kong Phooey" (about an impostor of the hero accepting all the rewards he's turned down).
  • Ultimate Spider-Man vs Sinister 6
  • The Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! episode "The People Vs. Fred Jones."
  • The Big City Greens episode "Cricket Versus".
  • The Hair Bear Bunch episode "King Klong Vs. The Masked Marvel."
  • The Powerpuff Girls (2016) has the episode "Buttercup vs. Math".

    Real Life 
  • It is standard in civil court cases in many western countries to be named in the form Plaintiff v. Defendant.
    • Do keep in mind when both sides of the v. are the same (such as a family feud), it's not a Mirror Match. note 
    • Partially averted in Commonwealth countries, where the v. is read as and.

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