Basic Trope: The defeat of an enemy/rival will result in a Heel–Face Turn.
- Straight: Ichigo defeats Nigo, resulting in Nigo joining Ichigo's True Companions.
- Exaggerated:
- Ichigo pummels the crap out of Nigo, nearly killing him, and yet he wants to be friends with Ichigo.
- Even the Mooks/Monsters Of The Week join Ichigo's side after she defeats them! Eventually, the sheer size of her "humble group of super-best-friends-forever" puts the imposing enemy's army to shame!
- Yesterday, Ichigo put Nigo in a headlock for half an hour. Today, they're waking up in the same bed.
- Downplayed: Ichigo defeats Nigo, who now develops a healthy respect towards her.
- Justified:
- Nigo felt like repaying Ichigo after she spared his life.
- Nigo is a masochist and started to crush on Ichigo after getting beaten up by her, and is joining her as a Subordinate Excuse.
- The laws of magic in this universe state that you must switch sides if you are defeated in a magical duel.
- Nigo was possessed and his defeat frees him, so he joins Ichigo out of gratitude.
- Nigo is a Proud Warrior Race Guy, and Ichigo defeated him honorably, thus earning his loyalty.
- Nigo is a believer in My Master, Right or Wrong, and in his defeat acquires a new master.
- Nigo fights for the strongest side, it makes sense for him to serve the person that is stronger.
- Nigo was quite arrogant, but when he was defeated by Ichigo due to his arrogance, the humiliation causes him to change his attitude and treat Ichigo with respect.
- Nigo realizes Ichigo is stronger than him. If they were to remain enemies she would most likely defeat him again, so he decides not to risk it.
- Ichigo holds a grudge against Nigo for something he did. After defeating him, Ichigo declares that their score is settled and that they are no longer enemies.
- In eyes of Ichigo, Nigo didn't cross Moral Event Horizon because he never took someone's life, maybe even never actually hurt anybody. It was only logical to subdue him in non-lethal manner and cool him down.
- Neither Nigo nor Ichigo ever hated each other, so when they actually fight, their similar skill level leads Nigo to realize they're Birds of a Feather even if he still lost.
- You are either Ichigo's friend or her enemy. And Ichigo kills all her enemies, making it a Join or Die situation for Nigo.
- Inverted:
- Ichigo defeats her friend Nigo, resulting in a Face–Heel Turn.
- Nigo defeats Ichigo in combat, convincing Ichigo to join Nigo in evil.
- Nigo beats up Ichigo, then joins her.
- Nigo is a Friendly Enemy until Ichigo beats him in combat, at which point, battered, humiliated, and barely able to move, he declares his undying hatred for her.
- Nigo is an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who sees himself above Ichigo until he loses; instead of accepting that he lost, Nigo descends further into depravity with each loss, solely for the sake of dominating her, until Ichigo is forced to end his life.
- Ichigo dodges Nigo's attacks, but refuses to fight back, and wins Nigo's friendship by refusing to hurt him.
- Ichigo, in an odd Enemy Mine situation, has to help her sworn enemy, Nigo. Nigo later does a Heel–Face Turn after this, since, despite all the blood that's been shed, all the punches thrown, all the beatdowns they've given each other, he's gotta respect the fact that Ichigo, of all people, came to his aid.
- Ichigo befriends Nigo, then defeats him.
- Subverted:
- Ichigo defeats Nigo and asks for a handshake of friendship, but is refused.
- Nigo joins Ichigo and patiently waits for the right moment to sabotage her.
- Double Subverted:
- It's only after a heartwarming speech that Nigo accepts her friendship.
- Ichigo recognizes the sabotage, neutralizes it, and still wants to be Nigo's friend. At this point Nigo throw up his hands and says "whatever!"
- Nigo winds up Becoming the Mask.
- Parodied:
- Ichigo pokes Nigo, causing Nigo to dedicate the rest of his life to her.
- Ichigo's Wave-Motion Gun is named "the Friendship Beam".
- "Okay, let's do some recruiting." Followed by Ichigo going around town punching everyone in the face and being swooned after by them five seconds later.
- "I hate you!" *WHAM* "I love you!"
- Zig Zagged: Ichigo defeats Nigo in combat and offers to be his friend but Nigo refuses. Then Ichigo makes a heroic speech and he accepts but it was a fake defection to inflitrate Ichigo's group. Over time Nigo reconsiders after experiencing the perks of being a hero. However his ruse is exposed and the hero team turns on Nigo and he fights back, doing great damage to the Home Base as if he truly were The Mole. Him and Ichigo fight again, but this time Ichigo only disarms him and gives him a Cooldown Hug. The rest of The Team still doesn't trust him so the pair run off to form their own side.
- Averted:
- Ichigo defeats Nigo and they remain at odds.
- Ichigo befriends Nigo without beating him.
- Ichigo simply shoots Nigo in the head to save her time.
- Enforced:
- "Nigo's turned out to be very popular with the fanbase, and the merchandise with him sells well. Rather than have him die at the end of the season, how about Ichigo defeats Nigo once and for all, and Nigo becomes her friend?"
- The series is firmly set in Might Makes Right, but is still idealistic in spite of it, so it follows that Nigo will be redeemed this way.
- Lampshaded: "By defeating me, you've earned my respect".
- Invoked: Nigo knows Ichigo respects a fair victor and sets out to defeat her in order to gain her alliance.
- Exploited: In Nigo's culture, a defeated fighter must pledge his life to a victor who spares his life. Ichigo knows this and deliberately provokes a reluctant Nigo into a Duel in order to recruit him.
- Defied:
- Shin places Nigo, and his other minions under mind control to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
- Ichigo refuses to accept Nigo's friendship until they've both had a chance to catch their breath and think things over, just to be sure the adrenaline isn't clouding Nigo's judgement.
- "Am I hearing you right? You just beat the hell out of me, and now you want me to be your pal? Are you a sociopath, a child, or just a moron? Either finish me off or leave me the hell alone, Ichigo!"
- Nigo surrenders without a fight, out of fear that Ichigo will kill him if he resists.
- Nigo opposes Ichigo for ideological reasons. Getting beaten in a fight is not the same as being convinced his beliefs are wrong, and it does not make him Ichigo's friend.
- Ichigo decides that killing everyone getting in her way is easier than wasting her time to befriend her enemies.
- Ichigo rejects Nigo's offer of friendship, accusing him of only showing respect for people that are too powerful for him to bully, and that he'd never come to this point had Ichigo not been able to fight back.
- Discussed: "Ichigo, have you noticed that all your friends are your ex-enemies?"
- Conversed: "This new character, Nigo's kind of cute; I hope him and Ichigo make up after Ichigo beats the crap out of him".
- Deconstructed:
- Nigo joins Ichigo out of fear that the next time they fight, it will be fatal, and is scared of Ichigo even in their normal lives, as if she was a bully.
- Ichigo doesn't let Nigo join her True Companions because of kindness, but of pragmatism. Ichigo is aware that letting her enemy join her team after a beat-down rather than outright kill him off is of strategic advantage in case of future conflicts, and with Nigo's powers, that's something she just can't say no to. The reason why Nigo accepts Ichigo's offer to join her team is because it's either that or getting his head bashed in.
- Ichigo's offer of friendship is genuine, but Nigo only joins because he fears what his superiors will do to him if he returns in defeat, not because of Ichigo's kindness.
- Ichigo pounds Nigo to near death, reducing him to pleading for his life. Ichigo's offer to Nigo to switch sides is out of guilt for going overboard, (or more cynically, because she knows she'll get called out for killing a helpless foe), not any kind of altruism.
- In the process of trying to make Nigo listen to her through superior firepower/kung-fu/magic, Ichigo inadvertently kills him.
- It turns out that Ichigo “befriends” her opponents by essentially brainwashing them. She may or may not be aware of this.
- Reconstructed:
- Nigo refuses to be friends but over time he learns that Ichigo isn't really all that bad, and begins to genuinely appreciate and befriend her.
- Ichigo and Nigo live a culture where friendship IS pragmatism; both strong friends and loyal friends. A fight demonstrates the strength and mercy builds loyalty.
- Nigo becomes Ichigo's Token Evil Teammate with Undying Loyalty to Ichigo, because Ichigo was kind enough to spare him (something his superior would never do) and then personally nursed him back to health.
- There was an incident in Ichigo's past where she killed someone like Nigo without meaning to. It was My Greatest Failure for Ichigo and she saw every fight afterwards as My Greatest Second Chance. Starting with Nigo, her enemies are always offered friendship before, during, and after the fight. Nigo thinks this will get her killed so he kills the enemies in Ichigo's place if they refuse her friendship.
- Ichigo's uses non-lethal weapons when attempting to "befriend" Nigo. If she inadverently goes too far the worst that can happen is knocking him unconscious. When he wakes up they can continue the conversation.
- Played For Drama: Ichigo is Nigo's only friend. The other good guys are not so quick to trust or forgive, and the other bad guys consider his defeat a show of weakness, meaning that the only one showing him any kindness at all is the same girl who recently left him in a smoking crater.
Back to Defeat Means Friendship.
