Basic Trope: A character manipulates both sides.
- Straight: Emperor Evulz manipulates Bob and Bill into fighting each other.
- Exaggerated: Every side is manipulated by Evulz into fighting against one another.
- Downplayed:
- Evulz tricks Bob and Bill into not trusting each other, but it doesn't come to blows.
- Evulz takes advantage of an already existing feud between Bob and Bill.
- Justified:
- Evulz is a very skilled Manipulative Bastard and Bob and Bill already don't like each other.
- Either Bob or Bill (or both) could ruin Evulz' plans, so he needs to make them take each other out.
- Evuls is an arms dealer, so having Bob and Bill against each other ensures he can profit from both.
- Inverted:
- Bob and Bill both manipulate Evulz.
- Evulz manipulates Bob and Bill into teaming up.
- Subverted: Bob and Bill realize what's going on and stage a fake fight to trick Emperor Evulz into believing he can influence them.
- Double Subverted: This is exactly the outcome Evulz was hoping for.
- Parodied: Evulz sets up a boxing ring for the fight and is somehow both their seconds at the same time, keeping up a "you can beat 'im, champ" patter.
- Zig Zagged: Evulz does this repeatedly over the course of the series. Sometimes he's successful in getting his enemies to fight each other, sometimes not.
- Averted: Evulz is able to manipulate Bob or Bill, but not both.
- Enforced: "Our fans have always wondered who'd win in a fight between Bob and Bill. We'll have Evulz manipulate them to set it up."
- Lampshaded:Bill: Hold it, Bob! You're fighting me because Evulz claimed I was behind the Noodle Incident? But he's shown me evidence that-
Bob: Shut up! I know none of us can trust him... But I have even less reason to trust you! - Invoked: Evulz' dragon suggests that the best way to find out who the bigger threat is between Bob and Bill is to pit them against another.
- Exploited: Alice reveals Evulz' manipulations to Bob and Bill, turning both of them against Evulz... and putting her in position to manipulate them instead.
- Defied: "No Evulz, I'm not going to fight Bill. I'm too smart for you to trick me."
- Discussed: "Bob, does it seem to you that Evulz is really eager to see us go at it?"
- Conversed: "How do these characters not realize they're being manipulated?"
- Implied: Bill asks why Bob must fight him. Bob explains that it's due to Evulz. Hearing Evulz' name triggers an unusual reaction for Bill, who then simply calls Bob a liar and charges.
- Plotted A Good Waste: This can be used to foreshadow plenty of revelations, such as Evulz having the ability to manipulate people's subconscious or Bob/Bill being only so far from a Face–Heel Turn.
- Played For Laughs: Evulz sets up a fight between Bob and Bill... In a professional sports-competition. And they were already rivals before that.
- Played For Drama: Even after the misunderstanding is cleared up, Bob and Bill can't quite forgive each other or themselves for being so easy to manipulate. This puts a clear strain in their relationship, and they might end up being foes for real.
Back to Playing Both Sides
