History CombatPragmatist / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': Merlin is enough of a MagicKnight to give lower enemies a fair fight with a sword...but why would he do that when he could just use his magic to hit you with your own weapon, trip you up, drop tree branches on you, or disarm you and let his MasterSwordsman best friend KingArthur clobber you? He even cheats for Arthur in a few occasions, breaking the saddle girth on mounted knights and disarming Arthur's opponents even if it looks like Arthur could handle them, just in case.

* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', Chiana is mostly a cheerful, kooky MsFanservice. Until she's genuinely pissed off and afraid for her life, in which case watch her set people alight or spray acid over them!

** Captain Malcolm Reynolds, especially, seeing that he has no problem hitting people from behind, turning a duel with swords into a fistfight, shooting horses that his enemies are using as cover, and even throwing people into jet turbines or, worse yet, [[NothingisScarier space]].

** And then there's Money in the Bank, a [[GimmickMatches Gimmick Match]] whose winner can claim a title shot any time within the next year. It usually gets cashed in right after the current champ has gotten thoroughly beat up by someone else.

* ''Series/The100'': In most instances, no one on this show is able to fight fair if they want to survive but special mention goes to Clarke's fight with Anya. Over the course of the fight, Clarke throws ashes into Anya's eyes, pulls a knife on her unarmed opponent, and finally gains the upper hand by digging her fingers into an open wound that Anya had gotten earlier.

* ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'': In "Shogun" Sara and TheDragon charge one another with swords...and Sara kills him with a hidden knife. [[SingleStrokeBattle In one stroke no less]].

* ''Series/HawaiiFive0'': Somewhat PlayedForLaughs in the episode "Kekoa". Steve tells the Killer of the Week, a trained martial artist, to pick on someone his own size. The killer charges and Steve draws his gun and kneecaps him with an almost bored look on his face.

** When Bronn wins his fight as Tyrion Lannister's champion by tiring out his opponent with hit and run tactics instead of straight up dueling him, Lysa Arryn reproaches him: "You do not fight with honor." Bronn indicates his slain adversary and answers: "No. He did." When Bronn is called to retrain Jamie Lannister so he can learn how to fight while missing a hand, Bronn tries to teach him how to fight pragmatically, like attacking an opponent who isn't ready, but Jaime finds it in poor taste.

''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue,'': Carter Grayson the Red Ranger. In the first episode he tries to run over the Batlings AND demons with a Humvee and is far quicker to draw a gun than most other Red Rangers who prefer flashy close quarters combat.

* {{Series/Banshee}} features Sheriff Lucas Hood, a hardened criminal who learned to fight in prison. He is also a ''ludicrously'' brutal fighter, with his fight against rapist and MMA champion Sanchez showcasing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqRPaucl8r4 his full arsenal.]]

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': [[{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] of all people does not believe in a fair fight. His usual strategy boils down to "clock you in the head from behind at 500 miles an hour." [[DarkActionGirl Tess Mercer]] is just as bad, if not worse.

-->'''Reynolds:''' Huh.
-->'''O'Neill:''' That's odd.
-->'''Reynolds:''' Yeah.
-->''(Both shrug and resume firing)''

-->'''Odo:''' 'You'd shoot a man in the back?'
-->'''Garak:''' 'Well, it's the safest way, isn't it?'

-->'''Mobar:''' [[StrawVulcan Logic would indicate that neither of us has the advantage.]]
-->'''Tuvok:''' [[PreasskickingOneLiner Your logic... is flawed.]] ''([[BlindedByTheLight shines a light in Mobar's eyes]] and stuns him)''

* ''Series/{{The 100}}'': In most instances, no one on this show is able to fight fair if they want to survive but special mention goes to Clarke's fight with Anya. Over the course of the fight, Clarke throws ashes into Anya's eyes, pulls a knife on her unarmed opponent, and finally gains the upper hand by digging her fingers into an open wound that Anya had gotten earlier.

* In ''{{Deadwood}}'' this trope is omnipresent, resulting in very short confrontations, the majority involving guns. One of the most violent characters [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on the avoidance of a fair fight, just after one had happened -- and even that was an extremely messy affair where the guy who was going for torture over the quick kill lost, despite having the advantage.

** In "The Mountain and the Viper", Arya declares that anyone who shuns a method of killing as dishonorable will never be a great killer.

*** He asks Tyrion why killing 10,000 men in battle is more noble than murdering a dozen by violating SacredHospitality. Off course, he conveniently discounts the fact that said 10.000 were cowardly slaughtered too. What makes him a chessmaster here instead of an idiot that violated every principle of diplomacy and SacredHospitality in the worst way possible, however, is that he didn't take any active role in the matter — he simply made some assurances to an already traitorous, ambitious, selfish ally of Robb Stark's, giving the betrayal a guaranteed reward if actually carried out; the actual betrayal, its nature, and all of the extreme diplomatic and cultural taboos involved were not Tywin's idea or something he had a direct hand in.

** Lord Tywin scolds Jaime for sparing Ned in the name of a clean fight, and asks Tyrion why killing 10,000 men in battle is more noble than murdering a dozen by violating SacredHospitality.

** A flashback to the Tower of Joy shows how Ned Stark beat the legendary Arthur "Sword of the Morning" Dayne -- but it turns out Ned didn't outmatch him. Dayne slaughters Ned's comrades and, in a one-on-one fight, dominates Ned and knocks his sword out of his hand but -- before he can deliver the killing blow -- Howland Reed impales Dayne in the throat from behind and Ned uses the opportunity to kill Dayne.

** The Crannogmen of House Reed will use every weapon at their disposal to make their enemies' time in their lands miserable. They ambush foes using their superior knowledge of the terrain and then disappear, deliberately get smaller groups lost to pick them off and even use poisonous weapons (like darts) just to make things even more insufferable. As mentioned abov, Howland is shown to favor surprise attacks over open confrontation, as is his daughter Meera. We also saw the aftermath of their attrition warfare on the Ironborn garrison holding Moat Cailin, bled by jungle disease and sniped with poison darts.

** Oberyn Martell demonstrates that dagger beats sword in a QuickDraw in "Two Swords". Later, he uses light armour, HitAndRunTactics, and taunting against a larger and stronger opponent.

* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Captain Cold took advantage of The Flash's drive to save people by derailing a train. After Flash saved everybody and stopped to catch his breath, Cold knocked him out from behind.