History DefeatMeansFriendship / VideoGames

* This trope is repeatedly and cruelly subverted in ''VideoGame/Tyranny'' as part of its {{Central Theme}} of '[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness the reward for loyalty to a tyrant is death]]'. One major subversion of this trope drives the central conflict of the game: [[spoiler:Graven Ashe, a rebel who killed the previous Archon of War shortly before being subdued by the rest of Kyros' Archons, was given the previous Archon's in the Overlord's empire as part of a {{KlingonPromotion}} after being dragged before the Overlord by the other Archons impressed by his prowess. He's set up to be killed with a {{UriahGambit}} after decades of loyalty. It's strongly implied that Kyros would've never made Ashe an archon and was forced to out of political expedience. However, since Ashe serves Kyros loyally the Overlord never got, until the start of the game, a reason to kill him.]]

* In ''VideoGame/AdvancedVariableGeo'', this is Yuka's ''fighting style''. More specifically, she has the ability to form an empathic bond with those she fights; once she's in tune with their soul, she's able to defeat them spectacularly, and whoever she defeats has a high probability of becoming a fast friend with her.
* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'':

* ''VideoGame/{{Beastieball}}'': Besides any unique conditions, defeating a Beastie is a requirement for recruiting them into the team.
* This is done twice in the Black Side ([[VideoGame/MadWorld Jack Cayman]]) story in ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns''. The first time it happens is with Big Bull, whose fight was supposedly Jack's induction into his brotherhood. As such, Big Bull returns from time to time to help Jack out. The second time it happens is with Rin Rin, who "owes her life" to Jack after he opted not to kill her after beating her. She also returns to help Jack out from time to time.
* The earlier bosses of ''VideoGame/ArabianMagic'', including the six-armed Asura, the Yogi magician, and the doppelganger, will join your battle after you best them in their respective boss fights, and in the FinalBoss battle against the powerful wizard Baruantess, they will periodically come back to assist you.

** In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIIThroneOfBhaal'', you can recruit Sarevok, BigBad of [[VideoGame/BaldursGate the first game]], into your party. This is after you've killed him. Twice. A popular mod also allows you to recruit BigBad of the ''second'' game (that's the one this is an expansion to). After killing him. [[DeathIsCheap Twice]].
** Shar-Teel, in the first ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' is less over-the-top version, as she simply insists on dueling a male member of your party before she joins you.
* In ''[[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo-Tooie]]'', Terry, the boss in Terrydactyland, accuses Banjo and Kazooie of stealing his eggs, and they fight him in a boss battle. After Terry is defeated, Banjo says that they haven't stolen his eggs, and offers to look for them for him. After finding them, he thanks them and rewards them with a Jiggy.

* Invoked in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn''. The spirit of the sentient Sand Prince Gem is enthusiastic in greeting the party characters and happily offers them his/its [[UpgradeArtifact assistance]]... but he/it needs them to pass a [[StrengthEqualsWorthiness test of character]] before they can use him/it.

* Both subverted and played straight in ''VideoGame/Grandia1'' with Gadwin's two duels, the first being an impossible boss fight.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'' Thanatos will sometimes challenge Zagreus (the player) to a competition in which they each try to slay the most enemies in a shared encounter. In adittion to winning an extra prize from Thanatos if you beat him, the only way to talk to him between runs to increase your hearts [[spoiler: and romance him]] is to win these.
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'': Every mantis is a ProudWarriorRaceGuy, so once you prove your strength by defeating their leaders, the Mantis Lords, the mantises of the Mantis Village will cease being hostile and instead will bow at your approach. [[spoiler:This does not apply to the infected traitor mantises you encounter much later, as they no longer respect the village's code.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Hylics}}'', defeating Pongorma makes him join Wayne's quest.

** In ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', [[spoiler:Magolor]] is defeated at the end of the game and seemingly killed. In later games, it’s revealed that not only did he survive, he also had a change of heart and is on Kirby’s team now.

** The same happens in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' with [[spoiler:Susie]], who until that point had antagonized Kirby to no end, but after [[spoiler:Star Dream takes over President Haltmann’s body and mind, she immediately gives Kirby a suit of Robobot Armor, having realized her mistakes.]] This may, or may not, be a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] come ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', as while it's stated that she took over the company, [[DubInducedPlotlineChange the Japanese, Chinese and Korean versions state that she supposedly uses its resources for good, while all the other version states that she is still mechanizing planets.]]