History Foil / Literature

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Szeth to Kaladin. Both value honor and despise the actual act of killing, and are both slaves after a fashion. In the debate of ToBeLawfulOrGood, Kaladin falls under [[HonorBeforeReason "Good"]], while Szeth ascribes to a version of [[JustFollowingOrders "Lawful"]]. Whereas Kaladin [[GuiltComplex takes]] [[IShouldHaveBeenBetter responsibility for]] [[ItsAllMyFault everything]], Szeth takes it [[JustFollowingOrders for]] [[NeverMyFault nothing]]. The powers they exhibit are also similar. However, Szeth is an assassin, not a soldier, [[spoiler:and is not actually a surgebinder until joining the Skybreakers, who are rivals to the Windrunners, which Kaladin is one of]].

** Saruman and Gandalf are both powerful wizards, however, Saruman is seduced by power, whereas Gandalf refuses to take the Ring.

** Denethor and Faramir: both are noble and powerful pure-blooded Númenóreans with the abilities to read the hearts of other men and to command over them, who share a love for ancient lore and other scholarly pursuits over feats of arm. Yet all these similarities only highlight their differences: the son is warm, gentle and understanding where the father is cold, harsh and scornful. Faramir chooses to keep on fighting despite having lost all hope, Denethor succumb to despair. Faramir demonstrates humility and open-mindedness, Denethor displays arrogance and stubbornness, etc...
** In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' and ''Fanfic/TheChildrenOfHurin'', Tuor and Túrin might be considered each other's foil. They're cousins (though they -almost- never meet), both their fathers are lost in Nirnaeth Arnoediad, they are separated from their human families to be fostered by Elves, go live in hidden Elven cities, fall in love with Elven ladies... However, Túrin is a rash, not always sympathetic TragicHero BlessedWithSuck while Tuor is an all out good guy who ends pretty well - what with being one of the few characters who actually survive to the end of the book.

* ''Literature/TheForsyteSaga'': Young Jolyon and Soames have a first cousin version of SiblingRivalry and SiblingYinYang going on, so much that they hate each other despite being closely related by blood. Jolyon becomes a rebellious artist with a liberal political mindset, who loves to defy the rules of high society and the traditions of their family. Soames by contrast is an uptight solicitor with a conservative political mindset, who believes that being rich and respectable is the key to success and personal happiness. Of course, things become even ''worse'' between them when Soames's wife starts an affair with Jolyon. But they didn't like each other before that happened either.

* ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'' makes this trope OlderThanDirt. Gilgamesh is hot-headed and arrogant, and uses his status as god-king to always get his way, (especially with the young brides) so in response to the people's prayers expressing annoyance with Gilgamesh, the gods create Enkidu, a wild beast-man who is tamed via TheOldestProfession and becomes the only person who can rival Gilgamesh's strength, thus holding him accountable fot his actions. Whereas Gilgamesh is bold, arrogant, and hasty, Enkidu is level-headed and expresses understandable fear at the things Gilgamesh wants to do.

* In ''Literature/MrStandfast'', the supporting character Launcelot Wake acts as a foil to the main villain, Otto von Schwabing. Von Schwabing approves of the War and has encouraged it for his own ends, but (although a bold man in his own world of espionage) loses his nerve when he gets caught in the field of actual battle. Wake is a committed pacifist on idealistic grounds, but no coward, and shows great courage when he starts working in the war zone first as a Red Cross worker and then as a messenger. At the climax of the novel, [[spoiler:their deaths occur in quick succession and are directly contrasted, with Wake being fatally wounded while carrying a vital message under heavy fire and von Schwabing getting himself killed by cracking up and running out in front of his own side's guns]].

** In the battle between [[spoiler:the Seven Dragon Paladins and the seven Ragnarok]], several of the opposing pairs are foils in terms of powers. [[spoiler:Lux (who avoids the enemy's attack and adapts his behaviour to counter them) fights Yggdrasil (which receives the enemy's attack, regenerates and adapts its body to resist further attacks of that kind), Greifer (who can become invincible for brief periods) fights Metatron (which reflects all attacks, except during brief periods of vulnerability), Mel (who can raise and lower temperature) fights Fenrir (which can only lower temperature through its freezing breath), Magialca (who pilots the powerful but immobile Jormungandr) fights Phoenix (who is incredibly mobile through flight), and Rosa (who controls many Drag-Rides that are expendable due to being unmanned) fights Poseidon (which has numerous tentacles that are expendable since it can rapidly regenerate them).]]

** In the battle between [[spoiler:the Seven Dragon Paladins and the seven Ragnarok]], several of the opposing pairs are foils in terms of powers. [[spoiler:Lux (who avoids the enemy's attack and adapts his behaviour to counter them) fights Yggdrasil (which receives the enemy's attack, regenerates and adapts its body to resist further attacks of that kind), Greifer (who can become invincible for brief periods) fights Metatron (which reflects all attacks, except during brief periods of vulnerability), Mel (who can raise and lower temperature) fights Fenrir (which can only lower temperature through its freezing breath), and Rosa (who controls many Drag-Rides that are expendable due to being unmanned) fights Poseidon (which has numerous tentacles that are expendable since it can rapidly regenerate them).]]

** Also from the same story are the other two main characters who assist in bringing the above two together, the humans Jessica and Ron also contrasted with each other:she was a loud, brash, passionate ActionGirl ([[FieryRedhead she is a redhead after all]]) while paired with the soft-spoken, easygoing, [[PluckyComicRelief funny]], and NonActionGuy Ron. It is shown several times throughout the story that Ron has a crush on Juliet, preferring her [[HairofGoldHeartofGold passive, kind, and sweet nature]] over Jessica's sassy, brash, and sharp-tongued one. [[spoiler:However after Paris gives him TheReasonYouSuckSpeech and insults Jessica, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome he punches Paris in the face]] and [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove declares his feelings for his red-haired girlfriend]], and the two share a kiss afterwards. Guess HeroesWantRedheads after all.]]

** Ellimist and Crayak act as foils to each other (life vs. death, the forces of good vs. the forces of evil).

* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'', Boromir might be considered the foil to his brother Faramir as well as to Aragorn, as while he had similar heroic goals, he is a TragicHero who is tempted by the Ring.
** Saruman and Gandalf are both powerful wizards, however, Saruman is seduced by power, whereas Gandalf refuses to take the Ring.

** In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', Tuor and Túrin might be considered each other's foil. They're cousins (though they -almost- never meet), both their fathers are lost in Nirnaeth Arnoediad, they are separated from their human families to be fostered by Elves, go live in hidden Elven cities, fall in love with Elven ladies... However, Túrin is a rash, not always sympathetic TragicHero BlessedWithSuck while Tuor is an all out good guy who ends pretty well - what with being one of the few characters who actually survive to the end of the book.
** The [[FantasyPantheon Valar]] [[UltimateBlacksmith Aule]] and [[BigBad Melkor]]/[[GodOfEvil Morgoth]] serve as foils. They are both Valar who have their own ideas and don't always work with Eru's plans for Arda. However while Aule tried making his own life, creating the Dwarves, he repented of doing so when Eru reprimanded him and Eru gave the Dwarves true life for this. In contrast Melkor 'creates' his own creatures by corrupting Eru's creations, such as the Orcs being made from corrupted Elves. Aule created Dwarves out of a desire to populate the Earth and actually loves his creations as his children. Melkor breaks with Eru's plans out of envy and doesn't loves his creations, Tolkien writing Morgoth would have eventually destroyed them.

* ''Literature/TheForsyteSaga'': Young Jolyon and Soames have a first cousin version of SiblingRivalry and SiblingYinYang going on, so much that they hate each other despite being closely related by blood. Jolyon becomes a rebellious artist with a liberal political mindset, who loves to defy the rules of high society and the expectations of his family. Soames by contrast is an uptight solicitor with a conservative political mindset, who believes that being rich and respectable is the key to success and personal happiness. Of course, things become even ''worse'' between them when Soames's wife starts an affair with Jolyon. But they didn't like each other before that happened either.

* ''Literarure/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'' makes this trope OlderThanDirt. Gilgamesh is hot-headed and arrogant, and uses his status as god-king to always get his way, (especially with the young brides) so in response to the people's prayers expressing annoyance with Gilgamesh, the gods create Enkidu, a wild beast-man who is tamed via TheOldestProfession and becomes the only person who can rival Gilgamesh's strength, thus holding him accountable fot his actions. Whereas Gilgamesh is bold, arrogant, and hasty, Enkidu is level-headed and expresses understandable fear at the things Gilgamesh wants to do.

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* In ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'' Clip serves as a foil to Nimander Golit. Where Nimander is humble, conflicted and secretly badass, Clip is boisterous and self-confident despite having only a fraction of the skill. They are set in direct contrast to one another when the leadership of their group is concerned.

** [[BornUnderTheSail Eärendil]] and [[WalkingTheEarth Maglor]]. Eärendil is the genetic father of Elrond and Elros; and he, albeit of son of mortal Tuor, sets sails to West to seek help of Valar to beat Morgoth. Whilst away, the Sons of Fëanor attack Sirion, and whilst Eärendil's wife Elwing escapes with Silmaril, she leaves young Elrond and Elros basically orphaned. Maglor then becomes their foster father. With Silmaril, Eärendil and Elwing eventually arrive to Valinor, and Eärendil chooses the life of Elf (although his heart was more on his father's kindred). He eventually becomes the Lightbearer, sailing forever the vastness of the skies with Silmaril on the mast of his ship, and becomes the sign of hope to Elves and Men. Maglor, on the other hand, eventually gets his hand on the Silmarils, find them burning him because of his (and his brothers') foul deeds, defies the consultation of the ''archangels'' of Arda, casts his Silmaril into sea, and [[TheAtoner is doomed to wander forever]] the shores of Middle-Earth, singing of pain and regret, never returning amongst the Elven nations, and never even being granted the relief of death like Men. [[spoiler:He is presumably ''still'' around somewhere...]]

** Eärendil and Maglor. Eärendil is the genetic father of Elrond and Elros; and he, albeit of son of mortal Tuor, sets sails to West to seek help of Valar to beat Morgoth. Whilst away, the Sons of Fëanor attack Sirion, and whilst Eärendil's wife Elwing escapes with Silmaril, she leaves young Elrond and Elros basically orphaned. Maglor then becomes their foster father. With Silmaril, Eärendil and Elwing eventually arrive to Valinor, and Eärendil chooses the life of Elf (although his heart was more on his father's kindred). He eventually becomes the Lightbearer, sailing forever the vastness of the skies with Silmaril on the mast of his ship, and becomes the sign of hope to Elves and Men. Maglor, on the other hand, eventually gets his hand on the Silmarils, find them burning him because of his (and his brothers') foul deeds, defies the consultation of the ''archangels'' of Arda, casts his Silmaril into sea, and [[WalkingTheEarth is doomed to wander forever]] the shores of Middle-Earth, singing of pain and regret, never returning amongst the Elven nations, and never even being granted the relief by dying like Men. [[spoiler:He is presumably ''still'' around somewhere...]]

* ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'' characters Tatsuya and Kichijouji are similar, except that they serve different clans. Both are socially awkward BadassBookworms who're eternally loyal to their aristocratic SchoolIdol patrons. Rivalry was instant.

** The earliest example is [[DirtyCoward Rincewind]] and [[TheFool Towflower]], who react to danger in completely opposite manners.

* ''Literature/TheMachineriesOfEmpire'': Kel Cheris and Shuos Jedao. Cheris is a straightforward Kel who's a math prodigy to the point where everyone's surprised she's not a Nirai (of the scientist caste). She's an infantry captain and her signifier, the Ashhawk Sheathed Wings, means she's very stable mentally. By contrast, Jedao is a cunning Shuos, has dyscalculia, has mostly led fleets throughout his career and his singifier, Immolation Fox, is considered an alarm bell by people who know the meaning of it.