History Main / BraggingRightsOption

It also differs from a SkillGateCharacter, who is very easy to use and is very good at low-level play but poses no threat against more skilled or professional players. A Bragging Rights character can easily shift up and down on tier scaling. Furthermore, they're often the antithesis of ComplacentGamingSyndrome: some Bragging Rights Characters are one whose abilities are difficult or rare to see work, even if the player is good, and thus it's hard for audiences to feel "complacent". Just seeing one in action is considered a rare or unexpected treat.

Sometimes, gameplay evolves this way through MetaGame, particularly if [[NotTheIntendedUse players discover a new way to use something that wasn't intended]]. As stated, this can easily evolve to either aHighTierScrappy or a LowTierLetdown. Can easily overlap with a LethalJokeCharacter, or even a regular JokeCharacter, if the "lethal" or "joke" aspect is considered spectacular or hilarious to witness in action.

** Hanzo is a character with high damage and okay utility, and his niche (sniping) is usually supplanted by other characters like [=McCree=] and Widowmaker in most serious matches. However, he is a character that can do massive damage in the right hands if [[BoomHeadshot a player's aim is good enough to get headshots]] and they were able to time his Ultimate (basically a slow-moving AdvancingWallOfDoom) just right. His original design also included Scatter Arrow, a PinballProjectile which could one-shot any character (even Tanks) if the player understood exactly where to aim to get all or most of the arrows to hit. That ability, however, was later traded for a rapid-fire shot called Storm Arrow--which many players disliked specifically because it was more consistent than Scatter Arrow and thus less impressive to get kills with.

* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', the Spy class relies heavily on stealth and on mimicking the enemy team. However, the Spy is not meant for head-on fights, and accordingly Spy players need to fool their enemies. Experienced players can easily spot even a good Spy from just a momentary mistake, and Pyros are notorious for their reflexive "Spy-checks" with their flamethrower. Even so, getting a good {{backstab}} means that you instantly kill any enemy and disrupt all of their plans in one fell swoop, and deny the enemy team a valuable asset until the dead player respawns. This is invaluable to a team, especially if you can take out key players and then disappear again without dying.

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' developer Mark Rosewater [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-2013-12-03 published and article]] in 2013 describing the typical PlayerArchetypes they found while designing cards. They named them "Timmy", "Johnny" and "Spike". While a "Timmy" just wants to use the coolest or biggest-and-baddest card, and a "Spike" wants to only play what's most likely to win, a "Johnny" is a player that plays for ''style''. To them, card and deck choices are a form of self-expression, so they pick something that shows off their own creativity. For them, winning with the biggest monster or the most powerful ability isn't enough; they want everyone to be amazed by the ''way'' the won. The article also briefly discusses hybrids, such as "Timmy/Johnny", who ''does'' use a big/strong card but has some sort of unique way of setting it up or using it. A "Johnny/Spike" loves playing what wins, but there has to be their unique twist to it. A "Timmy/Johnny/Spike" is a rare hybrid that has figured out how to play for power, style ''and'' efficiency all at once.

** Menat became an InstantWebHit the moment she was announced, with fans digging her unique SexyWalk animation and her design. However, she is one of the most difficult characters to use in the game due to her Orb and V-Trigger, which requires the player to control 6 different orbs. These orbs can be activated almost any time during V-Trigger, while her Orb can be thrown and recalled. All of these things meaning that Menat can do an almost endless variety of combos depending on her player's imagination and execution. One of the most lauded things about her gameplay from spectators is that no two Menat players play alike. She became one of the rarest characters to see online, but one that fans and viewers will clamor to watch when a player knows how to use her.

Sometimes, gameplay evolves this way through MetaGame, particularly if [[NotTheIntendedUse players discover a new way to use something that wasn't intended]]. As stated, this can easily evolve to either a high or low TierInducedScrappy. Can easily overlap with a LethalJokeCharacter, or even a regular JokeCharacter, if the "lethal" or "joke" aspect is considered spectacular or hilarious to witness in action.

** While also a high TierInducedScrappy, Cell was one of the most hyped characters in early versions of ''[=FighterZ=]'', with [[SuddenlyShouting his]] [[{{Kiai}} intro]] being such a meme that crowds would be disappointed if a player didn't let the animation play out so that they could yell with him. Cell's playstyle is also extremely combo-heavy, with death or near-death almost assured on any hit. He even has a special animation with Teen Gohan (one of the lowest tier characters in the game) which replicates what is probably [[SignatureScene the most famous scene]] in all of ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', thought it's unlikely to happen in [[TournamentPlay tournament settings]] due to how rare it is to see Teen Gohan played in the first place, let alone win against Cell. That rarity only made the times it ''did'' happen more special, though.

** Comicbook/IronFist, added in the ''Ultimate'' version of the game, is a character considered to be quite a [[TierInducedScrappy low-tier Scrappy]], but with very impressive and hard-hitting combos if a player can actually pull them off successfully. Since his combos typically involve a lot of stance changes and FunnyBruceLeeNoises, fans always had a blast calling those out along with Iron Fist.

** Karin Kanzuki has one of the few "Just Frame" attacks (moves that have to be executed perfectly, down to the exact frame) in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. She also has a huge amount of combos, all of which are situational and require mastery of spacing and hit-confirming. While she's always been considered good, she largely avoided becoming TierInducedScrappy like Chun-Li or Nash. So she's a solid character that requires [[SomeDexterityRequired good dexterity]], good timing, good spacing, and good combos to use, meaning being good with her is rather rare. Her NoblewomansLaugh during her Super also became an instant meme, with crowds copying it whenever they see it pulled off.

* Characters or content with [[CycleOfHurting incredibly long]] and intricate combos that require a lot of button inputs.

** The ''Smash Bros.'' community in general has what is unofficially known as the "Sick list", which is a ranking of which characters are the most exciting, or "sick" to win with. This listing is unconnected to a standard [[CharacterTiers tier list]] which ranks characters for how good they are. This caused [[CasualCompetitiveConflict significant tension]] in the late 2010s when professional player Hungrybox became the undisputed best ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'' player in the world... using ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Jigglypuff]]'', a character considered on the absolute bottom of the "sick list" for being slow-moving, annoyingly evasive, and gradually ticking away and enemy's stock instead of doing large amounts of damage in one move or combo. The fact that such a "boring" character was consistently winning tournaments at the highest level led many professionals to campaign that the character should be banned, simply because it wasn't what ''Melee'' was "supposed to be about."

Being DifficultButAwesome tends to overlap with this, but that's not enough. It can't just be difficult and/or powerful; being good with them has to lead to something impressive. For example, if even throwing a basic, unremarkable jab is extremely difficult, that is not this trope. Maybe their abilities are all [[{{Spectacle}} flashy or hilarious]] when pulled off correctly, maybe [[LuckManipulationMechanic their abilities require an unfathomable amount of good luck]], or maybe they have combos that just [[GradualGrinder go on]] ''[[CycleOfHurting forever]]'' if you're good enough. A difficult-to-use gameplay element can still be boring to play or watch, but Bragging Rights Gameplay never is.

** [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]], added in the ''Ultimate'' version of the game, is a character considered to be quite a [[TierInducedScrappy low-tier Scrappy]], but with very impressive and hard-hitting combos if a player can actually pull them off successfully. Since his combos typically involve a lot of stance changes and FunnyBruceLeeNoises, fans always had a blast calling those out along with Iron Fist.

->''"Just like [[Anime/DragonBallZ Trunks]] [[WellDoneSonGuy always wanted validation from his father]], Trunks players always want validation from the crowds. That's why they use a character with all these flashy-ass combos, doing front-flips, back-flips, ki blasts while you're doing the front-flip in the corner and all this craziness. [...] If Trunks players are on the brink of being perfected, but they got ''one'' flashy-ass combo off, they feel accomplished."''

** Akuma is traditionally one of the most well-rounded characters in the series, with incredible combo potential. He's built specifically for players that enjoy [[{{Shotoclone}} Ryu and Ken]], but want to be exceptionally flashy. His super attack, the Raging Demon, is an especially awesome and humiliating way to defeat an opponent, being one of the most damaging throws in the game and serving as proof that you've read your opponent's moves. Ending a round with it even produces a unique screen flash with a giant kanji appearing (usually "Heaven"). This also often applies to Evil Ryu as well, who possesses extremely similar abilities to Akuma.

* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'':
** [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] is ''the'' combo-oriented character in the game, boasting an incredibly long moveset, with moves that cancel into other moves, cancelling into other moves, and into yet more moves. And he [[HyperspaceArsenal has access to virtually his entire arsenal]] from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening''. When Dante is played in the hands of an expert, or even a mediocre specialist who has created their own unique combos, fans are typically eager to watch and see how Dante will style on his opponents.
** After professional player Combofiend pulled off an extremely flashy comeback during a tournament, ending with [[VideoGame/BionicCommando Nathan Spencer's]] famous [[MemeticMutation "BIONIC AAAAAARRRRRRRM!"]] Hyper Combo, Spencer became one of the most anticipated and applauded characters in the game, with crowds usually shouting along with the aforementioned move call-out.
** [[ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist Iron Fist]], added in the ''Ultimate'' version of the game, is a character considered to be quite a [[TierInducedScrappy low-tier Scrappy]], but with very impressive and hard-hitting combos if a player can actually pull them off successfully. Since his combos typically involve a lot of stance changes and FunnyBruceLeeNoises, fans always had a blast calling those out along with Iron Fist.
* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'':
** Ivy is a notable example of this. In addition to being [[{{Stripperiffic}} dressed]] [[DressedLikeADominatrix in a manner]] [[MsFanservice clearly designed to be eye-catching]], she also has one of [[DifficultButAwesome the most difficult-to-control weapons]] (a WhipSword that [[StanceSystem switches between two modes]]). This is in addition to having one of the most spectacular and damaging command grabs which is also [[SomeDexterityRequired exceptionally difficult to pull off]]. It should be noted that Lady Valentine is also one of the characters most likely to have her moveset and command inputs significantly altered between installments, [[DamnYouMuscleMemory necessitating dedicated Ivy players to essentially relearn the character every few years]]. [[note]]A good example is when the movesets were streamlined for ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'', causing Ivy to go from four distinct stances to none at all.[[/note]]
** Yoshimitsu, being the [[LegacyCharacter ancestor/predeccessor(s)]] of his ''Tekken'' counterpart, retains most of the [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter same]] [[ConfusionFu elements]] that make him [[FightingClown a standout fighter]] in that series (see above), minus the ability to switch between an armed and unarmed fighting style. There is some additional variance between them moveset-wise (such as later ''Soulcalibur'' entries [[ImprobableWeaponUser weaponizing the flag Yoshimitsu wears on his back]]), due to both the different button layout between series [[note]]''Tekken'' is a four-button fighter (two punches and two kicks), whereas ''Soulcalibur'' uses three (horizontal attacks, vertical attacks, and kicks) plus a dedicated guard button[[/note]] and a more general effort to [[DivergentCharacterEvolution differentiate]] each series' take on Yoshimitsu, but you can expect all of the usual ninjutsu hijinks: weaponized {{seppuku}}, [[LifeDrain life-stealing]] [[FacePalmOfDoom face grabs]], LotusPosition [[SpinningOutOfHere teleports]]... ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' even added to Yoshimitsu's usual misdirection by allowing him to [[ManaDrain steal meter from his opponents]] and giving him access to enhanced, meter-consuming [[note]]unless he's [[SuperMode Soul Charged]], that is[[/note]] attacks analogous to the Brave Edges of ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV''--something no one else in the game can do.
** While he's usually a JackOfAllStats type whose fighting style leans towards BoringButPractical, ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'''s incarnation of Kilik became this on account of [[SuperPoweredEvilSide his Possessed State]]: a [[SuperMode Soul Charge]] that [[CastFromHitPoints slowly drains his life while he's in it]]. Like all Soul Charge forms in the game, the character becomes extremely flashy and dangerous while it's active, but that isn't all. "Malfested" Kilik also possesses one of the most powerful [[LimitBreak Critical Edges]] in the game in the form of an unblockable command grab that throws the enemy to the ground and turns his bo staff into a javelin that produces a ''massive'' explosion on impact. This means that every time Kilik enters that form, fans are on the edge of their seat watching a high-risk, high-reward fighting style that may just end with the opponent getting nuked into the Stone Age.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
** The ''Smash Bros.'' community in general has what is unofficially known as the "Sick list", which is a ranking of which characters are the most exciting, or "sick" to win with. This listing is unconnected to a standard [[CharacterTiers tier list]] which ranks characters for how good they are. This caused [[CasualCompetitiveConflict significant tension]] in the late 2010s when professional player Hungrybox became the undisputed best ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'' player in the world... using ''Jigglypuff'', a character considered on the absolute bottom of the "sick list" for being slow-moving, annoyingly evasive, and gradually ticking away and enemy's stock instead of doing large amounts of damage in one move or combo. The fact that such a "boring" character was consistently winning tournaments at the highest level led many professionals to campaign that the character should be banned, simply because it wasn't what ''Melee'' was "supposed to be about."
** On the extreme opposite end in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'', [[VideoGame/StarFox Falco]] demands [[SomeDexterityRequired dexterity and reflexes]] to the point where, alongside Fox, he's infamous for giving players carpal tunnel -- and while he's much less consistent and common than Fox, he makes up for it in sheer chic. Falco has a quirk in his frame data that gives him nearly limitless chaining ability, meaning that through the power of free-styling, he possesses some of the lengthiest, flashiest, and most devastating combos in any ''Smash Bros.'' game, with enough variety that anything he does seems fresh and new. If you see a "sick combo" tournament highlight clip on an internet forum, chances are it's from Falco.

->''"Just like Trunks always wanted validation from his father, Trunks players always want validation from the crowds. That's why they use a character with all these flashy-ass combos, doing front-flips, back-flips, ki blasts while you're doing the front-flip in the corner and all this craziness. [...] If Trunks players are on the brink of being perfected, but they got ''one'' flashy-ass combo off, they feel accomplished."''
-->-- '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTukjWmlK70 The Keef Crew]]''', on ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Ball FighterZ}}''

Being DifficultButAwesome tends to overlap with this, but that's not enough. It can't just be difficult and/or powerful; being good with them has to lead to something impressive. For example, if even throwing a basic, unremarkable jab is extremely difficult, that is not this trope. Maybe their abilities are all [[{{Spectacle}} flashy or hilarious]] when pulled off correctly, maybe [[LuckManipulationMechanic their abilities require an unfathomable amount of good luck]], or maybe they have combos that just go on ''forever'' if you're good enough. A difficult-to-use gameplay element can still be boring to play or watch, but Bragging Rights Gameplay never is.

It also differs from a SkillGateCharacter, who is very easy to use and is very good at low level play but poses no threat against more skilled or professional players. A Bragging Rights character can easily shift up and down on tier scaling. Furthermore, they're often the antithesis of ComplacentGamingSyndrome: some Bragging Rights Characters are one whose abilities are difficult or rare to see work, even if the player is good, and thus it's hard for audiences to feel "complacent". Just seeing one in action is considered a rare or unexpected treat.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''

* ''VideoGame/{{Dragon Ball FighterZ}}'':

** Karin Kanzuki has one of the few "Just Frame" attacks (moves that have to be executed perfectly, down to the exact frame) in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. She also has a huge amount of combos, all of which are situational and require mastery of spacing and hit-confirming. While she's always been considered good, she largely avoided becoming TierInducedScrappy like Chun-Li or Nash. So she's a solid character that requires [[SomeDexterityRequired good dexterity]], good timing, good spacing, and good combos to use, meaning being good with her is rather rare. Her NoblewomansLaugh during her super also became an instant meme, with crowds copying it whenever they see it pulled off.

* ''Videogame/SuperSmashBros'':
** The ''Smash Bros.'' community in general has what is unofficially known as the "Sick list", which is a ranking of which characters are the most exciting, or "sick" to win with. This listing is unconnected to a standard [[CharacterTiers tier list]] which ranks characters for how good they are. This caused [[CasualCompetitiveConflict significant tension]] in the late 2010s when professional player Hungrybox became the undisputed best ''Melee'' player in the world...using ''Jigglypuff''...a character considered on the absolute bottom of the "sick list" for being slow-moving, annoyingly evasive, and gradually ticking away and enemy's stock instead of doing large amounts of damage in one move or combo. The fact that such a "boring" character was consistently winning tournaments at the highest level led many professionals to campaign that the character should be banned, simply because it wasn't what ''Melee'' was "supposed to be about".
** On the extreme opposite end in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'', [[VideoGame/StarFox Falco]] demands [[SomeDexterityRequired dexterity and reflexes]] to the point where, alongside Fox, he's infamous for giving players carpal tunnel -- and while he's much less consistent and common than Fox, he makes up for it in sheer chic. Falco has a quirk in his frame data that gives him nearly limitless chaining ability, meaning that through the power of free-styling, he possesses some of the lengthiest, flashiest, and most devastating combos in any ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' game, with enough variety that anything he does seems fresh and new. If you see a "sick combo" tournament highlight clip on an internet forum, chances are it's from Falco.

* ''Videogame/{{Overwatch}}'': [[note]]''Overwatch''[='s=] dev team releases frequent patches. Because of this, a character on this list may go from high tier to low tier and back again within months or even have their entire movesets reworked. Thus, an example on this list might be outdated but still accurate for a previous patch.[[/note]]

** The Hunting Horn is the single least-used weapon in the game, being essentially a "support" weapon and not all that useful for a solo hunter. In a party, though, the person using the Hunting Horn is the MVP of the team, providing various buffs and immunities, healing, and even dishing out some of the highest damage in the game if they can land its rather slow, unwieldy attacks. In addition to this, as a "Blunt" style weapon, they can break armor faster and hitting monsters in the head with the Horn will stun the monster and let the rest of the team dish out heavy damage with their own attacks. A Hunting Horn master is thus one of the most respected and rarely-seen player archetypes.

* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujdDqHIDvWs a video]] discussing character selection, fighting game player/commentator "Sajam" described this as being the primary motivation (aside from aesthetics) why players pick characters in fighting games. The player may find a character that has a hilarious, entertaining, or ''extremely'' cool-looking attack or ability that they will play the character simply to land on their opponent, and feel accomplished or satisfied from that alone.

** The ''Smash Bros.'' community in general has what is unofficially known as the "Sick list", which is a ranking of which characters are the most exciting, or "sick" to win with. This listing is unconnected to a standard [[CharacterTiers tier list]] which ranks characters for how good they are. This caused [[CasualCompetitiveConflict significant tension]] in the late 2010s when professional player Hungrybox became the undisputed best ''Melee'' player in the world...using ''Jigglypuff''...a character considered on the absolute bottom of the "sick list" for being slow-moving, annoyingly evasive, and [[GradualGrinder gradually ticking away and enemy's stock]] instead of doing large amounts of damage in one move or combo. The fact that such a "boring" character was consistently winning tournaments at the highest level led many professionals to campaign that the character should be banned, simply because it wasn't what ''Melee'' was "supposed to be about".

* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', the Spy relies heavily on stealth and on mimicking the enemy team. However, experienced players can easily spot even a good Spy, and Pyros are notorious for their "Spy-checks" with their flamethrower. Even so, getting a good {{backstab}} means that you instantly kill any enemy and disrupt all of their plans in one fell swoop. This is invaluable to a team, especially if you can take out key players and then disappear again.

** The Hunting Horn is the single least-used weapon in the game, being essentially a "support" weapon and not all that useful for a solo hunter. In a party, though, the person using the Hunting Horn is the MVP of the team, providing various buffs and immunities, healing, and even dishing out some of the highest damage in the game if they can land its rather slow, unwieldy attacks. In addition to this, as a "Blunt" style weapon, hitting monsters in the head with the Horn will stun the monster and let the rest of the team dish out heavy damage with their strong, but slow attacks. A Hunting Horn master is thus one of the most respected and rarely-seen player archetypes.

* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' developer Mark Rosewater [[https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-2013-12-03 published and article]] in 2013 describign the typical PlayerArchetypes they found while designing cards. They named them "Timmy", "Johnny" and "Spike". While a "Timmy" just wants to use the coolest or biggest-and-baddest card, and a "Spike" wants to only play what's most likely to win, a "Johnny" is a player that plays for ''style''. To them, card and deck choices are a form of self-expression, so they pick something that shows off their own creativity. For them, winning with the biggest monster or the most powerful ability isn't enough; they want everyone to be amazed by the ''way'' the won. The article also briefly discusses hybrids, such as "Timmy/Johnny", who ''does'' use a big/strong card but has some sort of unique way of setting it up or using it. A "Johnny/Spike" loves playing what wins, but there has to be their unique twist to it. A "Timmy/Johnny/Spike" is a rare hybrid that has figured out how to play for power, style ''and'' efficiency all at once.