History Main / DuelsDecideEverything

[[quoteright:250:[[Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duel_2556.jpg]]]]

** ''Manga/PokemonReBurst'', on the other hand, averts this almost completely. Instead of having traditional pokemon battles to settle quarrels, characters ''directly'' beat the crap out of each other {{Shonen}} style, using mons to ''boost'' their own power through a FusionDance.

** As virtually any possible plot in the setting could be resolved by getting the right people to come to the right party, proving to the (generally immortal, nigh-unkillable and non-villanous) antagonists that you survive well enough to be worth remembering and befriending may make DuelsDecideEverything fairly rational.

* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', Outworld is only allowed to invade Earthrealm after winning ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments, due to an arbitration system set up by the Elder Gods. This breaks down in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' due to LoopholeAbuse by Shao Kahn, and the DuelsDecideEverything aspect of the Mortal Kombat tournaments was abandoned or {{downplayed}} in future installments, because the rules about who can invade where have become largely unenforceable.

* In ''VisualNovel/SC2VN'', 1v1 Starcraft matches decide everything

** In the [[Anime/YuGiOhBondsBeyondTime anniversary movie]], the villain Paradox tries to go back in time to prevent the spread of [[Anime/YuGiOh Duel Monsters]] by killing Pegasus... and he willingly stakes his mission on the outcome of a duel with Yugi, Judai and Yusei. So basically, he tried to stop Duel Monsters... using Duel Monsters.

** In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', one episode has Judai agree to duel a guy with the stakes being that whoever wins becomes Asuka's fiancée. Asuka did not agree to those stakes and [[IdiotHero Judai]] ''doesn't even know what "fiancée" means'', but the duel ends up happening anyway because Judai can't turn down a challenge.
** In Season 2, Judai tries challenging Saiou, the season's villain, to a duel fairly early on in the season in order to stop his plans. [[RealityEnsues Saiou declines the challenge,]] because he's already specifically ensured that his evil plan doesn't require him to duel Judai at any point. He does eventually duel Judai anyway, but only because unexpected circumstances force him into it.

** In Season 2, Judai tries challenging Saiou, the season's villain, to a duel fairly early on in the season in order to stop his plans. [[RealityEnsues Saiou declines the challenge,]] because [[GenreSavvy he's already specifically ensured that his evil plan doesn't require him to duel Judai at any point.]] He does eventually duel Judai anyway, but only because unexpected circumstances force him into it.

** In ''Film/MortalKombat'', there's no way that the Earth could defeat Outworld if Outworld invaded, but by decree of the Elder Gods, first Outworld has to win ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments -- and they've won nine so far.

* At least one large English town attempted to invoke this trope to get its teenage {{chav}} and {{goth}} population to stop having vicious fistfights in the mall and occasionally stabbing each other by getting them to settle their differences with paintball.

* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. The episode "Death-Watch" involves two planets who have a tradition of using a [[CombatByChampion gunfight duel between two champions]] as a substitute for war. When Tarrant's brother gets killed in a rigged contest, Tarrant uses this tradition to challenge the winner in blood feud and avert a real war.

* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. The episode "Death-Watch" involves two planets who have a tradition of using a [[CombatByChampion gunfight duel between two champions]] as a substitute for war. When Tarrant's brother gets killed in a rigged contest, Tarrant uses this tradition to challenge the winner to a blood feud and avert a real war.

** [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Ghetsis]] defies this trope for the first time in the main series and orders his Pokémon to freeze you solid before you fight him in the sequel. Although ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' [[OlderThanTheyThink did it first.]]

* A series of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros 4'' adverts is all about people taking everyday disputes, such as who gets the seat on a bus, and deciding to "Settle it in Smash!"

** Justified, however, in ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'': Trainers often fight along side or in tandem with their monsters, and the full consequences of superpowered pocket monsters is explored. Why use a missile when Hyper Beam works just as well? Or why kill a trainer when you can just freeze him in a block of ice? Furthermore, while official League battles and friendly matches play out similarly to the games, all rules are out the window in life-and-death struggles: Trainers will field as many Pokemon as they feel necessary, up to the full six (sometimes even more!) at once, and they will attack the enemy Trainer just as readily if they're given a chance.

** In theory, this would at least have the benefit of proving which one of them was a better fighter and combat tactician, which is a pretty important qualification for the leader of a fighting unit. In practice, all it demonstrated was the Storm had the WriterOnBoard, since while both were established badasses, only one could defeat an opponent by just looking at them. Indeed, it was eventually retconned that Cyclops's wife psychically threw the fight.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* This has occasionally occurred in real life, where combat between two champions has been used to reach a decision in a dispute. A legal example are judicial duels, which were not always [[DuelToTheDeath to the death]]. The original rationale behind duels was to contain possibly huge family feuds into more manageable one-on-one battles that would settle the issue(s). Well, at least before dueling [[HonorBeforeReason took on a life of its own]].
* At least one large English town attempted to invoke this trope to get its teenage {{chav}} and {{goth}} population to stop having vicious fistfights in the mall and occasionally stabbing each other by getting them to settle their differences with paintball.
* Japanese schoolchildren seem to solve any and every dispute with ''janken'', a.k.a. RockPaperScissors.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Get monsters to fight each other. Prime example: In his first encounter with [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Team Rocket]], Ash tries to engage them in a fist fight. They quickly invoke the trope and state that ''all'' their battles can ''only'' be with Pokémon.

* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' in all its incarnations.
** This reaches the point where, in the [[Anime/YuGiOhBondsBeyondTime anniversary movie]], the villain Paradox tries to go back in time to prevent the spread of [[Anime/YuGiOh Duel Monsters]] by killing Pegasus... and he willingly stakes his mission on the outcome of a duel with Yugi, Judai and Yusei. So basically, he tried to stop Duel Monsters... using Duel Monsters.

* ''LightNovel/NoGameNoLife''. Meta-example: EVERYTHING in No Game, No Life is decided by games. It can be any game, and the person who gets challenged gets to choose which game. Explained by saying that the gods had a war, a horribly bloody conflict between their subjects to decide who is TopGod that nearly left the world lifeless, leaving as the winner the only one who stayed out of it - the God of Games. He set up the MagicallyBindingContract game system to decide everything so as to prevent violent conflict.

[[folder: Advertising ]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' in all its incarnations. This reaches the point where, in the [[Anime/YuGiOhBondsBeyondTime anniversary movie]], the villain Paradox tries to go back in time to prevent the spread of [[Anime/YuGiOh Duel Monsters]] by killing Pegasus... and he willingly stakes his mission on the outcome of a duel with Yugi, Judai and Yusei. So basically, he tried to stop Duel Monsters... using Duel Monsters.
** Ironically enough, the [[Manga/YuGiOh original manga series]] and [[Anime/YuGiOhFirstAnimeSeries Toei series]] are a bit different, though still following the trope. [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Dark Yugi]] had demonic powers which he could use to punish anyone he defeated in any game of luck or skill. Even when he stops using these powers after a load of CharacterDevelopment, the ''villains'' frequently had those same powers.
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' one episode had Judai agree to duel a guy with the stakes being that whoever wins becomes Asuka' fiancée. Asuka did not agree to those stakes and [[IdiotHero Judai]] ''doesn't even know what "fiancée" means'', but the duel ends up happening anyway because Judai can't turn down a challenge.

* In the very first episode of ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', Yusei tries to distract the police while his friends get to safety. One of the officers, who just so happens to be a duelist, challenges Yusei to a Riding Duel, and if Yusei wins, he gets to go free, despite being accused of having stolen a computer chip for his D-Wheel. And ultimately, in the big, climactic battle between Yusei and Z-ONE, the fate of Neo Domino City comes down to a Card Game on Flying Motorcycles!
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'', the main and supporting characters act more realistically and averting this trope for the first time, though it still pops up on some occasions. The Security of the Synchro Dimension are based off ''5D's'' Security, but there are some differences. Notably, the Duel Chasers can challenge the criminals in a Riding Duel and if they win, they will arrest them. If they lose, however... [[AvertedTrope their D-Wheels will just stop, but the Security will still try to arrest the criminals, no matter what]]. [[BreadAndCircuses The only reason they duel the criminals in the first place is to give the Tops, who are the richest people of City, a good show to entertain them]]. [[spoiler: And when it's clear that they can't capture someone by dueling, they instead detain said persons through ''sheer force and numbers alone'', and ''don't'' [[DefiedTrope even give the duelist a chance to duel and fight back.]]]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fan Fics ]]

* In the Persona 4 fanfiction, ''Fanfic/IntoTheFog'', the female protagonist, Narukami Rei, has a duel with her shadow within her mind to determine if she was worthy of possessing her power. If she had lost the duel, her potential would have been lost as well. Due to her victory, she was given the option of being able to sign the contract.

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/TheKarateKid'': Battle with karate.

-->"You know, Dick, if I had my way, I'd meet Rommel face to face; him in his tank and me in mine. We'd meet out there somewhere... salute each other, maybe drink a toast, then we'd button up and do battle. The winner would decide the outcome of the entire war."
* Whilst guns and such DO make the occasional appearance, most of the problems in ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' series are solved by car racing ...somehow.
* [[spoiler:Ultimately subverted]] in ''RockPaperScissors: The Way Of The Tosser'', a {{Mockumentary}} about ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Baxter, TheRival, challenges Gary, TheHero, to a round of Rock Paper Scissors over who gets their mutual love interest, Holly. [[spoiler:Baxter wins, but Holly loves Gary, and in the end Baxter is unable to do anything about that, so his victory amounts to squat.]]
* In ''Film/MortalKombat'', there's no way that the Earth could defeat Outworld if Outworld invaded, but by decree of the Elder Gods, first Outworld has to win ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments - and they've won nine so far.
* In ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'', after Earth's victory in the first film, Shao Kahn [[DefiedTrope refuses to abide by this]] and just invades by force. When Rayden goes to ask the Elder Gods about this, they just shrug and say that they don't control the destiny of men. [[spoiler: Then the other Elder Gods [[DoubleSubverted double subvert]] this trope by opening a tournament when Liu Kang faces off with Shao Kahn, thus stripping Shao Kahn of his immortality and forcing him to fight "fairly."]]
-->[[spoiler: The fate of the universe will be decided as it should be...in '''MORTAL KOMBAT!''']]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Attempted at the beginning of Literature/TheIliad, when Greeks and Trojans agree to decide the outcome of the Trojan War (then already in its tenth year) by a duel between Menelaus and Paris. Menelaus is winning when Paris' sponsor, the goddess Aphrodite, decides to rescue him, and starting with that things rapidly deteriorate and the war recommences.
* In Livy's History of Rome, when Rome and Alba Longa fight for supremacy, they agree to avoid a costly war (which would only invite an attack by their powerful Etruscan neighbors) by deciding the conflict in a fight between three Roman brothers, the Horatii, and three Alban brothers, the Curiatii. In the end, two Horatii and all three Curiatii were dead, so Rome won.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Back when the UprightCitizensBrigade had their own Comedy Central show, a third season episode centered on a small town which solved their disputes with log-rolling contests, from "Peanut Butter vs. Jelly" up to "Good vs. Evil."

* A RunningGag which happens OnceAnEpisode in ''Series/HarryHillsTvBurp'' [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this trope: "Now, I like [X], but I also like [Y]. But which is better? There's only one way to find out - FIGHT!", followed by an often surreal fight between the two parties.

[[folder: Professional Wrestling]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Theatre ]]

** Averted at Act I Scene IV: Cyrano and De Valvert engage in a SwordFight. This doesn’t decide anything but sets Cyrano as the SpannerInTheWorks for [[{{Villains}} De Guiche’s]] plans.

[[folder: Toys ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}''

** Occasionally, such as in some storylines for ''Phantasmagoria of Flower View'', the battles - and protagonist - don't really decide anything, and the battles only serve to place the player where and when the storyline resolves itself. Losing battles then just means you don't get to see it happen.

[[folder: Visual Novels ]]
* In ''VisualNovel/{{SC2VN}}'', 1v1 Starcraft matches decide everything

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* Lance from ''[[Webcomic/GoldCoinComics GCC]]'' whenever he [[http://www.goldcoincomics.com/?id=62 fights Blake]], his rival.
* The city of Mimaneid in ''{{Webcomic/Drowtales}}'' [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9560 runs off of honor duels]], with it being standard to carry a SimpleStaff in case you are challenged, to the point that even some refugees from the city still carry them out of habit. These duels are [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9565 not to the death]] and no steel weapons are allowed.

-->'''Judge''': This [cat] is the winner.\\
'''[[Creator/AlexanderPushkin Pushkin]]''': You '''DARE'''. Pistols at--\\
'''Judge''': You have, like, three other duels at dawn.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* ''Anime/YuGiOh'''s tendency to do this is mocked mercilessly in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' and is a common source of humor:
-->'''Joey''': What do you people want from me?
-->'''Bandit Keith''': Your Star Chips, dweeb. I have a score to settle with Pegasus, so Zombie-Boy here is going to beat you in a card game!
-->'''Joey''': [[StatingTheSimpleSolution ...Why didn't you just take my star chips while I was unconscious?]]
-->'''Bandit Keith''': Shut the hell up![[note]]Especially funny because as noted in the Anime section, ONLY Yugi's duels are really justified for this trope. Bandit Keith really could have just mugged Joey. Same goes for the Rare Hunter that chooses to mug him AFTER winning a card game.[[/note]]
**
-->'''Yugi''': Pharaoh, we're in deep trouble. What should we do?
-->'''Yami''': Have you tried playing a card game with someone?
-->'''Yugi''': Well, that doesn't really apply to this situation.
-->'''Yami''': Strange, that usually works.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* This has occasionally occurred in real life, where combat between two champions has been used to reach a decision in a dispute. A legal example are judicial duels, which were not always [[DuelToTheDeath to the death]]. The original rationale behind duels was to contain possibly huge family feuds into more manageable one-on-one battles that would settle the issue(s). Well, at least before dueling [[HonorBeforeReason took on a life of its own]].
* At least one large English town attempted to invoke this trope to get its teenage {{chav}} and {{goth}} population to stop having vicious fistfights in the mall and occasionally stabbing each other by getting them to settle their differences with paintball.
* Japanese schoolchildren seem to solve any and every dispute with ''janken'', AKA Rock, Paper, Scissors.

[[/folder]]

* ''Anime/{{Bakugan}}''. Seriously, find a better way to prove something in that show.

** In theory, this would at least have the benefit of proving which one of them was a better fighter and combat tactician, which is a pretty important qualification for the leader of a fighting unit. In practice, all it demonstrated was the Storm had the WriterOnBoard, and it was eventually retconned that Cyclops's wife psychically threw the fight.

* In ''Uncanny X-Men'' #201, the question of who was going to lead the X-Men was not decided by e. g. putting it up to the members' vote, but in a Danger Room duel between Cyclops and Storm.
** This did have the benefit of proving which one of them was a better fighter and combat tactician, which is a pretty important qualification for the leader of a fighting unit.

* In Pro Wrestling, any issue, no matter how heinous, threatening, or illegal, can be settled by getting into the ring and fighting it out. In some of the more extreme cases, this can get handwaved, as the commentators will explicitly say that a wrestler "declined to press charges" in order to get his hands on the other wrestler at the Pay-Per-View this Sunday, only $34.95, call your cable or satellite provider to order now!

Every problem will inevitably lead to a climactic battle of {{Mahjong}}, or Uno, or the like. Is TheHero facing the threat of war? A terrible plague? An economic recession? Inevitably, there's a tangible villain responsible for it and the solution is for the hero to confront them and [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours beat them in whatever the story is about]]. If you're watching ''Tales of the Knights of St. Bob'' you're probably looking at a swordfight waiting to happen, but it's equally possible that you're watching something like ''Super Table Football Superstar'' and after an interminable mutual glare, one party will [[MundaneMadeAwesome dramatically challenge the other to a game of table football]].