History Main / DuelsDecideEverything

* An example occurs in ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheLostFuture''. Thugs are expected to use good-old violence to stop interlopers... but here, they toss a puzzle your way instead! The next game introduced [[ActionGirl Emmy]] to deal with thugs instead, as a reaction to this.

*** If you think about it, though, it's kind of justified. In their universe, Pokémon have all sorts of powers and abilities that could potentially be lethal if they were ordered to attack people. Would you really try to stand in the way of a kid who has a fire-breathing dragon at his command if he's already used it to knock out your own monsters? Best option is to step aside and leave him alone if you don't want to get hurt (or possibly killed) yourself.

** ''[[Manga/PokemonReburst Pokémon RéBURST]]'', on the other hand, averts this almost completely: Instead of the usual Pokémon cockfights to settle quarrels, human characters regularly engage in ''direct hand-to-hand'' ''{{shonen|Demographic}}'' ''combat'', and this time around, mons serve to boost their own power through a FusionDance rather than to fight on their behalf.

** Also played with in fangame ''VideoGame/PokemonUranium''. At one point, an evil scientist sends out a bunch of thugs after you. This being a ''Pokémon'' game, they'll obviously challenge you and send out some pathetically weak {{Mons}} that your well-trained team will tear to pieces, right? Haha, no. [[NoNonsenseNemesis They just set up an ambush for you, knock your lights out, confiscate all your Pokéballs, and lock you up in a cell.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': Bojack's father spent most of his life writing a novel in the hopes of making a legacy for himself. When he finally published it, it was panned by critics, so he challenged anyone who didn't like his novel to a duel. For whatever reason, someone accepted, choosing the traditional "take ten steps, then turn and fire" approach. Before they could shoot, however, Bojack's father turned to ask him if he'd actually ''read'' the book, causing him to trip on a rock and break his head open.

* In the 1970 TV movie "The Challenge" Darren McGavin is a rogue soldier sent onto an island for a one on one guerilla war with an Asian soldier (Mako) to settle a dispute that could otherwise lead to nuclear war. Of course both sides cheat like crazy and eventually [[spoiler: McGavin decides to let it end in a technical tie. A common trope that the combatants decide they are not working for "The Man" anymore]]
* In another 1970 TV movie ("The Love War") two alien races vie for control of the Earth by sending in a set number of soldiers to a deserted town to fight it out. Of course [[spoiler: the "bad" aliens cheat their way to victory, dooming the human race]]

** Also played with in fangame ''VideoGame/PokemonUranium''. At one point, an evil scientist sends out a bunch of thugs after you. This being a ''Pokémon'' game, they'll obviously challenge you and send out some pathetically weak {{Mons}} that your well-trained team will tear to pieces, right? Haha, no. [[PragmaticVillainy They just set up an ambush for you, knock your lights out, confiscate all your Pokéballs, and lock you up in a cell.]]

** 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, Jaden/Judai and Yusei. So basically, he tried to stop Duel Monsters... using Duel Monsters.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Webcomic/SuperEffective "GO ZUBAT!"]][[note]]"He's level ELEVEN!"[[/note]]]]

* In ''Film/FutureSport'', the protagonist (a pro-player of the eponymous sport) decides to solve a dispute between two global powers by staking the fate of some disputed territory on a game. Despite being a rather campy {{cyberpunk}} movie, it manages to deconstruct the trope, with characters agreeing it's an insane idea, but ultimately {{Reconstruction it works out because of the propaganda coup from winning}} (and the fact that the villains' sabotage attempts lead to their leader being captured).

* In ''Film/FutureSport'', the protagonist (a pro-player of the eponymous sport) decides to solve a dispute between two global powers by staking the fate of some disputed territory on a game. Despite being a rather campy {{cyberpunk}} movie, it manages to deconstruct the trope, with characters agreeing it's an insane idea, but ultimately [[Reconstruction it works out because of the propaganda coup from winning]] (and the fact that the villains' sabotage attempts lead to their leader being captured).

* In ''Film/FutureSport'', the protagonist (a pro-player of the eponymous sport) decides to solve a dispute between two global powers by staking the fate of some disputed territory on a game. Despite being a rather campy {{cyberpunk}} movie, it manages to deconstruct the trope, with characters agreeing it's an insane idea, but ultimately [[ReconstructedTrope it works out because of the propaganda coup from winning]] (and the fact that the villains' sabotage attempts lead to their leader being captured).

Every problem will inevitably lead to a climactic battle of TabletopGame/{{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]].

This extends beyond just getting the defeated party out of the picture. If the BigBad has been bested, [[NoOntologicalInertia their whole evil operation will fold up on itself and disappear within the day]]. The EvilArmy will not rally. There is no plan B. The superweapon TheHero managed to destroy while StormingTheCastle will have [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup No Plans, No Prototype and No Backup]]. It's as if some cosmic force had decreed that this conflict be settled with CombatByChampion. Whether the stakes are trivial or world-shatteringly huge, [[TitleDrop Duels Decide Everything]].

* A series of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' adverts is all about people taking everyday disputes, such as who gets the seat on a bus, and deciding to "Settle it in Smash!"

* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'': Every four years, countries all over the world get to use their shiny new Gundams and send out different fighters to ''beat the ever living tar out of each other'' so one country can rule everyone else for four years. It's worked for sixty years, except for that one time where Neo-England won three times in a row, raising international tensions to the point where the next Fight was delayed. Mildly justified by being CombatByChampion, and better than actual wars. Less justified when a country might have a strong fighter but an incompetent (or ObviouslyEvil in the case of Neo-Hong Kong) government.

** 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.
** Justified, however, in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'': 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 Pokémon 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 ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'', the main and supporting characters act more realistically and avert 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.]]]]

* In ''Manga/FoodWars'', the ''fu-du-jour'' is cooking. The manga is set at a cooking school with a ferociously cutthroat curriculum, and and the students are actively encouraged to pit themselves against each other. The stakes can be ridiculously high, and school clubs, acres of farmland and entire careers have been staked in cooking duels. However, the contests are far more formalized than is common. In order to be official, the participants have to agree on a place, a time, an odd number of judges, and the stakes (both parties have to bet something of equal value), and can make additional stipulations if both parties so wish. Then they have to file a formal registration with the school, which will enforce the end result. And, before you ask: Yes, in this universe cooking is [[SeriousBusiness serious enough business]] that a cooking school can enforce these things.

* ''Anime/{{Beyblade}}'' features characters doing battle with spinning top like toys known as beyblades, with the goal to knock an opponent's beyblade over. While a vast portion of the series focuses on {{Tournament Arc}}s there's also plenty of defeating bad guys by knocking their fancy tops around.

** Note that the Guardians normally try and avoid it: when Elyon accepted her brother's challenge they ''immediately'' tried to rush him anyway, dealt with [[TheDragon Cedric]] after Phobos, who was expecting such a move, forced them to, and when they found out that Phobos had won the duel they proceeded to overturn the result; and in the later issue their reply to the challenge was to try and blast her, only to find out that they had no choice but take her in the one-on-one duels.

* The 1998 MadeForTVMovie ''[=FutureSport=]'', where the title game was invented as a substitution for gang violence, and ends up being used to avoid a war.

* [[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 the prologue of ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Knife of Dreams]]'' [[spoiler:Galad Damodred]] has dug up a half-forgotten law that gives him the right to TrialByCombat and which, if he wins, should give him command of an army. Subverted when some of the officers of said army accuses him of blatant LoopholeAbuse and try to arrest him. Double-subverted when the Commander is so amused by his cockiness that he lets him proceed as planned.

** Deconstructed, to an extent, as it's mainly used to show INTENT. Just the mere act of calling Juris Macto tends to get people to listen, and back down.

** Invoked at Act V Scene V: Cyrano invokes a SwordFight with his old enemies (Falsehood, Treachery, Compromise, Prejudice and Folly) and then with Death itself… but Cyrano admits that he has already lost.

** 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 this trope fairly rational.
* ''VideoGame/CustomRobo'': Duels with toy-sized robots are shown right at the beginning to be the perfect way to attempt a robbery. [[SeriousBusiness It gets more ridiculous from there]]. The game goes out of its way to try to justify this, though. It's mentioned a few times that the toy-sized robots use ''real weapons'' with ''live ammunition'', operate in bullet time and can be controlled over decent distances (and in ''Arena'' one police officer NPC actually ''does'' get shot during a fight) -- using them as serious weapons makes sense. Dueling with them being their ''primary'' use (even when there are safeties that vaporize any stray bullets), not so much. Justified in that it seems custom robo battles can't be escaped, someone can force you into it, and the victory is absolute if the safeties are deactivated: the winner is perfectly fine, but the loser gets knocked out cold, or worse (certain illegal robo parts have the capability to outright kill the loser). And the real reason the robos have been set up as everyone's favorite battling game? [[spoiler:To combat a quasi-demonic entity called Rahu that possessed a robo, back before the machines were combat capable. At the time, it took everything humanity had to force Rahu into hibernation. But a society used to battling with robos all the time is effectively the perfect counter should Rahu ever wake up again.]]

** Everything is decided by Pokémon duels. Need to go down a road? Pokémon battle. Need to stop OlympusMons from rampaging? Pokémon battle. Need to thwart villainous plans? Pokémon battle again! The series have been playing around with this trope lately, though.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher 3'' plays with this through Sansha, one of your many rivals. When disputing who has the rights to a waterfall training ground, she challenges you to a duel... a fishing duel. She's remarkably willing to agree to a regular ol' battle when your assistant Fleria protests that neither of you know ''how'' to fish, instead of pressing her advantage.

* 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 this 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 ''Webcomic/SeiyuuCrush'', [=KoiZ=] and Haruka are set up by Nakatsu to settle their rivalry over [[spoiler: Kaji]], in a duel behind Flavor. The duel takes place in Scene 10 [[http://www.http://seiyuucrush.net/index.php?page=261 Duel at Midnight]], with a rather comedic start, as neither of them know just exactly how they are supposed to be dueling.

* ''[[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series]]'' lampshades and endlessly mocks this concept, by bringing up how children's card games are always used to decide everything. Sometimes the heroes or villains might even suggest more traditional alternatives which fall on deaf ears and the card game is chosen in the end.

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': Bojack's father spent most of his life writing a novel in the hopes of making a legacy for himself. When he finally published it, it was panned by critics, so he challenged anyone who didn't like his novel to a duel. For whatever reason, someone accepted, choosing the traditional "take ten steps, then turn and fire" approach. Before they could shoot however, Bojack's father turned to ask him if he'd actually ''read'' the book, causing him to trip on a rock and break his head open.

* The ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} cartoon "Duel to the Finish" had Olive trying to make Popeye jealous by wooing Wimpy (ascribing to the way to man's heart is through his stomach). Popeye eventually challenges Wimpy to a duel, and Wimpy claims battle in an eating duel. It's certainly in Wimpy's favor but he concedes to Popeye when an exhausted Olive says she can't cook another thing.
* WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry challenge each other to a series of duels in "Duel Personality," each duel ending in a stalemate.

* In the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series, which is based on a LostRomanLegion/''Pokémon'' crossover, Citizens have the legal right to a "juris macto" -- a duel to the death to settle disputes out of court. It is often threatened but only explicitly happens twice in the series.

* {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Literature/CardForceInfection'' when it comes to infected players; part of the {{curse}} of the infection is that they must accept, and they and anyone they play against will be magically compelled to abide by any terms of victory declared before the match. Even if they don't have their deck on hand, the curse will summon it for them. [[spoiler:Even if they're so far gone that they're ''stabbing people'', they'll be forced to sit down and play.]] It's mentioned that this would work with any game, not just Card Force, but that has undesirable side effects that Card Force seems arbitrarily immune to.

* In ''Manga/ShokugekiNoSoma'', the ''fu-du-jour'' is cooking. The manga is set at a cooking school with a ferociously cutthroat curriculum, and and the students are actively encouraged to pit themselves against each other. The stakes can be ridiculously high, and school clubs, acres of farmland and entire careers have been staked in cooking duels. However, the contests are far more formalized than is common. In order to be official, the participants have to agree on a place, a time, an odd number of judges, and the stakes (both parties have to bet something of equal value), and can make additional stipulations if both parties so wish. Then they have to file a formal registration with the school, which will enforce the end result. And, before you ask: Yes, in this universe cooking is [[SeriousBusiness serious enough business]] that a cooking school can enforce these things.

** 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.]]]]

** In Season 2, Jaden/Judai tries challenging the season's villain from taking over the world. But he's already specifically ensured that his evil plan doesn't require him to duel our hero at any point. When Jaden/Judai challenge him to a duel for the fate of the world, [[RealityEnsues he declines, because he has everything he needs]]. He does eventually duel anyway, but only because unexpected circumstances force him into it.

** Also justified as Ranma's "Anything Goes" school of martial arts thrives on mastering other schools and adding their skills to his own. He will go through the grueling effort of mastering even the most absurd schools if it means he can get even the slightest improvemtn out of it. That, and he considers it a matter of pride to beat his opponents at their own game.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' plays with this. On the one hand, as much as the main characters often try to invoke this trope, it's shown to never actually work -- so, for example, Mousse's efforts to make Shampoo fall in love with him by beating Ranma's head in never make her change her feelings. On the other hand, most of the {{filler}} stories do revolve around characters sorting their problems out by who wins or loses a fight.

->'''Brauno''': I hope we don't run into any gang-bangers on the way home.\\
'''Onomatopeia''': Don't worry Brauno, they usually challenge you to duel first, and they'll leave you alone if you win.
-->-- ''Anime/YuGiOh Animated Duels'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p77JmFbUtOg&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLB73E894D30AA30D6 "Demonic Duels at Midnight."]]

A [[SubTrope Sub-Trope]] of AdventureFriendlyWorld. InAWorld where CardGames, {{Mon}}-battling, [[SportsStoryTropes sports]], or What Have You is SeriousBusiness, {{conflict}} resolution often boils down to a Card Game, Mon-battle, Foo-off, or whatever-bout.

* Played with in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'': While the {{Mon}}s can legitimately harm and cause destruction, very often the heroes and villains will agree to just stand there and let their partners have the equivalent of a cockfight which will spell the loser's defeat.

** Justified, however, in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'': 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.
** ''Manga/PokemonReBurst'', on the other hand, averts this almost completely: Instead of the usual pokemon cockfights to settle quarrels, human characters regularly engage in ''direct hand-to-hand'' ''{{Shonen}}'' ''combat'', and this time around, mons serve to boost their own power through a FusionDance rather than to fight on their behalf.

* In the prologue of ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Knife of Dreams]]'' [[spoiler: Galad Damodred]] has dug up a half-forgotten law that gives him the right to TrialByCombat and which, if he wins, should give him command of an army. Subverted when some of the officers of said army accuses him of blatant LoopholeAbuse and try to arrest him. Double-subverted when the Commander is so amused by his cockiness that he lets him proceed as planned.
* In the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series, which is based on a Lost Roman Legion/Pokemon crossover, Citizens have the legal right to a "juris macto" - a duel to the death to settle disputes out of court. It is often threatened but only explicitly happens twice in the series.

* Averted in ''TabletopGame/PokemonTabletopAdventures''. Fights with ''wild'' Pokemon are not League Legal, and neither are most fights on the road. Outside of official fights, not only are battles not usually one-on-one duels, but trainers also get involved in the fighting.

* ''VideoGame/CustomRobo'' - Duels with toy-sized robots are shown right at the beginning to be the perfect way to attempt a robbery. [[SeriousBusiness It gets more ridiculous from there]]. The game goes out of its way to try to justify this, though. It's mentioned a few times that the toy-sized robots use ''real weapons'' with ''live ammunition'', operate in bullet time and can be controlled over decent distances (and in ''Arena'' one police officer NPC actually ''does'' get shot during a fight) -- using them as serious weapons makes sense. Dueling with them being their ''primary'' use (even when there are safeties that vaporize any stray bullets), not so much. Justified in that it seems custom robo battles can't be escaped, someone can force you into it, and the victory is absolute if the safeties are deactivated: the winner is perfectly fine, but the loser gets knocked out cold, or worse (certain illegal robo parts have the capability to outright kill the loser). And the real reason the robos have been set up as everyone's favorite battling game? [[spoiler:To combat a quasi-demonic entity called Rahu that possessed a robo, back before the machines were combat capable. At the time, it took everything humanity had to force Rahu into hibernation. But a society used to battling with robos all the time is effectively the perfect counter should Rahu ever wake up again.]]

** Everything is decided by Pokémon duels. Need to go down a road? Pokemon battle. Need to stop OlympusMons from rampaging? Pokémon battle. Need to thwart villainous plans? Pokémon battle again! The series have been playing around with this trope lately, though.

** [[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/PokemonAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' [[OlderThanTheyThink did it first.]]

This extends beyond just getting the defeated party out of the picture. If the BigBad has been bested, [[NoOntologicalInertia their whole evil operation will fold up on itself and disappear within the day]]. The EvilArmy will not rally. There is no plan B. The superweapon TheHero managed to destroy while StormingTheCastle will have [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup No Plans, No Prototype and No Backup]]. It's as if some cosmic force had decreed that this conflict be settled with CombatByChampion. Whether the stakes are trivial or world-shatteringly huge, Duels Decide Everything.

-->-- ''Anime/YuGiOh Animated Duels'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p77JmFbUtOg&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLB73E894D30AA30D6 Demonic Duels at Midnight.]]"