History Main / Foil

* BlackSheep: The outcast of the family.

* Foil/{{Webcomics}}

* NotSoDifferentRemark

*** First, of course, we have CainAndAbel who respectively represent sin and rebellion vs. righteousness and obedience.

* OlderSidekick

Compare {{Shadowland}}, which applies to settings, and SpiritualAntithesis, which applies to works.

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': While most likely unintentional [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-049 SCP-049]] and [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-590 SCP-590]] could possibly be viewed as foils to each other. Their powers both involve touching someone to cure them, but 049 [[TouchOfDeath kills]] whoever he touches and brings them back as [[DeathOfPersonality mindless]] [[CameBackWrong zombies]] under the belief that he’s curing an unknown pestilence while 590 actually can heal people by touching them [[EmpathicHealer but receives whatever he’s healing]] as a result. 049 is also highly intelligent and initially treated well by the Foundation while 590 [[ManChild has the mind of a toddler]] and is treated extremely harshly by the Foundation.
** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-6001 SCP-6001]] "Avalon" was intentionally written as a foil to [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-5000 SCP-5000]] "Why?". In 5000, the Foundation declares war on humanity for seemingly no reason. They just start killing people en-mass one day with barely any warning. In 6001, they have instead "declared peace". It's a utopian alternate reality where the Foundation and its rivals got together to help people.

** UsefulNotes/MaryTudor is a catholic who wants to undo the policies of her father, got married, and is intolerant towards non-Catholics. By contrast her sister UsefulNotes/ElizabethI never married, wanted to build on her father’s policies with the Church Of England, and was religiously tolerant with non- Protestants and even executed protestant puritans. There’s even a contrast between their portraits with Mary often wearing black and grey, while Elizabeth is often seen in bright colors.

** While not a monarch, ​​ UsefulNotes/OliverCromwell and UsefulNotes/CharlesII contrast each other heavily with Cromwell being a puritan who banned many things seen as fun while Charles being the “merry monarch” who had numerous mistresses.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': While most likely unintentional [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-049 SCP-049]] and [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-590 SCP-590]] could possibly be viewed as foils to each other. Their powers both involve touching someone to cure them, but 049 [[TouchOfDeath kills]] whoever he touches and brings them back as [[DeathOfPersonality mindless]] [[CameBackWrong zombies]] under the belief that he’s curing an unknown pestilence while 590 actually can heal people by touching them [[EmpathicHealer but receives whatever he’s healing]] as a result. 049 is also highly intelligent and initially treated well by the Foundation while 590 [[ManChild has the mind of a toddler]] and is treated extremely harshly by the Foundation.

* FemaleFlatfootAndSnarkyGuy: [[WunzaPlot One's a]] {{By the Book|Cop}} FairCop, and one's a StreetSmart LovableRogue. Together, TheyFightCrime.

* In ''Roleplay/WeAreOurAvatars'', Selim Bradley the Homunculus of Pride from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' and Selim Bradley from the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist 2003 anime version]] are polar opposites; the two have bad chemistry together.

** The [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orks]] and the [[SpaceElves Eldar]] are also this to each other, as the [[ProudScholarRaceGuy wise and cultured]] but [[CantArgueWithElves hugely xenophobic and elitist]] Eldar with their sleek and shiny {{Magitek}} weapons and vehicles contrast sharply with the [[AxCrazy thuggish and universally-violent-to-just-about-everyone]] Orks with their [[ImprovisedWeapon low-tech firearms and wagons cobbled together from scrap]].

* ImpulsiveEgomaniacCautiousCompanion

** Young, worldly, idealistic ex-professor UsefulNotes/BarackObama chose middle-aged Washington insider and lifelong politician UsefulNotes/JoeBiden.[[note]]And then Joe Biden himself picked young, progressive, and female California senator Kamala Harris for his running mate.[[/note]]

%%* CommanderContrarian

%%* WorthyOpponent: When an antagonistic foil shows regards for the character's abilities.

%%* CoolKidAndLoserFriendship

%%* NightAndDayDuo

%%* VitriolicBestBuds: Specifically the variant where one picks on the other and the other doesn't notice.

If you've got a series where a hero from a later installment is the opposite of a hero from earlier on, they've to interact with each other somewhere in the series for them to count as foils. Otherwise, you've got a ContrastingSequelMainCharacter. The same goes for the baddies: unless the contrasting villain from the earlier installment interacts with the villain from the later installment, you're looking at a ContrastingSequelAntagonist.

* TanukiKitsuneContrast: {{Tanuki}} are fat, jolly, and playful. {{Kitsune}} are slender, graceful, and ambitious.

*** JacobAndEsau. The former is a rough and manly hunter who is unfortunately not too bright, and seems incapable of thinking long-term. The latter is a meek MommasBoy who prefers to stay indoors, but is extremely cunning, and was able to cheat his older brother of his birthright and blessing.

* ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'': Jasper and Gretchen are total opposites. Jasper is TheWatson, with no context for anything in Deadland, and Gretchen acts as a guide for other souls. Jasper has to get out of Deadland and reach the Living World before he loses all the memories of his life, whereas Gretchen has already lost her memories and her life and doesn't care about getting them back. Jasper has a cynical outlook on his existence due to how awful his life, whereas Gretchen more optimistic due to how troublefree her ''afterlife'' is.

** Young, worldly, idealistic ex-professor UsefulNotes/BarackObama chose middle-aged Washington insider and lifelong politician UsefulNotes/JoeBiden.
*** And then Joe Biden himself picked young, progressive, and female California senator UsefulNotes/KamalaHarris for his running mate.

** Elderly, politically seasoned Midwesterner Joe Biden chose the middle-aged, up-and-coming Californian Kamala Harris.

* SpiritualAntithesis