History Main / LightningFireJuxtaposition

* This is played for drama in ''LightNovel/HighschoolDXD''. Akeno Himegami is from a Shinto family that uses fire magic, but because she is born from a FallenAngel father who is known for using electricity, she leans more towards lightning instead. Her fallen angel blood ends up causing her to be seen as a disgrace by most of the other Himegami's to the point that her mother is killed for giving birth to her in the first place, forcing Akeno to go on the run and eventually meeting Rias Gremory.
* In ''Anime/BakutenShootBeyblade'', F-Sangre is a team consisting of twins Julia and Raul Fernandez. Julia handles Thunder Pegasus and Raul wields Flame Pegasus.
* In ''Manga/InuYasha'', one MonsterOfTheWeek is a pair of twins with intertwined bodies who are always fighting for the control of the body. One of them uses a sword that sparks lightning, and the other uses a conch that breathes fire. Another MonsterOfTheWeek was the Thunder Brothers, one attacked with fire and the other with lightning.
* In ''Manga/SoulEater'', the students are grouped into teams consisting of three meisters and their [[EquippableAlly weapons]] which tend to form {{Freudian Trio}}s. One minor group consists of [[MrViceGuy Kim Diehl]] & [[FireBreathingWeapon Jacqueline Dupre]] as the id (fire), [[BadassBookworm Ox Ford]] & [[BladeOnAStick Harvar D.]] as the superego (lightning) and [[TokenMinority Kilik]] & [[PowerFist Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder]] as the ego (one of the pots is fire based, the other is lightning based). Kilik is also an example on his own, since using two elements symbolises that he's really good at synchronizing with weapons ([[spoiler: at one point he's able to wield four partners at once, when most meisters can only manage one]]).
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' series, there is a special ability called Mana Conversion Affinity, which allows a mage to spontaneously convert his/her {{mana}} into electric or thermal energy at will (though a single person can only do one of these, with a single known exception).
** In ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'', Fate Testarossa(-[[HappilyAdopted Harlaown]]), who has lightning-type MCA, is repeatedly pitted against Signum, the leader of the season's "[[AntiVillain villains]]" who has fire-type MCA. Although their enmity doesn't last the season itself, their friendly rivalry continues far beyond that.
** In ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', there are Harry Tribeca, who has fire-type MCA, and Victoria Dahlgrün, who has lightning-type MCA. They have a really strong rivalry and are {{Foil}}s to each other, as in case of SlobsVsSnobs, Harry is a {{Delinquent}} leader and pretty much ordinary, and Victoria is TheOjou with ancestral connections. Their rivalry seems to started when they once fought in the DSAA Inter-Middle Championship, with Harry losing to Victoria.
** Ironically, Rio Wesley, one of the main characters from ''[=ViVid=]'', has both fire-type ''and'' lightning-type MCA.
** Nanoha and Fate's clones, [[PlayingWithFire Stern the Destructor]] and [[ShockAndAwe Levi the Slasher]] are not rivals. Like their originals, they are partners and best friends. However, they have very contrasting personalities, since Stern is the Material of Wisdom who possesses [[TheSpock high intelligence]] and has a [[TheStoic stoic personality]], and Levi is the Material of Power who possesses great strength, but lacks skill and she's the DumbMuscle with an [[GenkiGirl energetic personality]].

* Charlotte Linlin from ''Manga/OnePiece'' has two powerful subordinates: Prometheus the miniature sun and Zeus the cloud. When she uses them in combat, Prometheus turns into a raging fireball while Zeus shoots lightning from his body.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Midoriya's quirk, One For All, surrounds his body in an aura that surrounds his body with green electricity. His rival Bakugo's quirk, Explosion, lets him create powerful and fiery explosions.
* In ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'', the two deuteragonists Gama and Zenmaru are specialized in the Ogame School styles based on Lightning (speed) and Fire (power), and their roles become much clearer after the timeskip.
* Luck and Magna from ''Manga/BlackClover'' are best friends and often fight as a duo. Luck uses Lightning Magic to form gauntlets and greaves to fight at great speeds; Magna uses Flame Magic to form a bat out of fire and throw explosive fireballs. Personality-wise, Luck is an eccentric, bloodthirsty fighter while Magna is a short-tempered delinquent.
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', Tanjiro with Hinokami Kagura and Zenitsu with Thunder Breathing, the earnest and brave with the cowardly but courageous, as the series goes both brothers-in-arms actually take inspiration from one another to grow more powerful in their battles against ever more dangerous demons: [[spoiler:Tanjiro applies some basic knowledge of the Thunder Clap and Flash he learned from Zenitsu to finish Upper-Rank 4 Hantegu off, and Zenitsu’s own 7th Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami is actually named after a fire dragon, despite it being a Thunder Breathing technique]].

* In ''Film/{{Lincoln}}'', there is a scene where Lincoln is arguing with his wife on the morality of [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar going to war.]] There is lighting flashing through the dark window on Lincoln's side, while there is fire burning in a fire place next to the wife. Lincoln is arguing going to war to stop slavery and stop an insurrection. Meanwhile, his wife is arguing that the lives of young soldiers and consequently their families are at stake. It seems that the use of lightning and fire shows that both are serious arguments-but both have different connotations. Lincoln's lightning might represent both the "divine" justice needed to be done and Lincoln's strong ideological stance. His wife's stance is depicted as a fire-place, usually a symbol of home, and fire as a symbol of truth, indicating there would be a high cost to pay for the war. It may also represent [[MarsAndVenusGenderContrast male vs. female]]. (And maybe ideal justice vs. pragmatic justice?)
* In ''Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful'', the Wicked Witches sisters are represented by this: The older and calculating Evanora wields lightning powers while the younger and emotional Theodora wields fire powers.

* The BigBad of ''Film/IronMan2'', Ivan Vanko, uses electric-powered whips in battle. ''Film/IronMan3'' has Tony fighting the Extremis soldiers, who use a PsychoSerum to give themselves fire powers.

* In ''Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned'', Laeshana's aesh-fire is used to counter [[spoiler: Gaithim's lightning-trap]].
* In ''Literature/InvisibleWerewolfDraculaMeetsVampireMummyFrankenstein'', Adam (the Frankenstein) is immune to fire, wears a sun disc, [[spoiler: and is partially inhabited by the sun god Horus]]. The lightning comes from [[spoiler: Helen/"Eve," who fights with it, is powered by it, and was reanimated by a thunderbolt (she's Frankenstein's Bride, after all).]]

* Adell, the FieryRedhead hero of ''VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories'' and his UnknownRival, the self-proclaimed Dark Hero Axel. Adell's attacks are fire elemental and some of Axel's attacks include Lightning (and he has [[YellowLightningBlueLightning blond hair and purple]] BigOlEyebrows shaped like lightning bolts)

* [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarves]] in ''Videogame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic V'' generally feel a great affinity towards fire, borne from their connection with the dragon-god Arkath, but there are some exceptions; the rune-mage Svea is regarded as an oddity because she developed a talent for lightning magic while acting as an ambassador to the [[ArabianNightsDays Silver Cities]], and the Thanes can use either fire or lightning to enhance their combat abilities (Flame Thanes can generate shockwaves and burn their enemies, while Thunder Thanes use ChainLightning to attack multiple foes at once).
* In ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', Sol Badguy uses Fuuenken (aka Fireseal) and his foil/rival, Ky Kiske, uses Fuuraiken (aka Thunderseal).

* In ''Videogame/TheKingOfFighters'', before the start of the series, teammates [[PlayingWithFire Kyo Kusanagi]] and [[ShockAndAwe Benimaru Nikaido]] were rivals, but nowadays have become great friends. They're based of a Japanese saying: "Lightning strikes ground and creates fire" (with their friend and third team member, Goro Daimon, as the "ground").

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' Black Waltz No. 3 uses Lightning based magic. In the cutscene battle with him, Vivi combats him with Fire magic.
* In the first ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'' game, Dante's main melee weapons are Alastor, a lightning-enchanted sword, and Ifrit, a set of gauntlets that make his punches do fire damage. Also, two of the major bosses in the game are Phantom, a GiantSpider that bleeds lava and breathes fire, and Griffon, an enormous bird of prey that can manipulate lightning.
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' has the swords wielded by the eldest princes of the game's rivaling kingdoms: Ryoma, high prince of Hoshido, uses the electrifying Raijinto; while Xander, crown prince of Nohr, uses a sword wreathed in black flames named Siegfried.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' has several enemy pairs that juxtapose fire and lightning:
** The Grace and Glory enemies, twin angels with disproportionally giant WolverineClaws. Grace is slow and its claws are wreathed in fire, while Glory is lightning fast and imbued with electricity.
** Gracious and Glorious, which are much ''much'' [[BossInMookClothing tougher versions]] of the previous angels.
** Fairness and Fearless, beast-like angels vaguely looking like oversized dogs. Fairness is the fiery one while Fearless is the electric one.
** Bayonetta herself can obtain Durga, a pair of giant claws similar to the ones wielded by Grace and Glory, that she can use as weapons.

* In the last confrontation with Ghirahim in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', he can use a fiery SwordBeam to contrast Link's energy-based ones. The player then immediately fights Ghirahim's master Demise, who summons a lightning storm so he can form his own SwordBeam from it. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for him, Link can use the same trick, allowing him to stun Demise]].
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' has Rathalos the fire wyvern, and Lagiacrus the thunder leviathan. The two are set up as rivals to one another, with Rathalos being the King of the Skies and Lagiacrus being the Lord of the Seas, and are both weak against the other's element. The intro cutscene for ''Monster Hunter Tri'' showcases a battle between the two.

** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'' has the Edenian demigod brothers [[CainAndAbel Taven and Daegon]]. It is revealed that Rain, the purple-clad ninja who controls lightning, is their half-brother. Rain can also control water making this a crossover with Fire/WaterJuxtaposition.

** ''VideoGame/{{Armageddon}}'' has the Edenian demigod brothers [[CainAndAbel Taven and Daegon]]. It is revealed that Rain, the purple-clad ninja who controls lightning, is their half-brother. Rain can also control water making this a crossover with Fire/WaterJuxtaposition.

This might be because the two forces are similar yet different, Fire and Electricity are both forms and sources of energy. Both are destructive in an uncontrolled state. Both [[LightEmUp give off light]]. Both are symbols of life -- lightning of the giving of life, and fire of the saving of life. Both are symbols of power. Both have been used as symbols of divine anger. Both have been used to represent technological advancements. Lightning is direct but short, fire takes its time. Lightning can set things on fire, and fire used right can generate electricity. Both are part of an [[FireIceLightning elemental trinity]]. People of ancient times used to think that lightning was celestial fire. These reasons are used to underscore the NotSoDifferent aspect.

* This is played for drama in ''LightNovel/HighschoolDxD''. Akeno Himegami is from a Shinto family that uses fire magic, but because she is born from a FallenAngel father who is known for using electricity, she leans more towards lightning instead. Her fallen angel blood ends up causing her to be seen as a disgrace by most of the other Himegami's to the point that her mother is killed for giving birth to her in the first place, forcing Akeno to go on the run and eventually meeting Rias Gremory.

[[folder: Comic Books]]

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' plays up the inevitable friction that Liu Kang and Raiden have across the timelines. [[spoiler:Turns out there's a reason for that, named Kronika.]]

* Wrestling/TheUndertaker and his brother Wrestling/{{Kane}} are associated with fire and lightening respectively. When tag-teaming, they are known as the Brothers of Destruction.

* This is played for drama in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDxD''. Akeno Himegami is from a Shinto family that uses fire magic, but because she is born from a FallenAngel father who is known for using electricity, she leans more towards lightning instead. Her fallen angle blood ends up causing her to be seen as a disgrace by most of the other Himegami's to the point that her mother is killed for giving birth to her in the first place, forcing Akeno to go on the run and eventually meeting Rias Gremory.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', and somewhat in the sequel series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', lightning-bending is a form and result of fire-bending that applied the techniques of its elemental opposite water. Zuko and Azula fit the Foil aspect of this trope best, as Lightning generation requires an absence of emotion and peace of mind, which reflects pretty nicely Azula's cold and calculative nature, whereas Zuko used (at least at first) ''rage'' as a [[EmotionalPowers source of power]] for his [[PlayingWithFire firebending]].

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' has Rathalos the fire wyvern, and Lagiacrus the thunder leviathan. The two are set up as rivals to one another, with Rathalos being the King of the Skies and Lagiacrus being the Lord of the Seas. The intro cutscene for ''Monster Hunter Tri'' showcases a battle between the two.

[[PlayingWithFire Fire]]. An elemental force by nature and longtime rival to [[MakingASplash water]] (and by extension [[AnIcePerson ice]]). However, some writers remove water and [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] has been poised to rival the burning element. Therefore, two partners, rivals, or {{Foil}}s would have one of them become associated with flame, and the other lightning.

* This is played for drama in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDxD''. Akeno Himegami is from a Shinto family that uses fire magic, but because she is born from a FallenAngel father who is known for using electricity, she leans more towards lightning instead. This ends up causing her to be seen as a disgrace by most of the other Himegami's to the point that her mother is killed for giving birth to her in the first place, forcing Akeno to go on the run and eventually meeting Rias Gremory.

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'': aside from [[ExtraOredinary Gajeel]] and [[BlowYouAway Wendy]], [[PsychoElectro Laxus]] is one of the many {{Foil}}s to [[PlayingWithFire Natsu]]. In his case, he acts as a superior, [[TheStoic calm]] ([[NotSoStoic unless he snaps]]) foil to Natsu (not unlike Gajeel, but he's more NotSoDifferent since he's stubborn as iron). In fact, the three share A LOT of characteristics among them (like BloodKnight for all three, LeeroyJenkins tendencies for Natsu and Gajeel). Gajeel is often stuck as inferior to both, since Iron [[FridgeLogic conducts both electricity and heat]]...

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Midoriya's quirk, One For All, surrounds his body in an aura that surrounds his body with green electricity. His rival Bakugou's quirk, Explosion, lets him create powerful and fiery explosions.

* Luck and Magna from ''Manga/BlackClover'' are best friends and often fight as a duo. Luck uses Lightning Magic to form gauntlets and grieves to fight at great speeds; Magna uses Flame Magic to form a bat out of fire and throw explosive fireballs. Personality-wise, Luck is an eccentric, bloodthirsty fighter while Magna is a short-tempered delinquent.

* Fire and thunder are very prominent visual themes in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''. The protagonist of that game, Raiden is named for one of Japan's gods of thunder [[spoiler: and the fight against [[FinalBoss Armstrong takes place near the burning ruins of one of the Metal Gears]]]].

* On ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'''s last season, The Halliwells fight with Billie and Christy, using lightning based powers against their fire based powers.

* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'' has the contrast between the Radiant [[ThePowerOfLove Court of Swords]] (whose elemental affinity is for fire) and the Twilight [[ThePowerOfHatred Court of Storms]] (whose elemental associations include lightning).

* In ''{{Anime/Beyblade}}'', F-Sangre is a team consisting of twins Julia and Raul Fernandez. Julia handles Thunder Pegasus and Raul wields Flame Pegasus.