History Main / OrderVersusChaos

** In the Fourth World of ''ComicBook/NewGods'', Order is represented by the oppressive tyrant, Darkseid, who demands absolute obedience and seeks the Anti-Life Equation, mastery of which will force any mind to submit to the will of he who wields it. He's opposed by the Space Hippies of New Genesis, who believe in peace and free will ("That is the Life Equation!") -- and his own son, who is essentially a personification of pure, primal fury. Amazingly, though Kirby clearly spells this out several times, many writers who followed him Just Didn't Get It, and explicitly flipped around the Order and Chaos attributions of the two factions. This may be because it was most clearly stated in ''The Forever People'', the least well-regarded series in the saga. In the ''ComicBook/New52'', Highfather and Darkseid ''both'' represent order, with the Forever People rejecting both of them in favour of a chaotic [[TakeAThirdOption third option]].

* This is the conflict in physics between the theories of General Relativity, which describes an orderly and predictable universe, but is only applicable to large scales, and Quantum Mechanics, which describes a chaotic, random, near-nonsensical universe, but is only applicable to small scales. Both theories are correct, even though they contradict each other. The purpose of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_field_theory Unified Field Theory]] would be to resolve these conflicts and unite both theories.

* This is the conflict in physics between the theories of General Relativity, which describes an orderly and predictable universe, but is only applicable to large scales, and Quantum Mechanics, which describes a chaotic, random, near-nonsensical universe, but is only applicable to small scales. Both theories are correct, even though they contradict each other. The purpose of a Unified Field Theory would be to resolve these conflicts and unite both theories.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Bart is Chaos while Lisa is Order. In one of the Simpsons comics (Issue 111) the kids even represented them.

*** Fittingly, this means that the Mane Six have actually battled against both Chaotic foes, such as Discord or the magic-eating monster Tirek, and Orderly ones, such as the tyrannical King Sombra and Starlight Glimmer.
** The episode "Feeling Pinkie Keen" has Twilight Sparkle as Order and Pinkie Pie as Chaos. Twilight is the Element of Magic, and firmly believes that everything has an explanation, even magic ([[MagicAIsMagicA since works in ways you direct it in, and creates the expected effect]]). Pinkie is the Element of Laughter, and despite being an earth pony, is seemingly able to bend space and glimpse the future due to the RuleOfFunny.

* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Candace ''thinks'' of herself as representing order but her own behavior is at least as chaotic as the boys'. Played straighter with the regimented OWCA versus the whimsically evil Doofenshmitrz.

** Season three has the Red Lotus, a splinter group of the White Lotus who are essentially [[BombThrowingAnarchists anarcho-primitivists]] that revered Vaatu and wish to destroy all governments and establish a new, more spiritual world. In the words of their leader, "The natural order is disorder". Season 4's main villain is Kuvira's [[TheEmpire Earth Empire]], a force of absolute order.
** Depending on the region, the game Pai Sho, which both Lotus groups draw their names from, is considered either a fast-paced and exciting game, like the Red Lotus, or one about strategy and waiting for the proper time to make a move, like the Earth Empire (and as presented with Asami and Bolin, order beats chaos almost every time).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', Belos and [[spoiler:the Collector]] basically represent the extremes of LawfulEvil and ChaoticEvil villains. Belos is a [[spoiler:genocidal]] fascist dictator, while [[spoiler:the Collector is a deranged maniac who would rip apart the world for a chuckle.]]