History Main / SparingTheAces

** In the film ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'', Lord Beerus turns this on Goku. Though Goku failed to defeat him, he spares him because he put up a good fight, and spares Earth itself for producing such a fine warrior.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'', instead of killing Frieza after he exhausted his golden form, Goku tells Frieza to leave and come back to challenged him again once he had mastered his new form, since he was so impressed that Frieza managed to become so powerful in such a short amount of time. [[spoiler: [[{{Subverted}} Unlike Vegeta]], this comes back to royally bite Goku in the ass. He's shot in the heart by a sneak attack by one of Frieza's minions and the Earth is destroyed after Frieza loses to Vegeta. Goku laments that he should have killed Frieza instead of offering him mercy again]].

* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'': The Man in Black declines to kill his WorthyOpponent [[MyNameIsInigoMontoya Inigo Montoya]] because Inigo is an extremely gifted swordsman who has made swordfighting his life's study in order to be able to one day avenge the man who [[YouKilledMyFather killed his father]]. Not only that, but Inigo had plenty of chances to easily kill the Man in Black, but chose not to, out of a sense of honor.

* In ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy'', Prince Nuada pulls this gambit to try to turn Hellboy over to his side. It rings just a little bit false, because Nuada himself unleashed the creature in question as a weapon.
-->'''Nuada:''' What are you waiting for? This is what you want, isn't it? Look at it. The last of its kind. Like you and I. If you destroy it, the world will never see its kind again...

'''Doriana''': ''[puts blaster down]'' Don't be absurd, Vicelord. [[Film/ThePrincessBride I would sooner shatter a thousand-year-old crystal as kill a being such as this]].\\
'''Thrawn''': [[BatmanGambit So I was indeed right about you]].

Alice is a once-in-multiple-lifetimes genius at something. What it is doesn't matter - a brilliant general, a mathematician, a painter. Bob has a very good reason to want to kill her and is in a position where he can easily do so. He decides against it despite the fact that he could safely get away with it.

* Happens in ''Manga/DragonBall'' at the climax of the Saiyan Saga: After pushing Goku to use Kaio-ken x3, blasted into the stratosphere by by Kaio-ken x4-charged [[KamehameHadoken Kamehameha]], having his tail chopped off, hit with the [[CombinedEnergyAttack Spirit Bomb]], having his back cut and crushed by a Giant Ape Gohan falling on him; Vegeta still had enough strength to crawl back to his space pod. While briefly impressed [[MadeOfIron with his sheer resilience]], Krillin decides to kill him with Yajirobe's sword to finally end the Saiyan threat. But Goku calls out to Krillin to ask for Vegeta's life to be spared, since he admired his incredible strength, and thought it'd be a waste to deprive the universe of such a strong warrior, and while not convinced he'd [[HeelFaceTurn turn like Piccolo]][[note]]Though he eventually did[[/note]], he wished to have the opportunity fight him once again, Krillin accepts Goku's request.

** Later, in the film ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'', AntiVillain Lord Beerus turns this on Goku himself. Though Goku failed to defeat him, he spares him because he put up a good fight, and spared Earth itself for producing such a fine warrior.

* {{Marvel}} at one point introduced a character known as "The Champion of the Universe", who fought and defeated nearly every warrior on Earth, threatening to destroy the planet if it couldn't produce a WorthyOpponent. However, he was ultimately so impressed with the determination of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour The Thing]] that he sparred the planet out of respect.

-->'''Joseph:''' I was just thinking about how you're going to have to live the rest of ''long'' life always thinking about that how you were injured by a human. The only way to get over that... well, would be to fight a properly trained me, is what I was thinking.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', the titular samurai is at one point faced against the [[OutsideContextVillain Outside Context]] AntiVillain The Guardian. In spite putting up a fight, The Guardian defeats Jack and very nearly kills him, but spares him when he realizes it will one day be Jack's destiny to defeat him.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has Charlie, [[spoiler: who is spared from being copied by a Leviathan because Rick claims that she has a spark that cannot be perfectly mimicked.]]

* {{Supernatural}} has Charlie, [[spoiler: who is spared from being copied by a Leviathan because Rick claims that she has a spark that cannot be perfectly mimicked.]]

* ''Series.Supernatural'' has Charlie, [[spoiler: who is spared from being copied by a Leviathan because Rick claims that she has a spark that cannot be perfectly mimicked.]]

* ''Series/Supernatural'' has Charlie, [[spoiler: who is spared from being copied by a Leviathan because Rick claims that she has a spark that cannot be perfectly mimicked.]]

* "Series/Supernatural" has Charlie, [[spoiler: who is spared from being copied by a Leviathan because Rick claims that she has a spark that cannot be perfectly mimicked.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', the titular samurai is at one point faced against the OutsideContextObstacle The Guardian. In spite putting up a fight, The Guardian defeats Jack and very nearly kills him, but spares him when he realizes it will one day be Jack's destiny to defeat him.
* One ''Dial M for Monkey'' segment of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLab'' homaged the above mentioned ''Marvel'' comics example. An alien called "Wrasslor" (voiced by Macho Man Wrestling/RandySavage no less) challenged Earth's heroes to battle for the fate of Earth, only sparring it when he was impressed by Monkey's refusal to stand down to him.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* The Colombian ecovillage of [[http://www.friendsofgaviotas.org/ Gaviotas]] woke up one morning to find that they'd been occupied by the [[UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}} FARC]]. The heavily armed guerrillas lined all the villagers up and demanded that they declare their allegiance. One of the villagers stepped forward and said that they had no allegiance save peace, and would take no sides in any armed conflict. "What," she asked, "will you do us now?" "Nothing" came the reply. "We have orders to hurt no one here. What you're doing is too important."

-->'''The Man In Black''': I would sooner destroy a stained glass window as an artist like yourself. However, since I can't have you following me either... ''(TapOnTheHead)''

-->-- ''OutboundFlight''

* Played with in the 'ant' arc of ''HunterXHunter''. First, all the humans in the country the King has taken over are to be tested to destruction in such a way that the most potentially powerful can be converted into the superpowered mindslave footsoldiers of his world conquest. Then to keep him busy for a few months while they get this plan into operation, his bodyguards start bringing the most accomplished strategy gamers they can find; once he beats the national chess champion, the man is killed and eaten, et cetera. ''Then'' he can't best this blind girl with a runny nose, Komugi, and starts to get obsessed with doing so. That's all stage one.

* In ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Hannibal Lecter spares agent Starling for precisely this reason.

* Jeane-Claude of the ''AnitaBlake'' series says he doesn't turn people often because he doesn't like the idea of taking a great artist or mind--and though vampires don't ''[[KilledOffForReal die]]'', he says they get a good dose of CreativeSterility.
* ''{{Outbound Flight}}'':

* In MemorySorrowAndThorn, this is part of the reason why Prester John spares Camaris. Camaris was widely considered to be the greatest knight who ever lived, with John being the only one who had a chance of holding his own against him in battle.

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip Operation Paperclip]] was a secret mission by OSS (CIA's predecessor) to extract German rocket scientists and medical doctors after WorldWarII to the US, regardless of their past affiliations with the Nazi party and even war crimes.

** Frieza, despite being a paranoid racist, did this to fighters he found especially strong and talented. It was the primary reason why he spared Vegeta when he destroyed the Saiyan's home planet. He also offered Goku to come into his service, saying that it would be a waste to destroy such talent and was quite upset when he got turned down.

** Frieza, despite being a paranoid racist, did this to fighters he found especially strong and talented. It was the primary reason why he spared Vegeta when he destroyed the Saiyan's home planet. He also offered Goku to come into his service, saying that it would be a waste to destroy such talent and it was quite upset when he got turned down.

* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'': The Man in Black declines to kill his WorthyOpponent [[MyNameIsInigoMontoya Inigo Montoya]] because the latter is an extremely gifted swordsman who has made swordfighting his life's study in order to be able to one day avenge the man who [[YouKilledMyFather killed his father]].

* In ''HellboyIITheGoldenArmy'', Prince Nuada pulls this gambit to try to turn Hellboy over to his side. It rings just a little bit false, because Nuada himself unleashed the creature in question as a weapon.

* The Colombian ecovillage of [[http://www.friendsofgaviotas.org/ Gaviotas]] woke up one morning to find that they'd been occupied by the [[UsefulNotes/Colombia FARC]]. The heavily armed guerrillas lined all the villagers up and demanded that they declare their allegiance. One of the villagers stepped forward and said that they had no allegiance save peace, and would take no sides in any armed conflict. "What," she asked, "will you do us now?" "Nothing" came the reply. "We have orders to hurt no one here. What you're doing is too important."

[[folder: Video Games]]

* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] but averted in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. After Shepard's squad kills a unique, 10,000-year-old creature known as the Thorian, an asari named Shiala briefly expresses some regret that this was necessary, and so does the Council. Why? Because the Thorian was the only one of its kind, and it was such a shame that the universe will never see its kind again.

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** Played with in "Asylum of the Daleks." The Daleks have an entire planet for Daleks they deem too insane or out-of-control to be of any use. When asked why they don't destroy these mad Daleks, as they tend to do to anything they feel has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefuless outlived its usefulness]]: