History Main / TheNativeRival

Almost always a NobleSavage (unless he's a Native American JerkJock instead), the Native Rival has been born and raised in the ways of his people and is frequently their greatest warrior--until the arrival of the MightyWhitey. Expect him to be frustrated that his HardWorkHardlyWorks, and [[TheResenter outright hostile]] to the MightyWhitey. Part of his hostility is likely rooted in a [[LoveTriangle romantic rivalry]] over TheChiefsDaughter, who at best he'll be the HopelessSuitor or UnluckyChildhoodFriend to and at worst be her DisposableFiance, often via an ArrangedMarriage. Alternatively, he may be the [[NubileSavage love interest]]'s [[MySisterIsOffLimits older brother]] or some other relation.

The Native Rival is generally the last to accept the white man, if he ever does so. If not, he'll either attempt [[MurderTheHypotenuse to kill]] or [[TurnCoat betray]] the whitey, or else [[ThePlotReaper he will be killed himself]]. When he does accept the white man, this decision makes every remaining dissenter accept him as well.

Though it matches best with the MightyWhitey trope, this is also found when the protagonist is not a white man, but is still an "outsider".

* Fowler to Rocky in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'', even though he's a GrumpyOldMan and the TeamDad.

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* In ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'', Rayek of the Sunfolk, a group of brown-skinned elves with an Egyptian motif, challenges Cutter, a Wolfrider, part of a group of paler-skinned elves, and an outsider, over the love of Leetah, a Sunfolk woman using an ancient ritual. Their relationship is a giant CockFight.

* Kerchak the dominant male gorilla in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}''. Unusually for this trope, Kerchak is Tarzan's foster father who shuns him, not because Tarzan is a Mightey Whitey, but out of grief for losing his own birth son. Kerchak actually warms up to Tarzan fairly early in the movie but only truly accepts him on his death bed as is the standard.
* Kocoum in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'', mainly because he's annoyed at John Smith for getting romantically involved with his intended bride (the title character, who is also TheChiefsDaughter). He ends up getting killed by Thomas (John Smith's friend) while trying to murder Smith.
* Pips the fairy from ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'', though it's a milder example because Zach isn't instantly loved and isn't so much a MightyWhitey as he is a hapless lumberjack accidentally shrunk down by Crysta's magic, who is treated as more of an oddity than as a savior. Though the fact that Crysta is impressed by him is enough to make Pips mad.

* Tsu'tey in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', in a rather epic example. Tsu'tey is a jerk ''at first'', but everything after that is ''entirely the hero's fault''. The love interest was betrothed to the rival, after all. But, this being a MightyWhitey film, [[spoiler:Tsu'tey winds up dying serving the hero in the war with the [=RDA=], after he basically forgives the hero for stealing his betrothed.]] A deleted scene (included in the DVD Special Edition) is even more egregious, in which Tsu'tey, [[spoiler: mortally wounded, ends up passing on leadership of the Omatecaya to Sully!]]

%%* Ujio from ''Film/TheLastSamurai''.

%%* Broud fills this role in ''Literature/ClanOfTheCaveBear''.

* Gender-flipped in ''Literature/{{Uglies}}'', with newcomer [[TheMole Tally Youngblood]] as the MightyWhitey, David, [[TheChiefsDaughter The Leader's Son]] as the love interest, and Shay, Tally's old friend who had joined the Smokies earlier, as the Native Rival. When the situation repeats itself in ''Literature/{{Pretties}}'', with a new group and love interest, it's small wonder Shay turns evil.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': Salish from "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E3TheParadiseSyndrome The Paradise Syndrome]]" to Kirk as the [[GodGuise god sent to save them from the coming apocalypse]]. They both go for [[TheChiefsDaughter Miramanee]]; Kirk wins [[spoiler:only to lose her after she saves him from the stones of a mob led by Salish]]. And Salish gets away with it completely, [[spoiler: minus Miramanee]].

* Moyo, a younger male gorilla than Kerchak in the spin-off TV series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan''. Unlike the typical trope, Moyo is the rival to Tarzan not because Tarzan is the Mightey Whitey but because Tarzan is the leader of their band whose human life distracts him from his duties as leader. He does have the typical bravado down though.
* In an early episode of ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', Wolverine gets thrown into the Arctic sea by Sabretooth, and is rescued by an isolated Inuit tribe. He quickly becomes a favorite of the tribe, being able to hunt and catch fish better than anyone else (albeit this is partially due to previous experience). The tribe's previous favorite son is naturally put out by this. And then he runs into Sabretooth...

[[folder: Real Life]]

* Atka from ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear2'' (since the end of the first film, Kenai is now a bear).

* Jamis in ''Film/Dune2021''.

Almost always a NobleSavage (unless he's a Native American JerkJock instead), the Native Rival has been born and raised in the ways of his people and is frequently their greatest warrior--until the arrival of the MightyWhitey. Expect him to be frustrated that his HardWorkHardlyWorks, and [[TheResenter outright hostile]] to the MightyWhitey. Part of his hostility is likely rooted in a [[TriangRelations romantic rivalry]] over TheChiefsDaughter, who at best he'll be the HopelessSuitor or UnluckyChildhoodFriend to and at worst be her DisposableFiance, often via an ArrangedMarriage. Alternatively, he may be the [[NubileSavage love interest]]'s [[MySisterIsOffLimits older brother]] or some other relation.

->''"I was the one they cheered before Wolverine. Now he’s their hero -- a stranger!"''

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' does the ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' InSpace bit in one episode, complete with a native competitor for the hand of the chief's daughter. Averted because Crichton wants absolutely nothing to do with the tribe, besides be polite neighbors, and the relationship with the tribal leader's daughter is completely one-sided. Played straight because despite all of that, the Native Rival's Mother is using him to motivate her son to greatness (through jealous violence).

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': Salish from "The Paradise Syndrome" to Kirk as the [[GodGuise god sent to save them from the coming apocalypse]]. They both go for [[TheChiefsDaughter Miramanee]], Kirk wins [[spoiler:only to lose her after she saves him from the stones of a mob led by Salish]]. And Salish gets away with it completely, [[spoiler: minus Miramanee]].

* ''Ghost Dance'' -- a novel by the author of the Literature/{{Gor}} books about the Battle of Wounded Knee -- has a native who isn't impressed by the protagonist.

* In an early episode of the '90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon, Wolverine gets thrown into the Arctic sea by Sabretooth, and is rescued by an isolated Inuit tribe. He quickly becomes a favorite of the tribe, being able to hunt and catch fish better than anyone else (albeit this is partially due to previous experience). The tribe's previous favorite son is naturally put out by this. And then he runs into Sabretooth...

* Tsu'tey in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', in a rather epic example. Tsu'tey is a jerk ''at first'', but everything after that is ''entirely the hero's fault''. The love interest was betrothed to the rival, after all. But, this being a MightyWhitey film, [[spoiler:Tsu'tey winds up dying serving the hero in the war ''the hero'' [[NiceJobBreakingItHero brought upon them all]], after he basically forgives the hero for stealing his betrothed.]] A deleted scene (included in the DVD Special Edition) is even more egregious, in which Tsu'tey, [[spoiler: mortally wounded, ends up passing on leadership of the Omatecaya to Sully!]]

->''"I was the one they cheered before Wolverine. Now he’s their hero—a stranger!"''
-->-- '''Kyioek''', ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', "[[Recap/XMenS1E6ColdVengeance Cold Vengeance]]"