History Main / TheNativeRival

-->-- '''Kyioek''', ''WesternAnimation/XMen''

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[[caption-width-right:236:Geez, Kocoum, take a chill pill!]]

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* Kerchak the dominant male gorilla in ''Disney/{{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 ''Disney/{{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.

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

* 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 ''{{Pretties}}'', with a new group and love interest, it's small wonder Shay turns evil.

* Hahn, Princess Yue's fiancé, from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Though Sokka is a Water Tribesman, too, just a different Water Tribe. It is also notable in that while Sokka is the outsider, [[SubversiveTwist he is a rustic tribesman from a backwater village in an urban setting.]]

* Hahn, Princess Yue's fiancé, from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Though Sokka is a Water Tribesman, too, just a different Water Tribe.

* 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.

* 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...

That's where TheNativeRival comes in.

Almost always a NobleSavage (unless he's a Native American JerkJock instead), TheNativeRival 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.

TheNativeRival 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.

* 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 TheNativeRival. When the situation repeats itself in ''{{Pretties}}'', with a new group and love interest, it's small wonder Shay turns evil.

* Atka from ''[[Disney/BrotherBear Brother Bear 2]]'' (since the end of the first film, Kenai is now a bear).

* Kerchak the dominant male gorilla in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}''.

* 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. The fact that Crysta is impressed by him is enough to make Pips mad, though.

* Moyo, a younger male gorilla then Kerchak in the spin-off TV series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan''.

%%* Pips the fairy from ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest''.

* A turkey example in ''WesternAnimation/FreeBirds''. Jake and Ranger are both the Boisterous Bruiser, Dumb Muscle type, and Ranger doesn't appreciate Jake showing up suggesting war to a peaceful flock. They don't see eye-to-eye, at least at first.

!Examples:

!!!MightyWhitey

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* Tsu'tey in ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. This is a rather epic example. Tsu'tey was 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 forgave 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!]]
* Wind-in-his-Hair in ''Film/DancesWithWolves''.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* ''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.
* Broud fills this role in ''Literature/ClanOfTheCaveBear''

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' also did the DancesWithWolves InSpace bit in one episode, complete with a native competitor for the hand of the chief's daughter. Averted because Crichton wanted absolutely nothing to do with the tribe, besides be polite neighbors, and the relationship with the tribal leader's daughter was completely one sided. Played straight because despite all of that, TheNativeRival's Mother was using him to motivate her son to greatness (Through jealous violence).

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Kerchak the dominant male gorilla in Disney/{{Tarzan}}.
** And Moyo, a younger male gorilla in the spin-off TV series ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTarzan''.
* Kocoum in Disney's ''Disney/{{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''.

!!!Other cases

[[AC: ComicBooks]]

* 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.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* Rufio from ''Film/{{Hook}}''.
* Chozen from ''Film/TheKarateKidPartII''.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Vanir, the only elf that doesn't fawn over TheHero, in Literature/InheritanceCycle. Because of this, he's much beloved of the {{Hatedom}}.
* 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 TheNativeRival. When the situation repeats itself in ''{{Pretties}}'', with a new group and love interest, it's small wonder Shay turns evil.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* Fowler to Rocky in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'', even though he's a GrumpyOldMan and the TeamDad.
* Hahn, Princess Yue's fiance, from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
** Though Sokka is a Water Tribesman, too, just a different Water Tribe.
* Atka from ''[[Disney/BrotherBear Brother Bear 2]]'' (since the end of the first film, Kenai is now a bear).

* Salish from [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries "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]].

* Broud fills this role in ''ClanOfTheCaveBear''

** And Moyo, a younger male gorilla in the spin-off TV series ''TheLegendOfTarzan''.

* In an early episode of the 90s WesternAnimation/{{X-Men}} 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...
* Pips the fairy from ''FerngullyTheLastRainforest''.

* In 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.

* Chozen from ''Film/TheKarateKid Part II''.

* Gender-flipped in ''{{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 TheNativeRival. When the situation repeats itself in ''{{Pretties}}'', with a new group and love interest, it's small wonder Shay turns evil.

* That one guy in ''Film/DancesWithWolves''. The first one to meet Kevin Costner. The "I am not afraid of you" guy.
** That would be Wind-in-his-Hair.

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* Carla's brother to Turk in ''{{Scrubs}}''.

* Kocoum in Disney's ''{{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.

* Rayek from ''ElfQuest'', whose eventual FaceHeelTurn is born out of resentment towards Cutter for beating him during a contest, which Cutter won pretty much by accident, as well as the fact that he got together with Leetah, who Rayek desired.

* Rayek from ''ElfQuest'', whose eventual FaceHeelTurn is born out of resentment towards Cutter for beating him during a contest, which Cutter won pretty much by accident.

* That one guy in ''DancesWithWolves''. The first one to meet Kevin Costner. The "I am not afraid of you" guy.
* Ujio from ''TheLastSamurai''.

** A deleted scene (included in the DVD Special Edition) is even more egregrious, in which Tsu'tey, [[spoiler: mortally wounded, ends up passing on leadership of the Omatecaya to Sully!]]

* Fowler to Rocky in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun''.