History Main / UnbalancedByRivalsKid

** And that's [[ItGotWorse not even getting into how]] [[spoiler: Lucrezia has a copy of her mind hidden away in Agatha's brain [[GrandTheftMe which has taken control on occasion.]]]]

* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' [[PlayedWith Plays With]] this trope: [[NobleBigot Pakku]] becomes quite emotional when he realizes that [[ToBeAMaster Katara]]'s grandmother was his RunawayBride, but ultimately this makes him warm up to Katara and agree to teach her [[MakingASplash Waterbending]]. Also, [[spoiler:he and the grandmother [[DecemberDecemberRomance finally get married]]]]. Also not a normal example, since Pakku presumably never knew the "rival" (Katara and Sokka's grandfather, who was apparently from the Southern Tribe).

* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' [[PlayedWith Plays With]] this trope: [[NobleBigot Pakku]] becomes quite emotional when he realizes that [[ToBeAMaster Katara]]'s grandmother was his RunawayBride, but ultimately this makes him warm up to Katara and agree to teach her [[MakingASplash Waterbending]]. Also, [[spoiler:he and the grandmother [[DecemberDecemberRomance finally get married]]]]. Also not a normal example, since Pakku presumably never knew the "rival" (Katara and Sokka's grandfather).

** When she finally does interact with the children, it's... very awkward, initially. [[spoiler:Then Equalists attack Air Temple Island, the children's mother goes into labor, and Lin is having trouble holding off the Equalists. [[BigDamnHeroes Cue Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo showing up to help]]. They hold themselves very well for a ten, seven, and five-year-old respectively. Lin herself admits that she wouldn't have been able to win had it not been for them.]]

** Kirei Kotomine and his relationship with Kiritsugu Emiya and his adopted son Shirou are non-romantic ([[FoeYay more or less]]) variant. He certainly isn't unbalanced by the appearance of Shirou, nor does he particularly care about Kiritsugu's biological child [[spoiler:Illyasviel von Einzbern]]. On the contrary, he's quite happy to realize that [[spoiler:unlike Kiritsugu, who was his {{Foil}} in every respect, Shirou is an empty person [[NotSoDifferent like himself]]]].

** Kirei Kotomine and his relationship with Kiritsugu Emiya and his adopted son Shirou are non-romantic ([[FoeYay more or less]]) variant. He certainly isn't unbalanced by the appearance of Shirou, nor does he particularly care about Kiritsugu's biological child [[spoiler:Illyasviel von Einzbern]]. On the contrary, he's quite happy to realize that [[spoiler:unlike Kiritsugu, who was his {{Foil}} in every respect, Shirou is an empty person like himself]].

* In ''ZoidsNewCentury'', Dr. Layon and Dr. Toros loved the same woman, who eventually became Dr. Toros' wife, and mother of his son and daughter. Layon now hates Toros and never meets his son, but actually likes the daughter, who reminds him of the presumably dead Mrs. Toros. ''Not in that way.''

** Kirei Kotomine and his relationship with Kiritsugu Emiya and his adopted son Shirou are non-romantic ([[FoeYay more or less]]) variant. He certainly isn't unbalanced by it. On the contrary, he's quite happy to know that [[spoiler:unlike Kiritsugu, who was his {{Foil}} in every respect, Shirou is an empty person like himself]].

* ''WarriorCats'': [[DoggedNiceGuy Ashfur]] was in love with Squirrelflight, who ended up dumping him in favor of Brambleclaw. [[VillainousBreakdown Ashfur had some problems accepting this.]] He even arranged to have Squirrelflight's father killed so she'd feel the same pain he did. The attempt failed though, and Ashfur was never suspected for the attempted murder for a while. He eventually received an apprentice, though, who managed to flare up his issues all over again by being [[spoiler:(supposedly)]] Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw's son, a living reminder of the mate he couldn't have and the future he was denied. They don't get along. While they are never outwardly rude to each other, Ashfur mostly gives Lionpaw the cold shoulder and doesn't try to bond with his apprentice the way all the other mentors do. When Lionpaw demands more intense training, Ashfur takes this request very specifically...by unsheathing his claws and fighting Lionpaw as if it were a real battle. Ashfur is eager to finish Lionpaw's apprentice training quickly so that they won't have to see each other eye-to-eye anymore.

* ''TheCountOfMonteCristo'': Edmond determines to use Mondego's son as a tool of revenge. How this turns out varies among adaptations.

* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra:'' Lin Beifong does not interact with the children of her ex-boyfriend, Tenzin, until episode 10, but before that takes out her resentment on Korra, his live-in student, surrogate family member and the {{reincarnation}} of his father Aang (with whom, by Tenzin's account, she got along quite well). When she finally does interact with the children, it's... very awkward, initially. [[spoiler:Then Equalists attack Air Temple Island, the children's mother goes into labor, and Lin is having trouble holding off the Equalists. Cue Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo showing up to help. They hold themselves very well for a ten, seven, and five-year-old respectively. Lin herself admits that she wouldn't have been able to win had it not been for them.]]

* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra:'' Lin Beifong does not to interact with the children of her ex-boyfriend, Tenzin, until episode 10, but takes out her resentment on Korra, his live-in student, surrogate family member and the {{reincarnation}} of his father Aang, with whom, by Tenzin's account, she got along quite well. When she finally does interact with the children, it's... very awkward, initially. [[spoiler:Then Equalists attack Air Temple Island, the children's mother goes into labor, and Lin is having trouble holding off the Equalists. Cue Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo showing up to help. They hold themselves very well for a ten, seven, and five-year-old respectively. Lin herself admits that she wouldn't have been able to win had it not been for them.]]

* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra:'' Lin Beifong has yet to interact with the children of her ex-boyfriend, Tenzin, but takes out her resentment on Korra, his live-in student, surrogate family member and the {{reincarnation}} of his father Aang, with whom, by Tenzin's account, she got along quite well.

A NarrativeDevice involving a character's past that causes conflict or at least tension.\\
One generation back there was a LoveTriangle. Now the rival who lost the competition meets[[hottip:*:"Meets" is an important component, since usually it's a sudden development for which the character is not prepared.]] -- and has to interact with -- the child of the other two. This causes emotional chaos. The character loses the ability to act calmly (or even adequately) whenever a situation arises related to the kid. The effect is greater when the loser is an otherwise calm, MagnificentBastard or [[IdealHero flawless hero]] proven NotSoStoic and NotSoAboveItAll.

* In ''HayateTheCombatButler'' Mikoto Tachibana probably had this reaction upon meeting Nagi, who greatly resembles her mother, who Mikoto had an unrequited crush on. Though both Nagi's mother and Nagi herself seem to be not interested in the affection shown because they aren't interested in women, and the arranged marriage was said to be set up by the grandfathers, Mikoto probably had no issue with her son being set up with the daughter.

* ''FateZero'' has Kariya Matou, in a sense. He is the Unlucky Childhood Friend to Aoi Tohsaka who [[DoggedNiceGuy keeps hanging around]] even though she has two daughters with Tokiomi. Even so, he also cares about Rin and Sakura. In fact, when he discovers [[TrainingFromHell what Zouken is doing to Sakura]], he agrees to enter the Holy Grail war on the behalf of the family he'd severed ties with ten years earlier just so he can earn Sakura's freedom. Unfortunately, [[ForegoneConclusion he]] [[FateStayNight fails]] and ultimately [[spoiler: the war ends badly for him, Tokiomi, ''and'' Aoi]].

* ''FateZero'' has Kariya Matou. While he is the Unlucky Childhood Friend to Aoi Tohsaka who [[DoggedNiceGuy keeps hanging around]] even though she has two daughters with Tokiomi. Even so, he also cares about Rin and Sakura. In fact, when he discovers [[TrainingFromHell what Zouken is doing to Sakura]], he agrees to enter the Holy Grail war on the behalf of the family he'd severed ties with ten years earlier just so he can earn Sakura's freedom. Unfortunately, [[ForegoneConclusion he]] [[FateStayNight fails]] and ultimately [[spoiler: the war ends badly for him, Tokiomi, ''and'' Aoi]].

* ''FateZero'' has Kariya Matou. While he is the Unlucky Childhood Friend to Aoi Tohsaka who [[DoggedNiceGuy keeps hanging around]] even though she has two daughters with Tokiomi. Even so, he also cares about Rin and Sakura. In fact, when he discovers [[TrainingFromHell what Zouken is doing to Sakura]], he agrees to enter the Holy Grail war on the behalf of the family he'd severed ties with ten years earlier just so he can earn Sakura's freedom. Unfortunately, [[ForegoneConclusion He]] [[FateStayNight fails]] and ultimately [[spoiler: the war ends badly for him, Tokiomi, ''and'' Aoi]].

* ''FateZero'' has Kariya Matou. While he is the Unlucky Childhood Friend to Aoi Tohsaka who [[DoggedNiceGuy keeps hanging around]] even though she has two daughters with Tokiomi. Even so, he also cares about Rin and Sakura. In fact, when he discovers [[TrainingFromHell what Zouken is doing to Sakura]], he agrees to enter the Holy Grail war on the behalf of the family he'd severed ties with ten years earlier just so he can earn Sakura's freedom. [[ForegoneConclusion He]] [[FateStayNight fails]].

** Since it's also been implied that Hayate resembles Nagi's mother (and her father O.o), this could also take place if Mikoto were to meet him at some date in the future.

* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' [[PlayedWith Plays With]] this trope: [[NobleBigot Pakku]] becomes quite emotional when he realizes that [[ToBeAMaster Katara]]'s grandmother was his RunawayBride, but ultimately this makes him warm up to Katara and agree to teach her [[MakingASplash Waterbending]]. Also, [[spoiler:he and the grandmother [[DecemberDecemberRomance finally get married]]]].
** Also not a normal example, since Pakku presumably never knew the "rival" (Katara and Sokka's grandfather).
* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra:'' Lin Bei Fong has yet to interact with the children of her ex-boyfriend, [[spoiler:Tenzin]], but takes out her feelings on his student instead.

* PlayedWith in ''TheLegendOfKorra:'' Lin Bei Fong has yet to interact with the children of her ex-boyfriend, [[spoiler:Tenzin]], but takes out her feelings on his student instead.

* Briefly, in ''TheGreatGatsby'', where Daisy's child serves as a symbol of the reality of her marriage to Tom.

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