History ShipToShipCombat / Literature

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. Since the release of ''Twilight'' in 2005, shippers have argued vehemently, and [[DieForOurShip even resorted to physical violence, flame wars, and hate fics]], over whether Bella should end up with Edward or Jacob. On the other hand, Edward/Jacob shippers argued that Edward and Jacob were ''really'' in love with each other.
** With the release of ''Breaking Dawn'' and [[spoiler:Bella choosing Edward and marrying him, and Jacob imprinting on Bella and Edward's half-human, half-vampire hybrid daughter, Renesmee, despite author Stephenie Meyer's writing suggesting a possible romance developing between Jacob and Leah]], shipping wars continue, albeit over Jacob/Leah [[PortmanteauCoupleName (or "Blackwater")]] and [[spoiler: Jacob/Renesmee]]. Meyer herself has rebuffed any indication in her writing of Jacob/Leah suggestions, saying Leah has "absolutely no romantic interest in Jacob". Despite this, Meyer's stated interest in writing a possible sequel series to the ''Twilight'' Saga, featuring [[spoiler:Renesmee]]'s or Leah's POV, and likely featuring Jacob heavily, has served to ignite further flame wars between Blackwater and [[spoiler: Jacob/Renesmee]] shippers.

* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': Team Peeta vs. Team Gale. Even with the release of ''Mockingjay'', and [[spoiler: Katniss ultimately choosing Peeta, marrying him, and having kids with him]], the epic war over whether Peeta or Gale is better for, or "deserves", Katniss more has reached staggering proportions.
** The movies do their best to cash in on this by making [[spoiler:Katniss and Gale]] seem much more romantic, adding kisses not in the books, and downplaying [[spoiler:Katniss and Peeta]] significantly, presumably to make the rather weak triangle from the book more viable (it's made clear fairly early in the books who Katniss will end up with). Surprisingly this has only seemed to have the effect of killing the ship to ship combat and mostly have fans complain that the endgame couple isn't given enough spotlight. By the time the third movie came out the shipping war had more or less died out and while both couples have their fans there seems to be little to no fighting between the two "teams".

* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses'': Between Lucien/Elain and Azriel/Elain shippers, with Azriel/Gywn shippers entering the fray too following the publication of ''A Court of Silver Flames''. Lucien/Elain shippers want to them to be together because they're mates and they believe both characters deserve happiness and a second chance at love (Lucien's fiancee was murdered in front of him, Elain's fiance rejected her after she became Fae). Azriel/Elain shippers think they have more chemistry (Elain has repeatedly given Lucien the cold shoulder, with some fans even thinking ''Lucien'' deserves better) and point out that being mates doesn't guarantee a couple's happiness. Others think that Azriel acts overly possessive and entitled towards Elain, and think it's weird or cheesy for the three Illyrian 'brothers' to be paired with the three Archeron sisters. Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel aren't biologically related but consider each other BloodBrothers. Others don't want Elain paired with either man due to disliking her or thinking both pairings are ill-suited. Amongst some shippers, the debates have reached a point of dissolving into arguments and insults, with there even being reports of death threats and people getting kicked out of online groups for supporting the 'wrong' ship.

** Shippers sometimes come into conflict shipping Sansa with a variety of different characters: [[BodyguardCrush Sansa x Sandor (Sansan)]], [[WifeHusbandry Sansa x Petyr]], [[BureaucraticallyArrangedMarriage Sansa x Harry]],[[ShipsThatPassInTheNight Sansa x Willas]], and [[IncestYay Jon x Sansa (Jonsa)]].

** During the Bantam era it seemed as if every other author was trying to pair Luke up with their original character: first there was ShipTease with Gaeriel Captison in ''Literature/TheTruceAtBakura'', then Luke fell in love with old order Jedi Callista Ming in ''Literature/TheCallistaTrilogy'', then had an implied dalliance with his traveling companion Akanah in ''Literature/BlackFleetCrisis''. Creator/TimothyZahn had the last laugh, {{retcon}}ning Mara's implied courtship of Lando to a ''spying mission'' and marrying him to Mara Jade in ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'', [[spoiler:but then ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'' [[StuffedIntoTheFridge stuffed her into the fridge]]. Many angry Luke/Mara fans viewed as ShipSinking by vengeful writers (though it probably wasn't, or at least had more to it than that)]].

* Perhaps the oddest fandom to have this going on is ''Literature/LesMiserables'' of all things, vis, Marius/Eponine vs. Marius/Cosette. The stupidest arguments from each side are that Marius/Cosette reeks of boringness and that Marius/Eponine shippers are so socially locked out that they feel better looking up to a street urchin. Try not to trip on the [[PossessionSue Eppie Sues]] and avoid any variations on the phrases "FirstGirlWins" or "StalkerWithACrush" if you want to keep all your limbs.

** In the previous generation, we have Robert/Lyanna versus Rhaegar/Lyanna, (with people actually having fought over this in universe, too). A weirder one is Rhaegar/Lyanna versus Arthur/Elia: the ships don’t actually conflict with each other, but Arthur/Elia fans don’t like Rhaegar and often show him as a cheating asshole that Elia needs Arthur to save her from.(Unless she needs to [[GoodAdulteryBadAdultery hook up with Arthur in retaliation.]])

** A positively vicious example broke out recently between the fans of [[HoYay Enjolras/Grantaire]] and the small faction of [[CrackPairing Enjolras/Eponine]] shippers. Some of the former have gone so far as to accuse the latter of erasing canon sexualities, despite the fact that Enjolras could be also interpreted as {{Asexual}} or a highly repressive CelibateHero. The {{Irony}} kicks in when many of these crusaders completely dismiss the possibility of an asexual character, and thereby practice a form of the erasure that they are trying to combat.

** Of course, the Saga's multitude of minor characters also has ignited smaller shipping wars, including Edward/Bella vs. Jasper/Bella vs. Alice/Bella vs. Alice/Jacob vs. Jacob/Rosalie vs...well, you get the picture. Even anti-''Twilight'' forums like [[http://tsdcv3.proboards.com/index.cgi Twilight Sucks]] [[HateDumb debate over which ''Twilight'' couple is the "best" and "worst".]]

** Snape/Lily and James/Lily is just as bad these days. Some people turn James into [[RonTheDeathEater a jerkass who raped Lily and forced her into marriage and prevented her from seeing her beloved Severus]], while completely [[DracoInLeatherPants ignoring/whitewashing/GLAMORIZING Severus's massive flaws]] ''[[DracoInLeatherPants that he himself acknowledges]]''.

** Timothy Zahn may have initially written Mara Jade as a LoveInterest for Luke Skywalker; at any rate, his ending of Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy certain set the foundation for a relationship. Other writers had other ideas (including one who wanted Luke to be with Callista Ming instead), and Mara ended up not-quite paired with Lando Calrissian. On Zahn's return, he {{retcon}}ned Mara's implied courtship of Lando to a ''spying mission'', and to further hammer the point home had Luke propose to her, which she naturally accepted. And then she was killed off some time later, which many angry Luke/Mara fans viewed as ShipSinking by vengeful writers (though it probably wasn't, or at least had more to it than that).
** In the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' cycle, which of [[ActionGirl Jaina Solo's]] suitors she prefers (if any) is strongly dependent on who's writing this month's novel. Even after that, Troy Denning broke up her and the "winner" in his trilogy of very silly novels taking place immediately afterward, reportedly because he doesn't like the couple. Hilariously, though, ''Dark Horse Comics'' seems to have gotten in the last word by setting up an Empire run by a dynasty with the New Jedi Order winner's last name... and Force-sensitivity.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' had a few rounds of [[ArmedWithCanon in-canon]] shipping wars.
** During the Bantam era it seemed as if every other author was trying to pair Luke up with their original character: first there was ShipTease with Gaeriel Captison in ''Literature/TheTruceAtBakura'', then Luke fell in love with old order Jedi Callista Ming in ''Literature/TheCallistaTrilogy'', then had an implied dalliance with his traveling companion Akanah in ''Literature/BlackFleetCrisis''. Creator/TimothyZahn had the last laugh, marrying him to Mara Jade in ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'', [[spoiler:but then ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'' [[StuffedIntoTheFridge stuffed her into the fridge]]]].
** The ''Literature/XWingSeries'' and ''Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy'' had two shipping wars, one of which also intersected with ''Hand of Thrawn''. ''X-Wing: The Krytos Trap'' established Wedge Antilles as being attracted to Corran Horn's old SpacePolice partner Iella Wessiri, now an operative for New Republic Intelligence, but their relationship was derailed by the discovery that her husband was still alive [[spoiler:and then was killed by Iella in self-defense when he turned out to be a ManchurianAgent]]. Creator/KevinJAnderson's ''Jedi Academy Trilogy'' paired Wedge with Qwi Xux, a beautiful but incredibly clueless engineer who helped design Imperial superweapons, and additionally shipped Mara Jade with Lando. Creator/AaronAllston's ''Starfighters of Adumar'' broke them up and put Wedge back with Iella, while Creator/MichaelAStackpole's FixFic for the JAT, ''I, Jedi'', established that Mara and Lando were just UndercoverAsLovers (in preparation for her and Luke getting together in ''Hand of Thrawn'', which came out shortly after).
** Between Creator/TroyDenning (mainly) and Creator/DarkHorseComics over Han and Leia's daughter Jaina. Denning seemed to want to pair her up with her old friend Zekk from ''Literature/YoungJediKnights'', a fellow member of Luke's restored Jedi Order, whereas Dark Horse preferred the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' character Jagged Fel, a human fighter pilot serving in the Chiss military and son of an Imperial AcePilot from ''ComicBook/XWingRogueSquadron''. Dark Horse resolved it with the implication in ''ComicBook/StarWarsLegacy'' that Jaina and Jag had founded an Imperial dynasty together, and a subsequent novel from Del Rey stated the two had married.

** A positively vicious example broke out recently between the fans of [[HoYay Enjolras/Grantaire]] and the small faction of [[CrackPairing Enjolras/Eponine]] shippers. Some of the former have gone so far as to accuse the latter of erasing canon sexualities, despite the fact that Enjolras could be also interpreted as {{Asexual}} or a highly repressive CelibateHero. The {{Irony}} kicks in when many of these crusaders completely dismiss the possibility of an asexual character, and [[FanDumb thereby practice a form of the erasure that they are trying to combat.]]