History XanatosGambit / VideoGames

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' backstory, Ulfric Stormcloak pulls one of these on the then current High King of Skyrim. He challenges him to a duel, using a rarely used nordic tradition. If declined, the High King would be shamed and would quickly lose power and influence, allowing Ulfric to step in. The High King accepted the duel. Ulfric then used his power to disarm people with his voice in order to ensure victory. Ulfric did not get the throne since many people viewed using the voice in a duel dishonorable, but he did gain a considerable following for his rebellion.
** The Skyrim civil war is also one for the Thalmor. The ideal result for them is for the civil war to be dragged out as long as possible, exhausting both sides. While a quick and decisive victory for one side isn't quite as useful, a victory for the Stormcloak rebels results in the empire being further destabilized, and a victory for the Legion leaves the Thalmor with pawns throughout Skyrim who can continue to advance their agenda.

* TheChessmaster who pulls off a series of Xanatos gambits in ''{{Tsukihime}}'' is [[spoiler:Kohaku]]. First she encourages SHIKI to fight Makihisa-- if SHIKI wins, Makihisa is dead, Akiha will become the head of the Tohno family and Shiki will come back to the mansion; if he loses, SHIKI dies and will no longer [[spoiler:abuse her to use her synchronizer power]]. Then she begins to make Shiki think he's a killer through drugs. He will start walking the streets, and either kill SHIKI, or be killed by SHIKI, which will drive Akiha to murder SHIKI since then she will have more power because she doesn't have to keep him alive anymore. If neither of those happen, then there will likely be a showdown between Akiha and SHIKI. SHIKI will try to target Kohaku first to [[spoiler:stop her from synchronizing with Akiha]], so either Akiha will sacrifice herself to save her, or SHIKI will kill her, [[spoiler:which will let her give Hisui's true persona back to her]]. If Akiha dies, Shiki will finish off SHIKI, and then her revenge will be complete. [[spoiler:And she can kill herself to let Shiki live with Hisui.]] The only problem is when someone else becomes a SpannerInTheWorks.

* Ludveck from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]'' has one of these: a classic 'anticipating one's own failure' type. [[spoiler:tries to kill queen Elincia to usurp her power, and willingly goes to prison when he fails. This imprisonment is a signal for his men to pretend to flee the country in a panic, Elincia not being the type to kill a fleeing enemy, and abduct Elincia's childhood friend, Lucia, and hold her ransom for Ludveck's freedom and taking over the throne. Either outcome of the assassination, he wins. As sound as this plan appears, it was foiled by a simple "no" in response to the ransom. Lucia even got to live, because Bastian [[OutGambitted planned ahead]].]]

* Izebel pulls a simple one in ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'' when she intercepts the party on the high seas. She has the [[KrakenAndLeviathan Kraken]] attack the rear of the ship. She and her soldiers then board from the front. If TheParty did not realized this trap and moved to the rear to deal with the Krakken, they get attacked from the rear and defeated. If they realized this trap and did not move, the entire party would need to be at the ship's front to deal with her superior forces, leaving the Krakken free to sink the ship.

* Izebel pulls a simple one in ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'' when she intercepts TheParty on the high seas. She has the [[KrakenAndLeviathan Kraken]] attack the rear of the ship. She and her soldiers then board from the front. If TheParty did not realized this trap and moved to the rear to deal with the Krakken, they get attacked from the rear and defeated. If they realized this trap and did not move, the entire party would need to be at the ship's front to deal with her superior forces, leaving the Krakken free to sink the ship.

* In ''VideoGame/YuGiOhForbiddenMemories'', Priest Seto enacts one that spans the whole game. He serves Heishin faithfully at first, seizing control of the palace and Egypt as a whole. When the prince returns from the future, however, he goes behind Heishin's back and gives hints about how to overthrow him. His plan is to gain the Millennium Items that Heishin's Mages guard, use the Items to renew a pact with DarkNite, and rule the world—which he only tells you after you collect the Items, defeat Heishin and do his work for him. If the prince failed in his quest, Seto would defeat Heishin and take over himself. If he succeeded in defeating Heishin, he'd take the Items from the prince instead. The only thing Seto ''didn't'' count on was losing his duel with the prince and Heishin having seen his treachery coming and staging his defeat.

* In the [[DownerEnding Conquest Ending]] of ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaMk2'' and its remake ''Re;Birth2'', the Deity of Sin Arfoire (Hanzashin/Crime God Magiquone in the original), invokes this trope during the final battle. When seeing that Nepgear is holding the cursed sword Gehaburn in her hands, Arfoire has two options. She would either kill Nepgear, [[spoiler:who is now the last CPU]], and destroy the world like she always has intended to do, or she can die by the hands of Nepgear with the sword that is bathed in blood of [[spoiler:all other [=CPUs=] and the CPU Candidates]], knowing that there are [[spoiler:no nations besides Planeptune to exist and that one entity will rule over a peaceful world without strive, without conflict, without competition. This would lead to no advancement and no evolution. The people will become complacent and live their lives in peace, while the world will stagnate and rot]]. Because of this vision she has, Arfoire has no need to destroy the world, since all lives taken by Gehaburn's blade has caused the world to spiral into oblivion and chaos already. In the end, after Nepgear kills Arfoire with Gehaburn, [[spoiler:she is the sole CPU of Gamindustrie, all of her human friends have left her, three of the four Oracles disgust her from the bottom of their heart, and Nepgear's heart is full of sorrow and doubt]]. While she swears that Arfoire's vision will never become reality, her last words deeply shake Nepgear's heart, and the open ending shows that the world will either fall into chaos or it will not.

** The Skyrim civil war is also one for the Thalmor; The ideal result for them is for the civil war to be dragged out as long as possible, exhausting both sides. While a quick and decisive victory for one side isn't quite as useful, a victory for the Stormcloak rebels results in the empire being further destabilized, and a victory for the Legion leaves the Thalmor with pawns throughout Skyrim who can continue to advance their agenda.

* GLaDOS did this in ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''. If she had killed you in the final fight, she would have been rid of the morality core and you. However even if you won, she is free of all the mind controlling cores, plus the data from your escape and her "death" furthers the cause of science... And, being a sentient computer program, it wouldn't stop her from coming back for a sequel anyway.

* In ''JakIIRenegade'', the Metal Head Leader [[spoiler:Kor, disguised as a CoolOldGuy {{Mentor}} to Kid Jak]] lets Jak go on missions to weaken the Baron, making his armies have an advantage over the city. If Jak fails and dies, the Metal Heads lose an enemy. If Jak gets the Precursor Stone, then [[spoiler:Kor can use his connections with the underground to get hold of it.]] When the Baron gets the Stone, the Metal Head Leader uses the confusion to imprison [[spoiler:Kid Jak]] at the Metal Head Nest. In the final battle, either the Baron gives him the stone to save the city, or [[spoiler:Kor kills him and]] the Metal Heads search for the Stone. Even if Jak beats the armies to finding it, [[spoiler:Kor knows Jak will bring it to the Metal Head Nest to power the huge gun to blow it open. If Jak dies trying to open the nest, Kor gets the stone. When Jak does manage to get inside the nest, only Kor not taking Dark Jak into account prevents him from killing Jak with a single blast and getting the Precursor stone.]]

* A domination-mesmer in ''GuildWars'' will often employ this. Casting a spell on the enemy that punish the target if he doesn't use a skill can be combined with spells that punish him if he does, or with a build filled with interruption spells. Mostly happens in [=PvP=] though, since in [[PlayerVersusEnvironment PvE]] enemies [[ArtificialStupidity will not respond]] to the punish-if-idle skill, although an AI update did prevent them from killing themselves under a punish-if-not-idle spell.

* ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'': [[spoiler:Wheatley]] goes out of his way to anticipate every possible point of failure during the FinalBoss fight, having studied the FinalBoss fight of ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' and taken appropriate countermeasures. Being an idiot, he [[BossArenaIdiocy exposes a whole new sets of weaknesses while doing so]], but what elevates it to a Xanatos Gambit (and his crowning moment of being DangerouslyGenreSavvy) is that he anticipates the possibility that Chell could ''win''. The only things that stop him from being victorious are Chell's status as a {{Determinator}} and a ChekhovsGun he could not possibly have known about.

* The BigBad of ''BaldursGate II: Throne of Bhaal'' does this when [[spoiler:she plays the main character up against the Five. The main character loses, she's rid of one of the more powerful Bhaalspawn with a reputation for CuttingTheKnot and the cold war between the Five will eventually lead to them wiping each other out anyway. The main character wins, the Five are dead much faster and the BigBad now has enough Bhaal essence to ascend directly to Godhood without even having to antagonize the protagonist.]] Win-win... If not for the fact that the main character learns about this plan and becomes powerful enough to challenge the BigBad directly as a result.

** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', Organization XIII has two keyblade wielders in their ranks, Roxas and Xion. They need at least one to kill heartless, release hearts, and create Kingdom Hearts. As it turns out [[spoiler:Xion is a Replica made with some of Sora's memories. Because of her origins, either Xion will eventually absorb Roxas and his powers/memories, or the opposite will happen, whatever the two actually decide to do]]. Either outcome is favorable to the Organization, and they even have plans for the worst-case scenario, that being [[spoiler:whoever is left being returned to Sora]], because if Sora wakes up, all they have to do is let him do what he ''always'' does, which is kill heartless and release hearts, and it will further their goals. Sora turning his keyblade on the Organization ''itself'', and ''winning'', probably wasn't something they planned for.

* In ''SoulCalibur 3'''s mode "Chronicles of the Sword", Chester pulls off one of these. By enticing the factions to fighting each other, he manages to oust the king of one, taking his place. The truth of the matter is that he would have won, [[spoiler: having manipulated much more than just one faction, and managing to deprive you, the main advancing force who is one of the best, of reinforcements and rest from your own king without actually having him outright try to kill you,]] but because you were such a good fighter, you overcame EVERY enemy that he threw at you to prevent you from becoming a wrench in his plans, and he still manages to take the place of a king despite you being better than expected.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' has this in spades with [[MagnificentBastard Lucifer]] powering up the Main Character with the Magatama. Literally ''every'' ending will benefit him in some way- you go and make sure any of the three Reasons win, you prove that the product is workable. You leave the Vortex World as it is, you spit on the [[GreaterScopeVillain Great Will]]'s face. You restore the world to as it was before [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt The Conception took place]], you spit on the Great Will's face and [[FanNickname Lucy]] gets a warrior that in due time will fight against Him. You accept the offer to reach him in the [[BonusLevelOfHell Labyrinth of Amala]]'s lowest level, he gets a worthy successor and new general.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' has this in spades with [[MagnificentBastard Lucifer]] powering up the Main Character with the Magatama. Literally ''every'' ending will benefit him in some way- you go and make sure any of the three Reasons win, you prove that the product is workable. You leave the Vortex World as it is, you spit on the [[GreaterScopeVillain Great Will]]'s face. You restore the world to as it was before [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt The Conception took place]], you spit on the Great Will's face and [[FanNickname Lucy]] gets a warrior that in due time will fight against Him. You accept the offer to reach him in the ]]BonusLevelOfHell Labyrinth of Amala]]'s lowest level, he gets a worthy successor and new general.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4'', [[spoiler:Dr. Weil's real plan is to shoot Area Zero from space]]; the Eight Warriors are [[spoiler:nothing but a diversion, so that the Resistance is stuck fighting the wrong battle.]] If the Eight Warriors' individual plans worked (acid rain generators, scorching the earth with an artificial sun, etc.), Area Zero is destroyed, and the Resistance with it; if they all fail, [[spoiler:there would still be time for Weil to fire his KillSat]], leaving Area Zero destroyed, and the Resistance with it. In either case, Weil becomes the undisputed ruler of all humanity by wiping out freedom's last hope.

* [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Yukari Yakumo]] has a serious grudge against the Moon and its SpaceElves inhabitants, who have dealt her two major defeats: in the first, the youkai armies under her command were repulsed from the Lunar Capital, and in the second, her attempt to force the Lunarians' best strategist and warrior into a feint failed miserably when both Yukari and Remilia's group (who were acting as her decoys) were defeated and sent back to Earth before reaching the Capital. [[spoiler:''Except not''. Despite ostensibly losing both times, she gained more than the Lunarians did - the first time, it didn't matter whether youkai succeeded in conquering the Moon or not. They win, they seize the Moon and its wondrous technology. They lose, they are taught a stern lesson on expansionism. Either way, Yukari has time to complete her true objective - analyzing the barrier the Lunarians use to close the Capital to the outside reality, which certainly came in handy when constructing Gensokyo. And for the second? Well, if the Lunarians think there are ''only'' two simultaneous invasions and that Yukari's been defeated, they're not gonna start looking for a ''third'' invasion...]]

* [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Yukari Yakumo]] has a serious grudge against the Moon and its SpaceElves inhabitants, who have dealt her two major defeats: in the first, the youkai armies under her command were repulsed from the Lunar Capital, and in the second, her attempt to force the Lunarians' best strategist and warrior into a feint failed miserably when both Yukari and Remilia's group (who were acting as her decoys) were defeated and sent back to Earth before reaching the Capital. ''Except not''. Despite ostensibly losing both times, she gained more than the Lunarians did - the first time, it didn't matter whether youkai succeeded in conquering the Moon or not. They win, they seize the Moon and its wondrous technology. They lose, they are taught a stern lesson on expansionism. Either way, Yukari has time to complete her true objective - analyzing the barrier the Lunarians use to close the Capital to the outside reality, which certainly came in handy when constructing Gensokyo. And for the second? Well, if the Lunarians think there are ''only'' two simultaneous invasions and that Yukari's been defeated, they're not gonna start looking for a ''third'' invasion...

* In ''Hyrule Warriors'', Ganondorf pulls one. [[spoiler: Prior to the events of the game, he corrupted Cia, and had her gather three of the four fragments of his spirit, then let her loose to wreck Hyrule. If Cia defeats the heroes, then the forces of good are extinguished, and Ganondorf can take Cia's Triforce to break the final seal on his spirit and overpower Cia to become to Hyrule's true ruler. If Link and company defeat Cia, the final seal is broken when Link takes the Master Sword, and Ganondorf can use his full power to get the drop on a then-peaceful Hyrule and take the Triforce anyway.]]

* In ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'', Prince [=LaCroix=] runs one of these. You play a fledgling vampire, who, [[ButThouMust for some reason]], is [[ItsUpToYou the only agent LaCroix has available]] and gets sent into dangerous situation after dangerous situation. The kicker comes when [[spoiler:you realize [=LaCroix=] is ''[[UriahGambit actively trying to kill you]]''. Your very existence flouts his own laws, but he can't kill you publicly without seriously pissing off a very large, powerful political sect of Vampires. So instead, he sends you on {{suicide mission}}s. If you die, he wins, because the symbol of his weakness is gone. If you survive, he wins, by eliminating his enemies and advancing his own agenda.]] And after ''all that,'' it turns out [[spoiler:[=LaCroix=] is actually a [[UnwittingPawn Xanatos]] ''[[UnwittingPawn Sucker]]'' for Smiling Jack and Caine's GambitRoulette manipulation of both him and the player character. The plot relies on splitting the game's MacGuffin, which [=LaCroix=] really wants, from its key. The MacGuffin itself goes to [=LaCroix=], while the key goes to the Kuei-Jin, his mortal archenemy. The Camarilla and the Kuei-Jin go to war and get weakened over [=LaCroix=]'s ambitions, and whoever side wins is still weakened and leaves the Anarchs in a stronger position. The MacGuffin's contents aren't all they're cracked up to be...]]
* In ''MegaManZero 4'', [[spoiler:Dr. Weil's real plan is to shoot Area Zero from space]]; the Eight Warriors are [[spoiler:nothing but a diversion, so that the Resistance is stuck fighting the wrong battle.]] If the Eight Warriors' individual plans worked (acid rain generators, scorching the earth with an artificial sun, etc.), Area Zero is destroyed, and the Resistance with it; if they all fail, [[spoiler:there would still be time for Weil to fire his KillSat]], leaving Area Zero destroyed, and the Resistance with it. In either case, Weil becomes the undisputed ruler of all humanity by wiping out freedom's last hope.

* Before the final mission of ''AceCombat X: Skies of Deception'', IntrepidReporter Albert Genette notes that Leasath commanding officer Diego Navarro was playing one of these: Although his primary goal of conquering Aurelia fails, he still succeeds in increasing arms exports for the military-industrial complex. You as Gryphus One prevent him from succeeding fully by busting up his Fenrir superfighters before he can profit from selling them off too.