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1Two characters confront each other in a showdown. Sometimes it's a showdown to the death, but other times, it's something a little less elaborate. The best way to settle it is to see who can endure something the longest, whether it's laughter or even quicksand, or maybe enduring a whole swarm of bees.
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3Essentially, this is what's known as an Endurance Duel.
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5Sometimes, it can be just one character who has to endure the danger that befalls him. This can be used to show the character's prowess, which can impress the person who had him endure the danger in the first place.
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7Compare: DuelToTheDeath. Usually results in a VictoryByEndurance.
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9----
10!!Examples:
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12[[foldercontrol]]
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14[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
15* Tubby was forced to endure the harshness of hunger while on an all-day hike with Lulu and the others in an episode of the ''Anime/LittleLulu'' anime.
16* In ''Manga/CromartieHighSchool'', the toughest badass in the class is decided by seeing who could hold a hot flame on their back the longest.
17* In the [[TournamentArc Dark Tournament]] of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', Yusuke [[spoiler:wins his first fight]] after he and his opponent nearly kill each other, and just decide to AttackAttackAttack until one of them falls.
18* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Elfman]] is put up against [[DrunkenMaster Baccus]], who has a reputation of being Erza's equal in combat. He loses badly until he uses a Lizardman transformation, giving him hard spiked scales over his body. The fight then becomes a test of wills to see who will fall first; Elfman from getting beat up, or Bacchus from having his hands sliced up by the scales. [[spoiler:Elfman wins, barely.]]
19* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has a great one where Franky and Senor Pink have a "Manly Battle" of endurance. [[spoiler:Senor Pink swims Franky up a building to do a major suplex, but Franky gets up and pounds his face in.]]
20** This also applies to Luffy and Katakuri's fight. [[spoiler: Katakuri was clearly stronger, smarter faster, and even had more versatile and better Devil Fruit than Luffy. Despite being beaten to a pulp for 95% of the battle, Luffy was still able to get up and fight back. Eventually, Luffy was able to defeat Katakuri but not because he overpowered him at the end, Luffy ''outlasted'' him.]]
21* In the ''Franchise/{{Beyblade}}'' series, this is pretty much the main strategy for the majority of Stamina-type Beys. At most times, they often find themselves using their superior stamina to outlast their opponents in battle. This is often because most Stamina-type Beys lack the sufficient power to bring down their foes and, instead, must resort to outlasting to them. Only a few characters with Stamina beys subvert this trope most notably Free de la Hoya from the second season of ''Anime/BeybladeBurst'' as Free, despite having a Stamina-type, was considered the [[WorldsStrongestMan strongest blader in the world]] whose bey was able to drain the spin speed from other beys and even one-shot them.
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24[[folder:Comic Books]]
25* ''ComicBook/BatmanBlackAndWhite'': In "The Bat No More...?", the Scarecrow tries to destroy Batman by dosing him with a fear gas that makes him terrified of bats (as well as his own cowl, the symbol on his chest, etc.) Batman responds by developing a fear gas of his own and dosing the Scarecrow with it, then offering to trade antidote for antidote. The Scarecrow refuses. The story ends with them sitting opposite each other, waiting to see who will crack first.
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28[[folder:Fan Works]]
29* ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/119688/1/you-obey/the-interrogation You Obey]]'' turns into a battle between a prisoner and an interrogator to break the other's will.
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31
32[[folder:Film]]
33* The [[CenterpieceSpectacular fist fight]] between George Nada and Frank Armitage in ''Film/TheyLive'' is a long, drawn-out, exhausting experience that is only "won" by the man who has the willpower and endurance to remain (shakily) standing at the end.
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36[[folder:Literature]]
37* The ''Literature/HankTheCowdog'' book, "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Case Of The Deadly Ha-Ha Game]]".
38* In ''Literature/LordsAndLadies'', two witches have a competition to see who can stare at the sun longest without blinking or looking away. Neither of them is harmed by the ordeal, but a bystander who wanders too close gets a nasty sunburn from the diverted power. This causes one of the witches to break eye contact and help him, which wins her the competition since [[DisqualificationInducedVictory no witch should ignore a child in danger]].
39* Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Virtual Mode'' had something like this in the beginning.
40* ''Literature/TheOutsiders'':
41--> "What happened to Shepard?" I asked, remembering Tim Shepard's kid brother. Curly, who was a tough, cool, hard-as-nails Tim in miniature, and I had once played chicken by holding our cigarette ends against each other's fingers. We had stood there, clenching our teeth and grimacing, with sweat pouring down our faces and the smell of burning flesh making us sick, each refusing to holler, until Tim happened to stroll by. When he saw that we were really burning holes in each other he cracked our heads together, swearing to kill us both if we ever pulled a stunt like that again. I still have the scar on my forefinger. Curly was an average downtown hood, tough and not real bright, but I liked him. He could take anything.
42* The Trial of the Long Knives in [[Literature/InheritanceCycle Brisingr]], which is fought by making cuts on one's own arms. First one who lacks the nerve to make another cut loses.
43[[/folder]]
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45[[folder:Live-Action TV ]]
46* The Minbari's Star-fire wheel in ''Series/BabylonFive''. The way the Minbari picked their leaders in the past was that the candidates would be placed in a beam of intense heat. The heat would be slowly cranked up. The one who stayed in the beam, risking death for their cause, got to be the winner.
47* There was an episode of ''Series/{{Cheyenne}}'' where the titular hero faces off against an Indian warrior by seeing who could stand in a pit of quicksand the longest.
48* ''Series/CougarTown'' had a comic version of this, with Andy and Bobby forced to look into each other's eyes while "Cat's in the Cradle" plays. First to cry loses.
49** Another episode had Jules and Bobby in a "white shirt" standoff. First to get a stain on their shirt loses.
50* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': This is how the North has survived throughout its long history. Whenever they were invaded they simply deployed their army at the Neck or Moat Cailin and stopped the enemy force long enough for their famous harsh winters to arrive, forcing the invading army to simply give up and return home. This carries over to the War of Five Kings where Robb, indeed most of the Northern army, simply thought that if they could win enough battles that they'd win the war as they'd never had to think of a strategy longer than 'beat them and win'.
51* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingstheRingsOfPower'': When Elrond is denied permission to enter Khazad-dûm he invokes "The Rite of Sigin-tarâg". This turns out to be a duel against Prince Durin where they both smash rocks until one of them can't continue. If Elrond wins he gets to request a boon of the Dwarves, if he loses he's banished from all Dwarven lands forever.
52* Comes up from time to time in ''Series/{{Survivor}}''; the less contestants that are left, the more likely a given immunity challenge will involve enduring something simple but difficult.
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55[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
56* [[http://garfield.nfshost.com/2000/09/17/ This]] ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' strip had Garfield and Jon seeing who would endure the hotness of each pepper they ate. Garfield lost after eating a Peruvian Death Pepper.
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59[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
60* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': The Order of Hermes has the rite of Certámen, which comprises several varieties of WizardDuel. The mildly PyroManiac House Flambeau enjoys a version that takes place within a ring of fire, with victory going to whoever can stand to stay in the circle the longest.
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63[[folder:Video Games]]
64* Bang's gag reel in ''VideoGame/BlazblueChronoPhantasma'' is a manliness competition, with the competitors having to endure various stimuli (ranging from heat and cold to lovable cats). The final test was [[spoiler:who could endure digestion via [[EldritchAbomination Arakune]] the longest]]. [[spoiler:Arakune]] won.
65* Chapter 2 of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' has one of these between Kiyotaka and Mondo, where they try to see who can endure a sauna the longest. Kiyotaka uses the sauna as normal, but Mondo, in a fit of machismo, keeps his BadassLongcoat on. The result isn't shown (the protagonist does not want to witness the contest), but by the next morning Kiyotaka and Mondo are friends and HandWave any questions, implying perhaps that they both nearly died and had to be rescued by [[GameMaster Monokuma]].
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68[[folder:Web Comics]]
69* The whole point of Spank-Offs in the ''Webcomic/Collar6'' universe.
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71
72[[folder:Western Animation]]
73* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Dunces And Dragons"; in one scene, Spongebob and friends come across the dark knight, who is essentially a [[{{Captain Ersatz}} medieval version of Sandy Cheeks]]. Spongebob easily endures Medieval Sandy's moves by countering back with his own moves, his karate (which he often pronounces as "kare-uh-tay").
74* The Creator/AlBrodax ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon "Duel To The Finish" is devoid of violence in spite of its title. Olive schemes to make Popeye jealous, so she lures Wimpy with (of course) hamburgers. Popeye challenges Wimpy to a duel, and Wimpy options an eating duel. After so many hamburgers consumed, Popeye gives up. But so does Olive--she can't cook another thing. Wimpy acquiesces Olive to Popeye as a result.
75-->'''Popeye:''' Olive...the next time ya wants ta make me jealous, gives me some notice so I can diets fer it! (''groan'')
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77
78[[folder:Real Life]]
79* There's few real life games like this, like electric shock duel joysticks.
80** Staring contests are essentially this.
81* A properly conducted Five Test Cricket series played at first class (4-5 days) level will become this.
82[[/folder]]

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