The rival.

Especially the douchebag Machiavellian type rivals that the main character ends up friends or teaming up with after the main character 'proves their worth' to them by being stronger. No character growth outside of now they work with the protagonist.

I really want this trope to be subverted one day, like the douchey rival shows up and everyone is just like "Wow what a dickhead" and just relentlessly bullies him until he goes away.

  • Sen_Jen [they/them]
    ·
    2 years ago

    Counterpoint: I will never get tired of watching the protagonist and their rival team up to defeat the greater villain

    • invo_rt [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Goku and Frieza fighting together for just one episode of the last fight in Dragon Ball Super was :chefs-kiss:

      Also, for the old heads out there, Anubis teaming up with Ryo in Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors was so good.

      The anti-hero becoming a reluctant ally is my favorite trope.

        • invo_rt [he/him]
          ·
          2 years ago

          I mean you have a superpowered derelict father/husband and ubermensch with a god complex teaming up with an arch-capitalist corporation to galavant across time and space to do a colonialism and steal artifacts, but did you know he talks like a farmer, hee-yuck.

          :joker-troll:

          • Gelamzer
            ·
            1 year ago

            deleted by creator

              • Gelamzer
                ·
                1 year ago

                deleted by creator

                  • Gelamzer
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    deleted by creator

                    • invo_rt [he/him]
                      ·
                      2 years ago

                      Yeah I was more thinking the Namekian Dragon Balls. I'm also a big Dragon Ball fan. I'm just taking the piss out of it.

                      • Gelamzer
                        ·
                        1 year ago

                        deleted by creator

        • Deadend [he/him]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Freiza does genocides purely for profit as a galactic landlord/ real estate guy.

          • GarfieldYaoi [he/him]
            ·
            2 years ago

            You joke, but the creator went on record to say that Frieza was inspired by real estate investors because they are "the worst types of people."

    • macabrett
      ·
      2 years ago

      its a classic and I'm always into it