History Main / DefeatMeansFriendship

* ''Manga/YakitateJapan'' provides the page quote. As well, this occurs multiple times during the series:

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]]'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]],[[note]]and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the whole country and succeeded[[/note]] most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US. Today, Vietnam is one of the most ''pro''-American countries in all Asia, with a whopping ''71%'' of Vietnamese having a positive image of the US. (This amusingly for those not directly involved causes trouble with the Vietnamese American community, who are overwhelmingly anticommunists from South Vietnam and not happy with the ''rapprochement'' and its symbols, like acceptance of the current official Vietnamese flag).

* In the WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic fanfiction ''Fanfic/{{Jericho}}'', this trope gets ''heavily'' deconstructed. When the narrator, [[FirstPersonSmartass Jeri]][[SociopathicHero cho]], gets attacked by two well-meaning but [[MistakenIdentity misinformed]] deputies, Jericho just outright murders one of them. The other deputy, a young girl named [[{{Woobie}} Cards]], becomes so thoroughly terrified of Jericho that she [[VomitDiscretionShot vomits]] and later [[BringMyBrownPants wets herself]]. And ''then'' Jericho pulls out a knife and tells her “Now, you’re going to tell me what I want to know, or I’ll cut your other ear off .” She says that's she not missing an ear, so Jericho [[SlasherSmile smiles]] and says, “[[ColdBloodedTorture Oh, I know. The first ear’s non-negotiable—shows you I mean business.]]” Jericho soon finds out that Cards and he are actually on the same side. He laughs, and then proceeds to mentally bully Cards into joining and helping him, despite the fact that he murdered her only friend ever and is joking about it. She is so, so, ''so'' terrified of him that she can't say no, and often flinches when he makes sudden movements around her
** In a later chapter, when [[{{Tsundere}} Lightning Dust]] asks Jericho why Cards is working with him despite that fact that Cards is the Sheriff’s daughter, and that same Sheriff is to trying to lynch Jericho, Jericho's InnerMonologue lampshades the reason:
--> ''Because she has no choice and is too terrified of me to say no.''

** Discord actually manages to {{subvert|edTrope}} this. He is defeated the same way as Nightmare Moon--he even dares the Mane Six to "Friend me" just before the attack--but the Elements deem him to be undeserving (or incapable) of redemption and instead [[TakenForGranite stick him right back]] in the FateWorseThanDeath he crawled out of. WordOfGod states that the reason behind the different effect is that Nightmare Moon was under the [[MoreThanMindControl influence]] of TheCorruption, while Discord was himself [[RealityWarper a corrupting force]], not to mention a StrawNihilist.
** In "Keep Calm and Flutter On," Discord returns and the trope is {{inverted|Trope}}. Fluttershy becomes the first friend he's had in untold years, and Discord is surprised to realize how much he values her friendship. When Fluttershy finally puts her hoof down and tells Discord that he'll lose her friendship if he keeps being a dick, Discord concedes and undergoes a HeelFaceTurn. Thus, Friendship Equals Defeat.
** Happens to Trixie in "Magic Duel". In this case, Twilight Sparkle defeats her simply by tricking her into removing the Alicorn Amulet which had boosted her powers. When Trixie realizes how much the Amulet had been [[ArtifactOfDoom corrupting her mind]], she lets go of her prior grudge against Twilight and asks for forgiveness.

** Mostly inverted with Tsunade; Naruto loses both his "[[CurbStompBattle fights]]" against her, but technically wins her bet (that he could master the Rasengan in a week).

** Kabuto [[PlayingWithATrope plays with this trope]] in a very dark way. He ''does'' come to consider Naruto his friend after losing to him in battle, but he's so messed up in the head that he sees no contradiction in befriending TheHero and trying to become the next BigBad. In fact, it was the self-confidence Naruto inspired in him that motivated Kabuto to become an even worse villain than he was before.
** Now Naruto's even gone so far as to have this trope happen with [[spoiler:not only the [[EldritchAbomination Nine-Tailed Fox]], but [[EldritchAbomination all nine Tailed Beasts]]! Well, except for the Eight-Tailed Ox-Ogre, who he befriended without a fight]].

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]]'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]],[[note]]and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the whole country and succeeded[[/note]] most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US. Today, Vietnam is one of the most ''pro''-American countries in all Asia, with a whopping ''71%'' of Vietnamese having a positive image of the US.

*** That was because Jerusalem was taken 1099 by an all-out assault, while 1187 Jerusalem surrendered instead of being taken by force. The Medieval custom was to spare the town's inhabitants if the town surrendered; if it was conquered by assault, the town was free to be ravaged for three days and three nights. That said, Saladin was also intentionally invoking the memory of the rise of Islam 550 years earlier, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab took Jerusalem and entered the city quietly; this conquest had ended several decades where the city repeatedly changed hands between the ByzantineEmpire and Sassanid Persia, with the conquerors slaughtering hundreds if not thousands each time for security reasons.[[note]]The Zoroastrian Persians were noted for using Jews as agents, while since the Byzantines were Christian they distrusted Christians as possible spies for Constantinople, and contrariwise the Byzantines distrusted Jews not only as "Christ-killers" (as the Church insisted they were) but also as possible spies for Persia. Each time the Persians took Jerusalem, they killed Christians and brought in Jews; every time the Byzantines took it back, they killed Jews and brought in Christians.[[/note]]

*** That was because Jerusalem was taken 1099 by an all-out assault, while 1187 Jerusalem surrendered instead of being taken by force. The Medieval custom was to spare the town's inhabitants if the town surrendered; if it was conquered by assault, the town was free to be ravaged for three days and three nights. That said, Saladin was also intentionally invoking the memory of the rise of Islam five hundred years earlier, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab took Jerusalem and entered the city quietly; this conquest had ended several decades where the city repeatedly changed hands between the ByzantineEmpire and Sassanid Persia, with the conquerors slaughtering hundreds if not thousands each time for security reasons.[[note]]The Zoroastrian Persians were noted for using Jews as agents, while since the Byzantines were Christian they distrusted Christians as possible spies for Constantinople, and contrariwise the Byzantines distrusted Jews not only as "Christ-killers" (as the Church insisted they were) but also as possible spies for Persia. Each time the Persians took Jerusalem, they killed Christians and brought in Jews; every time the Byzantines took it back, they killed Jews and brought in Christians.[[/note]]

*** That was because Jerusalem was taken 1099 by an all-out assault, while 1187 Jerusalem surrendered instead of being taken by force. The Medieval custom was to spare the town's inhabitants if the town surrendered; if it was conquered by assault, the town was free to be ravaged for three days and three nights. That said, Saladin was also intentionally invoking the memory of the rise of Islam, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab took Jerusalem and entered the city quietly; this conquest had ended several decades where the city repeatedly changed hands between the ByzantineEmpire and Sassanid Persia, with the conquerors slaughtering hundreds if not thousands each time for security reasons.[[note]]The Zoroastrian Persians were noted for using Jews as agents, while since the Byzantines were Christian they distrusted Christians as possible spies for Constantinople, and contrariwise the Byzantines distrusted Jews not only as "Christ-killers" (as the Church insisted they were) but also as possible spies for Persia. Each time the Persians took Jerusalem, they killed Christians and brought in Jews; every time the Byzantines took it back, they killed Jews and brought in Christians.[[/note]]

*** That was because Jerusalem was taken 1099 by an all-out assault, while 1187 Jerusalem surrendered instead of being taken by force. The Medieval custom was to spare the town's inhabitants if the town surrendered; if it was conquered by assault, the town was free to be ravaged for three days and three nights. That said, Saladin was also intentionally invoking the memory of the rise of Islam, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab took Jerusalem and entered the city quietly; this conquest had ended several decades where the city repeatedly changed hands between TheByzantineEmpire and Sassanid Persia, with the conquerors slaughtering hundreds if not thousands each time for security reasons.[[note]]The Zoroastrian Persians were noted for using Jews as agents, while since the Byzantines were Christian they distrusted Christians as possible spies for Constantinople, and contrariwise the Byzantines distrusted Jews not only as "Christ-killers" (as the Church insisted they were) but also as possible spies for Persia. Each time the Persians took Jerusalem, they killed Christians and brought in Jews; every time the Byzantines took it back, they killed Jews and brought in Christians.[[/note]]

*** That was because Jerusalem was taken 1099 by an all-out assault, while 1187 Jerusalem surrendered instead of being taken by force. The Medieval custom was to spare the town's inhabitants if the town surrendered; if it was conquered by assault, the town was free to be ravaged for three days and three nights. That said, Saladin was also intentionally invoking the memory of the rise of Islam, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab took Jerusalem and entered the city quietly; this conquest had ended several decades where the city repeatedly changed hands between TheByzantineEmpire and Sassanid Persia, with the conquerors slaughtering hundreds for security reasons each time: the Zoroastrian Persians were noted for using Jews as agents, while since the Byzantines were Christian they distrusted Christians as possible spies for Constantinople, and contrariwise the Byzantines distrusted Jews not only as "Christ-killers" (as the Church insisted they were) but also as possible spies for Persia.

*** That was because Jerusalem was taken 1099 by an all-out assault, while 1187 Jerusalem surrendered instead of being taken by force. The Medieval custom was to spare the town's inhabitants if the town surrendered; if it was conquered by assault, the town was free to be ravaged for three days and three nights.

* This is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz6nKoRNbfE&t=8m41s brought up]] by the WebVideo/GameGrumps during their ''SonicTheHedgehog2006'' play-through.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]]'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]],[[note]]and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the whole country and succeeded[[/note]] most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US. Today, Vietnam is one of the most ''pro''-American countries in all Asia, with a whopping ''71%'' of Vientamese having a positive image of the US.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]]'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]],[[note]]and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the whole country and succeeded[[/note]] most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]]'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]],[[note]]and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the country and succeeded[[/note]] most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]],[[note]]and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the country and succeeded[[/note]] most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]], (and those are only the times the Chinese actively tried to take over the country and succeeded) most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the past...oh...[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam two]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam frickin']] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam thousand]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Chinese_domination_of_Vietnam years]], most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the millenia, most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

----

->''"For every [[ShonenDemographic boys' manga]] like the '80s hit FistOfTheNorthStar, [[YourHeadASplode in which defeated enemies have their brains splattered]], there are five manga like Anime/DragonBallZ, in which defeated enemies are befriended, neutralized and converted to the heroes' worldview. Thus, the circle of the protagonists' friends grows and grows. Only in this way, through taking everyone into the protected circle, does the hero get the hubris to want to "save the world" — usually expressed as "I want to protect everyone!" , an almost [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} Buddhist]] feeling of compassion for all things, except perhaps for [[MoralEventHorizon some final enemy who is just too ugly to be redeemed]]."''

From the writers' standpoint, this trope is a way to keep characters around longer. If it's a show about fighting, and if TheProtagonist is always getting stronger, what's the use of a defeated enemy? We want to see him fight some more, but he can't fight the hero again because that would be repetitive and we all know he would lose. So instead, he becomes an ally and gets to assist the hero. Thus, this is a standard way for most [[SixthRanger Sixth Rangers]] to be added into the FiveManBand.

* In ''Anime/FairyTail'' both [[spoiler:Gajeel and Juvia]] join the guild after being defeated. [[spoiler:While Juvia falls in love with Grey, Gajeel is approached by the master himself and persuaded to join ''Fairy Tail''.]]

** Aisha initially pursued Gene and company because they got her busted down from military rank in the Ctarl Ctarl when he humiliated her command of a warship. She tries to pick a fight with him more than once, but she just can't get her act together (foiled by severe hunger, Gene runs away from her, no moon on the planet she's on to let her metamorph into a werecat, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking can't pay off her food bills]], or for that matter, ''property damage'' bills, etc.). However, they eventually come to good terms after she helps them out of a few circumstancial scrapes and Gene promises to pay her back in turn.

* Lampshaded in the final episode of ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' where a character declares himself to be an enemy of Itoshki specifically because of the assumption that DefeatMeansFriendship. [[YaoiFangirl Harumi Fujiyoshi]] then points out that DefeatMeansFriendship tends to mean [[FoeYay something else too...]]

* ''GalaxyFrauleinYuna'' is all about this in the video games and the [=OVA=].

* When Matthias and Balthazar go at it in ''TheScorpionKing'' we ''know'' how it's going to end. Call it a curious form of prehistoric male bonding. They engage in a little male-bonding - half wrecking the Free People's camp - before sitting down together to plan their assault on Gommorah.

* A rare example of ''pre-emptive'' DefeatMeansFriendship occurs in the ''[[Literature/{{Belgariad}} Malloreon]]'', when Emperor Zakath finally dawns to the awareness that the Alorn religious myths are ''real'', and Belgarion isn't just a rival overlord but also the designated custodian of cosmic power. Zakath takes one look at the odds and decides to just skip the "defeat" and get right to the "friendship", although it's implied that it's not Belgarion's power that is Zakath's reason, it's the fact Belgarion's so humble and so unwilling to use or abuse such power that makes Zakath realise that the only reason they're enemies is because ''he'' was looking to fight someone who didn't want to fight him.

* Justified group example in ''[[CouncilWars There Will Be Dragons]]'' by Creator/JohnRingo. The inhabitants of a town are rather irritated with the legionnaires stationed nearby. The farmers and craftsmen all work hard for their living, while the soldiers are just lazing around in the woods, and coming to town with lots of unearned money and making trouble. Tension is high and there are fights between townspeople and soldiers. To solve the situation, the legionnaires challenge the town militia to a mock battle, and proceed to beat them soundly. The townspeople realize that the soldiers are not just lazing around, but are training hard to be able to defend the town if needed. And all are friends again.
* ''DaveBarry Slept Here'' outright parodies this, repeatedly using the term "befriend" to describe GunboatDiplomacy.

** The fan comic ''Webcomic/CharCole'' shows some more reasons for Pokémon to follow their trainers: "Charlie" Cole eventually agrees out of concern for Brian and his other Pokémon[[strike:(s)]], while Raijal's Pikachu, Kraker, apparently just likes to [[strike:kick]] fry some Pokémon butt and be praised for it.

** [[{{Mons}} Djinn]] throughout the series operate on this principle.

* Played straight in ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' with [[spoiler:Ansom]], although this is largely due to a MacGuffin whose entire purpose is to bring about DefeatMeansFriendship. [[spoiler:[[BackFromTheDead When it raises you from the dead]]]]. Though everyone at least suspects that mind control is involved, with most people believing it completely.

* The main example in modern history (although the situation was far more complicated than in fictional stories) was the treatment the Axis nations received from the western allies after WorldWarII. Instead of trying to punish the Axis powers and keep them poor and powerless, the Allies helped them to rebuild their economies and introduce stable democratic systems (while still marinating military occupation for a good while). The result? More than 60 years of mutual prosperity and relative peace. WestGermany in particular was a close friend of the former Allies and a valued member of NATO within 10 years of the end of the war. Today, Germany, Italy and Japan are three of the biggest economic powerhouses in the world and the centers of two of the world's foremost currencies (euro and yen, respectively).

* The first encounter of Turkey and Australia was on opposing sides of a battlefield in WorldWarOne. The conflict was both fierce and gentlemanly - an odd combination which, despite the eventual defeat of the Australian forces, created a bond of mutual respect, admiration, and friendship between the nations which continues to this day.

* Believe it or not, the US and Vietnam are fast approaching this today. The Vietnamese, although obviously not pleased at the [[VietnamWar American intervention in their country]], very quickly entered the good graces of the US after TheGreatPoliticsMessUp. Currently, the US is Vietnam's largest trading partner (unless you count the whole EU as one unit, in which case the US is second), and the US and Vietnam cooperate on regional issues in Southeast Asia--including tacit US support for Vietnam's position in their numerous maritime border disputes with China. It helps here that the Vietnamese won the previous confrontation, that the US assiduously courted Vietnam in the 1990s, and that Vietnam has much bigger issues with China--which has invaded and occupied the country several times over the millenia, most recently in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War 1979]], and has been trying to mess with Hanoi's business quite blatantly for decades--than with the US.

----

* The main example in modern history (although the situation was far more complicated than in fictional stories) was the treatment the Axis nations received from the western allies after WorldWarII. Instead of trying to punish the Axis powers and keep them poor and powerless, the Allies helped them to rebuild their economies and introduce stable democratic systems (while still marinating military occupation for a good while). The result? More than 60 years of mutual prosperity and relative peace. WestGermany in particular was a close friend of the former Allies and a valued member of NATO within 10 years of the end of the war. Today, Germany and Japan are two of the biggest economic powerhouses in the world and the centers of two of the world's foremost currencies (euro and yen, respectively).

->''"For every [[ShonenDemographic boys' manga]] like the '80s hit FistOfTheNorthStar, [[YourHeadASplode in which defeated enemies have their brains splattered]], there are five manga like DragonBallZ, in which defeated enemies are befriended, neutralized and converted to the heroes' worldview. Thus, the circle of the protagonists' friends grows and grows. Only in this way, through taking everyone into the protected circle, does the hero get the hubris to want to "save the world" — usually expressed as "I want to protect everyone!" , an almost [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} Buddhist]] feeling of compassion for all things, except perhaps for [[MoralEventHorizon some final enemy who is just too ugly to be redeemed]]."''

* Naturally ''Manga/DragonBall'', as almost every member in the Z team at one point had the sole goal in life to defeat and/or kill Goku (or [[NeverSayDie "send him to another dimension"]]), the only exceptions being Gohan, Goten (which are his sons) and Trunks. Overall, Piccolo and Vegeta were the most reluctant, but both became allies in the end, even though they were evil at first.

** The original ''Manga/DragonBall'' series could be defined by this trope, and some of it even carries on to the very end of ''DragonBallZ''. [[spoiler: Uub]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman 2}}'': After defeating the first boss, a huge mosquito, it starts crying, and when Rayman pats it on the back they form a friendship and actually work together in the next level.

Compare KillMeNowOrForeverStayYourHand for another way to win over your enemies. Also compare LetsYouAndHimFight where the two characters are heroes and already on the same side but still fight each other before joining forces, and FireForgedFriends, where enemies end up fighting on the same side to become friends. Contrast VillainsDyingGrace.

** Mostly inverted with Tsunade; Naruto loses both his "[[CurbStompBattle fights]]" against her, but technically wins her bet.