History Main / DuelingPlayerCharacters

** The first game's alternate mode, ''Grollschwert'', puts you in control of Grolla Seyfarth, one of the bosses in the main mode- as such, the boss of her stage is instead [[spoiler:main heroine Spiritia Rosenberg and her FairyCompanion Lilli, who fight you with the abilities they have in the main mode]].

** The ''VideoGame/SonicRivals'' spin-off series has this as its main gimmick - you're ''always'' racing against another player character for one reason or another, with several 1v1 duels mixed in. Even when you're in a boss battle, you still need to beat the boss before the other character/person does!

* It's entirely possible for the Hero (playable character of the last sequence) and the Dragon (playable character of the preceding sequences) to fight each other at the end of ''VideoGame/HowToRaiseADragon''. Three endings determine on who survives the fight - assuming that they don't end up [[MutualKill killing each other]].

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', the main protagonist of the previous games, Dante, is the very first enemy fought in the game by Nero during the tutorial level and becomes his pursued target for half the game. Of particular note is Dante's second boss fight, which has been called as one of the most difficult in the series.
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'':
*** There is a variation where late in the game, Dante has to fight [[spoiler:V's familiars, who have all the moves that you've unlocked for them]].
*** In the ''Special Edition'', [[spoiler:Vergil's FinalBoss fight is against Dante]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Monolith}}'' opens with Null fighting D-13 as a WarmUpBoss. Defeating the FinalBoss with Null lets you play as D-13, who fights Null [[BookEnds as its final boss]], [[spoiler:but this time Null is under the influence of the Power Eternal]].
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIIIRevengeOfTheSith'' ends with the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin, both of whom have been playable characters up to that point. In the [=PS2=] and Xbox versions, by default, you play as Obi-Wan, but after beating the game, you can choose to play as Anakin, which gets you an alternate ending where Anakin kills both Obi-Wan ''and'' Palpatine to rule the galaxy himself. In the GBA and DS versions, both men have separate story routes that converge on Mustafar, and no matter who you're controlling the story proceeds as if Obi-Wan won the fight.
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'':

** ''[[VideoGame/Yakuza2 Yakuza Kiwami 2]]'' once again has Majima as a playable character in [[ADayInTheLimelight his own side story]] and once again, he's fought against in the main story proper.

** ''VideoGame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName''' has Kiryu face off against [[spoiler:Kaito from the Judgement games]] in a sidequest. In addition, Daigo Dojima, Saejima, and Majima as bonus bosses you can face in the game's coliseum.

** The legendary fighter DLC pack for ''VideoGame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName''' has Daigo Dojima, Saejima, and Majima as bonus bosses you can face in the game's coliseum.

** ''VideoGame/Injustice2'' continues this; you continually switch characters throughout the story mode, and often fight someone you controlled earlier or take control of someone you fought earlier. The final battle of the story is between Batman and Superman, and you get to choose which one to play as.

** In ''Time Crisis 5: True Mastermind Edition'', [[spoiler:Keith Martin, player 1 character of ''Time Crisis II'', is the stage 4 boss and the apparent traitor of the VSSE. After defeating him, he reveals that he's GoodAllAlong and that the real traitor is your MissionControl Robert Baxter, player 2 character of ''Time Crisis II'', who you fight in the final stage]].

* The first playthrough of ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreForAnswer'' inevitably sees Strayed take a contract with the sole objective of defeating Line Ark's [[TheDreaded dreaded]] {{one man army}}, White Glint. This new White Glint is Anatolia's Mercenary from ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore4'', having taken up the mantle of his fallen friend Joshua O'Brien including his emblem, fighting style, and even having met with the designer of the original White Glint to design a new NEXT to bear the title. The fight doesn't start with a duel but Rank 1 LYNX sent with you, Otsdarva, is quickly and invariably on the receiving end of [[CurbStompBattle a complete ass-whooping]] leaving Strayed to take on White Glint alone.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series, in the games with multiple protagonists, there are occasionally boss battles where two of the protagonists face off against one another (typically Kiryu and another character). In ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'', you're given the option of choosing which character you wish to control for that battle.
** Notably in ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'', Kiryu fights against ''two'' of the newly introduced protagonists of this game — [[DualBoss Akiyama and Tanimura]]. Despite being outnumbered, it's ultimately the latter two that are winded compared to Kiryu, who [[CurbStompBattle didn't even break a sweat]].
*** Before that, Kiryu himself can be fought against as [[MightyGlacier Saejima]] in an earlier chapter. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Pray to SEGA]] that he doesn't use his signature [[CounterAttack Tiger Drop]] against you…
*** Though in this case, Kiryu and Saejima are on equal footing and fight to a standstill, until Saejima's wounds from his prison escape re-open.

*** However, come ''[[VideoGame/Yakuza1 Yakuza Kiwami]]'' and Majima, who was previously playable in ''0'' and uses his fighting styles from the above game, is now a ''RecurringBoss''!

** At the end of "The Path to the Ruins", [[VideoGame/Mother3 Lucas]] and [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Trainer a.k.a. Red]] (who at this point only has Squirtle) fight VideoGame/{{Wario|Ware}} in vengeance of [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Ness]]. The player only has control over the former two.

* In ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars'', you play through most of the last level of Episode III as either Obi-Wan or Anakin. Come the last stage, the character not being used becomes the boss (although you can still switch control of the characters even during the duel). [[DoomedByCanon There's only one way it'll turn out]] despite who wins. Oddly, this does actually give an easy victory, activate the second player and simply kill them without them defending.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]

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* In ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKainDefiance'', one of the boss fights is a duel between the two protagonists, Kain and Raziel. For the first half of the fight, you control Kain trying to beat Raziel into submission, before control switches to Raziel halfway through.
* In ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars'', you play through most of the last level of Episode III as either Obi-Wan or Anakin. Come the last stage, the character not being used becomes the boss (although you can still switch control of the characters even during the duel). [[DoomedByCanon There's only one way it'll turn out]] despite who wins. Oddly, this does actually give an easy victory, activate the second player and simply kill them without them defending.
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIIIRevengeOfTheSith'' ends with the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin, both of whom have been playable characters up to that point. In the [=PS2=] and Xbox versions, by default, you play as Obi-Wan, but after beating the game, you can choose to play as Anakin, which gets you an alternate ending where Anakin kills both Obi-Wan ''and'' Palpatine to rule the galaxy himself. In the GBA and DS versions, both men have separate story routes that converge on Mustafar, and no matter who you're controlling the story proceeds as if Obi-Wan won the fight.
* ''VideoGame/DeadlyCreatures'' has a few portions where the tarantula and scorpion cross paths and you have to beat one with the other.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' series, in the games with multiple protagonists, there are occasionally boss battles where two of the protagonists face off against one another (typically Kiryu and another character). In ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'', you're given the option of choosing which character you wish to control for that battle.
** Notably in ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'', Kiryu fights against ''two'' of the newly introduced protagonists of this game — [[DualBoss Akiyama and Tanimura]]. Despite being outnumbered, it's ultimately the latter two that are winded compared to Kiryu, who [[CurbStompBattle didn't even break a sweat]].
*** Before that, Kiryu himself can be fought against as [[MightyGlacier Saejima]] in an earlier chapter. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Pray to SEGA]] that he doesn't use his signature [[CounterAttack Tiger Drop]] against you…
*** Though in this case, Kiryu and Saejima are on equal footing and fight to a standstill, until Saejima's wounds from his prison escape re-open.
** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'', however, as Kiryu and Majima never even meet throughout the entirety of the game… [[spoiler:until TheStinger, that is.]]
*** However, come ''[[VideoGame/Yakuza1 Yakuza Kiwami]]'' and Majima, who was previously playable in ''0'' and uses his fighting styles from the above game, is now a ''RecurringBoss''!
** ''[[VideoGame/Yakuza2 Yakuza Kiwami 2]]'' once again has Majima as a playable character in [[ADayInTheLimelight his own side story]] and once again, he's fought against in the main story proper.
** ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'': The above-mentioned [[DualBoss Majima and Saejima]] are both fought ''at the same time!'' And if that wasn't enough… [[spoiler:Kiryu is once again a boss character! Again, pray to SEGA that he doesn't instantly kill you with his Tiger Drop.]]

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Croixleur}} Croixleur Sigma]]'', [[spoiler:clearing the story in less than 10 minutes will put you up in an extra fight against Francesca. Defeating her will unlock her for use in the game. Likewise, if you choose Fran, then Lucrezia will be your final opponent]].
* In ''VideoGame/AWayOut'', [[spoiler:Leo and Vincent end up fighting one another in the final level after it's revealed that Vincent is an undercover cop who was using Leo to get to the villain. The ending of the game depends on who survives the confrontation]].

* Not a physical conflict, but in ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney'', when April and Kian meet for the first time, they engage in a heated argument over the Azadi politics in the Northlands. Notably, you can select ''both'' characters' responses, so it is possible to either convince April to reconsider her views on Azadi, or force Kian to take a good look at his superiors. Too bad it doesn't really lead to any StoryBranching.

* In the single-player story mode of ''VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter'', after defeating Apocalypse, the player takes control of whichever character landed the final blow and must then fight his tag partner in a one-on-one match. This turn of events goes unexplained.

* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' has a story mode similar to the ''Injustice'' example above. Swapping characters throughout the story, sometimes fighting against previously-controlled characters.

* Near the end of the campaign of ''VideoGame/ForHonor'' the player-controlled Orochi ends up in a duel with the Warden, the player character of the first third of the game. The Raider, another protagonist, also shows up twice but is never actually fought.

* There is a brief level in the original ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarez'' where Ray finally catches up with Billy and guns him down (though Billy survives). Subverted in ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarezBoundInBlood'', however, where it looks like you, as Ray, will have to [[ShowdownAtHighNoon duel]] Thomas over his supposed betrayal in the final level, but [[spoiler:William sacrifices himself in a cutscene to stop them, and then Colonel Barnsby swoops in like a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere to provide a common enemy for the brothers to fight together]].
* Half of the Vault Hunters in ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' would chronologically later be fought as bosses in other Borderlands games (which is inevitable given that this set of Vault Hunters worked for the BigBad of ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', Handsome Jack). Wilhelm and Nisha are fought in ''2'' while Aurelia Hammerlock would be fought in ''3''.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'', if you can save Zero from going Maverick, then X and Zero get into an argument that escalates into a fight (with you playing as whomever you took into the level). If Zero goes Maverick, then you have no choice and X ''has'' to destroy Zero.

* In ''VideoGame/Ghostbusters1990'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, the player is given a choice between Peter, Ray, and Egon at the beginning. The two that are not picked will later be fought as bosses with the in-story justification of being possessed. Essentially, you are fighting the demons, which means that you have to avoid your friends' attacks.
* In ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'', rivals Gunvolt and Copen run into each other in the midpoint of [[AnIcePerson Tenjian]]'s level as a MiniBoss, [[spoiler:and later, where either hero is the TrueFinalBoss]]. In both occasions, if you're playing as Gunvolt, the Boss would be Copen, and vice-versa.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'', Mega Man Model A [[SchrodingersPlayerCharacter Grey/Ashe]] will fight Mega Man Model ZX Aile/Vent, the previous game's SchrodingersPlayerCharacter, in the Quarry level over a misunderstanding in attempting to obtain a [[ArtifactOfDoom Model W]], with both sides believing the other to be yet another enemy Mega Man collecting it for the villains. Defeating Aile/Vent nets Grey/Ashe the ability to [[PowerCopying transform into them at any point]].
* In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'', Soma Cruz and Julius Belmont can eventually fight each other. Julius is fought as the ClimaxBoss of Soma's campaign. Soma is fought as the FinalBoss of Julius' campaign in the sequel ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow''.
* In the ''Film/JurassicPark'' LicensedGame for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, you can choose to play as either Dr. Grant or a velociraptor. The FinalBoss of the raptor's route is, naturally, Dr. Grant, trying to keep the raptor from escaping the island. Grant, on the other hand, encounters multiple raptors on his route, any of which could hypothetically be the player-character raptor, though none are explicitly identified as such.
* In ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZeroIII'', Jason Frudnick gets into a HopelessBossFight against Kane Gardner, the protagonist of the Japanese version of the original ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'' game, ''[=MetaFight=]'', in the first area. [[spoiler:In the GoldenEnding, you can choose to face off against Kane or Jason in the final boss fight, but the ending is the same regardless of your choice.]]
* ''VideoGame/RosenkreuzStilette'':
** The first game's alternate mode, ''Grollschwert'', puts you in control of Grolla Seyfarth, one of the bosses in the main mode- as such, the boss of her stage is instead [[spoiler:main heroine Spiritia Rosenberg and her FairyCompanion Lilli, who fight you with the abilities they have in the main mode]].
** ''Freudenstachel'' and its alternate mode ''Weißsilber'' [[spoiler:also have Freudia and Pamela fight Spiritia, this time as the first phase of the final boss, as she is being possessed by BigBad Iris Zeppelin]].
* In ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet2'', during the Battlesphere arc there’s a stage where you need to fight the other three player characters in a battle royale. It’s just a sporting event though, so there’s no ill will after the fact. Also in General Gong's training, you can fight any of them 1-on-1 in a sparring match.

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', an Imperial Flashpoint sees you [[FullyAbsorbedFinale hunt down and eliminate the protagonist of the original]] ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic''. Needless to say, [[spoiler:Darth Revan]] puts up a hell of a fight. One of the Sith Warrior story missions also has you fight it out with [[spoiler:either a Light Side or Dark Side version of yourself (which one you fight depends on your own alignment)]]. A later Expansion, "Shadow of Revan", has the former as the new ArcVillain.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', after the group has been split, Mario and Luigi manage to find Bowser. They have a fight due to some misunderstandings, and he comes to his senses afterwards and rejoins, of course.
* In ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana'', Escad and Daena come to blows over disagreeing about what to do with Irwin. You're forced to take a side (refusing to take a side will have them choose ''for'' you), and the battle is to the death. No matter what, one party member isn't coming out of that fight alive. [[PoorCommunicationKills And then it's all made moot when]] [[spoiler:Daena's third option is outright rejected by Matilda and you're driven to kill Irwin anyway]].

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', you spend the first five hours of the game playing as Roxas, before the player character switches to Sora. Near the end of the game, [[spoiler:Sora fights Roxas, who's revealed to be his Nobody, in a [[CutsceneBoss cutscene battle]], which is made an actual battle in the ''Final Mix'' version]].
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', you play as three characters: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Aqua's story contains boss battles against [[spoiler:possessed versions of both of her friends]], and Terra's story ends with [[spoiler:taking control of Terra's Lingering Will, fighting his own possessed body in an ([[DoomedByCanon unsuccessful]]) attempt to get it back from Xehanort]]. This also retroactively makes [[spoiler:the secret boss of ''KH2 Final Mix'', Lingering Will, this]].
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' features Sora and Riku as playable characters. At the end of the game, [[spoiler:a possessed Sora, clad in Ventus's armor and fighting with his fighting style, serves as the PostFinalBoss]].

* The final battle in ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' is between [[spoiler:Omori, the VillainProtagonist of the Headspace segments, and Sunny, the actual protagonist of the real life segments. You play as Sunny attempting to prevent Omori from performing a SplitPersonalityTakeover.]]
* ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'' has an interesting example. If you choose to go solo rather than bringing a partner character with you (since EX allows you to edit characters with the right cheats; it's not always Alex or Ryan) at the start of the game, eventually you'll run into them again where otherwise you wouldn't find anyone. If you have the right conversation, the two of you will have a fight. If you've chosen the right file save for who would have been your partner, you're easily in for the hardest fight in the entire game.
* The "[[AnotherSideAnotherStory Actually Ed the Undying]]" challenge path of ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' features [[HelloInsertNameHere %playername]] the Adventurer as the final boss, though your quest isn't ''quite'' over when you defeat them, as you still need to recover your Holy MacGuffin, and as you'll recall from your regular playthroughs, you handed that over to the Council of Loathing who stored it in a secret warehouse.
** Playing in one of the first three "Avatar of [Hero]" paths will eventually put you against [[spoiler:another Avatar, who takes the place of the final boss]].
* If the player chooses to side with a certain faction in ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'', they must fight the protagonist of the [[VideoGame/DeusEx first game]] — J.C. Denton as the end-game boss.
* In ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'', [[spoiler:Chopin is your final enemy. He realizes that the game world is his DyingDream and he attempts to survive it by trying to destroy it and everyone inside it]]. The game is interesting in this case since winning the fight will [[spoiler:end up with Chopin dying of his tuberculosis in RealLife]] while losing it on purpose ends with [[spoiler:everyone in the otherworld ceasing to exist, but Chopin waking up and deciding that he wants to live]].
* Near the end of ''VideoGame/DragonballXenoverse2'', you must go up against the previous Future Warrior, who (if [[OldSaveBonus save data from the original is imported]]) is your old character.
* In the ''Franchise/{{Drakengard}}'' franchise:
** In ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', [[spoiler:Angelus is the final boss of ending C]].
** In ''Drakengard 2'', both Caim and Angelus, the protagonists of ''Drakengard'', are fought as bosses. In addition, [[spoiler:Legna is the final boss of endings A and C]].
** In ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'', [[spoiler:Zero is possessed by the Flower and serves as the final boss of ending D]].
** In ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', [[spoiler:the final confrontation in Route C/D is between A2 and 9S, your two player characters from that route. You choose which one to play as; the other one becomes the final boss and determines which ending you get. (Playing as A2 results in Ending C, and playing as 9S results in Ending D.)]]
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunTheLostAge'': The previous game allows you to transfer your party's stats to the second game, despite starring Felix (who Isaac spends the first game chasing after and failing to prevent him from [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt lighting the elemental beacons]]). Both parties keep barely missing each other until Jupiter Lighthouse, at which point Isaac's party is split apart and defeated by the tower's bosses ([[CutsceneIncompetence particularly grating]] if you'd done a lot of LevelGrinding), then Felix's party defeats them. The climactic battle between Isaac and Felix… doesn't take place, as Isaac now understands why Felix was running around trying to light the elemental beacons (both because the BigBad was holding his sister hostage, and because [[spoiler:if the beacons remain unlit, the world ''will'' eventually crumble away, whereas if they're lit, humanity ''might'' abuse the power of the elements to fight destructive wars and destroy the world]]).

* In the ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar'' DLC "The Blade of Galadriel", the first boss fight is against [[spoiler:Talion, who has taken Isildur's Ring of Power and become a renegade Nazgûl]]. [[spoiler:The FinalBoss is a rematch with Talion, who has succumbed to the corruption of Isildur's Ring.]]
* In the original ''VideoGame/Persona5'', The Traitor, [[spoiler:Goro Akechi]], is fought just before the penultimate dungeon's[[labelnote:*]]third-to-last in ''Royal''[[/labelnote]] end, with his [[BolivianArmyEnding ultimate outcome]] being uncertain.
** In ''[[UpdatedRerelease Royal]]'', [[spoiler:Akechi]] can be fought in the third-to-last rank of his Confidant, with the other two progressing with the story like in the original game.
** Also in ''Royal'', [[spoiler:during the visit to [[VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Maruki's Palace]], "Kasumi", who is actually [[TheReveal revealed]] to be Sumire, the thought-to-be deceased sister of the former, briefly turns against Joker and Akechi, forcing Joker to [[DuelBoss bring her to her senses]]]].
*** ''Royal'' also comes with some bonus challenge fights, including two DLC fights where you can battle the protagonists of ''Persona 3'' and ''Persona 4''.
* In ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'', the final Gauntlet in the ''Shadow of Doom'' expansion, "The Ultimate Gauntlet", consists of ten challenges framed as Alliances from parallel dimensions battling each other. The first nine challenges pit you against fractions of the entire 51-character roster — Challenge 1 is the Guardians of the Galaxy[[note]]Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket & Groot[[/note]], Challenge 2 is the Web Warriors[[note]]Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, and Venom[[/note]], Challenge 3 is the Marvel Knights[[note]]Morbius, Moon Knight, the Punisher, and Blade[[/note]] and the Defenders[[note]]Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil, and Elektra[[/note]], Challenge 4 is the Avengers[[note]]the first wave consists of Hawkeye, the Wasp, and the Falcon, the second wave consists of the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow, and the final wave consists of Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, and the Black Panther[[/note]], Challenge 5 is the X-Men[[note]]the first wave consists of the Wolverine, Gambit, and Storm, the second wave consists of Deadpool and Cable, the third wave consists of Psylocke, Nightcrawler, and Iceman, and the final wave consists of Cyclops, Colossus, and the Phoenix[[/note]], Challenge 6 is three sets of miscellaneous heroes[[note]]first you fight Elsa Bloodstone and Ghost Rider, then you fight Thor and Loki, and finally you battle Doctor Strange[[/note]], Challenge 7 is a group of female heroes[[note]]Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Crystal[[/note]], Challenge 8 is the Fantastic Four[[note]]Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing[[/note]] and Challenge 9 is three villains[[note]]Magneto, Thanos, and Doctor Doom in his God Emperor form[[/note]]. The tenth and final challenge has you fight the following characters one after another: Doctor Strange in his masked costume from the late sixties-early seventies, Spider-Man in his Symbiote suit, Daredevil's black costume from ''The Man Without Fear'', Captain Marvel in her Ms. Marvel costume, the Punisher in his ''Age of Apocalypse'' costume, Wolverine as Old Man Logan, Star-Lord in his ''Annihilation: Conquest'' costume, Crystal in her Avengers uniform, Thor as Ultimate Thor, Mister Fantastic in his Future Foundation uniform, and Iron Man in his Extremis armor.
* In ''VideoGame/GameOfThrones'', you have to choose between [[TheAtoner Alester]] and [[AntiHero Mors]] as the main character for the last 2 chapters, with the other aiding you in the final battle against [[BigBad Valar]]. After defeating Valar, [[spoiler:the two turn on each other when it's revealed that Alester was the one who helped Valar kill Mors' family on orders from [[GreaterScopeVillain Tywin Lannister]], with the PostFinalBoss being whichever character you didn't pick]].
* In ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'', the Chapter 11 boss is [[spoiler:Britz, one of the last characters to join your party, deceived by the BigBad into fighting the heroes under the assumption that his mother and sister won't be harmed. You cannot use any of the player character's skills or the Soul Cannon, and depending on what level Britz's affinity is at with everyone else prior to his defection, then he'll either rejoin the player group after realizing he's been duped, or take his own life by self-destructing his tank after the match is over]].
* For the first three chapters of ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel2'', Mei, Boron, Socks, Britz, and Hannah from the first game are all rendered BrainwashedAndCrazy [[FightingYourFriend and must be fought]] in order to recruit them back to Malt's side. However, because of their friendship, Malt can make the battle easier on the crew [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight by calling out to them in Awakening Chances to momentarily stun them with words]].

* The final boss of ''VideoGame/LittleWitchNobeta'' is [[spoiler:a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind against Nonota, a.k.a. the false Nobeta that the player had been controlling during the first half of the game. The true Nobeta wants to restore her true self while Nonota doesn't want to disappear leading to their confrontation]].

* In a couple of the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' games (''VideoGame/TouhouGensokyoLotusLandStory'' and ''VideoGame/TouhouEiyashouImperishableNight''), you have to fight either Marisa or Reimu as the stage 4 boss, depending on who you're playing as.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/InTheHunt'', if two players are present, they will fight each other until either player runs out of lives, with the winner becoming the new leader of D.A.S. If the timer runs out before either player's life stock is depleted, ''[[DownerEnding both players will be destroyed]].''
* In ''VideoGame/GingaForce'', Alex and Margaret face off against Natsuki in Chapter 7. ''VideoGame/NatsukiChronicles'' is a POVSequel from Natsuki's perspective, and which has the same boss fight but from her point of view in Stage 7, where she tries to capture Alex and Margaret's ship.

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' Adventure Path "Hell's Rebels" takes place at the same time as the Evil Adventure Path "Hell's Vengeance". The Post-game section of the latter offers suggestions for having the Players fight their previous characters if they've gone through one then the other.

* ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'':
** The finale involves the player selecting to control either Optimus Prime or Megatron as they have their final battle before landing on Earth.
** A part has you playing as [[CombiningMecha Bruticus]] rampaging atop the Ark. The very next segment switches you to Jazz, who now has to ''stop'' Bruticus.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'', [[spoiler:the two main playable characters are antagonists to one another which culminates in a fight between Ellie and Abby from the perspective of the latter late in the game. The final fight is another fight between the two, this time a FisticuffsBoss where you control Ellie]].

* Happens repeatedly during ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''. There's a twist in this game; when you fight an alternate team, they keep the levels and items from when you were last controlling them. If you manage to keep both teams around the same power, it's an even match-up, but if they're not balanced, you'll spend half the levels plowing through 'yourself' and the other half running away from 'yourself'.
* This is guaranteed to happen in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', thanks to the multiple routes. At the start, the player is asked to lead one of the houses in the Officer’s Academy, each of which has it’s own set of eight characters. There are two mock battles involving the other houses, where the characters for those houses appear as enemies. [[spoiler: There is a TimeSkip later on, where the factions the houses represent end up at war with each other. The player partakes in the war with their house’s faction, and any characters from the other houses who weren’t recruited end up as enemies, likely getting KilledOffForReal by the player’s army]].

* In the final story mission of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', [[spoiler:Franklin is forced to kill either Michael or Trevor]]. However, it's also possible to TakeAThirdOption where [[spoiler:the characters team up and deal with the main antagonists together]].
** Also in an example of a car race instead of classical combat, in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' the game's protagonist CJ must race Claude, the protaganist of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII''.
* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' has one mission where you fight and kill the default player character from ''Saints Row 1'', which is lampshaded by the Boss. After he is dealt with, the default character of ''Saints Row 2'' appears, and then a second one. The Boss asks why there are two of them, and is told that it's the co-op player.

* Happens twice in the ''Mafia'' series. In ''VideoGame/MafiaII'', one otherwise nondescript mission tasks Vito with assassinating Tommy Angelo, the hero of the original ''VideoGame/MafiaTheCityOfLostHeaven''. Downplayed, as the "battle" is a cutscene of you getting out of a car and shooting him in the gut. Played straight in ''VideoGame/MafiaIII'', where if Vito decides he's getting shafted by new protagonist Lincoln the two battle in an assassination mission. Alternatively, if Lincoln [[spoiler:decides to rule New Bordeaux alone]] Vito gets killed off-screen.
* ''VideoGame/Prototype2'' has James Heller fighting against Alex Mercer, the [[VideoGame/{{Prototype}} first game's]] protagonist, who during the intervening time between the two games has lost faith in humanity and decided to become the BigBad, unleashing a new plague on New York which led to Heller's family being killed and him seeking revenge. [[spoiler:Mercer serves as the final boss of the game]].

* For the first three chapters of ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel2'', Mei, Boron, Socks, Britz, and Hannah from the first game are all rendered BrainwashedAndCrazy [[FightingYourFriend and must be fought]] in order to recruit them back to Malt's side. However, because of their friendship, Malt can make the battle easier on the crew [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight can call out to them in Awakening Chances to momentarily stun them with words]].

* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Gaiden: Puyo Wars'': When Daichi goes berserk and [[HulkingOut hulks out into a giant half-Puyo creature]], Sho and Marin, who were introduced as enemies in an UnwinnableBossFight and are first playable in this instance, along with any units currently deployed, are forced to battle him.

Not to be confused with PlayerVersusPlayer, which is specific to multiplayer games. See also FightingYourFriend.

* The finale of ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'' involves the player selecting to control either Optimus Prime or Megatron as they have their final battle before landing on Earth.
** An earlier part of the finale has you playing as [[CombiningMecha Bruticus]] rampaging atop the Ark. The very next segment switches you to Jazz, who now has to ''stop'' Bruticus.

* Near the end of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 must fight [[spoiler:Agent 3, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon|1}}''[='=]s Hero Mode, who has been BrainwashedAndCrazy by the Telephone]]. [[spoiler:Getting OneHundredPercent the expansion will unlock the {{Superboss}}, in which Agent 8 imagines what it would have been like to fight Agent 3 two years ago.]]

** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', you play as three characters: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. Aqua's story contains boss battles against [[spoiler:possessed versions of both of her friends]], and Terra's story ends with [[spoiler:taking control of Terra's Lingering Will, fighting his own possessed body in an ([[DoomedByCanon unsuccessful]]) attempt to get it back from Xehanort]].
*** This also retroactively makes [[spoiler:the secret boss of ''KH2 Final Mix'', Lingering Will, this]].

* Near the end of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'', Agent 8 must fight [[spoiler:Agent 3, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon|1}}''[='=]s Hero Mode, who has been BrainwashedAndCrazy by the Telephone]]. [[spoiler:Getting OneHundredPercent the expansion will unlock the BonusBoss, in which Agent 8 imagines what it would have been like to fight Agent 3 two years ago.]]

* In both ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow'' games, Soma Cruz and Julius Belmont can eventually fight each other. Julius is fought as the ClimaxBoss of Soma's campaign in ''Aria'', while Soma is fought as the FinalBoss of Julius' campaign in ''Dawn''.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' use the opposite-gender version of your player character as a "rival" that fights you several times throughout the game. Red later goes on to show up in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' to challenge the characters from those games as well.

[[caption-width-right:320:[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver You're]] pretty strong... but how do you compare against [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue the very best?!]]]]