History Main / JustToyingWithThem

* This sometimes happens in ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' when the combatants, in spite of being thematically similar enough to be pitted against each other, are actually a highly unequal match on closer analysis -- and one of them has a personality that fits toying with the other. If it's done well, [[CurbStompCushion you might not notice]] until the end. For example, Dante and Bayonetta seem to have a very balanced match with their similar abilities... but you'll see how uneven it was when it ends with [[spoiler: both being ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, which is something Dante easily shrugged off in his very first scene in his games, but fatal to Bayonetta.]] In Thanos vs. Darkseid, ''both'' combatants start by showing off their other abilities and refrain using their OneHitKill attacks until late in the battle, at which point it's revealed which one was the one who really ''could'' afford to toy with his opponent.

* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'': On the way to the 4th phase of the Hunter Exam, Netero challenges Gon and Killua to steal a basketball from him. It's soon apparent that he's Just Toying With Them. Gon turns this into a game of his own - he wants to see if he can force Netero to use ''his other arm'' to keep the ball away from him. Killua doesn't take it nearly as well, and later ''kills two people for bumping into him'' to vent his frustration.0

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'': The third and fourth games have Dante's fights against Lady and Nero respectively. While Lady and Nero are trying their hardest to kill him, Dante is having fun and treating it like a game.

* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'': On the way to the 4th phase of the Hunter Exam, Netero challenges Gon and Killua to steal a basketball from him. It's soon apparent that he's JustToyingWithThem. Gon turns this into a game of his own - he wants to see if he can force Netero to use ''his other arm'' to keep the ball away from him. Killua doesn't take it nearly as well, and later ''kills two people for bumping into him'' to vent his frustration.0

** This is also a likely way of interpreting the final battle between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth, whose motivation at this point is largely payback for being defeated in [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII the game]], drives Cloud to his highest limits without even so much as getting winded himself, and then tries to finish him off after some suitable EvilGloating.

** In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 2008]]'' ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' story arc "Way of the World", Kara runs into Clayface. She lets the mud monster hit her for a bit before disabusing him of any notion he's a match for her (Kara freezes him solid, flies him way, WAY up and lets him drop).

** Q towards Picard in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. Q was an omnipotent being who appeared periodically in TNG, starting with the first episode. He and the rest of his race (the Q Continuum) had decided the human race was dangerous and needed to be destroyed, but then some humans saved the lives of some other aliens, and the Q stopped observing and started interacting directly with humans, particularly Picard. Why didn't they just destroy the human race immediately when they decided people were too dangerous? Q doesn't stay in a very adversarial position towards Picard, but he isn't all that kind, either. In the finale he finally says that the entire season was their "trial" and that the Anomoly of the Week (which will retroactively prevent the evolution of life on Earth) is the judgement... but then he exploits his own reputation for doing this to drop hints on how to stop it disguised as taiunts so the rest of the Continuum doesn't realize what he's doing.

* ''WebComic/KillSixBillionDemons'': Solomon David, as befitting the Demiurge of {{Pride}} and the second-most powerful being in TheMultiverse, does this during his climactic duel at the end of ''[[TournamentArc King of Swords]]''. Since the rules of the ring is victory by submission or death or ring-out for Solomon and VictoryByFirstBlood for the challenger, he applies just enough power to show off how badly he outmatches anyone fool enough to fight him at first, with the ones who impress him being 'allowed' to submit to him. [[spoiler:White Chain ends up deconstructing the whole ordeal through Solomon's use of this trope specifically, pointing out that the entire process is a farce -- Solomon isn't even fighting fair, he 'holds himself back' only in the sense that the whole match is a fixed-outcome charade that only serves to self-reinforce Solomon's own sense of superiority and ego.]]

** Gohan toying with Perfect Cell, which cost his father his life.
** Gotenks not taking his fight with Super Buu seriously. This is an example of someone ''without'' a power advantage playing the trope.

** Vegetto toying with Super Gohan Buu. This was actually [[BatmanGambit part of his strategy]] rather than an act of arrogance, though.

* Pretty much all Nui's fights in ''Fanfic/NaturalSelection'' are just playing around with her opponents both for her own amusement and to remind them just how beneath her they are. Unfortunately for her, she learns the consequences of this when Sanageyama takes advantage of both her [[UnskilledButStrong lack of skill]] and the fact that she doesn't take anyone seriously, resulting in her losing an arm and being unable to reattach it.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'''s reveal trailer for [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]], the eponymous villain is shows utterly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] the rest of the roster in a rather casual manner, as if he feels they're NotWorthKilling. He even teases Mario by almost [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice skewering him on Masamune]], only to reveal that he's just suspending him by his overall strap. It's only when [[ArchEnemy Cloud]] shows up that Sephiroth starts taking the battle seriously, complete with going into his signature OneWingedAngel form.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'':

** Yuugi Hoshiguma carries a shallow dish filled with sake into battle, apparently having challenged herself to battle without spilling it. Her sake [[Memes/{{Touhou}} not even drop!]]

-->-- ''Anime/DragonBallKai''

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Standard practice for most villains (and some heroes) when their power significantly eclipses that of their opponent. This often leads to their undoing, but not always.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Ranma holds off Akane's attacks with one hand while reading a book (a {{Manga}}) with the other. Now that's humiliation.
* Kakashi pulls the same thing off in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''.
** The reason why he was doing this is because he was being a StealthMentor to Team 7 and it was actually a SecretTestOfCharacter. They were never supposed to get the bells off him directly: They were supposed to work as a team and try to.
** [[spoiler:The real Madara Uchiha did this with the ''five Kage'', aka, what are supposed to be the five strongest shinobi in the world right now.]]

* [[GreatGazoo Mr. Mxyzptlk]] [[TheOmnipotent can do basically anything]] [[RealityWarper at will]], so he likes to toy with ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' like this, usually until Superman tricks him into saying his own name backwards so that he gets sent back into his own dimension. His powers are on such a level that it's quite a horrifying thought if [[ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow he decided to become properly evil]], and doubly so when ComicBook/TheJoker gained his powers in "ComicBook/EmperorJoker". The last, incidentally, fits this trope as well, and [[spoiler: the Joker is defeated because he ''can't'' stop toying with [[ArchEnemy Batman]] and just kill him]].
* In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 2008]]'' ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' story arc "Way of the World", Kara runs into Clayface. She lets the mud monster hit her for a bit before disabusing him of any notion he's a match for her (Kara freezes him solid, flies him way, WAY up and lets him drop).
-->'''Supergirl:''' I'm sorry, but you seem confused. Just 'cuz I let you land a few easy blows-- that '''doesn't''' mean we're having a fair fight!\\

* ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' After getting most of the universe's heroes pissed off at him, Thanos turns off the power of most of the gems to show that he can ''still'' kick their asses without omnipotence.

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm has Voldemort do this a ''lot'' in the sequel.

** He spends his relatively short duel with Harry Dresden in ''Bloody Hell'' doing this, mocking him, right up until the exact moment when Dresden manages to hurt him with a soulfire-infused lightning bolt. Cue Voldemort, [[LetsGetDangerous injured and enraged]], almost [[IAmNotLeftHanded killing Dresden in the space of three seconds]] and only being prevented from following through by Wanda's timely arrival.

* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': When the MP-EVAs show themselves to be tougher to bring down than expected, it dawns to Asuka that this is most likely the reason why she seemed to slaughter them so easily the first time around. Although Shinji considers it unlikely, this thought only serves to further fuel her RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* In JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders, Death XIII fights like this, sadistically revelling in [[AntagonistAbilities his opponents' helplessness in their dreams]]. [[JustifiedTrope Completely justified]] since [[spoiler:he's the stand of [[EnfantTerrible the eleven-month-old]] Mannish Boy]].

*** The battle was so vicious that Mustang's own allies are the only reason why he Envy doesn't end up dying at Mustang's hands, is because they are terrified that if he does so he'll end up becoming the very thing their fighting.