History Main / JustToyingWithThem

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

** The [[PhysicalGods Asuras]] are prone to doing this. Given how even [[ThoseWereOnlyTheirScouts the weakest among them]] are more than a match for the strongest mortal mages, it goes to say that the more powerful ones are able effortlessly put them down with ease.
*** When Agrona manipulates the Council into convicting both Arthur and Director Goodsky of the attack on Xyrus, Kezess sends down Windsom and Aldir, his most trusted servants, to put a stop to his scheme. Aldir withstands both of the dwarven lances' [[TheWorfBarrage strongest attacks]] and neutralize both of them, followed by him killing the Greysunders (Agrona's puppets on the Council) to release the dwarven lances from their control. Meanwhile, Windsom breaks our both Arthur and Sylvie from their wrongful imprisonment, and when Bairon attempts to stop him Windsom nonchalantly brings him to heel.

*** On the other hand, Agrona's ArchEnemy Kezess is a {{Deconstruction}}. As the TopGod and the ruler of the Asuras, Kezess could easily end the Divine Conflict if he wanted to. However, he holds back his power and displays of force both due to [[spoiler:his KnightTemplar tendencies making him see himself as the good guy]] and because of his pride making him underestimate his enemies. Making matters worse is that Agrona is TheUnfettered and as such has been willing to go to any extreme to get an edge over him. As such, Kezess's inefficient response in dealing with Agrona has allowed the latter to get ahead of him by miles and even the playing field.
** While not an Asura himself (though [[spoiler:he becomes part-Asura much later on]]), Arthur is also known to do this to his opponents thanks to his unparalled power.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** ''Literature/MenAtArms'' posits that it's actually ''preferable'' to be at the mercy of an evil person because he/she will indulge in this trope, giving their victims more time to turn the tides. [[GoodIsNotSoft Good people finish off their enemies without a word.]]
** ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'' gives a creepy example with a traditional werewolf game: Some poor soul tries to make it from out in the woods to the safety of the town. If he wins, he'll get a bunch of money, otherwise he's dinner. According to the Ankh-Morpork copper and werewolf Angua, a group of werewolves can pretty much get you anytime they want, but in the traditional version a very strong, trained man has a chance of winning -- indicating that part of the game is for the werewolves not to use their full powers. [[spoiler: Angua's brother Wolfgang has a sadistic twist on it: he holds himself back 'til the last moment, then pounces the human just before he makes it to safety.]]

* ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'': As an immortal sadist with the most powerful magic on the planet, the [[GodEmperor Lord Ruler]]'s fight against Vin mostly consists of him swatting her around effortlessly for his own amusement. [[spoiler:This gives Vin an opportunity to spot his AchillesHeel and inflict a DeathByDepower.]]
* Discussed inn ''Literature/WatchersOfTheThrone'' when Valerian is fighting a [[spoiler:Primaris Space Marine]] for the first time. He notes that if he had the time, he would toy with his opponent more to figure out his capabilities, but as is, he has to settle for CurbStompBattle.
* ''Literature/MasqueradeOfTheRedDeath'': Mafia ''capo'' Don Lazzari likes to pretend he's giving the child he's planning to suck dry a MercyLead. It's really this trope, as Lazzari always kicks in all his powers as a centuries-old vampire to make sure he catches the child before they can escape.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate II'':

** Originally, in the background story as recounted ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} II: Tides of Darkness'', Aegwynn had fought and defeated "[[DemonLordsAndArchDevils the Daemonlord]] Sargeras". Later, when Sargeras was shown as a more powerful GodOfEvil, a RetCon made it so that he had only sent an avatar and held back, [[FightingAShadow pretending to be defeated]] so that he could possess Aegwynn and later his son Medivh, using the latter to attempt to destroy the world.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* This is often used in issues of ''ComicBook/XMen'' involving the Juggernaut. Juggy also did this in his fights against ComicBook/SpiderMan, but luckily for the wall-crawler, those are fewer and farther between.
* ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'': After getting most of the universe's heroes pissed off at him, ComicBook/{{Thanos}} turns off the power of most of the gems to show that he can ''still'' kick their asses without omnipotence.
* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'': In ''Calamity Jane'', the title character enters an arm wrestling contest with a very large man. She seems to be narrowly losing, but once she hears all the bets are in place, she beats him in an instant.

* This is often used in issues of ''Franchise/XMen'' involving the Juggernaut. Juggy also did this in his fights against Franchise/SpiderMan, but luckily for the wall-crawler, those are fewer and farther between.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', Ghirahim does this with Link in their first duel, and even does this in their second fight, but less held back. By the time they reach their third duel [[spoiler:Ghirahim assumes his [[OneWingedAngel true form]] and stops holding back, but at this point, Link has [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind closed the gap]]]].

** Vegetto toying with Super Gohan Buu. This was actually [[BatmanGambit part of his strategy]] rather than an act of arrogance, though. Vegetto was utterly dominating Buu and could've killed him at any time, but was deliberately giving Buu openings to absorb him so that he could free the other absorbed victims from the inside.

The stronger character's motivation is most likely their own amusement, as in ItAmusedMe or even ForTheEvulz, but it's not impossible for there to be some more rational end (eg., if the stronger character is a TricksterMentor).

SuperTrope to ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask, CombatUninterruptus and INeedYouStronger. For obvious reasons, tends to be a DavidVersusGoliath situation. Other tropes that may come up include HeroicSecondWind and NearVillainVictory. Compare WillfullyWeak, ComplexityAddiction, EvilGloating, MyDefenseNeedNotProtectMeForever, and CherryTapping, which all resemble this in different ways. A NoNonsenseNemesis will ''not'' be caught doing this. In a fight, CurbStompBattle is likely what would happen if the stronger character didn't hold back... and it might anyway. A MercyLead will be a form of this trope if it's intended to make no difference.

** Goku as a kid enjoyed toying with his opponents, but unlike the examples above including his adult self, there was no real malice behind it. To him, fighting was one big game and it's no fun if he just curb stomps everyone. He even referred to it as playing. He also tends to toy around because his full strength can easily kill most people. He knows, however, when to become serious, especially if he is mad. This can be seen most in his fight with Ninja Murasaki. Goku could have easily beaten the guy in minutes, but played with him, actually playing hide-and-seek and racing. Murasaki is so weak compared to Goku that it doesn't matter anyway and was one-shotted once Goku got serious.
** When mad, Goku will toy with his opponents to show them just how out-matched they are. During the final leg of the Frieza fight, Goku stalked, belittled, and played mind games with Frieza, knowing that he was too weak to challenge him anymore. He also toyed with Nappa, just as he done to his friends before killing them. It also served a secondary purpose of making Nappa mad and therefore predictable. He also toyed with Fat Buu, but that was because he didn't want to beat him, wanting Trunks and Goten to do it.

** Perfect Cell vs. Trunks. Trunks uses the beefed up Ultra Super Saiyan form to lay a decent beatdown on Cell, only for Cell to reveal the MightyGlacier weakness of the technique and dodge every subsequent attack.

** Near the beginning, the Remnants of Sephiroth attack Cloud while he's motorcycling near what's left of Midgar. Loz and Yazoo on their own motorcycles together with a group of summoned monsters called Shadow Creepers give him more trouble than he can handle. The battle ends with Yazoo shooting Cloud right between the eyes but only hitting his goggles, possibly just to show he could have killed him right then, and Kadaj calling off the Shadow Creepers just when they're all about pounce on Cloud at the same time. It isn't until later in the movie that Cloud regains the strength to be a match for the Remnants. At this point they're toying with him.

** This is also a likely way of interpreting the final battle between Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth, whose motivation at this point is largely payback [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII for being defeated previously]], 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 gloating]].

** Later on, Crocodile does the same to Luffy, standing by idly for a couple of minutes while Luffy futilely tries to hurt him. Croc eventually does win (easily), but unfortunately for him Luffy survives and manages to defeat Croc during a later rematch.

* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': Young Toguro, the antagonist of the second season (the Dark Tournament), feigned defeat the first time he met Yusuke in order for his employer to win a bet. However, he later went back gave Yusuke a demonstration of his real power by demolishing a building. He plays this trope by explicitly telling others what percent of his power he's using. The only exception is during his final fight with Yusuke when he revealed he'd only been using 85% of his power instead of 100%

** Interestingly enough in ''[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]'', it is the exact opposite when he pushes Roy Mustang too far, by turning into Mustang's deceased best friend (who he brutally murdered) and bragging about it to Mustang's face. The end result in a long drawn out beat down during which Envy realized that it was a really dumb move to tick off someone whose nom de guerre is the "Flame Alchemist." 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 they're fighting.

** In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 2008]]'' ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' story arc ''ComicBook/WayOfTheWorld'', 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).

** ''ComicBook/TwoForTheDeathOfOne'': After becoming an all-powerful sorceress, Syrene sends tongues of flames towards Satanis. Satanis channels them back to her, but Syrene dispels the fire easily and warns that she is merely testing him... for now.

** He spends his relatively short duel with Harry Dresden in the ''Bloody Hell'' arc 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/MegamiNoHanabira'': [[TheBrute Brother]] [[{{Sadist}} Chick]] of the Flock has been shown to do this to his opponents: Mai quickly realizes that the reason the fight lasted as long as it did at all is because he decided to torment the girls slowly rather than kill them outright. Of course, this bites Chick in the ass when it gives the girls enough time to formulate a plan to escape. He's called out on this later by one of his comrades: [[TranquilFury he calmly snaps his fellow lieutenant's]] [[{{Fingore}} finger back]], [[DisproportionateRetribution then chokeslams him onto a table and tries to strangle him to death.]]
* ''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 ''Film/KillBill'' O-Ren begins her duel against the Bride by holding her katana with only one hand, wielding her sheath in the other. During the fight she tries using the sheath to distract and harass the Bride, up until the Bride cuts it in half. At that point O-Ren regards the cut sheath with a sinister smile and discards it, slowly gripping her blade with two hands, and in short order she strikes a major blow against her opponent.

** In the fight between Inigo Montoya and the Man in Black, [[MasterSwordsman Inigo]] starts fighting with his off-hand just because he can't find a decent challenge anywhere any more. It quickly turns out that the Man in Black is good enough that Inigo has to [[IAmNotLeftHanded switch to his right hand]] to regain the advantage. [[spoiler:Then it turns out that the Man in Black was ''also'' fighting with his off-hand...]]

** In the main plot, [[BigBad Irenicus]] has the PlayerCharacter and their allies at his mercy after just [[spoiler:stealing the souls of two of them]]. His pragmatic mind finds no more use for them, but when he gives them to [[TheDragon Bodhi]] to dispose of, she decides to give them a MercyLead in a convenient nearby labyrinth full of challenges and enemies before hunting them down. Or that's what she says, anyway, as she eventually shows up from the front rather than behind and explains she had no intention of keeping any deal. GameplayAndStorySegregation steps in at this point, because in game terms Bodhi would have to be completely foolish to think she is in no risk trying to stop the party (which she just re-armed herself) with the help of the handful of vampires she has with her. It becomes a moot point anyway when [[spoiler: the player character's SuperpoweredEvilSide makes its first appearance.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', Ghirahim does this with Link in their first duel, and even does this in their second fight, but less held back. By the time they reach their third duel [[spoiler:Ghirahim assumes his [[OneWingedAngel true form]] and stops holding back, but at this point Link has [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind closed the gap]]]].

--> '''Dante:''' What's the matter? Why the glare?
--> '''Nero:''' You look as if you've just been playing me from the beginning...

** 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.

** In "The Bug, the Witch, and the Robot", Riff realises that K'Z'K, possessing Gwynn, is just playing with him and the others two put up a show to someone when he uses a previously deadly spell at much lower power. He's right; K'Z'K is trying to break Gwynn, who is watching the events from inside her own mind, so that he can take over her fully.
** In "Oceans Unmoving", Bun-bun remarks that the only reason he hasn't killed Calix yet for getting in his way is because he kind of likes him... especially when he can [[BreakThemByTalking verbally "crush his soul"]], as he then proceeds to do while at the same time demonstrating he could physically kill him easily.

** In "Hell Train: The Dallar Show", Khun and Rachel face in one of the Tower's endless tests, where the winner is the one who catches a fish. Khun does a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, as part of which he suggests that Rachel can try to catch the fish first since it's obvious he's going to win anyway. He's right, too, since the fish is not as harmless as it looks.

** 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. In particular, despite knowing TheGreatestStyle, he fights exclusively by matching his opponent's fighting style(s), and demonstrating that he's better at it. [[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.]] On the other hand, Solomon also seems to feel [[EvilVirtues duty-bound]] not to lose on purpose even if he might want to.

** When Oberon returns and wants to wipe the Avalon clan off the island, Goliath challenges him to let them remain. Oberon's wife makes it more interesting (and to give them a fighting chance), and gets him to agree to fight with only "the strength of a child." He agrees, having been bored for some millenia. What he fails to say is that he'll have the strength of one of ''his'' children, meaning he's still leagues more powerful than four standard gargoyles.

* In the fourth season finale of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', the Titans try to stop Trigon the Terrible with a desperate plan; while Robin goes into the underworld to retrieve Raven, the remaining Titans will keep Trigon attention occupied with an all-out assault. However, near the end Trigon reveals that he's known about their scheme all along; he just considers watching them fight their EnemyWithout to be a form of mild amusement. When they win their battle, Trigon unleashes hordes of fire monsters with a gesture, forcing their retreat.

* It's sometimes thought that VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog does this with most of his enemies; for example, how else would a [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 humongous truck]] be able to keep up with a hedgehog who can break the sound barrier?

** 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.]] On the other hand, Solomon also seems to feel [[EvilVirtues duty-bound]] not to lose on purpose even if he might want to.

* In the Polish film ''Film/TheDeluge'', Andrzej Kmicic makes the mistake of challenging experienced Polish knight Colonel Michal Wolodyjowski to a sabre duel, but he still walks into the duel with SuicidalOverconfidence. Wolodyjowski [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkYjdPCyYjk spends the ensuing several minutes]] humiliating Kmicic in various ways, from [[YouFightLikeACow firing a multi-layered insult his way]], to [[{{Flynning}} spinning his sword mid-battle]] while Kmicic watches, to flinging Kmicic's sword off into the distance with a little flick. Kmicic is left to realize he's nothing more than a nuisance to Wolodyjowski and eventually just pleads with the colonel to GetItOverWith to let him preserve ''some'' dignity.

** One of these fights doesn't even bother trying to hide it- that being Omni-Man vs. Homelander. [[spoiler:Nolan spends the entire fight toying with and humiliating Homelander, only getting serious once Homelander threatens to kill Mark, at which point the Viltrumite spends the final 20 seconds of the 2-minute long fight making sure Homelander dies ''[[CruelAndUnusualDeath painfully]]'' (To wit, by [[AndShowItToYou ripping out Homelander's heart]], then [[NotHyperbole making good on the vow he made when he started the fight]] by literally feeding Homelander his ripped out heart, then making him 'swallow' by crushing his head.).]]

* In Manga/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]].

* Played with in ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', while Izaya is weaker than Shizuo, during their final fight [[spoiler:he lures Shizuo into a building under construction by having the machines used thrown down at Shizuo which does no damage in the slightest. As he makes it further in, Izaya sets a (presumably) gasoline-coated floor on fire, though once again, Shizuo is unharmed. However, Izaya reveals it was all just him messing around- in reality, the sprinkler system was rigged to spew carbon dioxide, so by the time Shizuo reached the top, he was barely conscious while Izaya threw in a match. Of course, due to Celty's interference, the explosion was nullified.]]

** In the frist practice fight between [[TheHero Allison]] and [[MasterSwordswoman Maya]], Allison kicks Maya off of herself, and she lands with her head down. Maya remains in that position, effortlessly balancing on her head, for a while while parrying several attacks. (With her legs. Her hands are idle the whole time.) Of course, she has also not drawn her sword at that point.

** In the frist practice fight between [[TheHero Allison]] and [[MasterSwordswoman Maya]], Allison kicks Maya off of herself, and she lands with her head down. Maya remains in that position, effortlessly balancing on her head, for a while while parrying several attacks. (With her legs. Her hands are idlet the whole time.) Of course, she has also not drawn her sword at that point.

* ''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.]] On the other hand, Solomon also seems to feel [[EvilVirtues duty-bound]] not to lose on purpose even if he might want to.

* The'Galin from ''VideoGame/AdventureQuest'' is a plot-guided HopelessBossFight for most players and a BonusBoss for high-end players. He is also the God of Uncreation and intentionally allows the player to futilely attack him as he toys back and inevitably defeats the player.

* In the 2003 ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' anime, the [[ArtificialHuman homunculus]] Envy is a complete sadist and one of the more skilled CQC combatants in the series. He tends to toy with his victims using his [[ShapeshifterGuiltTrip shapeshifting powers]] and DanceBattler moves before killing them, especially against Ed in order to humiliate him. [[spoiler:Once he actually gets riled up during their final fight, Envy {{One Hit Kill}}s Ed by impalement.]]
** Interestingly enough in ''[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]'', it is the exact opposite when he pushes Roy Mustang too far, by turning into Mustang's deceased best friend (who he brutally murdered) and bragging about it to Mustang's face. The end result in a long drawn out beat down during which Envy realized that it was a really dumb move to tick off someone whose nom de guerre is the "Flame Alchemist."
*** 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 they're fighting.
** Similarly, Anime!Pride spends his climactic battle with Mustang basically toying around, even letting the alchemist [[KillItWithFire incinerate him]] once on purpose just to test [[GoodThingYouCanHeal the regenerative powers he's never needed to use before]] just to see if they were actually working. [[spoiler:Only the convenient delivery of Pride's AchillesHeel saves Mustang.]]
** Anime!Sloth, representing the [[LazyBum Sin of Sloth]], never goes all-out on anyone either until her final appearance. Mostly she uses her water-manipulating powers to trap opponents in blobs of water and letting them asphyxiate because it's the path of least effort.

** When Oberon returns and wants to wipe the Avalon clan off the island, Goliath challenges him to let them remain. Oberon's wife makes it more interesting (and to give them a fighting chance), and get's him to agree to fight with only "the strength of a child." He agrees, having been bored for some millenia. What he fails to say is that he'll have the strength of one of ''his'' children, meaning he's still leagues more powerful than four standard gargoyles.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', Beatrix fights your party in a fairly normal, if somewhat challenging boss fight, before declaring "[[YouFool Ignorant fools!]] after either losing enough HP or a set period of time and uses Stock Break to reduce everyone's [[HPToOne HP to 1]]. Subsequent battles play out the same way, except it being even more obvious that she's just toying with them [[spoiler:until finally she has a HeelFaceTurn and starts fighting on your side.]]

* Association Football teams often do this when faced with a stubborn defence, passing it around and making the opposition run after them and tire themselves out. While this can become an example of performative sadism, it is often for the practical purpose of exhausting the opposition with minimum energy expenditure, allowing the dominant team to more easily pick their opponents off as concentration starts to slip and gaps open up. The classic modern example of this is the ''tiki-taka'' style pioneered by the Barcelona and Spain sides between 2008 and 2014.
** Now, with the spread of the highly organised ''gegenpress'' (high-press, essentially closing down passing options and making players panic on the ball, popularised by Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund), it's less popular, though it is sometimes used in combination with the ''gegenpress'' - by Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola (who pioneered it at Barcelona), and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
** Sometimes, though, it really can get downright sadistic. For instance, Liverpool's 5-0 defeat of rivals Manchester United in 2021. After racing into a 5-0 lead without much real effort, they spent the last 40 minutes of the match playing keep-ball and making United chase them, losing what little dignity they had left.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Barragan Louisenbairn of the Espada did this with Suì-Fēng, Marechiyo Ōmaeda, and eventually, Hachigen Ushōda. He is a TimeMaster that can dilate time around himself so that an opponent's incoming attack slows down, allowing him to counter accordingly. Since he controls [[RapidAging senescence]], anything he touches ages to the point of decay. He demonstrates this by ''[[NoIAmBehindYou suddenly appearing]]'' next to Suì-Fēng (without her even noticing at first, to her shock) and taps her left shoulder, causing the shoulder's bones to become so brittle that they broke immediately. It's taken UpToEleven after he uses his [[OneWingedAngel Resurrección]], where he becomes a WalkingWasteland that gains the ability to release [[DeadlyGas Respira, a fatal miasma that instantly rots anything it touches]]. Even in this transformed state, he ''still'' toys around with his opponents. Ultimately, he ends up getting killed (by Respira, to boot!), because he was so ridiculously arrogant. Fittingly enough, his zanpakutō is named "Arrogante".

* ''Manga/OnePiece''

** Later on Crocodile does the same to Luffy, standing by idly for a couple of minutes while Luffy futilely trys to hurt him. Croc eventually does win (easily), but unfortunately for him Luffy survives and manages to defeat Croc during a later rematch.
** Miss Doublefinger could have easily scored a victory against the underskilled Nami, but by toying with her, Nami got the opportunity to learn how to use her Clima Tact and then quickly turned the tide.

** One of these fights doesn't even bother trying to hide it- that being Omni-Man vs. Homelander. [[spoiler:Nolan spends the entire fight toying with and humiliating Homelander, only getting serious once Homelander threatens to kill Mark, at which point the Viltrumite spends the final 20 seconds of the 2-minute long fight making sure Homelander dies ''[[CruelAndUnusualDeath painfully]]'' (To wit, by [[AndShowItToYou ripping out Homelander's heart]], then [[NotHyperbole making good on the vow he made when he started the fight]] by literally feeding Homelander his ripped out heart, then making him ''swallow'' by crushing his head.).]]