History Main / ShadesOfConflict

* '''[[GreyAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Gray]]''': More [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] works tend to fall here, although still more idealistic than Evil vs Evil or Black and Gray. Revenge stories, such as CycleOfRevenge and FeudingFamilies often present such a conflict. Don't have to go Grey to get a well-developed character or anything, but it does make it easier. See also UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist for a frequently grey conflict that doesn't have to be realistic. (Handled poorly, risks becoming ALighterShadeOfGray.)

* '''[[BlackAndWhiteMorality Black vs. White]]''': Doesn't need too much explanation. [[Literature/HarryPotter Harry against Voldemort]], [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Belmont Family versus Dracula]], [[LordOfTheRings Gondor against Mordor]], [[{{Franchise/Transformers}} Autobots against Decepticons]], etcetera. When there are a lot of other conflicts on the side, this tends to be the one most emblematic of the series. The WorthyOpponent may deign to work for the CardCarryingVillain to get the chance to fight the MessianicArchetype, but the story isn't so much about the first as it is about the last two.

With that in mind, it's inevitable that the combinations of conflict will be well charted and mapped. A fight may be between [[IdealHero a too-good-to-stand hero more wholesome than Mom and apple pie]] and a [[CutLexLuthorACheck serial bank robber who uses a gun that turns things into gold]], or [[TriangRelations a pair of teenaged brothers who like the same girl]], but there is a certain tenor to the conflict that goes hand in hand with whether or not one of the participants is, in fact, a horrible person. Maybe there are actions that can be taken against ThoseWackyNazis that would be extreme against the WellIntentionedExtremist. Maybe the KnightTemplar goes about his war in a different way from the DarkMessiah. The stakes are certainly higher when TheHero is up against an OmnicidalManiac rather than an IneffectualSympatheticVillain, and so the tension is heightened.

Not to be confused with CoolShades, though those may be involved somewhere.

Also not to be confused with ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' (which technically falls under Grey vs. Grey); or for that matter with GreenVersusPurple (which is generally Grey vs Gray or even White Vs White - the point is there's no good reason for the conflict). The names of the kinds of conflicts listed above probably comes from the convention that LightIsGood and DarkIsEvil. Contrast NoAntagonist. See also AlikeAndAntitheticalAdversaries.

** '''GrayingMorality''' is a gradual subversion of the Black and White narratives, as the moral conflict becomes more nuanced with more shades of gray evolving. {{Ideal Hero}}es becomes {{Anti Hero}}es, while the Bad Guys become {{Anti Villain}}s. May turn into full GreyAndGrayMorality given enough time, or in more idealistic settings, WhiteAndGrayMorality.

** '''White and Grey vs. Grey and Black''': When you want one side to be good guys yet still have moral ambiguity in both parts of the conflict. Naturally has a MoralityKitchenSink.

* '''[[BlackAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Black]]''': The protagonists aren't the nicest guys in the world, and may even be out and out assholes, but we root for them because the people they fight are even worse. Often present in DarkerAndEdgier works.

{{Conflict}} is the driving force of nearly any story. It provides suspense, [[StuffBlowingUp action]], [[TheQuest adventure]], [[SeinfeldianConversation conversation]], [[ContemplateOurNavels contemplation]], [[CharacterDevelopment development]] and [[Administrivia/NotSelfExplanatory football hooligans]].

!![[Main/SuperTrope Sub-tropes include:]]

* '''[[BlackAndWhiteMorality Black vs. White:]]''' Doesn't need too much explanation. [[Literature/HarryPotter Harry against Voldemort]], [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Belmont Family versus Dracula]], [[LordOfTheRings Gondor against Mordor]], [[{{Franchise/Transformers}} Autobots against Decepticons]], etcetera. When there are a lot of other conflicts on the side, this tends to be the one most emblematic of the series. The WorthyOpponent may deign to work for the CardCarryingVillain to get the chance to fight the MessianicArchetype, but the story isn't so much about the first as it is about the last two.

* '''[[GoodVersusGood White vs. White]]:''' LighterAndSofter
* '''[[WhiteAndGreyMorality White vs. Grey:]]''' A lot of conflicts between the IdealHero and the AntiHero or AntiVillain tend to lean on this side.
* '''[[TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil White, Grey and Black Conflict:]]''' There are three factions, one the clear cut good guys, one the clear cut bad guys and one that doesn't fit either.
** '''White and Grey vs. Black:''' The core good guys don't do bad things, but there's other groups in the world who hate the villains just as much and [[PayEvilUntoEvil are willing to do nasty things to them]] that the heroes don't have to.
** '''White/Grey and Black vs. Black:''' Basically, where the heroes are [[EnemyMine forced to team up]] with bad and not-so-good people to take down other bad people.
** '''White and Grey vs. Grey and Black:''' When you want one side to be good guys yet still have moral ambiguity in both parts of the conflict. Naturally has a MoralityKitchenSink.
** '''White vs. Grey (and sometimes White) and Black:''' The villains are mixed in with people who aren't puppy-killing evil. Often leads to the dilemma that one must hurt the non-villains.
* '''[[GreyAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Gray]]:''' More [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] works tend to fall here, although still more idealistic than Evil vs Evil or Black and Gray. Revenge stories, such as CycleOfRevenge and FeudingFamilies often present such a conflict. Don't have to go Grey to get a well-developed character or anything, but it does make it easier. See also UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist for a frequently grey conflict that doesn't have to be realistic. (Handled poorly, risks becoming ALighterShadeOfGray.)

* '''[[BlackAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Black:]]''' The protagonists aren't the nicest guys in the world, and may even be out and out assholes, but we root for them because the people they fight are even worse. Often present in DarkerAndEdgier works.
* '''[[EvilVersusEvil Black vs. Black]]:''' EnemyCivilWar, TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}. The most cynical and dark works often fall here. If handled poorly, tends to lead to DarknessInducedAudienceApathy due to it being impossible to root for anyone in the story.

* '''[[BlueAndOrangeMorality Blue vs. Orange]]:''' A story where one or more of the sides is not so much good/evil/neutral as ''alien'' or just bizarre. May use OthernessTropes.

** '''GrayingMorality''' is a gradual subversion of the Black and White narratives, as the moral conflict becomes more nuanced with more shades of gray evolving. {{Ideal Hero}}es becomes {{Anti Hero}}es, while the Bad Guys become {{Anti Villain}}s. May turn into full GreyAndGrayMorality given enough time.

* '''[[GreyAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Gray]]:''' More [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] works tend to fall here. Revenge stories, such as CycleOfRevenge and FeudingFamilies often present such a conflict. Don't have to go Grey to get a well-developed character or anything, but it does make it easier. See also UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist for a frequently grey conflict that doesn't have to be realistic. (Handled poorly, risks becoming ALighterShadeOfGray.)
** '''ALighterShadeOfGrey''' happens when both sides are still morally ambiguous/neutral overall, but one is more good than the other.

* '''[[EvilVersusEvil Black vs. Black]]:''' EnemyCivilWar, TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}. If handled poorly, tends to lead to DarknessInducedAudienceApathy due to it being impossible to root for anyone in the story.

{{Conflict}} is the driving force of nearly any story. It provides suspense, [[StuffBlowingUp action]], [[TheQuest adventure]], [[SeinfeldianConversation conversation]], [[ContemplateOurNavels contemplation]], [[CharacterDevelopment development]] and [[SelfExplanatory football hooligans]].

* '''[[MoralityKitchenSink White and Grey and Black vs. White And Gray And Black''': For those works trying to be "realistic" while still having distinct "good guys" and "bad guys".

** '''White and Grey and Black vs. White and Grey and Black''': The situation is complicated. May escalate to MoralityKitchenSink.

* '''[[WhiteAndGreyMorality White vs. Grey:]]''' A lot of conflicts between the IdealHero and the AntiHero or AntiVillain tend to lean on this side. Also the most {{egregious}} OurElvesAreBetter, when lacking perfection isn't good enough for the smug little bastards.

* '''[[GreyAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Grey]]:''' More [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical]] works tend to fall here. Revenge stories, such as CycleOfRevenge and FeudingFamilies often present such a conflict. Don't have to go Grey to get a well-developed character or anything, but it does make it easier. See also UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist for a frequently grey conflict that doesn't have to be realistic. (Handled poorly, risks becoming ALighterShadeOfGray.)

* '''White and Grey vs. Black:''' The core good guys don't do bad things, but there's other groups in the world who hate the villains just as much and [[PayEvilUntoEvil are willing to do nasty things to them]] that the heroes don't have to.
* '''White/Grey and Black vs. Black:''' Basically, where the heroes are [[EnemyMine forced to team up]] with bad and not-so-good people to take down other bad people.
* '''White and Grey and Black vs. White and Grey and Black''': The situation is complicated. Some TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil works fall here, as well as some MoralityKitchenSink ones.
* '''White and Grey vs. Grey and Black:''' When you want one side to be good guys yet still have moral ambiguity in both parts of the conflict. Naturally has a MoralityKitchenSink.
* '''White vs. Grey (and sometimes White) and Black:''' The villains are mixed in with people who aren't puppy-killing evil. Often leads to the dilemma that one must hurt the non-villains. Other TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil works fall here.

* '''[[WhiteAndGreyMorality White vs. Grey:]]''' A lot of conflicts between the IdealHero and the AntiHero or AntiVillain tend to lean on this side. Also the most {{egregious}} OurElvesAreBetter, when lacking perfection isn't good enough for the smug little bastards. At this shade you have [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero versus Harpuia]], [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite trying to stop N]], etc. See also ButNotTooEvil.

--> '''[[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Zapp Brannigan]]:''' ''Prepare to continue the epic struggle between Good and Neutral!''

* '''[[WhiteAndGreyMorality White vs. Grey:]]''' A lot of conflicts between the IdealHero and the AntiHero or AntiVillain tend to lean on this side. Also the most {{egregious}} OurElvesAreBetter, when lacking perfection isn't good enough for the smug little bastards. At this shade you have [[MegaManZero Zero versus Harpuia]], [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite trying to stop N]], etc. See also ButNotTooEvil.

With that in mind, it's inevitable that the combinations of conflict will be well charted and mapped. A fight may be between [[IdealHero a too-good-to-stand hero more wholesome than Mom and apple pie]] and a [[CutLexLuthorACheck serial bank robber who uses a gun that turns things into gold]], or [[TriangRelations a pair of teenaged brothers who like the same girl]], but there is a certain tenor to the conflict that goes hand in hand with whether or not one of the participants is, in fact, a horrible person. Maybe there are actions that can be taken against ThoseWackyNazis that would be extreme against the WellIntentionedExtremist. Maybe the KnightTemplar goes about his war in a different way than the DarkMessiah. The stakes are certainly higher when TheHero is up against an OmnicidalManiac rather than an IneffectualSympatheticVillain, and so the tension is heightened.

-->-- '''Colonel Corazón Santiago''', ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''

* '''[[BlackAndWhiteMorality Black vs. White:]]''' Doesn't need too much explanation. [[Literature/HarryPotter Harry against Voldemort]], [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Belmont Family versus Dracula]], [[LordOfTheRings Gondor against Mordor]], [[{{Transformers}} Autobots against Decepticons]], etcetera. When there are a lot of other conflicts on the side, this tends to be the one most emblematic of the series. The WorthyOpponent may deign to work for the CardCarryingVillain to get the chance to fight the MessianicArchetype, but the story isn't so much about the first as it is about the last two.

* '''[[BlackAndWhiteMorality Black vs. White:]]''' Doesn't need too much explanation. [[Literature/HarryPotter Harry against Voldemort]], [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Belmont Family versus Dracula]], [[LordOfTheRings Gondor against Mordor]], [[{{Transformers}} Autobots against Decepticons]], etcetera. When there are a lot of other conflicts on the side, this tends to be the one most emblematic of the series. The WorthyOpponent may deign to work for the CardCarryingVillain to get the chance to fight TheMessiah, but the story isn't so much about the first as it is about the last two.

!!Sub-tropes include:

!!!Sub-tropes include:

-->--'''Colonel Corazón Santiago''', ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''

* '''[[BlackAndWhiteMorality Black vs. White:]]''' Doesn't need too much explanation. [[Literature/HarryPotter Harry against Voldemort]], [[{{Castlevania}} Belmont Family versus Dracula]], [[LordOfTheRings Gondor against Mordor]], [[{{Transformers}} Autobots against Decepticons]], etcetera. When there are a lot of other conflicts on the side, this tends to be the one most emblematic of the series. The WorthyOpponent may deign to work for the CardCarryingVillain to get the chance to fight TheMessiah, but the story isn't so much about the first as it is about the last two.

* '''[[BlueAndOrangeMorality Blue vs. Orange]]:''' A story where one of the sides is not so much good/evil/neutral as ''alien'' or just bizarre. May use OthernessTropes.

* '''[[BlackAndWhiteMorality Black vs. White:]]''' Doesn't need too much explanation. [[HarryPotter Harry against Voldemort]], [[{{Castlevania}} Belmont Family versus Dracula]], [[LordOfTheRings Gondor against Mordor]], [[{{Transformers}} Autobots against Decepticons]], etcetera. When there are a lot of other conflicts on the side, this tends to be the one most emblematic of the series. The WorthyOpponent may deign to work for the CardCarryingVillain to get the chance to fight TheMessiah, but the story isn't so much about the first as it is about the last two.

----

With that in mind, it's inevitable that the combinations of conflict will be well charted and mapped. A fight may be between [[TheCape a too-good-to-stand hero more wholesome than Mom and apple pie]] and a [[CutLexLuthorACheck serial bank robber who uses a gun that turns things into gold]], or [[TriangRelations a pair of teenaged brothers who like the same girl]], but there is a certain tenor to the conflict that goes hand in hand with whether or not one of the participants is, in fact, a horrible person. Maybe there are actions that can be taken against ThoseWackyNazis that would be extreme against the WellIntentionedExtremist. Maybe the KnightTemplar goes about his war in a different way than the DarkMessiah. The stakes are certainly higher when TheHero is up against an OmnicidalManiac rather than an IneffectualSympatheticVillain, and so the tension is heightened.

* '''White and Grey vs. Black:''' The core good guys don't do bad things, but there's other groups in the world who hate the villains just as much and are willing to do nasty things to them that the heroes don't have to.
* '''White/Grey and Black vs. Black:''' Basically, where the heroes are forced to team up with bad and not-so-good people to take down other bad people.

-->--'''Colonel Corazon Santiago''', ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''

** '''Grey vs. Grey and Black''': A subgroup of GreyAndGrayMorality. Basically, both sides are handled with great moral ambiguity, but the enemy side is made clear by there being also some Black (eg: CompleteMonster) individuals in place along with the AntiVillain, WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds, WellIntentionedExtremist, KnightTemplar, etc. Only recently put up and worth serious contemplation, especially in regards to the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism.
* '''[[BlackAndGrayMorality Grey vs. Black:]]''' The protagonists aren't the nicest guys in the world, and may even be out and out assholes, but we root for them because the people they fight are [[CompleteMonster even worse]]. Often present in DarkerAndEdgier works.

* '''[[WhiteAndGreyMorality White vs. Grey:]]''' A lot of conflicts between the IdealHero and the AntiHero or AntiVillain tend to lean on this side. Also the most {{egregious}} OurElvesAreBetter, when lacking perfection isn't good enough for the smug little bastards. At this shade you have [[MegaManZero Zero versus Harpuia]], [[PokemonBlackAndWhite trying to stop N]], etc. See also ButNotTooEvil.
--> '''[[{{Futurama}} Zapp Brannigan]]:''' ''Prepare to continue the epic struggle between Good and Neutral!''