History Main / ThereCanBeOnlyOne

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'''s MissionControl Wade says this to Rufus after it becomes apparent that, thanks to some brain-enhancing machinery, the naked mole rat might be smarter than him. Wade must take his role as the SmartGuy very seriously.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OgYWLSrmlI There can be only one Prince of Darkness!]]

The long-term plot of the program revolves around a group of characters whose numbers are being slowly whittled away by one means or another, usually by killing each other. In the case of some [[RealityShow reality shows]], this is a process of elimination intended to result in a single winner. In other shows, this is a dramatic device, designed to generate tension and conflict with which to drive the overall plot of an episode or StoryArc (if any); in these cases it is sometimes combined with AnyoneCanDie to especially heighten the resulting excitement, even when the apparent main character may be protected by ContractualImmortality. Compare GottaKillThemAll. When a game utilizes both this and DeadlyGame, you get a BattleRoyaleGame.

* The ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series basically revolves around the mortal children of the God of Murder, who he created before his death to inherit his power and become his successor. In the first game, one of his sons plans to start a brutal and bloody war to use all the fallen as a sacrifice in a ritual that will turn him to the new God of Murder. In the GrandFinale in the addon to the second game, all the remaining children start to hunt down and kill each other to absorb all the fragments of their fathers divine power and [[GodhoodSeeker become a god.]] [[spoiler: The god in question actually planned for them to ''all'' die so their energy could be used to bring him back to life. Of course, this doesn't go quite as planned either... and the player character ''can'' take his powers at the end of it all. ''Without'' killing absolutely all the others, since Imoen can give up her share of the power voluntarily and Sarovok no longer has his after being resurrected.]]

* Spoofed in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' parody comic ''[[http://piratemonkeysinc.com/ms1.htm House Sparklypoo]]''. The members of the titular house discover to their horror that they're losing their [[MarySue specialness]]. Their teacher suggests that it's because each of them is supposed to be the best, but obviously only one person can be the best at anything. Cue massive throwdown as the Sparklypoos try to kill one another in order to regain their special powers, culminating in the destruction of Sparklypoo Tower by an errant [[{{LightNovel/Slayers}} Dragon Slave]].

* Heartwarmingly subverted in the high jump at the 2020 Olympics. The two top scores, posted by Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, were identical, so the officials were prepared to stage a jump-off to break the tie for gold, but Barshim and Tamberi, who had been close friends for many years, [[https://youtu.be/GjSCT97GSsA?t=235 told the officials they didn't want the tie broken]] and asked if the rules allowed for them to both win gold. The official told them that it was allowed as long as both of them agreed to it; at that point, all the pair had to do was look at each other and both of them knew they were in agreement.

* Heartwarmingly subverted in the high jump at the 2020 Olympics. The two top scores, posted by Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, were identical, so the officials were prepared to stage a jump-off to break the tie for gold, but Barshim and Tamberi, who had been close friends for many years, [[https://youtu.be/GjSCT97GSsA?t=235 told the officials they didn't want the tie broken]] and asked if the rules allowed them to be co-gold medalists. The official told them that it was allowed as long as both of them agreed to it; Barshim promptly turned to Tamberi and declared them both Olympic champions as Tamberi screamed in pure joy and embraced Barshim, giving the officals a clear answer.

* At one point the main man SelfDemonstrating/{{Lobo}} died. Luckily, he can regenerate from a single drop of blood. Unluckily, there were several thousand drops of blood splattered across a battlefield. So, several thousand Lobos found themselves in one place -- and what followed was a awesome and horrifying deathmatch, until only one Lobo remained. The funny thing about this was that Lobo ''always'' had this power -- Vril Dox, ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} 2, suppressed it. It wasn't until Lobo was forcibly regressed to a teen that it came back.

* Heartwarmingly subverted in the high jump at the 2020 Olympics. The two top scores, posted by Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, were identical, so the officials were prepared to stage a jump-off to break the tie for gold, but Barshim and Tamberi, who had been close friends for many years, [[https://youtu.be/GjSCT97GSsA?t=235 told the officials they didn't want the tie broken]] and asked if the rules allowed them to be co-gold medalists. The official told them that it was allowed as long as both of them were willing to share; the pair promptly and eagerly agreed, and hugged each other atop the medal podium after receiving their medals.

* Heartwarmingly subverted in the high jump at the 2020 Olympics. The two top scores, posted by Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, were identical, so the officials were prepared to stage a jump-off to break the tie for gold, but Barshim and Tamberi, who had been close friends for many years, [[https://youtu.be/GjSCT97GSsA?t=235 told the officials they didn't want the tie broken]] and asked if the rules allowed them to be co-gold medalists. The official told them that it was allowed as long as both of them were willing to share; the pair promptly agreed, hugging each other atop the medal podium.

* Heartwarmingly subverted in the high jump at the 2020 Olympics. The two top scores, posted by Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, were identical, so the officials were prepared to stage a jump-off to break the tie for gold, but Barshim and Tamberi, who had been close friends for many years, [[https://youtu.be/GjSCT97GSsA?t=235 told the officials they didn't want the tie broken]] and asked if the rules allowed them to be co-gold medalists. The official told them that it was allowed as long as both of them were willing to share; the pair promptly agreed and were clearly delighted to stand side-by-side atop the medal podium, with each of them even placing the medal around the other's neck.

* United States Presidential Campaigns. This show lasts for over a year, with plenty of suspense and commentary. The losers get to make tearful speeches, either endorsing the winner at the convention, or conceding defeat in the general election. A nonlethal example, the ConsolationPrize usually being either a Cabinet postion or the lecture circuit depending on whether or not one's party wins. Sadly, the election does not involve the candidates dueling each other with swords...

* ''Film/{{Highlander}}'', the [[TropeNamers trope namer]] itself, has immortal beings which can die only by decapitation, killing each other until the last one standing obtains all knowledge of the world and the right to spend the rest of his/her life as a mortal.

* The ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series basically revolves around the mortal children of the God of Murder, who he created before his death to inherit his power and become his successor. In the first game, one of his sons plans to start a brutal and bloody war to use all the fallen as a sacrifice in a ritual that will turn him to the new God of Murder. In the GrandFinale in the addon to the second game, all the remaining children start to hunt down and kill each other to absorb all the fragments of their fathers divine power and [[AGodAmI become a god.]] [[spoiler: The god in question actually planned for them to ''all'' die so their energy could be used to bring him back to life. Of course, this doesn't go quite as planned either... and the player character ''can'' take his powers at the end of it all. ''Without'' killing absolutely all the others, since Imoen can give up her share of the power voluntarily and Sarovok no longer has his after being resurrected.]]

* ''Manga/{{X1999}}'' does this with two groups of seven fighters, the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth. The Dragons of Heaven fight to preserve the world, but if the Dragons of Heaven are all defeated by the Dragons of Earth, then the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt world will end]].

* ''Manga/MutekiKanbanMusume'': Central theme of episode 5 A, ''"Be my stepping stone"'' The protagonist and TheRival (both of them {{ManChild}}s {{ArrogantKungFuGuy}}s) are trapped in a dead end between buildings and invoke this trope: To go out, they need to defeat the other and [[KickTheDog use her as a stepping stone]]. Even when the rest of the cast show up to help, they involve them in the game. Deconstructed when everyone is knocked out and the last one is ''too tired to escape''.

* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'': Larfleeze is the only true Orange Lantern Corps member. Overcome by greed, they all fought until he was the last one standing. [[spoiler:Then Comicbook/LexLuthor gained a second orange ring, and the fight began again.]]
* At one point the main man SelfDemonstrating/{{Lobo}} died. Luckily, he can regenerate from a single drop of blood. Unluckily, there were several thousand drops of blood splattered across a battlefield. So, several thousand Lobos found themselves in one place -- and what followed was a awesome and horrifying deathmatch, until only one Lobo remained. The funny thing about this was that Lobo ''always'' had this power -- Vril Dox, Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} 2, suppressed it. It wasn't until Lobo was forcibly regressed to a teen that it came back.

** In ''Comicbook/KryptoniteNevermore'', the [[EnemyWithout Sandman Superman]] tells Superman several times that they have to fight because the world is not big enough for two Supermen.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''

* In ''{{VideoGame/Yakuza}}'', Kazuma Kiryu, "The Dragon of Dojima", is considered TheParagon and all-around biggest badass of the criminal underworld, leading to at least one rival per game being driven by jealousy or ambition to defeat him and become the next "Dragon", frequently with the TattooedCrook sporting dragon tattoos of their own just to emphasise this trope[[note]]And just for completeness sake, two have carp tattoos, [[LegendaryCarp referring to a legend where a carp that swims to the top of a waterfall becomes a dragon]] [[/note]].

* ''Anime/MaiHime'' starting around its sixteenth episode (this arc was nicknamed "[=HiMElander=]" by fans, as a reference to ''Franchise/{{Highlander}}'').

** In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}: FES'', the ex-SEES members discover that they can break out of the [[GroundhogDayLoop Time Skip]] by [[spoiler: assembling the eight fragments of the Key of Time, of which each of them possesses one]]. Naturally, a disagreement breaks out over how to use this power (more specifically, [[spoiler: whether to go back to the past or continue in the present]]); they solve it by [[spoiler: arranging a four-way fight, with the members all pairing off against one another]].

* ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'' combines this trope with the HaremGenre, with human masters known as Ashikabi forming bonds with HumanAliens. There are OneHundredAndEight of them, and powerful Ashikabi are capable of forming bonds with multiple Sekirei, building a formidable BattleHarem that improves their chances of victory. This, however, is a cruel twist since it turns out the rule remains strictly ''one'' surviving Sekirei regardless of how many an Ashikabi has. Miya even calls out Matsu on encouraging harem-building, pointing out the cruelty of encouraging people to bond and fall in love, when all but one will have to die in the end. Ultimately, [[spoiler: Musubi decides to TakeAThirdOption through absorbing the souls of her comrades, allowing her to borrow their powers for the final battle. Afterwards, she uses her wish to restart ''all'' the Sekirei so that everyone can have a happy ending]].

* Franchise/GreenLantern: Larfleeze is the only true Orange Lantern Corps member. Overcome by greed, they all fought until he was the last one standing. [[spoiler:Then Comicbook/LexLuthor gained a second orange ring, and the fight began again.]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]

* When LetsPlay/TheDerpCrew has gaming sessions, ZeRoyalViking and AphexArcade sometimes get into a rivalry due to both of them being named Steven, and try to kill each other in-game and declare that only they can be the true Steven.

** Mysterious Heroine X is yet another Saber/Artoria Pendragon {{Expy}}. Her main goal is to kill all others who share her face, "Saberfaces". This includes Saber, Mordred, Nero, and Jeanne d'Arc. Though even just being a Saber is enough to put someone in her crosshairs. This also doesn't exclude ''her'' from from the hit list, as an alternate version of her (Ultra Heroine Z) comes to take her out for failing to complete her mission.

** Mysterious Heroine X is yet another Saber/Artoria Pendragon {{Expy}}. Her main goal is to kill all others who share her face, "Saberfaces". This includes Saber, Mordred, Nero, and Jeanne d'Arc. Though even just being a Saber is enough to put someone in her crosshairs.
** In a more serious example, the second expansion ''Cosmos in the Lostbelt'' has seven alternate timelines brought back from their CessationOfExistence by an all-powerful Alien God and forced to compete with one another to determine which warped history will replace the proper version of human history. The original timeline also has to go along with this battle royale in order to fix Earth and oust the Alien God, annihilating the other timelines in the process.

* In the Creator/JunjiIto manga Tomie, whenever two versions of Tomie meet, they inevitably try kill each other, usually by getting someone else to do the dirty work. However, a [[FetusTerrible weakened or defenseless Tomie]] is low enough on the threat meter that Tomie may kill it herself.

* The main plot of ''Fanfic/LokiAgentOfDoomgard'' is this, even the Trope namer is referenced. It's a Comicbook/SecretWars2015 fic about main universe Loki trying to stop other Lokis from killing off other Lokis and the bodies just keep piling up.

--> '''[[Creator/JetLi Yulaw]]''': After this, there will be only one.
--> '''[[Creator/JetLi Gabe Law]]''': I will not be the one, but neither will you.