Line #125 Main/DuelingPlayerCharacters


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9	[[quoteright:320:[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/redthenrednowhoriz2_4398.png]]]]
10	[[caption-width-right:320:[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver You're]] pretty strong... but how do you compare against [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue the very best?]]]]
11
12	Most single-player video games have a single PlayerCharacter whom the player steers throughout the adventure. Some feature [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent more of them, with the player controlling each one of them in turns]]. And then there are some that pit one player character against another, controlled by the player and the [[VideoGameAI AI]], respectively. If the two playable characters are [[TheRival rivals]] or ArchEnemies to one another, this is all but guaranteed to happen at some point.
13
14	If the battle is fought to the death, it can become a powerful PlayerPunch, especially if the player [[SadisticChoice is forced to decide]] which character lives and who dies. Even if it's not to the death, the outcome of who wins may cause the story to branch off in different paths.
15
16	May overlap with PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo and RogueProtagonist if it takes place in a sequel. May or may not be a DuelBoss encounter. If the two characters play similarly enough to one another, the battle may serve as a MirrorBoss. If a character appears as a boss fight first and is later unlockable as a playable character, they have been PromotedToPlayable.
17
18	Compare MainCharacterFinalBoss, where the main protagonist of the game enters a FaceHeelTurn near the end of the game and becomes the FinalBoss. Not to be confused with PlayerVersusPlayer, which is specific to multiplayer games. See also FightingYourFriend.
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20	----
21	!!Examples:
22
23	[[foldercontrol]]
24
25	[[folder:Action]]
26	* ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'': In one level, Jacket has a boss battle against a cleaver-wielding biker and ends up killing him. In the game's epilogue, the player gets to play as the Biker ([[AnachronicOrder taking place a few days before the battle]]) and eventually has the fight again, except playing the other character. But this time, ''Biker kills Jacket''. It's not even a proper boss battle this time around, instead an AntiClimaxBoss.
27	* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
28	** 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.
29	** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'':
30	*** 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]].
31	*** In the ''Special Edition'', [[spoiler:Vergil's FinalBoss fight is against Dante]].
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Action Adventure]]
35	* ''VideoGame/BeatDownFistsOfVengeance'' sees the male characters who are not picked as the player character getting fought in order to join your gang, which means depending on who you select at the beginning, you'll have to fight either two or three of them.
36	* 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]].
37	* ''VideoGame/DeadlyCreatures'' has a few portions where the tarantula and scorpion cross paths and you have to beat one with the other.
38	* 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.
39	* ''VideoGame/LegoStarWars'':
40	** In ''LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game'' and ''[[CompilationRerelease LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga]]'', you play through most of the last level of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' 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.
41	** In ''LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga'', if the final level of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', "Fulfill Your Destiny," is played in co-op, Player 2 controls Darth Vader and the objective is to "Fight!" However, the only boss health bar is Vader's and Player 1 as Luke [[HeadsIWinTailsYouLose has to deplete Vader's health bar to progress through the level.]]
42	* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'':
43	** 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.
44	** ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'':
45	*** 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]].
46	*** 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…
47	** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'', however, as Kiryu and Majima never even meet throughout the entirety of the game... [[spoiler:until TheStinger, that is.]]
48	** ''VideoGame/YakuzaKiwami2'' 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.
49	** ''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.]]
50	** ''VideoGame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName''' has Kiryu face off against [[spoiler:Kaito from the Judgement games]] in a sidequest. The "Legendary Fighters" DLC pack adds Daigo Dojima, Saejima, and Majima as bonus bosses you can face in the game's coliseum. In addition, all of these characters become playable in the coliseum.
51	* ''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]].
52	* ''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.
53	* 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]].
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Adventure Game]]
57	* 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.
58	* Often plays a part in Creator/QuanticDream games:
59	** In addition to the whole "one character leaves clues, the two others find them" mechanic in ''VideoGame/{{Fahrenheit}}'', there is an episode where Carla and Tyler spar at the police gym. Notably, not only can you decide whom to control during the sparring, but you can also lose (even on purpose), which is helpful because the winner gets a boost to their SanityMeter (which Carla usually needs more than Tyler).
60	** Likewise, in ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'', [[spoiler:Ethan, Madison, or Norman (whoever is alive at that point)]] must fight [[spoiler:Scott a.k.a. the Origami Killer]] in the endgame. You control the former, but you can still lose and have your current character killed.
61	** One of the player characters in ''VideoGame/DetroitBecomeHuman'' is an advanced prototype android named Connor who is designed to work with the law enforcement in hunting down androids who have deviated from their programmed behavior. As a result, you end up on the trail of the two other player characters, Kara and Markus, who became deviants. [[spoiler:Depending on whether Connor becomes deviant or remains a programmed machine in the "Crossroads" chapter, he either does a HeelFaceTurn and sides with Markus' revolution or is the VillainProtagonist all the way to the end; if the latter, Markus faces Connor as the FinalBoss fight and the player determines who wins.]]
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Beat 'em Up Game]]
65	* In ''VideoGame/{{Double Dragon\|I}}'', if both Lee brothers defeat Machine Gun Willy together, then they are forced to fight each other over who wins Marian's affections.
66	* In ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'', the bad ending is achieved this way. If one player refuses Mr. X's offer to join him while the other accepts, both players will duke it out, with the victor fighting Mr. X alone then taking his place.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Card Battle Game]]
70	* ''VideoGame/{{Hearthstone}}'': The Great Dalaran Heist single-player mode from ''Rise of Shadows'' had the player take control of nine {{Villain Protagonist}}s in order to rob the city. In the following singleplayer mode, Tombs of Terror, all of them returned as bosses (except Vessina, who became a playable card in ''Saviors of Uldum'', and Rakanishu, who's a boss-exclusive minion). The Warlock representative, Tekahn, is the FinalBoss of the whole set.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Fighting Game]]
74	* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' has a story mode similar to the ''Injustice'' example above. Swapping characters throughout the story, sometimes fighting against previously-controlled characters.
75	* 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.
76	* In ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'', the single-player campaign has you swapping characters at the end of most chapters, and every so often you'll end up in a fight with a character you controlled in a previous chapter.
77	* ''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.
78	* Much like ''Injustice'', the [=NetherRealm=] Studios-developed ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' games have story modes where you change characters each chapter. ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' has an Aftermath DLC story in which the final battle is between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung, and just like in ''Injustice 2'', you get to choose which one to play as, which determines the ending.
79	* In the "Subspace Emissary" mode of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', this happens numerous times:
80	** "Midair Stadium", and by extension the entire game, begins with a competitive bout between [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] and Franchise/{{Kirby}}. This fight is a [[InternalHomage reference]] to the ending of ''Smash Bros. 64's'' into video and the player can choose to play as either character. In either case, the fight ends with the victor and the defeated shaking hands.
81	** After a battle against a [[TheWormThatWalks shadow bug]] doppelganger of Princess Peach or Princess Zelda in "The Lake Shore", Mario and [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit]] face off against [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] and Yoshi, after one of the teams mistakes the other for having just killed the princess. Which team is in control of the player depends on which princess was saved earlier.
82	** 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}} in vengeance of [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Ness]]. The player only has control over the former two.
83	** At the end of "The Ruins", Lucas and Pokémon Trainer (who now has Ivysaur in addition to Squirtle) battle Charizard, whom Pokémon Trainer captures afterward with his Poké Ball. Again, the player has control over Lucas and Pokémon Trainer.
84	** At the end of "The Glacial Peak", Lucario and Meta Knight fight, which is between this and DefeatMeansPlayable (since it's Lucario's first appearance in the story). Just like with Mario and Kirby at the beginning of the game, the player can choose either character before the fight.
85	** Finally, at the end of the first iteration of "Subspace", the player takes control of King Dedede as he is forced to fight Bowser, who at this point is unaware that [[spoiler:Tabuu is behind the entire plot]].
86	* In ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds'', some of the boss fights are actually the other playable characters. This is justified due the game's plot as there can ony be one champion, so fighting the others at some point is to be expected.
87	* 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.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:First-Person Shooter]]
91	* 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''.
92	* 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]].
93	* Happens often in ''VideoGame/TribesVengeance''. First is when Victoria fights and kills [[spoiler:her lover Daniel after he is tricked into killing her father]]. Then subverted when Julia [[spoiler:chases after Jericho, only to be one-upped by Mercury (who is ''also'' a player character)]], but played straight when she fights and kills [[spoiler:Mercury himself]].
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Immersive Sim]]
97	* PlayedWith in the original ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' and its DLC: the fight against the SkippableBoss Daud becomes this trope retroactively, after Daud is PromotedToPlayable in the AnotherSideAnotherStory DLC ''Knife of Dunwall''. The next DLC starring him, ''The Brigmore Witches'', subverts it twice: Daud fights Corvo in the first mission, but it turns out to be AllJustADream; they fight for real after the last mission, but it takes place entirely off-screen, with the narration picking up just as Corvo disarms Daud, who then asks for his life (with the success determined by Daud's [[KarmaMeter Chaos level]]).
98	* Downplayed in ''VideoGame/Dishonored2'', whose TutorialLevel is framed as Emily's training session with Corvo, which culminates in several rounds of friendly sparring.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Light Gun Game]]
102	* ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'':
103	** In several console games, there is a Crisis Mission mode where the unnamed protagonist goes through a series of VSSE combat training exercises. The [[FinalBoss final test]] requires you to go up against one of the player character VSSE agents to demonstrate that you're as good as they are: Richard Miller (''Time Crisis 1'' protagonist) in ''Time Crisis II'', Wesley Lambert and Alan Dunaway in ''Time Crisis 3'' (the protagonists of the same game's main mode), and [[spoiler:Richard Miller disguised as Wild Dog]] in ''Time Crisis 4''.
104	** In ''Time Crisis 5: True Mastermind Edition'', [[spoiler:you encounter examples that are ''not'' part of training exercises. 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]].
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Party Game]]
108	* In ''VideoGame/CrashBash'', finishing a two-player co-op Adventure mode playthrough with a good and evil character will lead to a tiebreaker round, where both players are pitted against each other to determine the ending.
109	[[/folder]]
110
111	[[folder:Platform Game]]
112	* 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.
113	* 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.]]
114	* 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''.
115	* 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.
116	* 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.
117	* 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.
118	* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
119	** 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.
120	** 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]].
121	* The second ending for each character in ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade'' features the other as the final boss.
122	* ''VideoGame/RosenkreuzStilette'':
123	** 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]].
124	** ''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]].
125	* All the [[PlayerCharacter playable knights]] in ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'' (Shovel Knight, Plague Knight, Specter Knight and King Knight) become this due to how they all are bosses in each other's stories.
126	** Shovel Knight is the most evident and literal of this, considering he does '''everything''' he can do when a player along with acting like a player, down to how he uses the Relics and even healing himself with Ichor. He even uses [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard items and abilities that you can't actually obtain by that point in the game]].
127	** Plague Knight's duel with Shovel Knight is a RashomonStyle re-take on his boss fight in ''Shovel of Hope'', told from Plague Knight's point of view. The game heavily implies that Plague Knight is an UnreliableNarrator, since Shovel Knight uncharacteristically feigns defeat in order to stab him in the back once you 'win'.
128	* This is actually pretty common in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series, usually when two characters' current goals clash with one another.
129	** Sonic vs Knuckles at the end of Hidden Palace Zone in ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''. Knuckles misinterpreted the mural found in the fight's background, and believes Dr. Robotnik is the good guy trying to protect the Master Emerald from the "evil" Sonic. The inverse of this fight doesn't happen, however, as Knuckles' story takes place some time after Sonic's.
130	** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'': Sonic fights Knuckles again, after Knuckles (who still doesn't trust Sonic at this point) sees him with the green Chaos Emerald and mistakes it for a shard of the broken Master Emerald. Sonic also fights the rogue Eggman robot E-102 Gamma on the deck of the Egg Carrier. This time, however, playing as Knuckles and Gamma allows the player to fight Sonic as the boss, and playing as Tails puts him in the fights instead of Sonic.
131	** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' has the story split into two sides: a 'Hero' side with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and a 'Dark' side with Shadow, Eggman, and Rouge. Each character is matched to another, and fights their counterpart several times over the course of the game. Again, the fights are playable from both perspectives.
132	** ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' has the characters split into 4 teams of 3, with two of the other teams serving as Boss Battles during the game — Team Sonic and Team Chaotix fight Team Rose and Team Dark, whilst Team Dark and Team Rose fight Team Sonic and Team Chaotix.
133	** 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!
134	** ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' has Sonic vs Blaze at the [[ClimaxBoss end of Dead Line Zone]], with Blaze declaring she'll fight both Eggmen alone while Sonic tries to tell her it doesn't work that way around here. Blaze, whose loner attitude has been challenged throughout the game, finally snaps and decides to clash with Sonic to force him to stay out of her way.
135	** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' has Sonic and Shadow fight Silver at least once. Again, you can play either side of the same fight, according to which character's story mode you're playing.
136	** ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'', a ''Sonic'' fighting game, takes all this to its logical conclusion.
137	[[/folder]]
138
139	[[folder:Real-Time Strategy]]
140	* In ''VideoGame/MentalOmega'', the final missions of the Allied and Epsilon campaigns, which depict the battle for the Mental Omega Device, pit the two player characters of these campaigns against each other. In a bit of ArtificialBrilliance, the opposing commander tends to employ a very player-esque strategy: mass air units.
141	[[/folder]]
142
143	[[folder:Role-Playing Game]]
144	* In ''VideoGame/ArcTheLadTwilightOfTheSpirits'', you spend the game alternating between controlling two parties; a party of human characters led by Kharg, and a party of deimos led by Darc. In the final chapter of the game, both parties meet each other and you have to choose one party that you control in order to defeat the other (shortly before the BigBad appears and forces them into an EnemyMine situation).
145	* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'':
146	** The FinalBoss is [[spoiler:the Soul of Cinder, an incarnation of everyone who has ever linked the First Flame. Naturally, this includes ''you'', the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsI Chosen Undead]], and the ''other'' you, the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsII Bearer of the Curse]]]].
147	** The second mandatory boss of ''[[DownloadableContent the Ringed City]]'', Halflight, Spear of the Church, is essentially a player character with a couple of flunkies and some tricks up his sleeve that you don't have access to… unless you're playing online, in which case you're fighting an actual PlayerCharacter in a PlayerVersusPlayer battle. And they have the same unique abilities that Halflight has.
148	* 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.
149	* 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.
150	* In the ''Franchise/{{Drakengard}}'' franchise:
151	** In ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', [[spoiler:Angelus is the final boss of ending C]].
152	** 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]].
153	** In ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'', [[spoiler:Zero is possessed by the Flower and serves as the final boss of ending D]].
154	** 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.)]]
155	* 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]].
156	* In ''VideoGame/FortuneSummoners'', there's a brief section where you play as [[LovableAlphaBitch Stella]] in a flashback explaining how she got to the section of dungeon you just reached. When you reach the present, she challenges Arche to a duel, serving as a BossFight (something of a CurbStompBattle, since she's a SquishyWizard and the battle takes place in a small arena), before joining the PlayerParty.
157	* 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]].
158	* 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]].
159	* 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]].
160	* 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]]).
161	* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
162	** 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]].
163	** 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]].
164	** ''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]].
165	* 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.
166	** 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]].
167	* 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]].
168	* 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]].
169	* In ''VideoGame/LiveALive'', [[spoiler:the Final chapter has you either fight the character you played as the chapter before, Oersted, who has turned into the GreaterScopeVillain, the Demon King Odio, or doing a [[RoleReversalBoss reverse boss rush]] against the rest of the protagonists which is guaranteed to net you a BadEnding]].
170	* Midway through ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'', the Mario Bros. fight Bowser after finally getting out from his insides. Bowser has the attacks he learned while under the player's command, but is much less competent when controlled by the AI; he fails attack commands regularly and never uses defensive commands. However, his HP is much greater than he had when controlled by the player.
171	* 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.
172	* 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.]]
173	* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagicClashOfHeroes'': Near the end of Chapter 5, it is shown that Aidan (the playable character of Chapter 4) got corrupted by the Binding Blade he was using, so Godric (the playable character of Chapter 2) has to defeat him in a PreFinalBoss fight. Aidan recovers and turns good once again, proceeding to fight Nadia's father and expose his identity as Lord Bloodcrown (who is then fought by Nadia in the final battle).
174	* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', several of the boss battles are the other characters in the story. Gwendolyn fights Velvet and Mercedes, Cornelius fights Velvet ([[spoiler:actually Ingway in disguise]]) and Mercedes, Mercedes fights Oswald, and Velvet fights Mercedes.
175	* 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]].
176	* ''VideoGame/Persona5'':
177	** In the original game, 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.
178	** 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.
179	** 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''.
180	* ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' and the remakes have the post-Elite Four battle with Red, the PlayerCharacter you controlled if you played ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' before that.
181	** ''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/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' to challenge the characters from those games as well.
182	* ''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.
183	* In the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series:
184	** ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'':
185	*** A rivalry between [[TheHero Serph]] and [[TheLancer Heat]] comes to a head when Mick tempts Heat with Sera, leading to a fight between the two. You can decide whether you fight back seriously or not. [[spoiler:Heat is just faking it as a distraction, and tells Serph to play along — he's still loyal, though if you fail to trust Heat and do fight back seriously, then it can come back to bite you in the sequel.]]
186	*** On a NewGamePlus, you can fight the Demi-fiend of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' as a {{Superboss}}.
187	** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' gives you the chance to fight and recruit [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]]. You also have the option to face off against [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy Raidou Kuzunoha XIV]] instead, if you wish.
188	** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'', the game's ultimate DLC battle is a fight with the hero of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'', the Demi-fiend.
189	* 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.
190	* 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.
191	* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', after defeating the BigBad, Emil ends up in a life-or-death battle against [[spoiler:Marta and Lloyd. The reason isn't quite as clear-cut as most examples, and winning gets you the BadEnding]].
192	* During the Divertissement chapter of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel Trails of Cold Steel II]]'', you control Lloyd Bannings, protagonist of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure'', with the boss of the chapter being Rean Schwarzer, protagonist of the game.
193	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsIntoReverie'' has the player controlling Rean's party at first fighting against C's party. Halfway through, the perspective switches and then the player has to use C's party, fighting against Rean's party. This happens twice in chapter two.
194	* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', the first of three boss fights late in Chapter 1 is a battle between the player-controlled Kevesi party members and the soon-to-be Agnian party members. They even have the same DamagerHealerTank lineup, though with different variations on the roles.
195	** In the DLC, ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3FutureRedeemed'': Late in the game, to prove they’re strong enough to face the impending final battle, Nikol and Glimmer must defeat Shulk and Rex, the previous two game’s main characters [[spoiler: and, unknown to the two, their respective fathers.]] The pair were also added as a Superboss for the challenge mode in the main campaign thereafter.
196	[[/folder]]
197
198	[[folder:Scrolling Shooter]]
199	* 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.
200	* 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]].''
201	* In ''[[VideoGame/RType R-Type Final]]'', if you have met a certain condition, you will traverse a dark forest and pit against [[spoiler:[[AndThenJohnWasAZombie R-13A Cerberus]], the only protagonist in ''Delta'' who failed to escape the forest and ended up turned into a Bydo.[[note]]Ceberus' Wave Cannon [[ShockAndAwe absorbs energy and fires devastating lightning bolts]] , which makes it unable to break through the forest's barrier, while everyone else has a proper WaveMotionGun for blasting through the barrier. CripplingOverspecialization indeed.[[/note]] It is more of a MercyKill rather than a proper duel]].
202	* ''VideoGame/ThunderForce'':
203	** ''Thunder Force V'' has you fighting the Vasteel Original, which is Earth's codename for the Rynex from ''Thunder Force IV''. Rynex had been recovered by Earth sometime after the ending of ''Thunder Force IV'', wherein the ship completed its mission but was damaged and left to float through space for some time before being picked up; the people of Earth realized how advanced it was and reverse-engineered technology out of it, only for the Rynex and the Guardian, one of the byproducts of the discovery, to [[AIIsACrapshoot go rogue due to a virus]]. As for the fight itself, Rynex not only uses its own attacks, but also attaches a series of weapons to itself to bolster its firepower.
204	** ''Thunder Force VI'' has you fight Vasteel Nocht, which assembles giant versions of the Styx, Rynex, and Gauntlet, the player ships of ''Thunder Force III'', ''IV'', and ''V'', respectively. Notably, ''VI'' has the Rynex-R as an unlockable ship, making it the closest in the series you can get to a MirrorMatch.
205	* 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.
206	[[/folder]]
207
208	[[folder:Simulation Game]]
209	* In the (non-canon) BrutalBonusLevel of ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'', you, as Cipher, must fight the TrueFinalBoss — Mobius One, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies''. This has since become a staple in the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series to include protagonists of previous games as bosses in the non-canon bonus levels. Perhaps the farthest callback is the bonus level of ''VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception'', where the bonus aces were the ZOE Commander (simply identified as ZOE) in his red ADF-01 Falken and Scarface One (just credited as Scarface) in the XFA-27, which was the ultimate plane all the way back in ''VideoGame/AceCombat2''.
210	* 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]].
211	* ''VideoGame/MechWarrior 4'' has the player, Ian Dresari, fighting to reclaim his family's right to rule; [[MultipleEndings depending on your choices]], he leaves his sister to die to claim a weapons cache and the throne, or sacrifices the cache and saves his sister to put her on the throne. The ExpansionPack ''Black Knight'' assumes the former choice, with Dresari becoming a tyrant whom the [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Black Knight Legion]] is hired to take down.
212	* 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 the 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.
213	[[/folder]]
214
215	[[folder:Tabletop Game]]
216	* 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.
217	* A rare example of this trope in a pencil-and-paper RPG comes in a set of adventures for ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', ''The Giovanni Chronicles''. In book one, the player characters are turned into vampires during a pivotal moment in vampiric history in 1444, then deal with consequences of that event in books two (1666) and three (1848/1882). In the fourth book, the players create entirely new characters, who get involved in a war against factions led by their previous characters, set in 1929. The players don't necessarily have to ''directly'' combat their previous characters—sending neonates up against 600-year-old elders would result in [[CurbStompBattle an extremely short fight]]—but they are intended to act as foils.
218	[[/folder]]
219
220	[[folder:Third-Person Shooter]]
221	* In the Dark Side ending of ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy'', you, as Jaden Korr, must fight Kyle Katarn, Jaden's former mentor and the protagonist of the previous games in the series.
222	* 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]].
223	* In ''VideoGame/{{Monolith}}'', you fight the protagonist of hard mode, D-13, as the protagonist of normal mode, Null, in the tutorial. [[spoiler:Then, you fight Null, who's [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide Drunk on the Dark Side]] as [[TrueFinalBoss D-13's final boss]].]]
224	* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'': Near the end of ''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.]]
225	* ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'':
226	** The finale involves the player selecting to control either Optimus Prime or Megatron as they have their final battle before landing on Earth.
227	** 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.
228	[[/folder]]
229
230	[[folder:Turn Based Strategy]]
231	* 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'.
232	* 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 its 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.]]
233	* ''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.
234	* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration 1'', whoever is the chosen protagonist team will end dueling with the other protagonist team, just after they beat their respective DiscOneFinalBoss.
235	* The ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' series does this in every installment, and even other games that Creator/NipponIchi makes. Laharl, for example, is the title character of Disgaea 1. He also makes appearances in numerous games such as Makai Kingdom as a boss, and appears in every Disgaea game (except 7) as a hidden boss (in 7, he is only DLC) excluding the two where he is the main protagonist. Many other characters do this too; such as Adell and Rozalin, the protagonists of Disgaea 2, both appearing as an optional boss in Disgaea 1's remakes.
236	[[/folder]]
237
238	[[folder:Visual Novel]]
239	* In the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series:
240	** ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'' has an inversion with ''dueling antagonists''. Phoenix needs to spend time recuperating in the hospital while learning more about the long history attached to the case and the game's main prosecutor, Godot, is also temporarily unavailable. For one day of court, and [[RuleOfCool to the screams of any pretense of courtroom professionalism]], [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Miles Edgeworth]] fills in for Wright as the Defense while [[TheBaroness Franziska von Karma]] returns as the Prosecution.
241	** In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', the first trial of Case 5 features the player-controlled Apollo facing off against main protagonist Phoenix in civil court. [[spoiler:Phoenix is being blackmailed by his guilty-as-shit client, who is holding Maya hostage to ensure that Phoenix delivers him the MacGuffin and prevents him from being arrested for a murder he committed.]]
242	[[/folder]]
243
244	[[folder:Wide-Open Sandbox]]
245	* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
246	** This happens in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' where Connor fights against Haytham, the DecoyProtagonist of the first part of the game.
247	** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'' Shay fights and kills Adéwalé who appeared before in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedFreedomCry''.
248	** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'', a questline added in December 2021 has Eivor get into a fight against [[spoiler:Kassandra, the canonical protagonist of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'']], mistakenly believing them to be behind the nightmares on the Isle of Sky. The fight is just a cutscene where the two fight to a standstill, but you do get to challenge them to a drinking contest and flyting (the viking equivalent of a rap battle).
249	* 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]].
250	** 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''.
251	* ''VideoGame/DeadRising'':
252	** In ''VideoGame/DeadRising2OffTheRecord'', one of the new psychopaths is [[spoiler:Chuck Greene, the hero of the original version of ''[=DR2=]'', who has gone insane after losing his daughter to the zombies.]]
253	** In ''Videogame/DeadRising3'', two of the DLC protagonists are bosses fought in the main game: Hunter, a maniacal biker and Adam, who is one of the Special Forces commanders. Hunter's DLC ends just before his fight with Nick while Adam's DLC reveals that he survived the fight.
254	* 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.
255	* ''VideoGame/MarvelsSpiderMan2'': [[spoiler:After Peter fights and nearly kills Kraven, he is confronted by Miles about the effects of the black suit. Peter proceeds to attack Miles, starting a boss fight between the Spider-Men, where you control Miles.]]
256	* ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar'' does this in the ''Blade Of Galadriel'' DLC where you control Eltariel, who battles [[VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor Talion]] after the events of the main game [[spoiler:twice. [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget As Talion slowly succumbs]] to the [[FaceHeelTurn corruption of Isildur's ring]]. Eltariel tries to kill him the first time while he still believes he's one of the good guys. The second time he tries to kill her for her betrayal in the main game while she tries to convince him he's one of the good guys]].
257	* ''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]].
258	* ''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.
259	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DuelingPlayerCharacters