Basic Trope: Two people are forced to kill each other, even though they don't want to.
- Straight: Bobby and Alice are married, perhaps even each other's True Love. They're both forced to kill each other.
- Exaggerated: Fighting to the death isn't good enough. Alice and Bobby will be brought Back from the Dead, again and again, until the Chunky Salsa Rule or Not Enough to Bury is invoked.
- Downplayed: Bobby is forced to punch Alice. Not necessarily a hard punch, but a punch nonetheless.
- Justified: Fighting is the only way to escape.
- Inverted: Shoot Your Mate, albeit willingly and in a situation where the gun is indeed loaded (optional).
- Subverted: Bobby just kills the Big Bad instead.
- Double Subverted: Alice turns out to be a villain too, and tries to kill Bobby. Bobby's too stupid to realize this.
- Averted: Alice is Bobby's nemesis, so they'd fight even if it wasn't for the Big Bad being there.
- Lampshaded: "Okay, but did you HAVE to make me kill my wife?!"
- Invoked: The Big Bad captures Bobby and Alice, and demands that one of them die, or else they'll never escape.
- Exploited: The Big Bad forces them to fight so that they're distracted from the more important things.
- Discussed: "Alice, whatever happens, I really did not want to do this. I really hope you understand."
- Conversed: "Jesus christ, they made the guy kill his wife!"
- Played for Drama: Bobby and Alice really do not want to kill each other. Unfortunately, they really don't have much of a choice, but everyone knows damn well that they really don't want this.
Now let's get back before another trope has an Involuntary Battle to the Death with this one.
