"BHIM!!! You have struck me unfairly! BHIM!!!"
—Duryodhan
In this episode, the Pandavas look to end this war once and for all by targeting Duryodhan.
Tropes found here are
- Achilles' Heel: Duryodhan’s loins and thighs are this.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Bhim kills Duryodhan by striking his thighs with a mace.
- Call-Back: Bhim reminds Duryodhan of his lecherous invite for Draupadi to sit on his lap.
- Conflict Ball: Krishna and Balaram’s argument over the appropriateness of how Duryodhan was slayed, will be the impetus of infighting that will destroy the Yadav dynasty.
- Blatant Lies: Duryodhan claims to be sitting in a lake because he is burning with rage at the deaths of all his friends and family. He is actually stalling for time so that Balaram can get there to officiate the mace duel and prevent his thighs from being struck.
- Classical Hunter: One of these finds Duryodhan hiding in a lake.
- Duel Boss: Duryodhan is this for Bhim.
- Groin Attack: Bhim targets Duryodhana’s thighs, but lands a blow there for good measure.
- I Shall Taunt You: Duryodhan starts laughing as he easily shrugs off otherwise devastating mace blows from Bhim.
- Karmic Death: By breaking Duryodhan’s thighs, Bhim inflicts this on Duryodhan for forcing Draupadi to sit there while she is being disrobed.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: Bhim stomps on Duryodhan’s neck in order to strangle him to death, after fatally wounding him in his thighs. Yudhistir admonishes Bhim to stop doing that, since Duryodhan is considered a Crown Prince and is still entitled to die with dignity.
- No-Sell: Bhim’s blows on Duryodhan’s back, torso and head have no effect due to Gandhari’s boon.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Balaram treats Bhim deliberately attacking Duryodhan’s thighs in a mace duel as this. Krishna admonishes Balaram for going off on an inconsequential pilgrimage while he had the opportunity to choose a side in this war and ignoring the worse transgressions committed by Duryodhan.
- Volleying Insults: The Pandavas trade insults with Duryodhan before they agree to the mace duel.
- Xanatos Gambit: Duryodhan thinks he is engaging in this when he forces Bhim to duel him with a mace. Gandhari’s boon conferred Nigh-Invulnerability to all parts of his body except his loins and thighs. A mace duel’s rules forbid striking anywhere below the stomach, since the mace is bulky and unwieldy, making it impossible to effectively defend against such an attack. Duryodhan even stalls for time to allow Balaram to come there and enforce this rule. It ultimately failed, as Balaram couldn’t physically prevent Bhim from striking Duryodhan’s thighs many times.
