Recess: In "The Candidates," Vince and Gretchen run against each other for class president. Through it all they maintain a healthy respect for each other – in contrast the Feud Episode that plays out between their campaign managers T.J. and Spinelli – and in the end, Gretchen calls Vince a "worthy opponent and a good friend" after she wins the election because Vince votes for her. Few people manage to hold their own against Lord Tywin Lannister, and he shows a certain respect for each of them in return: On Psych, master thief Despereaux is impressed when Shawn is the first to figure out that his "robberies" are really just taking stuff so the owners can cash in on the insurance. Seeing Shawn a bit let down by this, Pierre decides to become a thief for real. He and Shawn clash a few more times but also work together as clearly Despereaux appreciates Shawn's smarts and the challenge of beating him. SCP-1638 was created by an Antagonist in Mourning to honour a Foundation agent that he considered a worthy opponent after the agent had died.

also] on 13 December: "Let's see if you accounted for this... Excellent, I expected nothing less from you, Miranda."

Success!

Rangers and Celtic, both of Glasgow, are attempting to recast the Old Firm rivalry as this in an effort to eliminate its historic sectarian overtones, with mixed success. The rivalry in question is rooted in ethno-religious conflicts far older than mere football.

Julius Caesar (2003): Caesar considers Vercingetorix to be his; he even visits him before his execution to say farewell and states he feels more kinship with him than he does the mob howling for his enemy's blood. The Doctor is seen as a Worthy Opponent by just about anybody with the slightest martial tilt to their culture. Notably, Dalek machinery that normally needs to scan in pure Dalek DNA to work will also accept the Doctor's testimony of an individual's Dalekness instead. Isaac Sirko sees Dexter this way in Season 7. He also believes that under different circumstances they could have been great friends. Amon: I'm impressed. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that. It is almost a shame to purify someone so talented. Almost. In Kamen Rider Kuuga, some of the less monstrous Grongi tend to view Kuuga this way, since they're an entire species of Ax-Crazy serial murderers who almost literally live to fight, and he always provides them with a good brawl.In the Master's first appearance in the series ( "Terror of the Autons") he actually uses the phrase "worthy opponent" to describe the Third Doctor. In the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The two teams are rivals in the AFC North, and they really cannot stand each other — their rivalry is said to be one of the most bitter in the NFL. However, both teams are also willing to admit that the other is generally a very tough team to beat and that Ravens/Steelers games are always hard fought. Some even say that the rivalry helps to keep both teams at the top of their game, and that's why both teams have been among the NFL's most consistently successful franchises since the mid 2000s. And oddly, the longer the rivalry endures, the less bitter it gets — although the teams still can't stand each other, they both take great pride in how the Ravens/Steelers rivalry is considered hands down the best rivalry in the NFL, and the Cincinnati Bengals have, for various reasons, become the more hated enemy of both teams. Able: "Different? Because, unlike you [Sumerian word, untranslated], he was a challenge, a real enemy." The 19th Century opera "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin, taking place in the semi-legelndary times of Medieval Russia, includes a dialogue between the Polovtsian Khan Konchak and his enemy, the Russian Prince Igor of the title, who had been defeated and captured by the Polovtsians. The Khan asks Igor if all is well ( Konchak's Aria) and he replies that the falcon cannot live in captivity. Konchak says that as Igor did not ask for mercy he is not a prisoner but an honoured guest equal to a Khan. Igor reminds him that he too knows what it is to be a captive. Konchak offers Igor freedom if he will promise not to wage war on him again, but he refuses saying he cannot lie. Konchak regrets that they were not born to be allies. They would then have captured all of Russia. He summons the Polovtsian slaves to entertain Igor and himself and offers Igor his choice of them. As the slaves dance the Polovtsy sing of Konchak's glory ( Polovtsian Dances). In a later part of the opera Igor manages to escape, which makes the Khan respect him all the more. The Rise of Darth Vulcan: Shining Armor begrudgingly admits that the titular villain earned the respect and loyalty of the Diamond Dogs.