Basic Trope: A character manipulates both sides.
- Straight: Emperor Evulz manipulates Bob and Bill into fighting each other.
- Exaggerated: Every side is manipulated by Evulz into fighting against one another.
- Downplayed:
- Evulz tricks Bob and Bill into not trusting each other, but it doesn't come to blows.
- Evulz takes advantage of an already existing feud between Bob and Bill.
- Justified:
- Evulz is a very skilled Manipulative Bastard and Bob and Bill already don't like each other.
- Either Bob or Bill (or both) could ruin Evulz' plans, so he needs to make them take each other out.
- Evuls is an arms dealer, so having Bob and Bill against each other ensures he can profit from both.
- Inverted:
- Bob and Bill both manipulate Evulz.
- Evulz manipulates Bob and Bill into teaming up.
- Subverted: Bob and Bill realize what's going on and stage a fake fight to trick Emperor Evulz into believing he can influence them.
- Double Subverted: This is exactly the outcome Evulz was hoping for.
- Parodied: Evulz sets up a boxing ring for the fight and is somehow both their seconds at the same time, keeping up a "you can beat 'im, champ" patter.
- Zig Zagged: Evulz does this repeatedly over the course of the series. Sometimes he's successful in getting his enemies to fight each other, sometimes not.
- Averted: Evulz is able to manipulate Bob or Bill, but not both.
- Enforced: "Our fans have always wondered who'd win in a fight between Bob and Bill. We'll have Evulz manipulate them to set it up."
- Lampshaded:Bill: Hold it, Bob! You're fighting me because Evulz claimed I was behind the Noodle Incident? But he's shown me evidence that-
Bob: Shut up! I know none of us can trust him... But I have even less reason to trust you! - Invoked: Evulz' dragon suggests that the best way to find out who the bigger threat is between Bob and Bill is to pit them against another.
- Exploited: Alice reveals Evulz' manipulations to Bob and Bill, turning both of them against Evulz... and putting her in position to manipulate them instead.
- Defied:
- "No Evulz, I'm not going to fight Bill. I'm too smart for you to trick me."
- "Evulz… I trust you a lot less than everybody else in this Earth."
- Discussed: "Bob, does it seem to you that Evulz is really eager to see us go at it?"
- Conversed: "How do these characters not realize they're being manipulated?"
- Implied: Bill asks why Bob must fight him. Bob explains that it's due to Evulz. Hearing Evulz' name triggers an unusual reaction for Bill, who then simply calls Bob a liar and charges.
- Plotted A Good Waste: This can be used to foreshadow plenty of revelations, such as Evulz having the ability to manipulate people's subconscious or Bob/Bill being only so far from a Face–Heel Turn.
- Played For Laughs: Evulz sets up a fight between Bob and Bill... In a professional sports-competition. And they were already rivals before that.
- Played For Drama:
- Even after the misunderstanding is cleared up, Bob and Bill can't quite forgive each other or themselves for being so easy to manipulate. This puts a clear strain in their relationship, and they might end up being foes for real.
- Evulz caused, fed and profited from a war that killed millions of people and he laughed all the way to the bank. Those who know of his crimes demand retribution. Those who don't know of his crimes will be the greatest obstacle.
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