When the time finally comes that the Goa'uld Hegemony is forced to surrender to the Celestial Empire in The (Questionable) Burdens of Leadership of a Troll Emperor , Yu is pleased to note that at least he lost to an enemy he could respect. However, this is entirely one-sided as by the time the Goa'uld surrender, Naruto was only willing to allow it because he'd become so bored with the war.

Isaac Sirko sees Dexter this way in Season 7. He also believes that under different circumstances they could have been great friends. 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. Despite their fierce and often ruthless battles, Battler often inspires the same respect he gains for his opponents. They include Beatrice, Erika and Knox, although the first one evolves into something more. Battler tries to extend this sentiment to Bernkastel right before their final battle, but she clearly does not reciprocate it. After putting on a match that Dave Meltzer called the greatest in pro wrestling history at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 11 in 2017, Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega exemplified this trope. Omega called the victorious Okada the best wrestler in Japan and possibly the world, while Okada called Omega the greatest foreign wrestler in NJPW history. 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.The Lyrical Nanoha fanwork Life After Hayate has Signum discuss Chrono Harlaown's father Clyde with a great deal of affection, more than even Clyde's wife usually shows. This is because he beat the Wolkenritter twice, something no one else had ever done. After his match with Vault in Chapter 3, remastered version, Kyril remarks that he is prey worthy of hunting, respecting Vault's skill as a Master Swordsman. It is a rather half-hearted remark, however, as he notes that compared with his two seniors, Lady Maria and the First Hunter, Vault is basically nothing. Jerry Lawler became this for The Miz up to their match in Elimination Chamber 2011. The Monday before the match, The Miz announces that Lawler's mother passed the Saturday before and gives him his deep condolences. Instead of bad-mouthing him, Miz takes the time to state that he doesn't want this passing to get in the way of their match and to have a good fight (although thanks to Michael Cole, it didn't turn out to really be a good fight).

The Golden Horde (7, Yellow) remains formidable despite its recent defeat and has several camps in the southeast. Should its khan decide to go on the offensive, he will do so with mounted archers, Light Cavalry, Camel Riders, and siege weapons. He views his cup bearer at Harrenhal as more competent than all his advisers and she's one of the few people to get away with snarking at him, because Tywin enjoys that she's sharp and gutsy enough to match him. Of course ironies of ironies, what he doesn't know is that she's actually Arya Stark, the daughter of his archenemy. Whether he would have been more impressed with her if he'd known she was the runaway Stark daughter and managed to survive right under his nose, or just angered at her brazenness was never explored. At the tail end of TNA's 2014 (and Spike TV deal) Eric Young stated that if he had to name a professional wrestler in the world at the time better than Bobby Roode, he wouldn't be able to do it. He then rhetorically asked "Is Eric Young as good Bobby Roode" and basically said "yes". They were competing to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley, whom Roode thought of as this ( but not MVP or Kenny King). Erika and the Princes in Distress : Queen Lagertha only accepts challenges from people she sees as worthy to face her. For this reason, she does not allow for men to challenge her, and also refuses to duel Erika for the throne. Citizens of the Kingdom of Brutes seem to share this ideal, as one woman seen early in the comic implies that pretenders to the throne would much rather access it by defeating Lagertha than Erika, because lowering themselves to duel the latter would be humiliating. Exalted: Infernal Exalted can burn off Limit by adopting an enemy as one of these and taking steps to haul them into conflict. The Act of Villainy in question is even referred to as "Best Enemy Recognition", and was developed for the Yozi Szoreny, who would periodically spare his Solar opponents because he didn't want to lose such interesting foes.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.