The idea that the greatest enemy of some hero is themselves isa common trope in stories. It often reflects a part of the hero’s journey where deep self-reflection is necessary, so that the hero may understand themselves, conquer their last remaining fears or insecurities, and emerge out the other side ready to take on the villain and triumph. The situation is often used quite literally to display the more metaphorical act of the hero confronting their inner conflict.
For many protagonists, the most difficult person to fight and defeat is exactly like them — mimicking their moves, knowing their every step before they take it, and knowing theirgreatest flaws and weaknesses. This can often happen during a “pit of despair” moment before they conquer themselves in some form.
We have met the enemy, and he is us. — Pogo comic, 1971
This isn’t always the case. Sometimes, the mirror version of the hero is a clone, an illusion, or not evil at all, resulting in a fight that is a result of confusion or miscommunication more than malice on anyone’s part. Other times, the “bizarro” version of the hero is not even portrayed as a foe — until it is too late. Here are 20 films where the protagonist must fight themselves, whether they want to or not.
Article contains spoilers
20Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame
This is one of the most iconic recent examples of heroes fighting themselves.Captain Americahas a hilarious, though short, scene fighting himself inAvengers: Endgameafter he travels back in time to 2012 with the other Avengers, so that they can retrieve the Infinity Stone before Thanos gets it. While in the building, Captain America comes across his 2012 self who, understandably, thinks that this must be Loki impersonating him. 2023 Cap tries not to fight him, but the 2012 Captain is relentless, and won’t let him go.
Captain America (2012) vs. Captain America (2023): Who Won?
Captain America (2012): “I can do this all day!”
Captain America (2023): “Yeah, I know, I know…”
Thus begins one of the more enjoyable fights of the film, though it is over quickly, because Cap doesn’t really have the time to either fight or explain what’s going on to his younger self. They are evenly matched, blow for blow. The older Captain America wins only because, trapped in a chokehold, he breathes out “Bucky is alive,” distracting the younger Cap just long enough for him to grab Loki’s scepter and knock the 2012 Captain unconscious.
19Deadpool 2 (2018)
Deadpool 2
This is also a short example, but hilarious enough and meaningful enough to be mentioned on this list.Deadpoolas a character was first infamously introduced to the silver screen inX-Men Origins: Wolverine, where the “Merc with a Mouth” was inexplicably shown with his mouth sewn shut, and consequently, no dialogue. Fans were severely disappointed, to say the least,as was actor Ryan Reynolds.
For years afterward, Reynolds worked tirelessly to get a standalone film made and do justice to the Deadpool character, and that finally happened in 2016. The sarcastic R-rated film was a massive success, spawning the sequel,Deadpool 2. And in a post-credits scene of that sequel, Reynolds let off a bit of steam concerning his feelings on theX-Menfilm.
Deadpool vs. Deadpool: Who Won?
Deadpool: “Just cleaning up the timeline.”
It isn’t a fight, but itisReynolds' way of saying a firm farewell to the previous, insulting incarnation of Deadpool. And seeing how Deadpool is a characterknown for breaking the fourth wall, it felt right that he might go back and fix the “error” that was the Merc with No Mouth. Set to the tune of Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” Deadpool travels back in time and shoots theX-Menversion in the head before the fight with Wolverine can even begin. As an added bonus, he takes out a version of Ryan Reynolds accepting the part of Green Lantern, too.
18Superman III (1983)
Superman III
Superman IIIwasn’t the worst of the four films Christopher Reeve made as the iconic hero, but it was definitely a let-down after the first two successful movies, and Reeve ended up regretting both the third and fourth installment in the series. The odd choice to include Richard Pryor, who was a big fan of the series, made the film feel scattered between its lackluster plot and the attempts at humor from Pryor’s character, Gus. The best part of the film, though, and certainly one of the best of the entire franchise (including today’s movies), is the fight betweenClark KentandSuperman.
Related:Every Superman Movie, Ranked
Superman vs. Clark Kent: Who Won?
Superman: “You’ve been on my nerves for a long time!”
After Gus gives Superman a disguised bit of flawed Kryptonite, Superman starts becoming a selfish and twisted version of himself, eventually having a psychological crisis which splits him into two: an evil version of Superman, and a good version of the mild-mannered Clark Kent.
They begin trading blows in a scrapyard, equally matched in power. The fight is a poignant example of the internal conflict Superman feels as a character. For him, Clark Kent is both a disguise and a longing; someone he sees as weak, but also an example of what he truly wants to be: human. When Kent wins, Superman disappears, and the hero is back to normal. Standing in his office clothes, he rips open his shirt to reveal the Superman “S,” in what is probably the best example of the iconic move there ever was.
17Gemini Man (2019)
Gemini Man
The 2019 Ang Lee filmGemini Manwas a difficult movie thatsat in development hellfor 20 years. That might explain why, despite some good performances and an interesting premise, the film was a box office bomb. The disorganized plot followsHenry Brogan(Will Smith), a spy who decides to retire from the service, but finds agents sent to kill him by his old boss, Clay. One of those agents looks just like Henry himself, though much younger, and Henry soon learns that the young agent, dubbedJunior, is a clone of him.
Henry Brogan vs. Junior: Who Won?
Clay: “He has to die. He’s your darkness you had to walk through on your own.”
Many of the entries on this list involve cloning in some way, which is probably the best way to scientifically explain a hero fighting their literal self. These examples also include the dynamic involved inGemini Man: an older, more experienced hero fighting his younger, faster, stronger self. It is a great setup, but ends up being handled differently in this film. The two Henry Brogans fight until “Junior” learns he is a clone, after which he teams up with Henry to defeat the antagonists and destroy the cloning program.
16Predestination (2014)
Predestination
With a script based on a story by the famous sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein, this admittedly confusing low-budget movie is surprisingly captivating, though it might requirerepeat watches to understand everything. The story follows an unnamed time-travelingagentplayed by Ethan Hawke, who is trying to stop the “Fizzle Bomber.” He fails and is burned badly, but goes on one last mission to 1970 where he meets John, a young man with a strange past. From there, different timelines and characters begin to intertwine in ways that prompt questions about destiny, and whether time really is just a strange loop after all.
The Agent vs. The Fizzle Bomber: Who Won?
The Fizzle Bomber: “If you shoot me, you’ll become me. You get it? That’s how it happens. If you want to break the chain, you have to not kill me, but attempt to love me again.”
With the kind of conclusion that this film has, it should have been impossible to execute. Yet somehow, thanks to some on-point writing and Hawke’s superb acting, the movie manages to pull it off. It is revealed that the unnamed agent is not only the younger John he meets in the past, but also the child that John, who was born a woman, had earlier,andthe bomber he is chasing — and maybe his own boss, too. Hawke’s character shoots the bomber, killing him, and vows to never become him. But it’s unclear if this derails his fate or not.
15Replicant (2001)
This isn’t the only film wherethe underrated Jean-Claude Van Dammefights himself, but the direct-to-video filmReplicantis a better example of Van Damme’s character fighting himself not as a twin, but as his actual self, cloned. In the hunt for the serial killerEdward “the Torch” Garrotte, a clone of Garrotte is made. Known as theReplicant, the clone can tap into genetic memories of Garrotte to help track him down, but Detective Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) doesn’t trust him. The Replicant is new to the world, with the mind of a child but the fighting skills of the killer.
Edward Garrotte vs. The Replicant: Who Won?
Edward Garrotte: “My body is your body. My mind is your mind. My life is your life.”
It isn’t often that the protagonist is the clone, not the original. At first, the Replicant is hesitant to fight Garrotte, but by the end they are trading blows, matched so perfectly that their kicks and punches mirror each other. The fight is a perfect representation of what it would look like if Jean-Claude fought an exact clone of himself. The Replicant doesn’t end up killing Garrotte — he triumphs by not becoming a killer, instead.
14Us (2019)
Jordan Peele’s dive into psychological horror hasshaken the genre up in refreshing ways, starting with his groundbreaking hit movieGet Out. Two years later, he released the ambitious filmUs, which wasn’t as successful, but was still an undeniable cinematic hit. The plot followsthe Wilson family, who are terrorized by a family that looks identical to them but with twisted and horrific personalities. Called the “Tethered,” these doppelgängers lived underground for decades, and now seek to kill their counterparts and take over their lives.
The Wilson Family vs. The Tethered: Who Won?
Red: “And to think, if it weren’t for you, I never would have danced at all.”
Each member of the Wilson family is separated at one point, and must confront their Tethered counterpart. The patriarch kills his animalistic doppelgänger Abraham, the daughter kills her copy, and the son Jason manages to cleverly trick his pyromaniac double.
However, after the mother, Adelaide, kills her clone named Red (the only Tethered who can speak), she remembers that she confronted Red as a child, and that Adelaide is the real clone. The ending reveals that the Tethered aren’t necessarily evil by default, but that living underground for decades, forced to mimic their counterparts and eat raw rabbit meat to survive, twisted the minds of the clones in terrible ways — and of Red too, who was never a clone. So, while Adelaide won, therealAdelaide lost.
13Terminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator Genisys
Terminator Genisyswas the fifth film in theTerminatorfranchise, and served asa reboot to the story. Though two more movies and a spinoff TV series were planned, this film performed poorly enough that the rest was canceled. The reboot changes the events of the first film. This time, Kyle Reese creates a paradox during his trip to the past, so that when he arrives in 1984, Sarah Conner (Emilia Clarke) already knows about the dystopian future and has her own reprogrammed T-800 to protect her named “Pops” (with Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising the role). Together, Sarah and Kyle decide to travel to 2017 and stop Skynet.
Pops vs. the T-800: Who Won?
Detective O’Brien: “Gddmn time-traveling robots!”
Certainly, much of the film is weighed down by a plot that was often described as convoluted, but the flagship moment of the movie was the fight between Pops and anotherT-800. Much like other entries on this list, the fight portrays the good, older Terminator fighting against an evil, younger version of himself. Pops has more experience, but this time it doesn’t matter. He would have lost this fight had Sarah not taken out the T-800 with a sniper rifle.
12Oblivion (2013)
OblivionisTom Cruise’s most underrated movie, and sits as proof (along withWar of the WorldsandMinority Report)that Cruise can truly excel in the sci-fi genre. In a post-apocalyptic world, repair technicianJackand communications officer Victoria believe they are the only two humans left on a barren planet Earth. They believe humanity was killed off by the fallout from a nuclear war with aliens.
Jack repairs combat drones that battle any remaining aliens, while having dreams about an unknown woman from a life he doesn’t remember. When a pod from space crashes and reveals five humans aboard, including the woman from his dreams, Jack begins to realize that much of what he thought about the world might be wrong.
Related:Tom Cruise Has Seen Every Single Movie Released in Theaters
Jack vs. Jack: Who Won?
Jack Harper: “Is it possible to miss a place you’ve never been? To mourn a time you never lived?”
Jack learns that the woman is his wife, Julia, though he doesn’t remember her. While in the desert searching for the truth, Jack and Julia come across anotherclone of Jack, repairing a drone. They fight, and the first Jack wins, though Julia is shot. Jack later learns that thousands of clones of him were made, all based on NASA mission commander Jack Harper. The clones and a machine intelligence were responsible for destroying the Earth. The original Jack destroys the machine and dies in the process, but the clone that he fought in the desert shows up at the end with other survivors.
11Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Co-written, produced, and directed by Edgar Wright,Scott Pilgrim vs. the Worldwas a stylish success, managing to be funny, artistic, and meaningful despite leaning on someproblematic and overused tropes(like the manic pixie dream girl). In the story, 22-year-old musicianScott Pilgrimmeets Ramona Flowers and instantly decides to pursue her, even though he has a girlfriend already. But he soon learns he must defeat her “seven evil exes” in order to date her. The style of each battle is highly artistic, reminiscent of aMortal Kombatfight.
Scott Pilgrim vs. Nega-Scott: Who Won?
Gideon: “You defeated me, but can you defeat… yourself?”
Also likeMortal Kombat, Scott’s final battle isn’t actually the 7th ex Gideon, it’s “Nega-Scott,” an evil version of himself — or so it seems. In a funny subversion of the trope, Scott befriends Nega-Scott instead. The two agree to get brunch together soon, showing that Scott has reconciled his inner turmoil by this point.
