Will Turner: You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you. Jack Sparrow: Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, now is it? —Pirates of the Caribbean

Some fights have rules. Most don't. However, a lot of people willstill fight as though there are rules.

Suckers.

The Combat Pragmatist is a character who is defined by his or her willingness to do anything in a fight to win.

This typically applies to "real" fights where there's actually something at stake that's more important than a cash prize, a trophy, or a title belt, and usually not professional fights in a controlled environment where safeguards are in place to prevent one side from suffering too much damage and where one can be disqualified for not abiding by the rules (though pragmatists in these types of fights are far from non-existent).

These characters areDangerously Genre Savvy. They are characterized by an extensive knowledge of tactics others may consider"dirty" fighting or just by a willingness to use those tactics to achieve their goal, often against more "honorable" opponents (i.e.Genre Blind ones). They are likely to think of any adherence to rules or sporting combat asHonor Before Reason

They donot suffer from aComplexity Addiction, are never afraid to use aMundane Solution (nor do they need it to bepointed out to them),never assume that the other person will fight "honorably", have no interest in aSelf-Imposed Challenge, don't care if their opponent is aworthy one, and will not hesitate toKick Them While They Are Down. They almost always have theirWeapon of Choice either on them or near them at all times. If not they're willing to useabsolutelyanything as a weapon and only resort toGood Old Fisticuffs if there's no weapon nearby.

They won't hesitate to use aDangerous Forbidden Technique. They havenocompunctions tostriking a woman ora child. Orhitting a guy in the crotch (they also know thatwomen are really just as vulnerable to groin attacks as men are). Or about attacking someonefrom behind. Orthrowing sand in their eyes. Orpulling down their pants (or flipping up their skirts if dealing with women). Or the"Hey You!" Haymaker. Orbiting them. Orpretending to surrender. Or...well, you get the idea. However, therecan be different levels of this. Even those who don't believe in fighting fair may still have lines they won't cross, such asrefusing to kill.

These characters frequently turn out to beBadasses,Antiheroes, andRebellious Spirits.Ninja are almost invariably these, with most exceptions belonging to thehighly visible variety. Definitely not theKnight in Shining Armor. They never suffer fromHonor Before Reason orDeath By Pragmatism. SometimesWeak but Skilled orToo Clever by Half, though the truly pragmatic former will constantly seek to increase his power level and hence advantage over his enemies. It can look likeConfusion Fu in practice—but it almost always isn't. IfThe Unfettered fights, then he'll be one of these.

This can be aEstablishing Character Moment. It can also be aBase Breaker, both among the audience andIn-Universe, due toMoral Myopia - the hero is a resourcefulBadass, while the villain is just a dirty cheater. This can lead to instances ofBlack and Grey Morality, showing that the hero and the villain areNot So Different, and the difference between someone beinga terrorist or a freedom fighter. For heroes, it's possible for these tactics, if extreme enough, to lead toWhat the Hell, Hero? moments or claims ofIf You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him, sometimes resulting in responses ofI Did What I Had to Do, and in extreme cases, can represent the start or conclusion of aFace Heel Turn.

Villains can also be pragmatic, though it usually takes on adifferent form. Villains being normal Combat Pragmatists is usually averted, or at least not played out completely straight, as it makes themDangerously Genre Savvy and can possibly even lead to thembeing victorious. If they are, it means they avertBond Villain Stupidity andactually kill the hero instead ofhaving dinner with him. Depending on the context, using these tactics can be theirKick the Dog moment, the sign of aComplete Monster, or even their crossing of theMoral Event Horizon.

Characters are often deliberately not put into this trope due toRule of Cool. If everyone took this approach to combat who could, key characters would be dead or defeated too soon and the story would be over a little too quickly. Plus, it's often just way cooler to show off more complicated tactics than simple ones. Additionally,Moral Guardians andMedia Watchdogs sometimes make having this type of character difficult by ensuring that they can't do certain actions. On the other hand, when drawn-out straight fights are impractical, excitement can be created byGenre Shift away from pure action to espionage, planning, intrigue and the thrill of the hunt, with clever heroes and villains alike who avoid theIdiot Ball and unnecessary flash.

Often overlaps withAwesome Yet Practical but not always.

Not to be confused withWhy Don't You Just Shoot Him?

WARNING! There are unmarkedSpoilers ahead. Beware.

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• Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty