A common type of villain in movies concerning sports, a rival may not actually be an evil person but is in the way of the hero. Many rivals resort to cheating or unsporting tactics, so they could be considered dishonorable. There are rivals, however, that do fight fairly with the hero and even wish that they become stronger so they have a fair battle in the future. Outside sports, it might even be possible for the rivals to actually be true friends.

Outside sports-themed media, a rival can be a type of archenemy who causes problems for a hero but often shares a mutual respect for his or her opponent, whether it's similar appearances, (Shadow the Hedgehog or Metal Sonic to Sonic the Hedgehog), love rivals, (Gaston LeGume to Beast over Belle), having a genuine friendship outside of whatever they are rivals at (GOD to James Dean) or just old fashioned childish behavior, which is common in sitcoms or children's cartoons (Mr. Krabs vs. Plankton).

While it's common for these kinds of villains to share a mutual respect for their opponents unlike archenemies and nemeses, it's not always necessary for them to do so.