Let the game begin: 7 Instances from daily soaps that mark the beginning of a dynamic rivalry

American daily soaps are known for their explosive, dramatic, and intriguing storylines. From popular daily soaps, such as The Young and the Restless to General Hospital, we see several characters facing challenges that sometimes even threaten their life.

These issues sometimes also turn into long-time rivalries. The reason could be anything ranging from jealousy and betrayal to revenge. One of the most famous rivalries is between The Bold and the Beautiful’s Stephanie and Brooke Logan, but how did the rivalry begin? In this article, we will explore the 7 such instances that resulted in these long-standing rivalries between popular characters in daily soaps.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer’s opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

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7 Instances from daily soaps that mark the beginning of a dynamic rivalry

7) Ridge and Thorne’s rivalry (The Bold and the Beautiful)

The rivalry between the Forrester brothers was an epic storyline across daily soaps, which began due to them fighting for Caroline Spencer’s affections in the late 1980s.

Ridge's betrayal takes Caroline to his brother, Thorne, with whom she gets engaged and later marries. However, later, Thorne finds out that Caroline and Ridge might have been intimate, which breaks his heart. In a blind rage and under the influence of alcohol and sleeping pills, Thorne even shoots at the back of his head, which their mother, Stephanie, ends up witnessing.

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6) Steffy Forrester and Hope Logan’s rivalry due to being in multiple love triangles (The Bold and the Beautiful)

It is not just one, but coincidentally, Hope and Steffy have been falling for the same men at the same time, making their rivalry one of the most dynamic ones across daily soaps.

It all began with Steffy falling for Oliver, who was already in a relationship with Hope in the early 2010s. However, their most recent rivalry is due to their both being in love with Liam Spencer, who most of the time is unable to choose one between the two women. Steffy has also plotted to keep Liam and Hope apart with Liam’s father Bill’s help when he got Deacon out of the prison to delay Hope from reaching the wedding venue in Italy.

This also intensified their professional rivalry. Moreover, apart from Oliver and Liam, Steffy and Hope also married Liam’s brother Wyatt at different times.

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5) The rivalry between Ric Lansing and Sonny Corinthos began due to jealousy (General Hospital)

Another one of the ongoing rivalries with the family in daily soaps is between Ric and his half-brother Sonny from General Hospital. It is said that Ric had always resented Sonny, whom he blames for not having his mother, Adele Corinthos, in his life.

Ric, Trevor Lansing and Adele's son, came to Port Charles in 2002. After she gets pregnant, Adele and Sonny are sent to live in Trevor’s vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard to hide his affair from his wife. After Ric’s birth, Trevor began pressuring Adele to put Sonny up for adoption. Frustrated with this, she left him with Ric and took Sonny with her, leaving Ric without a mother, which he blames was because of Sonny.

Ric, since then, has been scheming to get back with Sonny, even blaming his wife Elizabeth’s miscarriage and then kidnapping his pregnant wife, Carly, to take revenge.

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4) Taylor and Brooke’s rivalry began due to romantic entanglements with Ridge (The Bold and the Beautiful)

Brooke was smitten with Ridge Forrester from the first time she met him and also tried hard with his brother Throne to separate him from Caroline Spencer.

The greatest rivalry began when Caroline died and Ridge began a relationship with her psychiatrist, Taylor Hayes. Since the 1990s, both the women have been fighting for Ridge by scheming and plotting to let him stay with them. The rivalry between the two didn’t end with only Ridge, as they both also fought over Nick. Sometimes, their fights even became physical when one pushed the other in a fountain or even cake fights.

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3) Roman Brady and Stefano DiMera’s rivalry (Days of Our Lives)

Stefano’s character was introduced in 1982 as he came to Salem and began his dubious businesses in the city and caught the attention of the city cop, Roman Brady.

Although the DiMeras and the Bradys are believed to be feuding since Santos DiMera, Stefano’s father’s affair with Colleen Brady. But Roman and Stefano’s rivalry began due to Roman trying to sabotage his criminal business. From harming Marlena multiple times to attempting to kill Roman and using John Black numerous times against the Bradys, Stefano and Roman’s rivalry was one of the most explosive ones in daily soaps and resulted in several interesting plotlines.

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2) The rivalry between Victor Newman and Jack Abbott began due to Nikki Newman (The Young and the Restless)

One of the long-standing rivalries across daily soaps is between Jack and Victor from The Young and the Restless. Everyone knows that Jack and Victor are involved in a cutthroat business competition, but their personal rivalry began due to a very personal reason.

In the late 1980s, Victor took charge of Jabot Cosmetics. Jack, to take revenge, marries Nikki, who was separated from Victor at the time, but falls for her. Nikki falls in love with Jack as well after Jack supports her in her battle with addiction to painkillers. However, their marriage becomes strained after Nikki loses Jack’s child after being in an argument with Victor, for which he blames Victor. Jack and Nikki got divorced in 1994 after Victor asked him to do it in exchange for Jabot Cosmetics.

However, their rivalry is still an ongoing storyline due to their competition in business and also more personal reasons.

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1) Stephanie's hatred for Brooke (The Bold and the Beautiful)

Stephanie despised the Logans due to Eric’s relationship with Brooke’s mother, Beth Logan, due to which Ridge's involvement with Brooke irked her.

However, when Brooke was involved with her husband, Rick, she was stunned and enraged. Brooke was involved with both of Stephanie's sons and her husband. Their rivalry was brutal as Stephanie tried to harm Brooke with a fire poker and even tried to choke her to death several times, making it one of the explosive rivalries across daily soaps.

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Also Read: 7 Marriages in daily soaps that fans wish lasted longer