I'm Not a Hero, I'm X: Difference between revisions

* [[The Hero]] is [[Rule of Cool|awesome]]. May deliver the line as "I'm no hero. I'm ____man!", "I'm not a hero; [[No Except Yes|I'm a superhero!]]" or "I'm not a hero. I'm [[Just Doing My Job]]." If delivering the line to a villain and trying to be exceptionally [[Badass]], [[The Hero]] may say: "I'm not a hero. [[I'm Your Worst Nightmare]]" or something along those lines.

* [[The Hero]] is [[Humble Hero|humble]]. Occasionally accompanied by [[Think Nothing of It]].

* [[The Hero]] attempts to [[Refusal of the Call|refuse]] or [[Ignorant of the Call|ignore the call]], but [[You Can't Fight Fate|will eventually accept it.]]

* [[The Hero]] exhibits false humility. Can lead to [[Dude, Where's My Respect?]] or [[Dude, Where's My Reward?]]. This "hero" [[Small Name, Big Ego|may not be a hero at all]]. Can provide [[An Aesop|a lesson on the importance of humility.]]

 

A subtrope of [[I Am the Trope]]. Compare [[I'm a Doctor, Not a Placeholder]]. Contrast [[The Chosen Zero]].

{{examples}}

== Advertising ==

* This trope is [[Parodied Trope|parodied]] for [[Rule of Funny|hilarious effect]] in a recently released Cox commercial that provides the page quote above.

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* Jack from ''[[Pandora Hearts]]'' is very insistent that he's not a hero. It only ends up making him appear humble and sweet, not to mention more [[Estrogen Brigade Bait|tragic and cute.]]

** {{spoiler|[[The Reveal|Then it]] [[Wham! Episode|turns out]] [[Ax Crazy|he wasn't]] [[Big Bad|lying...]]}}

 

== Comic Books ==

'''Ray Palmer:''' (points to [[Affirmative Action Legacy|another Atom]]) ''He's'' a hero. I'm Ray Palmer. Welcome to ''[[Cold-Blooded Torture|pain.]]'' }}

* [[Warren Ellis]]' ''[[No Hero]]'', [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]].

 

== Fan Works ==

'''Harry:''' Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was. I've been trying to tell you that for years. }}

* Mat "I'm no bloody hero!" Cauthon from the [[Wheel of Time]], usually said after he does something heroic. He is the variety that thinks he can ignore the call, even though he's actively doing heroic things.

 

== Live Action TV ==

** This gets amped up to eleven in the series 2 finale.

* As [[Who Wants to Live Forever?|Richard Alpert]] attempts to convince her to join "[[Spy From Weights and Measures|Mittelos Bioscience]]", [[Lost|Juliet Burke]], who is going through something of an emotional breakdown, tells him: "Whatever you think I am, I'm not. I'm not a leader, Mr. Alpert. I'm a mess."

 

== Music ==

* [[Nickelback|Nickelback's]] song Hero: ''"They say that a hero could save us; I'm not gonna stand here and wait... And now that the world isn't ending, it's love that I'm sending to you. [[Heroic Self-Deprecation|It isn't the love of a hero]], and that's why I fear it won't do..."''

* Kiss' "Just A Boy" from ''Music From "The Elder"'': "But I'm no hero, though I wish I could be..."

 

== Religion and Mythology ==

* [[The Bible]]. No, really. In the book of Obadiah. Both a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] and a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]].

{{quote|'''Obadiah:''' I'm not a prophet. I'm a farmer.}}

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

'''Sora:''' Huh? }}

** After which he then gives his name.

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

'''Battlecat:''' "Not tonight. I'm not a hero tonight. I'm a husband. I'm a father. That's what I am tonight."

'''Baron Samedi:''' "No... wait!" (followed by a long drop and a sudden stop) }}

 

== Western Animation ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:I Am an Index]]

[[Category:Superhero Tropes]]

[[Category:Call to Adventure]]

[[Category:Hero Tropes]]