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Line 1: {{trope}} {{quote\|''"I am what I am,~~<br />~~ ''[[Think Nothing of It\|I don't want praise]], [[Don't You Dare Pity Me!\|I don't want pity]]."''~~\|'''I Am What I Am''', ''[[La Cage Aux Folles]]''}}~~ \|'''I Am What I Am''', ''[[La Cage aux Folles]]''}} Often a character will have an aspect of himself of which he's ashamed (or that society insists he should be). It might have something to do with his heritage, such as being [[Heroic Bastard\|illegitimately born]], [[Half -Human Hybrid]]-[[Our Demons Are Different\|demon]] or [[In the Blood\|some other inheritance considered unfortunate by society]]. It might have something to do with [[Acceptable Lifestyle Targets\|his lifestyle]]; e.g., if he's gay or geeky, [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking\|or he collects belly button lint]]. Maybe he was forced into an [[Emergency Transformation]] which he can't undo, and he's [[Stages of Monster Grief\|been bemoaning]] "[[What Have I Become?]]" Or maybe it's an obstacle he faces, like being handicapped, dyslexic or [[The McCoy\|incapable of thinking rationally]]. Could even be a matter [[Love Tropes\|of love]]. Whatever the issue is, expect the character at some point to receive an epiphany that leads to him embracing whatever makes him different. Often leads to a [[Moment of Awesome (Sugar Wiki)\|Moment of Awesome]], [[An Aesop]] or both. If in a musical, expect a whole song to be given over to this, and it may be a [[Dark Reprise]] or [[Triumphant Reprise]] of the [["I Want" Song]]. May result in a character repairing [[House of Broken Mirrors\|broken mirrors and defaced pictures of themselves]]. Due to its nature as a characterization trope that signals self-acceptance, confidence, and a certain degree of enlightenment, not to mention vanquishing inner demons, may be a rather spoilery trope. The probable [[Trope Codifier]] is ''[[Popeye]]'', although he was basically matter-of-fact about it, '''"I yam whats I yam, and dat's all dat I yam!"''' Compare [[~~Its~~It's What I Do]] and [[I Am Not Him]]. Not to be confused with [[I Am Spartacus]] or [[I Am Who?]]. Or "I am ''Who'' I am", which is the best translation that scholars can find for YHWH, the name of the Judeo-Christian God. Or the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' [[Peggy Sue]] fanfic, ''[[I Am What I Am (fanfic)\|I Am What I Am]]''. {{examples\|Examples}}▼ ▲{{examples~~\|Examples~~}} == Anime and Manga == * Setsuna Sakurazaki from ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]''. She's not particularly ashamed of the fact that she's [[Half -Human Hybrid\|half-tengu]] and therefore [[Wing Pull\|can sprout wings at will]], but she ''is'' ashamed of the fact that said wings are white rather than black (it's hinted she may be albino), which marked her as a instant outcast of her demon tribe. Never mind the fact that her [[True Companions]] think [[But Your Wings Are Beautiful\|that the wings are awesome]] and that she looks like an angel. * ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'': {{quote\| '''[[Kid Hero\|Simon]]:''' "Who the hell do you think I am? I'm Simon. Not my bro, Kamina. I am myself! Simon the Digger!"}} * ''[[One Piece]]'': Usopp gets this a lot. Line 24: Ace in the War at Marineford Arc finally comes to terms with his heritage as {{spoiler\|the son of Gold Roger. Too bad he dies soon after!}} * ''[[Dragonball Z]]'': {{quote\| [[Idiot Hero\|Goku]]: "I am the Saiyan sent to Earth as a baby to defeat you [Freeza]. Despite my quiet exterior, [[Beware the Nice Ones\|my calm heart has been awakened by rage]]. '''I am the [[Super Mode\|Super Saiyan]], Son Goku!'''"}} * ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'': '''Shinji:''' "I hate myself... But, I might be able to love myself. Maybe my life could have a greater value. Yes, I am nothing but I. I am I. I wish to be me. I want to continue existing in this world! I am worth living here!" [[Gainax Ending\|"Congratulations!"]] * ''[[Kyou Kara Maou]]'' is full of people with subtextual identity issues. The two surviving members of the [[Half -Human Hybrid]] Rutenburg division make a study in contrasts on this point: Yozak is the cheerful, improbably competent, muscled, crossdressing red-headed spy who seems incredibly at home in his own skin, though some of that ''might'' be coping mechanism. His mother died and he spent his childhood (i.e. about thirty years) starving because of the customary ostracizing of anyone with half-Mazoku children in Shimaron, and he harbors some resentment against Mazoku for their less virulent but still racist treatment of half-bloods. At any rate, he is very [[I Am What I Am]] by this point in his life. His best friend and captain Conrad, though, is "the perfect guy," probably the best swordsman in the world, of practically royal lineage on both sides but unable to hold any rank higher than 'sir', gives off the creepiest [[Stepford Smiler]] vibes sometimes, especially when explaining without rancor about some other shitty thing, and has apparently, his entire life, needed to have someone else to base that entire life around. When he was a kid, he had a [[Big Brother Instinct]] around Wolfram. After Wolfram rejected him for being half human, he eventually attached himself to Julia. After Julia died, Shinou arranged for him to {{spoiler\|transport her soul to Earth and make sure that the baby it became was born safely}}. And after that, his whole reason for being is Yuuri. * Renton in ''[[Eureka Seven]]'' says this a lot, especially as he tried to climb out of his father's shadow early in the series. * In ''[[Midnight Secretary]]'', Kyouhei first considers his vampire pride, where being a vampire is most important thing that defines him. However, later in serie when he is called out by other vampires on how low he has fallen, he claim that it doesn't matter what he does, he is ''he'' and that he is vampire no matter what. {{spoiler\|He also claims that he doesn't want to be bound, but realises that he was bound by his pride as a vampire}} == ~~Comics~~Comic Books == * Dr. Allison Mann in ''[[Y: ~~the~~The Last Man]]''. Not really a example, since she had no hang-ups about it, but must be included due to being the most [[Badass]] Outing ''ever'':▼ {{quote\| [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy\|Toyota]]: "Have you even ''seen'' a sword fight before, doc?"~~<br~~ />▼ ▲* Dr. Allison Mann in ''[[Y the Last Man]]''. Not really a example, since she had no hang-ups about it, but must be included due to being the most [[Badass]] Outing ''ever'': [[~~Straight~~Invisible ~~Gay~~to Gaydar\|Dr. Mann]]: "I am an Ivy League lesbian, bitch. You honestly believe I've never ''[[Lesbian Jock\|fenced]]'' before?"~~<br~~ />▼ ▲{{quote\| [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy\|Toyota]]: "Have you even ''seen'' a sword fight before, doc?"<br /> [[Open -Minded Parent\|Dr Mann's Mother]]: You're ''GAY?''" }}▼ ▲[[Straight Gay\|Dr. Mann]]: "I am an Ivy League lesbian, bitch. You honestly believe I've never ''[[Lesbian Jock\|fenced]]'' before?"<br /> ▲[[Open Minded Parent\|Dr Mann's Mother]]: You're ''GAY?''" }} :: Then immediately [[Subverted]] when Toyota hands Dr Mann a new one, since "fishing for points"-fencing differs from ''"hacking each others in pieces"''-fencing. * Too many characters to count among Marvel Comics X-titles and mutant spin-offs. Whether hero or villain, whether their ability has inconvenient side or not, whether angsty over it or taking it in stride, before, during or after an about-face (or about-heel) and back, almost every one has an [[I Am What I Am]] moment at some time. == Film - Live-Action == * An unusual ~~villanous~~villainous example in ''[[Kingdom of Heaven]]'': the Templar Grand Master stands dripping blood from men, women and children and stares into the middle distance - "I am what I am... somebody has to be." * ''[[The Color Purple]]'': "I might be ugly, black, and dumb, but I'm still here!" * ''[[Planes, Trains and Automobiles]]'': Del Griffith delivers an incredibly touching rebuttal to Neil Page's tirade about him, which may be the perfect rebuttal to any [[Reason You Suck Speech]]: {{quote\| '''Del:''' You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.}} ** Note Del's very brief hesitation while saying "My wife likes me;" it's a beautifully subtle touch from actor John Candy as well as some rather tragic foreshadowing to the reveal that {{spoiler\|[[Harsher in Hindsight\|his wife actually passed away years ago]]}}. * This is perhaps the main moral behind ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]''. Jack Skelington, the Pumpkin King, had become bored and ~~dreary~~weary ~~with~~of scaring and longed for something more. After discovering Christmas and attempting to take a shot at it, only to fail miserably, he has a [[BSOD Song]] which leads to up to this trope: {{quote\| ''Well, what the heck! I went and did my best! And by god, I really tasted something swell! And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky! And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did! And for the first time since I don't remember when, I feel just like my old boney self again! And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King...That's right. I'' '''AM''' ''THE PUMPKIN KING! HA! HA! HA! HA!''}} * One of Max's last actions in the movie ''[[Bent]]'' is taking off his shirt and replacing it with a blood stained shirt with a pink triangle sewn onto it, to finally show pride in himself against the ~~nazis~~Nazis. * That's the main motive behind ''[[A Better Tomorrow]]''. Initially, Mark is convinced that gangsters like him can't really change their ways and run an honest life, and at one point even scolds about it his former boss Ho, who is trying to do just that. But later on, Mark acknowledges the fact that only by taking their destinies straight in their hands, people can really call themselves free, and even {{spoiler\|ends up being killed while lecturing Ho's brother (who is a cop and quite the [[Inspector Javert]] of the situation) on the goodness of Ho's efforts.}} == Live Action TV ==▼ * In an episode of ''[[Red Dwarf (TV)\|Red Dwarf]]'', Kryten the android becomes human. At first he's thrilled, because mechanoids tend to view humans as awesome. As he starts belittling his origins and insulting his spare heads, he starts to realize that he can't change what he is inside; an android who can't tell the difference between Popeye and Descartes. Also, it provides this funny moment:▼ {{quote\| Human Kryten (Hands Lister a Poloroid photograph of his penis): Is that normal?<br />▼ Lister: What, taking pictures of it and showing it to your mates? No, it's ''not''." }}▼ * Spike in ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. "I may be love's bitch, but at least ''I'm'' man enough to admit it."▼ * Parodied in ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]''. Jamie, fed up with his grandmother constantly criticising and swearing at people, says in despair "Why are you like this?" She responds by launching into a rendition of "I Am What I Am" from ''La Cage aux Folles''.▼ * Spock throughout ''[[Star Trek]]''. He even addresses it word-for-word in "This Side of Paradise":▼ {{quote\| '''Spock''': I am what I am, [[Girl of the Week\|Leila]], and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's.}}▼ * One episode of ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' has Ned say that he's not sorry or ashamed about [[Necromancy\|what he does]], because "it's what brought everyone I love into my life".▼ * Kurt from ''[[Glee]]'': He decides he's not afraid to be who he is, and tells his father that he's proud to be who he is, and that he won't hide in the closet.▼ * ''[[Scrubs]]'': Three words, "I'm. The. Todd"▼ * In episode seven of ''[[Game of Thrones (TV)\|Game of Thrones]]'', [[Magnificent Bastard\|Petyr Baelish]] describes to a couple of his "[[Paid Harem\|employees]]" the epiphany he had in regards to this trope. See the quotes section for the full speech.▼ * In the season 3 premiere of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'', Jesse, {{spoiler\|blaming himself for the death of Jane and the airplane crash that her distracted father accidentally caused}}, tells Walter, "It's all about accepting who you really are. I accept who I am. I'm the bad guy."▼ * ''[[Veronica Mars]]'': Invoked word for word in response to people sometimes calling her out on her role in upheaving people's lives (she's a private investigator - and naturally nosey).▼ == Literature == * ''[[Jane Eyre]]'': Jane decides that, if she has to live without friends and without love to keep her self-respect, she will do so. That is her nature, not to compromise, and she will be true to it: "the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself." * This phrase and variants of it are repeated throughout the first book of the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' series, usually after one character or another laments that they wish they were someone else, who didn't have to worry about their magic or saving the world.. * [[William Shakespeare]]'s works: Don John, the villain of ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' makes an introductory speech in which he tells his henchmen that he's being a [[Jerkass]] because he is, in fact, a [[Jerkass]] and has decided not to fight what he is. ''[[Richard III]]'': "Since I cannot prove a lover, I am determined to prove a villain". * ''[[Discworld]]'': In ''[[~~Discworld (Literature)/The Wee Free Men\|~~The Wee Free Men]]'', Tiffany Aching overcomes the Fairy Queen with the very selfishness the Queen taunted her for when she realizes she's willing to fight for the things that are hers. Then she lays claim to the entire land. * ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'': Drizzt, once he stops apologizing for [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much\|being a drow.]] Galaeron Nihmedu. First, he suffers from prejudices as a sorcerer, then he's cut off the Weave (one of worst fates for an elf) and others see him almost as [[Undead]]. But once he regains control over himself, he does what's right for him and neither reacts to cold reception nor [[~~Wangst\|wangsts~~wangst]]s himself out. * This is a dominant theme of ''[[The Speed Of Dark]]'' by [[Elizabeth Moon]], which is told from the viewpoint of an autistic character. That said, given the choice in the end of whether to undergo surgery that will cure them, not all of them will end up choosing alike. * Some of the characters from The ''[[Mortal Instruments]]'' Trilogy by Cassanda Clare; the obvious one being Alec being gay. Also maybe Jace and Clary with their father. Line 87 ⟶ 68: * In one fantasy short story, God tells the modern world (by having every single broadcast radio and TV signal at the same time announce it) to justify humanity's continued existence within a short deadline. After the U.S. government puts in every known fact into a computer, the computer gives them the name of someone to talk to. When they talk to him, he thinks for a few minutes and replies with the (slightly adjusted) Bible quote above. "We are what we are". * The following exchange from ''[[Night Watch]]'' between the Light Other Anton and the the Dark One Zavulon: {{quote\| '''Anton:'''"Zavulon, you are the spawn of darkness."~~<br />~~ '''Zavulon:'''"Indeed, I am. But only that darkness that was inside me." }} ▲== Live Action TV == ▲* In an episode of ''[[~~Red Dwarf (TV)\|~~Red Dwarf]]'', Kryten the android becomes human. At first he's thrilled, because mechanoids tend to view humans as awesome. As he starts belittling his origins and insulting his spare heads, he starts to realize that he can't change what he is inside; an android who can't tell the difference between Popeye and Descartes. Also, it provides this funny moment: ▲{{quote\| Human Kryten (Hands Lister a ~~Poloroid~~Polaroid photograph of his penis): Is that normal?~~<br />~~ ▲Lister: What, taking pictures of it and showing it to your mates? No, it's ''not''." }} ▲* Spike in ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. "I may be love's bitch, but at least ''I'm'' man enough to admit it." ▲* Parodied in ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]''. Jamie, fed up with his grandmother constantly criticising and swearing at people, says in despair "Why are you like this?" She responds by launching into a rendition of "I Am What I Am" from ''La Cage aux Folles''. ▲* Spock throughout ''[[Star Trek]]''. He even addresses it word-for-word in "This Side of Paradise": ▲{{quote\| '''Spock''': I am what I am, [[Girl of the Week\|Leila]], and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's.}} ▲* One episode of ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' has Ned say that he's not sorry or ashamed about [[Necromancy\|what he does]], because "it's what brought everyone I love into my life". ▲* Kurt from ''[[Glee]]'': He decides he's not afraid to be who he is, and tells his father that he's proud to be who he is, and that he won't hide in the closet. ▲* ''[[Scrubs]]'': Three words, "I'm. The. Todd" ▲* In episode seven of ''[[~~Game of Thrones (TV)\|~~Game of Thrones]]'', [[Magnificent Bastard\|Petyr Baelish]] describes to a couple of his "[[Paid Harem\|employees]]" the epiphany he had in regards to this trope. See the quotes section for the full speech. ▲* In the season 3 premiere of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'', Jesse, {{spoiler\|blaming himself for the death of Jane and the airplane crash that her distracted father accidentally caused}}, tells Walter, "It's all about accepting who you really are. I accept who I am. I'm the bad guy." ▲* ''[[Veronica Mars]]'': Invoked word for word in response to people sometimes calling her out on her role in upheaving people's lives (she's a private investigator - and naturally ~~nosey~~nosy). * In ''[[The Winds of War and War and Remembrance\|War and Remembrance]]'', a Nazi thug beats Aaron Jastrow and says, "Say, I am a [[N-Word Privileges\|Herman-Wouk-Can-Say-it]] Jew". In the course of oppression however he falls back on the support of religion and becomes stronger. And later he is invited to speak to the others in the concentration camp, and talks of the Book of Job. He ends his homily with "Who but the...". == Music == * [[Eminem\|"I am whatever you say I am! If I wasn't, then why would I SAY I am?! In the paper, the news ~~EVERYDAY~~''every day'' I am! I don't know, that's just the way I am."]]▼ ▲* [[Eminem\|"I am whatever you say I am! If I wasn't, then why would I SAY I am?! In the paper, the news EVERYDAY I am! I don't know, that's just the way I am."]] * The song "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians ("What I am, is what I am, is what you are or what"); referenced in the [[Aretha Franklin]] song "A Rose is Still a Rose" * "I'm Real" by [[Jennifer Lopez]] (both the original, and the remix with Ja Rule). * [[The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band]] had "What Do You Do". {{quote\| I do what I do,~~<br />~~ I am what I am,~~<br />~~ We are what we are~~<br />~~ ''We do what we can''! }} * Meredith Brooks' song "Bitch" is all about this trope; the chorus proudly proclaims "I'm a bitch, I'm a lover," followed by several other contradictory attributes (Child/mother, sinner/saint) and announces "I do not feel ashamed!". * Mercy Me's "No More, No Less." * This is said by the narrator in the [[~~Alice Cooper (Music)\|~~Alice Cooper]] song Fantasy Man * [[Lady Gaga]]'s single "Born This Way" (2011) from her second studio album of the same name. {{quote\|''Don't hide yourself in regret ~~<br />~~ ''Just love yourself and you're set ~~<br />~~ ''I'm on the right track, baby ~~<br />~~ ''I was born this way'' ~~\|'''Born This Way''', ''[[Lady Gaga]]''}}~~ \|"Born This Way", ''[[Lady Gaga]]''}} * ''I Am What I Am'' by [[KMFDM]]. == Theater == * ''[[La Cage ~~Aux~~aux Folles]]'': In the Act I finale, Albin, a professional drag queen, has learned his longtime partner and their adoptive son want him out of the way to avoid offending the son's conservative future in-laws. He sings the eponymous song in defiance, declaring that ''he'', at least, is not ashamed of who he is.▼ * Elphaba, in ''[[Wicked (~~Theatre~~theatre)\|Wicked]]'', sings 'Defying Gravity' as a realization of her own nature and her own standing in the world: she will never gain the love she's dreamed of and still be able to respect herself. She's hated being a witch, and she's tried not to be a witch, but it's her nature, and for the first time she really embraces it.▼ ▲* ''[[La Cage Aux Folles]]'': In the Act I finale, Albin, a professional drag queen, has learned his longtime partner and their adoptive son want him out of the way to avoid offending the son's conservative future in-laws. He sings the eponymous song in defiance, declaring that ''he'', at least, is not ashamed of who he is. ▲* Elphaba, in ''[[Wicked (Theatre)\|Wicked]]'', sings 'Defying Gravity' as a realization of her own nature and her own standing in the world: she will never gain the love she's dreamed of and still be able to respect herself. She's hated being a witch, and she's tried not to be a witch, but it's her nature, and for the first time she really embraces it. * Monsieur Madeleine, in ''[[Les Misérables]]'', comes to accept who he was before and trusts in divine providence to come to the bar and say, "Who am I? I'm Jean Valjean!" * In ''[[Oliver ~~(Theatre)\|Oliver~~!]]'': Fagin seems to always come back to the [[I Am What I Am]] decision. Nancy is fully aware of the fact that Bill is a [[Jerkass\|complete bastard]], but she can't help [[All Girls Want Bad Boys\|loving him]], complete with song. {{spoiler\|And then, to top off the love fest, he kills her.}} * ''[[West Side Story]]'': "I love him, I'm his, and everything he is I am too - I have a love, and it's all that I need, right or wrong - and he needs me too." * ''[[Funny Girl:]]'': In a vein combining 'I Have a Love' with 'Defying Gravity' above, 'Don't Rain On My Parade' is Fanny Brice telling the rest of the Ziegfield follies, and Ziegfield himself, to go jump in a lake, because she knows what she wants and she's not going to let him get away. * ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'': "I, Don Quixote" says it right in the title: "I am I, Don Quixote! the Lord of La Mancha..." His "fair lady Dulcinea" spits out the darkest possible version of an [[I Am What I Am]] song, saying that she is what she is: an unloved, unremembered whore who comes from a dog-eat-dog world and that's ''only'' way she can be, and all she deserves. * When Iago of Shakespeare's ''[[Othello]]'' says "I am not what I am" in a soliloquy, he means a couple of things. Firstly he's [[Card -Carrying Villain\|telling us he's a manipulative bastard, and possibly a psychopath]] rather than the honest and reliable man the other characters think he is. Secondly, this statement also roughly equates to him saying that he is soulless and therefore daemonic. Iago is fine with this and he's quite happy admitting his true colours to himself and to us as the audience. * ''[[Shrek]] The Musical'': Near the end of the show, during the titular character's [[Ten -Minute Retirement]], the various fairy tale characters exiled from the kingdom band together via the song "Freak Flag", wherein they embrace what makes them different from "normal" people, and decide to fight back against [[Big Bad\|Farquaad]] themselves. == Video Games == * ''[[Kingdom Hearts]] Chain of Memories'': Riku spends most of his side the work trying to fight his darkness. When he finally decides to use it to save himself, he's actually called out on it by one of the antagonists - and responds with a reworded version of this trope: {{quote\| '''Zexion''': Heh... After all your protests you're still just another darkling.~~<br />~~ '''Riku''': I know who I am. }} * Every party member in ''[[Persona 4]]'' does this to obtain their Persona. * ''[[~~Mad World~~MadWorld]]'': "I don't save people, I kill them." * In the canon route of ''[[Blaze Union]]'', Garlot has it dropped on him quite abruptly that [[I Am Who?\|he's not who he thinks he is]]~~--as~~—as much as his mother tried to hide it from him, he's actually a pureblooded descendant of the demon Brongaa, and his real name is Gulcasa. As this comes in the middle of a brutal [[Trauma Conga Line]], it would probably be forgivable for the poor kid to break down from the identity crisis... but he just accepts the truth calmly and then sets about trying to find a way to use his newfound power to protect people. At the very end of the game, he puts the spirit of this trope into words, but by then it really comes off as more of a [[Tear Jerker]] than anything else, as several people who meant a lot to him have utterly rejected him because of this. * ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]] series'': In ''[[~~Sonic Adventure 2 (Video Game)\|~~Sonic Adventure 2]]'', Sonic gives one in response to Shadow's inquiry of what special kind of creature Sonic must be to have been able to conduct Chaos Control (especially notable as he did it with a FAKE Emerald, something Shadow views as impossible) and escape certain death from that explosion. Sonic's answer is the defining moment of his character: "What you see is what you get. I am just a guy who loves adventure. I am Sonic the Hedgehog!" In ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog]]'', at the end of several story routes and especially the final, canon route Shadow states, "This is who I am!" when he is finally at peace with his identity and has put the past behind him once and for all. Shadow comes to terms with the idea that he is a weapon designed by Gerald Robotnick, but he has decided that he is now more than just a weapon: with his powers, he will find a way to bring the people of the Earth happiness, just as Maria had hoped. * ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' series: One of the constant struggles for Solid Snake's character be that he has [[Blood Knight]] tendencies. Snake's father Big Boss and his brother Liquid remind him that inside of him there is a warrior spirit that loves to fight and that he should embrace it, Snake does embrace his fighting nature but tries his best to apply it for good causes. Though despite his attempts to do good Snake acknowledges that he is a bad person and that he is a killer by nature stating he is no hero as some would imagine him to be, "I am no hero, never was. I am just an old killer." == Web Comics == * ''[[~~Order~~The ~~of the Stick (Webcomic)\|~~Order of the Stick]]'': In his [[Start of Darkness]], Xykon doesn't seem in any way ashamed of his powers, but his eventual affirmation of his own style and defiance of those who thought he should have been a self-loathing Atoner is a glorious [[Moment of Awesome]].▼ ▲* ''[[Order of the Stick (Webcomic)\|Order of the Stick]]'': In his [[Start of Darkness]], Xykon doesn't seem in any way ashamed of his powers, but his eventual affirmation of his own style and defiance of those who thought he should have been a self-loathing Atoner is a glorious [[Moment of Awesome]]. * The plot of ''[[Misfile]]'' is this trope meeting both [[Gender Bender]] and [[Reset Button]] (for Ash and Emily respectively). * ''[[Erfworld]]'': [http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/?px=%2F2009-11-04.jpg Defiantly stated] by Prince Ossomer, but he's not speaking about a flaw (as he sees it) -- he is stating his [[The Fettered\|principled opposition]] to Ansom and his anti-Royal rhetoric. * ''[[Magick Chicks]]'': when Layla's attempt at a casual snack gone awry, she tried to convince panicked Faith to part peacefully, starting with "Look, I just eat what I have to, when I have to, just like anyone." - unfortunately for her, Faith is not reasonable at better times, and a failed attempt to bolster arguments with low-grade mind control merely made her more confident. == Western Animation == * ''[[~~Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)\|~~Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': "My name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Firelord Ozai, Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne.". This doubles as a [[Badass Boast]], although {{spoiler\|while it intimidates his opponent, the people he was protecting from them ''really'' don't like who he is and run him out of town.}}▼ * ''[[~~Balto (Animation)\|~~Balto]]'': Balto spends the first half of the movie angsting over his half-wolf heritage, but then buckles down and uses his ?wolf powers? to {{spoiler\|save the sled team and get the medicine to town}}.▼ ▲* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)\|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': "My name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Firelord Ozai, Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne.". This doubles as a [[Badass Boast]], although {{spoiler\|while it intimidates his opponent, the people he was protecting from them ''really'' don't like who he is and run him out of town.}} * ''[[~~Dumbo (Disney)\|~~Dumbo]]'': Dumbo is teased for having abnormally big ears, which are what later enable him to fly. As his friend Timothy Mouse puts it, "The very things that kept you down are gonna carry you up and up and up!"▼ ▲* ''[[Balto (Animation)\|Balto]]'': Balto spends the first half of the movie angsting over his half-wolf heritage, but then buckles down and uses his ?wolf powers? to {{spoiler\|save the sled team and get the medicine to town}}. * All throughout ''The [[~~Spongebob~~SpongeBob SquarePants]] Movie'', SpongeBob is told that he is just a kid. After his harrowing journey, he realizes that "no amount of mermaid magic, or managerial promotion, [[Rule of Three\|or some other third thing]] can make me any more than what I am inside - a kid," and that he is OK with it. And then he unleashes [[The Power of Rock]].▼ ▲* ''[[Dumbo (Disney)\|Dumbo]]'': Dumbo is teased for having abnormally big ears, which are what later enable him to fly. As his friend Timothy Mouse puts it, "The very things that kept you down are gonna carry you up and up and up!" ▲* All throughout ''The [[Spongebob SquarePants]] Movie'', SpongeBob is told that he is just a kid. After his harrowing journey, he realizes that "no amount of mermaid magic, or managerial promotion, [[Rule of Three\|or some other third thing]] can make me any more than what I am inside - a kid," and that he is OK with it. And then he unleashes [[The Power of Rock]]. * ''[[Ratatouille]]'': {{quote\| ~~{{quote\|~~ '''Django''': Where are you going?~~<br />~~ '''Rémy''': Back to the restaurant! They'll fail without me!~~<br />~~ ~~'''Django''': Why do you care?<br />~~ '''~~Rémy~~Django''': ~~Because~~Why ~~''I'm~~do ~~a cook!''~~you }}care? '''Rémy''': Because ''I'm a cook!''}} * ''[[Popeye]]'': Popeye uses this phrase as a [[Catch Phrase]], mangled by his usual pronunskiation: ''"I yam whats I yam, and dat's all dat I yam"''. Probably the [[Trope Codifier]] * In ''[[Cloudy ~~With~~with a Chance of Meatballs]]'', Sam reveals to Flint that she was teased for being a nerd as a child, so she changed her look and [[Obfuscating Stupidity\|hid her smarts behind a bubbly ditz personality]]. Flint not only gets her to reclaim her nerdiness, but to revert to her earlier [[Nerd Glasses\|glasses]]-and-ponytail style. {{quote\| '''Flint''': I mean, this is the real you, right? Smart, bespectacled...who wouldn't want to see that?}} * In the first episode of ''[[Gargoyles]]'', Goliath responds to humans' dislike of his race with "We are what we are". * ''[[Kim Possible]]'''s Ron Stoppable: "I am what I is." * ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'': In ''Kung Fu Panda'' {{quote\| '''Tai Lung:''' You cannot defeat me... You're just a big... fat... panda!~~<br />~~ '''Po:''' I'm not a big fat panda. I'm ''the'' big fat panda! }} And then in ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]'': {{quote\| '''Po:''' I am Po. [[It Makes Sense in Context\|And I'm gonna need a hat.]]}} {{reflist}} [[Category:~~Trope~~{{PAGENAME}}]]▼ [[Category:I Am an Index]] [[Category:Characterization Tropes]] [[Category:Introspection Tropes]] [[Category:Stock Phrases]] ~~[[Category:I Am What I Am]]~~ ▲[[Category:Trope]]