More Hero Than Thou: Difference between revisions

{{deathtrope}}

 

 

* ''[[One Piece]]'': After fighting and defeating both Oz and Gekko Moria, the Straw Hat Pirates are too worn out to defeat Bartholomew Kuma. All but Zoro have been knocked unconscious. Zoro offers his own life in exchange for the lives of everyone else. Kuma agrees to his request. Suddenly Sanji stands up and offers his life in place of Zoro's. Zoro proceeds to sucker punch Sanji in the side, knocking him unconscious and ending the argument.

* Used in ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' at the very end. As [[Colony Drop|Libra falls to Earth]], Heero goes to the main reactor to destroy it; unfortunately, he's out of weapons, his ammo and [[Laser Sword|beam saber energy]] depleted from his duel with Zechs and his [[BFG]] having been knocked away at the start of the fight. He's about to use the [[Self-Destruct Mechanism]] when Zechs [[Big Damn Heroes|appears out of nowhere]], stabs the reactor with Epyon's [[BFS]], and says "We'll meet again" as the explosion engulfs him. {{spoiler|And yes, he does come back.}}

* In the [[Isaac Asimov]] collection ''[[I, Robot (literature)|I, Robot]]'', the story "Runaround" features Powell and Donovan arguing over who should risk their life to rescue a malfunctioning robot. Powell proposes a math contest: whoever can solve a difficult math problem gets to go. Of course, he has already solved it in his head before he proposes it, and immediately solves it and runs off before Donovan can stop him.

* In [[Adrian Tchaikovsky]]'s ''[[Shadows of the Apt|Dragonfly Falling]]'', Salma tries to tell Totho he can't sell himself to the Wasp to save him, but Totho informs him that he has already done so, and if Salma doesn't take the escape he did it for, Totho has done it in vain.

* In [[Jasper Fforde]]'s ''[[Thursday Next|Lost In A Good Book]]'', Thursday goes to kill herself to appease Aornis. Her father stops her and derails Aornis's plans despite her objections that it will kill him; among other things, he points out he's aged, and he will go without a decline this way.

** In ''Something Rotten'', Spike tries to [[Balancing Death's Books|take Thursday's place]] in {{spoiler|the underworld}}; they argue, and when he can't be moved, Thursday tells the crowd he's {{spoiler|alive}}. Then Cindy shows up and argues Thursday into letting her do it.

 

 

* The end of ''[[Phantom Brave]]''. It's not who you'd think either.

* ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'': the last third of the game has Luke and Asch arguing repeated about who is going to make a [[Heroic Sacrifice]], actually two of them over the course of this part of the game, with each one wanting to make the sacrifice himself. {{spoiler|They both survive the first - neutralizing the miasma - but Asch dies in the second on Eldrant, though depending on how you interpret the ending he might be alive in some capacity after it's all over.}}

 

 

* ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'': [http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/030613 "Let me be the hero for once."] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|"Sorry, ma'am. I'm union."]]

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'': [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20091111 Tarvek tells Gil that if push comes to shove, he has to cut Tarvek off and save Agatha.] When Agatha asks whether they were fighting, they instantly agree that they weren't -- so she won't learn.

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' takes this to ridiculous extremes with a scene which involves dozens of people knocking each other out in succession over who gets to go on a suicide mission.

{{quote|"Ya know, I just had to take his place. He's got a wife and six piglets."}}

* This is subverted in the first animated ''[[X-Men]]'' series' version of the Phoenix Saga. Jean Grey is apparently dead, but the Phoenix Force reveals that it can save her by transferring life energy from others to her. Jean's love interests Cyclops and Wolverine get into a brief argument about who will sacrifice himself for her sake. Both insist on doing it themselves. The Phoenix then explains that the life energy doesn't have to come from one person; it can take energy from a group of people (shortening their lifespans) to revive Jean. All of the [[X-Men]] hold hands and allow the Phoenix to do just that.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Knight in Shining Tropes]]

[[Category:Death Tropes]]

[[Category:Goodness Tropes]]

[[Category:Morality Tropes]]