So Proud of You: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

 

Our young hero has accomplished! Perhaps he has triumphed, perhaps he has decided to undertake a [[Heroic Sacrifice]], perhaps he has proven worthy to respond to the Call.

There is the form "I'm so proud of you." Or "We are so proud of you," if one can speak for more than one (a mother or father for both parents).

 

 

While "father" is the commonest, "Your mother (or other figure) would be so proud of you," is also possible, in similar situations. "You should be proud of yourself" is another alternative, which ascribes even more of the credit to [[The Hero]] himself.

 

{{examples}}

* A rather terrifying (though oddly fluffy) example appears at the very end of the infamous original ending of ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'': {{spoiler|Shinji decides that he wants to be himself and to "stay here," the theatre scene disappears, and all the other characters congratulate him including Gendou and Yui}}. Pretty chilling due to its vagueness.

** One popular way of reconciling the movie and series is to see the movie as the physical world and the series as Shinji's personal mental world. Combining that with the various "the you which is in her" shenanigans, the series ends with Shinji congratulating himself, through the guises of various people he knows, on rejecting instrumentality. Which basically inverts this trope. Unverified research ho!

* In ''[[Naruto]]'', there's a moment somewhat like this when {{spoiler|Naruto's father, the 4th Hokage}}, is shown telling Naruto that he believes in him, that Konoha {{spoiler|can be rebuilt}}, and he's counting on him.

** [[Badass Teacher|Iruka]] [[Parental Substitute|Umino]] invokes this trope numerous times throughout the series, constantly praising and encouraging Naruto when everyone else ignored or mistreated him. During Naruto's battle with Pain, Iruka can be seen smiling with immense pride at everything Naruto has accomplished.

* In ''[[Gintama]]'', Okita's older sister and foster mother Mitsuba tells him how proud she is of him {{spoiler|in her last moments. What results are the only tears Okita sheds during the entire series.}} Truly a [[Tear Jerker]].

* Toward the end of ''[[Wandaba Style]]'', [[Teen Genius]] Susumu's father tells his wife that she should say this to their son, since he surpassed them both. We don't find out whether she does or not, though.

* "[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|You became a taller man than I was]]." {{spoiler|Such are the words of Kamina's ghost to Simon}}.

* An interesting double subversion happens in ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]]'': {{spoiler|Kenichi's masters first chastise Kenichi for risking his life on a mission and put him on a house arrest. But later Kenichi's [[Cool Big Sis]] mentor Shigure secretly sets him an eavesdropping device through which he hears that his masters are actually celebrating his courage.}}

** And later, Goku says this to Gohan after the latter's full potential is unlocked.

* Rather horribly subverted in ''[[Death Note]]'', as Soichiro Yagami finally confirms {{spoiler|on his deathbed}} that his son Light isn't the mass-murderer Kira. {{spoiler|[[Everybody Knows That|He is.]]}}

* In ''[[High School DxD]]'', after {{spoiler|Sairaorg's mom finally wakes up from a long coma, she sees her son and tells her she's proud of him. It causes him to shed a [[Single Tear]].}}

 

 

 

== Film ==

** Which probably counts as an inversion, Rumina being the series's [[Vain Sorceress]] and arguably main recurring villain that Sinbad has to deal with...

* ''[[Star Wars]]'': Episode I

** Also Episode III

* A [[Inverted Trope|reversal]] with Lulu saying this to her crazy father, [[Samuel L. Jackson|Romulus]], in ''The Caveman's Valentine''.

** And likely was in the prime timeline.

* Disney was going to have a song called "Proud of Your Boy" in ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', but it got scrapped along with the character of Aladdin's mother.

* In ''[[Iron Man 2]]'', it comes in a slightly different form. It's more accurately ''confidence'' that the hero will eventually make him proud, but it's really the same thing. Tony Stark recalls that his father was "cold and calculating," and that he "never told me he loved me, [and] never told me he liked me"). Thus, when Nick Fury tells him that his dad always believed he would carry on his legacy and take the arc reactor to the next level, Tony scoffed at the notion. Later, while going through his old man's stuff, he stumbles upon a [[Video Wills|recording his father left]] that was meant only for him. In it, he reveals that all of his life's work had always been for Tony. He also states that he is confident his son would change the future where he could not, and leaves him with [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|this final message]],

* At the end of ''[[A Knight's Tale]],'' the goofy sidekick says: "''Sir William Thatcher.'' Your father heard that."

* From ''[[Batman Begins]]'':

** This is a callback after an earlier [[What the Hell, Hero?]] moment when she says he would be ashamed of him

* In [[Thor (film)|Thor]], this conversation at the end of the movie between Thor and Odin.

'''Odin''': [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|You've already made me proud.]] }}

* Papa Smurf shows this to Clumsy near the end of ''[[The Smurfs (film)|The Smurfs]].''

 

 

** Also in the end of the final book, when {{spoiler|[[The Chew Toy|Neville Longbottom]] meets and exceeds his unattainable goal of being as good as his parents were, and his Grandmother tells him how proud she is}}.

** Another, unspoken, one from ''Deathly Hallows'', when Harry enters Dumbledore's office after the Final Battle:

* In the flashback at the end of [[Dan Abnett]]'s [[Gaunt's Ghosts]] novel, ''First & Only'', Gaunt's mentor Oktar tells him, "Your father would be proud of you," after his first military victory. Gaunt tells him that he is sure his (dead) father is.

'''Tam:''' "Nobody walks a difficult path without stumbling now and again. It didn't break you when you fell. That's the important part." }}

* In [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s ''[[Vorkosigan Saga|The Warrior's Apprentice]]'', Miles says he wants to make his life "an offering fit to lay at my father's feet":

* Invoked in [[Sandy Mitchell]]'s [[Ciaphas Cain]] novel ''The Traitor's Hand''. Cain engaged in a conflict with Chaos forces that were chasing a praetor; the praetor filled him on the danger and was injured. Later, he met a PDF general, his father, and praised his son's courage to him, manifestly inspiring paternal pride. He heard afterwards that the general had objected to his son's going into the praetors, and the incident brought about a reconciliation.

** In ''Dead Sky Black Sun'', after the climactic battle, the Lord of the Unfleshed solicits praise from Uriel: "Emperor happy?" Uriel looks at the damage and assures them that they made the Emperor very happy with their work.

*** Earlier, Uriel had seen a once-possible future that involved a fine son whom he would have been proud of; he regrets it, but does not let that stop him.

** In Matt Farrer's "After Desh'ea" (in ''Tales of Heresy''), Kharne tells Angron of how the Emperor [[Meaningful Rename|named them the War Hounds]] and that they were proud of it and hoped that he would be proud of that, too.

* At the end of ''[[The Graveyard Book]]'', Bod thinks he hears his mother's voice telling him she's proud of him.

*** The reader, who is hopefully not quite as thick as Captain Carter, probably figures out well before it's stated that {{spoiler|the young man, Carthoris, is his own son.}}

* There are a few times in the [[X Wing Series]] where Mirax Terrick, who grew up like a sister to Wedge Antilles, tells him that his parents would be proud of him. Her father basically helped raise him after Jagged and Zena Antilles were killed.

* In [[James Swallow]]'s ''[[Blood Angels|Deus Sanguinius]]'', a woman is mortally wounded striving to be one of Arkio's chosen soldiers. Sachiel assures her that her children are proud of her, mercy-kills her with a weapon meant for Space Marines, and [[Dies Wide Open|closes her eyes when she dies]].

* In [[John C. Wright]]'s ''[[Chronicles of Chaos|The Orphans of Chaos]]'', after Quentin stands off the {{spoiler|Lamia}}, Boggins tells him how proud he is and what a pity it is that Quentin will not remember.

* In [[Jasper Fforde]]'s ''[[Thursday Next|Lost In A Good Book]]'', when Landen is eradicated, Thursday assures his parents that they would have been proud of him.

* In [[Jack Campbell]]'s ''[[The Lost Fleet]]'' book ''Dreadnaught'', Captain Desjani smiles as she watches Geary watch the fleet go into formation, and explains that he's obviously so proud of them.

* In [[Gene Stratton Porter]]'s ''[[Freckles]]'', Freckles gets it second-hand from his [[Parental Substitute]]; Angel tells him of it.

"Well, call on me if you want reliable information. He's so proud of you he is all swelled up like the toad in [[Aesop's Fables]]. If you have ever had an arm hurt like this, and can do anything, why, for pity sake, do it!" '' }}

* In ''[[Animorphs]]'', Marco's mother has said this to Marco about his heroic activities in fighting the Yeerk presence on Earth. It means a lot coming from her: She forms a lot of his motivation for fighting, for she has been abducted away from Earth and seldom has an opportunity to say anything to anyone.

** An example occurs in the [[Series Fauxnale|last episode]]. {{spoiler|A running subplot in the episodes leading up to the final is Cox's inability to admit to missing JD. In the end, JD leaves, Cox say nothing, apparently because he was a teacher, albeit a good one, and JD was just another student. Of course, he is near-immediately tricked into singing JD's praises in a low-key [[Zany Scheme]], which still manages to be a kind of [[Ho Yay|totally platonic]] ''[[Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other|aw, look, they really do respect each other]]'' moment.}}

* A truly heartwrenching episode in [[Bones]], when Zach reveals his connection with the {{spoiler|Gormogan}}.

Brennan: I have always been proud of you, Zach. }}

* ''[[The A-Team]]'' {{spoiler|Murdock discovers that former criminal A.J. Bancroft is Face's father.}} While talking to {{spoiler|Face}} in one scene, Bancroft just can't work up the courage to tell him, but he manages this:

* In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', after the Doctor saves his home planet from a [[Shaped Like Itself|Deadly Assassin]], his former teacher (who ''just barely'' passed him out of school) has a word for the departing hero:

** Years later, when Wilfred Mott was mistaken for Ten's father, he says that he isn't, but would be proud if he was.

** And before that, virtually every time Peter Tyler, of either universe, has with his daughter and acknowledges her as such.

* ''[[The West Wing]]'' had the episode Ellie, where the president's middle daughter crossed horns with her father, telling him that she felt that she didn't know how to please him.

* ''[[Smallville]]'': "Bizarro"

** Aunt Nell tells Lana that she's proud of her on her wedding day to Lex Luthor, though doesn't specify what for. Surely not for the fact that her niece is knocked up on her wedding day, right?

* Blair says this to Chuck a lot in season three of ''[[Gossip Girl]]''. Until he {{spoiler|sells her to his uncle for a hotel}}, that is.

* John Winchester says this to Dean in ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'''s "In My Time Of Dying" {{spoiler|right before he dies}}. Of course, he fucks up this very nice, well-deserved sentiment by also telling him that he'll {{spoiler|have to kill Sam if he ever turns evil}}.

* ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'': Throughout the episode "Final Mission," [[Creator's Pet|Wesley]] has been struggling to get water and save the life of his mentor/father-figure Jean-Luc Picard. Near the end, when it looks as if he has failed Picard tells him:

* In ''[[Flashpoint (TV series)|Flashpoint]]'', Parker says this to the team {{spoiler|after a particularly difficult and exhausting mission, to which they were immediately interrogated by a investigator afterwards.}}

* Guinevere tells Arthur "I'm so proud of you," in the season three finale of ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]''.

* ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'': In the [[Series Fauxnale]] "Doomsday Part 2", with Rita apparently out of tricks, Zordon offers the Rangers a chance to hang up their morphers. When they very firmly reject it, he has this to say:

* ''[[Misfits]]'' brought out a rather unexpected example from [[Jerkass|Nathan]], of all people. Over the course of this episode, [[Butt Monkey|Simon]] has ended up in a relationship with Jesica, who's believed to be a serial killer; naturally, the other Misfits do their best to try and keep him safe- even Nathan, who spent most of the first season bullying Simon. However, it turns out that the murders were all committed by the woman's overprotective father, and at the end of the episode, Simon actually explains that Jessica was never a psychopath- she was a virgin.

([[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|He hugs Simon]]) }}

 

 

* In ''[[Astro City]]'', Steeljack tells one of the heroes of the Honor Guard that her (late) father would be proud of her. This produces a rather vehement reaction in her, since her father was a well-known supervillain who fought the Honor Guard on a number of occasions. [[Compliment Backfire|Steeljack probably meant that he would be proud to see she didn't follow in his footsteps and became a member of the world's premier superhero team-up, but coming from a supervillain...]]

* During [[Dark Reign]], Phobos used his powers to briefly cause [[Big Bad|Norman Osborn]] to have a breakdown by telling him that even though he thinks he's in control of his Green Goblin persona, he's not & he ''will'' fail. His father Ares (Who it should be noted was aligned with Osborn at the time) is stood off to the side watching, with a proud look on his face that all but says "That's my boy".

* In ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'', after Jesse cripples Jodie during their brutal death match, the latter smiles at the former and tells him "prouda ya, boy", apparently pleased that his [[Tough Love]] over the years has worked wonders with the boy. This just serves to piss Jesse off even further, and he chokes the villain to his death.

** Also, near the end, when Jesse is getting ready for his final fight, the Cowboy, who has appeared several times to him over the course of the comic to inspire him, appears and tells him this.

Cowboy: "Hell, pilgrim, I'm just a ...broke-down, wore-out ol' cowboy. But this broke-down, wore-out cowboy wanted ya to know, He's prouda ya." }}

"Then you kept your honour and your integrity. I'm proud of you. [[Missing Mom|Your mother]] would have been, too." }}

* ''[[Flashpoint (comics)|Flashpoint]]'': Thanks to some time-travel shenanigans, {{spoiler|[[The Flash]] delivers a message to Bruce from an alt-universe Thomas Wayne, which brings tears to the man's face.}}

* ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]''. [[Tears From a Stone|Seto, father of Nanaki]]. [[Manly Tears]].

* In the second ''[[Jak and Daxter]]'' game, [[Badass Biker|Jak]] leaves the group in a huff right before the critical Class Two race, leaving [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass|Daxter]] to take his place. After, Jak comes back and tells Daxter that he's proud of him. [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|Daxter's excited "Really?"]] is guaranteed to make fans of their [[Heterosexual Life Partners|friendship]] [[Squee]] in delight.

* In the third generation ''[[Pokémon]]'' games, you can rematch Gym Leaders after you beat the Elite Four. One of them is Norman, your character's father. After you beat him in the rematch:

* In [[Mass Effect]], if you bring Liara to Noveria, {{spoiler|as Matriarch Benezia is succumbing again to the indoctrination, the last thing she says as herself before attacking you again is [[Tear Jerker|"Liara, you always made me proud."]]}}

** [[Mass Effect 3]] also uses this trope {{spoiler|at the very end of the game; Admiral Anderson tells Commander Shepard that he is proud of him/her just before he dies of his injuries.}}

== [[Web Original]] ==

* He doesn't say it to her face, but [[The Nostalgia Critic]]'s pride and respect for the [[The Nostalgia Chick]] is obvious when he believes [[The Smurfette Principle]] is ''her'' creation.

 

 

** Elan gets to be on the receiving end of this after meeting {{spoiler|his father Tarquin}}. {{spoiler|Tarquin is happy that Elan is just as [[Genre Savvy]] as him and doesn't let his ego get in the way of doing things the right way (unlike [[The Unfavorite|Nale]]) even if they are on opposite ends of the alignment scale.}}

* ''[[Girl Genius]]'':

** Carson von Mekkhan gives one to his grandson Vanamonde, when he offers to be the first to test Agatha's [[Mad Science]] brewed coffee.

* ''[[Homestuck]]'': John's Dad is constantly telling him this, probably in response to the [[Heroic Self-Deprecation|self-abusive]] [[Room Full of Crazy|graffiti John wrote on his wall in his sleep]]. John [[Paranoia Fuel|isn't aware that the graffiti is there at all]], so he finds it overbearing and stifling and constantly complains about it to his friends. One of Dad's favourite ways of spreading the encouragement is through leaving John little printed notes (one of which is the page image).

** Later, Diamonds Droog seems to have an attitude like this toward Aradia, the troll he advises as an exile. His directions to her largely consist of praising [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown|her actions]] and encouraging her that her decisions and feelings are the right way to go.

** Post-Scratch, Dad has the same approach to his daughter Jane, congratulating her on being strong enough to lift the fridge he uses to stop her from going outside. (Although he still wants her to stay inside where it's nice and assassin-free.)

* In ''[[Endstone]]'', [http://endstone.net/2010/03/29/issue-3-webpage-20/ Kyri assures Cole she's proud of her for getting so far in so little time, before explaining her errors.]

** In a [[Flash Back]], after Cole explains the price she promised to save Kyri, [http://endstone.net/2011/12/29/7-10/ Kyri tells her that she is brave and honest, and she is proud of her.]

* In ''[[The Specialists]]'', the [[Old Retainer]] [http://thespecialistscomic.com/page-85/ assures Henry that both he and Henry's father are so proud of you.] It may even be true about the Old Retainer.

* In ''[[No Rest for The Wicked (webcomic)|No Rest for The Wicked]]'', [http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/01-20.html Colette tells November that her mother is no doubt proud of her -- obviously humoring her "delusions."]

 

== Western Animation ==

* "[[Batman: The Animated Series]]"

'''Batman''': Mom and Dad. They'd be ''so'' proud of you. }}

* [[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]: When Zuko returns to the Fire Nation [[Complete Monster|his father]] tells him he's proud of him and why. It's a creepy scene, since Ozai is praising Zuko for {{spoiler|''murdering Aang.'' It's also something Zuko didn't actually do.}}

** And of course there's the finale, when {{spoiler|Zuko is reunited with his uncle.}} It overlaps Heartwarming into [[Tear Jerker|Tearjerking]]. Someone come up with a better writeup than that!

** {{spoiler|It starts with Zuko outside the tent, paralyzed with shame at his betrayal of his Uncle. He only goes in once Katara gives him assurance (a tearjerker in itself, given that Katara used to hate him). When he goes in, he finds uncle asleep, so Zuko kneels and waits the entire night for Iroh to wake up, all the while stewing in his own shame. When Iroh wakes, he turns away from Zuko as Zuko makes his apology, giving you the impression that he actually is ashamed of Zuko and angry at the betrayal. It's only when he turns around and fiercely embraces Zuko that you realize that Iroh was just trying to keep it together because he was filled with such joy and pride in his adopted son for finding his way back to the light.}}

** Not to mention [[Team Mom|Katara]] taking [[Hot for Teacher|Aang]] aside to tell him how proud she is of his progress, just before the [[Storming the Castle|Black Sun invasion]]. That one got [[Forceful Kiss|a little sidetracked]], though.

* In ''[[How to Train Your Dragon]]'', after Stoick realizes his son, Hiccup, whom he earlier [[I Have No Son|rejected]], is incredibly wise and brave and about to fight a giant dragon in an apparent [[Heroic Sacrifice]], he tells him how proud he is to be his father.

** This also includes an aversion of the earlier repeated line.

'''Hiccup:''' You just pointed at all of me. }}

'''Hiccup:''' You just pointed at all of me. }}

* On ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'', Lucius sometimes does this to Beezy [[Good Is Bad and Bad Is Good|after Beezy has done something evil]].

* ''I am so proud of you'', part of the ''Everything Will Be OK'' film cycle by [[Don Hertzfeldt]], plays around with this.

* Played with on [[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]], when Bart, whacked out on way too <s> Ritalin</s> Focusyn, hijacks a tank a runs a muck around town.

'''Nelson''': Huh?! }}

* Goliath has a moment of this when he finally [["Well Done, Son" Guy|acknowledges Angela as his daughter]]. Note that the lack of acknowledgment wasn't because he ever disapproved of her personally, but because ''[[Gargoyles]]'' traditionally didn't keep track of who laid which eggs.

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'': Princess Celestia to Twilight Sparkle and her friends at the end of "Return of Harmony part 2".

* In ''[[Thundercats 2011]]'', Claudus telling Lion-O that he is proud of him is particularly poignant because Lion-O has spent his entire life trying to make his father proud of him {{spoiler|and because these are Claudus' last words.}}

 

{{reflist}}