The Heart: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Green Arrow:''' I still don't think I belong up here.<br />

'''[[Batman]]:''' That's the point. Someone like you will keep us honest. |''[[Justice League (Animation)|Justice League]]''}}

Subtrope of [[The Face]]. See also [[Restored My Faith in Humanity]] and [[Morality Chain]]. Compare [[The Conscience]], [[Token Good Teammate]]. Not to be confused with [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?]], though this trope often overlaps with that one.

** Ichigo served this purpose in the Soul Society Arc. Not that the [[True Companions]] ''wanted'' Rukia's soul to be [[Kill It Withwith Fire|obliterated]] by a [[Impaled Withwith Extreme Prejudice|giant spear]] that turned into an [[No Kill Like Overkill|even more giant]] [[Hot Wings|flaming]] [[The Phoenix|phoenix]], but Ichigo was the one they charged into a [[Crapsack World|Crapsack Afterlife]] [[Loads and Loads of Characters|full]] [[Badass Army|of]] [[Shinigami]] with [[Empathic Weapon|sentient swords]] for.

* ''[[Tower of God]]'' provides us with Baam, the [[Wide -Eyed Idealist]] and Rak, [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold]].

* Anzu/Téa in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]''. She used to be better than Jounouchi/Joey at everyone's favorite children's card game, and this point is made when she duels Mai for Yugi during his [[Heroic BSOD]]. Must've traded that in for her skill in making the [[Circle of Friendship]].

** Her constant "friendship speeches" are an object of humor in the [[Affectionate Parody]], [[Yu-Gi-Oh!: theThe Abridged Series]].

** It's unclear what exactly was said when they sat down to discuss what the Wolkenritter were doing (having put it off until after the final battle), but she [https://web.archive.org/web/20100721002801/http://www.onemanga.com/Magical_Girl_Lyrical_Nanoha_As/6/08/ mainly reminds them to take responsibility for their actions as well as the potential for problems for all of them down the line], and in the Sound Stages, she seems more concerned about depriving them of their immortality ([[Who Wants to Live Forever?|which they don't seem to mind]]).

* ''[[Naruto]]'' reference: Naruto is an expert at [[Defeat Means Friendship]] and tends to be so idealistic, honest, straightforward and caring that it causes people around him to catch on to it. Also odd, considering that he's also a bit of a [[Jerk Withwith a Heart of Gold]]. {{spoiler|After defeating Pain, he becomes something of a [[Messianic Archetype]]}}.

* In ''[[Rozen Maiden]]'', despite being a [[Screwy Squirrel]] at times, Suiseiseki fits this role best amongst the main cast.

* ''[[Bamboo Blade]]'' has Kirino, who is often thought of as this by her teammate Saya and Coach Toraji.

* Nao is this in ''[[Liar Game]]''. It is often because of her honest nature and her genuine desire that she would save everyone in the game and pay off their debts that helps turn the enemy/competetorscompetitors towards her cause. A few of the dealers watching the games have commented that she is the key componenetcomponent to winning the games

* Oddly enough in ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro Nini]]'', Battler actually plays this role for the people trapped on the island, at least in the early arcs. Although he's relentlessly anti-fantasy ({{spoiler|again, in the early arcs}}), he also wants to think the best of everyone (a trait that's shown more in the original novel and manga than in the anime) and so constantly winds up jumping up in the middle of fights to explain a scenario in which person X might not be the culprit.

* As a part of her [[Character Development]], Ringo Oginome becomes this for the Takakura siblings (and specially {{spoiler|Shouma}}) in ''[[Mawaru Penguindrum (Anime)|Mawaru Penguindrum]].''

* Remy Shimada in ''[[Go ShogunGoShogun]]''. In ''Go Shogun: The Time Étranger'' she becomes also [[The Heroine]].

* Post-eclipse Casca from ''[[Berserk]]''. Guts' new [[True Companions]] might squabble and even physically brawl out in some situations, all them are willing [[Protectorate|to protect Casca,]] since she's not capable of protecting herself and the whole group was put together [[I Will Protect Her|by Guts]] in the first place in order to do so.

* In the first ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' movie, when it looks like Usagi {{spoiler|is dying}}, each one of the Sailor Scouts remembers the different ways that Usagi helped them. The English dub actually has one of them say that she's the glue that keeps them all together.

* Beak during his time with [[Exiles (Comic Book)|The Exiles]]

* [[Captain America (comics)|Captain America]] is not only [[The Leader]] of [[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]] (Wow, [[Pothole]] much in one sentence?), he's also [[The Heart]] seeing as the Mighty Avengers without him seemed more like a millitarymilitary institute (Whichwhich is [[Fridge Logic]] a bit, but yeah.) and he's the one that most people rally behind when someone cries [[Avengers Assemble]]!

* Nightcrawler often ended up in the position of being the one to call the other [[X -Men]] on it when the team was going too far. Shadowcat and the Beast also fit the role when Kurt isn't around.

* Karolina in ''[[Runaways]]''. After her return from a brief [[Put Onon a Bus|bus trip]], Chase makes it clear he doesn't think things would have gone quite as badbadly as they didhad if she'd still been there.

== [[Fan FictionWorks]] ==

* [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Simon]] is this to Supetastic 6 Unlimited in ''[http://alaxr274.deviantart.com/gallery/36864527 Super Milestone Wars 2]''.

* Kyon in ''[[Kyon Big Damn Hero (Fanfic)|Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]''. His name also served as the one thing stopping {{spoiler|Haruhi from killing several people for shooting him.}}

** Though, given her cheerful attitude and motherly affection for her teammates, Power Chick arguably should look in the mirror to see the Specials' heart.

* The Bowler could be seen as this in ''[[Mystery Men]]''. Spleen or Invisible Boy might fit this too.

* Cambridge from ''[[The Hurt Locker]]'' attempts to be this. He Fails.

* [[The Hero|Sheriff Woody]] in ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' is definitely [[The Heart]] and soul of [[Cheerful Child|Andy's]] toys.

* [[The Muppets (Filmfilm)|The Muppets]] establish Kermit as the Heart of the Muppets. So much that, when he went depressed, everything just fell apart.

* Towards the end of the first ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', Venkman proudly declares Ray to be "[[The Heart]] of the Ghostbusters".

* The Echidna from ''[[Legend Ofof Thethe Guardians: The Owls Ofof Ga'Hoole]]'' calls Mrs. Plithiver [[The Heart]] of the band.

* Cassie from the ''[[Animorphs (Literature)|Animorphs]]'' doubles as this and [[The Smart Guy]].

* Dameon from the'' [[Obernewtyn Chronicles]]''.

* [[X Wing Series|Wraith Squadron]] has several characters who will say "[[Screw the War, WereWe're Partying|Screw it, we're having a party]]" to raise morale when it's low. Wedge actually starts the twenty-four hour "Rebellion of Anonymity" to get General Han Solo's spirits back up during the pursuit of Warlord Zsinj.

* Sephrenia, in the ''[[Elenium]]'' trilogy by [[David Eddings]], serves this role for literally hundreds of Pandion Knights -- andKnights—and has done so for generations. They don't call her "little mother" for nothing.

* Mary Palmer from Caleb Carr's ''[[The Alienist]]''.

* The Tin Man from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' and it'sits sequels. In fact, he greets old friends with no less than a "tender, loving embrace" ''every single time''.

* Xander of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', which the other Scoobies readily acknowledge. In one episode his position in the gang as 'The Heart' was a key component of a spell - the others were [[The Smart Guy|'The Mind']], 'The Spirit', and [[The Big Guy|'The Hands']].

* Much, in ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]'': The character identifies himself as the "one who deals with little things".

* Daniel Jackson of ''[[Stargate SG -1]]'', one of television's best ''male'' "heart"-examples.

* Carly Shay from ''[[ICarly (TV)|I CarlyiCarly]]''.

* Leonard "Bones" McCoy from ''[[Star Trek: theThe Original Series]]''. He's a doctor (not a lumberjack), and he provides the [[The McCoy|emotional side]] of the show's [[Power Trio]].

* Cordelia from ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]''. A supreme example of [[Character Development]], in that she was the [[Alpha Bitch]] on ''[[Buffy]]'' and thought that hitting a cyclist with her car was all about her own pain. This change was addressed when she received a demonic curse that amplified her regular visions to see ''all'' the suffering of the human race, rendering her catatonic. When she was brought out of it, she became the glue that kept the team together and focused on [[We Help the Helpless|their mission]].

** Fred hashad this role as well, especially after Cordelia was no longer around. In a later episode Angel and Spike were having an intense argument, to the point that Spike was ready to travel the world and leave everyone behind. When she became infected with an ancient evil, the argument between the two dissipated instantly as the only thing they could agree upon was her.

* Gwen from ''[[Torchwood (TV)|Torchwood]]''.

* Gwen from ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]''

* Kaylee on ''[[Firefly (TV)|Firefly]]''.

* Princess Deirdre in ''[[The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (TV)|The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog]]''.

* In ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'', The Doctor's usually human companions often play this role, regularly keeping him from going too far or losing his grip on right and wrong. This is most evident in "The Waters of Mars" where his lack of a companion means that there is nothing to stop him from {{spoiler|changing the course of history}}

* Delenn on ''[[Babylon 5 (TV)|Babylon 5]]''.

* None of the members of the study group on ''[[Community (TV)|Community]]'' is a flawless human being, but Britta, with her numerous causes, tries to act this trope more than the others (who may actually have more claim to it than her).

* Dale Horvath on ''[[The Walking Dead (TV series)|The Walking Dead]]''. {{spoiler|He's one of two out of a group of about a dozen that doesn't want to kill a prisoner.}}

== [[Video Games]] ==

* Princess Peach from the ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' games. In ''The Subspace Emissary'' she makes herself useful by breaking up fights and turning potential enemies into friends.

* '''[[Meaningful Name|Ai]]'''no '''[[Love Freak|Heart]]''' from [[Arcana Heart (Video Game)|Arcana Heart]]. [[The Power of Love|Powered with love at that.]]

* Rather than any of the girls in the party, [[The Gunslinger|Irvine Kinneas]] occupies this role for Squall's team in in ''[[Final Fantasy VIII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy VIII]]'', serving as the group's emotional center from the last stages of Disc 2 onward.

* [[Badass Normal|Shingo Yabuki]] has this role in ''[[The King of Fighters]]|The King of Fighters XI]]'', keeping Kyo and Iori from pretty much killing each other when [[Team Mom|Chizuru]], the original Heart of the [[Power Trio]], is gravely injured by Ash Crimson.

* Amy Rose from the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series. In ''[[Sonic Adventure (Video Game)|Sonic Adventure]]'', she almost single-handedly convinces Gamma to undergo a [[Heel Face Turn]]. In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', her conversation with Shadow is what convinces him to help stop the ARK's planet-destroying superlaser from firing. In ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 (Videovideo Gamegame)||Sonic the Hedgehog 2006]]'', her companionship with Silver, and her subsequent [[What the Hell, Hero?]] speech upon discovering that he was trying to kill Sonic, causes Silver to start rethinking that strategy.

* Mission from the first ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]''. She's higher on the [[Karma Meter]] than the party's Jedi, is first to defend your PC after [[The Reveal]], and quick to point out [[Good Feels Good]] or call [[What the Hell, Hero?]] if you're exploiting [[Video Game Cruelty Potential]]. It's no surprise that {{spoiler|you have to kill her in the Dark Side ending, essentially killing the last bit of good in yourself.}}

* [[Jeanne D 'Archetype|Leliana]] fulfills this role best in ''[[Dragon Age Origins]]''... if the [[Player Character|Grey Warden]] isn't doing the job him- or herself.

* In the ''[[Mass Effect (Video Game)|Mass Effect]]'' series, this is the job of Shepard, resident hero[ine]. Unsurprising, given the [[Dysfunction Junction]] nature of the crew and Shepard's status as an extreme [[Magnetic Hero]].

* [[Warrior Prince|Sebastian Vael]] and [[Team Mom|Aveline Vallen]] do double duty for this trope in ''[[Dragon Age II]]''.

* Stocke, the protagonist of ''[[Radiant Historia (Video Game)|Radiant Historia]]'' starts off as [[The Stoic]], but also starts off with a growing circle of friends who he cares about dearly. He helps his party members through a variety of internal and external conflicts, and is always sensitive to their issues. And at one point, he helps his best friend Roche and an NPC with [[Match Maker Quest|relationship advice.]]

* Emil from ''[[Nie RNieR]]'' does what he can to keep an upbeat attitude and help his friends get along.

* In the first three games of the ''[[Assassin's Creed (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed]]'' series, Lucy Stillman plays this role. In ''[[Assassin's Creed I (Videovideo Gamegame)|Assassin's Creed I]]'', she works to keep Desmond's morale up against the hopelessness of the situation he finds himself in and helps to protect his sanity (and eventually his life) from Vidic's demands. In ''[[Assassin's Creed II (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed II]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', she acts as both the leader of the Assassin cell that she takes Desmond to and their moral/emotional compass, helping to keep the team's doubts and fears from overwhelming them. It even seems as if she and Desmond might be developing a romantic relationship. This makes the [[Wham! Episode]] of {{spoiler|her death at the end of ''Brotherhood''}} and the subsequent revelation in the ''[[Assassin's Creed Revelations (Video Game)|Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' "Lost Archive" DLC that {{spoiler|she was a Templar mole all along}} doubly shocking.

== WebcomicsWeb Comics ==

* Elan, from ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|The Order of the Stick]]''. Clueless, but concerned for the rest of the group, and skilled in <s>Social-Fu</s> Trope-Fu. Idealistic to a fault, occasionally ''[[The Load]]'' and a ''[[Spoony Bard]]'' to top it off, but he's a genuinely nice guy. Heck, you could make a case that he's the one person that everyone else on the team likes.

{{quote| '''Haley''': ...But he's...I don't know. Pure. Honest. Better than I am, that's for sure. He makes me a better person just by being around, and I like feeling that way.}}

* Dave, in ''[[College Roomies From HellCRFH]]''. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] when the others vote Dave out of NOES. Marsha says "I can't believe how MEAN you guys are being. Dave is our moral compass. We NEED him." To turn him into [[The Zeppo]], The author, Maritza Campos, decided to [[Nerf]] his power but leave him as the most earnest, conscience-stricken and foolishly brave character. It's somewhat self-referential, as she killed off Dave but brought him back because her readers said that for all his flaws he was the "heart" of the series.

* [[Flying Brick|Ultra-Man]] is the moral compass of the [[Global Guardians PBEM Universe|Global Guardians]], and [[Rubber Man|Bungie]] is its enthusiasm and hope. Together, they form [[The Heart]] of the team.

* Generator, the [[Crazy Awesome]] and least powerful member of Team Kimba in the ''[[Whateley Universe]]''. Has been know to use the Big Sad Puppy Dog eyes to get her way.

* [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|Ma-Ti]] from ''[[Captain Planet]]'', obviously.

* Katara of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', a [[The Medic|medic]] with [[Healing Hands]] and [[Love Interest]] of [[The Hero]]. begins as this. Her natural tendency is to help people ("Imprisoned", "The Painted Lady", "Crossroads Of Destiny"), but just like her role as [[The Messiah]], the role is debatably [[Messiah Creep|given to]] ''Aang'' by the end of the series. In one of the final episodes, "The Southern Raiders", Katara is hellbent on finding her mother's killer and killing him in revenge, and ''Aang'' is the one who tells her it's not worth it. Katara only spares the man because she sees that letting the man live was a [[Cruel Mercy|better punishment than killing him]]. He was literally [[Not Worth Killing]], and given the importance of honor in the Fire Nation, letting him live in his dishonor was a [[Fate Worse Than Death]].

* Toki Wartooth from ''[[Metalocalypse]]''. When he's not [[Freak -Out|going psycho and painting the walls with blood]], anyway.

* Starfire from ''[[Teen Titans (Animationanimation)|Teen Titans]]'', when she's [[Action Girl|not kicking ass]].

* [[Green Arrow]] in ''[[Justice League (Animation)|JusticeLeagueUnlimitedUnlimited]]'' was brought in to the team pretty much against his will because [[Batman]] wanted someone who could look at the League critically. In his own words, someone to "Keep us honest."

* Dukey from ''[[Johnny Test]]'' is an odd mix of this and a [[Deadpan Snarker]].

* Sheila the Thief, who doubles as this and [[Team Mom]] for the ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (Animationanimation)|Dungeons and Dragons]]'' cartoon.

* [[The Face|Bumblebee]] from ''[[Transformers Prime (Animation)|Transformers Prime]]'' fills this role when [[The Messiah|Optimus Prime]] is absent.

* Goomo from ''[[Jelly Jamm]]'' is a Big Guy example.

* The now-departed President Maria Corazon "Cory" Aquino of the Philippines is claimed by many to have been a real-life [[The Heart]]. Even the critics shed genuine tears to her passing. [[Meaningful Name|Her very name Corazon is in fact]], [[Fridge Brilliance|the Spanish word for "heart"]].

** Mrs. Aquino was originally the spouse of high-ranked politician Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, messily murdered via [[Boom! Headshot!]] in 1983. Three years after losing her husband, she rose to power through [[Badass Pacifist|one of the best remembered non-violent revolutions]]: the [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/People_Power_Revolution:People Power Revolution|People Power Revolution]], an uprising that included iconic images of nuns kneeling in front of tanks clutching rosaries and people walking up to soldiers to hand them flowers, all to depose the reignant tyrant Ferdinand Marcos (who may have been the one to order the assassination of Benigno in the first place, as he was the most popular opposition leader). Her presidency ended a regime of authoritarian rule and reinstated democracy in the Philippines.

[[Category:TropeAll the Tropes Superhero Team]]