History Main / BigGood

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Professor Ozpin is the enigmatic headmaster of Beacon Academy, a man with a strange knowledge of the secret history of the world, which legends are actually true, and what the real threat to humanity's existence is. While he acts as a wise advisor to the heroine Ruby Rose and other students, he is also the leader of a secret BenevolentConspiracy of Huntsmen that are trying to use the true legends to protect humanity against the equally enigmatic BigBad, and Ozpin's ArchNemesis, [[spoiler:Salem. The four Huntsmen Academies were created to hide and protect four dangerous, divine Relics that Salem needs to destroy humanity. In Volume 3, she successfully destroys Beacon Academy, leaving the protagonists to drift without direction in Volume 4, unaware that Ozpin can BodySurf to escape death into a new host that possesses his identical Aura and Soul. While the protagonists struggle to survive, Ozpin struggles to convince his new host, Oscar, to [[RefusalOfTheCall accept his destiny]] as the guide the protagonists so desperately need]].

** By the time of ''VideoGame/ShinSakuraWars'', Sumire Kanzaki has replaced Ogami and Yoneda as the new Imperial Combat Revue's commander.

** Granny Weatherwax is the Big Good in the Witches books. As of ''Discworld/TheShepherdsCrown'', [[spoiler: the torch has been passed to Tiffany Aching]].

* [[Disney/{{Fantasia}} Yen Sid]], as of the later ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' games. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Leon/Squall]] leads most of the supporting cast, but Yen Sid is the guy ''King Mickey'' goes to for advice. He [[spoiler:co-ordinates the effort to rescue those suffering and prepares for Xehanort's reincarnation]].

[[folder:Films — Animation]]
* Tied in ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'', between La Muerte, ruler over the Land of the Remembered who represents the positive side of the afterlife, and the Candlemaker.
%%* Queen Clarion for the Franchise/DisneyFairies films.
* Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon:
** ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'': The Blue Fairy blesses the title character in the first place.
** ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'': The Great Prince of the Forest [[spoiler:and later his son, Bambi himself]].
** ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' has the Fairy Godmother, who magics up Cinderella's ball gear and allows her to get her happily-ever-after.
** ''Disney/TheSwordInTheStone'': Merlin is the most powerful good guy and serves as TheMentor to Arthur.
** ''Disney/TheJungleBook'': Bagheera is the opposing force to [[BigBad Shere Khan]].
** ''Disney/RobinHood'': Much like most adaptations, King Richard is the motivation behind the heroes fighting Prince John, and his absence is what allows everything to fall apart.
** ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': King Triton is the (mostly) benevolent ruler of the seas and the one Ursula ultimately targets in her quest for power.
** ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'': The Sultan is the ruler of Agrabah, his removal is what [[BigBad Jafar]] seeks to achieve for most of the movie, and a single sentence from him solves one of the movie's main conflicts.
** ''Disney/TheLionKing'' has Mufasa, ruler of Pride Rock, whose death is what prompts everything to go to badly. Post-climax, at the end of the film [[spoiler:Simba takes on his role]].
** ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'': The Archdeacon serves as a counterpoint to [[KnightTemplar Judge Frollo]], although he's mostly absent.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'' has the Emperor of China, who all the heroes serve, and the BigBad targets him personally.
** ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'': Zeus, after he gets HijackedByJesus, is the loving GrandpaGod to Olympus and BumblingDad to Hercules, rather than the {{Jerkass God|s}} from [[Myth/ClassicalMythology the original stories]].
** ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'': The Grand Councilwoman starts as a HeroAntagonist but falls into this by the end, [[spoiler:vowing to protect Stitch and his new family]].
** ''Disney/MeetTheRobinsons'': Cornelius Robinson [[spoiler:A.K.A. Lewis]].
** ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': Mama Odie serves as the counterpoint to [[BigBad Facilier]], with similar magic and less [[GreaterScopeVillain Friends on the Other Side]].
* Queen Tara from ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}''. The rulers of the forest are this in general.
* Creator/{{Pixar}} movies:
** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'': Woody is the one all the toys look up to and they rely on his leadership. Andy serves as the Bigger Good, as the toys' relatively good lives are because of him and the conflict in the first two films is returning to him, with the conflict in the third being that they truly can't rely on him anymore.
** ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'': The Queen leads the ants and tries to safeguard them from [[BigBad Hopper]], a role [[spoiler:then taken up by Atta]].
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Doc Hudson, Finn [=McMissile=] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}''[[note]]though maybe it's actually Lightning McQueen in this case, at least in Mater's eyes[[/note]] and ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 3}}'' has Doc in a posthumous sense, Smokey in a living sense and then [[spoiler:Lightning McQueen]] by the end of the movie.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': Chef Auguste Gusteau (in a [[PosthumousCharacter posthumous fashion]]), being the founder of the restaurant and the motivation for the main character.
** ''WesternAnimation/WallE'': Captain [=McCrea=] takes up this role once he starts defying AUTO.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'': Queen Elinor; you'd think it'd be King Fergus, but the movie is very keen on showing that Elinor is the real boss.
** ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'': Dean Hardscrabble, although it takes most of the movie for Mike and Sully to realise it.
* Creator/StudioGhibli movies:
** ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'': Nausicaa herself.
** ''Anime/CastleInTheSky'': [[spoiler:Captain Dola, after her GoodAllAlong reveal]].
** ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': The Big Totoro
** ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService'': Osono
** ''Anime/PomPoko'': Seizaemon and Oroku
** ''Anime/TheCatReturns'': The Baron and Prince Lune both fit
** ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'': [[spoiler:Madame Suliman]], in stark contrast to her role in [[Literature/HowlsMovingCastle the book]].
** ''Anime/TalesFromEarthsea'': Sparrowhawk
** ''Anime/PonyoOnTheCliffByTheSea'': Granmamare is the benevolent goddess who gives Ponyo and Sosuke their happy ending.
* Creator/DreamworksAnimation movies:
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'': The Queen ant
** ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'': Cheif Tannabok
** ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' : Master Oogway, then Shifu after the former dies, serving as mentor and leader of the Furious Five ([[SixthRanger and Po]]).
** ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' : General W.R. Monger, although his role is limited to capturing the monsters and then directing them to the threat.
** ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'': Stoick is the Chief of Berk. In [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2 the sequel]] [[spoiler:the role is taken up by Hiccup]].
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'': Metroman is the great hero of Metro City whose absence sets the plot in motion. [[spoiler:Towards the end, Megamind fills the role]].
** ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians'': The Man in the Moon is treated as the leader of the Guardians and the source of their power, but it isn't clear how much, if any, of a role it has.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty'' has [[MagicalNativeAmerican Firewater]] and [[Creator/StephenHawking Gum]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
* The White Queen from the Disney and Creator/TimBurton version of ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' (There are hints, however, that the character's true nature may actually be just as evil - if not more so - as her sister the Red Queen, and keeping this true nature in check is a constant stuggle for her.)
* In ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'', Victor Laszlo. ThoseWackyNazis are willing to do just about anything, even violating Vichy "neutrality" (thus risking drawing the U.S. into the war) and letting known anti-fascist fighter Rick and Laszlo's "companion" Ilsa escape to America, if it means they can stop Laszlo.
%%* Joe Colton from ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''.
* ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'': [[GodzillaThreshold In a very loose way]], Franchise/{{Godzilla}} is seen as this by Dr. Serizawa, who notes that the creature is humanity's best chance at survival and the only thing that can stop the [=MUTOs=].
* Arthur from ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService''. He's the leader of the Kingsmen. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he makes a FaceHeelTurn and joins Valentine]].
* Morpheus from the ''Film/TheMatrix'', shifting quite quickly to Neo after he reaches [[TheChosenOne The One]] status.
* Raiden from ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'' and ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'', which most people agreed was a great use of PragmaticAdaptation. The character in the games was not quite top-tier despite being a PhysicalGod. (And in some non-canonical video game endings involving him, he is depicted as being evil and/or blindly destructive.)
* Marshall Stacker Pentecost in ''Film/PacificRim'' leads the Shatterdome and is the moral heart of the heroes; he refers to himself as a "fixed point" around which everyone else can focus.
* At the end of ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', Caesar has become this for the rest of the apes. He holds this position in ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'', attempting to keep peace between the apes and humans.
%%* Fung from ''Film/ShaolinSoccer''.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda in the classic trilogy are opposed both thematically and in characterisation to [[TheDragon Darth Vader]] and [[BigBad The Emperor]] respectively, the last remnants of [[AncientTradition the Jedi Order]], and are both TheMentor to Luke.
** Yoda and [[Creator/SamuelLJackson Mace Windu]] in the prequel trilogy, being the leaders of the still extant Jedi Council. In [[Film/ThePhantomMenace Episode 1]] Chancellor Valorum ''tries'' for this, but is quickly deposed of by pre-Emperor Palpatine.
** The Rebels have Mon Mothma leading their political side, and Admiral Ackbar leading their military side.
** ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' has General Leia Organa serving as the leader of the heroic Resistance.
* In ''Film/{{Suffragette}}'', Emmeline Pankhurst fills this role. She is in hiding at the time the plot takes place, and is only seen giving a RousingSpeech, after which she goes into hiding again. When some suffragettes, the protagonist Maud among them, blow up a manor house (while no one is at home, obviously, they're nonviolent), she takes the blame (or credit) for that and goes to prison. The secret service, who had been trying to convince Maud that the suffragettes consider her expendable and will do nothing to keep her out of trouble, are not happy about this.
* John Connor in the ''{{Franchise/Terminator}}'' films is fated to be one of these, and in ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' he consequently is. However as of the new timeline established in ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'' [[spoiler:the one in which John is murdered as a teenager by a T-800 named Carl while on vacation with his mother sometime after ''[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay Judgment Day]]'']] Dani Ramos will become this.
* Odin is portrayed this way in the 2011 ''Film/{{Thor}}'' film. Most of the film is about Thor proving himself worthy to succeed him as king of Asgard.
* King Leonidas in ''Film/ThreeHundred'' leads the eponymous group of Spartans against the Persian army, and his legacy is what spurs on the Spartans in the current day (the movie being told InMediasRes by an UnreliableNarrator).
* In the ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'', Optimus Prime takes on this role as leader of the Autobots. He is defined as a MartialPacifist, a particularly brutal one fighting the Decepticons because otherwise innocents will die. But many Autobots are borderline {{Blood Knight}}s themselves, which requires his leadership to keep them pointed at the right enemy. In ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'', the surviving Autobots after ThePurge are ecstatic once he comes out of hiding, with Crosshairs calling him "Leader of the free galaxy." Later in the film, him and Drift were cynical of Optimus' [[GodzillaThreshold freeing the Dinobots]] to combat Galvatron's armies, only to watch Optimus take charge.
-->'''Crosshairs:''' Ugh, you just want to [[AFatherToHisMen die for the guy]]. That's leadership... or brainwashing.\\
'''Drift:''' No, that's Optimus Prime.
* TRON and Kevin Flynn in ''Franchise/{{Tron}}'' split the duties. Tron is the legendary warrior and rallying point for Programs in the fight against Master Control in the first film. In WesternAnimation/TronUprising, he's once again the rebellion's rallying point, with Beck [[TakingUpTheMantle taking on the symbol]] to fight Tesler, since Tron's too badly injured to fight himself. And in the AlternateContinuity of [[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Tron 2.0]], he's the focus of a KingInTheMountain myth that states he'll return to defend the Programs in their darkest hour. [[note]] Nothing comes of it in the game itself, though the protagonist of 2.0 could, from a certain point of view, be considered Tron's little brother. The ''Killer App'' sequel, however, plays it straight with Tron being brought out of stasis to fight a viral attack [[/note]] Flynn is the Big Good (or Bigger Good) in the ''Film/TronLegacy'' canon, as he's essentially the system's local ''deity'', (making this an ExaggeratedTrope) [[GodsHandsAreTied overthrown and exiled by his own avatar]] on the digital side of the screen while his analog-world friends fight to keep the [[InformationWantsToBeFree ideals he stood for]] going at Encom. Of course, both have been subjected to a lot of AlternateCharacterInterpretation
* In ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'' this role is filled by Ludwig Beck, the leader of the German resistance. Even when Stauffenberg assumes control of field operations, he still acknowledges Beck as his superior and the new head of state of liberated Germany.
* Glinda the Good Witch from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', helping Dorothy and is the opposite of [[BigBad the Wicked Witch of the West]].
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'': Professor X is this most of the time, but it's deconstructed to some degree in this movie. [[spoiler:He's called out about putting up mental blocks in Jean Grey's mind in-order to suppress the split persona that called itself the Phoenix. Needlessly to say, Xavier had more or less IDidWhatIHadToDo in-order to suppress the Phoenix]].
** ''Film/XMenFirstClass'': Charles Xavier is the leader of the heroic team that eventually defeats the BigBad. He brought them together, trained them and inspired them to be valiant when faced with great peril.
** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'': The elderly Professor X and Magneto share the leadership role among the remaining X-Men and the Free Mutants. Wolverine's mission is to guide Xavier's younger self towards the process of growing into this by accepting both his powers and his duty to his fellow mutants.
** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': Professor X; the good vs. evil conflict chiefly revolves around him and the BigBad En Sabah Nur, who are each other's {{Foil}}, and the latter is also the former's EvilCounterpart and ShadowArchetype. Charles, despite being relatively feeble as an individual mutant compared to his god-like foe, is the ''better leader'' because he's the epitome of MachiavelliWasWrong, and that's why [[spoiler:the X-Men triumph whereas the Four Horsemen crumble as a team]].
* Imperator Furiosa from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad''. She's opposite to Immortan Joe's BigBad, with her main objective being the liberation of The Wives. Angharad counts as well, as she inspired the wives to escape and caused the movie's events. [[WordOfGod George Miller]] has said she's Immortan Joe's true ideological opponent.
* President Thomas Whitmore from ''Film/IndependenceDay''.
** Come the [[Film/IndependenceDayResurgence sequel]], [[spoiler: a mysterious sphere takes his place]].
%%* [[Creator/HarrisonFord James Marshall]] from ''Film/AirForceOne''.
* As of ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', [[spoiler: after M dies, Gareth Mallory takes her place]].
%%* Augustus Gibbons in the ''Film/XxX'' series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Billy from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' was this until his death. Afterwards Princess Bubblegum fills this role, being the most resourceful and influential of the heroes who the others rally around.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** [[KidHero Aang]], along with any Avatar, has this as their job description, since their duty is to maintain peace and balance in the world. In the follow-up series, ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the eponymous [[AmazonianBeauty heroine]] takes up the position.
*** Although Korra is a more complicated example. The complex politics of her era (as opposed to the straightforward clashing of monolithic states in Aang's time) combined with her short temper often leave her being manipulated by {{Magnificent Bastard}}s and {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s, which compromises her position. Most often than not, the actual role of Big Good fell to Korra's guardian/mentor, Tenzin.
** [[CoolOldGuy Iroh]] is the wisest hero, and the leader of the [[TheOrder Order of the White Lotus]]. He retires at the end of the series, leaving the role to [[spoiler: Zuko, who shares the position with Aang after being crowned Fire Lord and taking [[BigBad his father's]] place]].
** Raava, spirit of light and the source of all good in the world, serves as a sort of Bigger Good. It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:the first Avatar was created when she merged with a human, making her as part of a Big Good Duumvirate with every host]].
* Three characters in the ''Franchise/{{Ben 10}}'' franchise qualify for the position: Azmuth, because he is the creator of the Omnitrix, and as such the one Ben got his powers from to begin with; Max Tennyson, because he is TheMentor to Ben; and [[TimeMaster Paradox]] who acts more like a TricksterMentor helping Ben indirectly to solve conflicts on TimeTravel scale.
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': [[MotherNature The Earth spirit Gaia]] is surely the real Big Good, as the one who recruited the Planeteers to defend the Earth and gave them their powers, but Captain Planet (who was created by Gaia) also comes close to this role.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' has Franz Hopper, the creator of the super computer and Lyoko. Unfortunately, he was also the creator of the [[AIIsACrapshoot evil A.I.]] [[BigBad XANA]], though Franz wasn't involved in XANA turning evil.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor''
** [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Numbuh 362]] [[TeamMom aka Rachel T. McKenzie]] is the recurring one in the series. Her "Soopreme Leader" status really means something.
** Numbuh 0 is this, more specifically in TheMovie. [[spoiler: He's [[TheHero Numbuh 1's]] dad]].
* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': [[spoiler:Bolo, the only good Titan, which was imprisoned when he sealed away the Titans to make sure they wouldn't wreck havoc in the universe. Once Lord Commander threatens to bring them back, Bolo acts again by communicating with Nightfall and Gary to guide them towards stopping him.]]
* White Knight on ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'' is nominally this, being in charge of the greatest force keeping the world from succumbing to destruction. He's also callous and calculating, willing to sacrifice just about everyone for the greater good. The show both highlights his flaws while showing that he does have a point with many parties trying to achieve power that justifies his fears. He comes to understand that while his goals are good, his methods need work, and softens into a more traditional example.
* The Sorceress in ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983''. While the same was true for [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002 the 2002 remake]], [[spoiler:King Greyskull, the true source of He-Man's power]] could be considered a secondary one.
* [[ActionGirl Amanda Carey]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Hurricanes}}'' is arguably this since she leads the Hurricanes into most of their efforts against [[BigBad Stavros Garkos']] evil plots.
* ''WesternAnimation/IvanhoeTheKingsKnight'' has three:
** Ivanhoe himself with his name meaning protection.
** King Richard as adaptations of the Robin Hood story will portray him.
** The Archbishop of Canterbury in Richard's absence, being a fair man in the conflict.
* ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''
** Captain Augustus Black fulfills this role as TheLeader of Section 13 which is the vanguard of humanity against demons and evil human organizations alike.
** Lo Pei, a sacred warrior of the Ling Dynasty, also qualifies. He's the one who turned Shendu into a statue and scattered his Talismans to the four corners of the Earth. [[spoiler:The same spell he used to accomplish that is reused on Shendu during the 3rd season]].
** The Eight Immortals of China fill the role, being the ones who sealed away the Demon Sorcerers in the first place and leaving behind the magical items the heroes need to banish them a second (and final) time in the second season.
* Zadavia from ''WesternAnimation/LoonaticsUnleashed''. Her twin brother, Optimatus, is [[BigBad her exact opposite]].[[spoiler:.. until his HeelFaceTurn near the end of the series]].
* In the first generation of Franchise/MyLittlePony there was Rosedust, the Queen of the Flutter Ponies. Though she only made two appearances, in both they easily defeated the villains and set everything right.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''
** [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princess Celestia]] is [[GodEmperor ruler over the whole setting]], Twilight's mentor, the one who more often than not tells the mane six they need to save Equestria and easily the most resourceful character on the show - and armed with the massive power that comes with being a {{Physical God}}dess, to boot. The major villains see her as their chief opponent, and she's always the one to send out the heroes against them. Her less-often-seen younger sister, [[TheSacredDarkness Luna]], is technically equal in rank and power potential but has learned from [[SuperPoweredEvilSide personal experience]] to defer to her older sibling's superior wisdom. Toned down considerably in [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW the official comics]]; both princesses are spotlighted more often, and while the "Good" is never in question, we see more of their personal hardships, arguments, and (occasionally cosmic) screwups.
** According to [[Creator/LaurenFaust Lauren Faust]], [[TheHero Twilight Sparkle]] was originally intended to become Celestia's successor. Over the course of the series, this has more or less actually happened to an extent. In earlier seasons, Twilight often played the role of TheLeader in various situations and saved Equestria multiple times with the help of her friends. In the Season 3 finale, Twilight becomes an {{Alicorn}} princess, and performs some greater royal duties in Season 4; most notably, in the Season premiere Twilight briefly becomes the ''de facto'' Big Good when Celestia and Luna temporarily go missing. However, it wasn't until the Season 4 finale that Twilight received her official role to spread friendship across Equestria as the Princess of Friendship, a duty she is to carry out with the help of her friends. In Season 5 alone, Twilight and her friends spread friendship and peace to an isolated village, Griffonstone, Yakyakistan, a section of Manehattan, and the Hooffields and the [=McColts=] families. In "Princess Spike", she is the one responsible for organizing an important gathering of delegates from all over Equestria, and in "Canterlot Boutique", it is even noted that Twilight is the most popular princess in Equestria.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'':
** This role is filled by three gods, Odin of the Norse gods, Ra of the Egyptians, and Rama of the Hindu. As seen in "Birth of Evil" they worked as a team in prehistory to destroy a CosmicEntity of pure evil, but missed one piece that fell to Earth and became Aku. Later, they forged a sword out of part of the Emperor's soul, which he used to defeat Aku the first time. (Later, it would be Jack's sword.) Ra later makes a solo appearance to save Jack from the Minions of Set. When Jack makes his comeback in season 5 the three appear to him in the same way they appeared to his father and return the sword that he'd since lost.
** [[TheHero Samurai Jack]] himself becomes this in season 5. He is the almighty force of good setting out to destroy Aku and redeem the future.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'':
** Moon Butterfly, Star's mother and the current Queen of Mewni, while a bit flawed, still serves as this for most of the series. [[spoiler:Until season 4 when it's revealed that Moon had been behind every bad thing that happened that season and was supporting Mina Loveberry's conspiracy to dethrone Eclipsa, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero which ends up devastating Mewni.]]]]
** The Magic High Commission, on the other hand, are a subversion. They're initially set up as one, but it becomes clear over time that their [[NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering argumentative natures]] and sometimes [[ImmortalImmaturity childish personalities]] leaves them as mostly unhelpful to the heroes. Plus, their tendency to imprison people without a trial--or at best, [[KangarooCourt a show trial]]--[[spoiler: and the fact they're complicit in a conspiracy to hide the real heir to the Mewni throne]] paints them in a decidedly less heroic light. [[spoiler:And if there was any doubt about it, they were also supporting Mina, with only Heckapoo realizing how bad an idea it was.]]
* Rose Quartz from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' fills this role despite technically being dead ([[DeathByChildbirth she gave up her physical form to reincarnate as half of Steven]]). She was the one who led the Crystal Gems in their battle to defend the Earth from Homeworld, and her past belongings still prove to be useful to Steven on multiple occasions.
** After CharacterDevelopment, Steven himself seems to fulfill Rose's role as TheHeart. "Lion 3: Straight to Video" implies that Rose believed that Steven would become this once she was gone.
* In season 5 of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'', the Ninja Tribunal occupied this role--even though, as the the turtles point out, they're kind of dicks.
* Thundera's [[TheGoodKing King Claudus]] from ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011''. Though a NobleBigot and leader of TheEmpire, he fights the good fight against ancient evil SorcerousOverlord Mumm-Ra, becoming the SacrificialLion of Mumm-Ra's invasion of his kingdom.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** Optimus Prime in any adaptation. Later parts of the classic series had the role pass to Rodimus Prime and Fortress Maximus.
** Ultra Magnus served this role in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', while Optimus was re-envisioned as [[TheHero a younger, rookie hero]].
** Prime is outranked by [[{{God}} Primus]], but it's relatively rare for Primus to involve himself in things for any significant length of time.
* Faragonda, the headmistress for Alfea (school for fairies) in ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub''. Out of all the characters in the series, she has served as a guide and strategist for the Winx.
* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'', two characters fulfill this role:
** [[OldMaster Master Fung]] is the seasonal one. He is the mentor of the monks, being the most responsible for the actions of the Xiaolin Dragons.
** [[BaldOfAwesome Master Monk Guan]] is the most powerful good guy, able to fight equally with Chase Young and all his efforts are in direct opposition to the villain.
* The Justice League itself in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', which the characters frequently mention as possible support when it looks like the situation is something they can not handle themselves. The League also has a rotating chairman who embodies the trope more then others. Franchise/{{Batman}}’s the League Chairman in Season One, and while he may seem (and sometimes is) hard and strict on the team, he ultimately praises them and encourages them to work together. Comicbook/CaptainAtom becomes the League Chairman in Season Two, and [[spoiler:ComicBook/BlackCanary]] is made the Chairman in the series finale.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': The Skull Knight, the most powerful opposition to the Godhand, a rival to both the leader of the Godhand and one of the strongest Apostles, and a particularly major ally to [[ByronicHero Guts]], acting as a sort of cynical mentor towards him.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' eventually graduates [[GoodIsNotNice Shigekuni Yamamoto]] into such a role in the final arc, because he serves as the rallying point of the Shinigami while the Sternritter decimate the Seireitei. He goes through it only briefly, however, because [[spoiler:he ends up dying at the hands of the BigBad]].
* ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis'': [[{{deuteragonist}} Sylia]] [[TheCaptain Stingray]] is both the leader of the Knight Sabres and the [[MegaCorp Genom Corporation's]] chief opposition. She spends much of her screentime operating behind the scenes, meeting with business contacts in high-level positions, who act as her eyes and ears to keep tabs on Genom's activities. Were it ''not'' for Sylia's decision making, Genom would likely succeed in [[TakeOverTheWorld dominating the globe]].
* Captain Bravo from ''Manga/BusouRenkin''. Then the second half of the series introduced a ''Bigger'' Good Guy who was ''his'' captain. He even makes the bigger part somewhat literal -- whereas Captain Bravo's weapon is a body-fitting armor, his superior's weapon is a ''HumongousMecha'' suit of armor.
* [[ByronicHero Zero]] of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' provides a more uncommon AntiHero example. As a charismatic and brilliant revolutionary, Zero leads the [[LaResistance Black Knights]] in their campaign against [[TheEmpire Britannia]], but he's very willing to utilize questionable methods against his enemies, and he's gotten some animosity from his immediate subordinates once they see how far he's willing to go to defeat Britannia. In some ways, he's a VillainWithGoodPublicity, as many civilians look to Zero as their hero, their savior and their leader, and to others, he's a HeroWithBadPublicity, since his actions, although gray, are considerably less atrocious than Britannia, but he gets flak for it anyway.
* Franchise/{{Digimon}}:
** Lord [=HolyAngemon=] and Lord Whamon, the rulers of the Digimon World and Net Ocean, respectively, in ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01''. Although the latter is nearing his end by the time the protagonists, Taichi and Zero, enter the story, they still work for the former.
** [[TheHero Taichi Kamiya]] fulfills this role in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure''. His status as the Big Good is best exemplified during his temporary disappearance after Etemon's defeat. Without their leader, the [=DigiDestined=] not only go separate ways, they also fail to accomplish anything significant for almost three months.
** Norn, the disembodied will of Yggdrasil, the host computer that regulates the Digital World in ''Manga/DigimonNEXT''. She is unable to due much directly due to a demon lord taking over the computer, so she guides the protagonists who happen to have "illegal" monsters which can run the arbitrator program meant for such situations.
* ''Franchise/DragonBall''
** Master Roshi and Kami in ''Manga/DragonBall'', both of them mentor Goku and the younger generation. Kami tries to get Goku to take over from him after he defeated Piccolo, but was [[AGodIAmNot refused]].
** King Kai through the Saiyan and Cell Sagas in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. He's a mentor to Goku, one of the {{Physical God}}s of the afterlife, and in most of the movies he takes time to inform Goku of various threats.
** Shin the Supreme Kai, the TopGod of the Dragon World, is this role for the first half of the Buu Saga and to the universe at large, though [[TheGodsMustBeLazy he doesn't interfere with anything that doesn't threaten the entire universe]]. After he being freed, Old Kai takes this role for the rest of the series.
** Goku takes this role in the Cell Saga. He tells the others about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, trains Gohan to surpass him, choses a new Guardian of the Earth to revive the Dragon Balls, and spiritually guides Gohan after he was killed. After being revived for a day, he acts this way towards Goten and Trunks, and even uses this as his reason to Piccolo why he didn't go all out.
** Dende tries to becomes this after he takes the position as Guardian of the Earth. But he's hindered by his lack of experience and doesn't have the power to fight on the front lines with the rest of the heroes. He often defers to Piccolo or Goku when trying to make a tough decision.
** Beerus and Whis take up this position during ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', once they become Goku's allies. Beerus and Whis sometimes assist the heroes against powerful threats like Frieza and Goku Black. Whis also personally trains Goku and Vegeta.
%%* Eriko from ''LightNovel/DragonCrisis''
* ''Manga/FairyTail'' starts out with Makarov Dreyar established early on as one of the strongest wizards in the setting, and the master of the titular guild. However, he is eventually replaced by the ghost of Mavis Vermillion, the founder and first master of Fairy Tail, who also shares a deeply-rooted history with Zeref, the BigBad. All the same, Igneel serves as the GreaterScopeParagon to Acnologia's GreaterScopeVillain, as seen when [[spoiler:he finally reveals himself and fights Acnologia...until Acnologia kills him]].
* Kenshiro in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''. Any heroic organization in the series eventually has him front and center, inspiring and dishing out the biggest doses of beat-downs. In the second series, Bat becomes this to the Hokuto Army.
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', against [[BigBad Father]], the role of Big Good is split between Colonel Roy Mustang and [[spoiler:Van Hohenheim]], the two filling the roles of SupportingLeader and AllLovingHero respectively. While [[spoiler:Hohenheim]] is the only one that can match the BigBad's sheer power, Mustang's efforts [[TheStrategist coordinating the Amestris military]] can't be ignored.
** Surprisingly, they both fit the exact same mold in the [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist 2003 series]] as well.
* Miaka Yuuki from ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''. Indeed all of the Mikos are supposed to be this for their countries and warriors.
* Dr. Saotome in ''Manga/GetterRobo'', being the one that invented the eponymous robot and currently employs the protagonists as its pilots. He's one of the few people in the setting with an almost complete understanding of the nature of [[AppliedPhlebotinum Getter Rays]], and how to use them against the various threats to humanity.
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
** Bright Noa in from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' and beyond. He is the leader of the Earth Federation forces fighting against Zeon, then leads the [[LaResistance Anti Earth Union Group]] against the Titans, and the Earth Special force Londo Bell.
** Lacus Clyne in both ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' serving as the political face of the Clyne Faction/Three Ships Alliance & Terminal, while positioning herself as a philosophical counterpoint to the likes of Muruta Azrael, [[GeneralRipper Patrick Zala]], and [[DarkMessiah Gilbert Durandal]]. Several of the villains are aware of the level of influence she has - in ''SEED'' both Patrick Zala and the genuine BigBad [[spoiler:Rau Le Creuset]] try to put her out of commission, while in ''SEED Destiny'' Durandal not only tries to have her killed, but hires a BodyDouble named Meer Campbell to take her place.
** In the first part of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE'', Grödek Ainoa, the sole leader of the few willing resistance soldiers in the corrupt, incompetent Federation in the face of the mysterious enemies.
%%* Froyletia Capistrano from ''LightNovel/HeavyObject''.
* Sir Integra Hellsing from ''Anime/{{Hellsing}}''. As her name implies, she's the leader of an organization devoted to protecting mankind from supernatural horrors -- acting as a militant branch of the Church of England.
%%* ''Franchise/{{Jewelpet}}'': Jewelina, goddess and queen of Jewel Land.
* ''Anime/{{K}}'' has the First and Silver King, who brought the power-giving Slates to Japan decades ago and has since floated above the city in an airship. Some believe him to be just a myth. [[spoiler: It turns out the protagonist is [[AmnesiacGod actually him]], body-swapped and memory-wiped]].
* Jotaro Kujo, protagonist of [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders the previous part in the series]], serves this role in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'', as he is the most seasoned Stand user in Morioh. He is openly feared by the majority of villains because of his experience and his powerful Stand, and he holds together the entire investigation of the town's mysterious murders.
* The Elder from ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple''. Almost certainly the strongest character in the series, it's fortunate that he's on the side of good. Lampshaded at one point when Sakaki, the tough-guy karate master, says he's going to capture Kushinada, the female jiujitsu master, and bring her to the Elder as a trophy. Kenichi has to remind himself that Sakaki is the good guy and Kushinada is evil.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'' does not reveal the Big Good until the second half of the series. It turns out to be [[spoiler: Satsuki Kiryuin, seemingly the BigBad of the series. In truth, she has spent almost her entire life preparing an army to defeat her mother and the alien threat of the Life Fibers. She later admits to Ryuko that her antagonism was entirely so she could become strong enough to help save humanity. Once rescued from her mother, Satsuki takes over leadership of LaResistance as the final battle to save mankind looms]].
* It's difficult to decide which lead from ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' better qualifies. While Reinhard continuously rises through the ranks and spends most of the series being the driving force of the Empire, he is much more morally flawed compared to Yang, who never attempts to rise past the rank of Admiral. Considering the later parts of the story, Yang is the Big Good to Julian as TheHero. Reinhard is an overall Big Good as the 'good' he does (the reformation of the Empire) remains at the periphery of the main narrative. In the earlier parts, where the narrative has a narrower focus on them, they each fill the role of TheHero.
* Pope Benedict in ''Manga/TheLegendOfKoizumi'', who leads the world's {{M|undaneMadeAwesome}}ahjong-based defense against the [[StupidJetpackHitler Fourth]] [[ThoseWackyNazis Reich]], who live on the moon and shoot meteors at major cities. ItsPersonal for him for some reason, probably due to his having grown up in the third one.
* In the various installments of the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, this role is usually filled in by one of the high-ranking [[SpacePolice Time-Space Administration Bureau]] officials:
** In [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha the original series]] and ''[[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs A's]]'', the Big Good is Lindy Harlaown, the TSAB Admiral in charge of recovering the Jewel Seeds from Earth, who is then assigned to deal with the new Book of Darkness incident for personal reasons ([[spoiler:her husband died in the previous such incident]]).
** In ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', the Big Good role is split between Carim Gracia, Knight Commander of the [[SaintlyChurch Saint Church]], and Admiral Chrono Harlaown (Lindy's son). Hayate Yagami, as the leader of [[HeroesRUs Riot Force 6]], technically qualifies but it is Carim and Chrono who ultimately have the authority to remove the PowerLimiter from her and other aces.
** In ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'', Hayate is now the undisputed Big Good of the show, having been finally granted her own CoolStarship and [[TheCaptain full autonomy]] to deal with the Eclipse crisis however she sees fit. After she exposes herself to danger and is wounded by [[spoiler:Curren Hückebein]], Nanoha even calls Hayate out on such carelessness and basically reminds her of a Big Good's duties.
* ''Manga/MakenKi'': As [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil student council]] [[StudentCouncilPresident president]], Takaki is the de facto head of Tenbi Academy. Which makes it her responsibility to [[http://www.mangatown.com/manga/maken_ki/c002/14.html maintain discipline]] at the school and [[http://www.mangatown.com/manga/maken_ki/c048/19.html protect its students]] from outside threats, [[NebulousEvilOrganization such as Kamigari]].
* [[spoiler:Ayano Tateyama]] in ''Anime/MekakucityActors'' is a posthumous Big Good, being the creator of the Mekakushi Dan [[spoiler:and her powers are key to defeat the Wide-Open Eyes Snake and end the time loop]].
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' has [[TheCape All Might]], the #1 hero and "Symbol of Peace." This becomes a bit of an issue after [[spoiler: he retires, having used up the last bits of his power fighting the BigBad, and at the moment there's nobody else capable of living up to the standard he set]].
* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'': Of all people, the Big Good is the [[SweetTooth junk-food obsessed]] [[TheGadfly troll-happy]] Principal Akane. While she ''does'' derive a little too much amusement from screwing around with people, she [[TricksterMentor ultimately has their best interests at heart]] and her ultimate goal is [[spoiler: to try to make her school a place where humans and non-humans can co-exist peacefully]].
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** The various Hokages and other Kages, though the post changes hands relatively often. Chapter 515 has [[spoiler:the Raikage made the supreme leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces, making him the Big Good]].
** In the latter half of the War, [[spoiler:Naruto]] becomes the Big Good and singlehandedly turns the War around for the Alliance. He's also fighting both [[spoiler:Obito and Madara at once alongside Kakashi, Gai, and Killer Bee]].
** [[spoiler:The previous Hokages]] eventually join the party, and quickly take over the Big Good baton.
* In later chapters of ''Manga/OnePiece'', Silvers Rayleigh seems to operate in this capacity, being likely the strongest and most traveled ally of the Straw Hats, and taking on a mentor/trainer role for [[TheHero Luffy]]. Rayleigh was merely a RetiredBadass despite being powerful enough to hold this role all along, until Luffy's determination (and similarity to Rayleigh's old captain, Gold Roger) impressed him enough to get him to come out of retirement. Two of the strongest pirates alive, "Red-Haired" Shanks and Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate [[spoiler:until his death]] could also qualify. In particular, during the Whitebeard War, the rather morally-sound Newgate led the battle against the more reprehensible [[KnightTemplar Marines]] into battle, but it was Shanks himself that ended the war, simply by '''threatening to attack anyone that wanted to continue fighting'''!
* ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' has Agoni, a multi-millionaire who is the founder and leader of [[HeroesRus Hero Association]].
* ''Anime/{{Patlabor}}'': The top brass of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Detective Matsui, and even the JGSDF[[note]]the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force[[/note]] all defer to Gotoh whenever there's an impending threat to the city, and with good reason. The man is a military genius, having studied military strategy and tactics during his days at the academy. He's also keenly observant, often picking up on things before others do, and noticing details others might overlook. [[MegaCorp Schaft Enterprises]] and his old mentor, [[spoiler: Kai]], know this better than anyone.
* The end of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has [[spoiler:[[MessianicArchetype Ultimate Madoka]] after her AbstractApotheosis become the greatest force for good in the universe]], although only one person is aware of her existence and her role.
** Beforehand, we have MentorMascot Kyubey [[spoiler: serving as a [[TreacherousAdvisor subversion]]]]. They are the one recruiting {{Magical Girl}}s to fight [[BigBad Walpurgisnacht]] and her fellow [[EldritchAbomination witches]] in order to [[SaveTheWorld save the universe]], [[spoiler: but [[ManBehindTheMan they are also the one who created the witches]] from [[WasOnceAMan despairing magical girls]], [[WellIntentionedExtremist to use thier energy to keep the universe running]]]].
* Yui from ''Anime/RegaliaTheThreeSacredStars''. She's the Empress of the Enastoria Empire, and she is also [[HundredPercentAdorationRating widely adored by her people]].
* Downplayed in ''Anime/RoninWarriors'' since he keeps to the shadows so often, but in many episodes The Ancient One provides wisdom and guidance to the heroes, helps them develop and has greater power than him. [[spoiler: He's also the one that defeated Talpa in the past and created the armor they wear in the present day]].
* The [[PowerTrio Three Dark Lords]] of ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', or at least the two who are still alive.
* The title character of ''Manga/RurouniKenshin''; a rare example of the main protagonist being this. He goes out of his way to help those around him and many of the characters (especially his TrueCompanions) look to him for wisdom and [[HopeBringer hope]].
* Queen Serenity from ''Franchise/SailorMoon''. Her daughter, Usagi Tsukino, takes on this role after the Queen makes her last appearance, both as Neo Queen Serenity and as the eponymous Champion of Justice herself.
* Athena in ''Manga/SaintSeiya''. She is the goddess of wisdom, defensive war, strategy, justice and hope. According to the Hyper-Myth, she's the goddess who inherits the control over the Earth from Zeus (her real father). Athena reincarnates once every 200 years, to prevent evil dominates the world and is the symbol of justice for all Saints.
* ''Manga/ShokugekiNoSoma'' has Senzaemon Nakiri, the Headmaster of the Academy, though this only becomes clear after [[spoiler:Azami takes over the school]]. There's also a somewhat Big God Ensemble since Senzaemon is receiving help from Gin and Jouichirou.
* ''Manga/SoulEater'''s Big Good is Death, ironically. He's the head of the school that trains the heroes, gives them their missions and is the only one capable of going head to head with the Big Bad. Also, he's the one the villains are worried about; the heroes themselves are a much lower priority.
* Kamina, and later on (to a [[TookALevelInBadass greater]] extent) Simon, from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. Kittan fills Kamina's role while Simon is having his HeroicBSOD, and continues to be a secondary Big Good while Simon has the helm.
* Yoshimura, the grandfatherly and wise manager of Anteiku Cafe in ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''. A decade prior to the series, he came to the 20th Ward and took over leadership of the Ghouls living there, making it into the most peaceful ward in Tokyo. The cafe serves as a safe haven for the ward's Ghouls, allowing them to gather together to socialize or exchange information in a neutral location. Under his leadership, territories are fairly divided and weaker Ghouls are provided scavenged meat, with his policy being to never turn his back on a Ghoul in need. Anteiku takes in Kaneki when he finds himself transformed into a HalfHumanHybrid, and helps him adjust to life as a Ghoul. Yoshimura provides wisdom and guidance to the young man, but also serves as a major threat that both [[AntiHumanAlliance Aogiri]] and [[CreatureHunterOrganization CCG]] both consider vital to remove. The sequel shows that [[spoiler: with Anteiku destroyed and Yoshimura captured by Aogiri]], Aogiri has managed to become an incredibly powerful group forcing neutral Ghouls to work for them, and CCG is struggling to counter their rapid expansion.
* In ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'', Ryou Shirogane, owner of Cafe Mew Mew and the head of Project Mew Mew, leads the heroes.
* [[PhysicalGod Primus]] serves this role in ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' Anime/UnicronTrilogy; ''Anime/TransformersArmada'', ''Anime/TransformersEnergon'', and ''Anime/TransformersCybertron''.
* Hakuoro of ''VideoGame/{{Utawarerumono}}''. He was both TheHero and emperor of his country, which under his leadership went around smiting bad guys.
* Dr. Riddles in ''Manga/ZatchBell'' for [[TheHero Kiyo, Zatch]] and Gang. He [[TricksterMentor trains the heroes]] and organizes them to fight against threats like ancient demons and Faudo.
[[/folder]]

* BigGood/Other

[[folder:Multiple Media]]
* The Great Spirit Mata Nui in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', particularly for the Matoran Universe, which he once contained. Although he doesn't lead anyone for much of the story (partly due to being in a coma, and partly because that isn't his original purpose), he ''is'' regarded by the Matoran Universe as God and has numerous agents acting out his will, or what they perceive as his will. Later on he becomes an active character, even TheHero for a short while, taking on the usual attributes of a normal Big Good, before giving up his position to let society go its own way instead of worshiping him.
** The Great Beings serve as the Bigger Good, despite their small role, but they once ruled the planet Spherus Magna, made many technological advances for species such as the Agori and Glatorian, and built the [[HumongousMecha Great Spirit massive robot]], which by extension included Mata Nui himself, the Matoran universe and race, [[EldritchAbomination Tren Krom]], [[ThePowerofCreation Artakha]], Karzahni, [[TheSwarm the Bohrok swarms]], Toa Helryx, [[EldritchAbomination the first Rahi]], and the [[ArtifactOfDeath Kanohi Ignika]], or the [[MaskOfPower Mask of Life]].

[[folder:Music]]
* Elluka Clockworker can be seen as this in the Evilious Chronicles series of Music/{{Vocaloid}} songs by Akuno-P/Creator/{{mothy}}, considering how [[GreenEyedMonster the]] [[VillainousGlutton songs]] [[PrideBeforeAFall revolve]] [[HaremSeeker around]] [[DeathByMaterialism villains]] [[LazyBum representing]] [[UnstoppableRage the]] SevenDeadlySins.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology]]
* Myth/KingArthur, in his capacity as King of the Britons. Many of the stories focus on individual knights of the Round Table, such as Gawain, Lancelot or Perceval, with Arthur as something of a background character. However, he represents the benevolent authority that they are all loyal to ([[BetrayalTropes when things are going well, anyway]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* In [[Pinball/{{Superman}} the Superman pinball game]], the titular superhero is this, like in the comics. In fact, you have to spell his name to get extra points and light the Special.
* In [[Pinball/XMenStern the X-Men pinball game]], Professor Xavier is this like in the comics, of course. The premise of the game is to assemble eight of his Franchise/XMen, then lead them to triumph against their various enemies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* ''Podcast/{{Sequinox}}'' has Gaea, the goddess of Earth who split her staff into four pieces amongst the four main girls to turn them into Sequinox.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio]]
* John Avery “Whit” Whittaker from ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'' is unquestionably this. It’s the reason why both kids and adults alike love and respect him.
* The Shadow from the [[Radio/TheShadow radio series]] is the rare PragmaticHero version. While certainly not blanching at putting a permanent and lethal end to evil, and laughing like a maniac while he does it, The Shadow is firmly on the side of protecting the innocent.
** His '''Big Good''' tendencies are more pronounced in the radio show where [[ExecutiveMeddling standards and practices]] forbade the Shadow actively killing.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Religion]]
* In the Abrahamic religions, [[Literature/TheBible Yahweh/God]]/[[Literature/TheQuran Allah]], obviously; in Christianity the same goes for His son, UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}. While He ''is'' undoubtedly the universal Big Good, His narrative role in the universe is closer to that of TheManBehindTheMan (mostly because [[BrownNote looking at Him makes you explode]], which is something of an inconvenience when it comes to public speaking), and He generally has a prophet or representative[[note]]Moses, The Kohanim, Kings Saul/David/Solomon, The Popes, Mohamed, etc.[[/note]] to serve as functional leader to handle day-to-day management and policymaking of the forces of good whenever He needs something done. Depending on your interpretation of His place in the universe however, it could be said that He isn't just the Big Good, because He is the Big ''Everything'', because ''nothing'' is beyond His vision or power. Thus, even evil could theoretically be utilized for His purposes (although in what manner, and the precise nature of evil itself, are debatable).
* {{UsefulNotes/Hinduism}} has a plethora of these. Vishnu on a cosmic scale, some of his avatars like Rama on the wordly scale, and Indra of the early Rig Veda. Yudhishtir is another one. Interestingly, the different sects of Hinduism are distinguished by who they believe is the cosmic Big Good: for Vishnaivites it's Vishnu, for Shaivites it's Shiva, for Shaktas it's Devi, certain spin-off religions and the Hare Krishnas believe it's Vishnu's avatar Krishna, and Smartas give the MathematiciansAnswer and say it's all of them.
* Thor in Myth/NorseMythology, god of thunder and protector and friend of humanity. Odin was sometimes considered this, sometimes not; most of the time he was regarded as a noble ruler (for better or for worse) from afar, while Thor was considered to be the one actually fighting for the humans on the frontlines.
* In Myth/JapaneseMythology (as well as works based upon the Japanese myths) the [[LightIsGood Sun goddess Amaterasu-Oomikami]] is almost always portrayed as both this and GodOfGood. Almost all other gods with any at all form of characterization from the UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} pantheon have their moments of being JerkassGods to various extents except for Amaterasu.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'':
** Victor Steiner-Davion takes the role during the Clan Invasion, and the Fedcom civil war.
** Devlin Stone is this in the Jihad. He rallied every major faction in the Inner Sphere(except the Cappellan Confederation) against the Word of Blake.
* Many of the Good-aligned deities in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' can fulfill this role, depending on the campaign. Heironeous is especially heroic (being defined by his enmity with Hextor, Lawful Evil god of Tyranny), and Pelor (God of the Sun and ultimate enemy of unlife) makes an excellent Big Good in a campaign centered around Undead (for example, "The World Born Dead" from ''Elder Evils'').
* The Unconquered Sun of ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' was created to be an ultimate hero-type being in order to give the Cosmic Principle of Villainy, the Dragon's Shadow (eventually the Ebon Dragon) something to compare himself against and therefore the ability to actually do stuff.
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'':
** Urza fills out this role in the first several stories... in terms of leading the good guys anyway, since [[KnightTemplar he's far from]] [[SocialDarwinist being a nice guy]].
** Ever since Urza died, [[TheHedonist Sorin]] [[ThePowerOfBlood Markov]] of all people takes up the mantle. He's not much of a nice guy either, but while he is wholly and completely selfish, he tends to take the long view of things; he finds a (relatively) peaceful and un-destroyed multiverse to be more enjoyable than the alternative, and thus tends to be very proactive about stopping potentially apocalyptic threats before they get to the part where they start breaking his stuff.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':
** The Emperor of Mankind remains humanity's only defense against being snuffed out like a candle in a hurricane. As he's a near-corpse on a chair that eats humans, whose only real input on the Imperium is psychic landing lights through the warp, whether he's the actual "leader" as opposed to the figurehead whose will is interpreted by legions of bureaucrats and spread around the galaxy as literal gospel (as well as whether the Imperium itself is not the "Big Bad" itself) is uncertain.
** [[OldMaster Ethereal]] [[AFatherToHisMen Aun'va]] serves a similar role for the [[TheGreys Tau]] [[TheAlliance Empire]]. He's so beloved by his people that if Aun'va is killed in battle, all Tau soldiers within sight enter UnstoppableRage... [[BeamSpam with plasma guns]].
** The Eldar goddess of life, Isha really wants to be this trope and actually has the power to make the 40K verse a better place. Too bad she is being held captive by Nurgle in the deepest pits of the warp and no one is even remotely strong enough to save her. And even if she was free, she would be on her own against four crazy powerful chaos gods...
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' has Emperor Karl Franz, Prince of Altdorf, Elector Count of Reikland, ruler of the Empire and [[spoiler:Ascendant avatar of Sigmar]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/FineStructure'': [[spoiler:Mitch Calrus, AKA Xio, is one of two {{Eldritch Abomination}}s sealed in our universe. He's the one opposed to senselessly destroying all sentience]].
* WebVideo/HeroHouse features Optimus Prime in this role, fittingly enough.
* In ''WebAnimation/MarioBrothers'', Princess Toadstool rules over the Mushroom people and can produce life-giving mushrooms from nothing.
* Queen Fyora and the faeries in general (barring the occasional ObviouslyEvil one) are considered this in ''{{Website/Neopets}}''.
* ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic'' has Santa Christ, who atones for all our sins, also eats pancakes, saves puppies from a fire and [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment also eats pancakes]]. And Critic himself, after taking on the PlotHole in WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee, giving him higher ranking and therefore giving him the ability to ask Santa Christ to bring Spoony back from the dead and tell all his other friends that everything is fine now.
* [[MessianicArchetype The Yostwell]] of ''Literature/TheQuestportChronicles'', according to legend. It disappeared after a HeroicSacrifice millennia ago, but left behind [[MacGuffin a relic]] with a portion of its power.
* ''Roleplay/ShadowhunterPeril'' has [[TheStoic Nuriel]], [[BrattyHalfPint Puriel]], [[ShellShockedVeteran Bezaliel]], and [[TheGoodKing Ra]]. The first three are angels of God, while Ra is the last King of the Phoenix Dynasty, and commands a great army made up of NobleBirdOfPrey. By the end of the final battle, [[PyrrhicVictory Nuriel and Ra are both dead]]. Bezaliel and Puriel each get a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. [[spoiler:Puriel kills Oblivion for killing Ra and Nuriel, and Bezaliel calls for much needed reinforcements with his voice]].
* In ''Roleplay/TheSydneyScroungers'', [[spoiler:Rachel Zhu, the Marshall of the Sydney Shatterdome]] is revealed to be this after the first story arc.
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Whateley Academy's headmistress Elizabeth Carson. Even the ''villains'' generally respect her.
* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'':
** The triumvirate, made up of Alexandria, Legend, and Eidolon, are acknowledged as the most powerful heroes in the world, excepting Scion.
** Dragon, the world's finest [[GadgeteerGenius Tinker]], who supplies the [[CapeBusters PRT]] and [[SuperTeam Protectorate]] with their advanced technology, coordinates their responses to large-scale threats, and mass-produces superhuman-tier combatant combat suits. She also happens to be a ''spectacular'' aversion of AIIsACrapshoot, being secretly an artificial intelligence who is still one of the kindest and most moral individuals in the setting.
** Scion, the messianic golden man who spends all his time flying all over the world and helping people.
** [[spoiler:Taylor/Skitter ends up as Khepri, and saves the world from being destroyed from Scion-turned-evil]].
[[/folder]]

** ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'' has the Emperor of China, who all the heroes serve, and the BigBad targets him personally.

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'''s ''Shivering Isles'' expansion, Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of [[MadGod Madness]] serves in this role, seeking to protect his realm from the [[EternalRecurrance Greymarch]], an event tied to the BigBad, Jyggalag. [[spoiler:As it turns out, Sheogorath is Jyggalag's alter-ego. The Greymarch is ended for good when Jyggalag passes the mantle of Sheogorath [[AGodIsYou onto the Champion of Cyrodiil]]]].

* John Connor in the ''{{Franchise/Terminator}}'' films is fated to be one of these, and in ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' he consequently is. However as of the new timeline established in ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'' [[spoiler:the one in which John is murdered as a teenager by a T-800 named Carl while on vacation with his mother sometime after ''[[Terminator2JudgementDay Judgement Day]]'']] Dani Ramos will become this.

* John Connor in the ''{{Franchise/Terminator}}'' films is fated to be one of these, and in ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' he consequently is.

* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': [[spoiler:Bolo, the only good Titan, which was imprisoned when he sealed away the Titans to make sure they wouldn't wreck havoc in the universe. One Lord Commander threatens to bring them back, Bolo acts again by communicating with Nightfall and Gary to guide them towards stopping him.]]

* In the fanfic ''The Man Who Sold The World'', the Hunter is this to the people of Yharnam. He guards their word from outsider (read: unstabilizing) visitors without control of what they can do and has put an end to the hunt being a Great One they adore him.

** The presence of a greater Big Good is implied in the Season 3 episode where the [[FinalBossPreview First Evil]] was introduced. Angel is DrivenToSuicide by the First Evil reminding him of every innocent life he's destroyed when evil. He attempts to commit suicide-by-sunrise, but fails because it suddenly clouds over and starts snowing just before the sun comes up. [[LawOfConservationOfDetail When they spent the entire episode complaining about the unseasonably warm and sunny weather they were getting that Christmas]].
* [[DaChief The Chief]], in opposition to ''Series/CarmenSandiego''.

AuthorityEqualsAsskicking is in full force most of the time, with the Big Good usually starting off several orders of magnitude more powerful than TheHero. The character may be servant to [[TheManBehindTheMan a greater good]] just like their how evil counterpart could be a servant to a greater evil. Unlike the BigBad, however, the Big Good ''can'' be taken down rather early - to show [[TheWorfEffect just how powerful the enemy has gotten]] by that point or [[MyDeathIsOnlyTheBeginning as part of a greater plan]]. One of the more common ways this is done is to have the two Bigs confront each other directly, with the Big Good coming up short. For extra pathos, the BigBad was [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels once their second in command]]. Expect TheHero or some other member of the TrueCompanions to take up the mantle by the time the GrandFinale comes round.

* MysteriousBacker - Who fulfils the same role but has their own agenda.

!!Examples

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

** The Doctor's name inspires hope in all that is good and terror in all that is evil. Where he goes, freedom (and explosions) quickly follow. Frequently acknowledged as this, by friends ''and'' [[WorthyOpponent enemies]] alike.
--->'''The Master''': A cosmos without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about.
** In "Twice Upon a Time," the First Doctor reveals that one of the reasons he left Gallifrey was to discover why good continuously wins out in the universe, even though by all logic evil has all the advantages. Bill Potts clearly finds it hilarious when she tells him that maybe "some bloke" is running around the universe, fixing things.
--->'''First Doctor:''' You've traveled with my future self, haven't you? Does he ever figure it out?\\
'''Bill Potts:''' You know, I really don't think he does.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':Professor Ozpin is the enigmatic headmaster of Beacon Academy, a man with a strange knowledge of the secret history of the world, which legends are actually true, and what the real threat to humanity's existence is. While he acts as a wise advisor to the heroine Ruby Rose and other students, he is also the leader of a secret BenevolentConspiracy of Huntsmen that are trying to use the true legends to protect humanity against the equally enigmatic BigBad, and Ozpin's ArchNemesis, [[spoiler:Salem. The four Huntsmen Academies were created to hide and protect four dangerous, divine Relics that Salem needs to destroy humanity. In Volume 3, she successfully destroys Beacon Academy, leaving the protagonists to drift without direction in Volume 4, unaware that Ozpin can BodySurf to escape death into a new host that possesses his identical Aura and Soul. While the protagonists struggle to survive, Ozpin struggles to convince his new host, Oscar, to [[RefusalOfTheCall accept his destiny]] as the guide the protagonists so desperately need]].

** After CharacterDevelopment, Steven himself seems to fulfill Rose's role as TheHeart. The Episode "Lion 3: Straight to Video" implies that Rose believed that Steven would become this once she was gone.

* ''Franchise/{{Dragonball}}''

** Supreme Kai, the TopGod of the Dragon World, is this role for the first half of the Buu Saga and to the universe at large, though [[TheGodsMustBeLazy he doesn't interfere with anything that doesn't threatens the entire universe]]. After he being freed, Old Kai takes this role for the rest of the series.

* The rabbit spirit in ''[[Webcomic/FifteenMinds Blue Moon Blossom]]'' is a powerful LivingMacGuffin that joins the bunny protagonist's adventuring party. It gladly defends the party from snake-spirits, apparently being the only entity capable of doing so, [[spoiler:and even restores the other rabbits to life with the last of its power after they were turned to stone by said snake demons]]. [[spoiler:But by the end, an argument could be made that the ''real'' BigGood is the dino, the bunny's constant traveling partner, given that it appears to be a rabbit prophet or possibly even god in disguise.]]

* Three characters in the ''Franchise/{{Ben 10}}'' franchise qualify for the position: Azmuth, because he is the creator of the Omnitrix, and as such the one Ben got his powers from to begin with; [[BadassGrandpa Max Tennyson]], because he is TheMentor to Ben; and [[TimeMaster Paradox]] who acts more like a TricksterMentor helping Ben indirectly to solve conflicts on TimeTravel scale.

* Three characters in the ''Franchise/{{Ben 10}}'' franchise qualify for the position: Azmuth, because he is the creator of the Omnitrix, and as such the one Ben got his powers from to begin with; [[OldMaster Max Tennyson]], because he is TheMentor to Ben; and [[TimeMaster Paradox]] who acts more like a TricksterMentor helping Ben indirectly to solve conflicts on TimeTravel scale.

** For the dwarves of Firmament, we have Sigdi Thundershield, mother of the party's cleric Durkon Thundershield, who leads an entire clan of extended adopted family members made up of the five dwarves she resurrected in the past.

* In any game in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series where the good guys are a unified force, [[TheHero Sonic himself]] usually fits this role.

* In the fanfic ''The Man Who Sold The World'', the Hunter is this to the people of Yharnam. He guards their word from outsider (read: unstabilizing) visitors without control of what they can do and has put an end to the hunt being a Great One they adore him.
* Ozpin in ''Fanfic/RubyAndNora'' plays this much more straight than his Morally grey canon counterpart. While he had to make one rather morally dubious decision, he’s ''much'' more open about how much it is eating away at him, and he honestly felt like he had no choice.

** The ''Fanfic/AftermathOfTheGames'' universe: While Celestia is still the Big Good to Equestria, Princess Twilight has become this to the Terran equivalent of her friends, [[spoiler: the filly version of Starlight Glimmer]], and to her own human counterpart, offering her advice and comfort she doubts herself. Above Celestia, however, is Harmony, a being that controls the power of Harmony, and who ascends ponies who prove their worthiness to her.

* In ''FanFic/{{Fractured}}'', a ''VideoGame/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[=/=]''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover crossover]] and its [[FanFic/SovereignGFCOrigins sequel]], this role is shared in a Big Good Ensemble, though some people [[HeroicBSOD fade in and out]].
** The Council gets no respite here, until [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Admiral Grayson]] joins their members after the assassination of Udina. Even then, it's the [[OnlySaneMan reasonable outsider]] ([[ComplexityAddiction up to a point]]) versus entrenched [[FantasticRacism galactic politics]].
** Wrex, to the krogan.
** Samantha Shepard is a downplayed version, since unlike in the [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 game]] she doesn't use her MagneticHero tendencies to unite the galaxy against the Reapers. [[spoiler:She also has a bit of a brush with depression and a [=Heroic BSOD=] that sees a temporary [=Face-Heel Turn=]]]. She resumes the role later, though.
** Alt!Roland in his own {{Multiverse}} and in this one.
** Allison Nimitz, once her fleet arrives.

* Cait Sith and his creator, Reeve in ''FanFic/OffTheLine'', who are the moderator and head admin of the game and the game's creator. When Nanaki suffered glitches in his gameplay due to the incompatibility of his headgear, Cait Sith tracked him down and Reeve made him a custom headgear in exchange for Nanaki's permission to study Nanaki's data. When Cloud finds out that Vincent is a player and not a virus, Cait Sith does everything he can to make up his past actions to Vincent and Reeve plans to track down Vincent's comatose body.
* The ''VideoGame/KantaiCollection'' fanfic ''Fanfic/PacificWorldWarIIUSNavyShipgirls'' has USS ''Enterprise'', aka "The Grey Ghost" and "The Big E", which is a JustifiedTrope on accounts that her historical namesake pretty much served in the war from beginning to end, and was the most decorated US ship during the war with 20 battle stars earned. This is even mentioned word-for-word by the author.

* [[TyrannosaurusRex Rexy]] in ''FanFic/ItsNotTheRaptorDNA''. She commands the fear, respect, and/or love of everybody and every creature on Isla Nublar, and is the one who tries to guide Elise and the younger dinosaurs toward a better future.
* In ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'', [[spoiler:Kaworu]] of all people. What pushes him into this territory is that not only did he make so that [[spoiler:[[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Third Impact]] was averted, he made it so that Aki could grow up normally with her parents]]. He's still a bit of a dick but saving all 3 billion people on Earth allows you to be.
* Jane fills this role in the {{Homestuck}} fanfic ''[[FanFic/GoldenAge The Golden Age]]'', being queen of Skaia and chairwoman to the [[TheFederation United Galaxies]].
* In ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'', Professor Oak is seen as this, as his research has helped in making the world a better place for Pokémon and humans alike, although the exact details haven't been specified yet.