History Main / HerosMuse

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has touched on this a few times. Often the Doctor's driving motivation to help is the (usually female) companion he has with him at the time, either due to her encouragement or because she finds herself imperiled. Due to story-related reasons too complex to relate here, the 2005-2006 companion Rose Tyler and the 2013-2015 companion Clara Oswald at times satisfy the "idealized woman" aspect of the trope as well.

* In the 1977 film ''{{Film/Julia}}'', the title character essentially fulfills the trope. The twist is that the main character she's inspiring to action is also female and both are presumably hetrosexual.

* ''Series/SpaceAboveAndBeyond'': Nathan West joined the Marines in hopes of being deployed to the new colony that his girlfriend had gone off to (West was supposed to go as well, but got pulled at the last second). Soon after, a war breaks out with a newly discovered alien race, and the colony is captured. Everyone on in the [[BadassCrew Wildcards]] are determined to win, but they note that only West's motivation is [[TheQuest so personal.]]

* In ''AKnightsTale'', Jocelyn is the noblewoman who has never been unhorsed.

* {{Gender Flip}}ped in ''GreekNinja'', where Hashimoto Daichi ends up being the muse of the heroine, Sasha.

* Any time a woman is on the British throne, expect her to be invoked as this. All the way from Boadicea to QueenVictoria (this was especially prevalent in Queen Vicky's time), and even the current Queen.

* In {{Stardust}} the main purpose of Victoria is to motivate Tristan to [[CrossingtheThreshold go into the fairy world]]. It is then subverted by having her not be important thereafter.

* The powerful and mysterious Sisters of Orion in ''{{Literature/Alterien}}'' serve this purpose for Oberon.
* In ''Literature/AstralDawn'', the Mayan goddess of the moon, Ixchel, literally serves this purpose for Caspian.
** She's also his love interest.

* In ''{{Literature/Astral Dawn}}'', the Mayan goddess of the moon, Ixchel, literally serves this purpose for Caspian. She's also his love interest.

* ''Literature/ForeverGate'': Ari, his daughter, is the inspiration for all of Hoodwink's actions. As this involves pulling him into her freedom fighter activities, she invokes this trope to ensure his assistance.

* The soldiers in ''{{Mulan}}'' discuss this trope in the song "A Girl Worth Fighting For".

** Galadriel is something like this for Gimli.

* Princess Zelda is generally this for Link throughout the ''Franchise/LegendOfZelda'' series, to some extent at least.

This trope is particularly common in works from the medieval and renaissance period, as it ties closely to the ideas of the CourtlyLove tradition. In older works, it often takes the form of [[LadyAndKnight a knight errant and his lady love]].

* In ''Literature/DonQuixote'', the eponymous hero fights for his lady love, whom he refers to as Dulcinea. In his mind, he elevates her to a princess and the most beautiful woman in the world, although she is in reality a peasant girl named Aldonza.

* Any time a woman is on the British throne, expect her to be invoked as this. All the way from Boadicea to Queen Victoria (this was especially prevalent in QueenVicky's time), and even the current Queen.

* [[spoiler:Beatrice]] turns out to be this for Battler in ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'', [[spoiler:rather like the lady from the ''DivineComedy'' who she was named after]].

** ''MassEffect'' had Ashley Williams.

* [[WhiteHairedPrettyGirl Kisara]], the vessel of the White Dragon in ''Anime/YuGiOh''. She provides an almost literal light to balance Priest Seto's inner darkness, and her HeroicSacrifice and death in his arms provides the inspiration for his reign.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* {{Gender Flip}}ped in the ''CiemWebcomicSeries'': Before Erin's death, Candi held Donte on a high pedestal. After Donte was captured and presumed dead and Erin was [[CharacterDeath killed]], Candi made a good portion of her goal in life being to find a suitable replacement for Donte. When that ReplacementLoveInterest was also killed, she got Donte back. Then every self-control-related problem she had after that stemmed from her urge to marry and possess Donte. Alas, her beloved was never quite the same after having been captured. So she determined to make do, even with a fallen muse.
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* Bioware games tend to have one good female character as a romantic option for the PlayerCharacter, and they tend to get upset with you if you do something ForTheEvulz. Obviously, these ''are'' Bioware games, so this trope can just as easily be PlayedStraight, {{averted}}, {{subverted}} (you CorruptTheCutie), {{inverted}} ([[InSovietRussiaTropeMocksYou the player character could be the inspirer]]), etc.

* [[WhiteHairedPrettyGirl Kisara]], the vessel of the White Dragon in ''Anime/YuGiOh'': She provides an almost literal light to balance Priest Seto's inner darkness, and her HeroicSacrifice and death in his arms provides the inspiration for his reign.

* Miu in HistorysStrongestDiscipleKenichi. She's the granddaughter of the WorldsStrongestMan, and she's ''[[CantCatchUp always]]'' been a better martial artist than Kenichi, who makes it his goal to be strong enough to protect her.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Princess Yue, of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': She is a princess who [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence sacrifices her mortal life to become the moon spirit]]. In the episode "The Awakening", she provides encouragement and help to Aang at a time when he desperately needs it.
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* ''StationeryVoyagers''
** After Rhodney meets Melanie, only his religious convictions matter more to him than she does. He rapidly begins losing all interest in being a Voyager, or even in the war. It offers him as little joy as his meaningless daredevil life did; because he realizes that all along, it was a family that he truly wanted.
** Neone would like to be this for Marlack, but he feels [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold her past]] makes the "pure" part near-impossible. She does, however, become his MoralityChain; giving him something to live for other than proving his worth to his grandfather and avenging his sister's honor. Towards the end, as the two grow more in love, she becomes his LivingEmotionalCrutch.

* {{Gender Flip}}ped in the ''CiemWebcomicSeries'': Before Erin's death, Candi held Donte on a ridiculously high pedestal. After Donte was captured and presumed dead and Erin was KilledOffForReal, Candi made a good portion of her goal in life being to find a suitable replacement for Donte. When that ReplacementLoveInterest was KilledOffForReal, she got to have Donte back. And then every self-control-related problem she had after that stemmed from her urge to marry and possess Donte. Alas, her beloved was never quite the same after having been captured. So she determined to make do, even with a fallen muse.