History Main / LegacySeeker

* In the ''Series/SevenWondersOfTheIndustrialWorld'' episode "The Great Ship," Isambard Kingdom Brunel has already made a name for himself as a brilliant-if-arrogant civil engineer, but with his health beginning to falter, he's become fixated on the idea of leaving "a fitting epitaph" to his career. This leads to him designing the revolutionary steamship ''Great Eastern'' as one last hurrah for the history books. Unfortunately, construction is plunged into DevelopmentHell, forcing Brunel to devote more and more of himself to the project until his finances, reputation, and sanity hang in the balance. After many disasters, Brunel finally manages to launch the ship... only to [[HeroicRROD suffer a stroke]] minutes before the maiden voyage begins and die in the days that follow. Tragically, the ''Great Eastern'' never lives up to Brunel's hopes, being [[AwesomeButImpractical too far ahead of its time to be put to its intended usage]], and while Brunel's legacy remains intact, it's still slighted by WhatMightHaveBeen.

* ''WebVideo/PiratesSMP'': The Heron faction's primary motivation is to make an impact and leave behind a legacy through discovery. The faction consists of many {{Bold Explorer}}s, but some of them find their calling in academia and scholarship, in fields like history or science, i.e. exploring the abstract rather than the physical world necessarily.

* ''LetsPlay/PiratesSMP'': The Heron faction's primary motivation is to make an impact and leave behind a legacy through discovery. The faction consists of many {{Bold Explorer}}s, but some of them find their calling in academia and scholarship, in fields like history or science, i.e. exploring the abstract rather than the physical world necessarily.

* This is the motivation of Cohen the Barbarian and the Silver Horde in ''Literature/TheLastHero''. They're old, they've been everywhere, they've done everything, so they're going on one last adventure that they don't expect to return from. And to make ''absolutely sure'' that this gets remembered in song and story, they've brought a minstrel along with them.

-->'''Errinwright''': He doesn't care about treason. That's just him parroting you because you talked to him last. If he spoke to a janitor, he'd be passionately declaiming about a fucking mop. It's agonizing. I've lost count of how many times I stopped him from blundering into political suicide. And now, we have a chance to assure the future of the Earth, and he's shitting himself because he's afraid the history books won't be ''flattering'' enough!\\

'''Sorrento-Gillis''': ''(relived)'' My legacy was going to be a catastrophic war with millions dead. That's all on Errinwright now.\\
'''Anna''': ''(stares at him in disbelief)''
* In the ''Series/SevenWondersOfTheIndustrialWorld'' episode "The Great Ship," Isambard Kingdom Brunel has already made a name for himself as a brilliant-if-arrogant civil engineer, but with his health beginning to falter, he's become fixated on the idea of leaving "a fitting epitaph" to his career. This leads to him designing the revolutionary steamship ''Great Eastern'' as one last hurrah for the history books. Unfortunately, construction is plunged into DevelopmentHell, forcing Brunel to devote more and more of himself to the project until his finances, reputation, and sanity hang in the balance. After many disasters, Brunel finally manages to launch the ship... only to [[HeroicRROD suffer a stroke]] minutes before the maiden voyage begins and die in the days that follow. Tragically, the ''Great Eastern'' never lives up to Brunel's hopes, being [[AwesomeButImpractical too far ahead of its time to be put to its intended usage]], and while Brunel's legacy remains intact, it's still slighted by WhatMightHaveBeen.
* ''Series/BreakingBad'': Walter White initially justifies his work in the meth trade by trying to make enough money to keep his family provided for long after his lung cancer inevitably kills him. However, as the show progresses and Walt's darker side creeps into view, it becomes clear that he's deeply embittered over past failures and disappointments, even regarding his descent into crime as the first meaningful thing he ever did with his life; as such, even once he has more than enough money to keep his family afloat for decades, he chooses to continue his career as [[SecretIdentity Heisenberg]] in order to leave behind a legend in the criminal underworld.
-->'''Season Five Tagline:''' REMEMBER MY NAME!

* In the third and final series of ''Series/{{House of Cards|UK}}'', Prime Minister [[VillainProtagonist Francis Urquhart]] becomes increasingly obsessed with making his mark on history. Initially, he wants nothing more than to beat Margaret Thatcher's record for days in office; then he sets out to reunify Cyprus -- both for the publicity and in the hopes of winning offshore oil rights for Britain. It's at this point that Urqhart finally begins losing control over his government, however, and his efforts to maintain his grip only end up making things worse. The situation comes to a head when he deliberately triggers a disaster in Cyprus to arrange some EngineeredHeroics -- resulting in the deaths of several children and [[PyrrhicVictory totaling his career in the process]]. Worse still, [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty the crimes he committed to get this far are due to be exposed]]. [[spoiler: In the end, [[LadyMacbeth Urquhart's wife]] takes steps to secure his legacy by having him assassinated, guaranteeing his reputation as a martyr, intimidating his blackmailers into silence... and allowing Urquhart to beat Thatcher's record by exactly one day.]]

* ''Series/{{Succession}}'': Zig-zagged. Logan constantly says that he wants his legacy to outlive him, though Ewan also niggles him with the real consequences of the Roy legacy (e.g. climate change, political populism, etc). In theory, Logan wants one of his four kids to take over his company... but due to a combination of Logan's narcissism, inner problems at Waystar Royco, and his awareness of his kids' flaws, it becomes increasingly clear that Logan doesn't really want ''any'' of his children to take over and resents them for even believing they're capable of it.

** When introduced in the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E16DrBashirIPresume Dr Bashir, I Presume]]," Julian Bashir's estranged father Richard sees his work in landscape architecture as something that will endure after his death -- though he believes that Julian is his ''real'' legacy. Beyond this, Richard is a bit of an underachiever who [[SmallNameBigEgo inflates his own importance]] while never really committing to anything ''and'' living vicariously through Julian's achievements. In turn, he never takes responsibility for the fact that he ended up ruining his son's life by [[spoiler: having Julian undergo highly-illegal genetic augmentation to correct a learning disability, forcing Julian to spend the rest of his life in secrecy for something he had no say in.]] However, the episode concludes with [[spoiler: Richard finally taking responsibility for his actions by [[HeroicSacrifice handing himself over to the authorities in order to save Julian's career]], surrendering his "legacy" and opting to build something of his own in the prison gardens.]]

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herostratus Herostratus]], a Greek who is alleged to have burned down the Temple of Artemis (one of the UsefulNotes/SevenWondersOfTheWorld) precisely to be remembered for it...[[FutureImperfect possibly]], since it's considered terribly unlikely one man would have been able to sneak up to the wooden roof's framing while the temple had numerous guards and custodians, and Herostratus only confessed to this vainglorious motive [[TortureAlwaysWorks under torture]] rather than boldly admitting so immediately as one would expect from someone who genuinely wanted that.[[note]]In light of this doubt, other explanations include Aristotle writing that the temple burned down due to a lightning strike, the administrators willfully burning the temple themselves since the foundation was in a bad state but could not simply be torn down and rebuilt elsewhere due to being sacred.[[/note]] Despite attempts at making him an UnPerson, his crime is still known today, and "herostratic" is an adjective for people looking for fame at any cost.

->"Legacy is all you leave behind in this world. Look at this place. Look at all these places. When you die, the only thing you leave behind is what you did in this life... and, for me, I haven't kept friends, my enemies will eventually move on to something else... I think... my legacy is Las Nevadas, and that's why I care for it so much. Legacy is all you leave behind."

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' has Gru plot to steal the moon to cement his place as the greatest criminal mastermind ever.

* [[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]] of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is obsessed with ensuring that House Lannister endures long after he's gone. As a result, he will always prioritize the family's prestige over the mental well-being of his children, all three of whom grow up to be dysfunctional adults who simultaneously resent him and crave his approval. Plus, it's clear that Tywin's skill and [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation]] are the only things keeping House Lannister afloat. The lack of non-bastard grandchildren with the Lannister name has already left the family's future in question (a fact that Cersei rubs in his face during season 4). Combined with the [[TookALevelInDumbass dwindling competence]] of [[FailureHero Tyrion]], [[BrokenAce Jaime]], and [[SmugSnake Cersei]], it's doubtful that Tywin's legacy will survive for long without him. [[spoiler: After Tyrion murders Tywin, House Lannister undergoes a swift decline, and several members are killed in a cascade of self-inflicted disasters; by the end of the series, Tyrion is the last Lannister remaining, and not only appears uninterested in furthering the family line but it is implied that he will spend the rest of his life serving the new king to rebuild the kingdom. Ultimately Tywin's abusive treatment of his children while hypocritically saying his cruel actions for the good of the Lannister family destroyed both his legacy and family.]]

* [[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]] of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is obsessed with ensuring that House Lannister endures long after he's gone. As a result, he will always prioritize the family's prestige over the mental well-being of his children, all three of whom grow up to be dysfunctional adults who simultaneously resent him and crave his approval. Plus, it's clear that Tywin's skill and [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation]] are the only things keeping House Lannister afloat. The lack of non-bastard grandchildren with the Lannister name has already left the family's future in question (a fact that Cersei rubs in his face during season 4). Combined with the [[TookALevelInDumbass dwindling competence]] of [[FailureHero Tyrion]], [[BrokenAce Jaime]], and [[SmugSnake Cersei]], it's doubtful that Tywin's legacy will survive for long without him. [[spoiler: After Tyrion murders Tywin, House Lannister undergoes a swift decline, and several members are killed in a cascade of self-inflicted disasters; by the end of the series, Tyrion is the last Lannister remaining, and not only appears uninterested in furthering the family line but it is implied that he will spend the rest of his life serving the new king to rebuild the kingdom. Ultimately Tywin's abusive treatment of his children while hypocritically saying his cruel actions for the good of the family destroyed both his legacy and family.]]

* [[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]] of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is obsessed with ensuring that House Lannister endures long after he's gone. As a result, he will always prioritize the family's prestige over the mental well-being of his children, all three of whom grow up to be dysfunctional adults who simultaneously resent him and crave his approval. Plus, it's clear that Tywin's skill and [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation]] are the only things keeping House Lannister afloat. The lack of non-bastard grandchildren with the Lannister name has already left the family's future in question (a fact that Cersei rubs in his face during season 4). Combined with the [[TookALevelInDumbass dwindling competence]] of [[FailureHero Tyrion]], [[BrokenAce Jaime]], and [[SmugSnake Cersei]], it's doubtful that Tywin's legacy will survive for long without him. [[spoiler: After Tywin is murdered by Tyrion, House Lannister undergoes a swift decline, and several members are killed in a cascade of self-inflicted disasters; by the end of the series, Tyrion is the last Lannister remaining, and not only appears uninterested in furthering the family line but [[ButtMonkey his achievements have been completely overlooked in the history books]].]]

* [[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]] of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is obsessed with ensuring that House Lannister endures long after he's gone. As a result, he will always prioritize the family's prestige over the mental well-being of his children, all three of whom grow up to be dysfunctional adults who simultaneously resent him and crave his approval. Plus, it's clear that Tywin's skill and [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation]] are the only things keeping House Lannister afloat. The lack of non-bastard grandchildren with the Lannister name has already left the family's future in question (a fact that Cersei rubs in his face during season 4). Combined with the [[TookALevelInDumbass dwindling competence]] of [[FailureHero Tyrion]], [[BrokenAce Jaime]], and [[SmugSnake Cersei]], it's doubtful that Tywin's legacy will survive for long without him. [[spoiler: After Tyrion murders Tywin, House Lannister undergoes a swift decline, and several members are killed in a cascade of self-inflicted disasters; by the end of the series, Tyrion is the last Lannister remaining, and not only appears uninterested in furthering the family line but it is implied that he will spend the rest of his life serving the new king to rebuild the kingdom. Ultimately, Tywin died being murdered by his abused, unfavorite son. His two favorite children destroyed his legacy and the rest of their family because of his abuse and cruelty towards his children. A fitting end towards a man that always preached the importance of family to justify his ruthless actions but ultimately only cared about his own power and abused his children to get what he wanted.]]

* [[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]] of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is obsessed with ensuring that House Lannister endures long after he's gone. As a result, he will always prioritize the family's prestige over the mental well-being of his children, all three of whom grow up to be dysfunctional adults who simultaneously resent him and crave his approval. Plus, it's clear that Tywin's skill and [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation]] are the only things keeping House Lannister afloat. The lack of non-bastard grandchildren with the Lannister name have already left the family's future in question (a fact that Cersei rubs in his face during season 4) and combined with the [[TookALevelInDumbass dwindling competence]] of [[FailureHero Tyrion]], [[BrokenAce Jaime]], and [[SmugSnake Cersei]], it's doubtful that Tywin's legacy will survive for long without him. [[spoiler: After Tywin is murdered by Tyrion, House Lannister undergoes a swift decline and several members are killed in a cascade of self-inflicted disasters; by the end of the series, Tyrion is the last Lannister remaining, and not only appears uninterested in furthering the family line but [[ButtMonkey his achievements have been completely overlooked in the history books]].]]

* Tywin Lannister of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' is obsessed with ensuring that House Lannister endures long after he's gone. As a result, he will always prioritize the family's prestige over the mental well-being of his children, all three of whom grow up to be dysfunctional adults who simultaneously resent him and crave his approval. Plus, it's clear that Tywin's skill and [[TheDreaded fearsome reputation]] are the only things keeping House Lannister afloat. The lack of non-bastard grandchildren with the Lannister name have already left the family's future in question (a fact that Cersei rubs in his face during season 4) and combined with the [[TookALevelInDumbass dwindling competence]] of [[FailureHero Tyrion]], [[BrokenAce Jaime]], and [[SmugSnake Cersei]], it's doubtful that Tywin's legacy will survive for long without him. [[spoiler: After Tywin is murdered by Tyrion, House Lannister undergoes a swift decline and several members are killed in a cascade of self-inflicted disasters; by the end of the series, Tyrion is the last Lannister remaining, and not only appears uninterested in furthering the family line but [[ButtMonkey his achievements have been completely overlooked in the history books]].]]

->Legacy is all you leave behind in this world. Look at this place. Look at all these places. When you die, the only thing you leave behind is what you did in this life... and, for me, I haven't kept friends, my enemies will eventually move on to something else... I think... my legacy is Las Nevadas, and that's why I care for it so much. Legacy is all you leave behind.

* ''LetsPlay/DreamSMP'': Over time, Quackity eventually develops a desire to leave behind a legacy by the Las Nevadas arc, to the point this is what he teaches Slime in the 12th and final week of the "Lessons" mini-arc in his November 27th 2021 lore stream. The reason behind this is never explicitly stated, but there are implications that it has something to do with him being overlooked, disregarded, and "abandoned" [[spoiler:(he wasn't actually abandoned, but rather, it was a result of PoorCommunicationKills in his relationship combined with pre-existing abandonment issues and relationship trauma)]] over [[TraumaCongaLine months of trauma]]. His content creator counterpart has also stated out-of-universe that one of the reasons Las Nevadas was founded was to prove everyone who has doubted him or opposed him wrong.
->'''Quackity:''' Legacy is all you leave behind in this world. ''(looks at Las Nevadas and turns to Slime)'' Look at this place. Look at all these places. When you die, the only thing you leave behind is what you did in this life... and, for me, I haven't kept friends, my enemies will eventually move on to something else... I think... my legacy is Las Nevadas, and that's why I care for it so much. Legacy is all you leave behind.\\