History Main / TakingUpTheMantle

* In the 2007 {{TMNT}} movie, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Raph]][[TheBigGuy ael]] takes over for [[TheCaptain Leo]] just prior to TheClimax.

* The short story ''Aftermath'', taking place just two hours after ''Changes'' in TheDresdenFiles, [[spoiler: [[OurHeroIsDead with Harry shot and thrown into Lake Michigan]]]], there is no one to protect Chicago from the supernatural baddies, untill [[spoiler: [[BadassNormal Murphy]] and [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent the Alphas]] take up the charge [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome "untill Dresden gets back."]]]]
* The TropeNamer comes from a line in TheBible (specifically, the book of 2nd Kings) which states that the prophet Elijah's protégé Elisha literally took up Elijah's mantle after Elijah was taken up into heaven. Elisha was automatically endowed with a significant portion of Elijah's power, and assumed his place as the de facto leader of all of the prophets of {{God}} residing in Israel, as well as one of the greatest prophets ever.

But wait! {{Sidekick}}, LoveInterest, TheRival, a MauveShirt (in theory, even an antagonist could pull this off) steps or is forced into the role of the main protagonist, and the work that you are reading focuses on them for the rest of the time it takes to finish the work. The original protagonist may return near the end.

** Of course, ''Battle for the Cowl'' was about ''several'' people trying to become the new Batman. [[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]], [[Character/Batman Tim Drake, Jason Todd]], {{Two-Face}}, and Michael Lane, the new {{Azrael}}, all heeded the call to become Gotham City's new Dark Knight.

** The ''Battle for the Cowl'' example works another way, in that for the first two issues of the mini-series, the story mostly focused on Tim Drake, but in the final issue, it mostly focused on [[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]].

* Of course, this is older than all that. After ''The Death of Superman'', four heroes appeared on the radar ready to take his place; the Cyborg Superman, Steel, the Eradicator, and Superboy, each having an equal stake in the name and each having his own motives to want to be the Man of Steel.

* After {{Batman}}'s [[NotQuiteDead "death"]] during FinalCrisis, [[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] is forced to become Batman because Bruce Wayne never appointed a succesor, and now Gotham City was descending into chaos without Batman's prescence to strike genuine terror into the hearts of criminals. Dick Grayson was reluctant to become Batman because Bruce left specific intructions ''not'' to don the cowl. But Bruce was a bit shortsighted on the matter so Dick eventually wound up doing so anyway. [[spoiler: Bruce was understanding when he got back.]] Specifically, it comes from the above quote.
** Of course, ''Battle for the Cowl'' was about ''several'' people trying to become the new Batman. Dick, Jason Todd, Two-Face, and Azrael all heeded the call to become the Dark Knight.

* From the {{Batman}} mythos: [[Characters/{{Batman}} Tim Drake]], when he was set to become [[LegacyCharacter Robin]], actually had the nerve to don Jason Todd's Robin costume and to go out with Alfred to take down {{Two-Face}} and rescue Batman and {{Nightwing}}. ''And'' he managaged to pull it off.

* In [[VForVendetta]], Evey winds up doing this [[spoiler: after V's death]].

-->--'''[[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]],''' '''[[spoiler: [[TheSummation talking to himself]]]], at the end of Battle for the Cowl.'''

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* This is the entire premise of ''ZettaiHeroProject''. It's time for the epic final battle and the ''real'' legendary hero gets run over by a car. He passes on his [[TransformationTrinket morphing belt]] to a random passersby, who gets drafted into the role as the wimpiest superhero who ever lived. However, he ends up with resources at his disposal that allow him to become a true hero, even surpassing the one he replaced.

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* This happened once in {{Bionicle}}, specifically in the third DirectToVideo movie, ''Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'', when [[FailureKnight Vakama]], the leader of [[{{Nakama}} the Toa Metru]], and TheHero of the previous film, performs a FaceHeelTurn about half way through the movie. [[ComicRelief Matau]] steps into the role of TheHero, and wages a successful IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight with Vakama, after which he becomes co-{{Lancer}} with [[TheHeart Nokama]].

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* When [[spoiler: Aang]] abruptly disapears during the series finale of AvatarTheLastAirbender, [[spoiler: Zuko]] is forced to step into the leadership role of the Gaang.

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-> ''[...] [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech But you know what?]] [[UnwantedRescue Some people don't]] '''[[UnwantedRescue want]]''' [[UnwantedRescue to be saved.]] Because saving means '''[[CharacterDevelopment changing]]'''. [[TropesAreNotBad And changing is always harder]] than [[StaticCharacter staying the same]]. [[YouGotGuts It takes courage]] [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre to face yourself in the]] '''[[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre mirror]]''' [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre and look beyond the reflection]]. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. [[DeusAngstMachina The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and]] '''[[DeusAngstMachina twisted]]''' [[DeusAngstMachina it]]. [[WhatHaveIBecome Changing it into something unimaginable]]... [[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful or even]] '''[[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful incredible]]...'''...[[RefusalOfTheCall giving you the courage to embrace]] [[LegacyCharacter your birthright]], your '''[[BecausesDestinySaysSo destiny]],''' [[AllBlueEntry and finally realize... that]] ''[[ThisIsSparta you]]'' '''''[[ThisIsSparta are]]''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''

-> ''[...] [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech But you know what?]] [[UnwantedRescue Some people don't]] '''[[UnwantedRescue want]]''' [[UnwantedRescue to be saved.]] Because saving means '''[[CharacterDevelopment changing]]'''. [[TropesAreNotBad And changing is always harder]] than [[StaticCharacter staying the same]]. [[YouGotGuts It takes courage]] [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre to face yourself in the]] '''[[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre mirror]]''' [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre and look beyond the reflection]]. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. [[DeusAngstMachina The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and]] '''[[DeusAngstMachina twisted]]''' [[DeusAngstMachina it]]. [[WhatHaveIBecome Changing it into something unimaginable]]... [[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful or even]] '''[[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful incredible]]...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that ''[[ThisIsSparta you]]'' '''''[[ThisIsSparta are]]''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''
-->--'''[[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]],''' '''[[TheSummation talking to himself]].'''

-> ''[...] [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech But you know what?]] [[UnwantedRescue Some people don't]] '''[[UnwantedRescue want]]''' [[UnwantedRescue to be saved.]] Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. [[DeusAngstMachina The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and]] '''[[DeusAngstMachina twisted]]''' [[DeusAngstMachina it]]. [[WhatHaveIBecome Changing it into something unimaginable]]... [[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful or even]] '''[[ButYourWingsAreBeautiful incredible]]...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that ''[[ThisIsSparta you]]'' '''''[[ThisIsSparta are]]''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''

-> ''[...] But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that ''you'' '''''are''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''
-->--'''Dick Grayson, talking to himself.'''

-> ''He'' [Elisha] ''[[TropeNamer took up also the mantle]] of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of'' [the] ''Jordan;''

-> [...] ''But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that ''you'' '''''are''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''

-> [...] ''But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that '''you''' '''''are''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''

-> ''He'' [Elisha] ''[[TropeNamer took up also the mantle]] of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of [the] Jordan;''

-> ''He [Elisha] [[TropeNamer took up also the mantle]] of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of [the] Jordan;''

-> ''[...] But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that '''you''' '''''are''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.''

-->--2nd Kings 2:13, TheBible, KJV

-> He [Elisha] [[TropeNamer took up also the mantle]] of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of [the] Jordan;

-> [...] But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that '''you''' '''''are''''' '''''[[{{Batman}} BATMAN]]'''''.

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* This is the entire premise of ''ZettaiHeroProject''. It's time for the epic final battle and the ''real'' legendary hero gets run over by a car. He passes on his [[TransformationTrinket morphing belt]] to a random passersby, who gets drafted into the role as the wimpiest superhero who ever lived. However, he ends up with resources at his disposal that allow him to become a true hero, even surpassing the one he replaced.

[[folder:Toys]]
* This happened once in {{Bionicle}}, specifically in the third DirectToVideo movie, ''Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'', when [[FailureKnight Vakama]], the leader of [[{{Nakama}} the Toa Metru]], and TheHero of the previous film, performs a FaceHeelTurn about half way through the movie. [[ComicRelief Matau]] steps into the role of TheHero, and wages a successful IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight with Vakama, after which he becomes co-{{Lancer}} with [[TheHeart Nokama]].

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TakeUpMySword is different in that it implies that the protagonist had time to actually say something along the lines of "Take up my sword" to his successor, whereas with TakingUpTheMantle, the character has to take the initiative or be shown that it's what they have to do, but ultimately, they have to make the decision themselves.

[[caption-width-right:150:{{Nightwing}} knows that ''you'' '''''are''''' '''BATMAN'''. No, wait, that ''he'' '''''is''''' '''BATMAN...''' [[IThoughtItMeant wait, what?]]]]

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----

[[supersecretspoiler: [[JumpedAtTheCall Awesome!]] ]]

* This happened once in {{Bionicle}}, specifically in the third DirectToVideo movie, ''Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'', when [[FailureKnight Vakama]], the leader of [[{{Nakama the Toa Metru]], and TheHero of the previous film, performs a FaceHeelTurn about half way through the movie. [[ComicRelief Matau]] steps into the role of TheHero, and wages a successful IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight with Vakama, after which he becomes co-{{Lancer}} with [[TheHeart Nokama]].

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* This happened once in {{Bionicle}}, specifically in the third DirectToVideo movie, ''Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows'', when [[FailureKnight Vakama]], the leader of [[{{Nakama the Toa Metru]], and TheHero of the previous film, performs a FaceHeelTurn about half way through the movie. [[ComicRelief Matau]] steps into the role of TheHero, and wages a successful IKnowYourInThereSomewhereFight with Vakama, after which he becomes co-{{Lancer}} with [[TheHeart Nokama]].

{{Troper}}, ''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle you]]'' '''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle are]]''' '''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle BATMAN]]'''.

In so far as it applies to sidekicks, it's a relative to YouAreInCommandNow, which applies to more rigid situations where the BigHat Of Command lands on a person's head whether they want it to or not, based on their level in the hierarchy.

May or may not be related to and/or overlap with LegacyCharacter, AllUpToYou, YouAreInCommandNow, FieldPomotion, or [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts It's The Journey That Counts]].

In so far as it applies to sidekicks, it's a relative to YouAreInCommandNow, which applies to more rigid situations where the BigHatOfCommand lands on a person's head whether they want it to or not, based on their level in the hierarchy.

-> [...] But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that '''you''' '''''are''''' '''''BATMAN'''''.

-> [...]But you know what? Some people don't '''want''' to be saved. Because saving means '''changing'''. And changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the '''mirror''' and look beyond the reflection. To find the you that '''you''' should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life's natural tragectory and '''twisted''' it. Changing it into something unimaginable... or even '''incredible...'''...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your '''destiny,''' and finally realize... that '''you''' '''''are''''' '''''BATMAN'''''.

So you're two thirds of the way through a book/movie/whatever, when suddenly, the main protagonist dies, is imprisoned, performs a Face Heel Turn, or is otherwise unable to act as the main protagonist. [[DarkestHour All seems lost]], a TakeUpMySword hasn't been pulled! What is to be done?

But wait! TheSidekick, LoveInterest, TheRival, a MauveShirt (in theory, even an antagonist could pull this off) steps or is forced into the role of the main protagonist, and the work that you are reading focuses on them for the rest of the time it takes to finish the work. The original protagonist may return near the end.

The TropeNamer comes from a line in TheBible which states that the prophet Elijah's protégé Elisha literally took up Elijah's mantle after Elijah was taken up into heaven, was automatically endowed with a significant portion of Elijah's power, and assumed his place and the de facto leader of all of the prophets of {{God}} residing in Israel, as well as one of the greatest ever.

* The short story ''Aftermath'', taking place just two hours after ''Changes'' in TheDresdenFiles, [[spoiler: [[OurHeroIsDead with Harry shot and thrown into Lake Michigan]]]], there is no one to protect Chicago from the supernatural baddies, untill [[spoiler: [[BadassNormal Murphy]] and [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent the Alphas]] take up the charge [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome "untill Dresden gets back."]]]]

This happens when a {{Sidekick}}, LoveInterest, or other character who is not the hero (theoretically, even a {{villain}} could pull it off) suddenly is forced to step into the role of the hero.

Might be tied into [[AnAesop an aesop]] were the protagonists are looking for the {{Macguffin}} or another hero to help save the day, and realize that the power to do so was within them the whole time, and that they are the hero.

TakeUpMySword is different in that it implies that TheHero had time to actually say something along the lines of "Take up my sword" to his successor, whereas with TakingUpTheMantle, the character has to take the initiative or be shown that it's what they have to do, but ultimately, they have to make the decision themselves.

ItsTheJourneyThatCounts might be part of what allows the character to become TheHero, but this has more to do with the actual ''conclusion'': The sidekick steps up to take the place of the main hero when he dies, AscendsToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, or whatever else have you.

In so far as it applies to sidekicks, it's a relative to YouAreInCommandNow, which applies to more rigid situations where the Big Hat Of Command lands on a person's head whether they want it to or not, based on their level in the hierarchy.

May or may not overlap with or be related to LegacyCharacter, IdentityImpersonator, ItsTheJourneyThatCounts, FieldPromotion, and an inverse use of IAmTheNoun.

* This happens a couple of times in {{Bionicle}}. The first time is in the first direct-to-video movie of the franchise, Bionicle: Mask of Light, in which [[spoiler: Takua puts on the Mask of Light and transforms into the Takanuva, the Toa of Light, and discovers that he was the Toa of Light all along]].

* The TropeNamer comes frome {{Batman}}, in which, after Batman's [[NotQuiteDead "death"]] during FinalCrisis, [[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] is forced to become Batman because Bruce Wayne never appointed a succesor, and now Gotham City was descending into chaos without Batman's prescence to strike genuine terror into the hearts of criminals. Dick Grayson was reluctant to become Batman because Bruce left specific intructions ''not'' to don the cowl. But Bruce was a bit shortsighted on the matter so Dick eventually wound up doing so anyway. [[spoiler: Bruce was understanding when he got back.]] Specifically, it comes from the above quote.

Comes from the final line from the final [[{{Batman}} "Battle for the Cowl"]] comic when [[{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] becomes the new Batman, which is therefore the TropeNamer. May or may not overlap with or be related to LegacyCharacter, IdentityImpersonator, ItsTheJourneyThatCounts, FieldPromotion, and an inverse use of IAmTheNoun.