History Main / TheChampion

* ''Fanfic/NymphAndTheCorruptedMiraculou'': In this alternative universe, a wheelchair bound Marinette comes into possesions of the butterfly miracoulous. Rather than utilize negative emotions, she commands the light side instead. She dons herself as Lady Nymph, and sends out tianshis to empower and enable the citizens of Paris to fight asisst the heros against the villains in battle.

* "Fanfic/NymphAndTheCorruptedMiraculous": In this alternative universe, a wheelchair bound Marinette comes into possesions of the butterfly miracoulous. Rather than utilize negative emotions, she commands the light side instead. She dons herself as Lady Nymph, and sends out tianshis to empower and enable the citizens of Paris to fight asisst the heros against the villains in battle.

* ''Fanfic/Nymph and the Corrupted Miraculous": In this alternative universe, a wheelchair bound Marinette comes into possesions of the butterfly miracoulous. Rather than utilize negative emotions, she commands the light side instead. She dons herself as Lady Nymph, and sends out tianshis to empower and enable the citizens of Paris to fight asisst the heros against the villains in battle.

Though more prevalent in chivalric romance or courtly settings, this trope can be found in settings as banal as a high school. The person who always sticks up for that one bullied kid simply because they're ''that'' bullied kid is playing the Champion. Likewise, while it's historically been most common to find [[MenActWomenAre a male Champion protecting a passive and helpless woman]], niether role is bound to any particular gender.

In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', Sylvanas Windrunner, former Ranger-General of Quel'thalas, vouched for the human Nathanos Marris to be the first human to join the all elven Rangers. The two were always close. When both became undead, Sylvanas sought out Nathanos and restored his mind so he may be at her side once more. Now Nathanos Blightcaller is officially known as the Champion of the Banshee Queen and does everything in his power to serve his Dark Lady.

* Franchise/MonsterVerse: Dr. [[Characters/MonsterVerseMonarch Ishirō Serizawa]] virtually worships Godzilla – scientifically seeing him as a global keystone species and non-scientifically seeing him as a guardian sent by nature to restore order – and he tries to support Godzilla from on the human side and circumvent mankind from attacking him.

-->'''Elektra''': My father was nothing! His kingdom he stole from my mother. The kingdom I will rightly take back!

-->'''Elektra''': It is ''my'' oil! Mine! And my family's! It runs through my veins, thicker than blood! I'm going to redraw the map, and when I'm through, the whole world will know my name, my grandfather's name, the glory of my people!

[[folder: Literature]]

--->''You've forgotten one of the chief characters, Samwise the Stouthearted..."Frodo wouldn't have gotten far without Sam, would he, Dad?"''

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

--> '''Bellamy''': I did this for you! To protect you. ''(reveals that he shot the chancellor)''
--> '''Octavia''': I didn't ask you to do that.... I didn't ask for any of this.

--->'''Queen Hippolyta:''' ''For his safety -- and ours. One of our young Amazon girls will escort him to his country, and then return to Paradise Island.''
--->'''Princess Diana:''' ''But all the girls will want that task.''
--->'''Queen Hippolyta:''' ''I know. To forestall any ill feelings, I have planned a tournament of athletic games, by which I alone will determine the strongest, nimblest, and most likely candidate for the assignment.''

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' makes Link's status as Zelda's champion a major plot point in Hylia's ([[spoiler:re: Zelda's]]) BatmanGambit.
--->'''Hylia/[[spoiler:Zelda]]:''' I knew that if it meant saving Zelda, you would throw yourself headfirst into any danger, without even a moment's doubt... I... I used you.

%% [[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Link is Princess Zelda's champion in several ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' entries, including the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda original game]] and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]''.

Basically the Champion is the character who is TheHero to one specific person. This character is not by default a KnightInShiningArmour or KnightErrant type because they lack the [[ChronicHeroSyndrome chronic nature]] of their heroics. Instead they are devoted to the cause/life/honour of one character and everything that it entails. HeroicSacrifice? TakingTheHeat? [[KickTheDog Kicking a few dogs]] who happened to get in the way? All's fair.

Though more prevalent in chivalric romance or courtly settings, this trope can be found in settings as banal as a high school. The person who always sticks up for that one bullied kid simply because he/she is ''that'' bullied kid is playing the Champion.

May result due to a case of IOweYouMyLife. If The Champion fails at his task, he will likely become a FailureKnight. Very often the person is [[LoveInterests championing in the name of love]] or she's [[PeerlessLoveInterest the love interest]] who he sees as above him. Compare BodyguardCrush. Will by definition have UndyingLoyalty. Might be a SatelliteCharacter or [[MenActWomenAre he's the active hero and she's his lady who just lets him serve her]]. Beware of him being a PsychoSupporter. AHeroToHisHometown is a champion to a larger group. He may be TheUnfettered. Villainous versions will usually be TheDragon.

See also LadyAndKnight, the more common kind of this. For when the "champion" represents a faction as a whole and is used to battle another as a "faction battle by proxy", see CombatByChampion.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film]]

* Issei Hyodou is this for Rias Gremory in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD''. The trope is played with in later arcs, [[spoiler:as Issei and Rias both realize this arrangement is causing Issei's growth (both power and CharacterDevelopment) to plateau and he ultimately steps out of her shadow to become a High-class Devil and her equal instead.]]

* Homura Akemi for [[TheChick Madoka Kaname]], in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. It then takes a religious bent after [[spoiler:Madoka becomes a goddess in the final episode]].

* After [[RivalTurnedEvil going rogue]] in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', Riku has steadily become Sora's champion over the course of the series. In fact, if some of Mickey's [[HideYourGays Japanese]] lines in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' are any indication, it appears that the end goal of Riku's character arc is coming to realize ''who'' it is he wants to protect most. There already wasn't much doubt before ''III'' that said person is Sora, but [[spoiler:[[InspirationalMartyr Riku's sacrifice]] against the Demon Tide seems to solidify it once and for all.]]

* ''Series/{{Merlin 1998}}'': When King Arthur decides to lead his knights on the quest for the Holy Grail, he holds a tournament of arms to find a knight to serve as Queen Guinevere's personal champion in his absence. Lancelot wins, thus paving the way for one of the most famous {}Love Triangle}}s in history.

* In the Heaven's Feel path of ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', the protagonist Shirou Emiya [[spoiler:drops his ideals to protect Sakura first and foremost]]. This does not end well, as the entire point of the game (well, [[HGame the other]] point of the game) is the CharacterDevelopment that Shirou undergoes as he tries to reconcile his ideals with reality. Discarding those ideals entirely sends other aspects of Shirou, like his sanity, OffTheRails very quickly.

** As Assassin of High House Shadow Cotillion serves as the champion to Shadowthrone, taking on the more physical obstacles compared to Shadowthrone's preference of scheeming and use of obfuscating magic.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]
* Taylor, aka Labor Day, in ''Webcomic/HolidayWars'' is this to Tegan.
* Hibachi the Dragon to Princess Voluptua in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob''.
[[/folder]]

May result due to a case of IOweYouMyLife. If The Champion fails at his task, he will likely become a FailureKnight. Very often the person is [[LoveInterests championing in the name of love]] or she's [[PeerlessLoveInterest the love interest]] who he sees as above him. Compare BodyguardCrush. Will by definition have UndyingLoyalty. Might be a SatelliteCharacter or [[MenActWomenAre he's the active hero and she's his lady who just lets him serve her]]. Beware of him being a PoisonousFriend. AHeroToHisHometown is a champion to a larger group. He may be TheUnfettered. Villainous versions will usually be TheDragon.

* Kreed becomes this to {{Comicbook/Nexus}}. Unfortunately, this overlaps with PoisonousFriend, because as much as Kreed reveres Nexus, he does not really understand the latter's notions of morality (although he is sincerely trying to learn). Very much to his credit, Kreed accepts the penalty for his actions in the end. His [[GenerationXerox son]] later steps up to become Nexus's new champion.

* Fenrich of ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4|A Promise Unforgotten}}'' is fiercely protective of Valvatorez, to the point that he sometimes [[CrazyJealousGuy goes]] [[PoisonousFriend overboard]].

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fanworks]]

*** While Chaos has numerous champions, each Chaos God has their own favored mortal champion. Khorne has Khârn the Betrayer, Tzeetch has Ahzek Ahriman, Nurgle has Typhus the Traveller, and Slaanesh has Lucius the Eternal. Abaddon the Despoiler himself is the mortal champion of Chaos Undivided, having the favors of all four Chaos Gods.

* In some [[Myth/KingArthur Arthurian]] legends, Lancelot takes on this role to Guinevere, despite also being a garden variety KnightInShiningArmor.

* After [[RivalTurnedEvil going rogue]] in the first ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts'', Riku has steadily become Sora's champion over the course of the series. In fact, if some of Mickey's [[HideYourGays (Japanese)]] lines in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' are any indication, it appears that the end goal of Riku's character arc is coming to realize ''who'' it is he wants to protect most. There already wasn't much doubt before KHIII that said person is Sora, but [[spoiler: [[InspirationalMartyr Riku's sacrifice ]] against the Demon Tide seems to solidify it once and for all.]]