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** In ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' Thor reveals that h deeply idiolizes [[Myth/ClassicalMytology Zeus]] and styled himelf after him (being the Norse God Of Thunder while Zeus is the Greek God of Lightning). However, [[spoiler:after finally meeting his idol Thor [[BrokenPedestal is very disappointed]] when he realizes Zeus is in fact a [[JerkassGods Jerkass God]].]]
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** In ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' Thor reveals that h deeply idiolizes [[Myth/ClassicalMytology [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Zeus]] and styled himelf after him (being the Norse God Of Thunder while Zeus is the Greek God of Lightning). However, [[spoiler:after finally meeting his idol Thor [[BrokenPedestal is very disappointed]] when he realizes Zeus is in fact a [[JerkassGods Jerkass God]].]]
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** In ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' Thor reveals that h deeply idiolizes [[Myth/ClassicalMytology Zeus]] and styled himelf after him (being the Norse God Of Thunder while Zeus is the Greek God of Lightning). However, [[spoiler:after finally meeting his idol Thor [[BrokenPedestal is very disappointed]] when he realizes Zeus is in fact a [[JerkassGods Jerkass God]].]]
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* ''Anime/{{Diebuster}}'': Nono idolizes a person she refers to as "Nono-Riri", who she describes as an ordinary girl who saved the Earth. As it turns out, "Nono-Riri" is [[spoiler:a corruption of Noriko Takaya, the heroine of the previous series ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' who had yet to return to Earth during the events of the anime]].
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* ''Anime/MacrossDelta'': Freyja is inspired to become an IdolSinger out of her adulation for the previous IdolSinger[=s=] of the franchise, in particular [[Anime/MacrossFrontier Ranka Lee]]. In a {{Flashback}} to her childhood, Freyja is seen doing Ranka's signature Kira pose and singing her SignatureSong, "Seikan Hikou".
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* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Po the panda admires the Furious Five, to the point of constructing action figures in their image. Po is even willing to ride a rocket chair just to get a glimpse of his heroes. It's almost a DeusExMachina that Master Oogway chooses Po to become a Dragon Warrior trainee. This means Po will be learning ultimate Kung Fu alongside his five idols.
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* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'': Po the panda admires the Furious Five, to the point of constructing action figures in their image. Po is even willing to ride a rocket chair just to get a glimpse of his heroes. It's almost a DeusExMachina that Master Oogway chooses Po to become a Dragon Warrior trainee. This means Po will be learning ultimate Kung Fu alongside his five idols.
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* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper]] idolizes "[[Characters/GravityFallsTheAuthor The Author]]", [[TheGhost an unseen character for most of the series]] who wrote [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the research journal he always carries around]]. Dipper finally gets to meet the Author at one point [[spoiler:(who turns out to be his long-lost great uncle, Stanford "Ford" Pines)]], and continues to see the Author as an important mentor and idol especially after finding out [[spoiler:they're related]].
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* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper]] Dipper idolizes "[[Characters/GravityFallsTheAuthor The Author]]", [[TheGhost an unseen character for most of the series]] who wrote [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the research journal he always carries around]]. Dipper finally gets to meet the Author at one point [[spoiler:(who turns out to be his long-lost great uncle, Stanford "Ford" Pines)]], and continues to see the Author as an important mentor and idol especially after finding out [[spoiler:they're related]].
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** The SeriesMascot [[Characters/StreetFighterRyu Ryu]] finds himself a fan and semi-apprentice in Sakura, a teenage martial arts fan. Sakura's own fighting style is based on studying Ryu's, including copying many of his {{Signature Move}}s[[note]]The [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and the [[SuperSpecialMove Shinku Hadoken]][[/note]] while putting her own twist on others[[note]][[HurricaneKick Shunpukyaku]] and [[{{Shoryuken}} Shououken]][[/note]]. He himself is very supportive of her pursuits and will spar with her whenever they meet.
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** The SeriesMascot [[Characters/StreetFighterRyu Ryu]] SeriesMascot, Ryu, finds himself a fan and semi-apprentice in Sakura, a teenage martial arts fan. Sakura's own fighting style is based on studying Ryu's, including copying many of his {{Signature Move}}s[[note]]The [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and the [[SuperSpecialMove Shinku Hadoken]][[/note]] while putting her own twist on others[[note]][[HurricaneKick Shunpukyaku]] and [[{{Shoryuken}} Shououken]][[/note]]. He himself is very supportive of her pursuits and will spar with her whenever they meet.
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* ''Fanfic/TheForceIsNotAQuirk'':
** Rex becomes this for Izuku instead of All Might, giving him living proof that someone can be a great hero without having a Quirk. Though that's not to say Izuku doesn't still idolize All Might.
** Bakugo still looks up to All Might, but Padme/Star Might is also this to him after she saved him from the Sludge Villain. He's still a foul-mouthed JerkAss, but he took the TheReasonYouSuckSpeech that the woman gave to his would-be rescuers to heart: he absolutely refuses to ever be a bystander when someone else needs saving.
** Rex becomes this for Izuku instead of All Might, giving him living proof that someone can be a great hero without having a Quirk. Though that's not to say Izuku doesn't still idolize All Might.
** Bakugo still looks up to All Might, but Padme/Star Might is also this to him after she saved him from the Sludge Villain. He's still a foul-mouthed JerkAss, but he took the TheReasonYouSuckSpeech that the woman gave to his would-be rescuers to heart: he absolutely refuses to ever be a bystander when someone else needs saving.
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* ''Anime/HirogaruSkyPrettyCure'' has Captain Shalala, a Knight Captain who saved Sora as a small child ten years before the series, which inspired Sora to strive towards being a hero herself just like her savior.
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** The SeriesMascot [[Characters/StreetFighterRyu Ryu]] finds himself a fan and semi-apprentice in Sakura, a teenage martial arts fan. Sakura's own fighting style is based on studying Ryu's, including copying many of his SignatureMove{{s}}[[note]]The [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and the [[SuperSpecialMove Shinku Hadoken]][[/note]] while putting her own twist on others[[note]][[HurricaneKick Shunpukyaku]] and [[{{Shoryuken}} Shououken]][[/note]]. He himself is very supportive of her pursuits and will spar with her whenever they meet.
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** The SeriesMascot [[Characters/StreetFighterRyu Ryu]] finds himself a fan and semi-apprentice in Sakura, a teenage martial arts fan. Sakura's own fighting style is based on studying Ryu's, including copying many of his SignatureMove{{s}}[[note]]The {{Signature Move}}s[[note]]The [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and the [[SuperSpecialMove Shinku Hadoken]][[/note]] while putting her own twist on others[[note]][[HurricaneKick Shunpukyaku]] and [[{{Shoryuken}} Shououken]][[/note]]. He himself is very supportive of her pursuits and will spar with her whenever they meet.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': In the film's prologue, Mr. Incredible has a fan in the form of Buddy, an enthusiastic but very careless and obsessive boy who wants nothing more than to impress his hero. This is eventually subverted though; Buddy's obsession with Incredible and his power eventually leads to him growing up to become the film's antagonist, Syndrome.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'': In the film's prologue, Mr. Incredible has a fan in the form of Buddy, an enthusiastic but very careless and obsessive boy who wants nothing more than to impress his hero. This is eventually subverted though; Buddy's obsession with Incredible and his power eventually leads to him growing up to become the film's antagonist, Syndrome.
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[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Tech from ''Webcomic/NextSoundOfTheFuture'' is main protagonist Shine's favorite IdolSinger. Even though Shine wasn't [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot created]] until after Tech retired, she would often watch Tech's old performances to cope with the fact that she was told her dreams were impossible because of her inability to sing. After meeting Tech in the second chapter, Tech gives her a speech about always pursuing her dreams no matter what, which partially inspires Shine to regain her desire to be an idol. [[spoiler: This ends up being deconstructed as the series progresses, with Tech being horrified that the inspiration she gave Shine led to her trying to be an idol since she believes the industry is full of nothing but pain and misery]].
[[/folder]]
* Tech from ''Webcomic/NextSoundOfTheFuture'' is main protagonist Shine's favorite IdolSinger. Even though Shine wasn't [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot created]] until after Tech retired, she would often watch Tech's old performances to cope with the fact that she was told her dreams were impossible because of her inability to sing. After meeting Tech in the second chapter, Tech gives her a speech about always pursuing her dreams no matter what, which partially inspires Shine to regain her desire to be an idol. [[spoiler: This ends up being deconstructed as the series progresses, with Tech being horrified that the inspiration she gave Shine led to her trying to be an idol since she believes the industry is full of nothing but pain and misery]].
[[/folder]]
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* In ''VideoGame/PuckOFF'', while the world's best player, Dominator, starts off with being TheHero's idol, as the story progresses the mantle is starting to shift towards Coach. Later on, [[spoiler: it's revealed that they were indeed the same person. Irony, right?]]
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This character is the target of a HeroWorshipper. HerosMuse is a related trope.
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This character is the target of a HeroWorshipper.HeroWorshipper and likely a bestower of TheIdolsBlessing. HerosMuse is a related trope.
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* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Protagonist Kyo Kusanagi attracts a passionate fanbase due to his victories in the [=KOF=] tournament, including series fighter Shingo Yabuki. Shingo goes so far as to study Kyo's family style of martial arts, training under the latter's father Saisyu. Kyo and Shingo become good friends, and Kyo even invites him to join his team on several teams.
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* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Protagonist Kyo Kusanagi attracts a passionate fanbase due to his victories in the [=KOF=] tournament, including series fighter Shingo Yabuki. Shingo goes so far as to study Kyo's family style of martial arts, training under the latter's father Saisyu. Kyo and becomes good friends with Shingo become good friends, and Kyo even invites him to join his team on at several teams.points.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': [[Characters/YakuzaKazumaKiryu Kiryu]]'s ideals as a {{Yakuza}} are inspired by his father figure, Shintaro Kazama, a legendary yakuza and patriarch of the Kazama family. Kiryu pursues the image of NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters that works for the community, something Kazama does behind the scenes like funding orphanages and aid groups. Ironically, Kazama never wanted Kiryu to become yakuza in the first place out of fear of him being trenched in the dark reality of organized crime, where most of their clan is outright villainous and actively opposed to Kazama.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': [[Characters/YakuzaKazumaKiryu [[Characters/LikeADragonKazumaKiryu Kiryu]]'s ideals as a {{Yakuza}} are inspired by his father figure, Shintaro Kazama, a legendary yakuza and patriarch of the Kazama family. Kiryu pursues the image of NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters that works for the community, something Kazama does behind the scenes like funding orphanages and aid groups. Ironically, Kazama never wanted Kiryu to become yakuza in the first place out of fear of him being trenched in the dark reality of organized crime, where most of their clan is outright villainous and actively opposed to Kazama.
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* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider Man]]'s biggest influence growing up was [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man]]. Tony tries to guide this younger, more impulsive Spider Man to making smarter choices as a hero. [[spoiler:Peter is likewise devastated by Tony's death at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.]]
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* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan [[Characters/MCUPeterParker Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider Man]]'s biggest influence growing up was [[Characters/MCUIronMan [[Characters/MCUTonyStark Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man]]. Tony tries to guide this younger, more impulsive Spider Man to making smarter choices as a hero. [[spoiler:Peter is likewise devastated by Tony's death at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.]]
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* ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'': WideEyedIdealist Atsuko [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname "Akko"]] Kagari's idol is the stage witch celebrity "Shiny Chariot". After attending one of her magic shows as a child, she makes it her dream to become a witch that makes people happy just like her by attending the magic school she graduated from. She is even [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield chosen to wield her mystical artifact, the Shiny Rod, which left Chariot long ago]].
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HerosMuse is a related trope.
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This character is the target of a HeroWorshipper. HerosMuse is a related trope.
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The hero often devolves into a huge, geeky [[{{Fanboy}} fan]] around their idols. They might copy bits of their attitude, fashion sense, and philosophies. They could even base their [[VariantPowerCopying moves and fighting style]] off the idol's.
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The hero often devolves into a huge, geeky [[{{Fanboy}} fan]] around their idols.idols or is otherwise extra respectful around them. They might copy bits of their attitude, fashion sense, and philosophies. They could even base their [[VariantPowerCopying moves and fighting style]] off the idol's.
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->'''Bruce Wayne:''' As a kid I used to watch you with my father. The Gray Ghost was my hero.\\
'''Gray Ghost:''' Really?\\
'''Bruce:''' And he still is.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE18BewareTheGrayGhost Beware the Gray Ghost]]"
'''Gray Ghost:''' Really?\\
'''Bruce:''' And he still is.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE18BewareTheGrayGhost Beware the Gray Ghost]]"
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[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/Hawkeye2021'': Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye is the inspiration for Kate Bishop becoming a hero, to the point where she mastered archery like him. This admiration was born from Kate seeing him in action during the Battle of New York, all the way back in the first ''[[Film/TheAvengers2012 Avengers]]''. Clint at first is reluctant to let her tag along with him on his adventure, but he grows fond of her through the course of the series, [[spoiler:eventually passing on the mantle of Hawkeye to her]].
[[/folder]]
* ''Series/Hawkeye2021'': Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye is the inspiration for Kate Bishop becoming a hero, to the point where she mastered archery like him. This admiration was born from Kate seeing him in action during the Battle of New York, all the way back in the first ''[[Film/TheAvengers2012 Avengers]]''. Clint at first is reluctant to let her tag along with him on his adventure, but he grows fond of her through the course of the series, [[spoiler:eventually passing on the mantle of Hawkeye to her]].
[[/folder]]
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* PlayedWith in ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'' VillainProtagonist and {{Yuppie}} SerialKiller Patrick Bateman is infatuated with Creator/DonaldTrump. In Patrick's view, Trump's public image defines the positive features of a life of supreme wealth, luxury, and extravagance which Patrick wants for himself, and he consequently tries to live as similarly as possible. However, Patrick's own pursuits of such a lavish, materialistic lifestyle leave him a BrokenAce leading a meaningless existence--hollow, sentimentally empty, alienated, morally bankrupt, and purely evil.
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* PlayedWith in ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'' ''Literature/AmericanPsycho''. VillainProtagonist and {{Yuppie}} SerialKiller Patrick Bateman is infatuated with Creator/DonaldTrump. In Patrick's view, Trump's public image defines the positive features of a life of supreme wealth, luxury, and extravagance which Patrick wants for himself, and he consequently tries to live as similarly as possible. However, Patrick's own pursuits of such a lavish, materialistic lifestyle leave him a BrokenAce leading a meaningless existence--hollow, sentimentally empty, alienated, morally bankrupt, and purely evil.
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* PlayedWith in ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'' VillainProtagonist and {{Yuppie}} SerialKiller Patrick Bateman is infatuated with Creator/DonaldTrump. In Patrick's view, Trump's public image defines the positive features of a life of supreme wealth, luxury, and extravagance which Patrick wants for himself, and he consequently tries to live as similarly as possible. However, Patrick's own pursuits of such a lavish, materialistic lifestyle leave him a BrokenAce leading a meaningless existence--hollow, sentimentally empty, alienated, morally bankrupt, and purely evil.
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The hero's idol pushes the hero towards, if not a tangible foal, some version of themselves that brings out the best of them. It could be a [[TheParagon superhero that inspires them to do good]], a total badass that makes them work to be cooler, even just a [[HumbleHero humble citizen that showcases remarkable virtues]].
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The hero's idol pushes the hero towards, if not a tangible foal, goal, some version of themselves that brings out the best of them. It could be a [[TheParagon superhero that inspires them to do good]], a total badass that makes them work to be cooler, even just a [[HumbleHero humble citizen that showcases remarkable virtues]].
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* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Dipper idolizes "The Author", [[TheGhost an unseen character for most of the series]] who wrote [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the research journal he always carries around]]. Dipper finally gets to meet the Author at one point [[spoiler:(who turns out to be his long-lost great uncle, Stanford "Ford" Pines)]], and continues to see the Author as an important mentor and idol especially after finding out [[spoiler:they're related]].
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* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Dipper [[Characters/GravityFallsDipperPines Dipper]] idolizes "The Author", "[[Characters/GravityFallsTheAuthor The Author]]", [[TheGhost an unseen character for most of the series]] who wrote [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the research journal he always carries around]]. Dipper finally gets to meet the Author at one point [[spoiler:(who turns out to be his long-lost great uncle, Stanford "Ford" Pines)]], and continues to see the Author as an important mentor and idol especially after finding out [[spoiler:they're related]].
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* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', while we all know his famous origin story, Batman in universe was inspired by a film detective named the Grey Ghost as far as his methods and look were concerned. Later on, one case actually gives Batman the opportunity to work with [[Creator/AdamWest the actor behind the role]], and while the actor in question has become jaded, he is extremely flattered to discover that Batman has deliberately been modeled after the Grey Ghost.
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* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', while we all know his famous origin story, Batman in universe was inspired by a film detective named the Grey Ghost as far as his methods and look were concerned. Later on, one case actually gives Batman the opportunity to work with [[Creator/AdamWest the actor behind the role]], and while the actor in question has become jaded, he is extremely flattered to discover that Batman has deliberately been modeled after the Grey Ghost.Ghost, up to and including the Batcave being modeled after the Grey Ghost's Lair.
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* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider Man]]'s biggest influence growing up was [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man]]. Tony tries to guide this younger, more impulsive Spider Man to making smarter choices as a hero. [[spoiler:Peter is likewise devastated by Tony's death at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.]]
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* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider Man]]'s biggest influence growing up was [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man]]. Tony tries to guide this younger, more impulsive Spider Man to making smarter choices as a hero. [[spoiler:Peter is likewise devastated by Tony's death at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic:'' Twilight Sparkle idolizes the ancient Unicorn sorcerer Star Swirl the Bearded, often raving about his advancements in the field of magic. In addition, her entire motivation for learning magic is owed to Princess Celestia and her appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia becomes her mentor.
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* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic:'' ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight Sparkle idolizes the ancient Unicorn sorcerer Star Swirl the Bearded, often raving about his advancements in the field of magic. In addition, her entire motivation for learning magic is owed to Princess Celestia and her appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia becomes her mentor.
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!!Examples
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!!Examples:
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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
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[[folder:Anime and & Manga]]
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[[folder:Films - Animated]]
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[[folder:Films - Animated]]-- Animation]]
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[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
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[[folder:Films - Live Action]]-- Live-Action]]
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[[/folder]]
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----
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[[caption-width-right:300:"I'm gonna be a hero just like him!"]]
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[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/MyHeroAcademia https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/myheroacademia_theherosidol_0.png]] ]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"I'm gonna be a hero just like him!"]]
This is someone who the hero deeply admires, and who pushes them towards some ambition or aspiration, directly or not.
The hero's idol pushes the hero towards, if not a tangible foal, some version of themselves that brings out the best of them. It could be a [[TheParagon superhero that inspires them to do good]], a total badass that makes them work to be cooler, even just a [[HumbleHero humble citizen that showcases remarkable virtues]].
The hero often devolves into a huge, geeky [[{{Fanboy}} fan]] around their idols. They might copy bits of their attitude, fashion sense, and philosophies. They could even base their [[VariantPowerCopying moves and fighting style]] off the idol's.
The hero might not know their idol in person, but if they do, the idol could become anything from a [[TheMentor mentor]], a respecting ally, or even do something completely deplorable and make the hero [[BrokenPedestal lose all respect for them]].
Watching this character die, especially after one final heroic act, will almost certainly break the hero's heart.
HerosMuse is a related trope.
Overlaps with TheKnightsWhoSaySquee. Also can lead to BrokenPedestal and/or RebuiltPedestal.
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'', Shuichi basically worships Ryuichi, a mega-star singer. He and his best friend spent hours imitating Ryuichi and his band as teenagers and they still take inspiration from them as adults. Shuichi even mentions cutting his hair to look like Ryuichi.
* ''Manga/GTOTheEarlyYears'': Eikichi's idol is the legendary biker Kyosuke Masaki, who died before the start of the series. In the prequel ''Manga/BadCompany'', Masaki welcomed Eikichi and his best friend Ryuji into the UsefulNotes/{{bosozoku}} scene, and was a huge influence on their ethos of what bikers and biker gangs should be. In the sequel ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'', despite being dead for more than half a decade, Masaki shows up in a DyingDream when Eikichi is in critical condition in the hospital, and gives him the motivation to recover.
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaAllMight All Might]] is the "Symbol of Peace", a powerful and inspiring hero who many aspiring heroes look up to, including the protagonist [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaIzukuMidoriya Izuku Midoriya]]. Midoriya's heroism is inspired by All Might's bravery and selflessness in action, giving the quirkless[[note]]"quirks" are an ability that most people are born with[[/note]] boy a source of motivation to become a hero when no one else believes he can. It's Midoriya's own heroism that inspires All Might to train him as a successor.
-->'''All Might''': You too can become a hero!
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': [[Characters/OnePieceMonkeyDLuffy Luffy]] has a deep admiration for the pirate "Red Hair" Shanks, the man who saved his life as a child and gave him his iconic straw hat. He emulates a lot of Shank's traits like his fierce loyalty to his friends and unmatched NervesOfSteel. Even his goal of becoming King of the Pirates was a promise he made to Shanks to impress the pirate. Whenever the story shifts to Shanks's perspective, he'll often remark on Luffy's progress and look forward to where the young pirate goes next.
* ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'': Kotetsu was inspired as a kid by Mr. Legend to become a hero and convinced his powers could save people instead of just making him a freak.
* ''Anime/YuriOnIce'': Yuuri's favorite figure skater is living legend Victor Nikiforov, whom he wants to skate on the same ice with and properly compete against. And then Victor becomes his coach, pushing Yuuri to new heights in his skating.
* ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'': In life [[Characters/ZombieLandSagaSakuraMinamoto Sakura]] had a deep admiration for the IdolSinger Ai Mizuno, the same Ai she'd go on to be part of a ''zombie idol group'' with. [[spoiler:Ai's headstrong personality and determination were what helped Sakura out of a low and depressive point in her life, inspiring her to become an idol herself. After the two meet and work together in-person, Ai helps Sakura out of yet another low point in her now-undead life, encouraging the aspiring idol to keep pursuing her dream.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': Kamala Khan has a great of admiration for Carol Danvers, to the point that she transformed into Carol when her powers manifested. After Carol officially changed her alias to "Captain Marvel", Kamala took on the Ms. Marvel moniker for herself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''FanFic/TheApprenticeTheStudentAndTheCharlatan'' and its sequel ''FanFic/TheArchmagesLastBow'', Nova Shine idolizes Star Swirl the Bearded like Twilight does, but also Nova Shine I, his namesake and a pony said to be on par with Star Swirl in how much they contributed to magical knowledge.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': In the film's prologue, Mr. Incredible has a fan in the form of Buddy, an enthusiastic but very careless and obsessive boy who wants nothing more than to impress his hero. This is eventually subverted though; Buddy's obsession with Incredible and his power eventually leads to him growing up to become the film's antagonist, Syndrome.
* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Po the panda admires the Furious Five, to the point of constructing action figures in their image. Po is even willing to ride a rocket chair just to get a glimpse of his heroes. It's almost a DeusExMachina that Master Oogway chooses Po to become a Dragon Warrior trainee. This means Po will be learning ultimate Kung Fu alongside his five idols.
* ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp'': Cody Maverick was inspired to be a surfer by Big Z, who has been presumed dead for years. When discovered by Cody, Z teaches him how to surf. It's done reluctantly at first, but Z warms up to Cody over time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider Man]]'s biggest influence growing up was [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man]]. Tony tries to guide this younger, more impulsive Spider Man to making smarter choices as a hero. [[spoiler:Peter is likewise devastated by Tony's death at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'': Baron Ether is the world's first supervillain and, despite being in a retired state at the start of the story, was a major influence on [[BigBad Dr. Impossible's]] own career. So much so that, when he needs advice for the next steps in his latest take over the world plan, Impossible breaks into Ether's home/prison to talk with him.
* In ''Literature/TenThingsToDoBeforeIDie'', Ted is a huge fan of Wes Levitiz, the lead man for his favorite band, and plays guitar trying to chase him. He obsessively catalogues information about Wes and is star struck when they meet...only for Ted to discover Wes is not the kind of person he wants to be at all.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIISephiroth Sephiroth]] is a legendary warrior who carried the success of SOLDIER, an elite military group. Growing up with low self-esteem and considering himself weak, the protagonist Cloud Strife looked to Sephiroth as a source of strength. Unfortunately this all [[BrokenPedestal shatters]] after Sephiroth snaps and burns down Cloud's village, killing Cloud's mother in the process. [[spoiler:[[ItsPersonal Cloud responds]] by stabbing him through the chest with a sword.]]
* In ''VideoGame/IDOLiSH7'', each of the idols strives to be like the legendary idol Zero in some way, but Riku actually calls his own brother, Tenn, an angel and aspires to be just like the twin who spent hours entertaining and caring for his sickly brother.
* ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'': Endou Mamoru's grandfather, Daisuke, was a legendary goalkeeper in his prime years and is the main reason why he aspired to become one. Throughout the series, he learns many techniques from his grandfather's notebooks. Unfortunately, Daisuke's apparent demise is also the reason why Mamoru's mother is at first reluctant to let her son play soccer.
* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Protagonist Kyo Kusanagi attracts a passionate fanbase due to his victories in the [=KOF=] tournament, including series fighter Shingo Yabuki. Shingo goes so far as to study Kyo's family style of martial arts, training under the latter's father Saisyu. Kyo and Shingo become good friends, and Kyo even invites him to join his team on several teams.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** The SeriesMascot [[Characters/StreetFighterRyu Ryu]] finds himself a fan and semi-apprentice in Sakura, a teenage martial arts fan. Sakura's own fighting style is based on studying Ryu's, including copying many of his SignatureMove{{s}}[[note]]The [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and the [[SuperSpecialMove Shinku Hadoken]][[/note]] while putting her own twist on others[[note]][[HurricaneKick Shunpukyaku]] and [[{{Shoryuken}} Shououken]][[/note]]. He himself is very supportive of her pursuits and will spar with her whenever they meet.
** The series's premier [[TheGrappler grappler]] Zangief is a monumental figure in the world of pro wrestling, and the main inspiration to series regular Rainbow Mika. She follows news of his career passionately and even becomes his understudy in ''V'', and will go total {{Fangirl}} whenever he displays his [[SuperToughness Iron Body]] technique.
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': [[Characters/YakuzaKazumaKiryu Kiryu]]'s ideals as a {{Yakuza}} are inspired by his father figure, Shintaro Kazama, a legendary yakuza and patriarch of the Kazama family. Kiryu pursues the image of NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters that works for the community, something Kazama does behind the scenes like funding orphanages and aid groups. Ironically, Kazama never wanted Kiryu to become yakuza in the first place out of fear of him being trenched in the dark reality of organized crime, where most of their clan is outright villainous and actively opposed to Kazama.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': [[Characters/AdventureTimeFinn Finn]] and Jake have one in the form of Billy, a legendary hero who inspired them to become heroes themselves.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', while we all know his famous origin story, Batman in universe was inspired by a film detective named the Grey Ghost as far as his methods and look were concerned. Later on, one case actually gives Batman the opportunity to work with [[Creator/AdamWest the actor behind the role]], and while the actor in question has become jaded, he is extremely flattered to discover that Batman has deliberately been modeled after the Grey Ghost.
* ''WesternAnimation/BigGuyAndRustyTheBoyRobot'': Big Guy has been a GiantMecha protecting New Tronic City from supervillains and {{kaiju}}. His planned replacement is the robot boy Rusty. However, Rusty is too inexperienced to solo against supervillains and {{kaiju}}, so Big Guy stays in service to mentor Rusty. Rusty views Big Guy with childlike admiration, and does his best to make Big Guy proud. Rusty's creators choose to keep secret that Big Guy is piloted by a human being, Dwayne Hunter.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'': Jingles Morgan was this for Marshall Bravestarr while at the Academy. Morgan's no nonsense approach to law and order is what inspired Bravestarr's own stoic support of the law. Becomes a BrokenPedestal when Jingles is accused of murder and Bravestarr is forced to hunt him down.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Dipper idolizes "The Author", [[TheGhost an unseen character for most of the series]] who wrote [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the research journal he always carries around]]. Dipper finally gets to meet the Author at one point [[spoiler:(who turns out to be his long-lost great uncle, Stanford "Ford" Pines)]], and continues to see the Author as an important mentor and idol especially after finding out [[spoiler:they're related]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic:'' Twilight Sparkle idolizes the ancient Unicorn sorcerer Star Swirl the Bearded, often raving about his advancements in the field of magic. In addition, her entire motivation for learning magic is owed to Princess Celestia and her appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia becomes her mentor.
[[/folder]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"I'm gonna be a hero just like him!"]]
This is someone who the hero deeply admires, and who pushes them towards some ambition or aspiration, directly or not.
The hero's idol pushes the hero towards, if not a tangible foal, some version of themselves that brings out the best of them. It could be a [[TheParagon superhero that inspires them to do good]], a total badass that makes them work to be cooler, even just a [[HumbleHero humble citizen that showcases remarkable virtues]].
The hero often devolves into a huge, geeky [[{{Fanboy}} fan]] around their idols. They might copy bits of their attitude, fashion sense, and philosophies. They could even base their [[VariantPowerCopying moves and fighting style]] off the idol's.
The hero might not know their idol in person, but if they do, the idol could become anything from a [[TheMentor mentor]], a respecting ally, or even do something completely deplorable and make the hero [[BrokenPedestal lose all respect for them]].
Watching this character die, especially after one final heroic act, will almost certainly break the hero's heart.
HerosMuse is a related trope.
Overlaps with TheKnightsWhoSaySquee. Also can lead to BrokenPedestal and/or RebuiltPedestal.
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'', Shuichi basically worships Ryuichi, a mega-star singer. He and his best friend spent hours imitating Ryuichi and his band as teenagers and they still take inspiration from them as adults. Shuichi even mentions cutting his hair to look like Ryuichi.
* ''Manga/GTOTheEarlyYears'': Eikichi's idol is the legendary biker Kyosuke Masaki, who died before the start of the series. In the prequel ''Manga/BadCompany'', Masaki welcomed Eikichi and his best friend Ryuji into the UsefulNotes/{{bosozoku}} scene, and was a huge influence on their ethos of what bikers and biker gangs should be. In the sequel ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'', despite being dead for more than half a decade, Masaki shows up in a DyingDream when Eikichi is in critical condition in the hospital, and gives him the motivation to recover.
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaAllMight All Might]] is the "Symbol of Peace", a powerful and inspiring hero who many aspiring heroes look up to, including the protagonist [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaIzukuMidoriya Izuku Midoriya]]. Midoriya's heroism is inspired by All Might's bravery and selflessness in action, giving the quirkless[[note]]"quirks" are an ability that most people are born with[[/note]] boy a source of motivation to become a hero when no one else believes he can. It's Midoriya's own heroism that inspires All Might to train him as a successor.
-->'''All Might''': You too can become a hero!
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': [[Characters/OnePieceMonkeyDLuffy Luffy]] has a deep admiration for the pirate "Red Hair" Shanks, the man who saved his life as a child and gave him his iconic straw hat. He emulates a lot of Shank's traits like his fierce loyalty to his friends and unmatched NervesOfSteel. Even his goal of becoming King of the Pirates was a promise he made to Shanks to impress the pirate. Whenever the story shifts to Shanks's perspective, he'll often remark on Luffy's progress and look forward to where the young pirate goes next.
* ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'': Kotetsu was inspired as a kid by Mr. Legend to become a hero and convinced his powers could save people instead of just making him a freak.
* ''Anime/YuriOnIce'': Yuuri's favorite figure skater is living legend Victor Nikiforov, whom he wants to skate on the same ice with and properly compete against. And then Victor becomes his coach, pushing Yuuri to new heights in his skating.
* ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'': In life [[Characters/ZombieLandSagaSakuraMinamoto Sakura]] had a deep admiration for the IdolSinger Ai Mizuno, the same Ai she'd go on to be part of a ''zombie idol group'' with. [[spoiler:Ai's headstrong personality and determination were what helped Sakura out of a low and depressive point in her life, inspiring her to become an idol herself. After the two meet and work together in-person, Ai helps Sakura out of yet another low point in her now-undead life, encouraging the aspiring idol to keep pursuing her dream.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': Kamala Khan has a great of admiration for Carol Danvers, to the point that she transformed into Carol when her powers manifested. After Carol officially changed her alias to "Captain Marvel", Kamala took on the Ms. Marvel moniker for herself.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''FanFic/TheApprenticeTheStudentAndTheCharlatan'' and its sequel ''FanFic/TheArchmagesLastBow'', Nova Shine idolizes Star Swirl the Bearded like Twilight does, but also Nova Shine I, his namesake and a pony said to be on par with Star Swirl in how much they contributed to magical knowledge.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': In the film's prologue, Mr. Incredible has a fan in the form of Buddy, an enthusiastic but very careless and obsessive boy who wants nothing more than to impress his hero. This is eventually subverted though; Buddy's obsession with Incredible and his power eventually leads to him growing up to become the film's antagonist, Syndrome.
* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Po the panda admires the Furious Five, to the point of constructing action figures in their image. Po is even willing to ride a rocket chair just to get a glimpse of his heroes. It's almost a DeusExMachina that Master Oogway chooses Po to become a Dragon Warrior trainee. This means Po will be learning ultimate Kung Fu alongside his five idols.
* ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp'': Cody Maverick was inspired to be a surfer by Big Z, who has been presumed dead for years. When discovered by Cody, Z teaches him how to surf. It's done reluctantly at first, but Z warms up to Cody over time.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Live Action]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider Man]]'s biggest influence growing up was [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man]]. Tony tries to guide this younger, more impulsive Spider Man to making smarter choices as a hero. [[spoiler:Peter is likewise devastated by Tony's death at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'': Baron Ether is the world's first supervillain and, despite being in a retired state at the start of the story, was a major influence on [[BigBad Dr. Impossible's]] own career. So much so that, when he needs advice for the next steps in his latest take over the world plan, Impossible breaks into Ether's home/prison to talk with him.
* In ''Literature/TenThingsToDoBeforeIDie'', Ted is a huge fan of Wes Levitiz, the lead man for his favorite band, and plays guitar trying to chase him. He obsessively catalogues information about Wes and is star struck when they meet...only for Ted to discover Wes is not the kind of person he wants to be at all.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': [[Characters/FinalFantasyVIISephiroth Sephiroth]] is a legendary warrior who carried the success of SOLDIER, an elite military group. Growing up with low self-esteem and considering himself weak, the protagonist Cloud Strife looked to Sephiroth as a source of strength. Unfortunately this all [[BrokenPedestal shatters]] after Sephiroth snaps and burns down Cloud's village, killing Cloud's mother in the process. [[spoiler:[[ItsPersonal Cloud responds]] by stabbing him through the chest with a sword.]]
* In ''VideoGame/IDOLiSH7'', each of the idols strives to be like the legendary idol Zero in some way, but Riku actually calls his own brother, Tenn, an angel and aspires to be just like the twin who spent hours entertaining and caring for his sickly brother.
* ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'': Endou Mamoru's grandfather, Daisuke, was a legendary goalkeeper in his prime years and is the main reason why he aspired to become one. Throughout the series, he learns many techniques from his grandfather's notebooks. Unfortunately, Daisuke's apparent demise is also the reason why Mamoru's mother is at first reluctant to let her son play soccer.
* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Protagonist Kyo Kusanagi attracts a passionate fanbase due to his victories in the [=KOF=] tournament, including series fighter Shingo Yabuki. Shingo goes so far as to study Kyo's family style of martial arts, training under the latter's father Saisyu. Kyo and Shingo become good friends, and Kyo even invites him to join his team on several teams.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** The SeriesMascot [[Characters/StreetFighterRyu Ryu]] finds himself a fan and semi-apprentice in Sakura, a teenage martial arts fan. Sakura's own fighting style is based on studying Ryu's, including copying many of his SignatureMove{{s}}[[note]]The [[KamehameHadoken Hadoken]] and the [[SuperSpecialMove Shinku Hadoken]][[/note]] while putting her own twist on others[[note]][[HurricaneKick Shunpukyaku]] and [[{{Shoryuken}} Shououken]][[/note]]. He himself is very supportive of her pursuits and will spar with her whenever they meet.
** The series's premier [[TheGrappler grappler]] Zangief is a monumental figure in the world of pro wrestling, and the main inspiration to series regular Rainbow Mika. She follows news of his career passionately and even becomes his understudy in ''V'', and will go total {{Fangirl}} whenever he displays his [[SuperToughness Iron Body]] technique.
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': [[Characters/YakuzaKazumaKiryu Kiryu]]'s ideals as a {{Yakuza}} are inspired by his father figure, Shintaro Kazama, a legendary yakuza and patriarch of the Kazama family. Kiryu pursues the image of NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters that works for the community, something Kazama does behind the scenes like funding orphanages and aid groups. Ironically, Kazama never wanted Kiryu to become yakuza in the first place out of fear of him being trenched in the dark reality of organized crime, where most of their clan is outright villainous and actively opposed to Kazama.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': [[Characters/AdventureTimeFinn Finn]] and Jake have one in the form of Billy, a legendary hero who inspired them to become heroes themselves.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', while we all know his famous origin story, Batman in universe was inspired by a film detective named the Grey Ghost as far as his methods and look were concerned. Later on, one case actually gives Batman the opportunity to work with [[Creator/AdamWest the actor behind the role]], and while the actor in question has become jaded, he is extremely flattered to discover that Batman has deliberately been modeled after the Grey Ghost.
* ''WesternAnimation/BigGuyAndRustyTheBoyRobot'': Big Guy has been a GiantMecha protecting New Tronic City from supervillains and {{kaiju}}. His planned replacement is the robot boy Rusty. However, Rusty is too inexperienced to solo against supervillains and {{kaiju}}, so Big Guy stays in service to mentor Rusty. Rusty views Big Guy with childlike admiration, and does his best to make Big Guy proud. Rusty's creators choose to keep secret that Big Guy is piloted by a human being, Dwayne Hunter.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'': Jingles Morgan was this for Marshall Bravestarr while at the Academy. Morgan's no nonsense approach to law and order is what inspired Bravestarr's own stoic support of the law. Becomes a BrokenPedestal when Jingles is accused of murder and Bravestarr is forced to hunt him down.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Dipper idolizes "The Author", [[TheGhost an unseen character for most of the series]] who wrote [[GreatBigBookOfEverything the research journal he always carries around]]. Dipper finally gets to meet the Author at one point [[spoiler:(who turns out to be his long-lost great uncle, Stanford "Ford" Pines)]], and continues to see the Author as an important mentor and idol especially after finding out [[spoiler:they're related]].
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic:'' Twilight Sparkle idolizes the ancient Unicorn sorcerer Star Swirl the Bearded, often raving about his advancements in the field of magic. In addition, her entire motivation for learning magic is owed to Princess Celestia and her appearance at the Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia becomes her mentor.
[[/folder]]
