History Main / TheLastDJ

Frequently overlaps with KnightInSourArmor. Music-wise it overlaps with MusicIsPolitics. This trope is the opposite of KickedUpstairs, where an unwanted and incompetent person ''is'' promoted, to get them away from the real work so they can no longer screw things up.

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': While Gordon has done a lot to clean up the GCPD by the time the title starts there are still plenty of horrifically corrupt cops on the force who have managed to avoid prison time or other punishments due to the city's mess of a judicial system and the unions preventing them from being fired. Jamie, as a new cop without any connections, is harassed by the old guard as they try to force her to let them do things as they want and her refusal to back down has her nearly killed in the locker room at one point.

[[folder:Film]]

Not to be confused with LastOfHisKind.

* One ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' episode features Marcelo Jarti, a popular South American war hero, revolutionary, and [[GreyAndGreyMorality drug kingpin]] who spends half his time dodging assassination attempts from the US and Britain because he refuses to go along with their plans for South American politics. [[spoiler:Turns out that he was actually put in a machine that made copies of him and the original died a while ago. It isn't made clear whether he chose this or not.]]
* Kenzo Tenma in ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' ultimately counts as an aversion. It looks like he is being set up for this when he chooses to treat an injured child instead of the Mayor, who dies while being treated by less talented surgeons, but then his superiors died mysteriously, [[spoiler:at the hands of the very psychopathic child Tenma had treated]] leaving Tenma clear to advance his career. After that he does choose to play it straight and leaves the better job to follow what he feels is a moral obligation.

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':

* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' - Jet Black's refusal to turn DirtyCop or at least ease up on {{the syndicate}}s running Ganymede resulted in him being ambushed and nearly killed. [[spoiler:At the hands of his own partner, who was working with one of said syndicates, no less.]] This is paralleled in one episode by Udai Taxim, the main (apparent) antagonist of the episode, who tries to hook up with his old syndicate after escaping prison and is outright rejected by them, who state that times have changed; the final confrontation between the two is essentially settling a score between two people from a bygone era who've been struggling to live in the present one.

* ''LightNovel/RascalDoesNotDreamOfBunnyGirlSenpai'' provides an example of this with Mai, the main female character. She used to be a popular child actress, but after her trauma fame and money didn't matter anymore to Mai. She made it clear that she was not willing to do any commercials that put her in swimsuit type clothing. When her mom did so anyway, she felt betrayed, used by her only for easy money, and quit immediately afterward. She felt extremely uncomfortable about showing off her body when she was just a middle schooler, yet her mother went over her head and forced her to do it for the money anyway. She values her integrity over advancing her career, and so she takes a hiatus; her mother had no qualms using her as a tool and forcing her to pose in a swimsuit when she was a very young girl, so she changes the company she works for instead of making easy money.

* Captain Brenner/O'Brian from ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars: Days of Ruin]]''. He and his battalion focus on rescuing as many people in the ruined world, protecting them from bandits and warmongers, and only fights in the name of peace. His superiors and peers from the New Rubinelle/Laurentian Army don't share his way of thinking at all, which ultimately [[spoiler:gets Brenner/O'Brian killed]]. Luckily, he was training a new DJ.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' - Going by the {{flashback}} scene in a recording sphere, [[BadassLongcoat Auron]] could also fit into this before embarking on the pilgrimage with Braska. A promising WarriorMonk within the [[CorruptChurch theocratic church]] and a true believer, Auron's career was blacklisted and at least one promotion that was meant for him went to others after he refused to marry the daughter of a high priest.

* Subverted and parodied in the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series -- [[Radio/GTARadio Lazlow]] ''thinks'' that he's this, but is really just an arrogant, [[SmallNameBigEgo egotistical]] {{jerkass}} who doesn't realize that he's no longer relevant, with most people treating him as a joke.

* Captain Brenner/O'Brian from ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars: Days of Ruin]]''. Luckily, he was training a new DJ.

* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' makes Maverick himself one of these. While other pilots of his generation like Iceman became admirals or retired, he is still a mere captain because he just can't leave the cockpit. He is also the thought by others to be among the last generation of fighter pilots because drones are slowly taking over. There is an obvious parallel with Creator/TomCruise and his insistence on doing real action instead of CGI.

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' - Yang Wen-Li is the greatest military genius to be born since UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan conquered Eurasia, is [[HonorBeforeReason loyal to a fault]] toward his country and politically savvy enough to know what [[TheFederation the Free Planets Alliance]] should do to ensure its perenity and prosperity for a few generation at least and probably the nicest guy of TheVerse. Because of this, ''a lot'' of corrupt officials in the alliance fear and hate him, knowing that he would easily beat them should he decide to quit the army and run against them in an election. Fortunately [[spoiler: for his rival Reinhart von Lohengram, Yang is so devoid of ambition that he passes every opportunity to gain political power, unwittingly giving Reinhart the opportunity to conquer the Free Planet Alliance.]]

* ''TopGunMaverick'' now makes Maverick himself one of these. While other pilots of his generation like Iceman became admirals, he is still a mere captain because he just can't leave the cockpit. He is also the thought by others to be among the last generation of fighter pilots because drones are slowly taking over. There is an obvious parallel with Tom Cruise and his insistence on doing real action instead of CGI.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'''s Eda the Owl Lady see herself as this while being a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope: part of being a witch is to align oneself with one of the many covens but their members are restricted to one type of magic. Eda is completely against this type of broken system and chooses to work alone, resisting any attempt to make her a member. The end result, however, is she's living in squalor, hocks human junk as treasure, and the Boiling Islands' government as marked her as a wanted fugitive (both for refusing a coven and for various forms of fraud).

---> "Do you presume to question our authority?" Coram asked carefully.
---> "I question your authority to place our lives in jeopardy for circumstances which are outside our control, sir" Morgan replied. Coram sat back and nodded slowly as Morgan continued. "I do not pretend to understand all the ramifications of my inheritance, but His Majesty will assure you, I think, that I have a fair idea what justice is about. If you shut us out from the protection of our birthright, and force us to stand against full Deryni who are formally trained in the use of their powers, it may be that you decree our deaths. Surely we have done nothing to warrant that."

This is a character type with a lot of integrity. His skills at what he does has made him something of a legend, [[AFatherToHisMen often greatly admired by those who work beneath or alongside him]]. He refuses to just go along with what his [[ExecutiveMeddling bosses or administration want]]. Unfortunately, because he doesn't play by the rules of office politics, and because house politics here promote BlindObedience, his superiors have blacklisted him and made his career stall out at a certain point. This results in a tense situation where management may be actively looking to get rid of him, but can't because of his reputation, while he wants to either just do his thing or make changes to the existing system.

* [[LovableJock Bones Justice]], the main character of ''WesternAnimation/MutantLeague'', refuses to join any team owned by [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Zalgor Prigg]], mostly because the latter resorts to any means possible to win a game. Bones instead lives by a creed instilled by his father that goes by always playing fair, no matter the odds.

* [[LovableJock Bones Justice]], the main character of ''WesternAnimation/MutantLeague'', refuses to join any team owned by [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Zalgor Prigg]], mostly because the latter resorts to any means possible to win a game. Bones instead lives by a creed instilled by his father to always play fair, no matter the odds.

* This is essentially what happens to Violet in ''Literature/{{Feed}}'', except without the "world renowned skills" part. Because of her active refusal to conform and be a mindless Feed user like many other teenagers she rebels and basically tries to {{troll}} the Feed company. Unfortunately, [[spoiler: because she never expressed interests that would make her needs marketable, no company is willing to invest in saving her.]]

* Captain Bartlett from ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'' probably counts. "Why do they even bother reprimanding me anymore? I know I'm gonna be stuck at Captain forever." He's too much attitude to promote, but too much skill and reputation to just court martial.

* ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' has a variation with the Schnee Squadron leader Erich Hillenberand, known behind the scenes as "The Eternal 2nd Lieutenant" because he didn't particularly have any interest in awards or promotions.

* ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' - Yang Wen-Li is the greatest military genius to be born since UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan conquered Eurasia, is [[HonorBeforeReason loyal to a fault]] toward his country and politically savvy enough to know what [[TheFederation the Free Planets Alliance]] should do to ensure its perenity and prosperity for a few generation at least and probably the nicest guy of TheVerse. Because of this, ''a lot'' of corrupt officials in the alliance fear and hate him, knowing that he would easily beat them should he decide to quit the army and run against them in an election. Fortunately [[spoiler: for his rival Reinhart von Lohengram, Yang is so devoid of ambition that he pass every opportunity to gain political power, unwittingly giving Reinhart the opportunity to conquer the Free Planet Alliance]]

* In ''Film/TheUntouchables'', when Elliott Ness asks Malone why he's still a beat cop at his age, the latter answers that he's one of the few policemen in Chicago who isn't on the take.