History LegacyCharacter / WesternAnimation

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', there are heroic examples in the super science mantle of the Ventures as well as Captain Sunshine [[spoiler:whose predecessor now acts as his butler, though still possessing superpowers of his own.]] On the villainous side, the Phantomos family line with the heir being the Phantom Limb as well as the Guild of Calamitous Intent passing down the Sovereign title.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'', Papa Smurf turns out to be a legacy character, as the Smurf who became known as Grandpa Smurf originally went under the name of Papa Smurf.

* Ubiquitous in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'':

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' introduced the informant known as Fulcrum. However, "Fulcrum" is a name passed down from informant to informant in the service of the Rebel Alliance. There have been three known Fulcrums so far; [[spoiler: Ahsoka Tona]], [[spoiler: Agent Kallus]], and [[Film/RogueOne Cassian Andor]]. What "informant" means varies between agents; [[spoiler: Ashoka]] was passing information from Rebel command to independent cells, while [[spoiler: Kallus]] was a spy inside the Empire.

** The New York special revealed that the Batman and Robin expy's Knightowl and Sparrow have actually had the mantle taken by many people over the years, dating back to at least The Wild West, with each Sparrow becoming the new Knightowl upon their predecessor's retirement and recruiting a Sparrow of their own.

* The title of "Trollhunter" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'' is given to [[TheChosenOne all who are chosen by]] [[TransformationTrinket the Amulet of Daylight]], as well as bearing the responsibilities that come with it. The protagonist, Jim, is the first non-[[AllTrollsAreDifferent troll]] to get the job. Another character, Draal, is the son of the previous Trollhunter, and is naturally ticked off that some human teenager got the job instead of him.

** [[spoiler: The events of the second season finale of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' have ended the first Avatar line, but started a new one with Korra as the 'first' Avatar.]]

* In season 7, a digital copy of Ch'rell gets accidentally activated, becoming the new leader of the Foot Clan and being known as the Cyber Shredder.

* Played with in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' when Jedda, daughter of ''ComicStrip/ThePhantom'', briefly assumes her father's mantle (with a female version of his costume and all) when he's believed to be dead.

* The Shredder is made one in the second ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' toon; eventually it is revealed that the Shredder the turtles had been fighting during the first three seasons is actually the third person to take on the mantle. Eventually, Michelangelo's super-hero alter ego Turtle Titan becomes one as well.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' explained that every time Kenny dies a new, identical [=McCormick=] is born bearing his name. At the time of that episode it had happened 52 times so far. It's never explained how the new Kennys age so fast. This was probably intended as a gag initially, but the subplot of the Coon vs Coon and Friends story-arc strangely confirms Kenny's immortality powers into canon, instant aging and all. His parents handwave it by saying "We should've never gone to that stupid cult meeting." It is established though that each of the babies are literal reincarnations of the original Kenny (complete with his memories), rather than simply being siblings with the same name.
* The cartoon series ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' revolves entirely around this concept.
** It focuses on Terry taking up the Batman mantle from an aging Bruce Wayne, 50 years after ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. There's a Commissioner Gordon, as well, in the form of his daughter and former Batgirl Barbara. [[spoiler:It's eventually revealed that Terry is actually Bruce's biological son via covert tinkering with his father's DNA.]]
** The series has another example in the Royal Flush Gang. In their first appearance, Bruce explained to Terry the gang's children are trained to take over the mantle once their elders retire or are sent to prison. In their last appearance, Queen complains that King can't live up to the previous one. He even asked Terry if he knows what it's like living under someone's shadow. Terry said he did.
** The WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague in the show plays this trope straight. Kai-Ro was Earth's new Comicbook/GreenLantern and [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited John Stewart]]'s successor, while Warhawk was the son of Stewart and [[ComicBook/{{Hawkman}} Hawkgirl]]. Micron was also essentially the future equivalent of ComicBook/TheAtom.
** The late Creator/DwayneMcDuffie confirmed that the Parasite seen in the ''JLU'' episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E13Epilogue "Epilogue"]] is a separate person from Rudy Jones.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' both inverted and played straight this trope, both times incidentally, with the CowardlySidekick Ron Stoppable.
** The first time was when he took the place of Timothy North as the Fearless Ferret. [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Sound familiar?]] Turns out though, that the Fearless Ferret was merely a television series.
** The second example was the Toshimoru, the original Monkey Master and the founder of Monkey Kung Fu, even though Kung Fu originated in China, not Japan. Throughout the series, Ron's enemy Monkey Fist was out to take up the mantle of the Monkey Master. In the end though, Ron was the one to [[TakeUpMySword take up Toshimoru's sword]] (both figuratively and literally).
* In the original ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' series, its revealed that in the future, Ben gives his son Ken a second Omnitrix. To further the legacy, Ken wears the same outfit Ben wore as a kid. Also, an evil example occurs with Devlin, Kevin 11's son, who has his father's powers and pretends to be him in his first attack. [[spoiler: This ultimately ends up being an ironic legacy to both his own timezone and the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' timezone, he starts as a villain but joins Ben's team, and the ''Alien Force'' Kevin does the same]].
* The ''[[Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar]]'' franchise does this via {{reincarnation}}. The responsibilities of learning all the elements, protecting the balance and being a bridge between the Spirit World and the physical world remain, with each successive Avatar treated as a unique being who can access their predecessors as individual {{Spirit Advisor}}s, or in gestalt in a SuperMode.
** [[spoiler: The events of the second season finale of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' have ended the first Avatar line, but started a new one with Korra as the 'first' Avatar.]]

** Between the second and third seasons, Kaldur'ahm (Aqualad) inherits the title of Aquaman after King Orin retires from heroism.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'': The heroine is of the Te Xuan Ze bloodline, protectors of the barrier between humanity and mystical creatures. She is the latest to hold the title, succeeding her grandmother.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'':
** There is an episode where Alfred wrote a story about a future where a new Batman had to face a new Joker trained by [[ComicBook/TheJoker the original]] to take over the mantle. As the Joker explained, he didn't have too much time left. (The doctor gave him six months, he gave the doctor [[NeverSayDie six seconds]].)
** The series had more than one ComicBook/BlueBeetle appear.
--->'''Blue Beetle (III):''' ''Knockoff?!'' I prefer to think of myself as a reimagined hero for a new generation.
** As in the comics, ComicBook/BlackCanary took her title from her mother.
* Basil Karlo is introduced as the ''second'' Clayface in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''. His predecessor is a CanonForeigner named Ethan Bennett.
* In the Christmastime exclusive series ''WesternAnimation/SantasApprentice'', Santa Claus adopts an Australian orphan named Nicholas and trains him to be the next Santa Claus. It's assumed that was the case for that Santa, and the one before him, and so on.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'', there are heroic examples in the super science mantle of the Ventures as well as Captain Sunshine [[spoiler:whose predecessor now acts as his butler, though still possessing superpowers of his own.]] On the villainous side, the Phantomos family line with the heir being the Phantom Limb as well as the Guild of Calamitous Intent passing down the Sovereign title.
-->'''Phantom Limb:''' Who died and made ''you'' the giant floating head of everything?\\
'''Sovereign:''' That would be my predecessor, ''Force Majeure.''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** "Duffman can never die... Only the actors who play him! Oh yeah!" Later episodes even show that there are ''multiple Duffmen'' at the same time:
--->'''Duffman:''' THREE Duffmen are working the game tonight!\\
'''Duffman #2:''' Don't tell the children! It's... disillusioning!
** Krusty's pet chimp Mr Teeny has occasionally been stated to be the latest in a series of Mr Teenies:
---> '''Krusty:''' We're gonna drop him out of a blimp tomorrow. ''[Mr Teeny looks concerned]'' Oh, don't worry. [[BlatantLies Nothing's gonna happen to you, Mr Teeny #7.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SheZow'' episode "Family Tree", [=SheZow=]'s Glamazon Power Ring has been passed down from mother to daughter or aunt to niece, since Prehistory, until Guy was the first nephew to wear the ring (although to be fair he unwittingly wore it because he doubted that Aunt Agnes was [=SheZow=]).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'', Papa Smurf turns out to be a legacy character, as the Smurf who became known as Grandpa Smurf originally went under the name of Papa Smurf.
* ''WesternAnimation/NASCARRacers'': Two characters use the codename "Wild Card" in the series. Lyle uses it in the first season and Eve Kildere in the second one. During his time using the codename, Lyle drives a car given to him by Eve.
* In WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003, the Shredder is turned into this.
** Chronologically speaking, the first being that was ever known as the Shredder was [[OurDemonsAreDifferent a Tengu]] that terrorized Japan centuries ago. It was later defeated by a group of ninjamasters know as the Ninja Tribunal. But before the Tengu was killed, he made a deal with one of the ninjamasters, a man named Oroku Saki, merging with him. Oroku Saki would become known as the Tengu Shredder. He would later appear as the BigBad of season 5.
** Years later, a rogue Utrom named Ch'rell learned of the stories of the Tengu Shredder and decided to take up his identity and create a clan of ninjas. He is by far the most promiment Shredder of the series, as he's the one who murdered Hamato Yoshi and is usually regarded as [[ArchEnemy their number one enemy.]]
** In season 4, Karai would later adopt the mantle of the Shredder after Ch'rell was exiled to an ice asteroid, leading the Foot Clan in order to avenge him.
* In season 7, a digital copy of Ch'rell gets accidentally activated, becoming the new leader of the Foot Clan and being known as the Cyber Shredder.
* The title of "Trollhunter" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'' is given to [[TheChosenOne all who are chosen by]] [[TransformationTrinket the Amulet of Daylight]], as well as bearing the responsibilities that come with it. The protagonist, Jim, is the first non-[[AllTrollsAreDifferent troll]] to get the job. Another character, Draal, is the son of the previous Trollhunter, and is naturally ticked off that some human teenager got the job instead of him.

** The Optimus Prime of any given series is almost always a parallel to the original, though generally in another continuity.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': "Duffman can never die... Only the actors who play him! Oh yeah!" Later episodes even show that there are ''multiple Duffmen'' at the same time:
-->'''Duffman:''' THREE Duffmen are working the game tonight!\\

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': The New York special revealed that the Batman and Robin expy's Knightowl and Sparrow have actually had the mantle taken by many people over the years, dating back to at least The Wild West, with each Sparrow becoming the new Knightowl upon their predecessor's retirement and recruiting a Sparrow of their own.
** Also true for Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves, as well as the other Miraculous holders. We see their predecessors in Gabriel's copy of the Book of the Miraculous. The Ladybug shown in the book, from thousands of years before the present day, seems to be named Piáo Chóng, though in many fan works she is often referred to affectionately as Jiejie (big sister in Chinese).

** Also true for Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves, as well as the other Miraculous holders. We see their predecessors in Gabriel's copy of the Book of the Miraculous. The first Ladybug, from thousands of years before the present day, seems to be named Piao Chong, though in many fan works she is often referred to affectionately as Jie Jie.