History Main / EarnYourTitle

[[folder:Anime]]

* ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'': One episode has Barry The Chopper. And it's no surprise why, [[spoiler:given that he's a serial killer that chops up his victims in his shop]]. They could've easily gone with TheButcher for this one - and, indeed, [[spoiler:when he returns as a bloodsealed armor, he claims that was one of his other nicknames]].
** To a greater extent is the Title given to each State Alchemist, which typically refers to their greatest alchemical strengths or feats - except for Ed Elric, who's title is in reference to his metallic arm...and the fact that he managed to bond a human soul to a metal suit of armor.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* "71 Hour Ahmed" from ''Literature/{{Jingo}}''

** [[spoiler: It's eventually revealed that he earned it by killing a guest in his house one hour before the three day period of SacredHospitality was up. He'd amassed enough evidence to determine that the man had poisoned a well in a desert and killed several dozen people, waiting the extra hour would have allowed the guy to depart and escape.]]

** ''Literature/BekaCooper'' does this, combined with TitleDrop--each book is named after a nickname she is given. As a trainee she's called "Terrier" for not letting go of two old and difficult murder cases. Later she's called "Bloodhound" for tracking down the counterfeiters in Port Caynn, and finally "Mastiff" for hunting down enemies of the realm.

** Part of the Tayledras usename custom - while they are chosen by the individual (at least passively, by choosing to respond to an appellation or ignoring it), the names are often associated with some great act they have done or some trait they are proud of e.g. Steelmind for a man who has a prodigious memory who once during an academic debate recited a speech made by one of the participants on an earlier date - supporting the side opposite the one the man had taken during the debate, Frostfire for a Healing Adept who saved a family from dying of frostbite (called "frostfire" in Tayledras language), Darkstone for a cold, impassive individual.
* The ''only'' way to get any kind of name in ''Literature/TheBorribleTrilogy'': until you've earned a name by an impressive feat of daring [[spoiler: such as assassinating a leader of a rival gang]] the best you can expect is to be referred to as "hey, you!" The plot of the first novel is driven by the protagonist's desire to get a ''second'' name (which is not unprecedented; one of his associates has several names, each commemorating some memorable deed).

** Sam the Slayer, which he earns after [[spoiler: becoming the first person in centuries to kill an Other]].

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* A game mechanic in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' allows your character to earn titles based on their in-game decisions, completion of certain quests, or as part of the storyline. The Sith Warrior ends their story as "The Emperor's Wrath" where a Jedi Knight ends theirs as "The Hero of Tython." Consulars are called "Barsen'thor" (translates to "Warden of the Jedi Order"). An Inquisitor ends as [[spoiler: Darth Nox (Dark Side), Darth Occulus (gray), or Darth Imperius (Light Side)]]. Other titles include "The Backstabber", "Titan of Industry", "Black Bisector," and "The Heartless"

[[folder:Machinima]]
* Danial the destructive, from Machinima/NeverEndingNights. He isn't a bad person, [[TooDumbToLive but he screws up in such ways that is causes a lot of destruction]].
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* Too many, some of whom probably didn't deserve them.... '[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_Dracula Vlad the Impaler]]' probably deserved his, though.

** Similarly, the Polish king Casimir The Great (Kazimierz Wielki) earned his title because he transformed a poor country that was devastated and depopulated by decades of warfare, into an economic and military powerhouse. His economic, legal and educational reforms and heavy investment in infrastructure made Poland an European superpower for the next three centuries. Today most Polish people are actually unaware that he was also an accomplished and victorious military leader. He is the only Polish king to have been given the title of Great.
** France's Emperor Charlemagne (Charles the Great), who started the Carolingian renaissance and whose regime ended the Dark Ages and lifted Central Europe off from centuries of barbarism. Of course, he ''also'' did a lot of the killing people and conquering lots of land (he went on campaign practically every year, usually in the east, and so drubbed the Saxons into submission and practically wiped out the Avars). His title, ''Charles le magne'', has ''become'' his name in English: his buddies called him some variant on Carolus/Carl/Karl/etc.
** Ivan the Terrible is, in fact, a subversion. Modern English makes the epithet seem evil, but the old Russian word "grozny" is closer in meaning to something along the lines of "someone who inspire terror and amazement. A better translation of "grozny" would be "fearsome".

** Killer A is the leader of the Cloud Village and his bodyguard is known as and Killer B. The titles come from their deadly A/B Tag Team which requires not only great power but the ability to precisely control it so that they are a matched pair.

* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'': [[TheRedBaron The Lifemaker]], also known as The Mage of the Beginning, [[spoiler:created the Magic World together with its native inhabitants.]]

** Ivan the Terrible is, in fact, a subversion. Modern English makes the epithet seem evil, but the old Russian word "grozny" is closer in meaning to something along the lines of "someone who inspire terror and amazement".

** Balalaika's unofficial nickname is "Fry Face" for the numerous burns on her face that she received during the war in Afghanistan. [[BerserkButton I wouldn't suggest calling her that to her face though. Just saying.]]

* Guts from ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'' is known as the "Hundred Man Slayer" due to his single-handed massacre of at least a hundred mercenaries at the midpoint of the anime. Guts also gets the nicknamed "Black Swordsman" after the Eclipse, due to wearing a black armour and leaving a trail of destruction on his wake. Most people don't even know the Black Swordsman and the Hundred-Man Slayer are the same person.

* In ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'': [[TheRedBaron The Lifemaker]], also known as The Mage of the Beginning, [[spoiler:created the Magic World together with its native inhabitants.]]

* Boris the Bullet Dodger from ''{{Film/Snatch}}''. He dodges bullets.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40 000}}'':

* A game mechanic in ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' allows your character to earn titles based on their in-game decisions, completion of certain quests, or as part of the storyline. The Sith Warrior ends their story as "The Emperor's Wrath" where a Jedi Knight ends theirs as "The Hero of Tython." Consulars are called "Barsen'thor" (translates to "Warden of the Jedi Order"). An Inquisitor ends as [[spoiler: Darth Nox (Dark Side), Darth Occulus (gray), or Darth Imperius (Light Side)]]. Other titles include "The Backstabber", "Titan of Industry", "Black Bisector," and "The Heartless"

* In the Ork campaign of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}}: VideoGame/DawnOfWar: [[ExpansionPack Dark Crusade]]'', the Ork warboss Gorgutz 'Ead 'Unter awards himself a new name after defeating each faction: Demonkilla (Chaos), Deathkilla (Necrons), Ragescreamer (Tau[[note]]His frustration that they escaped with their leader's corpse.[[/note]]), Bloodspilla (Blood Ravens), Gunsmasha (Guard and their [[HumongousMecha Titan]] gun), Ghostkilla (Eldars).

* In ''Franchise/{{The Witcher}}'', Geralt of Rivia has a few of these, such as White Wolf, Gwynbleidd (meaning "White Wolf" in Elder Speech) and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Butcher of Blaviken]]. He got that last one from an event that took place in the novels [[spoiler:(in the short story ''The Lesser Evil'', to be accurate), [[CurbStompBattle when he killed a group of bandits]] [[AxCrazy for seemingly no reason]] in the marketplace of the town of Blaviken. It was actually justified, [[SadisticChoice as they were planning to murder a number of the town inhabitants in a ploy to get the town mage out of his tower and kill him]], but the townsmen weren't aware of that little detail when [[HeroWithBadPublicity they started pelting Geralt with rocks]], and the name stuck...]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Danial the destructive, from NeverEndingNights. He isn't a bad person, [[TooDumbToLive but he screws up in such ways that is causes a lot of destruction]].

** Similarly, the Adeptus Custodes as the Emperors personal guard get a title for every great action in the emperors service which they at to their names. This combined with their unnatural long lifespan usually leads to their names beeing extremly long with the length indicating the individuals worth.

'''Martre Flamb:''' Oh, it's not honorific. ''I earned it''.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', it is revealed that Garp received his nickname "The Hero of the Marines" after defeating the infamous Rocks Pirate (which under the command of Rocks D. Xebec had powerful pirates including [[spoiler:Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido before they become the emprors]]) 36 years before the start of the story. Garp usually never talks about it, because the incident occurred because he was ordered to protect the Celestial Dragons, who he hates, from Xebec, and because [[spoiler:he teamed up with Gol D. Rogers to stop Rocks]].

** [[spoiler: It's eventually revealed that he earned it by killing a guest in his house one hour before the three day period of SacredHospitality was up. He'd amassed enough evidence to determine that the man had poisoned a well in a desert and killed several dozen people, waiting the extra hour would have been needlessly delaying justice.]]

* In ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', Agent Melinda May is referred to as "TheCavalry" based on a particular case where she came to the rescue of a S.H.I.E.L.D. team, single-handed. She despises the name, at least partially because [[spoiler:she was forced to kill an [[EnfantTerrible unhinged Inhuman child]] during the case, resulting in extreme trauma]].

* In ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', Agent Melinda May is referred to as "TheCavalry" (a name she despises) based on a particular case where she came to the rescue of a S.H.I.E.L.D. team, single-handed.

** Beka Cooper of the ''Literature/ProvostsDog'' does this, combined with TitleDrop--each book is named after a nickname she is given. As a trainee she's called "Terrier" for not letting go of two old and difficult murder cases. Later she's called "Bloodhound" for tracking down the counterfeiters in Port Caynn, and finally "Mastiff" for hunting down enemies of the realm.

* "71 Hour Ahmed" from ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}''

** ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'' reveals that Sam Vimes has earned the nickname "Old Stoneface" in some quarters, which was originally bestowed on a famous ancestor of his who led a revolt against the reigning [[RoyallyScrewedUp mad king]] and thus brought an end to the monarchy. Said famous ancestor was christened with the rather more unwieldy name of "Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes," which is quite a MeaningfulName in itself, either for the ancestor or the descendant.

* An interesting variation from the StarWars Expanded Universe. The Gand race makes you earn the right to use your own name. All young of the race are referred to simply as "Gand". Completing a major accomplishment allows you to use your family name. Mastering your trade or skill or completing an amazing feat allows you to use your given name. These are still, however, required to be used in the third person. It takes a hero of epic proportions being granted special disposition by the government for use of first-person pronouns "I" or "Me". This is because the society considers it arrogance on the level of assuming '''every other Gand knows who you are'''. However, if the privilege is granted, other Gand '''are''' expected to know exactly who you are.

[[folder: FanWorks]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

** Every main series game after ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsArena Arena]]'' allows the player to earn titles from the various [[SidequestSidestory factions and guilds]] which are available to join. Becoming, for example, {{Master Thief}} of the ThievesGuild requires you to do a lot of stealing throughout the questline. Downplayed in the games after ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', as there are no longer skill requirements to join or advance in the various factions. For example, a full blown BarbarianHero PC who can barely cast a spell can become [[TheArchMage Arch-Mage]] of the [[MagicalSociety Mages Guild]] in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' simply by completing the quest line with brute force.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', [[RuleOfCool naturally]], has quite a few of these. Probably the most prominent is the god known as the Unconquered Sun. [[CaptainObvious Guess how he earned the name.]]

** Peter the Great and Catherine the Great are subversions. Though both were relatively good rulers by Russian standards, they earned their names by sheer [[LargeAndInCharge physical size]].
** As is Ivan the Terrible. Modern English makes the epithet seem evil, but the old Russian word "grozny" is closer in meaning to something along the lines of "someone who inspire terror and amazement".

* Guts from ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'' is known as the "Hundred Man Slayer" due to his [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome single-handed massacre of at least a hundred mercenaries at the midpoint of the anime]]. Guts also gets the nicknamed "Black Swordsman" after the Eclipse, due to wearing a black armour and leaving a trail of destruction on his wake. Most people don't even know the Black Swordsman and the Hundred-Man Slayer are the same person.

* Boris the Bullet Dodger from ''{{Snatch}}''. He dodges bullets.

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* ''In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline''"

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[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

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[[folder: Real Life ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{The Elder Scrolls IV|Oblivion}}'' get's you "The Hero of [[spoiler: Kvatch]]" and "The Hero Of Tamriel" from the main quest, Arch Mage (and lesser titles you get as you rise in the guild before that) from the Mages Guild quest, Head of the Fighter's guild, [[spoiler: Grey Fox]] from the Thieves Guild, Knight Of The Nine for the quests from the Knights of the Nine expansion and [[spoiler: Sheogorath, god of madness]] from the Shivering Isles expansion. When you get them, certain [=NPCs=] will mention them (most notably the first, which causes the vast majority of [=NPCs=] to say "You're the one who closed the gate! The Hero Of Kvatch!?" as their default line and the Mages guild titles, which make everyone in the guild greet you with "Hello [rank]").
** Every main-series ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' game after ''Arena'' (which granted you a title at the ''end'' of the game) has you earn titles over the course of the game -- what varies is what exact titles you can earn, which ones of them you can see listed on your character information and how they are mentioned in-game.