History Main / EternalHero

[[caption-width-right:350:No matter what, there will always be a Link to save the day.]]

* Franchise/{{Superman}} is sometimes this. Depending on the continuity, his lifespan can run into the millions. In ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', Superman even shares an adventure with several of his descendent Supermen.

[[caption-width-right:350:[-No matter what, there will always be a Link to save the day.-]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/loz_25th_anniversary_poster.png]]]]

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' various boys called Link across three alternate versions of the same universe take up the mantle of the legendary hero Link to save the world. However, they're not simply {{Legacy Character}}s, but Chosen Heroes who bear the Spirit of the Hero. ''Hyrule Historia'' revealed that, in-universe, the various Links may not share a name at all. Whether this means their given name or surname isn't specified. In the case of the former, "Link" could very well be the Hylian word for this trope. It also states that the various Links can be descendants or reincarnations, but can also be completely unrelated to former heroes. This seems to imply that the Spirit of the Hero is more an aspect that a hero possesses (spirit in this case meaning a defining quality), rather than referring to a reborn soul. Or something even more screwier as both Demise and his reincarnation Ganondorf have cursed Link to continue their battle forever.

** 'The Last Continent'' also mentions that Death has had an appointment with many supposed eternal heroes, but his code against discussing afterlives means we don't know if there's any system in place for them to have another go.

** ''Discworld'' also gives us another parody, the octogenarian warrior-hero Cohen the Barbarian, who "[[BadassGrandpa has a lifetime's experience of not dying]]".
** It also plays the trope straight with BadassGrandpa Lu-Tze, who's a 900-year-old member of a monastic TimePolice.

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' various boys called Link across three alternate versions of the same universe take up the mantle of the legendary hero Link to save the world. However, they're not simply {{Legacy Character}}s, but Chosen Heroes who bear the Spirit of the Hero. ''Hyrule Historia'' revealed that, in-universe, the various Links may not share a name at all. Whether this means their given name or surname isn't specified. In the case of the former, "Link" could very well be the Hylian word for this trope. It also states that the various Links can be descendants or reincarnations, but can also be completely unrelated to former heroes. This seems to imply that the Spirit of the Hero is more an aspect that a hero possesses (spirit in this case meaning a defining quality), rather than referring to a reborn soul.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series has the "Shezarrines", [[GodInHumanForm physical manifestations]] of the spirit of the [[GodIsDead "dead" creator god]] Lorkhan (aka [[IHaveManyNames Shezarr, Shor, Sep, etc.]]). The Shezarrines typically appear at moments of great turmoil for [[HumansAreSpecial mankind]], often fighting against the [[OurElvesAreBetter races of Mer (Elves)]]. The GodEmperor Tiber Septim is thought to be one such manifestation. Wulfharth Ash-King is believed to have been another, dying and coming back to life at least three times.

* The various incarnations of Lorkhan/Shezzar/Shor in Franchise/TheElderScrolls games. These Shezzarines always appear at moments of great need as champions of Humankind, often fighting against the Elves. The best example (apart from the god-emperor Talos) is Wulfharth Ash-King, who has died and come back to life at least three times.

* The Doctor in ''Series/DoctorWho'' is an archetypal example of this trope. It helps that he has a [[TimeTravel time machine]] that can go anywhere in time and space, so he literally can reappear at any time. His [[TheNthDoctor regeneration]] may make him a slightly different person each time, but he's always a hero.

* The Dragon from the ''WheelOfTime''. He's reincarnated once an Age to do battle with the Dark One. Also in the WheelOfTime are the Heroes of the Horn, who reincarnate more frequently and form much of the mythology and legends.

[[caption-width-right:350:No matter what, there will always be a Link to save the day.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LinkArt2_9051.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:No matter the era, Link will save the day]]

->''But in the darkest hour\\

A dormant seed awaiting nourishment''

[[quoteright:207:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1hyrule_warriors_link_art_3013.png]]
[[caption-width-right:207:No matter the era, Link will always save the day.]]

[[quoteright:260:[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/icon_link.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:260:No matter the era, Link will save the day.]]

[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/icon_link.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:260:No matter the era, [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] will save the day.]]

* Lampshaded and parodied by T.H. White in the last volume of ''Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing'', where Merlin (who was born an old man at the end of the universe and lives his life backwards in time to an eventual death as a baby during the Big Bang) devotes a couple of paragraphs to [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall confusing Arthur by criticising future retellings of his legend]], [[GenreSavvy mercilessly savaging White's version ("Imagine, beginning with the Normans and ending with the Wars of the Roses")]] for using ComicBookTime to allow Arthur and the others to [[MindScrew live through centuries of history while simultaneously only living for normal human lifespans.]]

* In ''Franchise/BreathOfFire'' Ryu is a blue haired hero who appears as the main protagonist of all of the series instalments. He is always a supernatural being referred to as a dragon though the nature of his power varies from game to game. It is unknown if the various Ryus are the same person, reincarnations or otherwise but he clearly appears over the course of many generations and alternate worlds.

* The Dragon from the ''WheelOfTime''. He's reincarnated once an Age to do battle with the Dark One. Also in the WheelOfTime are the Heros of the Horn, who reincarnate more frequently and form much of the mythology and legends.

** The Unlimited Blade Works route brings up the darker side of this with [[spoiler: Servant Archer - Heroic Spirit EMIYA]]. In addition to the great heroes of myth and legend, there are also the unsung heroes who were not BornLucky enough to have anything like divine blessings or artifacts. Because these heroes are not famed and revered enough to properly ascend to the Throne of Heroes, but are still Heroic Spirits, they serve as Counter Guardians that protect humankind from existential threats. However the Counter Force only summons Guardians once a situation has truly gone to Hell and there is no other way to avert disaster. In order to eliminate the threat, which is often human in origin, the Guardians are tasked with killing everything in the vicinity, [[TheNeedsOfTheMany sacrificing even the victims to ensure that the threat humankind as a whole is completely eradicated]]. While never actually seen in the game [[spoiler: being unable to save the people suffering before his eye every time he is summoned is what led Archer over the DespairEventHorizon and led him to want to kill his own past self to try and erase his own eternal existence via TemporalParadox. Luckily, thanks to the efforts of Rin and Shirou, he rekindles the fire that used to drive him and in the end he assures Rin with a smile that he will be okay filling his role as an EternalHero from now on]].

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' gives us the Throne of Heroes and the Heroic Spirits. They are heroes (such as Heracles and Cu Chulainn) were idolized to the point that their legends transcended time and remain even centuries after their deaths. This can also affect heroes that never truly existed, such as [[spoiler: False Assassin, ''UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro'', who is really just a "wraith", a type of spirit, that happens to closely resemble the myth]]. What makes these heroes eternal is that the Throne of Heroes is a metaphysical place removed from time where the most splendid souls of the era are preserved to be called upon in any time period [[spoiler: even from the future]].
** The Unlimited Blade Works route shows the darker side of this with [[spoiler: Servant Archer - Heroic Spirit EMIYA]]. In addition to the great heroes of myth and legend, there are also the unsung heroes who were not BornLucky enough to have anything like divine blessings or artifacts. Because these heroes are not famed and revered enough to properly ascend to the Throne of Heroes, but are still Heroic Spirits, they serve as Counter Guardians, summoned by the Counter Force to protect humankind from existential threats. The downside to the "eternal" part is that there is no end to the threats and that most of the threats to humanity happen to humans themselves, so the primary duty of the guardians ends up being to mercilessly kill anyone in the target zone to end the threat, sacrificing even the victims at the scene for TheNeedsOfTheMany. This causes [[spoiler: Archer to try and kill his own past self just for the miniscule chance that it might erase his existence via TemporalParadox and end his torment]].

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' gives us the Throne of Heroes and the Heroic Spirits. They are heroes (such as Heracles and Cu Chulainn) were idolized to the point that their legends transcended time and remain even centuries after their deaths. This can also affect heroes that never truly existed, such as [[spoiler: False Assassin [[''UsefulNotes/SasakiKojiro'' Sasaski Kojiro]] who is really just a "wraith", a type of spirit, that happens to closely resemble the myth]]. What makes these heroes eternal is that the Throne of Heroes is a metaphysical place removed from time where the most splendid souls of the era are preserved to be called upon in any time period [[spoiler: even from the future]].