History Main / GlorySeeker

* There's the [[http://www.cardkingdom.com/card_viewer.php?sid=694309345&pid=68021 Glory Seeker]] ''MagicTheGathering'' card, he's apparently eager to be in the fray of battle.

* Throughout ''VideoGames/SpecOpsTheLine,'' it becomes clear that [[PlayerCharacter Martin Walker]] gradually descends into something of this in his desire to save the people of Dubai, even if it means putting his own men InHarmsWay. [[spoiler: Which ultimately goes to show how far he's [[FallenHero fallen]], even to the point of [[BelievingTheirOwnLies distorting]] [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity reality]] and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo justifying the atrocities he's committed]]. In his desire to become a [[IJustWantToBeBadass badass hero]] [[HeroicWannabe like he wanted]], he gets his men killed and dooms the people of Dubai. Depending on the ending, he either ends his own life, allows himself to face justice, or falls further into madness.]]

* Throughout ''VideoGames/SpecOpsTheLine,'' it becomes clear that [[PlayerCharacter Martin Walker]] gradually descends into something of this in his desire to save the people of Dubai, even if it means putting his own men InHarmsWay. [[spoiler: Which ultimately goes to show how far he's [[FallenHero fallen]], even to the point of [[BelievingTheirOwnLies distorting]] [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity reality]] and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo justifying the atrocities he's committed]]. In his desire to become a [[IJustWantToBeBadass badass hero]] [[HeroicWannabe like he wanted]], he gets his men killed and dooms the people of Dubai. Depending on the ending, he either ends his own life, allows himself to face justice, or falls further into madness.]]]]

* Literature/DonQuixote

* Throughout ''VideoGames/SpecOpsTheLine,'' it becomes clear that [[PlayerCharacter Martin Walker]] gradually descends into something of this in his desire to save the people of Dubai from the 33rd battalion, even if it means putting his own men InHarmsWay. [[spoiler: Which ultimately goes to show how far he's fallen, even to the point of [[BelievingTheirOwnLies distorting reality]] and [[IDidWhatIHadToDo justifying the atrocities he's committed]]. In his desire to become a [[IJustWantToBeBadass badass hero]] [[HeroicWannabe like he wanted]], he dooms the people of Dubai, gets his men killed, and, depending on [[AlternateEnding which ending]], either commits SuicideByCop or [[RedemptionRejection descends further into madness.]]

* {{Manowar}} style themselves to be HornyVikings, so naturally their songs usually feature bloody battles and tons of glory.
* HammerFall's song "Glory to the Brave", as well as a number of others, given that their gimmick is that they pretend to be Templars.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* A lot of famous explorers, mountaineers, and participants in similar recreations might qualify.
* Some [[SemperFi famous military units]] seek out these kind of people.
** Many others, howeever, actively discourage this sort of thing; the line between this trope and GloryHound can be awfully fine, and Glory Hounds tend not to make good soldiers.
[[/folder]]

->''They find the closest enemy and try to cut them up with swords. Madness. Just madness. Just so there can be something to carve on the cathedrals and put in children's stories.''

* A common motivation amongst members of the Companions in [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]. Fitting, since they are the Fighter's Guild local equivalent in a land of fantasy HornyVikings. One of the junior Companions, a Dunmer bladesman named Athis will even quote you Indiana Jones' fortune and glory line as his motivation for why he signed up. It's also why [[ActionGirl Aela the Huntress]] wants to get involved in the Civil War; not because she cares who ends up on the throne of the High King, but because battles are being fought and glory is being won while she sits around the Companions meadhall of Jorrvaskr not getting a share of it because the Companions kind of sort of not the leader [[CoolOldGuy Kodlak Whitemane]] has forbidden the Companions to get involved. Skjor also has elements of this [[spoiler: which gets him killed when he charges in alone ahead of you and Aela into a Silver Hand encampment and gets killed by their leader, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Krev the Skinner]].]]

[[folder:Web Comic]]
* The Aristocrat from ''WebComic/HeroOhHero'' is perfectly willing to take on some bandits troubling a town. However, after defeating one he's very quick to demand that they build a statue of him in the middle of town and even quicker to anger when [[http://www.neorice.com/hoh_101 it's pointed out that]] [[TheHero Burk]] is still fighting the bandit's (much more dangerous, [[CoolHorse acid spitting pig]]) mount.
[[/folder]]

* Taran in the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' starts out as this, to an embarrassing degree.

* The eponymous character from ''{{Naruto}}'' is like this, at least initially. He's a lonely boy, and he wants to become Hokage so the rest of the townsfolk will respect him.

-->''Chalkboard: France- back me up. England- back me up. Russia- back me up.''
-->'''America''': ...Any questions?
-->'''Russia''': Uh, I have one. What will you be doing?
-->'''America''': That's actually a very good question, Russia! [[AmericaSavesTheDay I'll be the hero, of course!]]

* Taran in the ''PrydainChronicles'' starts out as this, to an embarrassing degree.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* There's the [[http://www.cardkingdom.com/card_viewer.php?sid=694309345&pid=68021 Glory Seeker]] ''MagicTheGathering'' card, he's apparently eager to be in the fray of battle.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''
** {{Space Marine}}s love this trope: they both tell the stories of their predecessors, and seek to be FamedInStory themselves.
** Imperial Guard {{Commissar}}s, as propaganda officers, have this as part of their ''job'': Being led by a hero, real or [[FakeUltimateHero not]], improves the troops' morale. Of course, that doesn't stop ''some'' Commissars from being {{Glory Hound}}s themselves...
** Chaos Space Marines are a villainous example of this trope; every Chaos Marine strives for recognition and glory in the eyes of the Chaos Gods, because when you serve Chaos, you either [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence earn daemonhood]], die trying, or succumb to the [[FateWorseThanDeath mutating influence of the Warp]].

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'', Pippin takes after his MilesGloriosus half-brother and becomes a glory-seeking warrior, but it doesn't take long for him to become disillusioned.
* The eponymous character of ''Theatre/{{Ajax}}'', and it [[BreakTheHaughty doesn't end well]] for him.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* A lot of famous explorers, mountaineers, and participants in similar recreations might qualify.
* Some [[SemperFi famous military units]] seek out these kind of people.
** Many others, howeever, actively discourage this sort of thing; the line between this trope and GloryHound can be awfully fine, and Glory Hounds tend not to make good soldiers.

[[folder:Music]]
* Every Music/DragonForce song ever. There's even a DrinkingGame where you take a shot every time the singer says "glory" or "glorious".
* {{Manowar}} style themselves to be HornyVikings, so naturally their songs usually feature bloody battles and tons of glory.
* HammerFall's song "Glory to the Brave", as well as a number of others, given that their gimmick is that they pretend to be Templars.
* The third verse of the Music/PinkFloyd song "Paranoid Eyes," from ''The Final Cut'' shows the aftermath of being one:
--> You believed in their stories of fame, fortune, and glory
--> Now you're lost in the haze of alcohol-soft middle age
--> The great pie in the sky turned out to be miles too high
--> Now you hide, hide, hide
--> Behind brown and mild eyes
[[/folder]]

* In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' Indy goes after the Sankara Stones because he believes they will bring him "Fortune and Glory".
** The danger of this mantra is [[AnAesop the moral]] of ''Film/TheLastCrusade''. In a LiteralCliffhanger, Indy holds onto [[LoveInterestTraitor Elsa Schneider]] as she desperately reaches for the HolyGrail she dropped moments earlier. Unwilling to give Indy her free hand and save herself, Elsa falls to her death when the glove on her other hand slips off. Indy finds himself in the exact situation and tries to get the grail too, but his father convinces him to “let it go.” Indy’s willingness to pass up the “fortune and glory” saves his life while Elsa’s obsession with obtaining the grail for her personal glory kills her.
* Achilles in ''Film/{{Troy}}''

Usually some sort of military officer, but not neccessarily so, he can be a crusading knight charging heedlessly into the fray, a lone desperado out to make a name for himself, a BountyHunter going after the toughtest targets. He may or may not enjoy the spoils of war, he may or may not believe in what he's fighting for, he may be a [[MilesGloriosus coward who is all talk]] or a BloodKnight who revels in the slaughter, but the defining trait of the Glory Seeker is that he craves the [[HundredPercentHeroismRating adoration of the masses]] and [[ItHasBeenAnHonor respect of his peers]] -- and hates most of all [[DudeWheresMyRespect not being respected]]. He might grow disillusioned after a while, or he might never learn. If met out of combat, may appear to be the MilesGloriosus, but actual danger will reveal the truth.

Compare MartyrdomCulture (where this considered a noble calling), TeamPrimaDonna.

SuperTrope of GloryHound (who is not only after glory but quite willing to expend everyone else in order to get it, or lie, or any other act that will get him it).

* In ''IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' Indy goes after the Sankara Stones because he believes they will bring him "Fortune and Glory".
** The danger of this mantra is [[AnAesop the moral]] of The Last Crusade. In a LiteralCliffhanger, Indy holds onto [[LoveInterestTraitor Elsa Schneider]] as she desperately reaches for the HolyGrail she dropped moments earlier. Unwilling to give Indy her free hand and save herself, Elsa falls to her death when the glove on her other hand slips off. Indy finds himself in the exact situation and tries to get the grail too, but his father convinces him to “let it go.” Indy’s willingness to pass up the “fortune and glory” saves his life while Elsa’s obsession with obtaining the grail for her personal glory kills her.
* Achilles in ''{{Troy}}''

* ''Literature/RagnarLodbrokAndHisSons'' is a medieval saga about a clan of Viking warlords, all of them being excessive {{Glory Seeker}}s.

From the crucible of battle are heroes born, in defeating the villainous enemy there is glory to be had, and that makes it all worthwhile. At least, that's what the GlorySeeker believes.

Usually some sort of military officer, but not neccessarily so, he can be a crusading knight charging heedlessly into the fray, a lone desperado out to make a name for himself, a BountyHunter going after the toughtest targets. He may or may not enjoy the spoils of war, he may or may not believe in what he's fighting for, he may be a [[MilesGloriosus coward who is all talk]] or a BloodKnight who revels in the slaughter, but the defining trait of the GlorySeeker is that he craves the [[HundredPercentHeroismRating adoration of the masses]] and [[ItHasBeenAnHonor respect of his peers]] -- and hates most of all [[DudeWheresMyRespect not being respected]]. He might grow disillusioned after a while, or he might never learn. If met out of combat, may appear to be the MilesGloriosus, but actual danger will reveal the truth.

ProudWarriorRaceGuy is almost always a GlorySeeker.

If the GlorySeeker has cohorts or helpers with them, they'll either be EasilyImpressed individuals who give the GlorySeeker a constant supply of praise, or {{Deadpan Snarker}}s who keep the Glory Seeker down to Earth by constantly mocking their boasting.

* An episode of ''SpaceAboveAndBeyond'' involves a brother of one of the main characters enlist to fight the Chigs. He gets assigned to the unit headed by a known GlorySeeker. Needless to say, the episode doesn't end well.
* In ''OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', [[spoiler: Sister Ingalls]] is in jail for indulging these tendencies, [[spoiler: and was excommunicated for it]].

* The third verse of the PinkFloyd song "Paranoid Eyes," from ''The Final Cut'' shows the aftermath of being one:

* Itsuki of ''LightNovel/TateNoYuushaNoNariagari'' is constantly seeking praise in some form, most overtly when he falls into despair after [[spoiler:the Spirit Turtle incident]]. Raphtalia was enraged when she discovered Itsuki was purposefully holding back during fights so that he could jump in and save his companions the instant they were in danger.

* In ''[[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/076.htm The Lute Player,]]'' how the king came to be captured.

* In ''[[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/076.htm The Lute Player]]'', how the king came to be captured.