History Main / GoGetterGirl

** Azula is a good example of why this is a bad thing to be if you grow up in an environment that fosters inhumanity, cut-throat competition, and sheer unbridled ''ruthlessness''. Not only does meeting people's expectations, in this case, mean being an abominable human being, but [[spoiler:the need to throw friendship, love, and morality itself aside in the name of obedience and ambition is enough to cause mental instability at the first hint of a true setback]].
** Katara is a more positive example. At the beginning of the series, she only had a small set of self-taught waterbending abilities. Once she sees her opportunity to become a more skilled, she practically jumps at it. By the end of the series, Katara had mastered all sub-styles of waterbending at the time and served as '''[[{{MessianicArchetype}} The Avatar's]]''' waterbending teacher.

* Twilight Sparkle of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Before the start of the series, her only care was perfecting her mage studies, actively shunning anything that could get in the way of that, which meant no social life for her.

* Courtney from ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''. She's ThePerfectionist who has ambitions to get into law school.

->'''Paris:''' The <i>Franklin</i>, the school paper, are you going out for it?

->'''Paris:''' You'll never catch up. You'll never beat me. This school is my domain and the <i>Franklin</i> is my domain. And don't you ever forget that.

* Lafiel from ''LightNovel/CrestOfTheStars'' does not coast on her status as a Princess, but instead desires to prove herself as a commander in her own right.

Compare and contrast with PluckyGirl, a similarly strong and determined character type, but one that shows more comfort with breaking rules and flouting social conventions, as well as TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask, who has these pressures thrust upon her as a member of royalty rather than freely choosing them.

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* Nana from ''Manga/NanaToKaoru'' is so wrapped up in her quest for achievement, the only thing that can help her relax is a good session of BDSM.

* Blossom of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''. "Power-Noia" revealed that she has a serious complex for being perfect.

If the Go-Getter Girl is in high school, she is very often a ClassRepresentative or StudentCouncilPresident, as well as focused on entering the UsefulNotes/IvyLeague, UsefulNotes/{{Oxbridge}}, or UsefulNotes/TokyoUniversity. College Go-Getter Girls will be racking up internships and academic distinctions as they position themselves for an appealing job when they graduate. The oldest a Go-Getter Girl is likely to be in her late 20s or early 30s; by this time, if they have continued to stay on the path to success, they will have begun to take on real responsibilities and grown into [[IronLady a different trope]].

* Dorothy in ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge'' has a plan that involves moving from Indiana University to Yale, then politics, and eventually becoming President. [[spoiler: She appears to be torn about even the first step of that now that she's made friends in Indiana, though.]] Her counterpart in Joyce's HerCodeNameWasMarySue comic strip, Doris, is, in Dorothy's words "just a Presidency-obsessed maniac" (and is indeed President in the sci-fi stories the comic is a {{Prequel}} to).

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** Katara is a more positive example. At the beginning of the series, she only had a small set of self-taught waterbending abilities. Once she sees her opportunity to become a more skilled, she practically jumps at it. By the end of the series, Katara had mastered all sub-styles of waterbending at the time and served as'''[[{{MessianicArchetype}} The Avatar's]]''' waterbending teacher.

* Ayatsuji Tsukasa from ''VideoGame/{{Amagami}} SS'', complete with hidden BitchInSheepsClothing tendencies.

* [[TheRival Amy Squirrel]] and [[TeachersPet Sasha]] in ''Film/BadTeacher''.

* Creator/HaroldLloyd is a well-known male version.

* Rory Gilmore and Paris from ''Series/GilmoreGirls''. Rory is a more balanced example, while Paris is highly unstable and a fierce AcademicAlphaBitch.

* Michaela Pratt in ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. The murder in question ends up cracking her façade badly.
** Bonnie (played by Lisa Weil, veteran in the GoGetterGirl field -see entry on ''Series/GilmoreGirls''), is depicted as an older version of this trope.

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': ComicBook/LoisLane is a major example, and so is her cousin Chloe Sullivan.
* Laura Palmer from ''Series/TwinPeaks'' is a subversion of this. She does well at school, has a part-time job, a boyfriend, and regularly volunteers with a local Meals on Wheels... But the deeper the investigation into her death probes, the darker her life seems.

* Susie Derkins from ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' may be only five, but she already exemplifies this trope, making her a perfect foil for BrilliantButLazy Calvin.

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* Mitsuru Kirijo from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' may have originally have taken on this role because of her family responsibilities, but she certainly pulls it off (even if she sometimes thinks about what it would be like otherwise).
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* Shizune from ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' has this personality, while at the same time needing to deal with her deafness. Perhaps because of this, she often comes off as more abrasive than others of this type.
* Young Eva from ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' started out like this in high school. Then her father told her she could never become family head because she was a woman. Things got worse from there...

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* Endorsi Jahad from the ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', as a result of a training regimen that boiled down to 'achieve, or starve'.
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* Jodie Landon from ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', which has something to do with the pressure of being one of the few black students at Lawndale High as well as her parents.

* Lisa Simpson from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' often will behave like this, although she is still young enough to balance it out with moments of acting like a normal girl.

* Harriet Conklin from "'Radio/OurMissBrooks'': is a straight A student, Student Council President, and member of a number of clubs. Next to her boyfriend, Walter Denton, she's probably Miss Brooks' biggest TeachersPet. She's also seen as the only student who likes the principal, likely because she's Mr. Conklin's daughter.

** Katara is a more positive example. At the beginning of the series, she only had a small set of self-taught waterbending abilities. Once she sees her opportunity to become a more skilled, she practically jumps at it. By the end of the series, Katara had learned all sub-styles of waterbending at the time and served as'''[[{{MessianicArchetype}} The Avatar's]]''' waterbending teacher.

** Katara also has some of these traits.

* Sumire in ''Manga/YoureMyPet'' is an interesting case. As a woman in her late 20s, she represents the older age limit of this type. While she is well on the way to achieving professional success, she finds herself facing multiple personal anxieties due to the compromises and life decisions she had made along the way. [[spoiler: The epilogue shows a happy ending, where she has managed to combine a fulfilling career with a loving relationship, albeit with the very last type of man she would have expected.]]

* So-and-so from ''WebAnimation/TeenGirlSquad'' is obsessed with grades and extracurriculars and generally hyperactively interested in perfection to a point of insanity. At one point she claims her favorite part of the library is the reference section, and she proposes they name their band "Smartly Pretty".

* Jodi Landon from ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', which has something to do with the pressure of being one of the few black students at Lawndale High as well as her parents.
* Edd (Double D) from ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' is a rare male example. He gets good grades at school, is talented in mechanics, gets along with the kids (sometimes when Eddy isn't around) and has an active social life at his school (he is a journalist of the Peach Creek Junior High Tattler and the president of the Happy Clucker's club and the safety clubs).
* Olga from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' is a deconstruction. While Olga has good leadership skills and regularly gets straight As in college, she is held to extremely high expectation by her parents. Also, she is driven to a mental breakdown over a B grade (which Helga forges, mind you).

* Utena Tenjou from ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' painfully learns the difference between holding an ideal of achievement and managing actual leadership.
* Lafiel from ''LightNovel/CrestOfTheStars'' does not coast on her status as a Princess, but instead desires to prove herself as a commander in her own right.
* Asuka Langley Soryu from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' wants to be this but, due to her traumatic background, does not have the mental health to do so. Her unprovoked rudeness to perceived inferior Shinji is an early sign of the desperation behind her driven personality.

* Nana from ''Manga/NanaToKaoru'' is so wrapped up in her quest for achievement, the only thing that can help her relax is a good session of BDSM.
* Sumire in ''Manga/YoureMyPet'' is an interesting case. As a woman in her late 20s, she represents the older age limit of this type. While she is well on the way to achieving professional success, she finds herself facing multiple personal anxieties due to the compromises and life decisions she had made along the way. [[spoiler: The epilogue shows a happy ending, where she has managed to combine a fulfilling career with a loving relationship, albeit with the very last type of man she would have expected.]]
* Hiroko Matsukada from ''Manga/HatarakiMan'' is practically an expy of [[Manga/YoureMyPet Sumire]]. Same driven attitude to work (in practically the same job, no less!), same struggles with balancing work and personal life (and the fact that her professional ambitions have partially contributed to her being single in her late 20s), same issues with sexism where her co-workers value her contributions but see her as not feminine enough.
* Ayaka Machida in ''Anime/StellviaOfTheUniverse'' is extremely ambitious, to the point where she is ready to commit amoral and outright criminal acts to come out on top.

* Ayatsuji Tsukasa from ''VideoGame/{{Amagami}} SS'', complete with hidden BitchInSheepsClothing tendencies.
* Kyouko from ''Manga/SkipBeat'' starts out as... not this, as she's dropped out of high school and sacrificed her entire life to take care of her actor sorta-boyfriend. Then she happens to overhear what he really thinks of her (disposable labor), and she vows to get her revenge by outshining him in show business. [[{{Determinator}} Cue her personality switching 180 degrees, as from then on, nothing will stand in the way of her pursuit of success.]]

* Amber Atkins in ''Film/DropDeadGorgeous''. She's a good student, holds two jobs, volunteers at the anorexia wing of the hospital, and still has time to practice her tap dancing!
* [[TheRival Amy Squirrel]] and [[TeachersPet Sasha]] in ''Film/BadTeacher''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Judy Hopps was the top student at the police academy and even when she's assigned to parking duty on her first day she still gives her best to show what she's made of. She willingly works harder to compensate for her small stature and discrimination she faces as a bunny.
* Creator/HaroldLloyd is a well-known male version.

* Eilonwy from ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' is very devoted to achieving excellence as an enchantress, and, like Hermione, can be somewhat snotty to those she sees as slacking off.
* Beatrice Ragnell from ''Literature/HandsHeldInTheSnow'' is a [[GradeSkipper quick rising]] junior priest set on being the best student in her entire school. Unfortunately for her, there isn't exactly much competition with her apathetic classmates.
* Quite a few of the girls in Creator/EnidBlyton's ''Malory Towers'' books take their turns at this. Darrell Rivers, Sally Hope, and Alicia Johns are the cream of the all-rounders; most of the other girls who stand out for their achievements are known for one particular talent.

* Andie and Joey from ''Series/DawsonsCreek'', with both of them, being part of troubled families and suffering from a terrible home life, consequently becoming ambitious overachievers.

* Sabrina from ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' becomes this. She is something of a nerd in high school and devotes herself to her ambitions of becoming a journalist.

* Topanga Lawrence from ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' starts off as a weird GranolaGirl, but develops into this trope as the series goes on.
* Annie Edison from ''Series/{{Community}}'': [[WordOfGod her character was inspired]] by [[Film/{{Election}} Tracy Flick]]. Although it hasn't worked out so well for her in the past (a disastrous Adderall addiction during high school) she grows into a mature and kind but still very driven young woman over the course of the series.
* Leslie Knope from ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' is a slightly older, but not necessarily more mature version. Yet another character on this list who was inspired by Tracy Flick.
* Spencer Hastings from ''Series/PrettyLittleLiars''. She has straight A's, is an Academic Decathlon champion, and plays lacrosse and field hockey. Eventually, she pursues a career in politics.
* Michaela Pratt in ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder''. The murder in question ends up cracking her façade badly.
** Bonnie (played by Lisa Weil, veteran in the GoGetterGirl field -see entry on ''Series/GilmoreGirls''), is depicted as an older version of this trope.

* ''Series/{{Glee}}'':
** Rachel Berry is set on becoming a broadway diva, no matter what. She is active in every possible extracurricular and has straight A's.
** Quinn also fits the trope - she studies hard, is captain of the cheerleading squad, and will stop at nothing to be prom queen.
** Season 6 gives us Jane, a girl so ambitious she manages to turn an all-male prep school co-ed by insisting on her right to a good education.