History Main / GodJob

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** The God of Earth, Kami, is an old Namekian who has forgotten his own name, who took over from the previous God. After Goku defeats Piccolo Jr., the reincarnation of Kami's evil half, Kami offers his position to Goku, though as he just got engaged to Chi-Chi, he declines. Kami would later be replaced by Dende, another Namekian, because the heroes needed someone to fill the job after Kami fused with Piccolo.
** Much, much later, in ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'', after the battle with Beerus the God of Destruction, his attendant Whis offers to make Goku Beerus's successor, as even Beerus isn't immortal and will die someday. Again, Goku turns it down, though he sort of became a god anyway, having gained the ability to temporarily become a Super Saiyan God.

See Also: SomeoneHasToDoIt, when supernatural forces are making sure that such a post is filled, sometimes via YouKillItYouBoughtIt. Also, people who ascend to such a God Job inevitably qualify as {{Physical God}}s. If you become a god of an unimpressive thing, your God Job might make you one of the OddJobGods.

** Much, much later, in ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'', after the battle with Beerus the God of Destruction, his attendant Whis offers to make Goku Beerus's successor (as even Beerus isn't immortal and will die someday). Again, Goku turns it down (though he is kind-of-sort-of a god now, having gained the ability to temporarily become a Super Saiyan God).

** In fact, Death can be killed for good with [[HoistByHisOwnPetard his own scythe]], but the next Reaper to die will then inherit his ring and automatically take his place. [[spoiler:Billy becomes the new Death after Castiel kills her.]]

* in ''Franchise/XFactor'' After a fight with the Irish goddess the Morrigan, Banshee runs into her again and the Morrigan claims to be "tired" of being a goddess and implies they too were once human or at least mortal, when Theresa kills her (at her own request) she becomes the new Morrigan.

* ''Literature/{{Tasakeru}}'' explores the various complications of [[spoiler:an outcast being selected to fulfill the role of a God.]]

* Same thing happens to [[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]] after he kills the Grim Reaper with a bowling ball, in the "Reaper Madness" episode from the Treehouse of Horror specials.

* One of the main things that separates UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} from mainstream Christianity. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Let's leave it at that.]]

** In ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'', the Anthropomorphic Personification of Time retires and is replaced by her son.

*** When Death took [[DeathTakesAHoliday a holiday in]] ''Mort'', his apprentice started taking on more of his traits while Death himself became more human. In his own words, [[AC: Death is whoever does Death's job.]]

** In ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'', Death himself takes on the role of the Hogfather (Santa Claus) when the Hogfather [[spoiler:gets disbelieved out of existence]], and his granddaughter Susan must both take on his role temporarily AND figure out just what's going on and stop it.
*** Also in ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'', we learn that because Discworld GodsNeedPrayerBadly, over time "old gods do new jobs" in order to retain believers. Susan sees proof of this when she sees how the Hogfather has changed from his original incarnation to his current form.

* In ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2011'' (New 52) Franchise/WonderWoman becomes the God of War by killing Ares. The only reason she did this was to stop a madman from doing it and acquiring Ares' power for himself. In addition, after Zeus goes missing, Apollo winds up taking his father's place on Olympus's throne.

* New 52 WonderWoman becomes the God of War by killing Ares. The only reason she did this was to stop a madman from doing it and acquiring Ares' power for himself. In addition, after Zeus goes missing, Apollo winds up taking his father's place on Olympus's throne.

* One of the main things that separates UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} from mainstream Christianity. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement Let's leave it at that.]]

* In ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}'' and ''Series/AshesToAshes'', it's revealed that [[spoiler: Gene Hunt is a {{Psychopomp}}, meant to ferry the souls of dead policemen to the afterlife. He himself was once a young copper, shot and killed during his first day on duty.]]

* In Breton and Cornish folklore there is a {{Psychopomp}} known as Ankou, however unlike many other personifications of death Ankou isn't so much a person as a title/job and there isn't just one of them. Instead the last person from a parish to die that year becomes the next year's Ankou for that parish, with each parish having it's own Ankou.

* In ''Flim/BruceAlmighty'', down-on-his-luck news reporter Bruce [[RageAgainstTheHeavens calls out]] God because he feels that God's slacking on his job. God decides to offer Bruce his job for one week to see if he can do it better. Sure enough, the divine power goes to Bruce's head and he uses it to screw around.

* ''Franchise//DragonBall'':

* The God of Earth, Kami, from ''Manga/DragonBall'' is an old Namekian who has forgotten his own name, who took over from the previous God. After Goku defeats Piccolo Jr., the reincarnation of Kami's evil half, Kami offers his position to Goku, though as he just got engaged to Chi-Chi, he declines. Kami would later be replaced by Dende, another Namekian, because the heroes needed someone to fill the job after Kami fused with Piccolo. Much, much later, in ''Battle of Gods'', after the battle with Beerus the God of Destruction, his attendant Whis offers to make Goku Beerus's successor (as even Beerus isn't immortal and will die someday). Again, Goku turns it down (though he is kind-of-sort-of a god now, having gained the ability to temporarily become a Super Saiyan God).

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the Tribunal are a trio of formerly mortal Dunmeri {{Physical God}}s. They served as advisors to the ancient Dunmeri hero [[LongDeadBadass Lord Indoril Nerevar]] and wield their divine power as the indirect leaders of the modern Dunmer {{Theocracy}}.

A specific subtrope of this deals with SantaClaus, who is often a normal person who has to take the job of "Santa". Many Christmas specials deal with a new Santa gaining the job, or the old Santa looking for a replacement. Another common subtrope is for Death, and the period between the old death and a new death assuming the role often leads to DeathTakesAHoliday.

** In fact, Death can be killed for good, but the next Reaper to die will then inherit his ring and automatically take his place. [[spoiler:Billy becomes the new Death after Castiel kills her.]]

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': In the episode "[[Recap/SupernaturalS06E11AppointmentInSamarra Apointment In Samarra]]", Dean is temporarily made into a reaper to do Death's job for one day as part of a deal, if he wins then Death will retrieve Sam's soul. [[spoiler: He fails, but Death decides that he learned the right Aesop anyway and holds up his end of the bargain.]]

* At the end of ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'''s expansion, ''Shivering Isles'', [[spoiler:the PlayerCharacter becomes Sheogorath, the God of Madness.]]
** Also, from ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', according to popular myth (and an encounter in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''), the god Talos was once the mortal Tiber Septim. Then there's the whole PhysicalGod business of the tribunal.

* The Santa variant of this trope is seen in ''Film/TheSantaClause''. Whoever puts on Santa's clothes following the previous Santa's death becomes the new Santa, with all the abilities, appearance quirks and duties this implies.
** They do, however, keep certain characteristics of their old self. The third movie deals with what would have happened if someone ''evil'' got the suit- a crass commercial greedy Santa.

-->-- '''God''', offering his job to Goku in ''Manga/DragonBall''

* The God of Earth from ''Manga/DragonBall'' is an old Namekian who has forgotten his own name, who took over from the previous God. After Goku defeats Piccolo Jr., the reincarnation of God's evil half, God offers his position to Goku, though as he just got engaged to Chi-Chi, he declines. God would later be replaced by Dende, another Namekian, because the heroes needed someone to fill the job after God fused with Piccolo. Much, much later, in ''Battle of Gods'', after the battle with Beerus the God of Destruction, his attendant Whis offers to make Goku Beerus's successor (as even Beerus isn't immortal and will die someday). Again, Goku turns it down (though he is kind-of-sort-of a god now, having gained the ability to temporarily become a Super Saiyan God).