History Main / HeroicVow

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': The Ideals sworn by the Knights Radiant generally don't count as this trope, since the Radiants gain OathboundPowers from swearing them. However, [[AllThereInTheManual according to supplemental material]], the Bondsmiths often have members who receive no powers from their oaths (since there are only three [[BondCreatures spren]] that can grant those particular powers), yet they swear them anyway just for the sake of it, which was regarded as the purest form of Radiance.

Key to the Heroic Vow is that it is a commitment the character keeps because he willingly '''wants''' to. There are no talismans or fail-safes preventing the breaking of the vow, nor are they needed -- the character's willpower and resolve are the only requirements.

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', the Knights Radiant have oaths (called Ideals) that represent their bonds to their [[BondCreature spren]] and grant them their powers. Interestingly, there is some room for personalization of the Ideals, with the exact form of the words spoken becoming less strict as the Radiant progresses deeper into their Order.
** The first is the exact same for every Order, word for word:
--->[[MartialPacifist Life before death]], [[ComesGreatResponsibility strength before weakness]], [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts journey before destination]].
** The second Ideal of each Order specializes the Radiant to the particular theme of that Order, with little room for deviation:
*** Windrunners: "[[WeHelpTheHelpless I will protect.]]"
*** Skybreakers: "[[ForGreatJustice I will seek justice.]]"
*** Dustbringers: "[[WillfullyWeak I will achieve self-mastery.]]"
*** Edgedancers: "[[TheMenFirst I will remember.]]"
*** Truthwatchers: "[[SeekerArchetype I will seek truth.]]"
*** Lightweavers: Unlike the other orders, Lightweavers only swear the first Ideal. To advance, they instead speak [[IAmWhatIAm deep, personal truths about themselves]].
*** Elsecallers: "[[ToBeAMaster I will reach my potential.]]"
*** Willshapers: "[[IJustWantToBeFree I will seek freedom.]]"
*** Stonewards: "[[TheReliableOne I will be there when I'm needed.]]"
*** Bondsmiths: "[[DividedWeFall I will unite.]]"
** The third Ideal is where they start to become more personalized, with a general theme of overcoming some personal obstacle to properly observing the second. For example, most Windrunners will swear to [[SaveTheVillain protect even people they hate]], but one Windrunner who's not the kind of person that hates anyone instead swears to protect people ''from himself'', resolving to tone down his [[TheGadfly gadfly]] tendancies to be less harmful. The fourth Ideal is less understood at this point, but seems to be about forgiving oneself for past failures to live up to the second. The fifth and final Ideal is currently a complete mystery.
** Exploited in ''Literature/RhythmOfWar'', twice. The first time is when the Sons of Honor try to screen a potential spy by making her [[HonorBeforeReason swear an oath that she's not one of the Knights Radiant]]; they don't know that Knights Radiant are only required to keep the Ideals, or that they're interrogating a Lightweaver, the order that specializes in espionage [[ConsummateLiar and deal in lies as their stock-in-trade]]. The second time is when one of the Windrunners, a considerably more conventionally honorable order, is suffering from depression and refuses to leave his room. His friend barges in on him and demands that he swears an oath that he will be fine alone. When the Windrunner realizes that he can't swear that oath, his friend takes him to a party.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda,'' Po endures everything thrown at him in his TrainingFromHell to become the Dragon Warrior. Noting that "a real warrior never quits," Po vows to persevere no matter what and endures everything inflicted on him without complaint.

** The second Ideal of each Order specializes the Radiant to the particular theme of their order, with little room for deviation:

*** Elsecallers: "[[ToBeAMaster I will reach my potential.]]
*** Willshapers: "[[IJustWantToBeFree I will seek freedom.]]

** The third Ideal is where they start to become more personalized, with a general theme of overcoming some personal obstacle to properly observing the second. For example, most Windrunners will swear to [[SaveTheVaillain protect even people they hate]], but one Windrunner who's not the kind of person that hates anyone instead swears to protect people ''from himself'', resolving to tone down his [[TheGadly gadfly]] tendancies to be less harmful. The fourth Ideal is less understood at this point, but seems to be about forgiving oneself for past failures to live up to the second. The fifth and final Ideal is currently a complete mystery.

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', the Knights Radiant have oaths (called Ideals) that represent their bonds to their [[BondCreature spren]], and grant them their powers.
** The first is the same for every Order:

** The Second Ideal of the Windrunners:
--->[[WeHelpTheHelpless I will protect those who cannot protect themselves]].
** The Third Ideal of the Windrunners:
--->[[SaveTheVillain I will protect even those I hate]] [[NeutralGood so long as it is right.]]
** The Second Ideal of the Skybreakers:
--->I will put the law before all else.
** The Second Ideal of the Edgedancers:
--->I will remember those who have been forgotten.
** The Third Ideal of the Edgedancers:
--->I will listen to those who have been ignored.
** Lightweavers make no oaths beyond the first, and only need to speak truths (especially about themselves) to advance.
** The Second Ideal of the Bondsmiths:
--->I will unite instead of divide. I will bring men together.
** Exploited in ''Literature/RhythmOfWar'', twice. The first time is when the Sons of Honor try to screen a potential spy by making her [[HonorBeforeReason swear an oath that she's not one of the Knights Radiant]]; they don't know that Knights Radiant are only required to keep the Ideals, or that they're interrogating a Lightweaver, an order based around [[ConsummateLiar the lies people tell themselves and others]]. The second time is when one of the Windrunners, a considerably more conventionally honorable order, is suffering from depression and refuses to leave his room. His friend barges in on him and demands that he swears an oath that he will be fine alone. When the Windrunner realizes that he can't swear that oath, his friend takes him to a party.

* The (quasi-)historical king Harald Fairhair vowed to not cut his hair until he ruled all of Norway. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome He obviously never conquered all of modern day Norway]], but the sagas acknowledge him as the first king. The part about him conquering Norway for the love of a woman may have been exaggerated a bit.