History Main / HerosMuse

* In ''TheLordOfTheRings'', Arwen functions in this role for Aragorn: the driving force behind his striving to regain his crown is his love for Arwen and the fact that he can only marry her once he is king.

* Subverted in "[[DangerousVisions Eutopia]]" by PoulAnderson: the protagonist is on the run and only keeps going due to his dreams of his lover Nik, [[spoiler:who turns out to be a boy]].

** ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' had Bastila Shan.
** ''DragonAgeOrigins'' had Leliana.

* [[WhiteHairedPrettyGirl Kisara]], the vessel of the White Dragon in ''YuGiOh'': She provides an almost literal light to balance Priest Seto's inner darkness, and her HeroicSacrifice and death in his arms provides the inspiration for his reign.

* In AKnightsTale Jocelyn is the noblewoman who has never been unhorsed.
-->'''William:''' Your name, lady. I still need to hear it.
-->'''Jocelyn:''' Sir Hunter, you persist.
-->'''William:''' Perhaps angels have no names. Only beautiful faces.

The lady herself often occupies an exalted role: she is a goddess, a saint, a queen, a princess, or something similar. Generally, she is very pure, sometimes to the point of seeming unapproachable. If she is unmarried, she is chaste. She is also often a ProperLady.

* {{Warhammer}}: The Bretonnian knights, being Arthurian knights in France, follow the cult of the Lady, a mystical figure who gives visions and quests, leading to drinking from the Grail. Warhammer being [[CrapsackWorld the cheerful and happy place it is]], the Lady may or may not be an elaborate hoax pulled off by the [[FairFolk Wood Elves]] to protect their lands.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* Princess Yue, of ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'': She is a princess who [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence sacrifices her mortal life to become the moon spirit]]. In the episode "The Awakening", she provides encouragement and help to Aang at a time when he desperately needs it.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

* In ''Videogame/{{No More Heroes}}'', Travis is motivated to become the top assassin primarily in order to have sex with Sylvia. [[spoiler: He doesn't. [[Videogame/{{No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle}} Until he does]].]]

** KnightsOfTheOldRepublic had Bastila Shan.
** DragonAgeOrigins had Leliana.
** MassEffect had Ashley Williams.

** KnightsOfTheOldRepublic had Bastilla Shan.

Compare to TheObiWan, TheLostLenore, ManicPixieDreamGirl and MenActWomenAre. Called "Meeting With The Goddess" in Joseph Campbell's ''[[HerosJourney The Hero With A Thousand Faces]]''.

Compare to TheObiWan, TheLostLenore, and MenActWomenAre. Called "Meeting With The Goddess" in Joseph Campbell's ''[[HerosJourney The Hero With A Thousand Faces]]''.

* In ''DonQuixote'', the eponymous hero fights for his lady love, whom he refers to as Dulcinea. In his mind, he elevates her to a princess and the most beautiful woman in the world, although she is in reality a peasant girl named Aldonza.

* Therin in ''{{The Gamers}}: Dorkness Rising.''

* Therin in {{TheGamers}}'': Dorkness Rising.''

* {{Gender Flip}}ped in the CiemWebcomicSeries: Before Erin's death, Candi held Donte on a ridiculously high pedestal. After Donte was captured and presumed dead and Erin was KilledOffForReal, Candi made a good portion of her goal in life being to find a suitable replacement for Donte. When that ReplacementLoveInterest was KilledOffForReal, she got to have Donte back. And then every self-control-related problem she had after that stemmed from her urge to marry and possess Donte. Alas, her beloved was never quite the same after having been captured. So she determined to make do, even with a fallen muse.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Literature]]

* After Rhodney in ''StationeryVoyagers'' meets Melanie, only his religious convictions matter more to him than she does. He rapidly begins losing all interest in being a Voyager, or even in the war. It offers him as little joy as his meaningless daredevil life did; because he realizes that all along, it was a family that he truly wanted.

** While far from perfect, Cindy becomes the source of Liquidon's dilemma in "More Than Triumphant." He wishes he could stay human, and enjoy a life with Cindy. But his longing for duty and honor ([[TheAtoner and atonement for killing Astriliad]]) motivate him to want to become a Stationery being again. If not for Cindy, he would have felt no such conflict about destroying Lamdock's power.

[[AC:Tabletop RPG]]

[[AC:Theatre]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* [[GenderFlipped Gender FL]] in ''GreekNinja'', where Hashimoto Daichi ends up being the muse of the heroine, Sasha.

[[AC: Webcomics]]
* [[GenderFlip Gender Flipped]] and subverted in the CiemWebcomicSeries. Before Erin's death, Candi held Donte on a ridiculously high pedestal. After Donte was captured and presumed dead and Erin was KilledOffForReal, Candi made a good portion of her goal in life being to find a suitable replacement for Donte. When that ReplacementLoveInterest was KilledOffForReal, she got to have Donte back. And then every self-control-related problem she had after that stemmed from her urge to marry and possess Donte. Alas, her love was never quite the same after having been captured. So she determined to make due, even with a fallen muse.

[[AC:Real Life]]

* Inverted in ''GreekNinja'', where Hashimoto Daichi ends up being the muse of the heroine, Sasha.

Compare to TheObiWan, TheLostLenore, and MenActWomenAre.

* Averted in [[GreekNinja Greek Ninja]], where Hashimoto Daichi ends up being the heroine's, Sasha's muse.

* Averted in [[GreekNinja Greek Ninja]], where Hashimoto Daichi ends up being the heroin's, Sasha's muse.

* Averted in [[GreekNinja Greek Ninja]], where Hashimoto Daichi ends up being the heroin, Sasha's muse.

* [[WhiteHairedPrettyGirl Kisara]], the vessel of the White Dragon in ''YuGiOh'': She provides an almost literal light to balance Seto's inner darkness, and her HeroicSacrifice and death in his arms provides the inspiration for his reign, while she continues to protect him as the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

* In ''{{Deryni}} Checkmate'',(then) Countess Richenda of Marley is this to Alaric Morgan from the first time he sees her. He dreams of her for months afterward, and is finally introduced to her by Kelson during preparations for the Torenthi campaign in ''High Deryni''. She lampshades this trope just after they share a [[PsychicLink Mind Link]]: "Then I have given you that much more to fight for." After their marriage, she also inspires him to fill the gaps in his arcane education, passing on much of her own Eastern-influenced training to him.

This trope is particularly common in works from the medieval and renaissance period, as it ties closely to the ideas of the CourtlyLove tradition. In older works, it often takes the form of a knight errant and his lady love.