History Main / IJustWantToBeYou

* [[Characters/RWBYCinderFall Cinder Fall]] of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' has subtly patterned her mannerisms, clothing, speech, and even personality on her boss [[BigBad Salem]]. Since she's the DiscOneFinalBoss, this isn't immediately apparent until Salem shows up in Volume 4, but as Salem gets more screentime and more of Cinder's true personality [[BeneathTheMask starts to shine through]], it becomes increasingly clear that Cinder's [[LadyOfBlackMagic initial portrayal]] was a facade modeled on Salem. As revealed in her backstory episode, she's been doing this a long time: [[spoiler:her heels, glass motif, and [[TheChainOfHarm abusive tendencies]] all come directly from the woman who bought her as a slave. When a Huntsman offered to train her to help her escape, she started styling her hair like his, and her tendency towards scimitars is based on the swords he gave her.]] In keeping with her IJustWantToBeSpecial attitude, it reflects both her obsession with power and lack of personal identity.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'': Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia's personal student before Twilight Sparkle, doesn't necessarily want to be Twilight Sparkle, but she certainly wants to have what Twilight has (princesshood, immense responsibilities, world-altering magical power, and the esteem and admiration of those around her). The difference, of course, being that Twilight ''earned'' those things while Sunset feels like she has but really just wants to take the easy way to them. After her HeelFaceTurn, ironically, she eventually ''does'' [[KarmicJackpot legitimately earn much of what Twilight had and she lacked]].

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': One of the reasons why Cersei engages in her [[{{Twincest}} incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime]] is that she wants to be him because as they grew older she witnessed Tywin's favoritism towards Jaime and she resented how she was going to be little more than a political pawn while Jaime would end up inheriting Casterly Rock. She even mentions at one point that she's sure she would be a better Jaime than him.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': According to Creator/LenaHeadey, this is Cersei's FreudianExcuse for her incest with her twin Jaime and there are subtle hints of it in the show too. She frequently discusses what she would do if she were in Jaime's position, laments that she was born a woman and treated differently than him, and favours metallic accoutrements that simulate armour, such as when she dons an armoured dress when the Battle of Blackwater looks to be turning in Stannis' favor. This in turn ''may'' something to do with her spitefulness at Brienne at the Purple Wedding, Brienne having seemingly defied her supposed station far more successfully than Cersei ''and'' being noticeably close(r) to Jaime.

* Cinder Fall of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' has subtly patterned her mannerisms, clothing, speech, and even personality on her boss [[BigBad Salem]]. Since she's the DiscOneFinalBoss, this isn't immediately apparent until Salem shows up in Volume 4, but as Salem gets more screentime and more of Cinder's true personality [[BeneathTheMask starts to shine through]], it becomes increasingly clear that Cinder's [[LadyOfBlackMagic initial portrayal]] was a facade modeled on Salem. As revealed in her backstory episode, she's been doing this a long time: [[spoiler:her heels, glass motif, and [[TheChainOfHarm abusive tendencies]] all come directly from the woman who bought her as a slave. When a Huntsman offered to train her to help her escape, she started styling her hair like his, and her tendency towards scimitars is based on the swords he gave her.]] In keeping with her IJustWantToBeSpecial attitude, it reflects both her obsession with power and lack of personal identity.

--> '''The Thousand:''' This power of yours, it should have been ''mine''. This is what ''must be'', Parker. This is ''justice'', long overdue. Come on, now. Don't try and fight it. Open wide...

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Creator/JossWhedon's ''Comicbook/AstonishingXMen'' run suggested that deep down in his subconscious, Comicbook/{{Cyclops}} desperately wants to be Comicbook/{{Wolverine}}, [[WolverinePublicity who is far more popular]] [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall and memorable than him]].

* In ''FanFic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed'', all the Celestia-bashing aside, it becomes pretty clear later on that the LemonyNarrator wants to be like Princess Celestia. To an extent, she also acts this way to Princess Twilight too, and lashes out at both of them due to her [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex issues of self-worth and her desire to prove herself]].

* It's been hinted that in ''Series/DoctorWho'', Rory Williams wanted to be more like the Doctor. Growing up, his friend Amy (later fiancé, later wife) always made him dress up and play as her [[NotSoImaginaryFriend imaginary friend]] 'The Raggedy Doctor'. Creator/StevenMoffat revealed that the only reason he became a nurse was him ''trying'' to be a doctor. When the Time Lord actually returned, Rory found himself competing with him. Eventually, though, Amy chose him anyway, and he's become far more comfortable with himself.
** No doubt the fact that, since becoming a companion, he's [[TookALevelInBadass taken so many levels in badass]] [[MemeticBadass he's broken the scale]] has helped his self-esteem.

* The ''Series/FraggleRock'' episode "I Want to Be You" is all about this. Red gets jealous of Mokey for being (so she thinks) more popular than her and spends the episode trying to imitate Mokey's hairstyle, voice, touchy-feely new-age poetry, etc.
** Interestingly, Karen Prell has stated that she originally was disappointed that she wasn't cast as Mokey, but that this was the episode that taught her how to be Red.

--> '''[[spoiler: Clone!Shepard]]''': Look at you! What makes you so damned special? Why you and not ''[[IJustWantToBeSpecial me?!]]''

* The Envy Demon in ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'' has already taken on the identity of a very powerful and important person [[spoiler:Lord Seeker Lucius, leader of the Templars]]. The moment it learns about the Herald of Andraste (the player character), it becomes obsessed with becoming the Herald.

* This is part of what's going on between Kuchiki Toko and Mizuhara Toko in ''VisualNovel/KaraNoShoujo''.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

** The main motivation for Danzo. Despite loving his village and doing what it on to protect him, his ultimate goal was to [[spoiler:match the same level of power and respect as the Third Hokage Hizuren Sarutobi, to the point he did his damn hardest to become Hokage himself through underhanded means]].

* "Brutus" by The Buttress is sung from the point of view of a female Brutus as she grapples with feeling both admiration and gratitude for Caesar and all he's done for her alongside vicious envy and rage that he has the position she covets. She even specifically says, "I don't want what you have, I wanna be you."

** A more [[PlayedForDrama depressing]] take is Wakaba, [[TheAce Utena's]] MuggleBestFriend. While Wakaba blatantly [[IJustWantToBeSpecial wants to be "special"]] and blatantly attempts to emulate Utena, it's mostly PlayedForLaughs until the [[DarkerAndEdgier Black Rose Arc]]. [[spoiler: When Wakaba gets hit with MindRape at her [[DespairEventHorizon lowest point]], her transformation into a [[TragicMonster Black Rose Duelist]] reads less as garden-variety BrainwashedAndCrazy and more a total LossOfInhibitions via MoreThanMindControl. During their duel, Wakaba bitterly rants about how Utena and other "special" people take their privilege for granted and trample the dreams of their less lucky peers. While she does [[BeatTheCurseOutOfHim save Wakaba]], learning the AwfulTruth about her friend [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome leads to Utena drifting apart from Wakaba for the rest of the show]].]]

* ''Fanfic/FateHaremAntics'': In an omake, all of Shirou Emiya's male classmates, except Issei, say they want to be Shirou because he has a harem of 23 gorgeous girls. They eventually get turned off when [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Shirou explains the logical consequences of trying to maintain a harem]].

[[quoteright:312:[[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lifeenvy.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:312:[-They look like the same girl right? Except they're not. (Hint: Look at their eyes.)-] ]]

->''"You had the existence I could only dream of.\\
Every pleasure at your disposal and you wasted it.\\
You don't deserve this life, [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark]], but I do."''
-->-- '''Bizarro''', ''Series/{{Smallville}}''