History Main / IgnorantOfTheCall

--> I'm sorry, kiddo. You've got the gift, but it looks like you're waiting for something. Your next life, maybe? Who knows?

** Ironic, considering he has been chosen as the personal CosmicPlaything of Lady Luck.

* Solid Snake from Franchise/MetalGear, arguably. At least, while everyone around him goes on about his "legendary hero" status, he always responds with some variant of "I'm no hero, just an old killer hired to do some wetwork."

* Solid Snake from MetalGearSolid, arguably. At least, while everyone around him goes on about his "legendary hero" status, he always responds with some variant of "I'm no hero, just an old killer hired to do some wetwork."

-->''"I'm no hero. I'm just a fireman..."

* {{Naruto}} starts off this way. By now, though, it's common knowledge.

* Neo is TOLD he's not The One by The Oracle (in a BatmanGambit to make him into The One) in the first ''TheMatrix''. He then denies he's The One to the surviving members of the team despite him fitting the role exactly.

* Ash Ketchum of ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', at least in the movies. He likes to think of himself simply as a Pokémon Trainer, but time after time he stumbles into situations where it's clear only he could save the day. It's {{Lampshade}}d in ''Anime/{{Pokemon 2000}}'', when the heroes realize that the phrase "The world shall turn to ash" didn't mean it would die, but the world would turn to ''Ash'' for help. His response? "Right now, I kinda wish that my mom named me Bob instead of Ash."

[[AC:{{Comic Books}}]]

* Emelius Brown in ''{{Bedknobs and Broomsticks}}''. He's a con artist who seems to only be interested in making a fast buck, but ThePowerOfLove drove him to act otherwise. Even after, though, he’d never call himself a hero.
* Rincewind of ''{{Discworld}}'' fits this to a T. Despite being a plaything of the gods continually saving people, countries of the Disc, he seems unwilling to accept that he has anything but bad luck.

* Raven, a supporting character in ''Literature/{{War of the Dreaming}}'', is like this. Yes, he's got [[spoiler: a magic ring and a secret legacy]]. So what? He's only trying to save his wife. [[ThinkNothingOfIt Anyone would do the same.]]
* In the GreenSkyTrilogy, Raamo adamantly ''refuses'' to believe he is any better than other Kindar, despite being told this by everyone in range, including the ostensible High Priestess of the Ol-Zhaan. Ironically, it's because he refuses to buy into the elevated status that he gets the attention of [[TheLancer Neric]], who needs someone that incorruptible to help him investigate his suspicions about how the Ol-Zhaan are running things.

[[AC:{{Theater}}]]

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]

* Raven, a supporting character in ''[[JohnCWright The War of the Dreaming]]'', is like this. Yes, he's got [[spoiler: a magic ring and a secret legacy]]. So what? He's only trying to save his wife. [[ThinkNothingOfIt Anyone would do the same.]]

* Ash Ketchum of ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', at least in the movies. He likes to think of himself simply as a Pokémon Trainer, but time after time he stumbles into situations where it's clear only he could save the day. It's {{Lampshade}}d in ''PokemonTheMovie2000'', when the heroes realize that the phrase "The world shall turn to ash" didn't mean it would die, but the world would turn to ''Ash'' for help. His response? "Right now, I kinda wish that my mom named me Bob instead of Ash."

* Captain Carrot of ''{{Discworld}}'' fits this to a T.
** Though [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation some could argue]] that Carrot instinctively knows what the city needs - not a king, but a protector.
** Of course, maintaining his [[ObfuscatingStupidity ignorance of the call]] has sometimes required him to [[BlatantLies accidentally misplace]] overwhelming, indisputable evidence of the call (notably, in Men at Arms). Perhaps [[RefusalOfTheCall ignorant is the wrong word]].
** And Rincewind. Despite being a plaything of the gods continually saving people, countries of the Disc, he seems unwilling to accept that he has anything but bad luck.
*** Ironic, considering he has been chosen as the personal CosmicPlaything of Lady Luck.

* Ash Ketchum of ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'', at least in the movies. He likes to think of himself simply as a Pokémon Trainer, but time after time he stumbles into situations where it's clear only he could save the day.

* Ash Ketchum of ''{{Pokemon}}'', at least in the movies. He likes to think of himself simply as a Pokemon Trainer, but time after time he stumbles into situations where it's clear only he could save the day.

A hero is IgnorantOfTheCall when he doesn’t know that he is, in fact, TheHero. Everybody around him knows that the character is the ChosenOne, but he, himself, just can’t see it. He fights the good fight and takes heroic actions… but it doesn’t seem heroic to him, nor does he think he was destined to do them. He simply does what he must because it is in his nature to act in that manner. When dealing with this sort of protagonist, the phrase “[[ImNotAHeroIm I’m not a hero]]” (or a variant thereof) is often heard. Don’t you believe it for a second.

* Neo is TOLD he's not The One by The Oracle (in a BatmanGambit to make him into The One) in the first ''{{Matrix}}''. He then denies he's The One to the surviving members of the team despite him fitting the role exactly.

* Glenn Holland, from ''Mister Holland’s Opus'', believes he wasted his life because he became a music teacher instead of becoming famous as a composer. His current and former students, his friends, and his family disagree.

A hero is IgnorantOfTheCall when he doesn’t know that he is, in fact, TheHero. Everybody around him knows that the character is the ChosenOne, but he, himself, just can’t see it. He fights the good fight and takes heroic actions… but it doesn’t seem heroic to him, nor does he think he was destined to do them. He simply does what he must because it is in his nature to act in that manner. When dealing with this sort of protagonist, the phrase “[[{{ptitleifygonmn}} I’m not a hero]]” (or a variant thereof) is often heard. Don’t you believe it for a second.

* An interesting case is CiaphasCain, who will openly proclaim himself HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!, but thinks it's a big lie.
* Raven, a supporting character in [[JohnCWright The War of the Dreaming]], is like this. Yes, he's got [[spoiler: a magic ring and a secret legacy]]. So what? He's only trying to save his wife. [[ThinkNothingOfIt Anyone would do the same.]]

A hero is IgnorantOfTheCall when he doesn’t know that he’s the DesignatedHero. Everybody around him knows that the character is the ChosenOne, but he, himself, just can’t see it. He fights the good fight and takes heroic actions… but it doesn’t seem heroic to him, nor does he think he was destined to do them. He simply does what he must because it is in his nature to act in that manner. When dealing with this sort of protagonist, the phrase “[[{{ptitleifygonmn}} I’m not a hero]]” (or a variant thereof) is often heard. Don’t you believe it for a second.

A hero is IgnorantOfTheCall when he doesn’t know that he’s the DesignatedHero. Everybody around him knows that the character is the ChosenOne, but he, himself, just can’t see it. He fights the good fight and takes heroic actions… but it doesn’t seem heroic to him, nor does he think he was destined to do them. He simply does what he must because it is in his nature to act in that manner. When dealing with this sort of protagonist, the phrase “[[ImNotAHeroIm I’m not a hero]]” (or a variant thereof) is often heard. Don’t you believe it for a second.

* Anikan Skywalker might have been this in the {{Prequel}} trilogy of StarWars, it doesn't exactly make it clear.

A hero is IgnorantOfTheCall when he doesn’t know that he’s the DesignatedHero. Everybody around him knows that the character is the ChosenOne, but he, himself, just can’t see it. He fights the good fight and takes heroic actions… but it doesn’t seem heroic to him, nor does he think he was destined to do them. He simply does what he must because it is in his nature to act in that manner. When dealing with this sort of protagonist, the phrase “I’m not a hero” (or a variant thereof) is often heard. Don’t you believe it for a second.

* Jonah Hex from DC comics. One of those "there's a job that has to be done, I can do it, so I will" types.
* The Bulleteer story arc in DC Comics' ''Seven Soldiers of Victory'' limited series: Alix has no clue what her actions will lead to: [[spoiler: the killing of the Sheeda Queen]], and the events of her arc happen almost completely on the periphery of the main storyline.

* Emelius Brown in ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks''. He's a con artist who seems to only be interested in making a fast buck, but ThePowerOfLove drove him to act otherwise. Even after, though, he’d never call himself a hero.

* Harold Hill from ''The Music Man''. He does everybody all sorts of good even as he tries to milk them for every last cent before skipping town.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in Disney's ''RobinHood''. Friar Tuck says that Rob is a hero, but Robin just laughs it off.