History Main / LegacyImmortality

* ''WesternAnimation/RandyCunningham9thGradeNinja'': The Ninja of Norrisville is believed to over be 900 years old, but the titular protagonist is merely the latest in a long line of heroes to wear the mask.

* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'': The Dread Pirate Roberts is feared for being immortal, killing and pillaging ships as he goes. We later find out from Westly, that he was the most recent Dread Pirate Roberts passed on to him from a long line of infamy.

* Major Liberty was the first costumed "superhero" in the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', having begun during the American Revolutionary War. The current Major Liberty is a direct descendant of the original (it is a family legacy). The general population think that it's been the same man all along.

* In ''Literature/TheEvilWizardSmallbone'', it turns out that [[Smallbone himself]] isn't the original, who lived hundreds of years ago. There's actually been a long line of master-apprentioces taking up the name and role.

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* In ''Westernanimation/{{Arthur Christmas}}'', {{Santa Claus}} is actually a title passed down from father to son, starting with {{Saint Nicholas}}. As the film opens, Santa Claus XX is getting too old to continue his duties, but is afraid of retirement.

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* The Confessor from ''Comicbook/AstroCity'' turned into this. His sidekick picked up for him pretty seamlessly when the original was killed off. (It confuses the crooks a lot because the original actually was an immortal vampire who got dusted; his replacement, while not immortal, is also no longer bothered by garlic or crosses. This is implied to have low-level criminals around the city freaking the eff out, because they seem to think the Confessor actually came back from the dead invulnerable to traditional vampire weaknesses.)

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has Madara Uchiha. The real one died long ago (though not quite as long ago as most people thought); but Obito Uchiha assumed his identity to carry on his plan, and was able to use the name to spark a new war. Madara was resurrected thanks to Kabuto's necromancy, and the two of them began openly working together.

'''Examples:'''

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has [[spoiler:Uchiha Madara. The real one died long ago (though not quite as long as most people thought), but Tobi was able to use the name to spark a new war. Madara has since come back thanks to Kabuto's necromancy, and the two of them are now openly working together.]]

* The animated ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'' series simultaneously plays it straight and subverts it. Some elders in the native Waziri village claim to be hundreds of years old. It turns out, by the end of the episode, that they're referring to their family names, not the people themselves. But then, after the main characters are gone, one elder casually remarks another was "only" about ''170''.

** ''Soulcalibur V'' lends even more credence to this, as the successor of the Yoshimitsu from ''SC'' to ''SCIV'' explicitly refers to himself as Yoshimitsu the Second.

* Used as a plot point in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', where Jaime Reyes (ComicBook/BlueBeetle) states that most people erroneously assume that he is the previous (deceased) Blue Beetle in a new costume. It's implied that a similar situation exists for the new Comicbook/{{Robin}}, Tim Drake, [[spoiler:who inherited the mantle after the death of the previous Robin, Jason Todd]].

* In an episode of ''Westernanimation/{{The Simpsons}}'', when Lenny says he heard Duffman died of liver failure, Duffman replies "[[{{Third Person Person}} Duffman]] can never die - only the actors who play him!"

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Tom_Parr Old Tom Parr]] probably used this technique.

* In ''Videogame/PillarsOfEternity'', the archmage Llengrath has this. The first Llengrath, unlike his fellow archmage Concelhaut who is a bonafide ImmortalitySeeker, believed that it did not matter whether or not he survived as long as his knowledge did. Llengrath founded a cult dedicated to preserving his life's work. The title "Llengrath" along with all of the memories of the previous Llengrath has been passed down from master to apprentice for generations. [[spoiler:If you kill the current Llengrath in a BonusBoss fight, the [[Videogame/PillarsOfEternityIIDeadfire sequel]] reveals that the title of Llengrath has been passed down to a successor.]]

%% * In ''Anime/{{Code Geass}}'', [[labelnote:spoiler - click to reveal]]Lelouch ultimately passes on the Zero identity to Suzaku, who then kills him. Thus, Zero lives eternally as a crusader for justice.[[/labelnote]]

* In ''Anime/{{Code Geass}}'', [[labelnote:spoiler - click to reveal]]Lelouch ultimately passes on the Zero identity to Suzaku, who then kills him. Thus, Zero lives eternally as a crusader for justice.[[/labelnote]]

** And Jack-In-The-Box from the same series has recruited an understudy for exactly this purpose when he realizes he's getting a bit old for the tights.

* In ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'', Moses Magnum initially cannot believe that the BlackPanther has stalked him to New York City, as he is sure he killed the Panther back in Africa. He later realizes that the Black Panther that is after him is actually [[YouKilledMyFather the son of the one he already killed]].

* At the end of ''Comicbook/{{V for Vendetta}}'', [[spoiler:V dies, and Evey never looks under his mask. Evey becomes the new V, and takes on an apprentice of her own who will become V after her]].

* The Immortal Captain Roberto from ''OpenBlue''. It's AllThereInTheManual.

* The Dread Pirate Captain Roberts in ''Literature/ThePrincessBride''. When the old one decides to retire, he appoints his first mate as successor to the name. The one who came immediately before Wesley is noted to still be alive somewhere in South America, living like a king on the fortune he acquired as a pirate.

** In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', [[spoiler:it's hinted that Bruce plans to do this with Batman at the climax, PassingTheTorch to a worthy successor, Robin John Blake.]]
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** ''Film/CasinoRoyale1967'' outright states it in the case of James Bond, giving the code name to ''all'' the agents, but it's... [[RuleOfFunny non-canon]], to say the least. This is a common fan theory about James Bond/007 as well.
** ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' makes it very clear that [[spoiler:M is the code name given to the head of Bond's department, no matter who they are]], while at the same time seeming to imply the opposite of the name Film/JamesBond. This manages to muddy the issue immensely.

* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' -- the Dread Pirate Roberts.

** Another example in the same series is Queen Salmissra, though she's somewhat of a subversion as she was never intended to deceive the public. Instead, it's the Nyissans' own absentminded god, because he forgot to make the original Salmissra immortal. He's not even very put out when someone finally sets things straight, so it's possible [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot the entire ruse was never necessary in the first place]].

* The animated ''{{Tarzan}}'' series simultaneously plays it straight and subverts it. Some elders in the native Waziri village claim to be hundreds of years old. It turns out, by the end of the episode, that they're referring to their family names, not the people themselves. But then, after the main characters are gone, one elder casually remarks another was "only" about ''170''.