History Main / PositionOfLiteralPower

* Whoever becomes the Easter Bunny in ''Film/{{Hop}}'' gains powers from the Egg of Destiny, which enhances a rabbit's natural abilities. Should any other species attempt to wield the staff, however, they transform into a weird rabbit hybrid.

* In ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'', Rulers are inherently nigh-immortal. Time does not touch them, they're nearly immune to disease and poison, and can only be killed with 'special' weapons. They can also understand all languages, which is mostly important when dealing with visitors from OUR world. They DON'T get superhuman strength, speed, or anything of the sort, but every kingdom has one or more hereditary artifacts that only the king/queen can use, which may confer such advantages. More importantly, they have the right to add names to a special 'Scroll of Immortals', which confers the same advantage to anyone recorded in it.The price of all this? They become a Fisher King, tied to the fate of their realm. If they rule poorly, the lands will suffer, and their Kirin will be sickened. If the Kirin dies from the sickness, the ruler follows soon after.The scrolls of immortality, however, are relatively 'open' - the king/queen can add just about anyone they want to them, or remove them on a whim. Usually, valued advisers, nobles, generals and ministers are recorded in the scrolls to keep them around, and encourage them to do a good job. (After all, if they screw up and lose their title, the immortality goes with it.) And, indeed, both royals and nobles often get valued servants added to the scrolls so they don't have to deal with watching people age and die around them all the time. Adds up to quite a few immortals bouncing around, one would imagine.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': the goblin cleric [[MeaningfulName Redcloak]] names himself after his red cloak, which happens to be the "Crimson Mantle", which makes its wearer the HighPriest(/)ChosenOne of the Dark One, the resident GodOfEvil.

* ''ComicBook/DoctorFate'': Whoever assumes the mantle of Doctor Fate gains access to the incredible mystic power contained in the helmet of Fate.
* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': When a member of the Green Lantern Corps dies, their ring (the source of their powers) either flies to someone else "worthy" or back to its respective Corps home base, where the leaders of the Corps find a new bearer for it.

* ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}:'' This trope comes part and parsel with the RPGMechanicsVerse of the comic. Unlike RealLife the people, or units, don't grow and learn new skills and positions they have to have the 'Special'. Want to hurt, let alone hit, someone with a thrown rock? Be an archer. Want someone to listen to you? Better be a commander.

* ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}:'' This trope comes part and parsel with the RPGMechanicsVerse of the comic. Unlike RealLife the people, or units, don't grow and learn new skills and positions they have to have the position. When to hurt someone with a thrown rock? Be an archer. Want someone to listen to you? Better be a warlord.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': the goblin cleric [[MeaningfulName Redcloak]] names himself after his red cloak, which happens to be the "Crimson Mantle", which makes its wearer the High Priest/ChosenOne of the Dark One, the resident GodOfEvil.

* ''Literature/{{Patternist}}'': ''Patternmaster'' is set in a distant future where the Supernatural Elite are linked in a global {{psychic|Powers}} network that's controlled by the Patternmaster. The BigBad's attempt to become Heir to the Patternmaster and TheProtagonist's attempt to stop him is the primary conflict of the book.

See also: BequeathedPower, GodJob,

* ''Series/{{Charmed}}''. The Charmed Ones are the most powerful good witches in existence. However, all three must remain alive for them to possess any powerful above the ordinary witch. After one dies, they eventually find a replacement. Not to mention the [[BigBad "Source of All Evil"]]. When he dies, someone else becomes the Source, which comes with authority over the Underworld (and TheLegionsOfHell) and potent evil powers.

!Examples

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* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. The Slayer possesses enhanced senses, strength, and speed, as well as the power to detect vampires (only mentioned in the first episode, never actually used). Upon each Slayer's death, a new slayer is "activated", instantly gaining the powers. [[spoiler: Later on, Buffy activates ALL the Slayer candidates worldwide using the Slayer Scythe, giving her a massive army of Slayers.]]

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': The Nine High Priestesses of the Old Religion wield power no normal sorcerer could hope to match, granted to them by the [[TheHecateSisters Triple Goddess]] herself. That said, the witches chosen for these powers were already damn powerful in their own right before gaining them.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Prophets - there is only one prophet at a time. When one dies, another candidate is "activated", and becomes a prophet. With the exception of their writer, prophets are the only ones who can read the Tablets, a mystical collection of stone tablets with all the information- and more- one a specific powerful supernatural race, such as angels, demons, leviathans.

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* ''WebComic/CodeNameHunter'' when a Fae Aspect like the Summer or Winter Queen dies, they automatically do a MentalFusion with the next most powerful Fae in line that just so happens to pass on their power. Note that the Aspect's personality is likely to be dominant.
* ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': the goblin cleric [[MeaningfulName Redcloak]] names himself after his red cloak, which happens to be the "Crimson Mantle", which makes its wearer the High Priest/ChosenOne of the Dark One, the resident GodOfEvil.

[[AC: WebOriginal]]
* ''WebOriginal/WelcomeToNightVale'': The position of town mayor gives the selected candidate a number of powers (which her cabinet members share), which includes the ability to disappear, fly, and turn into a horse. The only cost of the position is that it seems to take a heavy toll on the mayor's sanity...

[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': when the Avatar(the only one with ALL the ElementalPowers, in a world where other mages(called "[[OurMagesAreDifferent benders]]" only have one)) dies, a new one is born. Slightly inverted in that the new avatar is actually the old one reincarnated.

* ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'': When each of the Incarnations (Death, Time, Fate, War etc.) enters their position, they gain special powers that correspond to the nature of the office. E.g. Death gains the ability to kill people by drawing their soul out of their body, Time can speed up, reverse or stop the flow of time, etc. And they're pretty damn hard to kill, too, besides just being [[TheAgeless Immortal]]. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever Death can only die if he wants to]].

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': This trope is invoked by its (former) name in the concept in The Elder Scrolls universe called mantling. According to it, you can actually become a specific supernatural being (a deity or demigod) by imitating that deity or demigod so well that it's impossible to tell if you are real or not. It works on the principle of "if you walk like a duck, swim like a duck and quack like a duck, you ARE a duck". The best known example of mantling is the Champion of Cyrodiil of Oblivion fame becoming Sheogorath. Another example is Tiber Septim becoming a manifestation of Lorkhan (and there are hints in Skyrim that the Dovahkiin becomes the next one). Not to mention the Dovahkin(Dragonborn) himself: there's only one at a time [[spoiler: proven false in a DLC, as the original Dragonborn is still alive and well in AnotherDimension, until you kill him, that is,]] and that Dragonborn gains the power of eating the souls of every dragon he kills, gaining their inherent knowledge of the [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]], dragon magic.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' has four Maidens, one for each season, each with great powers said to be different from Semblances (character-specific powers). Upon dying, the Maiden's power is transferred to the woman she was thinking of at the moment of her death. If she wasn't thinking about a woman, the powers go to a random woman in the world. Unfortunately, if a Maiden is killed, her last thoughts are probably going to be about her attacker, meaning that murder is a reliable way to get Maiden powers.

* ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}''. Magic Crests are magical seals passed down from parent to child in a mage family, possessing power and knowledge from their entire line. They are attached to the next in line upon their predecessor's death. With practice, a possessor of a crest can learn any spell a previous user could use, without learning the spell themselves. As time passes, [[{{Magibabble}} the magic circuits that contain the formula of the spells somehow become more stable, allowing the the mage to learn the spells even easier]]. Simply put: once a spells in the crest, you're ancestors have already done the work for you, and the longer ago they did it, the better it works.

* ''ComicBook/SilverSurfer'': Galactus's herald is such a position, granted by Galactus himself. Benefits include nigh-invulnerability, being able to breath in space, access to Galactus's stuff, and general incredible power.

* ''Franchise/{{Dragonball}}''. Kami. No one's entire sure what the benefits of being Kami are, but the current Kami chooses he successor before his death. And they get aforementioned benefits.

* In the Franchise/DCUniverse, whoever wore the helmet of Nabu became Dr. Fate, with the incredible knowledge, experience, and mystic power of the Lord of Order.

* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': when the Avatar(the only one with ALL the ElementalPowers, in a world where other mages(called "[[OurMagesAreDifferent benders]]" only have one)) dies, a new one is born. Slightly inverted in that the new avatar is actually the old one reincarnated.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': This trope is invoked by its (former) name in the concept in The Elder Scrolls universe called mantling. According to it, you can actually become a specific supernatural being (a deity or demigod) by imitating that deity or demigod so well that it's impossible to tell if you are real or not. It works on the principle of "if you walk like a duck, swim like a duck and quack like a duck, you ARE a duck". The best known example of mantling is the Champion of Cyrodiil of Oblivion fame becoming Sheogorath. Another example is Tiber Septim becoming a manifestation of Lorkhan (and there are hints in Skyrim that the Dovahkiin becomes the next one). Not to mention the Dovahkin(Dragonborn) himself: there's only one at a time [[spoiler: proven false in a DLC, as the original Dragonborn is still alive and well in AntherDimension, until you kill him, that is,]] and that Dragonborn gains the power of eating the souls of every dragon he kills, gaining their inherent knowledge of the [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]], dragon magic.

* ''Literature/DresdenFiles''. Harry Dresden gains the "mantle" of Winter Knight in ''Literature/{{Changes}}'', granting him a larger amount of overall power, SuperStrength, a HealingFactor, an immunity to cold, and several new spells in exchange for his service to the Fae Queen of the Winter Court. Likewise, there is also a Knight of the Summer Court, and THREE SEPARATE positions for the Queens of both Courts(The Mother AKA the Queen Who Was, the Queen, AKA the Queen Who Is, and the Lady, AKA the Queen Who Is To Come). Another example, is the Archive, the respiratory of all human knowledge resides within a human being, and is passed down from mother to daughter. The Blackstaff of the White Council is their Wetworks guy, who in his official position is allowed to violate the Laws of Magic, and gets an ArtifactOfDoom (the eponymous Black Staff) to be able to work BlackMagic without going insane.

* ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}''. Magic Crests are magical seals passed down from parent to child in a mage family, possessing power and knowledge from their entire line. They are attached to the next in line upon their predecessor's death. With practice, a possessor of a crest can learn any spell a previous user could use, without learning the spell themselves. As time passes, [[Magibable the magic circuits that contain the formula of the spells somehow become more stable, allowing the the mage to learn the spells even easier]]. Simply put: once a spells in the crest, you're ancestors have already done the work for you, and the longer ago they did it, the better it works.

* DCUniverse. Whoever wore the helmet of Nabu became Dr. Fate, with the incredible knowledge, experience, and mystic power of the Lord of Order. And the Lantern Corps: when a Lantern dies, their ring(the source of their powers) either flies to someone else "worthy" or back to it's respective Corps home base, where the leaders of the Corps find a new bearer for it.
* MarvelUniverse. ComicBook/DoctorStrange possesses the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, passed to him by his teacher, the Ancient One. Because of this mantle, the Vishanti, nigh-omnipotent beings, aid him more willingly in his spellcasting. Also, Galactus's herald is such a position, granted by Galactus himself. Benefits include nigh-invulnerability, being able to breath in space, access to Galactus's stuff, and general incredible power.

* ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'' When each of the Incarnations (Death, Time, Fate, War etc.) enters their position, they gain special powers that correspond to the nature of the office. E.g. Death gains the ability to kill people by drawing their soul out of their body, Time can speed up, reverse or stop the flow of time, etc. And they're pretty damn hard to kill, too, besides just being [[TheAgeless Immortal]]. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever Death can only die if he wants to]].

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. The Slayer possesses enhanced senses, strength, and speed, as well as the power to detect vampires (only mentioned in the first episode, never actually used). Upon each Slayer's death, a new slayer is "activated", instantly gaining the powers. [[spoiler: Later on, Buffy activates ALL the Slayer candidates worldwide using the Slayer Scythe, giving her a massive army ofSlayers.
* ''Series/{{Charmed}}''. The Charmed Ones are the most powerful good witches in existence. However, all three must remain alive for them to possess any powerful above the ordinary witch. After one dies, they eventually find a replacement. Not to mention the [[BigBad "Source of All Evil"]]. When he dies, someone else becomes the Source, which comes with authority over the Underworld(and TheLegionsOfHell) and potent evil powers.
* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'': The Nine High Priestesses of the Old Religion wield power no normal sorcerer could hope to match, granted to them by the [[TheHecateSisters Triple Goddess]] herself. That said, the witches chosen for these powers where already damn powerful in their own right before gaining them.

* In DungeonsAndDragons, various [[PhysicalGod gods]] have mortal "Chosen", that they supply with a fixed set of powers. In the ForgottenRealms there's also the Magister, tasked by Mystra, goddess of magic, to promote the Art of magic in the mortal world. There is only ever one Magister, and when they die or relinquish their title in any other way the mantle and its associated powers pass to the successor.