History Main / SaveThisPersonSaveTheWorld

Compare with MacGuffinGirl, BarrierMaiden and ApocalypseMaiden. However, this path may not be the ''only'' way to alter the fate of the world, in which case compare NoManOfWomanBorn.

Basically, this is what happens when the MacGuffinGirl meets the ButterflyOfDoom, without necessarily having the fantastic, world-shaping elements that those plots usually require. The reason the character is important may be relatively mundane, emotional, and/or circumstantial in nature. They need not be [[TykeBomb a self-contained weapon]], a CosmicKeystone, [[MacGuffinGirl an artefact disguised as a living being]], TheChosenOne, TheMessiah, or a BarrierMaiden; they may not even have any special abilities to speak of (though that depends on the genre of the story). In some cases, they may have a [[MoralityPet strong emotional]] [[PluckyComicRelief connection and relevance]] to the cast, so their death or even injury would result in the cast going off the rails somehow.

* ''Series/{{Heroes}}''. A whole season's ArcWords are "Save the cheerleader, save the world.", referring to Claire as being fundamentally important to the bad guy's plan for the reason that her particular powers ([[HealingFactor Wolverine-like healing]]) are the one thing he needs to fulfill his plot. It turns out that the reason for this is not so that [[spoiler:Sylar doesn't gain her powers - by saving her, ''Peter'' becomes the "exploding man" who will destroy New York]]. Rather, we find out that [[spoiler: because she's Peter's niece, she manages to get through to her biological father, Nathan, who proceeds to make a HeroicSacrifice by using his ability of {{Flight}} to remove an unstable Peter from the range of New York to detonate harmlessly in the skies above. Both of them turn out alright - Peter has Claire's HealingFactor, and he later uses his blood to heal a badly-irradiated (and scarred) Nathan.]]

* Inverted on the ''Series/StarTrek'' episode "City on the Edge of Forever" in which Edith Keeler must die in order to [[NeutralNoLonger prevent America from staying neutral]] in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

* Hera, the half-human, half-Cylon child on BattlestarGalacticaReimagined. Throughout the series, it's implied that she is the future of both races. [[spoiler:It's revealed in the finale that all modern humans are descended from her.]]

* In Manga/DragonBall Z During the ''Android Saga'', Trunks goes back in time to give Goku the antidote to a heart virus he had originally died from to hopefully save the world from the androids. Goku still ends up dying, but the world is saved this time.
* The current (and likely final) arc in Manga/{{Naruto}} is being fought to protect both Naruto and Killer Bee from from having their tail-beast extracted by the BigBad, Tobi.

* ''Steins;Gate'': [[spoiler: Okabe saving Makise Kurisu is one part of preventing World War III in the not so distant future.]]

* In AWindInTheDoor, Charles Wallace is the only person in any significant, physical danger. But his survival at this point in time is key to the continued existence of the universe as a whole. It's explained that this is the case because he has an important role to play in the future, and if he dies ''now'' the bad guys (who want to unmake EVERYTHING) will have a guaranteed win shortly down the line.

* Series/{{Farscape}} had an unusual example where this trope applied to the hero from his (sometimes) antagonist's point of view. Due to Crichton wormhole knowledge, Scorpius believed that he had to protect him for the coming war, to save the Peacekeepers and by extension the galaxy. [[spoiler: Eventually, it paid off.]]

* This is the premise of the first-person shooter ''Darkest of Days''. The player is kidnapped by a mysterious organization and must travel through time to various historical battles and ensure that key individuals survive as part of an unclear and ongoing conflict between said organization and another group.

* VideoGame/DubiousCompany's pirates saving [[TheChosenOne High Priestess Sal]] seems like this at first, until she reveals that she is not what [[YouFailReligiousStudiesForever Kreedor]] thinks [[BarrierMaiden she is]] and [[spoiler: [[FiveBadBand Kreedor's Elites]] know this]]. However, by that point it had become [[MisfitMobilizationMoment more]] [[TrueCompanions personal]].

* In "The End: Part One" of WesternAnimation/TeenTitans, the Titans use this sort of logic when they decide to protect Raven to try to prevent Trigon from turning her into a portal and coming to earth. [[spoiler: It doesn't work. Otherwise it [[YouCantThwartStageOne wouldn't be called The End Part One]]]]

** When the Doctor was dying, fading from existance because fo the Great Intelligence, all the planets, solar systems, etc in the universe started dying/disappeared/becoming destroyed. Clara [[spoiler: jumped into the Doctor's timestream to save his life, and scattered 'echoes' of herself across time, saving him in every dangerous situation he's ever been in. Effectivly saving the entire universe.]]

** ''Film/Terminator2RiseOfTheMachines'': Kill John himself, and he can't lead the Resistance.

** ''Terminator2RiseOfTheMachines'': Kill John himself, and he can't lead the Resistance.
** Again in ''TerminatorSalvation'': the machines try to kill Kyle Reese so that he will not go back in time and become John Connor's father, and the plot revolves around saving him.
* In ''BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'', apparently the reason Bill and Ted are given the time machine.

* Lampshaded in ''ThePacifier'', where the lead character is incredulous to learn that "protecting these kids is a matter of national security". Vin Diesel's vacant "WTF" stare at the news is priceless.

* ''CiemWebcomicSeries'': Who would've guessed that the [[ForWantOfANail epic chain of events]] leading to the downfall of Arfaas' control of Dirbine [[ButterflyOfDoom could be instigated]] by [[CollegeWidow one distraught widow]] rescuing a Spanish-speaking six-year-old girl from a [[PaedoHunt lowly pedophile]]?

* ''Literature/{{Insomnia}}'' by Creator/StephenKing culminates in the main characters racing against time to save the life of a young boy named Patrick...whom they've never met, never actually meet during the course of the novel, and whose importance is never quite fully explained in the book either. All they know is that the fate of the universe depends on them saving this one boy. [[spoiler: The boy later grows up and becomes a pivotal character in TheDarkTower.]]

* ''Insomnia'' by Creator/StephenKing culminates in the main characters racing against time to save the life of a young boy named Patrick...whom they've never met, never actually meet during the course of the novel, and who's importance is never quite fully explained either. All they know is that the fate of the universe depends on them saving this one boy.
** To explain: [[spoiler: The boy later grows up and becomes a pivotal character in TheDarkTower.]]

* Messily subverted in ''StationeryVoyagers''. The Voyagers are never even told that Neone or Liquidon joining their crew is important. It just happens. Only Consto seems to find any relevance in Neone's fate at first for the greater picture of the universe, and even then, only so far as it fulfills an ambition that is merely [[AGodAmI a delusion of his own twisted mind]]. Neone and Liquidon ''do'' prove useful additions to the team, [[ChekhovsGunman if only revealing their relevance much later on]].

* ''Film/TheTerminator'': kill Sarah Connor, and her son will never grow up to threaten the BigBad.

* In "The End: Part One" of TeenTitans, the Titans use this sort of logic when they decide to protect Raven to try to prevent Trigon from turning her into a portal and coming to earth. [[spoiler: It doesn't work. Otherwise it [[YouCantThwartStageOne wouldn't be called The End Part One]]]]

* ''[[XMen Uncanny X-Men]]'', in the classic "ComicBook/DaysOfFuturePast" storyline; Kate Pryde must prevent the assassination of anti-mutant senator Robert Kelly to prevent the Sentinels from conquering America and destroying all meta-humans.

* Katniss Everdeen as the Mockingjay of the rebellion, starting at the end of ''[[TheHungerGames Catching Fire]]''. "While you live, the revolution lives."

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** ''Terminator 2'': Kill John himself, and he can't lead the Resistance.
** Again in TerminatorSalvation: the machines try to kill Kyle Reese so that he will not go back in time and become John Connor's father, and the plot revolves around saving him.

* ''{{Willow}}'': Elora Danaan is destined to overthrow evil queen Bavmorda, the irony being it's her protectors who defeat Bavmorda because she was trying to kill the baby in the first place.

* ''Series/{{Heroes}}''. A whole season's ArcWords are "Save the cheerleader, save the world.", referring to Claire as being fundamentally important to the bad guy's plan for the reason that her particular powers ([[HealingFactor Wolverine-like healing]]) are the one thing he needs to fulfill his plot. [[spoiler: The trope is {{subverted}} after all this build-up: they don't save her, but manage to save the world anyway.]]

* The current (and likely final) arc in Manga/{{Naruto}} is being fought to protect both Naruto and Killer Bee from from having their tail-beast extracted by the BigBad Tobi/Madara.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has an entire episode revolve around this. In "Turn Left", it is revealed that [[spoiler: Donna meeting the Doctor saved the multiverse, as without her he would have died (along with several other companions who filled his role in various episodes) and nobody would have been left to stop the Dalek's Reality Bomb.]]

* ''Series/{{Castle}}, of all shows used this in the 4th season--Castle, Beckett, and the CIA are racing against time to find the 'linchpin' a mysterious organization is targeting to trigger World War III and bring the US to its knees. [[spoiler: It turns out to be the daughter of an influential Chinese businessman; her assassination is projected to lead to the businessman turning his influence against the US, leading to a falling out with China which leaves the US in a crippling debt crisis.]]