History Main / TakeUpMySword

* In ''FanFic/ButDoctorIAmPagliacci'', part of the premise is that Batman has been [[RetGone Ret Goned]] and the Joker (now sane and going by Jack Napier) remembers him, but in Jack's attempts to SetRightWhatOnceWhentWrong he accidentally ''becomes'' the new Batman, with the internet giving him that moniker when he beats up Superman (evil in the new timeline) with a baseball bat.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** Harry is given two Swords of the Cross on separate occasions to find replacements for their original wielders. He's like an intermediary for the dead guy and the new guy.
** In ''Literature/SkinGame'', [[spoiler:Butters takes up Fidelacchius after Karin is injured. WordOfGod is that Butters will be a Knight until he dies.]]

** Mia [[spoiler: takes up what is hinted to be Diego Armando's position as the hot-headed, "never say die" defence attorney as well as the case against Dahlia Hawthorne after his poisoning.]]

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': When Link takes his uncle's sword in where he finds his uncle dying in the sewers of Hyrule Castle, he is told to take his sword and save Princess Zelda.

** [[spoiler: when Shikamaru's teacher Asuma dies, Shikamaru inherits his chakra-enhancing blades, with which Shikamaru kills his teacher's killer.]]

* Franchise/{{Batman}} does this twice. The first time, Bruce Wayne gives the Mantle of the Bat to Jean-Paul Valley, only to take it away after he goes nuts, and temporarily gives it to Dick Grayson. When Bruce was declared dead at the end of ComicBook/FinalCrisis, Tim Drake and Jason Todd become Batman before Dick officially takes up the position (and keeps it long after Wayne returns) as Batman. Dick stayed as Batman even after Bruce's return to the costume. Bruce is out and about taking his operation global with [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman ''Batman Incorporated'']] while Dick is the Batman of Gotham. Sadly, Dick gave up the title of Batman with the ComicBook/{{New 52}}, returning to his Nightwing persona.

** In ''Superman'' #149 -which happens in alternate universe Earth-149-, Comicbook/LexLuthor manages to murder Superman. However, Supergirl captures him and takes over for her cousin afterwards.

Most often used at the beginning of a show, to explain exactly [[CallToAdventure how some callow youth loser got the job of defeating]] the BigBad. In this case it was a head fake that had you thinking TheMentor was actually TheHero. (Which makes the first guy a DecoyProtagonist.) Occasionally done with the original Hero as [[DueToTheDead a ghost or shade, unable to rest until someone completes his aborted quest]].

Subtrope of ChangingOfTheGuard. (Specifically, if the position is vacant by death.) GoodCounterpart to the DragonAscendant. Related to HerHeartWillGoOn, DeterminedWidow, TakingUpTheMantle and BequeathedPower. In its darker forms, leads to FeudingFamilies, or may be a genesis to, or simply another stage in, the CycleOfRevenge. See also, TheChooserOfTheOne. PassingTheTorch is when TheHero decides their succession... and [[RetiredBadass is still alive for a while afterwards]].

* The ''Anime/{{Lensman}}'' anime opens with a Lensman crash landing in front of the hero, and passing his Lens along before he dies.

* ''Anime/HeartCatchPrettyCure'' plays this oddly - the CallToAdventure dream Tsubomi, Erika and Itsuki get implies Cure Moonlight died. Tsubomi even gets Moonlight's Kokoro Perfume. That's not the case - Moonlight is still alive, back in her civilian identity as Yuri and suffering from a very bitter TenMinuteRetirement.

** Between Steve's death and Bucky taking up the shield, Tony Stark tried getting someone to fill in. Clint Barton took the job for about five minutes, until an encounter with Kate Bishop (and a WhatTheHellHero) made him reconsider.

--->'''Supergirl:''' You can stop wasting bullets! I have all of Superman's astonishing powers! Gangdom may have suceeded in treacherously killing Superman, but I'm going to carry on his great work!

* This is the basis of ''ComicStrip/ThePhantom'', a title that passes from father to son. ''No'' Phantom has ever died of old age or retired, the title is always passed to the next inheritor after the current one has been mortally wounded. The present day Phantom is the 21st to hold the title.
* ''ComicBook/TheTwelve'' shows that The Human Flame was given his fire-powers by the previous holder who was on deaths door after being injured in a shootout. However, he feels enormously guilty over it because he held off calling an ambulance in the hopes of the man passing the powers to him rather than risk them being lost with his death. After becoming the Human Flame, he makes up a fake back story about getting the powers by being experimented on by a MadScientist. At the end of the story, the Flame is badly injured in the final battle against [[spoiler: Dynaman]] and passes the power to The Phantom Reporter.

* Attempted in ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': after the fall of Xerba under the Evronian invasion, the colony ship ''Antra'', one of two that managed to escape, went straight to Earth to warn humanity of the threat and provide us with their advanced technology (that the Evronians feared, [[WeComeInPeaceShootToKill prompting the Evronians to fake peaceful intentions to cover the invasion]]), knowing that, coupled with [[HumansAreWarriors humanity's warlike nature]], they would be able to fight off the Evronians and counterattack, but were intercepted off Saturn. A member of the crew still managed to escape and reached Earth with a database of all Evronian technology, but used a disguise that included an Evronian tracker to find Paperinik, prompting a reaction that destroyed the database.

* In ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'', a retired Franchise/WonderWoman shows Asuka her tiara, her bracelets and her Lasso and asks her to pick them and carry on her place. Asuka accepts.

* A non-fatal example of this occurs in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/1973673/chapters/4271625 Unsustainable]]''; early in the fic, when Steve, Tony, Bruce and Clint have been captured by one of Banner's old friends with the goal of experimenting on Steve's super-soldier-enhanced physiology, with Steve and Bruce trapped and Tony injured, Tony directs JARVIS to allow Clint to use the Iron Man armor to stop their enemies.
* A relatively minor example in the ''Film/{{Descendants}}'' series "[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/817440 Package Deal]]" when Ben, Mal and Evie are in a relationship; when the time comes for the trio's wedding, Belle gives Evie her distinctive gold dress so that her future daughters-in-law can use it in their wedding dress.

* ''Film/ThePrincessBride''. After Domingo Montoya's death his son takes up the masterpiece of a sword that his father made for the Six Fingered Man. The son later spent the rest of his life training to avenge his father's death. [[MyNameIsInigoMontoya The rest, as]] [[YouKilledMyFather they say, is]] [[PrepareToDie Florinese history...]]

* ''Literature/{{Sharpe}}'': As mentioned in the Film section, Sharpe receives his dying captains old cavalry troopers sword (bear in mind both are infantrymen and it is 35 inches long) in Sharpe's Rifles.

** Lan was given his fathers sword while still in the cradle!

* In ''Literature/TheBookOfTheNewSun'', in book IV the dying Autarch passes his throne [[spoiler: and his memories]] to Severian. It ''shouldn't'' be a surprise since we were told it would happen at the start of book I, and the Autarch has known all along who his successor would be, but given the amount of obfuscation involved..

* In ''[[Literature/{{Dragaera}} Dragon]]'', Napper tags along when Vlad leaves the skirmish-line to go after Fornia, and is killed DeaderThanDead by the enemy warlord's Morganti weapon. Although Vlad has no intention whatsoever of taking up Napper's profession, he ''does'' pick up the fallen soldier's dropped broadsword and attack Fornia with it.

** Both the Magna Defender and Kendrix had {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s, and their spirits came back to officially bestow their swords and powers on successors (Mike and Karone, respectively). Kendrix later comes BackFromTheDead, but the Defender doesn't.
* ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'': Another fatal version occurs in this series when the big bad Ransick kills Red Time Force Ranger (Alex Collins) in the year 3000. With his dying breath he hands his Red Chrono Morpher to girlfriend and fellow Pink Time Force Ranger Jen Scotts, who in turn gives the Red Chrono Morpher to Alex's ancestor in the year 2001, Wesley Collins.

* ''Series/{{Lost}}'': Each of the final three episodes features an instance of this. [[spoiler: First, a flashback episode reveals that Jacob's adoptive mother transfered her powers (most prominently {{immortality}}) and position as the Island's protector down to him shortly before she was killed. Then, Jacob briefly comes back from the grave in order to do the same for Jack Shephard. Finally, as Jack is dying, he decides to transfer the powers and responsibilities to Hurley before performing a HeroicSacrifice.]] This can be assumed to be a pattern that started long before the events of the show and will continue long after the final episode.

-->'''Creator/PeterDavison:''' [[TearJerker To days to come.]]
-->'''Creator/DavidTennant:''' [[PromotedFanboy All my love to long ago.]]

* ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' episode 'Homeland'. After Duncan was cast out of his clan, it was attacked by a Viking named Kanwulf, and his father was killed. Duncan came back and took up his father's sword to go after the guy. Unfortunately, he didn't know the rules of immortality at the time, so he didn't behead Kanwulf and the guy survived. Duncan, however, became a legend. "He came back from the grave, took up his father's sword and slew the Viking." When Kanwulf returns in the present day to terrorize the village until his sacred ax is found, Duncan repeats the legend, taking his father's sword from the inn/tavern where it had hung and finally ending Kanwulf for good.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' has [[spoiler:The Machine]] taking up ''her own sword'' in the finale. [[spoiler:One week after she and Samaritan are destroyed by the ICE-9 virus, a backup copy of her core code comes online, but without any of her memories. To fix this, The Machine records a message right as she dies that her memory-free code eventually listens to, explaining her purpose, the nature of her work, and the moral code she lived by. This is enough for the backup code to resume its mission.]]

** In the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' prequel ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', Zack Fair puts Buster Sword into Cloud's hand and and tells him to live "for the both of us". [[spoiler: This later leaves Cloud in a state of endless anxiety when he regains his proper memories and decides that he's failed to live a proper life for himself, much less for Zack, at the beginning of Advent Children.]]

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'': has a subversion. At the end of chapter 4, [[spoiler: Guybrush died and it looked like Elaine would be the hero of the final episode (she even gets a appearance in chapter 4's end cinematic, as if confirming this idea). A month later, chapter 5 came out and the focus was still on Guybrush.]]
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Gaiden'' its revealed that Fighter Roar tried to use a kamikaze attack on Dark Brain and is now without a body. He then merges with Kouta so that Kouta can become the new Fighter Roar with the first Roar being his mentor.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': The Crucible is an ancient weapon against [[EldritchAbomination the Reapers]] that was never finished before its creators where wiped out. [[spoiler:It wasn't developed by the Protheans either. Like the humans, they found the plans in ancient ruins 50,000 years older than their own civilization and only improved and refined what they found. It's the combined effort of countless civilizations which each added new improvements to the design before they were annihilated by the reaper, making the building of the Crucible a task that has been passed down for millions of years, with the current cycle of reaping that Humanity is part of being the first to finish it. In the Refusal ending, Liara in turn sends on the Crucible schematics to the next cycle.]]

** In ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', Zero and X return as equipable "biometals" that can impart their form unto a new user, who then not only takes up their sword, but also their body. The player acquires Zero's biometal after its original owner, Giro, dies.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has [[spoiler: the kids who took up their parents's missions ''come from the future'' to fight with them in an attempt to make said BadFuture better.]]

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' has [[spoiler:Raiden take Jetstream Sam's sword after their duel to finish the fight with Senator Armstrong, who Sam tried to defeat before the events of the game. After defeating Armstrong, the latter states that Raiden is a worthy successor of his ideals and encourages him to fight for his own ideals regardless what others may think.]]
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'': [[spoiler: Aqua takes up Eraqus' keyblade when returning to Land of Departure after his death, and start wielding it after losing her own to save Terra-Xehanort. The bequething ceremonies Aqua and Terra give to Kairi and Riku also qualify by the end have effectively passed on their roles in the story to them.]]

* ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa2'': With its generation system the game considered this whenever a generation changes or when the team leader is killed, notably the first lord, Leon. He gets killed off by a bad guy during the prologue chapter, passing all his ability and skill to his wimp son Gellard, [[TookALevelInBadass who's taking a whole new level in badass.]] [[RoaringRampageofRevenge He then off to revange his father.]]

* ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'': This happens several times. In 1, [[spoiler: Sgt. Jackson gets killed by a [[NukeEm nuke]]]], although that's a weaker example, since you were already playing as Soap, who the story shifts to, anyway. In 2, [[spoiler: It happens twice- first, Allen gets shot by Makarov and you become a different US Army Ranger in the same unit for the rest of the American side of the story, and later, Roach dies when Shepard betrays Task Force 141, and you play as Soap for the final few missions]] 3 is the only game in the series to (mostly) lack this trope- a few characters die while you play as them, but you only play as them for one level anyway, and nobody new replaces them.

* ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown 2'': This happens in [[spoiler: Nakoruru]]'s ending in , since [[spoiler: her sister Rimururu receives her dagger and decides to fight on from then on. Nakoruru's later becomes a sortof Spirit Protector who comes back when needed and often fights alongside Rimururu.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Hearthstone}}'' when Tirion Fordring dies his deathrattle causes the player's hero (normally Uther) to immediately equips Tyrion's sword Ashbringer. The animation for the ability shows a sword flying from Tirion to the hero, implying him throwing his sword to them.
* ''Videogame/ZettaiHeroProject'' has this as the means in which the main character becomes the Unlosing Ranger, inheriting the Morphing Belt from Pirohiko, who dies shortly after. [[spoiler: Pirohiko himself became the Unlosing Ranger in this way, and it's heavily implied this is how new Unlosing Rangers are decided.]]
* In ''VideoGame/Guacamelee2'', it turns out that "our" Juan was the ''only'' Juan across countless alternate timelines to defeat the BigBad of the first game. In every other timeline, Juan died horribly in the final battle, and another hero stepped up to defeat said Big Bad in his place. Which is why our Juan is called to the Darkest Timeline, because their replacement hero [[FaceHeelTurn became the new Big Bad]].

** During the Solomon Singularity, when Mash Kyrielight sacrifices herself to shield everyone from Goetia's attack, Ritsuka Fujimaru picks up her shield and uses it to beat Goetia to death. Mash is later resurrected and the shield returned to her.

** In the beginning of Volume Four, Jaune's gear is upgraded with metal left from Pyrrha's armor.

* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy0VRtsg0ck this]] RealTrailerFakeMovie for a live action ''Manga/CellsAtWork'' film, White Blood Cell U-1146 and Natural Killer Cell are defeated by Cancer Cell, causing Red Blood Cell [=AE3803=] to pick up NK Cell's sword to defend them from Cancer Cell.

* ''FanFic/TheEquestrianWindMage'': At the end of Season 2, [[spoiler: as Ganondorf, [[DyingAsYourself purified of Demise's curse, lays dying]] ([[FinalDeath for the final time]]), he passes the Triforce of Power on to Vaati]].

* ''Literature/GreenRider'': A fallen messenger gives a girl his magic brooch and CoolHorse so she can carry his message for him.

* ''Franchise/{{Megaman}}''
** ''VideoGame/MegaMan'': [[BigBrotherMentor Proto Man]] giving [[IconicItem his shield]] the blue bomber after a [[BonusBoss Bonus]] BossBattle.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'': If the player fails to acquire the X Buster upgrade, Zero will relinquish his own for you to use after his HeroicSacrifice.
** [[spoiler: after Zero's death at the end of X5, X tries to find his friend, only to find Zero's sword. X decides to use the Z-saber onwards "in memory" of Zero]].

* This is actually what John [=McCrae=]'s poem ''In Flanders Fields'' is about (a dying soldier urges others to take up the fight), though [[SecondVerseCurse most people only know the first verse]], which is the bit about the poppies.

''Theatre/WestSideStory'' has an example that's tragic rather than heroic: after Bernardo kills Riff, Tony picks up Riff's switchblade knife and immediately uses it to kill Bernardo. In the 1961 film version, the dying Riff actually hands the knife to Tony just before he collapses, silently requesting this trope.

* ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' has an example that's tragic rather than heroic: after Bernardo kills Riff, Tony picks up Riff's switchblade knife and immediately uses it to kill Bernardo. In the 1961 film version, the dying Riff actually hands the knife to Tony just before he collapses, silently requesting this trope.

* In the 1961 film version of ''Theatre/WestSideStory,'' after Riff is stabbed by Bernardo, he silently hands his switchblade knife to Tony just before falling dead. Tony immediately uses the knife to kill Bernardo.

* ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'': Gabrielle was a heroine for the whole series, even if she was a sidekick. Then Xena died and she steps up to full hero with Xena's chakram.

* Hercules passing on his bow and arrows (tipped in the blood of the Hydra) to Philoktetes before he dies of Hydra venom.

** [[spoiler:Rhodey is set up by the dying Tony to take over as armored hero. As Fury points out, the only way Rhodey could have activated the Mk. II was if Tony had already given him clearance to do so]].

* ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' also deals with the importance of inheritance and legacy as [[spoiler: Tony Stark died in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' but not before leaving E.D.I.T.H. and thus control of Stark Industries' information gathering and weapons technology to be handed over to Peter Parker. Peter is also throughout the movie, [[ChangingOfTheGuard pushed towards and ultimately assumes the mantle that Iron Man once held as the hero of the MCU.]]]]
* ''Film/TheMaskOfZorro'': It isn't clear if the sword the new Zorro uses is in fact the same one as the one used by the original, but he received the mantle of Zorro all along.

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Wally West inherits the legacy his uncle, Barry Allen, who is killed at the end of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': This is a mechanism built-in to the rings and it seems most Lanterns gain their ring immediately in the wake of their predecessor's death (some villains, e.g. in ''Comicbook/{{Justice}}'', abused this rule by incapacitating the current GL without killing him, so that his successor isn't "activated"). Sometimes the Lanterns recruit and sometimes a dying Lantern gets to play the Take Up My sword trope straight as Abin Sur did with Hal Jordan.

** ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' led to no less than four Supermen standing up to replace or impersonate him. Three were [[AntiHeroSubstitute Anti Hero Substitutes]]; the fourth was as much of a [[TheCape Cape]] as the original (if not [[UpToEleven more so]]), and was regarded as a legitimate successor to Superman even after the original returned.

** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': The death of ultimate Spiderman led to new character ComicBook/MilesMorales becoming the new Friendly Neighborhood Webslinger. The first arc of the new Ultimate Spider-Man series gave a PerspectiveFlip in which it's revealed that Miles had his power long before Peter ever died. He was adamant not to become a Super hero but after learning of Peter's death however, [[ILetGwenStacyDie Miles was overcome with guilt due to his own inaction]], and decided to carrying on his legacy.

** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': The death of ultimate Spiderman led to new character Miles Morales becoming the new Friendly Neighborhood Webslinger. The first arc of the new Ultimate Spider-Man series gave a PerspectiveFlip in which it's revealed that Miles had his power long before Peter ever died. He was adamant not to become a Super hero but after learning of Peter's death however, [[ILetGwenStacyDie Miles was overcome with guilt due to his own inaction]], and decided to carrying on his legacy.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': When Mash Kyrielight sacrifices herself to shield everyone from Goetia's attack, Ritsuka Fujimaru picks up her shield and uses it to beat Goetia to death. Mash is later resurrected.