History Main / TheChainsOfCommanding

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452938989030280400
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/ThirteenDays https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kennedycrisis.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Well, Mr. President, do we press the BigRedButton or not?"]]

%% Caption selected per above IP thread. Please do not replace or remove without discussion here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1404492079030138900

* From ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', we have Rossiu, post-timeskip. Team Dai-Gurren are running the show though despite their best efforts, they're out of their element for the most part. Even with Simon being the head honcho, it's explicitly implied Rossiu is the bulk of the brains. The next few episodes have him make pragmatic choices that weigh down on him heavily. The team acknowledges this and they're quite understanding about it. [[spoiler: After his plan to evacuate people backfires and Simon has to stop the forces, the weight of it and the fact he forced Kinon to have explosives while in Gurren Lagann as a failsafe just breaks him. Simon has to stop him from committing suicide... by [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan punching him in the face to snap him out of it]].]]

* Emperor Saihitei aka Hotohori of ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'' suffers from this ''a lot''.
* Shi Ryuuki of ''LightNovel/TheStoryOfSaiunkoku'' also counts, once he finally decided take up his role as TheEmperor seriously.
* Colonel Roy Mustang from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. [[spoiler:[[TheMenFirst He calls an ambulance for his subordinate when he himself is practically dying from his injuries]]]] and blames himself for absolutely ''everything'' that goes wrong.

* Jean Kirstein from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' struggles with the very idea that he's a natural leader, doubting his abilities and whether he even deserves that much power over whether others live or die. This leads to a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment after he's forced to use the deaths of several comrades as a distraction, and he nearly breaks down while wondering how many more died on his command. It takes [[spoiler:the death of Marco, his best friend and loudest supporter]] to make him accept this responsibility and begin believing in himself.
** Commander Erwin Smith has had to make several tough calls regarding sacrificing his soldiers for the greater good but when things go bad, it usually falls on his head, particularly after [[spoiler:the failure of the 57th Expedition]]. He usually has the fortitude to continue on but it's shown that even he has his limits.
* In the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] of ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', Minako Aino / Sailor Venus is shown struggling under the pressure of her role as the leader of the Sailor Senshi. When she [[{{Depowered}} temporarily lost her powers]] in the Dream Arc, unlike the other Inner Senshi, Minako has an existential crisis because being the leader of the Senshi and Serenity's closest guardian, is the only thing that truly matters to her. It culminates in her lashing out at her friends when they talk about the Outer Senshi, because Minako believes that they respect the Outers more than her. Wanting to prove to herself and the Inners that she was a worthy leader, she runs away trying to infiltrate the Dark Moon Circus by herself, risking her own life and the lives of others in the process.
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' uses this trope with the King of Midland, one of the few examples in the series of RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething. Despite being indirectly responsible for the Eclipse (he had Griffin imprisoned and tortured for a year because he slept with the princess), and harboring incestuous feelings for his daughter, it's revealed that he is also a deeply troubled, weary man who wants nothing more than to be relieved of the burden of the crown. Understandable, considering that during his tenure as King, he's had to deal with one ForeverWar, another war with the Kushkan Empire, and a DecadentCourt.
* In ''Manga/BoardingSchoolJuliet'', members of the AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil are essentially on-call, always, to deal with whatever problems the student body is having. They've been shown tutoring students, driving away feral animals, intimidating bullies, building giant mascot statues- you name it. Which is not to say the job doesn't have perks, but its holders have significantly less time to enjoy them than the average student.
-->'''Juliet:''' ''Noblesse oblige.'' Nobles have a duty to the masses.

* This is the reason that [[ComicBook/TheSandman Morpheus]] grew tired of his role as Dream and [[spoiler:committed indirect suicide.]]
* This is really common with the ComicBook/XMen.
** ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}. Notably, despite having a reputation for being a crybaby, he's such a stoic that he rarely, if ever, whines about his difficulties publicly, instead choosing to brood alone when faced with difficulties. As a result, InUniverse he's often [[UngratefulBastard given a hard time by the people he's leading]] because they don't think he ''cares'' about the things he's doing, which is the exact opposite of how he feels. The Utopia era is probably the ''best'' example of this trope in play, as Scott was charged with protecting the [[LastOfTheirKind last remnants of the mutant race]] (which were down to about ''80'') as several groups began actively trying to wipe them out. To do so he moved them to a secured base off the coast of San Francisco, formed a secret splinter team ''without'' [[ThouShallNotKill a no-killing policy]], and created many battle plans to combat the many threats they face, but as soon as any of the team find out about the darker things he does to protect them, he's given a vicious WhatTheHellHero speech by [[{{Hypocrite}} people who've done things]] ''just as bad'' themselves.
** Surge is made the leader of the ComicBook/NewXMen, and after a string of {{Heroic BSOD}}s, cracks. A bus full of depowered mutants is blown up right in front of her, she tries to get Prodigy to hate her so he'll leave Xavier's and be safer for it, it doesn't work and he breaks up with her (even after discovering this) and she has to deal with the older X-Men who do not take the younger generation seriously, even though, by this point, they've proven themselves to be a capable team. So when Xavier returns after all of this, she is really pissed off.
--->'''Surge''': Shut up. Just '''shut up!'''\\
'''Prodigy''': Nori!\\
'''Surge''': No! Where was he when we were getting killed!? Well? Where were you when we were getting '''blown up in buses''', or '''shot in the head''', or getting our '''hearts ripped out?!''' Where were you when those '''Purifier bastards''' came to '''kill''' what was left of us in your '''freaking mansion?!'''

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The last arc of the ''ComicBook/XWingRogueSquadron'' comics featured this pretty clearly. Wedge, helping make plans for an operation to rescue a defecting Imperial, accepts that he and his people will be the ones who have to make sure any potential disaster stays potential. They have to fly cover, and if they can't adjust to any surprises... Later in the arc, after things went wrong, the Rebel Alliance Council look over the situation and decide that they can't allocate any more forces to helping their people out, to Leia's misery. She'd like to gather up Luke and Han and Lando and pull a BigDamnHeroes moment, but her sphere of responsibility is so much wider now, and she has to apply to other conflicts.
** In another ''Franchise/{{Star Wars|Expanded Universe}}'' comic arc, one that shows the men behind the masks in the Imperial army, Lieutenant Janek Sunber is put in charge of setting up defenses by the general. They have to hold against an unstoppable wave of alien natives (an homage to ''Zulu''). During the fighting, while he and his men are falling back, the stormtrooper next to him is hit in the back by a spear. The narration notes that most men, when a comrade near them is killed, feel relief that they were not the one to die. Sunber, on the other hand, feels dismay that he couldn't save the man, that he didn't even know his name, and worst of all, that it doesn't matter, because the rest of the men need him. He even tried to drag the stormtrooper to safety before another officer pulled him away.

* In ''ComicBook/AvatarTheLastAirbenderThePromise'', Fire Lord Zuko gets to learn that actually ruling his war-torn and demoralized country is going to be more difficult than simply overthrowing his despot of a father. His father, in prison, points it out.

* Prince Charming of ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' is almost the living incarnation of this. Introduced as a shallow, self-absorbed womanizer (and down on his luck) he became Mayor of Fabletown. And he was rapidly overwhelmed by the bureaucracy. Yet it was clear that he was doing his absolute best to lead the Fables, fight their enemies, and ultimately serve their goals, whether they voted for him or not. Moreover, he eventually led them to war and sacrificed himself to win. Looking back at the earlier issues, it's clear that he was still the shallow self-absorbed womanizer, and yet even from the start he was the brilliant self-sacrificing soldier.
* As seen in the ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}''/Franchise/GreenLantern crossover ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'', Guy Gardner is the unofficial leader of the Red Lanterns who haven’t sided with [[BigBad Atrocitus]]. It’s a very distressing job leading a team of psychotic, short-tempered, berserk {{Blood Knight}}s with little regard for authority, especially when he tries to be the voice of reason, and his new role has driven a wedge between him and his former friends, his family…
* ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}} was the first leader of ComicBook/YoungJustice but the expectations others placed on him and his friends accusing him wrongly and without evidence of making plans to kill them if need be after Batman's plans for his own allies came to light were quite hard for him to take. He preferred his role as ComicBook/WonderGirl's tactician and helping her come up with plans after she became the group's leader.

* ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets'': The Trust has shades of this, given how it's members end up inheriting secret control of the country and live in fear of assassination for the rest of their lives. Mia Simone in particular is implied to feel this way at [[spoiler: Axel Nagel's]] wake, questioning whether the Trust leaders control their houses, or their houses control them.

* In any Muppet production, ''any'' Muppet production, being the in-universe boss is stressful, mind-numbing, and taxes the limits of what a sane mind can handle. When Kermit hands control over of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' to Statler and Waldorf, the two grumps find themselves unable to make any improvements and realize how hard it is to run the show. When Gonzo and Leon try a HostileShowTakeOver in ''Series/TheJimHensonHour'', Kermit gladly lets them have the reins so he can take a break. In the premiere episode of ''Series/MuppetsTonight'', Clifford was distracted by a phone call when Kermit asked who wanted to be in charge of the show, and as such missed the cue to run with the other Muppets.

* ''Film/LawrenceOfArabia'':
-->'''General Allenby''': I thought I was a hard man, sir.\\
'''Prince Feisal''': [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/quotes You are merely a general. I must be a king.]]

* One of the center themes in ''Film/{{U 571}}''.

* ''Film/IntoTheStorm2009'' shows the harsh decisions of leadership take quite a toll on Churchill.
* Film/QueenChristina can't deal with being queen anymore when it stands in the way of true love and happiness. So she abdicates.
-->'''Christina''': I'm tired of being a symbol, chancellor. I long to be a human being.
* In ''Film/PrincessORourke'', Maria doesn't want to live with all the obligations of being a princess especially since she wants to marry for love.
* ''Film/SpaceBattleshipYamato'': Okita carries a heavy burden, one which Susumu is hesitant to carry himself; one which includes ordering men and women to their deaths because of one's own mistakes. Okita directly says in a conversation with Susumu [[spoiler:after the latter had Yuki destroy the connector to the third bridge before a latched-on Gamilas weapon can blow up the Yamato, but throwing away the lives of those on the third bridge in the process,]] that there's no way those who have not commanded can understand the pressures the two of them are under.
* ''Film/TwelveOClockHigh'': The film is a character study about command, and is still used to teach U.S. Air Force officers. The movie opens with Colonel Keith Davenport, commanding the 918th Bombardment Group, being relieved after accusations of "over-identifying" with his men. Brigadier General Savage takes over the group temporarily to rebuild the command structure. Lieutenant-Colonel Gately, the second in command, is accused of failing to support the original C.O. and is exiled to command the "Leper Colony", a B-17 with all the underachievers of the group assigned to it. Savage introduces harsh methods of training, and in hoping to set a stern example, begins to succumb to the same pressures of command that Davenport did. Harvey Stovall, the group adjutant, remarks that "the only difference between Davenport and Savage is that one of them is a couple of inches taller." At the end of the film, [[spoiler:Savage breaks down from the stress, too, and Gately takes over.]] Much of the film is possibly TruthInTelevision in that the screenwriter based the story heavily on actual officers of the 306th Bombardment Group.
* ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982''. Discussed not only in King Osric's speech (see Quotes) but also the AndTheAdventureContinues bit in ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'', where TheNarrator tells of how Conan will one day wear his own crown "on a troubled brow."
* ''Film/TheDawnPatrol'' is about a Royal Flying Corps squad engaging in daily combat with the Germans during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. The commander, Major Brand, drinks to excess and is driven to the edge of collapse from the stress of having to send his men off to die every day. Courtney, his star pilot, thinks Brand is too cautious, but after Brand is promoted and Courtney is grounded by taking Brand's job as commander, he feels the same stresses.
* Played to an extreme in horror film ''Film/EyeOfTheDevil''. Philippe de Montfaucon is a rich marquis with a large estate and a whole town of commoners to work the vineyards on that estate. But if the vineyard fails, whoever is marquis has to give himself up in a pagan HumanSacrifice to restore the fields to fertility.
* ''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'' implies that this is happening to Chancellor Valorum in its novelization, as he sounds and looks significantly older than a member of his house at his age should, burdened down by laws, protocol and ultimately his very own heritage, which all make it easy for the corrupt senate to work around the tired man.
* ''Film/KingRalph'': Ralph, after many public screw-ups, comes to understand the responsibilities and sacrifices of being a king. [[spoiler: Despite getting some lucrative business deals with an African king, he decides he is not cut out for the chains, and hands them over to Cecil, his undersecretary, who himself didn't want the chains, but humbly accepted them]].
* ''Film/IndependenceDay'' features a moment of this for President Whitmore. After they narrowly escape the destruction of Washington, he sits silently on Air Force One, reflecting on how millions of Americans have just died on his watch.
-->"We could have evacuated the cities ''hours'' ago. That's the advantage of being a fighter pilot. In the Gulf War, we knew what we had to do. It's just...not simple anymore. A lot of people died today. How many didn't have to?"
* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'': Emperor Marcus Aurelius knows all too well how heavy the crown is, having spent a lifetime trying to keep Rome prosperous, and knowing that his son Commodus is an InadequateInheritor to say the least, wants General Maximus Meridus to succeed him instead specifically because Maximus does not want power and would see the throne as the burden it really is, but would accept it anyway. It's a moot point after Commodus murders his father to seize power and quickly proves himself even worse than Aurelius feared.
* In the 1996 TV movie ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Command_(film) Star Command]]'' (aka ''In The Fold''), Captain Ridnaur explains this to a cadet. The commanding officer is [[LonelyAtTheTop alone]] and must appear invincible to encourage confidence among the crew.
* In ''Film/TheManFromColorado'', it is strongly implied that the stress of command is one of the key factors in triggering Owen's SanitySlippage and transformation into a BloodKnight. His diary indicates that [[ReluctantPsycho he knows what he is doing is wrong]] but feels that he cannot confide in anyone, even his best friend and second-in-command Del.
* Discussed in ''Film/TheDeparted''. Frank Costello is ProperlyParanoid about having [[TheMole rats]] in his criminal organization. While talking to Costigan, who is indeed a police informant, he asks if Costigan thinks he could be boss. Costigan affirms that he probably could, but adds that he'd really rather not have the constant pressure and paranoia that somebody in Costello's position has to deal with.

* Fausta in Creator/DorothyLSayers' ''Theatre/TheEmperorConstantine'' seriously objects to the demands that being Constantine's wife puts on her.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' this seems to be a running element of the aspect of Blood. Thematically it's tied to society, the networking of people working together but in most instances come up as the pressure of maintaining a unit in conflict. Symbolically it's represented as chains and red tape and is an aspect characterized by TheFettered.

* The lord in A Caution to the Wise, a story in ''Website/TheWanderersLibrary'', has only one lament: "If only I were free!"

* The lord in A Caution to the Wise, a story in ''Wiki/TheWanderersLibrary'', has only one lament: "If only I were free!"

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': One of the reoccurring themes of the show is the messiness and difficulty of being a leader, oftentimes being forced to make moral compromises. Jayce is convinced that corruption and schmoozing with the elites is a necessary part of keeping his seat on the council, which he accepts as the price to pay so he can ensure the safety and future technological advancement of Piltover. Vander has a secret working relationship with the Enforcers which brutally put down the revolution he personally led because it keeps the peace. [[spoiler: Even Silco, while more exploitative in his relationship with Marcus and planning to revolt, still has to maintain a level of peace, so his anger at Jinx killing Enforcers sounds eerily similar to Vander.]]

** ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} practically ''OWNS'' this trope. Notably, despite having a reputation for being a crybaby thanks to InkStainAdaptation, he's such a stoic that he rarely, if ever, ''actually'' whines about his difficulties publicly, instead choosing to brood alone when faced with difficulties. As a result, InUniverse he's often [[UngratefulBastard given a hard time by the people he's leading]] because they don't think he ''cares'' about the things he's doing, which is the exact opposite of how he feels. The Utopia era is probably the ''best'' example of this trope in play, as Scott was charged with protecting the ''[[LastOfTheirKind last remnants of the mutant race]]'' (which were down to about ''80'') as several groups began actively trying to KillThemAll. To do so he moved them to a secured base off the coast of San Francisco, formed a secret splinter team ''without'' [[ThouShallNotKill a no-killing policy]], and created many battle plans to combat the many threats they face, but as soon as any of the team find out about the darker things he does to protect them, he's given a vicious WhatTheHellHero speech by [[{{Hypocrite}} people who've done things]] ''just as bad'' themselves.

* ''Literature/TheTroublemaker'': UpToEleven. The planet of New Cornwall selects its monarch by giving the job to the first person to volunteer after a previous incumbent resigns. Said king has absolute power but (along with his nobles) gets implanted with neurotransmitters that cause severe pain whenever a large number of their subjects are experiencing pain or fear (like after an earthquake) to motivate them into immediately acting on behalf of their people whenever necessary. Any thoughts about removing the neurotransmitters trigger far greater agony. This keeps even the most ambitious and selfish kings from abusing their power or wanting to rule for a prolonged period. The captain is a former King of New Cornwall and tricks trouble-making cargo master Seat into volunteering for the position while visiting the planet.

* Say what you will about modern political leaders, but many of them live their lives in a fishbowl and are ruthlessly scrutinized by the media, their political opponents, and online bloggers. Even the smallest mistakes and misstatements can blow up in one's face, particularly in the modern age when blogs, Twitter, and other online media can spread news almost immediately. Imagine if almost everything you said, every expression you made, was broadcast to the world and mercilessly picked apart across the internet and cable channels. It gets worse when you consider the level of personal venom some commentators direct at them, which in some cases would be grounds for slander or libel if made against a private citizen. And then there's what happens if your family gets dragged into it...

[[TheLeader Authority]] means a lot of things: Sure, when everything's going well, everyone has to listen to what you're saying; you don't need to do the ''stupid'' parts of whatever your group is doing; you're probably less poor than your underlings; and you get to look fine in your boss garb.

* Rodimus Prime in series 3 of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' often struggled with living up to the legacy of Optimus Prime, and at times is even willing to justify any excuse to give up command. A lot of this stems from [[ItsAllMyFault his guilt over Optimus' death]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' and when Optimus returns for good, he happily returns the Matrix to the elder Prime.

** King Jonathan and his son Roald are also hit with it. Jon has to walk a political tightrope so he can make reforms without inciting conservatives, mages, temples, and commoners to rebel, and he can't go near the Scanran border without his top general scorching his ears for putting himself in danger. Roald has similar problems--as page and squire he's ''very'' careful to avoid creating a clique and in the war he's barred from the front lines, plus he has to put off his wedding.

** After seeing the toll the Presidency took on UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson [[note]]Who was so badly crippled by a stroke, his wife became de facto President[[/note]] Florence Harding wrote she didn't want her husband UsefulNotes/WarrenGHarding to run. Warren grew incredibly weary with the job overtime, stating "I am not fit for this office and I should never have been here". Having to manage his corrupt cronies, he also stated "I have no trouble with my enemies - I can take care of my enemies all right. But my damn friends... [[WithFriendsLikeThese They're the ones that keep me walking the floors at night]]!" He died two years into his first time. Even Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a woman famed for her vicious snark, sympathetically commented on how the job had overtaxed him.

** Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, has often been called (possibly deservedly) a terrible leader. But he struggled to balance an emotionally fragile wife, an heir who suffered from hemophilia, [[WellDoneSonGuy emotional baggage from his late father, the threat of revolutionary terror]], and trying to placate both the conservative and reformist elements of Russian society. He became so overwhelmed with the task of trying to run the Russian Empire during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI that it took a serious toll on his physical health, suffering a coronary occlusion just days before he resigned. As noted by biographer Robert K. Massie in his seminal book ''Nicholas and Alexandra'', being deposed as the Russian Emperor actually had a fringe benefit, as it freed him from the stresses of running the country. Life in captivity wasn't exactly pleasant, and it got worse after the Bolsheviks seized power, but Nicholas' health did recover once he no longer had to put up with the headaches of running a country so huge it made up one-sixth of the world's landmass.

** Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, suffered from this during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, when he became so overwhelmed with the task of trying to run the Russian Empire during a time of war that it took a serious toll on his physical health, suffering a coronary occlusion just days before he resigned. As noted by biographer Robert K. Massie in his seminal book ''Nicholas and Alexandra'', being deposed as the Russian Emperor actually had a fringe benefit, as it freed him from the stresses of running the country. Life in captivity wasn't exactly pleasant, and it got worse after the Bolsheviks seized power, but Nicholas' health did recover once he no longer had to put up with the headaches of running a country so huge it made up one-sixth of the world's landmass.

* Russia, whether as an absolute monarchy, a totalitarian communist state, or an oligarchical republic, has never had rulers who are...fun. [[InherentInTheSystem But ruling Russia has not been fun for those who have held the reins either]].

** Mikhail Gorbachev tried to reform the Soviet Union's sclerotic and oppressive edifice into a more open and democratic society and reduce tensions between the two superpowers. His reward was economic decay, nationalist uprisings, a coup by hardliners, the breakup of his country, Russia's fall from superpower status, and enmity from Russians who blamed him for Russia's loss of territory and prestige.
** Boris Yeltsin suffered from a plethora of health conditions as President of Russia. You could notice that in Boris Yeltsin's interviews around a year after resignation he looked way better than five years prior, after the election for the second term (not even to mention a year before resignation). Removal of the strain made him look somewhat younger with time.

** In Russia, you could notice that in Boris Yeltsin's interviews around a year after resignation he looked way better than five years prior, after the election for the second term (not even to mention a year before resignation). Removal of the strain made him look somewhat younger with time.

* One notorious example of this is Dom Pedro II, Brazil's last emperor. He has been lauded in Brazilian history as one of its greatest rulers. But by the time of the 1889 coup, he was incredibly exhausted by the task of ruling. So when the Republicans revolted, he immediately fled into exile despite having more than enough support to maintain power. It didn't help that the job had been forced onto him at a young age, and that when traveling abroad under a pseudonym, he could escape the pressures of the job.

** After seeing the toll the Presidency took on UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson, Florence Harding wrote she didn't want her husband UsefulNotes/WarrenGHarding to run. Warren grew incredibly weary with the job overtime, stating "I am not fit for this office and I should never have been here". Having to manage his corrupt cronies, he also stated "I have no trouble with my enemies - I can take care of my enemies all right. But my damn friends... [[WithFriendsLikeThese They're the ones that keep me walking the floors at night]]!" Even Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a woman famed for her vicious snark, sympathetically commented on how the job had overtaxed him.

** Several media personalities commented on how UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan seemed to suffer from his position far less than most Presidents, especially given how old he was when elected. This is probably related to him being one of the most 'hands off' presidents ever, with him largely letting his cabinet run itself (at least until the Iran-Contra Affair).
*** Since [[PrematurelyGreyHaired premature aging]] is often one of the main signs of this stress, his age at the onset might have also played a role, making the stress less visible than it might be on a younger man.

* Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, suffered from this during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, when he became so overwhelmed with the task of trying to run the Russian Empire during a time of war that it took a serious toll on his physical health. As noted by biographer Robert K. Massie in his seminal book ''Nicholas and Alexandra'', being deposed as the Russian Emperor actually had a fringe benefit, as it freed him from the stresses of running the country. Life in captivity wasn't exactly pleasant, and it got worse after the Bolsheviks seized power, but Nicholas' health did recover once he no longer had to put up with the headaches of running a country so huge it made up one-sixth of the world's landmass.

** One anecdote has UsefulNotes/NikitaKhrushchev write two letters to his successor, UsefulNotes/LeonidBrezhnev, saying "When you get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of, open the first letter, and you’ll be safe. When you get yourself into another situation you can’t get out of, open the second letter." The first letter's instructions were - "[[TheScapegoat Blame it all on me.]]" The second letter? "[[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity Sit down and write two letters]]."

** Before the two-term precedent was put into the Constitution, the reason why it had been followed was not just because American politicians wanted to set a [[{{Cincinnatus}} tradition of voluntarily surrendering power]]; they left power because the job was ''that'' exhausting. George Washington wanted to quit the presidency after his first term, but was urged to stay by those who feared that America would be without strong leadership. Despite his own popularity, Calvin Coolidge not only refused a third term, but refused to be nominated in 1932, showing even popular Presidents can be worn down by the demands of the job.

* Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}} often felt this way about her calling as the Slayer making her feel different. It bordered on what could be considered supreme egotism sometimes and when faced with one very tough decision [[spoiler:about whether to kill Anya for restarting her vengeance demon ways]] she claimed that the Scooby Gang was not a democracy, that she's the Slayer and eventually all the tough decisions come down to her.

** King Geogre VI feels the chains around him and has been enduring them since the Crown was forced upon him when his brother Edward VIII abdicated to be able to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simspon. The stress leads him to smoke heavily, ends up killing him from complications to lung cancer. When he is apporoached by Anthony Eden, the political heir to Winston Churchill, who wishes the King to step in and convince the old man to retire, the King refuses.

'''Anthony Eden:''' Well, as Sovereign, of course, there is nothing you can do from a constitutional standpoint. But as a friend... as Albert Windsor, you are the one person I can think of to whom he might listen.\\

* Rodimus Prime in series 3 of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' often sstruggled with living up to the legacy of Optimus Prime, and at times is even willing to justify any excuse to give up command. A lot of this stems from [[ItsAllMyFault his guilt over Optimus' death]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' and when Optimus returns for good, he happily returns the Matrix to the elder Prime.

* [[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]], of all people, invoked this trope to cheer Bart up when he was bitter about losing the election for class president. Homer points out that Bart would have had to do a lot of extra work without getting paid, and he wouldn't even have been able to do anything cool because of it. When he realizes just what he would have had to put up with if he'd won the election, Bart actually feels a lot better.

* In the ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13232445/1/Leader-Change Leader Change]]'', Weiss is given the opportunity to switch places with Ruby and become the leader of Team [=RWBY=] like she originally wanted to. At first, Weiss believes that she'll flourish in her new role because of her strict upbringing and the belief that her teammates will automatically listen to her. Learning that isn't the case combined with the realization of how difficult it is being responsible for her teammates behavior and well-being makes Weiss realize [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor that being in charge isn't all it's cracked up to be]].

* ''Film/BeneatThePlanetOfTheApes'': Mendez leads a CargoCult and is willing to torture and mistreat Brent and Taylor. He's also never without a sad and weary expression on his face that suggests that he's unhappy about having to engage in such cruelty while constantly facing an ape invasion that his people have little hope of withstanding.

** Same thing with Dr. Weir, Colonel Carter, and Mr. Woolsey during their respective times as the leader of Atlantis in ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. While the IOA likes to interfere and chew them out for not following protocol, they always refuse to make decisions, instead leaving the leader to make the tough calls and then deal with being chewed out for making said tough decisions (vicious cycle, no?)

* Ahsoka has to learn this lesson when she loses her squadron of pilots in ''Storm over Ryloth'' on ''WesternAnimation/TheCloneWars''.

** We see a couple other Queens have to deal with these issues and so on. The oldest known Butterfly, Queen Skywynne for example had to deal with the mess her mother Lyric made (the loss of the first Book of Spells) and actually made the moves toward having her people be more autonomous (though this started the annexation of monster land and later the wars on them) and that the people would not accept her original heir Jushtin despite being a skilled diplomat and capable ruler (since Mewni is TheMatriarchy and would accept a female heir) and she gave it to Solaria (who, while she initially tried to peace, would succumb to her darker impulses and became the "Monster Carver.")

** To a lesser extent, UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman had a sign on the oval-office desk reading "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_passing The buck stops here]]".

* In any Muppet production, ''any'' Muppet production, being the in-universe boss is stressful, mind-numbing, and taxes the limits of what a sane mind can handle. When Kermit hands control over of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' to Statler and Waldorf, the two grumps realize find themselves unable to make any improvements. When Gonzo and Leon try a HostileShowTakeOver in ''Series/TheJimHensonHour'', Kermit gladly lets them have the reins so he can take a break. In the premiere episode of ''Series/MuppetsTonight'', Clifford was distracted by a phone call when Kermit asked who wanted to be in charge of the show, and as such missed the cue to run with the other Muppets.

* In ''Series/MediciMastersOfFlorence'': Cosimo, the son who wanted to be an artist, is picked to lead the family bank (one of the largest in Europe, with a great deal of political power) because of his ingenuity and ruthlessness at need. He most explicitly ''does not'' want this, and years later is baffled by his own son's eagerness to get involved in the family business and ''signoria'' politics. More, he visibly struggles with his guilt over all the things he does in his family's interests, spending much time praying for forgiveness.