History Main / UniquenessValue

** The very first reaction of the audience and his opponent is to ask if that's even legal. Their existence is used as another stigma against Yuya (his famous DisappearedDad being the other), with many people accusing him of being a coward and a cheater. In addition, he becomes a target for those who want to steal them, such as when Sawatari kidnaps the you her students of You Show to get to Yuya.

** There are implications throughout the anime that Ash's Pikachu is overly strong for its species [[DependingOnTheWriter (well, usually, ignore a certain Snivy)]], such as its tendency to defeat various Raichu (its evolution that logically should be a stronger version of itself), and Team Rocket's statement in an early episode that it's "way beyond its evolutionary level", which is why they start following Ash around for the entire series and repetitively trying to steal it. It's also one of the few Pokémon shown who dislike Pokéballs.

* Toothless of ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' is likely the LastOfHisKind, and Hiccup was [[spoiler: thought to be the first to tame and ride a dragon, until the sequel revealed that his mother beat him to that years before him.]] He's still the only one to wound, tame, and ride a Night Fury however, which is quite a accomplishment considering no one had ever even ''seen'' one before.

** Pendulum Summoning being so complex and a GameBreaker turns out to be a case of PurposefullyOverpowered: [[spoiler:their real created, [[BigBad Zarc]], made them specifically to avoid losing to [[GreaterScopeParagon Ray]] again.]]

** Pendulum Summoning being so complex and a GameBreaker turns out to be a case of PurposefullyOverpowered: [[spoiler:their real created, [[BigBad Zarc]], made them specifically to avoid losing to [[GreaterScopeParagon Ray]] again

->''"I am the culmination of one man's dream. This is not ego or vanity, but when Doctor Soong created me, he added to the substance of the universe. If, by your experiments, I am destroyed, something unique--something wonderful--will be lost. I cannot permit that. I must protect his dream."''

-->-- '''Data''', to '''Bruce Maddox''' in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' "The Measure of a Man"

Humans value the useful, the aesthetically pleasing, and the rare-- so it is not surprising that we have a deep fascination with characters, races, or objects that are unique. Be it an artifact from a bygone age, a creature that is the LastOfHisKind, or the last knight of an ancient and honorable order. Basically, the more relevant to the story a unique person or object is, the more valuable and worth preserving they are. Friends will fight to protect them, enemies to destroy them, and some even to [[CollectorOfTheStrange possess them]]. Underscoring this is the reverse, that anyone/thing who isn't unique is vastly more expendable.

Maybe this is why both characters, readers, and the author place so much sympathy and interest in these characters. FacelessMooks may [[WhatMeasureIsAMook die and be killed by the dozens without anyone batting an eyelid]], but the hero will try to spare [[BigBad their boss]] who is The Last Atlantean Wizard. [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman No one cares about destroying robots or [=AIs=]]]... unless they have a unique and interesting personality. Or say there's a race of goo-people who are all clones and part of a HiveMind? [[ImmortalLifeIsCheap Finding ways to toast them would become a TV-show]].

* There are implications throughout the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' anime that Ash's Pikachu is overly strong for its species [[DependingOnTheWriter (well, usually, ignore a certain Snivy)]], such as its tendency to defeat various Raichu (its evolution that logically should be a stronger version of itself), and Team Rocket's statement in a early episode that it's "way beyond its evolutionary level," which is why they start following Ash around for the entire series and repetitively trying to steal it. It's also one of the few Pokemon shown that dislike Pokeballs.
** Meowth is the only Pokemon shown that physically taught himself to talk. All the rare Pokemon shown thus far that can talk do it naturally through telepathy. He also taught himself to stand on his hind legs, and does evil of his own accord and not for a master, which [[AlwaysLawfulGood is rare for a Pokemon.]] (These last two traits were eventually {{Retcon}}ned to not be so special anymore.)

[[folder:Comic Book]]

* In the 2019 Action Thriller ''{{Film/Primal}}'' starring Creator/NicolasCage, [[GreatWhiteHunter big game hunter]] Frank Walsh captures an extremely rare (and valuable) white jaguar which he plans to sell to a zoo for a huge profit.

* Once Cylons in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' lost the ability to resurrect, killing them got a ''lot'' more meaningful. Also, the Final Five are individuals, designed most of the Cylon tech, and know the way to Earth, making them some of the most unique and valuable people in existence.

** The Doctor is the last Time Lord (Sometimes). Oddly enough the Doctor is probably the least powerful of his race, as he uses [[TimeyWimeyBall a TARDIS that was old when he will first stole it a hundreds of years ago]], and a few other assorted trinkets. Considering the Time Lords provide the page quote for JustForFun/AbusingTheKardashevScaleForFunAndProfit, he's positively roughing it. He's probably smarter than the rest of his people though, and he was already unique by being willing to do something about all the evil in the universe, rather than just watch.
** The various alien species who are in genuinely desperate straits, but whose plan to save their species inevitably requires human deaths may invoke this trope. For example, in "The Vampires Of Venice", the monster of the week needs to destroy Renaissance Venice to save her people. The fact that the Doctor inevitably chooses to doom a sapient species to extinction rather than sacrifice a relatively small number of humans is commented on as evidence of his favouritism towards humanity (rather then, say, stopping an EvilPlan).

** Data on ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]].'' While he does find a handful of other robots like him, such as his EvilTwin Lore, they tend to get destroyed or are otherwise incapacitated so that by the end of the day, there's only one left.
*** The dark side of this comes up in "The Most Toys" when Data is abducted by a collector who is obsessed with rare items, and the only known sentient android makes for a fantastic prize.
** For ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', There are two characters who fit this: Seven of Nine, for a while the sole Liberated Borg, who gets specifically chased down by the [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E15DarkFrontier Borg Queen]] and the [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E19ThinkTank Think Tank]] because of her uniqueness, and the Doctor, the only hologram who develops his own unique personality. It's little wonder they became the SpotlightStealingSquad.

-->'''John''': Why don't you leave me alone Scorpy?\\
'''Scorpius''': Because the wormhole technology locked in your brain makes you, to my knowledge, unique in the galaxy.\\
'''John''': (muttering under his breath) Unique.\\
'''Scorpius''': And unique, is always valuable.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Gill Man from ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' is not just a perfect specimen of his species dating back to prehistoric times, but also the only one left. Which makes the scientists want to study him... something that gets all the more complicated when he starts killing them and [[ClosedCircle blocking the exits.]] Despite his terrifying actions, he is represented as a lonely creature, [[MarsNeedsWomen kidnapping]] the HotScientist and seemingly dying in a rather tragic way. For a [[BMovie B monster movie, anyway.]]

* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' combines this with ConservationOfNinjutsu, as the leader of a vermin horde will often have less of that type of vermin in it, and those that are are often EliteMooks or CourtMage, especially foxes (except rats). Taken even further with the SeldomSeenSpecies like pine martens and wolverines.

* Gill Man from ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' is not just a perfect specimen of his species dating back to prehistoric times, but also the only one left. Which makes the scientists want to study him... something that gets all the more complicated when he starts killing them and [[ClosedCircle blocking the exits.]] Despite his terrifying actions, he is represented as a lonely creature, [[MarsNeedsWomen kidnapping]] the HotScientist and dying in a rather tragic way. For a [[BMovie B monster movie, anyway.]]

** For ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', There are two characters who fit this: Seven of Nine, for a while the sole Liberated Borg, who gets specifically chased down by the Borg Queen because of her uniqueness, and the Doctor, the only hologram who develops his own unique personality. It's little wonder they became the SpotlightStealingSquad.

* In the 2019 Action Thriller {{Film/Primal}} Starring Nicholas Cage Big Game Hunter Frank Walsh Captures an extremely rare (and valuable) white jaguar which he plans to sell to a zoo for a huge profit.

* [[Discworld/MenAtArms The Gonne]] invokes this trope, killing off people who might be able to replicate it. "One of a kind is special."

* The two primary aspects of value are spacial and chronological rarity: how much of something there is, and its longevity. While one might argue that these are only relevant in the context of a thing's utility, that rarely comes into play. It is effectively guaranteed that if something is (or perceived to be) distinct, unique and fragile / short-lived, that humans will covet it eagerly... even if it is completely useless and rather ugly.

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', the Gems' FantasticCasteSystem appears to at least partially run on this. Rarer Gem-types--such as [[{{Seers}} Sapphires]]--rank higher than more common Gem-types--such as [[{{Mooks}} Rubies]] and [[ServantRace Pearls]]. Ranking above them all are the Diamonds--of which only three are known to exist. [[spoiler: Formerly four]]

* Same deal for Danny in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' where Skulker wanted to collect him because of his rare half ghost status. Though after numerous failures to capture him, Skulker decided to just kill and pelt him instead.

* Runescape has certain items known as Rares, which are items that were given away for free years ago, or were freely/cheaply available - and they include things like paper partyhats, christmas crackers, easter eggs, and half-full jugs of wine. They include the most expensive items in the game and are useless - except for the wearable ones which offer aesthetic value only. Wearable rares are more valuable than non-wearable rares, but you still get things like the half-full jugs of wine being worth hundreds of millions of gold pieces purely from their rarity.

** Another giant, beautifully and painstakingly crafted, intelligent (or at least sentient), emotional creature... usually letting out a horrible final moan or gasp as the lights fade from its eyes... [[TearJerker excuse me a moment]]...