Line #33 Main/HeroesFrontierStep


1	->''"It's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."''
2	-->-- '''Rachel Dawes''' to the [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} future protector of Gotham City]], ''Film/BatmanBegins''
3
4	Making a Heroes' Frontier Step is the polar opposite of crossing the MoralEventHorizon. It means committing an act completely unexpected and so noble, that it shows true heroism.
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6	A character who makes a Heroes' Frontier Step is not automatically labeled pure, but it shows that they have a good heart, and that they try to make people, or even the world around them better. Even [[AntiHero Anti-Heroes]] sometimes make this Step. In other words, this is the path taken by the ReformedButNotTamed character.
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8	A Heroes' Frontier Step can shock both characters and viewers. Examples would be saving an enemy, making a HeroicSacrifice, or actually saving the world. The action has to be so selfless, so heroic, that it makes you believe that there is some good in the world.
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10	In some cases, this may purposely act as an AuthorsSavingThrow, if a work's character is supposed to be the hero from the start, but has [[DesignatedHero not been doing a particularly good job at their role]], the writer may try to inflict this to make unambiguously clear they are the good guy.
11
12	Compare FaceRealization, where a character surprises even themselves by proving how good they are deep down. Also see AdoptTheDog and ActOfTrueLove.
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14	----
15	!!Examples:
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17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
20	* ''Manga/DrStone'': Gen Asagiri. He's a lazy, self-absorbed, playboy who states it himself that he's a superficial person that will choose the winning side in a heartbeat if it secures his own comfort. Even after choosing to side with Senku and lying to Tsukasa about his survival under the promise of soda and (nearly) sabotaging Hyoga's attempt at attacking the village, you can't help but still be suspicious of his true motives. But then he figures out Senku's birthday with little information to go on, and goes so far as to have all of Ishigami Village help him in making a telescope for him, with no strings attached. You really can't doubt him after that.
21	* Being an idealistic series where DefeatMeansFriendship and the HeelFaceTurn are core themes, ''Franchise/DragonBall'' has quite a few examples:
22	** While [[Characters/DragonBallSonGoku Son Goku]] has always been a heroic person, most of his exploits as a kid were done for more [[ItsPersonal personal reasons]] than for the greater good, like destroying the Red Ribbon Army because they indirectly murdered his friend Bora and killing King Piccolo and all of his children save Piccolo Jr. because they murdered Krillin and Master Roshi. The first truly selfless act Goku performs is when he [[HeroicSacrifice gives his life to stop Raditz]]. Although his primary reason for stopping Raditz is to save his son, he also never considers taking his brother's offer to kill one-hundred humans to get his son back and puts aside his pride to fight Raditz dirty: grabbing his tail and working with Piccolo in a two-on-one fight. Later, he gives his life, again, to keep Cell from blowing up the Earth, spiritually guides Gohan from the grave to restore his hope, and chooses to stay dead for everyone's protection since all the bad things that happened to Earth recently were directly or indirectly connected to him.
23	** [[Characters/DragonBallPiccolo Piccolo Jr]] was introduced as the demon son/reincarnation of the original King Piccolo, a pure-evil entity bent on world domination. Originally, he intended to follow in his father's footsteps, had attempted to take violent revenge on Goku in the past (and technically succeeded in killing him [[EnemyMine as part of]] Goku's above sacrifice against Raditz), and kidnapped Goku's son Gohan to mold him into a weapon to use against the forthcoming Saiyan invasion. After nearly a year of harshly training the boy, Piccolo grows close to him despite his purely pragmatic intentions, and ultimately chooses to sacrifice his life protecting Gohan from Nappa's deadly attack, despite knowing that his death will spell the end of the Dragon Balls. From his resurrection onwards, he's since become one of Goku's most trusted and competent allies.
24	** [[Characters/DragonBallSonGohan Son Gohan]] started out as an understandably terrified child who could be of no assistance in saving the world. Goku tells him to head on home as he prepares to go up against Vegeta, but when Vegeta gains the upper hand, Gohan decides it's time to stop running and rushes back to save his dad.
25	** [[Characters/DragonBallVegeta Vegeta]] starts the series as a villain, becomes a [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]]-like antihero on Namek, reluctantly helps Gohan finish Cell to avenge his son, and then decides to turn evil again during the Buu saga due to his belief that LoveIsAWeakness. However, he chooses to pay for his mistakes and fight the monster he indirectly brought back, even if he had to sacrifice himself, to protect his family. From this moment on, Vegeta isn't a villain anymore, and because he later helps Goku defeat Majin Buu once and for all, he is resurrected along with everyone on Earth sans the truly evil people, [[FaceRealization despite never even foreseeing that he would be]].
26	*** It should be stressed that in this moment, Vegeta was the one who suggested tacking the "sans the truly evil people", and he likely included himself in that bunch. As far as HE was concerned, he had killed several innocent people in the World Tournament (not to mention his atrocities before that) was brought back from Hell and oblivion to help mop a mess, and he was simply and purely using his strategic mind as a genius to yield the best results for the universe at large. The look of lowkey shock on his face as he realizes his halo disappeared has to be seen to be believed.
27	*** It should also be mentioned that he agreed to take the mother of beatings against the craziest form of Majin Buu to HoldTheLine for Goku powering up his Super Saiyan 3 form, when faced with [[DeaderThanDead the threat of total, utter oblivion]].
28	** Mr. Satan/Hercule is a buffoon who never has any clue about what's going on, is excessively weak, and [[FakeUltimateHero a complete glory hound]]. But this is one of the reasons that he is also one of the most heroic characters of the series. He became the best friend of a rampaging monster, whom he convinced to stop killing innocent people without even fighting. He also convinced the earthlings to send their power to Goku's Spirit Bomb, and got Vegeta to safety in time for Goku to finish off Kid Buu. FakeUltimateHero and LovableCoward he may be, Mr. Satan certainly has the heart of a hero, if nothing else.
29	** In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'''s "Universe Survival Saga", former killer cyborg Android 17 [[spoiler:first sacrifices himself so his teammates can survive, then when winning the tournament, uses his wish to bring back all the Universes that were erased.]]
30	*** It has to be stressed that his counterpart from [[BadFuture Future Trunks' timeline]] had devolved into a mass-killing machine, so it is sweetly ironic that Android 17 in this timeline [[spoiler:became the one to restore all the universes]], when he likely would have been one of the poster child of a core argument for Zamasu's plan to eradicate all mortal life. This selfless gesture not only saves countless lives, it is the most perfect proof that mortal life has potential for good beyond merely what the gods envision.
31	*''Manga/{{Gantz}}'': There's a few steps that move Kurono from a slobby, selfish teenager to leader and hero.
32	** Arguably, one of his first genuinely heroic actions is saving Tae after initially leaving his entire class to die to the alien. It should be noted he is initially reluctant to even go back there, but [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack his conscience won in the end]].
33	** In the fifth game, Kurono takes it upon himself to coordinate the other players much like Kato tried before, managing to save several of them along the way.
34	** Later in the manga, it seems Nishi shows shades of this when he saves Takeshi from the apartment's explosion.
35	* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
36	** [[Characters/OnePieceMonkeyDLuffy Monkey D. Luffy]] saved many towns from tyranny, but wasn't called a hero before he saved the Fishmen. And he changed the life of each member of his crew, whom he helps to fulfill their own dream.
37	** The whole crew made a frontier step when they declared war on the World Government to show how much they care about Robin.
38	* ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'': In the pilot, you don't think much of this clumsy, bumbling kid, with a disobedient Pikachu. Until you see how far he'll go to protect a creature that scorned him: diving into a river, ''[[HeroStoleMyBike stealing a girl's bike]]'', and finally [[GoThroughMe putting himself between this creature]], and a bunch of hostile birds that could kill him. Pikachu then redeems himself also when he dives in front of Ash to take out the entire flock in spite of his heavy injuries.
39	* One of these kicks off the plot of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho''. Everyone thinks Yusuke Urameshi is just a selfish, hot-headed delinquent from a broken home, until he sacrifices his life to save a young boy from being hit by a car. Even the powers that be didn't see it coming, and Yusuke is given a second chance at life for his heroic (if [[SenselessSacrifice ultimately pointless]]) deed.
40	* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', protagonist [[Characters/MyHeroAcademiaIzukuMidoriya Izuku Midoriya]] has been kicked around his entire life for wanting to become a superhero without a Quirk. Even his idol, All Might, tells him he needs to face reality and give up. But when Katsuki Bakugo is in danger, Izuku is compelled to rush in to help despite being Quirkless when all of the heroes nearby refused to intervene for various reasons. This is what makes All Might realize that he wasn't taking his own advice, inspiring him to push his limits to save both boys and name Izuku his successor.
41	** During the Training Camp Arc, six-year-old Kota Izumi hates heroes because his parents, who were Pro Heroes, died protecting people from a murderous villain, and most people kept praising their sacrifice, which he misunderstood as praising them for dying and leaving him alone. However, when he's faced with the same murderous villain and [[TheHero Izuku]] gives his everything to protect him, he ends up using his Quirk to distract the villain, giving Izuku the opening to bring down the villain.
42	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Gaara, one part of the BigBadDuumvirate of the Chunin Saga, is introduced as an AxCrazy maniac who wished to kill all of Konoha to justify his existence, even bad-mouthing his siblings who feared him for his sheer power. He then cripples Rock Lee just to prove a point. After getting beaten by Naruto, Gaara realizes that he is not alone in his suffering and apologises to his siblings. Later when Tsunade requests the Hidden Sand's help, Gaara readily accepts it in order to save Sasuke, even protecting Rock Lee from Kimimaro and apologizing for his misdeeds. He then becomes the wise Kazekage we see in "Shippuden".
43	* In the first episode of ''Anime/SailorMoon'', [[Characters/SailorMoonUsagiTsukino Usagi Tsukino]] is introduced as a clumsy slacker who is running LateForSchool. However, she proves herself to be a kind-hearted individual by rescuing Luna the Cat from [[KidsAreCruel a bunch of little brats]]. Her removing the band-aid from Luna's head helps prove to Luna that Usagi is the perfect candidate for becoming Sailor Moon. While initially reluctant to becoming Sailor Moon, she ''immediately'' responds to the call that her best friend Naru is in danger.
44	[[/folder]]
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46	[[folder:Comic Books]]
47	* ''ComicBook/SinCity'':
48	** John Hartigan not only devoted his life and his honor to protecting an innocent girl, he even [[HeroicSacrifice commits]] [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]] so Roark wouldn't hurt her to get {{revenge}} on him.
49	--->'''John Hartigan:''' An old man dies... a young woman lives. Fair trade. I love you, Nancy.
50	** Marv's Heroes' Frontier Step is when he accepts the blame (and execution) for murders he didn't commit, because otherwise his mother would have been killed.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Fan Works]]
54	* ''FanFic/GettingBackOnYourHooves'', a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic: Throughout most of the fic, we've seen Trixie try to be a better pony, despite all of her failures and mishaps. Then she helps [[spoiler: save the Cutie Mark Crusaders from a dangerous bat-like creature, proving she wishes to be better]].
55	* ''Fanfic/OneForAllAndEightForTheNinth'': Kota Izumi hates heroes because he thinks they are {{Death Seeker}}s. But when Muscular, the villain that murdered his parents, threatens to kill him if he doesn't step out and let him kidnap Eri, he understands the true meaning of heroics and not only protects Eri, he also helps Izuku defeat Muscular by distracting him at a critical moment.
56	* ''Fanfic/ARabbitAmongWolves'', a ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfic: InUniverse, Jaune goes from being [[HeroWithBadPublicity public enemy number #1]] to beloved activist when he raids and exposes a corrupt sweatshop.
57	* An InUniverse variant of this trope occurs in ''Fanfic/AWaterbendingQuirk''. [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderKatara Katara's]] introduction to the world of ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' has her causing a lot of trouble, ending up in a fight against Endeavor. Despite this, during her fight, Ingenium notices her not hesitating to save a young boy, and this is what spurs him to decide to help her become a hero.
58	* ''Fanfic/WhatIsAPersonWorth'': Rita in chapter 18 when she comforts Lincoln about his guilt over his part in the situation and assures Lincoln that he did the right thing by threatening to call the police. She admits she does not know how she can keep this situation from happening again, but has Lincoln promise to call the police if it ever does. Even Lincoln is shocked that she's gone from doing anything to avoid going to prison to now accepting whatever consequences she would face should she ever draw such a response from her son. This goes to the others earning Lincoln's forgiveness; [[spoiler: case in point is Lynn standing up for Lincoln]].
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
62	* WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} is a poor street rat, who steals to survive. And what does he do after risking his life for a loaf of bread? He gives it to two little orphans. This one of the many selfless things he does along the series. One of the best is sacrificing his wish to become prince again to free his Genie.
63	* In ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', after being a {{Jerkass}} for a majority of the movie, Charlie goes to save Anne Marie from drowning. But his watch (which represents his life) also falls in the water. Since he can't save both, Charlie takes Anne Marie to safety first, fully knowing that when his watch stops, [[YouAreWorthHell he will be sent to Hell]]. This act of pure heroism is enough to bring him back to {{Heaven}}.
64	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'', gang leader Mr. Wolf is struggling to truly reform as he lives in a world where wolves like him [[FantasticRacism are always seen as villains]]. After a moving pep talk from Governor Diane Foxington, he commits to trying again and manages to [[CatUpATree save a cat stuck up a tree]], his first intentional act of kindness, helping him realize he can be more than the monster people see him as.
65	* In the original ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' film, the title character rescuing Faline from Ronno and a pack of hunting dogs was to establish his evolution from a sweet but cowardly and oblivious kid to a selfless and bold young adult and future Prince of the Forest. [[WesternAnimation/BambiII The midquel]], however, sets it even earlier into childhood, when, despite being broken over being sent to live away from his father, he chooses to rescue his adoptive mother by [[HeroicSacrifice distracting a hunter's dogs onto himself]].
66	* In ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'', rather than getting a TrueLovesKiss from Kristoff to save her life, Anna chooses to give her own life to save her estranged sister Elsa from being killed by the BigBad, turning frozen solid just before his sword connects. Since this counts as an ActOfTrueLove, she thaws out moments later.
67	* WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}} becomes a God the same way he became a hero: by saving the love of his life at the risk of his own.
68	* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame\|Disney}}'':
69	** Quasimodo didn't make a step when he saved Esmeralda. No. His HFS is when he [[SaveTheVillain holds Frollo by the cape and doesn't let him go]]. He wouldn't let the man who mistreated him for years, killed many gypsies, including his mother, fall to his death. This short moment definitely solves the riddle: "who is the monster and who is the man?"
70	** Phoebus spends the first half of the film as a soldier of Frollo's, but proves himself to be a true KnightInShiningArmor when he puts out a torch intended to burn a house down; when Frollo himself lights the house on fire, Phoebus [[HeroicFireRescue rushes inside to rescue the family trapped inside]].
71	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': Being inspired by ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', Simba lost his father to his evil uncle. But unlike Hamlet, Simba doesn't have a dilemma. He makes his choice right away, despite the anger he feels.
72	-->'''Scar:''' What are you going to do? You wouldn't kill your ''own'' uncle...?\
73	'''Simba:''' No, Scar. I'm not like you.
74	* [[Characters/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsSunsetShimmer Sunset Shimmer]] from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'' manages to do this twice.
75	** Sunset is the BigBad of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls1 the first movie]] and pulls a HeelFaceTurn at the end, but there are plenty of people who have doubts she is being genuine. In the sequel, ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks Rainbow Rocks]]'', Sunset [[ReformedButRejected still isn't trusted]] by the students, all while trying to be TheAtoner and even being mocked by the Dazzlings for her failures at being a villain. But in their DarkestHour, Sunset finally gets the courage to come between the Rainbooms' arguing and tell them why their magic hasn't been working. At the end of the movie, she steps on the field with her friends when they're on the verge of defeat despite having visible doubts she has any right to help them, giving them their HeroicSecondWind. This in turn cements Sunset's HeelFaceTurn as genuine, and her place as TheHero of the spinoff series as a whole.
76	** She gets another one in ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsForgottenFriendship Forgotten Friendship]]'' due to her friends having their memories of her HeelFaceTurn removed via LaserGuidedAmnesia. When the BigBad is cornered and attempts to remove all of the Equestria Girls' memories of high school, Sunset [[TakingTheBullet jumps in the way of the spell]], losing all of her memories not just of high school, but of being human. This is enough to convince the other Equestria Girls that even if they don't remember Sunset being a good person, she's earned the right to be their friend.
77	* ''Franchise/ToyStory'': Woody starts off as selfish and rude in [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory1 the first movie]] being jealous of Buzz, but he eventually befriends him and starts becoming a better person. But he truly made his step to being a true hero in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''; Woody not only saves [[BigBad Lotso]] from the incinerator, but he gives up his dream of going to college with Andy so the other toys don't have to be left in the attic.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
81	* In ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'', Marty saved his father and made him a lot more self-confident, brought Doc Brown back to life, saved his timeline (well... he is the one who gave Biff the idea to change it), and attempted to save Clara, who he didn't know at all.
82	* A minor example happens in ''Film/TheButterflyEffect''. During the flashback where Evan, Tommy, Kayleigh, and Lenny blow up a random mailbox with an explosive, Evan tries to get the explosive out before it blows. Seeing Evan do this, Tommy pulls a complete 180 and rushes to stop the mother and her baby from getting close to the imminent explosion. Evan ends up a double amputee quadriplegic in the present day, and Tommy has changed from his old HateSink self to a religious and sweet NiceGuy after that heroic deed.
83	* ''Film/ComeAndSee'' centers around Flyora, a Belarusian teenager who decides to take up arms against the Nazis who have invaded his village. But rather than becoming a heroic soldier, Flyora spends much of the story becoming a horribly disheveled wretch who endures one tragedy after another.[[spoiler: The next-to-last shot of the film shows him balking at killing baby Hitler, showing that while Flyora lost his innocence, he still retained his humanity]].
84	* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', this moment is actually given to an unnamed extra. [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] has set up a SadisticChoice in which two ferries are booby-trapped to explode, with each ship having the other ship's detonator, and the passengers on both ships being told that they ''must'' make the decision to blow the other ship or else Joker will just blow them both. While the civilians on one side hold a debate and a vote, a convicted criminal on the other seizes the detonator... and throws it out the window, decisively declaring it [[SuicidalPacifism Better To Die Than To Kill]]. The entire ''film'' has been about the Joker's premise we live in a WorldHalfEmpty; with one action, this unnamed convict disproves his thesis for good and all, irrevocably changing the film's tone and raising the possibility Gotham can EarnYourHappyEnding.
85	* ''Film/ForrestGump'' saved many soldiers, gave his nihilistic lieutenant the will to live, and gave poor Jenny perhaps the only moments of happiness of her life.
86	* In ''Film/PulpFiction'', Butch chooses not to escape and comes back with a katana to save a man from rapists. The same guy who he had a deadly fight with just minutes earlier, and who wanted him dead for double-crossing him after agreeing to [[ThrowingTheFight throw a fight]].
87	* In ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', Eddie Valiant is a washed-up drunk of a detective mourning the loss of his brother who was killed by a Toon, explaining his bias against them. However, this does not stop him from going to save all of Toontown from a psychotic maniac [[spoiler:who eventually turns out to be the same toon who ''killed his brother in the first place'')]], finding closure, and moving on from his bias.
88	* Various heroes in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' have had their moments that signify that they are indeed true heroes.
89	** ''Film/IronMan1'': After escaping from the clutches of the Ten Rings, Tony Stark travels back to Afghanistan to confront the terrorist group when they start using his company's weapons against an innocent village.
90	** ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'': The Hulk is considered by many to be nothing more than a mindless monster. He is shown to be more than that when he saves Betty from dying in the crossfire between him and the military.
91	** ''Film/{{Thor}}'': Thor is stripped of his powers and banished due to his arrogance and hot-headedness. While on Earth, Thor begins to learn the importance of kindness and humility. So when Loki sends the Destroyer to kill him, Thor offers to sacrifice himself in order to spare the innocent civilians. This is the act of selflessness that makes him worthy to wield Mjölnir again.
92	** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'': Steve Rogers wanted to serve his country not for the glory of war, but because of his instinctive need to stick up for the little guy. After receiving an experimental super-soldier serum, Steve is turned into little more than a public attraction. In spite of this, Steve heads into enemy territory and singlehandedly frees hundreds of prisoners from a POW camp. Once he returns to the camp with the prisoners marching behind him, the military realizes how great of a hero he truly is, turning him into an actual captain and allowing him to fight in the war with his own team of commandos.
93	** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'': Peter Quill is an intergalactic thief who seems to be purely motivated by money and his own self-preservation. When Gamora is left floating in the vacuum of space, however, Quill is willing to sacrifice himself when he gives her his helmet in order to survive. The rest of the Guardians later prove their worth when they are willing to fight Ronan and his forces despite being at a huge disadvantage.
94	** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'': Peter Parker has spent most of the movie [[spoiler:struggling with the absolute breakdown of his life from Mysterio spitefully revealing his secret identity at the end of the preceding film, to the point he goes to Dr Strange and asks him to cast a spell to make the world at large forget Peter Parker is Spider Man. Unfortunately, the spell goes wrong and starts bringing in ''anybody'' who knows Peter is Spiderman into the MCU, threatening a multi-dimensional collapse from other realities. At the film's climax, with the impending breakdown of reality, Peter realises one way to fix the damage: [[{{Unperson}} make everyone forget Peter Parker exists]], sacrificing the normal life he so desperately wanted to keep throughout his previous films and turning himself into a ghost in his own world. Aware that [[WhatYouAreInTheDark nobody will even remember the sacrifice he's making]], Peter still goes through with it to save everybody, and afterwards, despite having lost everything about his old life, he keeps being Spider-Man to save others]].
95	* ''Film/TommyBoy'': For much of the movie, Tommy's ineptitude has prevented him from being able to sell brake pads. But then he convinces a surly waitress to give him special treatment, and [[SourSupporter Richard]] realizes that Tommy does have the ability to read people and tell them what they want to hear. After that, Tommy becomes a selling machine.
96	* In ''Film/TheKiller1989'', the moment that convinces Inspector Li that Jeff is [[HitmanWithAHeart not your ordinary assassin]] is when he saves a little girl who gets caught in the crossfire at the beach after he gets double-crossed by his boss on his [[OneLastJob last job]] meant to help pay for Jenny's eye surgery. He not only shields the kid from more gunfire, but he also drives her to the hospital -- with the cops in hot pursuit -- and has the doctors operate on her in order to save her life while in the middle of a standoff with Li.
97	* ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'':
98	** ''Film/ManOfSteel'': The film establishes Clark as using his powers to help people but doing so in secret. In the present day he rescuse some workers from a collapsing oil rig, while in his youth he saved a schoolbus that careened off a bridge, the latter of which nearly blew his cover.
99	** ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'': Despite being the more antagonistic of the titular heroes, Bruce Wayne shows that he's still a hero at his core when he charges towards a collapsing building to help any survivors. And this was ''without'' any of his bat-tech on hand.
100	** ''Film/{{Wonder Woman\|2017}}'': Veld's No Man Land was the moment Wonder Woman entered the war and performed her first heroic act by liberating the village's innocent people.
101	** ''[[Film/JusticeLeague2017 Justice]] [[Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague League]]'': Arthur Curry/Aquaman was established as a gruff loner who otherwise helped out the needy and held no love for Atlanteans. When Steppenwolf has the Atlantean Mera at his mercy, Arthur comes to her rescue, not because he'd undergone any character development, but simply because she needed saving.
102	*** The Snyder Cut gives Cyborg a moment when he tests out his new powers, discovering that he can access any database on Earth from the military to personal files. He uses said ability to tranfer some money to a broke single mother.
103	*** Another one from the Snyder Cut: [[spoiler: When the rest of the League are destroyed and the Earth is about to be decimated, the Flash pushes his speed-force powers to their absolute limit, breaching the time barrier and travelling back in time, creating a second chance to prevent Armageddon]].
104	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
105	** The biggest moment of this that everyone remembers from ''Film/StarWarsANewHope'' has to be Han Solo, who was previously OnlyInItForTheMoney and NotInThisForYourRevolution and having previously left in order to pay off Jabba The Hutt, deciding to [[ChangedMyMindKid turn around and come back to Yavin]] in order to [[BigDamnHeroes bail out Luke]] and give him the opportunity to destroy the Death Star, saving the Rebellion and destroying one of the Empire's most dreaded weapons.
106	** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'': Darth Vader killing Palpatine, thus saving Luke and allowing the Rebel Alliance to win. While he [[RedemptionEqualsDeath dies shortly after]], we see his ghost in the afterlife alongside Obi-Wan and Yoda, implying that he's completely redeemed.
107	** In ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', his grandson, Ben Solo, after abandoning his Kylo Ren persona, saving Rey from committing to Palpatine's wishes and later giving up his own life to save her from certain death, thus ensuring that his Skywalker bloodline did not die in vain, ensuring the birth of a new generation of Jedi, and finally finishing what his grandfather started. We see his body disappear into the Force, like Luke, Yoda, and Obi-Wan before him, proving that he is fully redeemed. It was because of this sacrifice that Rey ended up taking up the surname Skywalker as a way to honour him and his family.
108	* In ''Film/BillyMadison'', the titular character spends the movie acting like an immature jerk, due to coasting through life. But then he proves that he has heart when he sacrifices his reputation to save a younger classmate from embarrassment.
109	* ''Film/LittleNicky'': InUniverse, committing a HeroicSacrifice is considered this, as Nicky gets hit by a subway car while trying to save someone, and, despite being the ''son of Satan himself'', goes to Heaven. When he asks how this is possible, the angels say that self-sacrifice automatically makes a person go there.
110	* In ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', the titular character is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment established early on]] as kind (via saving a turtle from being run over by a truck and even attempting to cheer it up) and admiring a similar kindness in other people (his fondness for friendly town sheriff and veterinarian couple Tom and Maddie Wachowski), but Sonic's actual crossing of the Heroes' Frontier Step is when he [[TakeMeInstead briefly puts his own life on the line]] to keep Robotnik from taking Tom's, despite already knowing [[TheyWouldCutYouUp the danger]] that the doctor poses to him. If that wasn't convincing enough an example, [[spoiler:he bounces back from the brink of death and faces Robotnik head-on, [[NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech vowing to stop hiding and use his powers to protect his friends and home]] from the mad genius' malice.]] Tom and Maddie themselves also cross the Heroes' Frontier Step by helping Sonic out, regardless of how life-threatening the circumstances are for them.
111	* In ''Film/TheProfessional'', Leon proves he is not your typical hitman by letting a 12 year old pre-teen girl live at his apartment after her family was murdered by [[NaughtyNarcs corrupt DEA agents]] [[DirtyCop and cops]].
112	* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': The Ghostbusters capturing Slimer at the Sedgewick Hotel proves that they aren't con artists or nutjobs, but are actual scientists offering services to Manhattan.
113	-->'''Peter:''' We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Literature]]
117	* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' has many of this, to contrast with the numerous {{Moral Event Horizon}}s of the saga.
118	** Neville Longbottom, whose parents became insane, and got bullied for years by other students when his grandmother wasn't ashamed of him, grew from an insecure and powerless kid to a handsome and fierce fighter for the Resistance in his school. He was brave enough to insult Voldemort and kill his snake with the Sword of Gryffindor (that you can only get your hands on if you have the bravery of a hero).
119	** Dobby is the only house-elf to fight for his freedom, which makes him not only a slave, but also an outcast among elves. Yet, even if he has to punish himself afterward, he never stopped protecting Harry Potter, his first true friend. He even saved his life and many others at the Malfoy manor, even if it lead him to face his fearsome masters, and get killed by them. Rest in peace, wonderful elf.
120	** While James Potter (who still is heroic) has feet of clay, Lily Potter is an angel. She sacrificed herself for her baby, and gave him a powerful protection. This made Severus Snape feel so much remorse that he decided to reject the Death Eaters and join Dumbledore to protect her, and when she was killed, to protect her son.
121	** Snape himself never stopped saving Harry's life, even though he hates him as much as he hated his father. Also, Snape was despised by everyone but Dumbledore until his death because no one knew that he was a double agent. Suffering so much hate and losing the love of his life, but still protecting people without letting them know, made Snape the bravest man Harry ever knew.
122	** Albus Dumbledore is revealed at the very end to have been friends with a dark mage and share some of his views. He also had a weakness with power, and neglected his family. But the remorse pushed him to seek redemption, and to become not only the wisest, but also the most humanitarian of the Harry Potter universe. Dumbledore loves his school and treats his staff and students as family. He also tries to give chances to the villains, even to Voldemort.
123	** And, of course, Harry Potter himself. Granted, he gets easily angry and often acts before he thinks. Can you blame him? He was bullied by his foster family for years. He had to face monsters, injustice, torture, loss of loved ones, and he wasn't even an adult! Actually, he has much more [[FreudianExcuse Freudian Excuses]] than Voldemort to become a murdering psychopath. What does he do? He saves his bullying cousin's soul. He saves his rival's life (twice). He treats every species, including elves and goblins, as an equal. He spares his enemies. He feels pity for the man who ruined his life. And he saves every… single… person… in danger. [[spoiler: And to top it off, he willingly walks into his (temporary, as it turns out) death.]] He made lots of HFS before defeating the most dangerous wizard of all time!
124	* Throughout ''Storm Front'', the first ''Literature/DresdenFiles'' novel, the Warden Morgan is presented as a [[InspectorJavert ruthless enforcer bent on finding Harry doing something, anything wrong]] as an excuse to [[OffWithHisHead lop off his head]]. However, at the end of the book, Morgan charges into a burning building to save Harry's life; since Harry hadn't crossed the line into warlock-hood, Morgan was still duty-bound to protect his fellow White Council member. This was the first indication of Morgan's stance as a guardian of the order who felt that it was his duty [[LawfulNeutral to carry out the law exactly as written]], but who nonetheless had a brave, even noble heart.
125	* Commissar Literature/CiaphasCain (HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!) generally tries to [[HeroicSelfDeprecation downplay his heroism]] and claim that it's all PragmaticVillainy, but once a book or so he has a moment that even he can't fully explain away. Perhaps the most straightforward is in ''Duty Calls'', when he and Amberley are investigating an outpost that suddenly comes under attack by Tyranids. When it looks like Amberley isn't going to make it to their shuttle in time, Cain charges ''back into the face of the horde'' to give her covering fire. He is also atypically devoted to [[TheMenFirst the soldiers under his charge]], looking the other way at their minor infractions and always looking after the wounded, though he ascribes this to a desire to avoid UnfriendlyFire.
126	* ''Literature/AConnecticutYankeeInKingArthursCourt'': Hank and King Arthur are going around Britain incognito, with the king demonstrating a worrying tendency towards ShelteredAristocrat and UpperClassTwit that gets the two of them in quite some trouble (TheDungAges is a RunningGag throughout the book). Finally they end up in the hut of some peasants dying of smallpox. Hank tries to ask the woman what happened and learns she and her daughter upstairs are the only survivors, though not for long. And then...
127	-->There was a slight noise from the direction of the dim corner where the ladder was. It was the king descending. I could see that he was bearing something in one arm, and assisting himself with the other. He came forward into the light; upon his breast lay a slender girl of fifteen. She was but half conscious; she was dying of smallpox. Here was heroism at its last and loftiest possibility, its utmost summit; this was challenging death in the open field unarmed, with all the odds against the challenger, no reward set upon the contest, and no admiring world in silks and cloth of gold to gaze and applaud; and yet the king's bearing was as serenely brave as it had always been in those cheaper contests where knight meets knight in equal fight and clothed in protecting steel. He was great now; sublimely great. The rude statues of his ancestors in his palace should have an addition—I would see to that; and it would not be a mailed king killing a giant or a dragon, like the rest, it would be a king in commoner's garb bearing death in his arms that a peasant mother might look her last upon her child and be comforted.
128	* ''Literature/TheScholomance'': When someone tries to murder El, she refuses to use BlackMagic to [[ManaDrain drain her attacker's life]] even though it's the only way she could save her own life and would have been a near-trivial act of will for [[BadPowersGoodPeople her]] even with a knife in her gut[[note]](If she could have reached her PowerCrystal it would have been a 'Melt his bones now, maybe feel guilty if she dodges the peritonitis' deal, but embracing that corruption was something she could not bear even when all else did fail.)[[/note]]. Not only does this win [[ChronicHeroSyndrome Orion]]'s trust on the spot, it leads ''her'' to realize she's [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre a better person than she credited herself for]] and inspires her to greater actions later.
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
132	* ''Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019'': When the Monitor teleports the heroes away due to not being able to delay the antimatter destroying Earth-38, [[Series/{{Arrow}} Oliver Queen]] doesn't let him teleport him since not everyone has been evacuated to Earth-1. [[spoiler:Oliver shoots the Monitor so he does not teleport him and decides to fight the Shadow demons until his last breath to secure the evacuation of billions of Earth-38 inhabitants.]]
133	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor is an immortal alien, last of his species, who can go anywhere in space and anywhen in time. Does he try to conquer? To get more power? To get revenge for his destroyed planet? Nah, that's the Master's work. The Doctor didn't choose his name for nothing: he wants to make people better. Anywhere he goes, he meets a threat, and stops it. For people he hardly knows. And he never stops to make a family, to settle, to have peace. He just keeps going, following his TARDIS's will, and always saves as many lives as possible. But it goes beyond. The Doctor treats his enemies with respect. He gives them chances to stop, and doesn't kill them if can be avoided (though sometimes, when pushed to the limit, he does punish them in a WORSE way). One of the best examples of the Doctor's pure heart is in the "Last of the Time Lords", where after witnessing the world destroyed, the humans terrorized, and being humiliated and tortured by the Master, the Doctor defeats his worst enemy, who seems horrified. He goes to him… hugs him… and whispers three words that such a monster cannot bear: ''"I forgive you. ''" Being a Time Lord, he doesn't have one, but two hearts. Two golden hearts.
134	** Rose Tyler is perhaps one of the purest humans the Doctor ever met. Not only because she pities her enemies, or saved the world several times with him. She made a Dalek, YES, A DALEK feel emotions.
135	* In ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}'', Deputy Chairman Boris Shcherbina is initially presented as [[HeadInTheSandManagement yet another propaganda-believing party man, concerned only about his career]] and frequently butting heads with nuclear physicist Valery Legaslov whom he thinks is overstating the severity of the disaster. But he proves himself a BadassBureaucrat over the course of the series, and it starts with him -- having finally gotten irrefutable confirmation of the severity of the situation -- storming off; he's not pulling a ScrewThisImOuttaHere He's setting wheels in motion on a scale that no other character can thanks to his party connections.
136	--> '''Legaslov:''' Where are you going?! \
137	'''Scherbina:''' I'm going to get you ''five thousand tons'' of sand and boron [to smother the burning reactor core]!
138	* In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'' John Walker is chosen as the successor to Captain America but struggles with the role due to his PTSD and anger issues. Eventually culminating in him [[spoiler:murdering a surrendering opponent]]. However, in the final episode, John is forced to choose between getting his revenge or saving a truckload of hostages. He chooses to save the hostages. Proving that even though he struggles with being one he is a good man at heart.
139	* In ''Series/TheGoodPlace'', Eleanor spent her life as a self-centered jerk who sold fake medicine to elderly patients, and after her death, most of her actions in Season 1 are motivated by self preservation. However, at the end of Episode 7, she confesses to murdering Janet in front of the neighborhood when she notices Chidi (the real culprit, who did it accidentally), getting stressed out. This is notable, not only because it is her first truly selfless action since getting into The Good Place, but also because it is the moment at which [[spoiler:Michael's scheme to torture the four humans starts to fall apart, as he never actually expected her to take responsibility for causing the problems in the neighborhood]].
140	* In ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'', Astronema is the season's BigBad, she seems a lot like the Rita and Zedd type of villain, but then out of nowhere she saves a family from one of her own quantrons. Everyone is surprised, but it was the start of her HeelFaceTurn (temporarily interrupted by becoming BrainwashedAndCrazy by Dark Spector). Eventually she became the second Pink Ranger in Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy. What made this a true heroic frontier step is that there was nothing in it for her to do that, nobody asked her to do it, nobody expected it, she just saved the lives of a family she didn't know out of the goodness of her own heart.
141	* Steve Harrington starts as a JerkJock with some hidden depths for most of season 1 of ''Series/StrangerThings'', but then he gets caught up in the supernatural and rescues Nancy and Jonathan with a nail bat. He also has a second one when he uses himself as bait to protect the party.
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
145	* While the heroes of Myth/GreekMythology seem less heroic today, they have their moments.
146	** Perseus saved his future bride from a rampaging monster, and his mom from an asshole king.
147	** Orpheus went down into the Underworld itself to save his wife.
148	** Oedipus saved a town from a Sphinx.
149	** Hercules' Twelve Labors saved a whole bunch of people.
150	** Odysseus went through a journey of misery to get back his kingdom and his family.
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
154	* In the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' cosmology, the War of the Seldarine saw Lolth try to seize power by killing her then-husband Corellon, the TopGod of the elves, by tricking their daughter Eilistraee into shooting Corellon with an enchanted bow. Lolth and all of her co-conspirators in the Dark Seldarine [[KickedOutOfHeaven were promptly cast out for their betrayal as a result]]. Eilistraee was supposed to be spared this fate because what happened wasn't her fault, but she still chose self-imposed exile with the rest of the Dark Seldarine. Even though Eilistraee was found to not be at fault for Lolth's betrayal, and even though her father Corellon said she could stay, Eilistraee left anyway to [[GoodShepherd give the drow a beacon of hope for when things got tough]], which earned Eilistraee a lot of respect among the elven pantheon. Corellon was sad to see her go, but [[SoProudOfYou admired Eilistraee's conviction]] and ultimately accepted her decision. Whether Eilistraee eventually rejoined the Seldarine or has remained in self-imposed exile is unclear — the moving of her divine realm from Ysgard to Arvandor suggests she might have been brought back into the Seldarine, since that's where every other ChaoticGood elven god resides — but nothing's been confirmed. In any case, she's definitely on friendly terms with rest of the Good-aligned elven pantheon. It's for this reason that Eilistraee is the only god even remotely connected to the Dark Seldarine that the other elven gods are willing to ally themselves with.[[invoked]]
155	[[/folder]]
156
157	[[folder:Video Games]]
158	* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'', you can make a post-apocalyptic world better through various Heroes Frontier Steps.
159	** One of the best is in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', where you can sacrifice yourself to purify the water of the waste lands and give them a better future. After stopping the Enclave, of course.
160
161	* Many ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' heroes have their moments of this, be it through saving their worlds or even small acts of nobility:
162	** Galuf from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV''. He and all his friends are at the mercy of [[BigBad Exdeath]], being pinned down by energy beams from crystals. [[spoiler:Through sheer will power he breaks the beam and faces Exdeath, the final boss of the game, ''one on one''. Exdeath throws everything at Galuf, from high-tier spells to Meteor, and the man takes it. Exdeath tears his lifepoints to zero and Galuf ''[[BeyondTheImpossible keeps fighting anyways]]''. Exdeath suffers a near VillainousBreakdown because he can't comprehend how Galuf could possibly draw that much power from his hatred, and Galuf calmly remarks it's not hate that keeps him going, but the love he has for his friends and granddaughter. Then he delivers the finishing blow, ''wins the fight'', [[HeroicSacrifice and immediately collapses and passes away]].]]
163	** Terra, from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' deserves a special mention: after Kefka destroyed the world, she stopped at a village of orphans and took care of them as a mother. She even went back to fight for them.
164
165	* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'''s Ningguang is initially presented as a ruthless, calculating and manipulative businesswoman concerned solely with her own fortune. The greatest symbol of such is the Jade Chamber, a floating palace that stands as a monument to her wealth and power, which she is constantly expanding and is said to value above all else. [[PlayerCharacter The Traveler]] is openly distrustful of Ningguang and her intentions up until the climax of the Liyue story, when [[spoiler:after the vengeful god Osial is unleashed on the city, Ningguang sacrifices the Jade Chamber in a ColonyDrop to finish him off, proving her genuine concern for the welfare of Liyue and its people. Many of her in-universe detractors subsequently come around to admire her for this noble act.]]
166
167	* Kratos from ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' has been through a HeelFaceRevolvingDoor ''so'' fast that even his allies and later his own son Atreus sometimes have their own doubts regarding what his intentions truly are. Despite saving the world from Ares, Kratos waged his own war on Greece to spite the gods as well as destroys Olympus just to get vengeance on Zeus, destroying Greece as well. He then [[spoiler:stabs himself to give Hope to the broken world]] but it could also be seen as an effort to spite [[spoiler:Athena]] who had been manipulating him all along. Then after moving to the Norse realm in shame of his past deeds, Kratos focused only on scattering Faye's ashes on the top of Jotunheim, only helping passer-by due to Atreus's concerns. But then in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'', [[spoiler:after learning from the Norns that the fate he has been fighting doesn't actually exist, Kratos is forced to take a hard look at his actions throughout his life and decides to change so as to save his son from Heimdall. And after watching Odin kill Brok cold-bloodedly, Kratos decides to completely defy him by triggering Ragnarok himself... but after seeing Odin use the citizens from the Nine Realms, he orders his army to save the civilians at all costs, which the old Kratos would have ''never'' done if it came in between his revenge. Then after fighting Thor and decisively defeating him, Kratos gives him a chance to surrender, a mercy that shakes even his allies. After all is said and done, when Kratos finds Faye's mural where he is the TopGod of Midgard worshipped by all, he genuinely gives TearsOfJoy at changing his fate.]]
168	--->'''Kratos:''' Son, listen closely. [[spoiler:You feel their pain because that is who you are. And you must never sacrifice that. Never. Not for anyone. I was wrong, Atreus. I was wrong. Open your heart. Open your heart to their suffering. That is your mother's wish... and mine as well. Today... Today, we will be better.]]
169
170	* Sora from ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' is a kid with a big heart, and willingly helps save every world he goes in from the Heartless and the villains controlling them. But he truly crosses the Heroes' Frontier Step at the climax of [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]] when he willingly becomes a Heartless himself to save his friend Kairi. He gets restored to normal soon after through her light, but he definitely didn't think that would happen—and the last thing he does before saving Kairi is to give a warm smile to Donald and Goofy, too.
171	** Donald and Goofy's mission throughout the first game, given to them by King Mickey, is to follow the wielder of the Keyblade at all costs. While they do (albeit reluctantly) leave Sora behind when the Keyblade is taken by [[RivalTurnedEvil Riku]], they cross the Heroes' Frontier Step not too long after when they defect from him to protect Sora. Even if this would mean betraying the orders of their king, they aren't just going to stand idly when Riku abuses his power to hurt one of their best buds. And it's [[ThePowerOfFriendship this very resolve]] that gets Sora the Keyblade back, too!
172	** At the end of the first game, King Mickey willingly stays behind in the Realm of Darkness in order to restore the worlds destroyed by the Heartless, with ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts02BirthBySleepAFragmentaryPassage'' revealing that Mickey didn't even know if there was a way out.
173
174	* Link of ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', in nearly all his incarnations, is the champion chosen by the gods themselves to purge the land of evil. But Link has proven time and time again that destiny isn't the ''only'' reason why he's the Hero of Hyrule:
175	** The ending to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' has Link defeat Ganon [[spoiler:and gain the full power of the Triforce. Given the opportunity to [[WhatYouAreInTheDark wish for whatever his heart desires]], Link wishes upon the Triforce to undo all the damage Ganon did to Hyrule, which includes resurrecting his uncle and the king of Hyrule. Afterwards, he willingly relinquishes the power of the Master Sword, returning it to its pedestal.]]
176	** Following the events of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', the direct sequel ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' begins with Link struggling to deal with his feelings after fulfilling his destiny as the Hero of Time, and left to search for his missing friend Navi. Soon, he finds himself lost in the mysterious alternate world of Termina, which is due to be annihilated by a falling moon in three days. Despite the nigh-impossible odds against him, Link travels [[GroundhogDayLoop back and forth in time]] as many times as it takes to find a way to save Termina from destruction. Helping the people of Termina through their own grief along the way, Link succeeds.
177	** The version of Link from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' is said to [[TheUnchosenOne not be connected to any prior Link]], and only truly begins his quest when [[ItsPersonal his sister Aryll]] is kidnapped by one of Ganondorf's underlings. In spite of that, he still takes the time to free the Great Sea from Ganondorf's influence, restores both the Master Sword and Triforce of Courage to their former glory, and [[spoiler:confronts and takes down Ganondorf, ending his threat for good]].
178
179	* In ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}'', Abe saves his whole race from slavery and worse.
180
181	* Two examples from the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series, both of whom were encouraged to be better people thanks to [[PositiveFriendInfluence Clank's]] words of idealism:
182	** Ratchet himself starts out as a selfish {{Jerkass}} in [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002 the first game]] obsessed with thrill-seeking or later getting revenge on Captain Qwark for tricking him. While he does mellow out over time and shape up to stop Chairman Drek, the main drive of it is because [[ItsPersonal his home planet Veldin]] would be destroyed if he didn't. The next [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando couple]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal games]] have him as [[TookALevelInKindness a far more lenient, friendly and heroic character]], but his motivation for saving the day is still encouraged by his thrill-seeking desires or for personal reasons like rescuing Clank from a bad guy. It isn't until ''[[VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked Deadlocked]]'' when Ratchet commits an unarguably selfless act--beyond saying no to "the life, the fame, the money, the babes" that being a gladiator on ''[[ImmoralRealityShow DreadZone]]'' might give, he's willing to [[HeroicSacrifice stay behind and fight Gleeman Vox]] while the other heroes and civilians escape the exploding Battledome. If that wasn't enough, ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Tools of Destruction]]'' has him forego [[TheFinalTemptation the chance to finally reunite with his banished race]] to protect his friends and stop [[BigBad Emperor Percival Tachyon]] from wrecking the cosmos.
183	** Captain Qwark may be a [[DumbMuscle boneheaded]], [[ItsAllAboutMe selfish]] and [[MilesGloriosus cowardly]] man on a good day, and starts the series as an outright villain, but he's redeemed in ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]]'' when he stops running away and shows up in person to fight off Dr. Nefarious' forces. Despite still slipping in and out of questionable behavior from that point onwards (like taking credit for saving the galaxy), he starts helping out Ratchet and Clank from time to time, and come ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'', he's even [[PromotedToPlayable ready and willing to get his hands dirty in the field]]. In ''[[Videogame/RatchetAndClankRiftApart Rift Apart]]'', when Qwark's AlternateSelf Captain Quantum notes how Qwark's actions make him a poor example of a hero, Ratchet responds that for all his faults, Qwark has their back when they need them.
184
185	* ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'': [[TheLancer Bentley]] spends most of the game worried about his missing girlfriend Penelope, and when he finds out [[EvilAllAlong the truth about her]], he's [[HeroicBSOD crushed]]. However, when [[TheSociopath she]] goes after [[TrueCompanions Sly and Murray]] out of sheer hatred, Bentley builds himself a mecha to counter hers, goes to confront and dump her, and fights her to defend his brothers, Carmelita, and ''[[AttackOnOneIsAnAttackOnAll all Coopers in history]]'' in an ActOfTrueLove, reaffirming both his loyalty to the Cooper Gang, and [[HonorAmongThieves his morality in general]]. This also coincides with Penelope's MoralEventHorizon, which makes her Bentley's EvilCounterpart.
186
187	* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and his friends have been saving the world from Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik since the beginning, but the technical advancements of ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' and the more fleshed-out story that came from them showcased just what kinds of heroism the cast was capable of:
188	** While Sonic himself usually doesn't have or need a reason to help people aside from feeling like he should, and he's always foiled Dr. Eggman's plans for world domination anyways, it's the finale of ''Adventure'' that proves just how deep his heroic streak truly runs: [[spoiler:even as [[DarkestHour Perfect Chaos turns Station Square into a flooded wasteland and drains the Chaos Emeralds of their power]], he refuses Tikal's plan to seal the beast in the Master Emerald once again, claiming that it would only eternally perpetuate the cycle of suffering and keep Chaos trapped in his own [[TragicMonster anger and turmoil]]. Sonic instead chooses to end Chaos' threat the right way-- by re-empowering the Emeralds thanks to the faith of his friends and the civilians of Station Square, and using their positive energy to purify Chaos' anger once and for all as Super Sonic.]]
189	** Tails has likewise always been a good kid looking up to Sonic for his heroism, and even set off to save his life on at least [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2 two]] [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles occasions]], but ''Adventure'' shows that even after all his adventures, he's still hung up by fears of inadequacy in comparison to his surrogate big brother. Nevertheless, he assuredly crosses the Heroes' Frontier Step in the same game by saving Station Square from Eggman's wrath when Sonic wasn't around to, overcoming his fears and self-doubt in the process. ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' further affirms Tails' growth as a true hero: even after watching Sonic [[DisneyDeath seemingly perish]], he fulfills his hero's last wish and continues the fight against Eggman with valor and determination.
190	** Amy Rose's history of heroism prior to ''Adventure'' was minimal in comparison to Sonic and Tails above, and she even begins her campaign by falsely reminiscing on when she was [[SelfServingMemory "chasing bad guys and blowing them away"]] with Sonic as opposed to [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD needing to be rescued by him]]. Even after saving a little bird from ZERO, an Eggman robot that's chasing it after for its Chaos Emerald, she initially tries to pass on to Sonic the responsibility of protecting it. Nevertheless, Amy still does her absolute best to protect the little bird on her own despite ZERO's [[SuperPersistentPredator persistence]]-- even when it leads to her being briefly taken prisoner on Eggman's battleship-- and soon goes off on her own perilous journey to save its captured family from Eggman without any help from Sonic or Tails whatsoever. Not only does Amy succeed in reuniting the bird with its siblings, but when ZERO lays a hit on the little bird just beforehand, she finally [[MamaBear musters up the drive]] to ''demolish'' the robot menace once and for all.
191
192	* Two solid examples in ''VideoGame/StarcraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'' from previously ambiguous characters:
193	** Kerrigan is presented as a NobleDemon on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge who is, on the one hand, a far cry from her BrainwashedAndCrazy time as the "Queen Bitch of the Universe", but still willing to turn her back on her humanity in order to have her vengeance. Her defining moment is on Char, where her forces overrun and demolish the fortress of General Warfield. With his last breath, Warfield ''demands'' [[TheMenFirst that she let his wounded and noncombatants go]], pointing out that [[MoralityChain Raynor]] (in whose name she is notionally rampaging) would disapprove. She complies, showing restraint for perhaps the first time ever.
194	*** This is especially formidable if she's already visited Zerus and been reborn as [[HumanoidAbomination the Primal Queen of Blades]] -- showing that sacrificing her physical humanity doesn't have to mean giving up her morality.
195	** The second belongs to Crown Prince Valerian Mengsk, son of the BigBad and a decidedly on-the-fence character who, on the one hand, wants to remove his father Arcturus Mengsk's government, but on the other hand is no stranger to lying and manipulating. When he ends up allied with Kerrigan to assault Mengsk's capital, he has a straightforward demand -- that she give him time to evacuate civilians. In his case, it demonstrates not only that he has the moral fiber necessary, but the ''backbone'' to stand up to one of the strongest individuals in the galaxy and not request, but ''order'' her to do the right thing.
196
197	* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', the main character becomes one in the GoldenEnding of the Pacifist Run. No matter how many monsters fight them, they will ''not'' harm them back and win every single confrontation by either befriending, appeasing, or negotiating with them. Even Flowey, the EldritchAbomination that CameBackWrong and has spent the entire game manipulating and plotting to kill them, is spared in the end. The character single-handedly shows every single monster, most of whom believed HumansAreTheRealMonsters and were more than willing to wipe humanity out, that not only are humans and monsters the same but that they can coexist peacefully. They don't stop there, either: they help break the barrier that keeps the monsters trapped underground and frees them to the world above so the two groups ''can'' coexist.
198
199	[[/folder]]
200
201	[[folder:Web Animation]]
202	* Jaune Arc in ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' started out as [[NaiveNewcomer an insecure young guy in an unfamiliar environment]] who was subjected to abuse and blackmailed into cooperation by [[TheBully Cardin Winchester]]. While on a field trip to the Forest of Forever Fall, Cardin ordered Jaune to hit [[TheAce Pyrrha]] with maple sap, so he could [[EvilIsPetty retaliate against the girl always excelling and outperforming him]] [[DisproportionateRetribution by unleashing rapier wasps on her]]. Jaune refuses to do so, then defies Cardin's threats by throwing the sap at him instead. The true HFS moment comes soon afterwards, when Jaune [[SaveTheVillain rescues his tormentor]] from an attacking Ursa Grimm, proving that, regardless of his unpleasant behavior and all the bullying he had to endure, he still cared about Cardin.
203	[[/folder]]
204
205	[[folder:Webcomics]]
206	* Tarvek Sturmvoraus of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' spent his first appearance almost constantly going through a HeelFaceRevolvingDoor, flipping between aiding our heroine Agatha and aiding [[BigBad the Other]] trying to take her over. Naturally when he showed up again in Castle Heterodyne, everyone was pretty distrustful of him. But one moment in Volume 12 cenemted his role as a good guy (albeit an AntiHero) when he rescued Vespiary Squad troops and their wasp-eater weasels from a crashed airship - showing that not only is he against the Other, but also cares about other people.
207	* If you need a good refresher on what being a hero ''truly'' is beyond all the good looks and flashy action, look no further than the triumphant examples of ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'':
208	** Saitama's origin story shows him as a lowly salaryman using nothing but his necktie to save a kid from a bloodthirsty monster. He's then inspired to become a hero on the regular, but the following three years of training molds him into a ComicallyInvincibleHero to the max-- everything he fights goes down in, well, [[TitleDrop one punch]], and being a hero's [[VictoryIsBoring gotten pretty boring]] [[NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction for him as a result]]. But this hasn't made him any ''less'' of one, as the ending to the Sea Monsters Arc affirms: [[spoiler:when the populace sees him single-handedly defeating the [[ArcVillain Deep Sea King]], one spectator claims the other heroes [[HoldTheLine who battled the King before Saitama arrived]] aren't really heroes after all. Saitama then pretends to be a GloryHound who only landed the finishing blow after the others did all the hard work, sacrificing his own reputation in the process but ensuring that the other heroes get credit and support.]]
209	** Mumen Rider is a "C-Class Hero" with little in the way of noteworthy superpowers or special gear to speak of, being hopelessly outclassed by plenty of other heroes and the threats they fight, and only having a bike and a costume to his name… that is, if you somehow don't count his true heroism and courage. From helping little kids get their balloons back to stopping street crime even when he's outnumbered, Mumen Rider is [[TheCape a noble paragon of virtue]] that always, ''always'' shows up to do the right thing. But his ''true'' mark of being a hero also happens in the Sea Monsters Arc: [[DeterminedDefeatist he knows all too well he doesn't stand a chance]] of winning against the [[ArcVillain Deep Sea King]] who's already took down many of the strongest heroes already, but he goes to fight the monster anyways, as there's nobody else left to protect the innocent lives at stake. It's just like Saitama said: [[HoldTheLine "If The Heroes Run And Hide, Who Will Stand And Fight?"]]
210	[[/folder]]
211
212	[[folder:Western Animation]]
213	* WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} has a better one in ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheSeries''. When Mirage turns Jasmine into a monstrous snake, instead of rejecting her, Aladdin chooses to become like her, because of true love. Because of this, Mirage is forced to face her defeat and turn them back to normal.
214	* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'': For 3 ''FREAKIN' '' ''SEASONS'', [[Characters/BojackHorsemanBojackHorseman BoJack]] has tried time and time again to become a better horseman, only to be hindered by his flaws, his egocentrism, and his inability to open up. After having destroyed most of his relationships and failing to get recognition for his work in ''Secretariat'' in [[Recap/BojackHorsemanS3E12ThatWentWell "That Went Well"]], he leaves Hollywoo in an attempt to find himself. Upon his return, he meets Hollyhock, his possible illegitimate daughter. Developing a bond with her, this healthy relationship comes to an end after [[spoiler:Hollyhock is (accidentally) poisoned by his senile mother Beatrice, making her adoptive parents forbid him from contacting her.]] Despite the unfairness of the situation, [=BoJack=] decides to stop sulking and help Hollyhock find out about the one reason she came for his help: finding out who was her family and [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even offering to remain anonymous to her parents as long as she gets the information]]. Being the most selfless action he makes in the series, [[spoiler:Hollyhock calls him and [[EarnYourHappyEnding accepts him into her life]]... as her ''brother'' (Hollyhock is actually Bojack's half-sister, concieved when their father Butterscotch Horseman, had an affair with the maid.) [[WhenSheSmiles His reaction says it all]].]]
215	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': After [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderZuko Zuko's]] first attempt at a HeelFaceTurn in the second season finale went pear-shaped because Azula convinced him that taking her side would buy his honor back, and after questioning his choices in life both before and after that point, the thing that ''finally'' cements his actual turn to goodness in [[spoiler:"[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheDayOfBlackSunPart2 The Day Of Black Sun: Part 2]]" is his [[CallingTheOldManOut calling out]] his [[AbusiveParents jackass father]] on everything he put him ''and'' the Fire Nation through up to this point and his declaration to burn the Earth Kingdom down, and furthermore, does not send Ozai's lightning back at him when the latter attempts OffingTheOffspring, instead letting it dissipate harmlessly. This not only marks the point where he makes a turn towards the idealistic end of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism sliding scale]], but also demonstrates that unlike his father, who has no remorse for harming his own family if they prevent him from getting his way, Zuko himself will [[ThouShaltNotKill avoid taking a human life if he can help it]]. Thus, he chooses to leave and side with his uncle and the Avatar rather than striking Ozai down then and there - having learned more about what it means to be a good person from ''them'', even if he didn't realize it, than from his own father.]]
216	-->[[spoiler:'''Zuko:''' Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history, and somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. [[WrittenByTheWinners What an amazing lie that was.]] The people of the world are ''terrified'' by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They ''hate'' us! And we deserve it. We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.]]\
217	[[spoiler:'''Ozai:''' ''(laughs)'' Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?]]\
218	[[spoiler:'''Zuko:''' …Yes. ''(smiles)'' He has.]]
219	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gallavants}}'': Shando, tasked with the responsibility of moving the colony's precious eggs from one spot to another without supervision, comes up with a labor-saving measure which accidentally causes one egg to roll free of the others. He runs into his friend Eegee who helps him chase it, but it rolls out of sight and into dangerous no-ants-land. Shando considers giving up, and Eegee calls him out for always quitting when things got tough instead of trying to stick it out, but also says she'll support him no matter what. Since no one was watching when he lost the egg and Eegee won't rat him out, all Shando has to do is go back to the Ova Sanctum and finish his job with no one the wiser. [[WhatYouAreInTheDark He starts chasing the egg again]], [[ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself on his own]]
220	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Pacifica Northwest, the heir of the Northwest family and a snobby rich bully proves that she is more than her lineage when she [[spoiler:lets the commoners into the Northwest Mansion when they were threatened by the Lumberjack Ghost.]]
221	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': After most of Garble's appearance in the series being at best a brute and a bully, and at worst a murderous, sadistic sociopath, the episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E9SweetAndSmoky Sweet and Smoky]]" not only has him reform, but actually perform an amazing act of heroism. This episode reveals that he's Smolder's older brother and that he genuinely cares for her. It's also revealed that most of his bullying and jerk behavior was to hide his insecurities, keeping his beatnik poetry a secret from his friends and continuing to bully Spike throughout the episode. When Smolder and Fluttershy call Garble out on his actions, pointing out that Garble has been kicking around Spike to appear tough and masculine in front of his crew, while covering up his own sensitive interests for fear of mockery, where Spike is brave enough to be himself, he admits their point. But the thing that truly redeems him is when he learns that the dragon eggs need heat to hatch, and Spike gives him the idea to read his poetry to the dragons. Most of the dragons start to laugh, causing their fire breath to get hotter, and soon the eggs start to hatch. He's willing to subject himself to the humiliation and mockery he's dreaded would come with his passion in order to ensure the survival of the baby dragons. Garble finally admits his sensitive side to Spike and apologizes for his past behavior.
222	** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicDiscord Discord]] began the series as an evil RealityWarper before softening up to become a neutral trickster. In "To Where and Back Again", he commits his first heroic act by joining the mission to rescue the Mane Six and Royal Family from the Changelings. In "The Ending of the End Part 2" [[spoiler:Discord despite being responsible for the villains conquest, he vows to make up for his actions, and commits an act so heroic that he manages to be forgiven by the ponies, by starting the heroes counterattack risking his life to get Starlight free so she could free the other prisoners and joins the battle against three villains without any powers to give the Mane 5 and Spike time to escape so they can save Equestria.]]
223	[[/folder]]

Context Main / HeroesFrontierStep