Line #115 Main/ResignedToTheCall


1	->'''Rincewind:''' I do not wish to volunteer.\
2	'''Patrician:''' No one was asking you to.\
3	'''Rincewind:''' Oh, but they will, sir. And then I'll run away, and probably hide in a crate somewhere that'll be loaded onto the flying machine in any case... Or there'll be a whole string of accidents that end up causing the same thing. Trust me, sir. I know how my life works.
4	-->-- ''Literature/TheLastHero''
5
6	There are many ways a character can respond to the CallToAdventure. If he's thrilled about it, and excited, he's JumpedAtTheCall. If he ignores it, or tries to continue living as though The Call never came, there was a RefusalOfTheCall.
7
8	Then there's the hero who isn't happy about being called, but doesn't believe that he can avoid it, either. For whatever reason, his reaction isn't "Yay! Adventure!" or "Leave me alone. I'm not doing it." His reaction is "I can't talk you into picking someone else, can I? I'm gonna have to do this thing, aren't I? ''(sigh) Fine.'' Let's get it over with." He's Resigned to the Call.
9
10	Sometimes, this is the only appropriate response -- to [[JumpedAtTheCall jump at the call]] would indicate that he wasn't really fit to be TheChosenOne. Often, resigning to The Call means that the person has recognized and accepted the responsibility of doing so, seeing it as something that has to be done, whether he likes it or not. In other cases, it's a fault. It all depends on where on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism the work is. It's also the most common response to a RefusalOfTheCall / YouCantFightFate combination or to TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive.
11
12	If someone who is Resigned to the Call ever does attempt to move up to Refusing the Call, expect it to be a TenMinuteRetirement before they [[ChangedMyMindKid change their mind]] or their [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack conscience makes them go back]], usually just in time for a BigDamnHeroes moment.
13
14	If someone who is Resigned to the Call is one of a party who otherwise embraces the Call, it's a toss-up whether the next trope to come into play will be TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong, or OnlySaneMan.
15
16	Someone who is continually resigned to Calls and taking it badly can become a KnightInSourArmor.
17
18	Compare with ReluctantWarrior.
19	-----
20	!!Examples:
21
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* While he did initially try to [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse the call]], Shinji from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' mostly falls into this category. While he hates being a pilot and the constant stress of battle he continues to take his Evangelion into battle, and both of his efforts to stop being a pilot wind up being [[TenMinuteRetirement Ten Minute Retirements]].
26	* Sosuke Sagara of ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'' is an odd example. He doesn't mind going into battle and fighting dastardly foes in a HumongousMecha, really. After all, it's [[HiredGuns his job]], and 'bout the only thing he's good at, having grown up a {{Child Soldier\|s}}. However, he ''does'' mind being assigned to the ''only'' robot in the unit which is powered by {{Hot Blooded}}ness. He frequently declares that a system so uncertain that you can only use it when your 'emotions peak' is way too unreliable to be a decent weapon, but is rather more like magic -- and he's a soldier, not a wizard! And yet, he's the only one who can use the system at all, so even though he'd much rather just use a bog-standard {{Real Robot\|Genre}}, every time a Lambda Drive-equipped enemy shows up, he's got no choice but to climb into his {{Super Robot\|Genre}} and take them on, grumbling all the way. A side note. The reason he's the only one who can use the Arbelest is because he was the first one to use it, and since then the mech's quirky AI (named "Al") refuses to work with anyone else. Al is also wired into the device that allows the mech to twist the laws of physics, itself black box tech that no one in Mithril knows how to replicate.
27	* In ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'', Keima Katsuragi basically just wants to be left alone with his games, but he already [[DealWithTheDevil signed the contract]] that [[OffWithHisHead would make his head explode]] should he fail to accomplish his goal. (He thought that it was a contract for a new game). So he sucked up at his job and a made good success of it. It also helps that he grows to care for the girls which contain the [[EmotionEater Weiss]], because the Weiss will severely affect the girls in some way and will be reborn as the girl's first child.
28	* Kyoko Koizumi in ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys''. She ends up involved in the whole "friend" conspiracy completely by accident, and repeatedly attempts (and fails) to go back to her normal life. Eventually she just gives in and rolls with it.
29	* Rin Natsuki of ''Anime/YesPrecure5'' thought Nozomi was nuts when she was chosen to be the next Pretty Cure, telling her "Thanks, but no thanks." When one of Nightmare's men arrive, Rin panics and tries to find Nozomi and tell her to stop being a Cure. When she refuses and gets in over her head, Rin's resigned to save her best friend, despite how scared she is, and become Cure Rouge.
30	* Usagi Tsukino goes through this during the first half of the FillerArc storyline in ''Anime/SailorMoon R''. After being resurrected following the fight with Queen Beryl, she's content as a normal school girl until the storyline's {{Big Bad}}s show up, forcing Luna to restore her memories and powers. Despite this, she's completely hesitant on being Sailor Moon, causing her powers to futz up before blinking out completely. It isn't until she encounters Queen Serenity once more that she's Resigned to the Call.
31	* In ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' the fact that Sanzo is actually doing what the gods want him to in going on this quest, and even goes along with who they insist he bring along with limited grumbling seems severely out of character... until you get some {{backstory}} and realize his duty as a Sanzo priest was all that kept him from falling completely apart at a certain point in his life, and this is the best lead he's had in 10 years of searching for his master's lost sutra. Then it makes more sense that he would be resigned to the call.
32	* For Matsuda from ''VideoGame/FrontMission'', his goal was to find and bring back Inuzuka from Huffman for his WarIsHell photography. He didn't wanted to become a wartime correspondent until Reona suffered a Retirony moment and he realize at that point that he had to help continue the press.
33	* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' plays with this trope in different ways.
34	** First, there's Nanoha who took the task of being a MagicalGirl simply to help Yuuno recover the Jewel seeds that were scattered in the city, treating it like a secondary objective to studying or helping in their family business. It was her first slip up with a jewel seed that she decided to take the search more seriously, and an encounter with mage more experienced than she is who is also looking for said seeds made her realize the gravity of her quest. She then realized that she would need to improve herself in order to complete her quest, as well as to save the other mage from herself (as she saw what lengths her rival would go to to obtain the seeds) and became fully devoted to magic training.
35	** The second season has Hayate, who upon learning that she is TheChosenOne, responded with what could be summed as "Sure, why not?" She was pretty content with her life, despite being a crippled girl who lives alone, and wished nothing more from the Book of Darkness, only expressing happiness for it has provided her with people she can call family. After the Book of Darkness incident, she realized that she has been given an opportunity to help people in a greater way, by joining the military and keeping the universe safe from similar incidents that happened around her and as the current master of the book, feels she should share the responsibility with her guardians.
36	** The third season has this trope as a small plot point. The now adult protagonists rescue a small 6 year old girl named Vivio from the season's BigBad and his minions. Nanoha decides to look after her in the meantime until Vivio can be safely given to a caring foster family, and she develops a bond with Vivio upon regular interaction with her. When asked why Nanoha doesn't just adopt Vivio as her daughter, she mentions that she's reluctant in raising her as her child given that her work sometimes puts her in dangerous situations, citing an experience she had that almost ended her career. The turning point is when Vivio is kidnapped by the BigBad and is forced to fight Nanoha, Nanoha delivers a speech telling Vivio that she will try her best to be her mother. By the end of the anime, Nanoha has official adopted Vivio as her daughter and is perfectly happy with the relationship.
37	* Miho Nishizumi, from ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'' goes through this several times. She transfers to a new school to avoid having to take Tankery, but gets drafted into the sport when the Student Council demands she participate, albeit ultimately deciding to go along with it when seeing her friends, who had originally wanted to do tankery, switch their electives to stay with her and defend her decision not to do tankery. When she and her friends form a tank crew, she first refuses taking the commander position, but is talked into it by the rest of the team after the first practice. Later she gets "volunteered" to take command of the whole school's Tankery team by the Student Council president.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Comic Books]]
41	* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Dick Grayson, a.k.a. ComicBook/{{Robin}}/ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}, honestly doesn't think [[spoiler: he's cut out to be Batman,]] but he does it nonetheless [[spoiler:when his mentor disappears]].
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Fan Works]]
45	* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfTime'': Sherlock Holmes -- it's not that he doesn't want to travel with [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]], but he's concerned about his Fixed Points and, most importantly, Watson's safety. The Doctor's loneliness and Watson's compassion seal the deal.
46	* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Harry become this in the sequel in respect to the fact that his destiny is to be pointed at Thanos as a LivingWeapon by Doctor Strange. While he's got a strong case of ChronicHeroSyndrome, he's also something of a KnightInSourArmor after a brutal TraumaCongaLine, which shifts his attitude from 'heroism for the sake of it' to [[BeingGoodSucks 'heroism because it's right, even if it will probably be horribly unpleasant']]. As he snarks when told about Thanos, "I'll see if I can fit him in." He later lightens up a bit, but he's still somewhat resigned.
47	* In ''Fanfic/TheCurseOfTheAnimeProtagonist'', Izuku's [[SpiderSense Quirk]] forces him to be a hero by always putting him in the right place at the right time to help someone and giving him increasingly severe stomach pain until he resolves whatever situation it's warning him about. The day his grandfather died, Izuku ended up bedridden due to his Quirk trying to warn him. Izuku himself doesn't want to be a Pro Hero, mostly because he [[IJustWantToBeNormal wants to live a normal life without the spotlight of heroism]] and he thinks you can help people without being one, but realizes he's going to be one anyway due to his Quirk. A large part of why Izuku accepts One for All is because he realized that he'd always be stuck with his original Quirk; at least with One for All as well, he'd be able to save as many people as possible.
48	* ''Webcomic/NaruHinaChronicles'': After Touji (who was in charge of ANBU) is killed, Tsunade asks Kakashi to temporarily lead ANBU. He doesn't want the job, but understands the necessity and reluctantly agrees.
49	* ''Fanfic/ThePeaceNotPromised'': Severus Snape isn't really keen to work with Dumbledore for his second try; he knows full well that Dumbledore is TheChessmaster who cares about every piece and yet will sacrifice whatever it takes to win the game. But he also knows that Dumbledore's help is by far his best chance to end Voldemort and keep Lily safe, and as a long-time double agent, he has plenty of experience of doing whatever must be done.
50	* The protagonist of ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'' invites Nommo Balewa, "Doctor Mist", to join the Justice League. Being ageless, Doctor Mist dislikes interfering in mortal affairs, and would normally refuse, but there have been so many recent events threatening the very existence of the world that he feels he needs to step up and ensure that humanity survives.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Film]]
54	* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' gives us Dorothy and Toto. They did want to see if there was a more interesting life than their mundane home in Kansas, but they never really wanted to end up in Oz. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor See if The Call cared.]] And other than the whole being trapped indoors during a tornado thing, they sure didn't seem to have much in the way of a warning. Still, once in Oz, what were they to do?
55	* ''Film/KungPowEnterTheFist'' has its own rather idiotic take on this in the beginning, although it [[MalignantPlotTumor mutates]] into a JumpedAtTheCall when Chosen One becomes obsessed with finding [[FlawExploitation Betty's weakness]].
56	* The main character of ''Film/{{Cellular}}''. He actively acknowledges how far in over his head he is, and he ''does'' attempt to get police help in the beginning, but acknowledges that if nobody better fit to handle the situation will step up, then he has no choice but to do so himself.
57	* ''Film/AccidentalHero'': Creator/DustinHoffman's character is a misanthropic, cynical petty crook, constantly declaring that everyone is out for themselves and no one else. Then a plane crashes right in front of his car, and a boy begs him to save his father; he looks around for a fireman, or anyone else, but there's no one else to turn to, so he goes into the burning wreck and rescues each person he comes across in turn - grumbling the whole time about his brand-new shoes. At the end of the film, with his son at the zoo, someone falls into the bear enclosure; he yells, "call the zookeeper!" a few times before reluctantly heading off to the rescue, grumbling, "watch my shoes."
58	* Chandler Jarrell in ''Film/TheGoldenChild'' is a specialist in finding missing children, but also a profound skeptic. When he is told that the titular Golden Child has been kidnapped, he's willing to consider it as just another job, and gets very annoyed when people keep bringing up supernatural stuff like that he's TheChosenOne, or that the child is to be sacrificed to TheLegionsOfHell to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Unfortunately, he keeps getting his face rubbed in these things until he grudgingly starts to believe.
59	* ''Film/{{Purgatory}}'': The townspeople decide to take up arms even though (they think) it'll mean going to hell.
60	-->'''Wild Bill:''' What do you think you're doing?\
61	'''UsefulNotes/BillyTheKid:''' Down the hole's down the hole. Might as well have some fun on the way.
62	* John [=McLane=], hero of the ''Franchise/DieHard'' series, absolutely does not want to be the hero. In [[Film/DieHard the first movie]], he only fights back when forced and tries to leave things to the police constantly. In [[Film/DieHard2 the second movie]], he only gets involved when he figures things out and tries to help the actual police. But it's best exemplified in [[Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard the fourth movie]]:
63	-->'''John:''' (When asked why he's risking his life when he has no stake in it) Because there's no one else to do it right now. If there was someone else, believe me, I'd let them do it, but there isn't, so we're doing it.
64	* In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', when the Black Order arrives in New York, [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] asks [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]] if he would like to take on the charging Cull Obsidian. Bruce admits he doesn't want to, but resignedly notes he never gets what he wants.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Literature]]
68	* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': (Bel)Garion spends roughly 4 1/2 of the five books asking "Why ''me''?". C'Nedra also spends a fair bit of books 4 and 5 giving recruiting speeches and leading the army because, according to the Prophecy, she ''must do so'' in order for Belgarion to have a chance to win, even though public speaking makes her physically ill, and that her promises of easy heroic victories and plentiful loot are lies.
69	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
70	** By ''Literature/TheLastHero'', Rincewind has become GenreSavvy enough to know when he's likely to be drafted for the Disc's first space flight, and grudgingly volunteers in order to save himself time trying to hide from his doom.
71	** A few protagonists have tried to refuse the call (only to find that YouCantFightFate ... or in Moist's case, the Patrician), but the only main characters to Jump at it have been [[BarbarianHero Cohen]], [[KingIncognito Carrot]], [[CuteWitch Tiffany]], and before the series, [[WitchClassic Granny Weatherwax]] (though even she ended up Resigned to being 'the Good One', as her older sister became a LightIsNotGood ObliviouslyEvil fairy godmother).
72	* ''Literature/TheElricSaga'': Elric often complains about his fate as the [[VideoGame/EternalChampions Eternal Champion]], but feels helpless to avoid it.
73	* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/FarmerGilesOfHam'', Giles doesn't really want to go dragon-hunting, but he knows he will eventually have to and can't keep making excuses for ever.
74	* Used twice as bookends in ''Literature/TheFold''. First Mike is invited to a hearing to see if he's interested in the job, then introduced as if he's taken it and acquiesces. Second at the end when the survivors are met by a shadowy government agency with a limited-time offer when Mike knows he won't be able to live with himself if he doesn't take it.
75	* The ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' novelization indicates that [[Characters/MonsterVerseRussellFamily Mark Russell]] [[KnightInSourArmor isn't exactly thrilled about rejoining Monarch]], and he would much rather have a normal life where he doesn't have to see another Titan again, but he believes working for Monarch is the right thing to do. So instead, Mark projects all his longings for a normal life onto his daughter [[LikeParentUnlikeChild Madison]].
76	* In ''Literature/TheKingdomKeepers'', the keepers aren't too enthusiastic about their new mission, especially [[TheLancer Maybeck]] and [[TheBigGuy Charlene]]. However, since they cross over every time they fall asleep, there's little they can do except go with it.
77	* In ''Literature/TheLostFleet'', Captain John "Black Jack" Geary has been put in command of the crippled [[TheAlliance Alliance]] fleet against his will (being a HumanPopsicle for 100 years gives him seniority over any other captain). He vows to bring the fleet home, but then wants nothing more than to retire and live in peace. By the end of the main series, he realizes that the Alliance desperately needs him, and he can't quit.
78	* George Powhatan of ''Literature/ThePostman'' answered the call once before, fighting off vicious survivalists to establish his own small farming community. When Gordon arrives seeking help for the beleagured Willamette communities, George tries [[RefusalOfTheCall Refusing the Call]], but the fact that this is listed on this particular page should tell you how well that works out.
79	* Morgon of ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' is very much not happy about the ambiguous, threatening prophecies that have been ascribed to him and only grudgingly agrees, after almost being murdered a few times, to try and figure some of this stuff out. He'd much rather go home and brew beer.
80	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
81	** Ned Stark doesn't want to be the King's Hand, even for his best friend King Robert, but sees he has no choice in matter, partly because he [[HonorBeforeReason can't disobey a command from his King]] and partly because he realises his friend is trapped in a DecadentCourt and needs his help.
82	** Stannis Baratheon doesn't really want to [[spoiler:succeed Robert as king]]. However, it's his duty to do it and thus he will, [[spoiler:even if it means rebelling against Joffrey and fighting the Lannisters, Starks, ''and'' most of his own bannermen, having the smallest army at the start]]. [[spoiler:After losing most of his troops, he contemplates burning a nephew of his to gain magical aid. However his conversations with Davos show how conflicted he is, but that he considers it his duty to take the throne, for the realm, for his daughter, and even the brother he didn't like, knowing Robert's wife murdered him so her family could usurp the throne. Ultimately, Davos reminds him of his higher duty as a King, to protect the realm and have him come and rescue the Night's Watch:]]
83	---> '''King Stannis''': ''Lord Seaworth is a man of humble birth, but he reminded me of my duty, when all I could think of was my rights. I had the cart before the horse, Davos said. I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne.''
84	* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
85	** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Frodo Baggins goes through this twice. When he first takes the Ring from the Shire to Rivendell, he feels completely inadequate to the job, but realizes that if he remains at home, he's a danger to everyone near him. And then, at the end of the Council of Elrond, he sits in silence waiting for anyone else to offer to take the Ring to Mount Doom:
86	--->A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.\
87	"I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way."
88	** ''Literature/TheFallOfGondolin'': Ulmo tells Tuor that he needs him to send a message to Turgon, the king of Gondolin, and Tuor will soon find someone who will guide him to the hidden city. Upon meeting Vonronwë, Tuor repeats the Ulmo's words, and Voronwë tiredly says he doesn't wish to return to Gondolin ever again; if he survived his sea voyage, he intended to travel Southwards, far from Morgoth and the war. Nonetheless, he reluctantly agrees that he must return if evil is again growing and threatening his city..
89	* The Three in ''Literature/WarriorCats'' feel this way about being {{The Chosen One}}s several times, but Dovewing more than the other two.
90	* Aislinn in the ''Literature/WickedLovely'' series. She realizes that she has no choice about being a faery, but she makes clear that she will only do it on her own terms.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
94	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Stannis Baratheon claims he doesn't even want to be the king or TheChosenOne, but instead sees it as his duty.
95	* On average this seems to be the attitude of the Oceanic Six returning to the Island on ''Series/{{Lost}}'', especially Hurley. The clearest exception is Sayid, who had to be dragged in handcuffs.
96	* In ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}'', Valery Legasov knows the risks of going to and remaining near an open nuclear reactor, but he never tries to get out of it (and doesn't even mention it until Shcherbina's complacency prompts him to blurt out how much their lifespans have been curtailed). In a conversation with his colleague Khomyuk, they both lament the horrors they're having to witness, undergo, and [[SadisticChoice order]], but they both know that they can't stop--not because of the government, but because of their own nature as scientists driving them to find the truth so this can't happen again.
97	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer:''
98	** The attitude of one Buffy Summers throughout the majority of the series. She tries to [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse the call]] at various points, especially at the beginning, and the hope she feels when other Slayers start showing up is just ''heartbreaking'' when it becomes clear that she can't just step down and let the new Slayer take over. She also implies, at various points, that the job itself is pretty cool - her objections to it are based in [[TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife the masquerade]] killing any chance of her ''ever'' having a normal relationship - or in some cases any relationship (count her exes, folks: Angel (vampire); Riley Finn (super soldier); and ''Spike'' (vampire) and a string of normal men) and the fact that "retirement" means ''dying''. Also, the Call keeps dragging her friends and family into the mix, which she really objects to. Plus, by age 18, she's one of the oldest slayers ''ever'' (by the end of the series when she is in her early 20's, she's ''the'' oldest slayer in history) and she's been [[BackFromTheDead revived twice]].
99	** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E7FoolForLove Fool for Love]]", Spike argues this trope is what truly kills Slayers; they may start out fighting for survival, then fight to protect other people, but eventually they accept their destiny (and the extremely short life-span involved) and become {{death seeker}}s. Once that happens, it's only a matter of time until some vampire or demon gets in a lucky shot. [[spoiler: It's also revealed earlier that the Council of Watchers ''prefers'' to lose Slayers at a relatively young age, as Slayers get more powerful the longer they are active, and the Council of Watchers prefers young and naïve girls they can control, rather than strong and independent Slayers that may strain against their authority, which is exactly what happens when Buffy realizes that she can make them answer to her rather than the other way around.]]
100	* Tenkaichi from ''Literature/LessonsForAPerfectDetectiveStory'' says that he hates being a detective but since he has no choice in the matter he's determined to do it right and since he's the only one who can do it he becomes rather proud of it (while still hating it).
101	* Ziggy of ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. The only reason he's Series Green is because he had to morph to keep the Morpher out of Tenaya 7's hands and since it's DNA-locked, he can't just fork it over to someone else instead.
102	* Nathan Bridger starts ''Series/SeaQuestDSV quite'' unhappy that the military has found him and brought him back to the sub, especially with none-too-subtle hints from Admiral Noyce that he's expected to take command again, but time and circumstance conspire to get him to don the UEO uniform and give out orders officially as Captain. By the start of the second episode, he's rediscovered his passion for discovery and ability to make a difference in the world.
103	* Wil Ohmsford of ''Series/TheShannaraChronicles'' is less than enthusiastic when informed by Allanon that he happens to be important enough to be dragged along on the Druid's quest to keep demons from overrunning the world.
104	* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Dean Winchester fights and hunts monsters because he was trained from childhood to do so. He [[BloodKnight enjoys hunting]] in the earlier seasons, but he tires of it pretty quickly and it's made clear that he keeps going out of a sense of responsibility to the job than any real enjoyment. "What Is and What Should Never Be" is one long testament to this, and he's stated outright that if he had the option to do something else, he would. At the end of Season 5, [[spoiler:Dean settles down with a girl and a kid and tries to live a normal life. He ends up leaving them for several reasons, but the most driving one being the fact that hunting was in his nature. It was a part of him, and he voluntarily abandoned a normal family life for hunting evil once again.]]
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
108	* ''Literature/TheBible'':
109	** By the time the big fish spat him out, Jonah's attitude had changed from "I am ''NOT'' going to Ninevah! I don't want them to be saved!" to "I guess I'm going to Ninevah."
110	** Moses's response to his God is a) Why me? b) what do I say when they ask Who sent me? c) You know they're not going believe me. d) I'm a lousy public speaker. Until God loses His temper and tells him to stop whining and don't keep his brother Aaron waiting.
111	** ''Literature/TheFourGospels'': In The Gospel of John, the religious authorities of the day have already tried to have Jesus stoned to death -- ''twice'' -- when Jesus announces his intention to go to the village of Bethany, less than 2 miles from Jerusalem. His disciple Thomas's response: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Of course, they don't.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Theatre]]
115	* The main character of ''Theatre/{{Brand}}'' by Creator/HenrikIbsen is a priest (which usually has the "call" as a job description). When he eventually takes the job, it is with great reluctance, and arguably for the wrong reason (not for TheNeedsOfTheMany, but to save his mother). He is quite resigned to the call all the way, but the trope is zig-zagged because he actually thinks he has a calling, he just doesn't want to do it like that, and not at all in that exact place, which he detests.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Toys]]
119	* A lot of the characters in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' who became Toa were at first, eh, reluctant. [[AllIsWellThatEndsWell But most of them eventually got into the right mood]].
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:VideoGames]]
123	* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', this is the most common attitude taken by the Grey Wardens and their companions, especially Alistair.
124	** Though Alistair did [[JumpedAtTheCall Jump at the Call]] to become a Grey Warden - it's the bits after Ostagar that he's more cynical about.
125	** Some volunteer readily and don't take 'no' for an answer (Leliana, Wynne, Oghren.) The ones who are more resigned to it:
126	*** Morrigan, railroaded into what might be an extended EscortMission, though at that early stage no one is sure who is the escort.
127	*** Sten, locked in a tiny cage with nothing left to live for.
128	*** Zevran, after his failed assassination and the expectation of capital reprisal from his bosses. Subversion; he'd taken the job with a deathwish in the first place, expecting failure.
129	*** Shale could be a borderline example; though not really opposed to joining, resigned to pretty much anything due to lack of direction.
130	* After a few quests in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', you start to get dialogue options that suggest (if you choose them) that the Lone Wanderer is becoming resigned to fixing everyone's problems, such or "I can see where this is going..." or "So, you want to do it?"
131	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' gives us Squall Leonhart, a mercenary who gets involved in the adventure because it's his job, and stays involved partly [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl to protect his girlfriend]] and partly because [[YouCantFightFate he's not given a lot of choice about it]]. [[spoiler: He actively tries to rebel against it several times, but he's too professional to refuse an order.]] He's also ''explicitly hired'' by the government of Esthar to go fight the FinalBoss, though he agrees of his own free will ([[spoiler: by that point, he is ''running'' Balamb Garden and could have refused the contract, but he didn't]]).
132	* Garrus in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' tags along more because he likes Shepard than anything else, and tends to snark about it. In the interim between the second and third game, he assumes a leadership role to prepare his people for the Reaper invasion, though he's not happy about that, either, as he doesn't like being a leader.
133	* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'', starting with the second game, is a bit of a DeathSeeker and has no desire to uncover vast conspiracies and punish those responsible. But he can't turn away from the truth, and he ''won't'' just lie down and die. The fact that he's ''really good'' at shooting people means that he's a very hard kill, as well. However, this goes out the window after The Imperial Palace Hotel in [[VideoGame/MaxPayne3 the third game]], when he's shocked out of his survival cycle and actively goes looking for a fight.
134	* The opening narration of ''VideoGame/MDK2'' reveals the premise of the entire series and the [[AlienInvasion Streamrider invasion]]. It begins with "Kurt Hectic never wanted to be a hero." and ends with "He was reluctant, but he had no choice. He was the Earth's last hope."
135	* In the original ''Videogame/MegaManStarForce'', Geo doesn't want to be a superhero - he just wants to do his home-schooling and mope a lot - but, well, he's a responsible type when it comes to other people being in danger, and so whenever something disastrous happens he sighs, Wave Changes, and gets on with the serious business of shootin' stuff with a Mega Buster.
136	* Solid Snake in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' had become this. While he's very hesitant in the first Solid game (until he discovers the connection between himself and the terrorist leader, by the fourth he considers it his reluctant duty to [[spoiler: kill Liquid Ocelot]] and put an end to the machinations of 50 years of plotting and shadow games.
137	* In the original ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts1'' Yuri doesn't particularly ''want'' to go on an epic quest or anything, but [[SpiritAdvisor that damn voice in his head]] won't leave him alone, so he's just going along with it until the CharacterDevelopment kicks in.
138	* [[{{Miko}} Reimu Hakurei]] of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' is a bit of a hypocrite as far as this trope is concerned. On the one hand, it's her job as the local shrine maiden and Youkai Exterminator to take care of the incidents that turn up in [[FantasyKitchenSink Gensoukyou]]. On the other hand, she is a lazy bum who'd much rather stay at home and wait for the problems to work themselves out rather than go out and actually do something about them. On the third hand, she will, however reluctantly, go out and take care of an incident if she gets bored with the peaceful tedium of her humble abode. And on the fouth hand she'll start complaining if life gets too peaceful and boring, so yeah. Meet our [[DesignatedHero Heroine]], folks.
139	* In ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'', Optimus shows shades of this after [[spoiler: Zeta Prime is killed, forcing him to take up the mantle of the last Prime]].
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142	[[folder:Web Animation]]
143	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': When [[FarmBoy Oscar]] first hears [[BigGood Ozpin's]] voice in his head, he thinks he is going mad and [[RefusalOfTheCall tries to reject]] or justify the experience any way he can. Although he's not happy with his situation, he eventually accepts the inevitability of being [[LegacyOfTheChosen the inheritor]] of a divine mission to save the world [[spoiler:even though he continues to struggle with the possibility of [[LossOfIdentity losing his identity]] forever to the [[ResurrectiveImmortality immortal]] who's now [[FusionDance bound to his soul]]]].
144	* In the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbF9nLhOqLU fourth episode]] of ''WebAnimation/CharlieTheUnicorn'', Charlie accepts that the other 2 unicorns are going to convince him to go to the Moon no matter ''what'' he says, and just wants them to get to it.
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Webcomics]]
148	* The ''Webcomic/CiemWebcomicSeries'' offers us Candi Levens. She has resigned herself to the fact all along that she must take up superheroics. But the Call decides to punish her anyway.
149	* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfShanShan'', Shan Shan [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120510151750/http://shanshan.upperrealms.com/view.php?pageid=040&chapterid=1 tries to put it off]].
150	* In ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'', after she realizes that she can't stop being an Agent - and after Judy gives her a pep talk - Norah becomes resigned to the fact that she has become a MagicalGirlWarrior.
151	* This was basically Julie's reaction to finding out she was the Pendant Keeper in ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure''. She complained about having to quit her job in the Prologue, but didn't out and out refuse.
152	* Though he has occasional gung-ho moments, this is Eric's general attitude in ''Webcomic/CogaNito''. Unless something particularly significant is riding on the outcome, he'd really rather just go home, thanks very much.
153	* This is the case for Rudy Dewclaw in ''Webcomic/KevinAndKell''. Due to his [[LIsForDyslexia dystracksia]], he was ultimately turned down for a competitive hunting scholarship at Beige University. However, his talent at gardening--something he learned on a whim as a way to compete with his rabbit stepfather, Kevin--resulted in him being offered a competitive ''gardening'' scholarship instead. While he resisted initially, he ultimately gave in--on the condition that he still major in ''[[https://kevinandkell.com/2015/kk0314.html carnivore]]'' studies. [[https://kevinandkell.com/2015/kk0315.html This throws everything into chaos.]] And he ''relishes every moment of it''.
154	-->'''Rudy:''' If you'd told me how much trouble I'd cause, I wouldn't have griped like I did.
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156
157	[[folder:Web Original]]
158	* Most of the original characters in [[http://community.livejournal.com/jla_watchtower/ JLA Watchtower]][=/=]Roleplay/{{DC Nation}} fit this trope quite well. Those who don't JumpedAtTheCall.
159	** Corrine "Merlynne" Bertrand is the product of a prophesy thousands of years old. Her family was [[BigScrewedUpFamily off-the-rails crazy]], with a mother who perpetuated [[CrossesTheLineTwice unbelievable]] levels of abuse to try and "protect" her children, and a father who was into BlackMagic and the occasional summoning of an EldritchAbomination now and then. After an accidental manifestation of her abilities destroys the family home and a few family members, Corrine runs away, embraces Christianity (which fulfilled part of the prophesy on her family), and was found by Dr. Fate, who helped her control her magic. She remarks frequently that it's a wonder she's anything resembling sane. As much as she would ''NOT'' like to be TheChosenOne, she realizes one of her insane family members could always assume that mantle if she doesn't.
160	** Caleb and Amelia Zukov are descendants of the succubus Chantelle (from ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''). Caleb accidentally put his sister into a coma, and learning to use his magic was the best chance he had to revive her. By the time he did manage to wake Amelia up, he was already a former member of the JSA and current member of the Outsiders. When Amelia woke up, she only went along with the Outsiders to be close to her brother. After falling out with them, she had enough of a thirst for adventure to get in with a revival of The Elite.
161	** Tara "Green Shield" Strong was a pharmaceutical chemistry student who was diagnosed with a rare, terminal neurological disorder. She experimented on herself only so that her research would support her family, sparing them the horrendous medical bills her conditions would eventually lead to. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive The bad news was that her boss stole her work]]. The good news is that her plan [[ProfessorGuineaPig to inject herself with the chemical and use her own body as a smoking gun]] not only retarded the progression of her illness, but granted her enhanced strength and durability. After literally stumbling into the middle of an attack on Clan Arrow by Cheshire, she took the offer to train with them because she still, on some level, believes that she will die soon.
162	** Aurora "Fauna" Andersen was a GranolaGirl activist, and raised as an ActualPacifist, even supporting a movement to [[CapeBusters make superhero work illegal]]...until she led a protest outside of [=LexCorp=] HQ. For reasons she can only speculate on, she was kidnapped by Luthor's thugs and subjected to medical torture that left her with animal-based shapeshifting abilities, along with some pretty nasty [[BodyHorror side effects]]. After escaping, she got a job at Black Canary's flower shop, and was literally recruited into the Titans on a phone call. Even though it betrayed her upbringing, Fauna threw her lot in with the capes because the alternative was a life constantly running from Lex Luthor.
163	* Sammy, protagonist of LetsPlay/{{Chorocojo}}'s LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/PokemonFireRed'', has no interest in becoming a Pokémon trainer and would rather play video games. She only even got a Pokémon because Professor Oak wouldn't let her leave town without one, and only started her journey because she realized she could go to Celadon City and buy more video games. Once she did that, she headed home and only went back to the call for selfish reasons (going to the Power Plant for an electric Pokémon to power her tv through a power outage, taking on Team Rocket at Silph Co. because they interrupted her favorite show, fighting the Elite Four to make more money to buy video games, the list goes on). [[spoiler:This seems to have stemmed from her nearly becoming a Skarmory's lunch as a child, which left her with a distrust of the outdoors and started her video game obsession.]]
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder:Western Animation]]
167	* The star of ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee.'' She has the role of the Te Xuan Ze imposed upon her whether she likes it or not, but once engaged in her role as the balancer of the real world and the world of magic, Juniper performs it with gusto.
168	[[/folder]]
169
170	[[folder:Real Life]]
171	* How many in the military look on the various hardships or inconveniences they might find themselves enduring (deployments away from family, the sometimes harsh lifestyle, [[LethalChef dubious chow hall food]], and the occasional draconian or misguided policy from higher up). A viewpoint expressed with the acronym [[FunWithAcronyms BOHICA (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again)]]
172	* Pope Benedict XVI had planned on retiring for a while before he was elected Pope. He also admits to having prayed to God "Please don't do this to me!". He eventually became the first Pope in nearly six hundred years to resign.
173	* [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Kim Il Sung]] supposedly preferred being a military man over a political leader, at least according to the Soviet Diplomats who had to convince him to take up leadership because he was the closest thing to a Communist leader in Korea following the Japanese occupation.
174	* Upon being elected President, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington told a friend that his feelings on traveling towards the capital[[note]] which at that point was New York City; Washington actually took the oath on Wall Street, right next to where the Stock Exchange now stands, and where Federal Hall was later built in his honor[[/note]] for his inauguration were rather like those of a criminal traveling to the gallows.
175	* [[Creator/CSLewis C.S. Lewis]] describes his conversion as this in ''Surprised By Joy'':
176	--> You must picture me all alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England.
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Context Main / ResignedToTheCall