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10->''"I wanna be the very best,''\
11''Like no one ever was!''\
12''To catch them is my real test,''\
13''To train them is my cause!"''
14-->-- '''First English OpeningTheme''', ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''
15%%
16%% One quote is sufficient. Please put additional quotes in the Quotes tab
17
18To Be a Master is the SeriesGoal behind about 70% of all [[ShonenDemographic shonen]] {{manga}} and {{anime}}. Sure, MechaShow, HaremShow, {{Sentai}} and the odd detective story are all okay, but if you ''really'' want to strike a winning story formula for audiences, To Be A Master is the winning way to go. In fact, this is so prevalent that sometimes (especially outside of Japan) the demographic term "shonen" is used to refer specifically to this genre, due in part to the success of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', ''Manga/OnePiece'' and ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''.
19
20The setup is deceptively simple: InAWorld where [[SeriousBusiness everything else revolves around]] ''one'' thing -- CardGames, {{pirate}}s, {{ninja}}s, anything -- a [[StockShonenHero young lad ]] (or lass in some cases) in his/her teens (or younger), usually an IdealHero, will set out on a quest to, well, To Be a Master of ''whatever'' their world deems important, be it Monsters, CardGames, guardians, [[Manga/YumeiroPatissiere sweets]], or even ''fashion''...
21
22The MythArc will invariably involve TheChosenOne meeting one or more TrueCompanions along their way and snobby [[TheRival Rivals]], defeating goofy {{Villains}} and {{Worthy Opponent}}s, and having a go at [[LoveInterests 'getting' the girl (or boy)]].
23
24The only catch? [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption They'll be lucky if they achieve this goal in the next]] ''[[LongRunner fifteen years]]'' (although there are also cases where attaining mastery isn't that far off). To Be a Master is such a successful format that these weekly TV series sometimes tend to [[LongRunners drag on for years]] (especially if it's really, really popular) in an effort to [[MerchandiseDriven exploit as much as possible]] out of the show. We're all suckers for starry-eyed youths who fight to accomplish their dreams, so expect tons of characters and a strict SortingAlgorithmOfEvil to keep feeding new 'challenges' to our hero week after week (year after year). Throw in the ''inevitable'' TournamentArc and leveling [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours powerups]] and we're ready to go!
25
26Apart from sports manga, where the ultimate goal is to win some sort of ''trophy'', the usual reward in 'To Be a Master' consists of a title, something along the lines of "The World-Theme King" or "The World-Theme Master," that is acknowledged by literally ''everyone'' in that world -- and brings a set of privileges with it, hopefully the power to make your dreams come true. If there is a title, important plot points will be ''who held the title before'' and the fact that it can only be gained under ''special'' circumstances, such as being a designated candidate to take part in a ''worldwide tournament''. Otherwise, the main character will likely just want to make their dreams come true, even if there isn't any kind of title.
27
28Depending on the series' setting, the hero's opponents may not necessarily be evil, and are simply after the ''same'' prize that TheProtagonist is... They may become a DesignatedAntagonist when they oppose the hero, but [[DefeatMeansFriendship nothing prevents them from becoming friends and allies if either beats the other.]] Prominent rivals may even get ADayInTheLimelight episodes that develop them 'beyond' simply the hero's latest opponent and may even be given a backStory proper.
29
30[[LongRunners The story may not even ''end'']] when the hero becomes a Master. Becoming the best is one thing, ''staying'' the best in this world is another. Masters can face any number of challengers out to take their title for themselves, or even just up-and-comers who want to test their skills or build a reputation by taking them on. It is thus the core of many a FightingSeries.
31
32Named after a ''[[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries Pokémon]]'' song used in the ''Pikachu's Jukebox'' segments of the dubbed versions of the Pokémon anime, called "2.B.A. Master". Also the name of the album that the English theme song itself was released on.
33
34See also GamingAndSportsAnimeAndManga, which often overlaps with this.
35----
36!!Examples
37
38[[foldercontrol]]
39
40[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
41
42[[AC:{{Seinen}}]]
43* ''Manga/{{Bartender}}'' is a subversion. The main character has already travelled the world and been apprenticed to the most famous and skilled masters of his craft in the world by the time the manga begins. When it begins, he has come to the conclusion that he has learned everything he can, and is ready to set out on his own.
44* {{Discussed|trope}} in ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' skit ''High School Boys and Manga''. [[GenreSavvy Hidenori]] noticed how common this trope is in manga and the fact that [[SliceOfLife they are not]].
45* ''Manga/{{Kingdom}}'', which follows the story of Shin, a former servant boy striving to become the Greatest General Under Heaven. It's been 13 years, but he's getting there.
46* The dolls in ''Manga/RozenMaiden'' all wish to become the new Alice, [[ThereCanBeOnlyOne but there's only one way to do so]].
47* ''Manga/{{Vagabond}}'', which tells the tale of Miyamoto Musashi's journey to become Unrivaled Under Heaven. He quickly earns the title [[AllThatGlitters only to realize it means NOTHING.]]
48
49[[AC:{{Shoujo}}]]
50%%* ''Manga/AimForTheAce'' is all about this trope.
51* In ''Manga/AttackNumberOne'', an early volleyball anime, the goal is naturally to win, but every girl on the team covets the '''No. 1''' jersey, which is basically the title of MVP.
52* In ''Anime/LadyJewelpet'', every Petit Lady is aiming to be Top of Lady.
53* A TournamentArc was introduced in ''Love Witch'' which would award any wish to the winner, even if it contradicted [[ObstructiveCodeOfConduct regular witch rules]]. Ai is all over this, and the story looks like it's heading in the direction of To Be A Master... but then the manga got canceled before she could even enter.
54%%* The Platinum Princess in ''Anime/PetitePrincessYucie''.
55* The one to bring the Revolution in ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena''. In this case, the "long running" and "unobtainable" parts are implicitly justified. Not only does Akio not intend anyone but himself to obtain the power, but his methods are horribly flawed (horrible and flawed separately) and he just keeps going at it every time the previous iteration of the duels fail.
56* The main character of ''Manga/{{Swan}}'' wants to be a star ballerina.
57* In ''Manga/YumeiroPatissiere'', Ichigo decides to go to St. Marie Academy so she can learn to be a pastry chef and recreate the strawberry tart her grandmother always used to make for her.
58
59[[AC:{{Shonen}}]]
60* Pretty much every sports series out there will have victory in one or more {{Tournament Arc}}s as the goal:
61** ''Manga/Eyeshield21'' has the Christmas Bowl.
62** ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'' (''Fighting Spirit'' in the West) features Ippo, a young man who desires to be first Japanese Featherweight Champion, and then World Featherweight Champion. He's been trying since the early 1990s.
63* ''Manga/AngelicLayer'', even if it starts the main character out with unexpectedly showing off her talent at the game.
64* Asta, the protagonist of ''Manga/BlackClover,'' wants to become the Wizard King.
65* In a ''very'' twisted way, ''Manga/DeathNote'' is exactly this: a young, idealistic protagonist wants [[GodhoodSeeker to be]] {{God}}. In terms of being a 'Master', you don't get much higher than that.
66* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' presents a subtle and striking subversion. The highest ranking within the Demon Slayer Corps is the Hashira rank, the elite nine amongst the hundreds of slayers; Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke start from the bottom within the 10 field ranks before Hashira, from midway through the series and beyond the boys express the desire of one day becoming Hashira: [[spoiler:Tanjiro during the first visit at the Rengoku house, telling Senjuro he will succeed Kyojuro as a splendid Hashira; Zenitsu when meets his master Jigoro one last time in the afterlife; Inosuke playfully saying that killing Doma will grant him the Hashira promotion. However, they never become Hashira in the end, because their true objective was ending all the suffering demons caused, and they suceed at that by killing Muzan thus the Demon Slayer Corps disband right after. Becoming Hashira was just a title of strength. That's what Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke really wanted; they all became strong enough to succeed Kyojuro, impress Jigoro, and protect others. Tanjiro is outright said to be at Hashira level by the end, Zenitsu performed feats of strength only the Hashira have, and Inosuke was key in defeating the Upper Rank 2]].
67* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': At the start of the early ''Manga/DragonBall'', Goku wants to become the strongest fighter on Earth and fight powerful opponents. He achieves this goal when he's a teenager. In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' after learning that he's an alien and is pitiful weak compared to the true monsters in the universe, he refocuses his goal to becoming the strongest in the universe. And then in ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'' and ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', he learns that there are beings in ''and'' outside of the universe who are much stronger than the strongest people he already knows, he is still aiming to become stronger than all of them.
68* Several of the duelists in ''Anime/DuelMasters'' want to become "Kaijudo"[[note]]a word invented by Hasbro for the North American release[[/note]] masters.
69* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' is sort of an UnbuiltTrope when it comes to this, in that the ultimate goal of the main antagonist Raoh is to be the best martial artist ever, and become powerful enough to conquer even the heavens. This leads to him becoming an evil, power-hungry tyrant. TheHero Kensihiro himself simply [[WalkingTheEarth wander the Earth]] as the current inheritor of the Fist Of the North Star and protects the weak and defenseless. He has no desires other than passing on the technique as is his duty as the Inheritor. It's hinted at that Raoh's orphaned son, Ryu, will eventually become the next inheritor towards the end of the series.
70* For the racing anime, ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'', Hayato Kazami wants to become the winner of the 10th Cyber Formula Grand Prix.
71* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
72** ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'', everyone's fighting to put their colony in control of the Earth by Gundam gladiatoral conflict.
73** ''Anime/GundamBuildFighters'' is basically a typical MerchandiseDriven toy-series with this premise: The heroes Sei and Reiji want to become champions in a model battling tournament with a model Sei built and Reiji pilots.
74** The sequel, ''Anime/GundamBuildFightersTry'' has three new heroes with three individual goals to become the best at their particular hobby, which translates into them teaming up for a Gunpla tournament:
75*** Fumina wants to be a Gunpla Battle champion
76*** Sekai wants to be a martial arts master.
77*** Yuuma wants to be an award winning model builder.
78* ''Manga/HikaruNoGo'' actually averts this; Hikaru gets into the game of ''TabletopGame/{{Go}}'' just for the fun of it, and just happens to be in the running for the best player of his generation (the fact that he wants to be a worthy [[TheRival opponent]] for the prodigy Akira also helps). Hikaru himself acknowledges that he is part of the eternal search for "Kami no Itte" (literally, "Hand of God", but often translated as "Divine Move"; both refer to playing a perfect game) but this goal is more spiritual than something that can actually be achieved.
79* In ''Anime/HungryHeartWildStriker'', Kyōsuke Kanou dreams of being a soccer player.
80%%** ''Manga/CaptainTsubasa''
81%%** ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula''
82%%** ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis''
83* Subverted in ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple''. Kenichi is training to be a master of.. well ALL the martial arts, but instead of training for the purpose of becoming a master, he trains in order to prevent people picking on him and to be able to protect his loved ones.
84* Millie in ''Literature/LostUniverse'' wants to be the best in the universe -- at ''everything''. She is allegedly already the best shot and best cook ([[LethalChef Despite the fact that she somehow manages to destroy the kitchen every time she cooks]]). She has no particular reason for wanting to be the best other than to boost her already excessive ego. Fortunately, the anime is about Kain and Canal, not Millie.
85* ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', where the characters aim to be the Inter-Middle Champion and declared the strongest 10- to 19-year-old across all dimensions.
86* Mai Kazuki from ''Anime/MagicalEmiTheMagicStar'' dreams of becoming a great magician.
87* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', the goal of multiple characters is to become the Number One Hero of Japan. While this is treated in an admirable light in regards to Midoriya and Bakugo, it drove Endeavor to despicable lengths in hopes of bearing an heir who can surpass [[SupermanSubstitute All Might]].
88* The Hokage ("Fire Shadow", in other words, the head ninja of the main character's village) in ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}''.
89** The [[Manga/{{Naruto}} title character]] originally had this goal because he wanted respect and thought it would easily solve all his problems. Since the Invasion of Pain, Naruto has gained a slightly more realistic idea of the position and becoming Hokage has instead become simply one (probable) step towards his new goal: world peace.
90** Orochimaru became a villain prior to the start of the series because of his desire to learn all jutsu in the world. The problem is that certain jutsu are limited to members of specific bloodlines, making them impossible for him to learn under normal circumstances.
91** In ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'' and [[Anime/BorutoNarutoTheMovie its movie]], Boruto and Sarada each have different goals with regards to being Hokage. Whereas Sarada wants to follow in Naruto's footsteps and become Hokage, Boruto wants nothing to do with the position and instead wants to become greater than his father. [[spoiler:Boruto later voices that he wants to become a powerful shinobi like his teacher Sasuke; one who protects from the shadows]].
92* Negi in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' wants to be a world-class mage like his father.
93** Notably averted by his grandson Touta in ''Manga/UQHolder'' (much to the shock of [[ParentalSubstitute Yukihime]]), who points out that the only reason he wanted to get stronger was so he could get permission to leave his village.
94* ''Manga/OnePiece'', famously, has Luffy striving to become the Pirate King. More than that -- about half of his TrueCompanions have dreams running along similar lines, tailored to their own skillsets:
95** Zoro strives to become The World's Greatest Swordsman.
96** Nami dreams of charting a map of the entire world, in essence becoming the world's greatest cartographer.
97** Chopper strives to become a doctor that [[{{Panacea}} can cure anything]].
98** Franky strives to build a ship that can survive every danger in the world.
99** Among the exceptions -- Sanji and Robin are each seeking a specific {{MacGuffin}} (though finding them would almost undoubtedly shoot them to the top of their respective fields), Usopp wants to be "just" a Brave Warrior of the Sea, and Brook wants to reunite with [[spoiler:a character introduced fairly early in the story]].
100** Luffy eventually confesses to his crew that becoming Pirate King is not so much his goal but rather a means to an end. When he tells his crew what his real goal is ([[TheUnreveal which we conveniently do not get to see]]), their reactions range from [[RefugeInAudacity amusement]] to amazement to [[MyGodYouAreSerious utter shock]]. When he told Ace, Sabo and Shanks, [[ActuallyPrettyFunny they found it hysterical]].
101* ''Manga/OPartsHunter'' has an unusual one for the main character Jio Freed. He wants to gain respect...by [[TakeOverTheWorld Taking Over The World]]!
102* The title of "Pokémon Master" in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''. In practice, Ash's usual goal throughout the anime is to be the champion of the current region's Pokémon League. Succeeding in this ''might'' cause Ash to consider himself a Master, which is why he'd never won even once in the entire series until Alola. The fact that "Pokémon Master" [[CrypticBackgroundReference is a nebulous concept already]] doesn't really help, and even after becoming the Champion of Alola he claims it's only the ''first'' step. Even after officially becoming [[WorldsBestWarrior the strongest Trainer in the world]] at the end of ''Anime/PokemonJourneysTheSeries'' he refuses to claim the title even though nobody would argue if he did. It also serves as the {{Trope Namer|s}} thanks to the American song "2.B.A Master". In ''Anime/PokemonToBeAPokemonMaster'' he finally decides that being a Master means [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts seeing the world and meeting all the Pokémon in it]], with him deciding to continue WalkingTheEarth.
103* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', this is the goal of at least one protagonist per generation, in some way or another (at least in the earlier generations; later ones feature heroes with goals besides Pokémon training). Those that specifically want to be Pokemon Masters are Red and Blue. Others that do the gym challenges and/or the Battle Frontiers are Sapphire, Emerald, Platinum, and Black -- in fact, Black literally can't think of anything else; his mind is so one-track that he needs his Munna to eat away at his dreams when there's a more immediate problem. The ultimate Pokemon catcher would be Crystal, completing all the Pokedexes she is given minus the legendaries. The one who wants to be the best Coordinator is Ruby, who competes with Sapphire to see who can be a master first. Lastly, the concept is parodied with Diamond and Pearl, who are aspiring ''comedians'' and their goal is To Be A Master of the BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine.
104* ''Anime/PokemonOrigins'':
105** Just like in the games, Blue's goal is to become the Pokémon Champion.
106** Red starts out only to [[OneHundredPercentCompletion complete the Pokédex]], but eventually succeeds at becoming the Champion.
107* In ''Anime/PowerStone'', Falcon wants to be the strongest fighter to emulate his hero Valgas. [[spoiler:It turns out that was also Valgas's motivation, except he took it even further to SocialDarwinism levels, wanting to wish for a world that was a constant fight for survival that only the toughest fighters could handle.]]
108* Being a deconstruction of the FightingSeries PlayedForLaughs, ''Manga/RamenFighterMiki'' deconstructs this trope: None of our protagonists wants to be the best at their jobs, but all they want to be the biggest TheBully in the town.
109* Spoofed in ''Anime/RuneSoldierLouie'': Louie is a magic-user who trains to be a consummate master...of hand-to-hand combat.
110* The King of Shamans in ''Manga/ShamanKing''. Yoh wants to become Shaman King so that he can lead a life of luxury and relaxation. His arranged fiance also wants the same things. Oddly enough, they work HARD (Though Anna frequently has to bully Yoh to do so) for the ability to lie around all day.
111* The main leads of ''Manga/SmileDownTheRunway'' are, respectively, an aspiring fashion designer and a model. Both of them dream to be featured at the Paris runway, which is highly regarded as ''the'' most prestigious stage of the fashion world, and the apex of their respective career choices. Both have severe handicaps that prevents them from easily reaching their dreams (Ikuto lacks a Fashion Design degree, which is almost always a requirement to work in the industry, and is inexperienced in the High Fashion mode; Chiyuki stands at 158 cm, and is considered too short to be a successful model), but they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
112* The Bees in ''Manga/TegamiBachiLetterBee'', are trying to become Head Bee, the most skilled of the Bees who often works in the capital(living in the capital in and of itself is a great privilege). Gauche Suede in particular wants to become Head Bee in order to get money to heal his younger [[BigBrotherInstinct sister]] Sylvette's legs. However, this is a subversion, as it ends up not being the main point of the story.
113* Many weapons of ''Manga/SoulEater'' attempt to become a Death Scythe, the weapon used by the series' [[{{Shinigami}} god of death]].
114** Subverted as of Chapter 63 when [[spoiler: Soul Eater finally eats a witch's soul and becomes a death scythe. This isn't the end of the story at all: attaining the rank actually leads to more responsibility and more challenges, rather leaving the impression that in the wider scheme of things not much has changed. A curious take on something that was presented as the series' goal, to see Soul appear to be one of many in the same position (there are, after all, Weapon students around the world).]]
115** Furthermore, in end of the manga [[spoiler:it's declared that as part of the truce between the DWMA and the Witches, there won't ''be'' any more Death Scythes.]]
116* ''Manga/YakitateJapan'': All about being the very best at ''baking bread''.
117* The King of Duels or [[DubNameChange King of Games]] in ''Anime/YuGiOh''. Note that in the original series and in ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', it wasn't the protagonist who sought the title of the best player as his primary goal (though they got it anyway, and pretty early on)[[note]]In the original, Yugi was given the title for winning Duelist Kingdom. He wasn't playing for the title, though.[[/note]] . ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' and ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'', however, follow the more traditional format with a hero whose explicit goal is to become the next King of Games/Duel Champion. Also averted in ''Anime/YuGiOhArcV'', where Yuya's goal is to entertain others with his Action Dueling.
118* The King of Mamodos in ''Manga/ZatchBell''.
119
120[[AC:{{Josei}}]]
121* ''Manga/{{Chihayafuru}}'' begins with Arata demonstrating his incredible love for and skill at karuta, the sport his grandfather was a master in. When Chihaya says that her dream is to see her model sister become famous, he insists that she should have a dream for herself, too, and tells her that since karuta isn't really played outside of Japan, if she can become the best female player in the country (the 'Queen'), she will by definition be the best in the world. This provides her inspiration to indeed try to become a master at karuta, though along the way she also gains other goals, most notably that of spreading the love of karuta to as many people as possible. Meanwhile Arata suffers a crisis during middle school when his father becomes very ill and ultimately dies, with Arata blaming himself for putting karuta above taking care of him. However, reuniting with Chihaya slowly brings his passion back as he too becomes determined to become a master.
122** Naturally, many other characters have similar aims, though the other main characters' goals aren't so simple. Taichi does want to become Master, but that's more due to his sense of rivalry with Arata and feelings for Chihaya than the sport itself. Nishida also aims high, but struggles with feelings of defeatism and sometimes feels like his desire to take easy wins over losing hard matches keeps him from getting as good as Chihaya. On the other hand, Kanade also wants to make Class A, but not to become Queen -- she wants to become a top-level card reader, for which being Class A is a prerequisite.
123** And then there are the minor characters -- Yumin initially wanted to be queen, but now tries hard in tournaments mainly because of the incredible pressure piled up on her by her society than anything else (though she acknowledges that she's kind of grateful as it's better than just giving up as she would have done otherwise), while Megumu similarly tries hard to prove right her friends for being so supportive, and admits in a team match that she doesn't actually care about becoming Queen, though after losing it's implied that that might be changing.
124[[/folder]]
125
126[[folder: Fan Works]]
127* In ''Fanfic/AskNotTheSparrow'', Rainbow Dash's goal is to become the best doctor in Equestria.
128* Harry James-Potter-Evans-Verres of ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' wants to become the most powerful wizard in existence and rewrite reality according to his will. And with both of the current contenders for the title being his mentors, he just might pull it off.
129* Extensively discussed in ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines''. Many trainers aspire to become Pokémon Masters, but each has different goals and definitions about the term. Some want to become League Champions or Elite Fours, others want to wind Grand Festivals, and others want to [[GottaCatchEmAll catch as many Pokémon as they can]] (often of a specific type, for those who want to be specialists). A retired trainer-turned-novelist named Casey Snagem even considers that a trainer who has eight badges could qualify as a master.
130* In ''Fanfic/NarutoMysticAdventures'', Naruto did dreamt of becoming the Hokage but having studied under Doctor Strange and the other sorcerers, Naruto also wanted to become the Sorcerer Supreme of his world.
131* Played with in the title of ''Fanfic/ToBeAMiraculousMaster'' and averted with the two protagonists. Marinette has no real interest in attaining the title as the Best Pokémon Trainer or the new Kalos Champion because of her main passion of being a [[TheFashionista Pokémon Fashion Designer]]. The only reason she entered the Kalos League in the first place was because it allows to keep interacting more with her crush, Adrien. Her friends do point out that Marinette's idol is both the current Kalos Champion and a famous Pokémon Fashion Designer. Adrien, in the meantime, genuinely enjoys Pokémon battles, he actually has no interest in becoming the next Champion, but is training for the best because the public expect him to as the Champion's son and [[WellDoneSonGuy out of his father's wishes]].
132* In ''Fanfic/TokimekiPokeLiveAndTwinbee'', Hilbert Blair aspires to be this in terms of Pokémon and Hilda White is this in regards to the Battle Subway back in Unova before she ended up in Shizuku's World while the teen characters (As well as Yoko Catherine Osaka White, Elesis "Ellie" Kashiwagi Kousaka and Margo) aspire to be this in terms of School Idols and Shizuku Osaka wishes to be this as a professional Theatre actress someday.
133* Averted with Carla in ''Fanfic/TheSpectreTrilogy''. She’s not remotely interested in becoming the Champion, and the only reason she’s collecting Gym badges is so she can get the prize money that comes with them.
134** Played straight with Dave Ronan, however.
135* ''Fanfic/VowOfNudity'': Unlike the other protagonists, all of whom have more nuanced and multi-faceted motivations, Kay'la literally just wants to become "the world's first naked knight", and literally everything she does is to achieve this goal.
136[[/folder]]
137
138[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
139* ''Film/TheBigYear'' is essentially this mentality applied to birdwatching, of all things, with three birders competing to see the most different species of birds in a single year.
140* This is the driving motivation for Eddie Felson throughout ''Film/TheHustler1961'' -- it's not enough that he's already a great pool player, he ''must'' defeat Minnesota Fats and [[SecondPlaceIsForLosers have Fats acknowledge him as the best.]]
141* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
142** Much of Luke Skywalker's character arc in the films can be summed up as "Luke trains to become a Jedi Knight like his father." Much of the rest of his character arc centers around [[DarkSecret learning about his father.]] While he starts training early in ''Film/ANewHope'', he doesn't officially become a Jedi Knight until the end of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', just before confronting the BigBad.
143** This character arc is mirrored somewhat by Anakin Skywalker's arc in the prequel trilogy. He leaves his homeworld to train to be a Jedi in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', and by the end of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', he has become [[spoiler: [[ForegoneConclusion a Dark Lord of the Sith.]]]]
144** And [[spoiler: Ben Solo]], aka Kylo Ren, continues the tradition as his goal is to surpass Darth Vader, [[spoiler: his grandfather]] as a master of the Dark Side of the Force, making his journey a dark counterpart to Luke's.
145* The eponymous aerial combat training school in ''Film/TopGun'' exists to take already exceptional naval aviators and turn them into masters at the art of dogfighting. Winners of the dogfighting trophy of the school return as aerial combat instructors. Maverick goes there simply to become the very best. At the end of the movie, he does return as an instructor.
146[[/folder]]
147
148[[folder:Literature]]
149* Literature/CradleSeries: The entire purpose of Sacred Arts is the never-ending push for the top.
150* Literature/LightAndDarkTheAwakeningOfTheMageknight: No, it's not TheProtagonist but [[spoiler: Alsono]] who wants to become the greatest knight and claim the title of "King of the Light".
151* ''Literature/TheSpiritThief'': Josef wants to become the best swordsman in the world, as he believes that this is the only way he'll ever be worthy of wielding the Heart of War, world's most powerful sword. At the end of the second book [[spoiler:the blade gets fed up with this and tells him to just pick it up and use it already, as he's wasting a valuable resource.]]
152* In ''Literature/TheThirteenAndAHalfLivesOfCaptainBluebear'', there is competition between liar-gladiators who compete in big arena in storytelling of made-up stories. [[spoiler:The hero quickly becomes the champion and after some time on top is asked by competition owner to lose against next challenger because of a bet. The challenger just happens to be legendary champion considered to be best in history of the sport. The hero is prepared to be defeated and consider it to be an honor but after being insulted from the champion decides to best him out of anger. The hero manages to defeat the challenger,which of course angers the owner of the competition.]]
153[[/folder]]
154
155[[folder:Live Action TV]]
156* ''Series/{{Hardball}}'' follows the quest of young Mikey Mahaki, and his two misfit friends/trainers, on a quest to become the world's (or, at least Western Sydney's) greatest handball player.
157* ''Series/TheQueensGambit'': The show follows Beth Harmon's attempt to become the World Champion of chess and the hiccups along the way.
158[[/folder]]
159
160[[folder:Manhua]]
161* ''Manhua/CyberWeaponZ'' is pretty much the quintessence of this, with the goal of the Southern Shaolin temple being to spark the new stage of humanity's evolution.
162[[/folder]]
163
164[[folder:Music]]
165* [[AnAesop The aesop]] of the song "Hall of Fame" by Music/TheScript is to live your life as if this trope is in full effect, for whatever path you choose to follow.
166* Music/{{Eminem}}'s post-RecoveredAddict music throughout the 2010s has focused on his quest to be the greatest rapper alive, with focus on his peerless technical ability and lyrics about his determination to accomplish his creative goals.
167[[/folder]]
168
169[[folder:Pinball]]
170* In Creator/HeighwayPinball's ''Pinball/FullThrottle'', the player's ultimate goal is to become the World Champion of motorcycle racing.
171[[/folder]]
172
173[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
174* Looking beyond personal rivalries and angles, this is the ultimate goal of most pro wrestlers, claiming the top spot as the world champion (or maybe world {{tag team}}/parejas champions or [[PowerTrio tercias]] champions, etc). Which title that IS, is another issue entirely as there hasn't been a unified world title since the 60's, with the most prestigious non tag team titles of the new millennium being owned by Wrestling/{{WWE}} (The WWE World Heavyweight Title), Wrestling/{{N|ewJapanProWrestling}}JPW (International Wrestling Grand Prix World Heavyweight/Junior Heavyweight Title or Intercontinental Title), Wrestling/{{A|llJapanProWrestling}}JPW (The Unified Triple Crown Championship), Wrestling/{{CMLL}} (World Welter Weight Title, which reigns above heavyweight thanks to Wrestling/ElSanto and or the Universal Championship, which is a tournament but close enough since it includes champions of all weight classes with the winner getting an honorary belt), Wrestling/{{AAA}} (Mega Champion's Belt) and Wrestling/{{R|ingOfHonor}}OH (ROH World Title).
175* The underlying goal of almost every wrestler ever. As [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} Triple H]] once put it, "If you're not here to be champion, you're in the wrong place." That said, there are more than a few wrestlers who don't seem to be in the right place, by Trips' standards, such as the rest of Wrestling/{{Evolution}}, whose ambition appalled him or Wrestling/TheShield, who in his mind existed to protect his preferred champion.
176[[/folder]]
177
178[[folder:Sports]]
179* This is the goal of countless RealLife athletes who dream of winning the [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames gold medal]], the [[{{UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball}} Vince Lombardi Trophy]], the green jacket, the [[{{UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague}} Stanley Cup]], or whichever other award is given for their sport. You don't have to be a pro to do this either, since many high schools and colleges will pursue their own championships just as rabidly as any big league athlete, if not more so.
180* Basically the whole motivation behind professional fighting sports. To be a champion is the ultimate symbol of ability. With the belt comes [[OnlyInItForTheMoney the money]] and [[GlorySeeker fame]] that gives even more incentive to be the champ.
181[[/folder]]
182
183[[folder:Video Games]]
184* The goal of ''VideoGame/AceFishing'' and its numerous imitators is for the player to become a fishing master.
185* Like your typical StockShonenHero, Springman from ''VideoGame/{{ARMS}}'' wants to be the very best, like no one ever was.
186* ''VideoGame/ChoroQ HG 4'', you and your rival work the ways to become the best racers.
187* Laharl's quest to become an Overlord in the first half of ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness''.
188* ''VideoGame/DisneysHadesChallenge'' has the player's goal to become a great hero or heroine, just like Hercules.
189* The unstated goal of ''VideoGame/{{Elite}}'' is to achieve the eponymous "Elite" rating. As the game is one of the first ever examples of a WideOpenSandbox, nothing particularly compels you to spend the relevant time LevelGrinding to achieve this, but legitimately doing so earns some bragging rights.
190* In ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'', all of the characters aspire to become successful and wonderful idols. Naturally, this is a rather vaguer goal than most on this page -- the Main Story positions the SS as the ultimate idol competition where only the greatest can win, but it's not treated as the only path to success. Nevertheless, the drive to become better is important to a number of different storylines. For example, Akatsuki was initially founded solely to benefit ''fine'' -- and in fact, Keito only joined Yumenosaki in order to aid his childhood friend Eichi, the leader of ''fine''. However, when Souma joined Akatsuki, his earnest and pure belief in being an idol slowly transformed the unit, and ultimately they became a truly powerful unit, and one that would not back down against anyone.
191* ''VideoGame/FossilFighters'' toys with this. You are trying To Be A Master -- and you become one! In fact, you become one only about halfway through the game. However, as it turns out, there is still a ''lot'' more going on despite your mastery, and you will have to actually ''use'' your master's skills.
192* The protagonist in ''VideoGame/GolfStory'' wants to be the world's best golfer.
193* In ''VideoGame/{{Growlanser}} 2'', Wein's goal is to become an Imperial Knight. Whether he accomplishes this depends on what branches of the story you take. And even if he gets the title, the plot has long since moved on to more important matters, like the fate of the world.
194* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}} 2'' has an ancient prophecy about the three Great Hyperspace Cores awakening Sajuuk, the god of destiny and creation (actually, a big-ass ancient starship hidden in a black hole cluster). Supposedly, the one who unites the Three will get to be the Sajuuk-khar, Manipulator of the Great Maker. When Karan Sjet first hears about it while running from the Vaygr, she deduces that Makaan must also know about it and seek to acquire both the Bentusi and the Hiigaran core. Naturally, the world is doomed if he succeeds so she decides to beat him to it. The thing is, by doing that she accidentally fulfilled the prophecy herself and became the Sajuuk-khar -- which proved really useful when Hiigara was attacked by Planet Killers whose armor was impenetrable to every weapon except Sajuuk's WaveMotionGun. With the ship also activating an ancient hypergate network spanning the galaxy and having the most powerful weapons and hyperdrives of the known universe, she was practically worshiped as a living goddess (her people never became atheists during their troubled history).
195* The Kid goes on quite possibly the most insane To Be A Master quest of all time for one reason: ''"VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy!"''
196* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
197** Played with due to Nomura [[IndyPloy still working out the plot at the time]] and what "Master" actually means not being defined at first. At first, Sora looks to be the chosen Keyblade master -- then it turns out it should have been Riku, but he went RivalTurnedEvil. Then ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' shows they can ''both'' wield Keyblades, and so can Kairi. Later games show there's a difference between being a Keyblade ''user'' and a Keyblade ''master'', the latter being more of a formally-recognized title.
198** This is blatantly done in the prequel ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' as Aqua, Terra, and Ven all share a dream to become Keyblade Masters. The story ''starts'' with Terra and Aqua taking the "Mark of Mastery" exam (before they even go on any world-saving adventures). Aqua passes, while Terra doesn't, and from then on his main goal is to redeem himself by finding Master Xehanort. What he doesn't know is that Xehanort sabotaged him in the first place.
199** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'', Yen Sid puts [[TheHero Sora]] and [[StockShonenRival Riku]] through a more elaborate Mark of Mastery exam. As they're largely self-taught, he considers them unprepared to face the return of Master Xehanort (even though they've saved the universe twice). [[spoiler: After Xehanort turns it into a life-or-death struggle, ''Riku'' is given official Master status while Sora isn't.]]
200* The Maiden of Light in ''VideoGame/LaPucelle Tactics''.
201** This is subverted rather nastily as it turns out that, despite what Prier thinks, "Maiden of Light" is the ChosenOne instead of a title to be earned. And the only "perk" is that you have to end up making a HeroicSacrifice.
202*** Probably explains her later career shift to Overlord. Quite possible as polar opposite a job as you can get without becoming the Dark Prince.
203* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/LiveALive'''s modern chapter, Masaru, aims to be the world's greatest martial artist, and spends his chapter fighting the world's best martial artists for that title.
204* In ''VideoGame/MocoMocoFriends'', Moco has lofty dreams of being the Charisma Master, the most powerful Plushkin master in the world.
205* Travis Touchdown's quest in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' is to be the greatest [[ProfessionalKiller assassin]]. Of course, the whole thing is quite thoroughly {{deconstructed}}. For starters, Travis is a deluded {{Otaku}} BloodKnight who may qualify as a VillainProtagonist, and [[spoiler:the entire thing is a con set up by [[FemmeFatale Sylvia]].]]
206* Blatantly done in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games. Sure, you prevented the destruction of the entire world. But you haven't beaten the game until you've become the League Champion.
207** And won the Master Rank Super Contest in all five categories. And [[GottaCatchEmAll Caught Em All]].
208** Even then no one recognizes your achievement, and the last champion still has to fight you. Though this is averted in [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo Red/Blue]] and their remakes ([=FireRed=] and [=LeafGreen=]), where you ''are'' proven to be the Champion, but you still fight your rival.
209*** The Championship uses a nonlethal form of KlingonPromotion. You become Champion by defeating the incumbent champion ([[spoiler:your rival]] in Red/Blue and its remakes (and Green and Yellow), Lance in Gold/Silver and its remakes, Steven in Ruby/Sapphire, Wallace in Emerald, Cynthia in Diamond/Pearl and Platinum, and Alder in Black/White). The Elite Four just test if you're qualified to fight the Champion at all (or in pure gameplay terms they serve to sap your Pokemon's strength and [[SequentialBoss make the final battle harder]]). Even after the Elite Four you're still a challenger until you knock off the current Champion. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation And even after you beat the Champion, most people act like you didn't]].
210** Averted in [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]], as you are canonically the first person to challenge Alola's Pokemon League, and become its first ever champion (though you still need to battle [[spoiler:Kukui]] after defeating the Elite Four). From that point on, [=NPCs=] in the world will refer to you as the Champion. Challenging the Pokemon League subsequent times will [[spoiler:result in you having to defend your title from other challengers, including major story [=NPCs=] and trainers that only appear in this context]].
211** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' double subverts the champion part. Instead of having you fight the champion for the main story,[[spoiler: the leader of the villain team actually beats the previous Champ, raises a giant castle near the Elite Four area, and thus proceeds to a Boss Rush for the main ending, with you first fighting the version legendary that you can catch, then fighting N, who uses a team of the other version legend and 5 other set Pokemon, and finally fighting Ghetsis, [[TheManBehindTheMan who turns out to be the real villain]]]]. Still, the post story also lets you rematch the Elite Four, who then have you fight the actual Champion (this is the double subversion part), along with (outside of the Unova Pokemon league overall) [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Cynthia]] and [[CreatorCameo Shigeki Morimoto]].
212** {{Deconstructed}} by your rival Cheren from the same games. Over the course of the game he slowly learns that being the best for purely the sake of it is completely pointless. Later {{Reconstruction}} when he seeks out a reason to be the best and, [[VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2 two years later]], becomes a gym leader.
213* This is the basic goal of the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' games. The new Wii game takes it to the next level-after Little Mac wins the championships, he's then forced to defend his newly won titles against disgruntled opponents looking for a rematch. They've uped their game, so he has to prove he ''deserves'' the title. After ''that'', he realizes there's nowhere to go but down, and goes out with a bang.
214* In ''VideoGame/{{Rastan}}'', Rastan narrates at the end of the arcade version: "This is only part of my long story -- only a part to become a king."
215* As a BloodKnight, this is Ryu's goal in the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' series. Others have more pragmatic goals, like revenge, money, fame, conquest, [[DeathSeeker finding someone to kill them]]...
216* ''VideoGame/SummonNight: Swordcraft Story'' -- The first Swordcraft Story game's overall focus is mostly about becoming a "Craftlord", which is basically a "Master" of weapon crafting/fighting. There's still a plot and antagonist, but the game doesn't end until you become Champion. The game's two successors still retain this trope to some degree, but it's downplayed quite a bit compared to the first.
217* In ''VideoGame/YuGiOhCapsuleMonsterColiseum'', Yugi wants to become King of Capsule Monsters, and nobody will stand in his way.
218* When not saving the world in ''VideoGame/YuGiOhNightmareTroubadour'', you're trying to become the next King of Games.
219[[/folder]]
220
221[[folder:Web Original]]
222* Omega Zell from ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'' may be in his twenties, but he still qualifies as everyone in the work is playing the same [[FictionalVideoGame fictional]] {{MMORPG}} and he wants to become its top player.
223* In ''Literature/TwistedCogs'', main character Elena wants to be the greatest artist in renaissance Italy.
224[[/folder]]
225
226[[folder:Western Animation]]
227* Katara's goal in the first book of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' was to master [[MakingASplash Waterbending]]. She [[TookALevelInBadass succeeds]] at the end of said book.
228* Rikochet of ''WesternAnimation/MuchaLucha''. His ambition is to become the greatest of Luchadores.
229* ''WesternAnimation/ObanStarRacers'': The winner of the titular races [[spoiler:gets to be the Avatar]]. The thing is, everyone in the races believes that the prize is the granting of whatever they wish.
230[[/folder]]
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