->''"Nausicaa is the thread that joins us all together. Us, the Doroks, even Kushana and the wormhandlers. Without Nausicaa, we would only quarrel and splinter."''
--->-- '''Asbel''', NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'' manga

->''Rule of thumb, Hassan, you can't kill The Messiah''
--->[[CommandAndConquer Kane]]

The main character, simply put, [[LoveYouAndEverybody loves everyone]]. Loves them with a deep, spiritual love that means they will shake heaven and earth, destroy gods and planets, bring nations to their knees, etc. [[TheDulcineaEffect for the person they just met yesterday]]. They will [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter believe the best]] of [[TheIngenue everyone]], and constantly give someone [[LastSecondChance a second chance]] (though they ''will'' destroy the BigBad). They repay [[TurnTheOtherCheek cruelty with kindness and anger with calm.]] As long as the attacks are only against them-- they're ''not'' forgiving of harm done to others. Most people think they're insane, but somehow they pull it off. Even MarySue and MartyStu are impressed.

The EmpathicWeapon trusts them completely, as does [[FriendToAllLivingThings every animal they meet]]. Their [[FertileFeet every step causes flowers to bloom]]. Their [[{{nakama}} circle of friends]] are in awe of them, if not somewhat [[UnwantedHarem in love with them]]. They'll even [[MagneticHero attract]] an AntiHero or two who will stick around so they can at least figure out what drugs this person is taking -- and where ''they'' can get some. In their hands ThePowerOfLove and ThePowerOfFriendship can be an awesome force, they may be the standard bearer for the message that YouAreNotAlone and if anything can redeem a person against the odds by showing them the light of goodness, it will probably be TheMessiah.

On the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, TheMessiah is a heavily idealistic character. Even in a dark world, they are [[IncorruptiblePurePureness ideal]]. In the hands of a [[BadWriting bad writer]], the character can easily be mutated into a MarySue.

TheFool is sometimes the embryonic state of TheMessiah doubled as the IdiotHero. A MagneticHero has the intangable quality of earning respect and followers that some Messiah characters do but without needing the "love and forgive everyone" part. TheMessiah who takes their idealisim too far into {{Facepalm}}-worthy idiocy (like seriously trying to trade the ArtifactOfDoom if the villain [[ILied promises not to hurt anyone]]) may lapse into StupidGood or LawfulStupid.

For the character who only ''thinks'' they're TheMessiah, see the LoveFreak.

Compare MartyrWithoutACause, TheParagon, TheHeart, PuritySue. This trope is '''not''' about Jesus-analogs; that's MessianicArchetype. While they and TheMessiah sometimes overlap, a character having that archetype can be far-flung from being TheMessiah in mind and behavior. Contrast DarkMessiah, which can stand in opposition to this but is more MessianicArchetype + AntiHero, as well as CompleteMonster.

----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Usagi Tsukino from ''SailorMoon'', though she started as TheFool. Not only that, she actually gets ''called'' the Messiah later.
** It should be noted, though, that Usagi is more of TheMessiah in the anime than in the manga, where despite still being very compassionate and a good person, she's ''much'' less forgiving of [[MamaBear those who hurt her loved ones]].
**Mistress 9 is the Anti-Christ to Usagi's Messiah, unless of course you want to be comprehensive and cover the other seasons, and then it's Chaos.
* Shinya from {{Watashi no Messiah-sama}} accepts his duty to save the planet of his beloved by defeating the BigBad, but refuses to harm anyone, including the BigBad [[spoiler:even after having ripped his heart off and being left off to die]].
** Earlier in the series [[spoiler:he fires a lightning at himself to make Hime, who was trying to kill him, to back off without harming her]].
*** And [[spoiler:when Sariel, one of the DarkMessiah subordinates, merely puts Hime to sleep, Shinya snaps, fights and actually manages to bruise him. Did we mention the fact that Sariel, being the Angel of Death, can see the future, wipe out armies by himself and is NighInvulnerable?]].
* Tohru Honda from ''{{Fruits Basket}}''. Kind to everyone, forgives even the most evil, saves everyone with her love.
* Goku from ''{{Dragonball}}''.
* Hikaru Shidou from ''MagicKnightRayearth''.
* Ichigo Kurosaki from ''{{Bleach}}''. (Despite his protests to the contrary.)
** It would seem that [[TheMedic Orihime Inoue]] is more qualified for the title now, as recently [[spoiler: captured by the Arrancar, she refuses to hurt them, shows them love, and ''resurrects their dead'' even after they were trying to torture her.]] This is emphatized in [[spoiler: Ulquiorra's death scene, where he asks him if she's still afraid of him... but Orihime says she's not, gently smiles and [[TakeMyHand extends her hand to touch him]], but he can't take it since his body dissolves into dust.]]
* ''{{Naruto}}'', to the point where it makes you wonder why he had such an abnormally hard time making friends prior to the start of the series (although it can be because [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer nobody wanted to truly meet him after all]]).
-->'''Kakashi''': Naruto has a mysterious power. Everyone who meets him becomes his friend, no matter how little contact they have beforehand.
** Temari also notes that he has the power to influence people. It's worth noting that Naruto tends to get off to a bad start with most of the people he befriends, and they're often completely dismissive of him for reasons typically unrelated to him having the fox inside him. Unlike many of the other examples, he's not always civil in response, but his determination and honesty cause many of these people to see him, and often themselves, in a new light.
*** Add to this, of course, that he [[spoiler: really IS the messiah]], and...
* Vash from ''{{Trigun}}'' often has to be prodded into shooting the bad guys instead of trying to reason the virtues of life with them. Even then, he refuses to kill humans, even if it means bandaging up the people he just took down.
** In a similar vein is Tendou Rushuna from ''{{Grenadier}}'', who is a bit more [[{{MartialPacifist}} martial]] than Vash, but has likewise never killed anyone[[spoiler:, even in the face of them apparently killing a new friend of hers]]. Even her name is a play on this: Rushuna is a play on a Rushana Buddha, a statue exemplifying the essence of the Buddha, while her surname, Tendou, translates to "Heavenly Path."
* Arika Yumemiya from ''{{Mai-Otome}}''. She initially [[JumpedAtTheCall takes on her newfound powers with relish]], but after she learns about what [[PersonOfMassDestruction an Otome's duties truly are]], she tries to keep up her vow to change the system in order to save the lives of her friends.
** She likely picked these qualities up from Mai Tokiha from ''{{Mai-HiME}}'' (except for being a FriendToAllLivingThings), who similarly refused to fight anyone but the "bad guys" [[spoiler:when she learned the truth behind the [=HiME=] legacy]], helped one of her new friends open up about her emotions, and [[spoiler:saved another from TheDarkSide through ThePowerOfLove]].
* Both Kanade and Rino from ''GokujouSeitokai'', but the latter is also TheFool.
* Nanoha Takamachi from ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha''; this becomes especially apparent when you see how [[DefeatMeansFriendship she and her friends met]].
* Nagisa Aoi from ''StrawberryPanic''.
* Milfeulle Sakuraba of ''GalaxyAngel'' has many aspects of TheMessiah, along with the ones that clearly qualify her as TheDitz and TheFool.
* Yoh Asakura from ''ShamanKing''.
* Belldandy of ''OhMyGoddess!'' also generally falls into this trope; even her (astoundingly rare) bouts of anger are more likely to result in her forcibly healing the soul of whoever she's fighting, rather than actually harm them.
* Lucia Nanami from ''MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch''.
* Misaki of ''KidouTenshiAngelicLayer''; not only her core circle of friends but ''everyone she's ever fought'' comes to every one of her matches, cheers for her to win (even the ones that hated her at first) and tries desperately to find out what her opponent's secret is, even though she can't accept any help during the match.
* Judai Yuki of the [[PostModernism Post Modern]] ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh GX}}''. Originally used straight and frequently [[LampshadeHanging noticed and discussed]] by characters like Sameshima, Saiou, Asuka, Ryo, and Edo; but then [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] by Season 3, when the pressure of being everyone's source of strength and inspiration is finally too much for him. His {{Nakama}}'s dependence on him was actually the key the next BigBad used to kill them, and Judai's heartbreak at his failure to live up to being this character contributed to his fall to TheDarkSide.
* The titular protagonist of ''{{Madlax}}'' somehow attracts the affection of everyone she meets, despite being a killer with a three-digit personal body count.
* Subaru Sumeragi from ''TokyoBabylon'' and ''{{X1999}}''. A subversion occurs when it doesn't work and, ''without'' losing the core of his kindness and compassion, he [[BreakTheCutie loses everything]] and [[FaceHeelTurn becomes the opposite]] of what he used to be.
*Kambei from ''[[SamuraiSeven Samurai 7]]'' inspires great loyalty with words alone, and he forgives and sees worthiness where no one else would. Just in case all that's not clear enough, he also sports white robes and a distinctly Jesus-like haircut.
* Kenzou Tenma from ''{{Monster}}''. This is both a large advantage and similarly a large disadvantage to him because of the complex location on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism that ''Monster'' inhabits.
** This is epitomized by his decision in the ending: [[spoiler: rather than returning to private practice, Tenma signs up with the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors_without_borders MSF]], proving that he's willing to take bullets to help complete strangers. All this after a sociopathic ManipulativeBastard devotes himself to putting him through hell and showing him that this is a WorldHalfEmpty.]]
* Yuko Okonogi from ''DennouCoil''.
* Alphonse Elric from the manga version of ''FullmetalAlchemist'' generally is considered the level-headed brother who always looks on the bright side of life. He has also converted two chimera soldiers to his cause just by showing them that they are still human.
* Gon Freeccs from ''HunterXHunter''. He is extremely nice and forgiving, and has a tendency to make people like and admire him. He is also TheFool to an extent, mostly because of his brute strength and dumb luck.
* Kazuki Muto from ''BusouRenkin''. Declares the intention to protect ''everyone'', and will defend people who've been trying to kill him if he thinks they're redeemable. [[spoiler:One of them immediately turns around and offers her own life to save Kazuki from her brother -- so it works.]]
* Sora Naegino from ''KaleidoStar'', despite being bullied by some of her companions and having to face TrainingFromHell to compensate for her lack of training compared to others, actually manages to win the hearts and respect to even her most bitter rivals.
* Sawada Tsunayoshi from ''KatekyoHitmanReborn'', though he was initally TheFool and the ButtMonkey. However, as the series [[GenreShift went on and got more serious]], he became this. Especially noticeable with his [[EasilyForgiven relationship with Mukuro]].
* The ''{{Digimon}}'' leads seem to have an element of this, more often than not. The {{Nakama}} is in utter shambles after [[DigimonAdventure Taichi]] gets sucked back into the real world, eventually splitting up and becoming easy prey for [=PicoDevimon=]; four seasons later, [[DigimonSavers Masaru]] manages to pick up where his father Suguru left off as far as reaching out to Digimon and trying to create the world where Digimon and humans can live together. [[DigimonAdventure02 Daisuke]], [[DigimonTamers Takato]], and [[DigimonFrontier Takuya]] also have their moments.
** Taichi's younger sister Hikari plays TheMessiah role straight in 01, but ''subverts'' it in 02. Her crest of Light helps her channelize spirits, reach for others and all, to the point of making her a borderline PuritySue at times. However, in 02 Hikari shows huge emotional damage as she's much less able to handle the stress, to the point of having two serious {{Heroic BSOD}}s that Takeru and Miyako have to pull her out from.
* ''{{D Gray-Man}}'s'' protagonist, Allen Walker. Sure he's got a freaky deformed arm, but he's intensely dedicated to destroying Akuma, and by gum, he'll save everyone doing it.
**And not just the people; his {{empathic weapon}} is powered by his will to fight for both the wellbeing of the living and for the salvation of the Akuma's souls, who systematically try to kill him and all of his friends. Without the will to save ''both'' of them, the weapon won't work. In fact, it pretty much showed him getting an epiphany and coming to the realization that he loves both humans and Akumas alike.
* Nana "Hachi" Komatsu from ''{{Nana}}'' can turn even the toughest punk rocker into silly putty just by smiling cheerfully.
* Kato in ''{{Gantz}}''. The twist? He's not the main character. The resident JerkAss is.
* Although a very minor character in terms of screentime, Mary Magdalene from ''ChronoCrusade'' otherwise fits all of the requirements to a T. Gentle and constantly smiling (almost [[StepfordSmiler a little too much]]), Mary shows kindness even to the demons who kidnapped her, becoming like family to them. She even willingly helps them when a prophetic vision revealed to her that she [[spoiler:would be killed by ]]one of them. In the anime, they decided to [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic make it obvious who she is]] by giving her stigmata, as well.
* Basara from ''{{Macross 7}}''... who is an odd mix of Messiah and JerkAss.
* Nagisa Furukawa from ''{{CLANNAD}}'' fulfills this role, especially in the original game and the movie.
* ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': A constant inspiration to other? [[RousingSpeech Check]]. Never seems to express genuine rage even during combat? [[BoisterousBruiser Check]]. [[spoiler:Group starts to fall apart when he's gone]]? [[HeroicBSOD Yep]]. This may sound slightly insane, but that sounds a lot like ''Kamina''. [[spoiler:After his death, the role is debatably shared by Nia and Simon]].
**[[spoiler: Further cementing things is Kamina getting a final CrowningMomentOfAwesome from ''beyond the grave'' when he rescues the trapped Dai-Gurren Brigade from the Anti-Spiral's inescapable LotusEaterMachine, allowing them to save the day.]]
** And just in case you weren't sure, a) ''kami'' is the Japanese word for "God" and b) Jesus' best friend was called Simon Peter, who eventually took over the role of leadership. [[spoiler: The spear through the side was probably a bit much after all that...]]
* The titular character from ''GalaxyFrauleinYuna'' is a prime example of this. An 9-year-old out-of-control android girl, Ayako, is destroying a hospital in a temper tantrum, and all the characters (almost all former enemies) are trying to contain the destruction and destroy the android. Not Yuna; she admonishes "You're going in to fight an enemy, I'm going in to make a friend!" And she does.
** Yuna's title, the "Savior of Light," can also be translated from Japanese to mean "''Messiah'' of Light".
* Jiyu Nanohana from ''{{Jubei-chan}}''. She's the reincarnation of one eyed Ninja YagyuJubei, and she turns into a powerful swordswoman when she put on a magic eye patch she becomes a bad ass, busty version of her predecessor. Jiyu, who is nicknamed Jubei-Chan by her father who ghostwrites samurai novels, doesn't want to hurt anyone and [[RefusalOfTheCall hates turning into Jubei]]. She is pressured into it when she discovers that the Ryujoji clansmen who keep trying to kill/challenge her as Jubei end up living happier lives after she defeats them, because her HealingShiv (The "Rethink Your Life Sword Technique", as it is referred to in ThisTroper's Anime club) frees them from the magically-enhanced hatred that dominated their (after)lives. Jiyu fits this archetype well; not only does she go to great lengths to avoid hurting the people who are trying to fight her, but everyone loves her -- even opponents she has defeated will go to great lengths to protect her.
* ''GundamWing'': Relena Peacecraft. Although by ''Endless Waltz'' she has abandoned the doctrine of [[StupidGood total pacifism]] as unrealistically idealist, she certainly tried to make it work, and went on to become an ambassador of peace. More importantly, she plays a large role in bringing Heero around from the emotionless "kill whoever it takes to accomplish the mission" mentality brought on by his implied TrainingFromHell into someone capable of sympathy.
** Quatre also counts a lot toward this, being the ApologeticAttacker and kind heart of the 5 Gundam pilots.
* Shu from ''NowAndThenHereAndThere''. In a series so heavily on the cynical side of the sliding scale, this is far less effective than it would be in other places.
* Makoto in ''ElHazard'', to some extent.
* Mikan from ''GakuenAlice''
* Ryuubi and Chuubou from IkkiTousen.
* Domon Kasshu from GGundam, to an extent. Sure, the guy is REALLY NotGoodWithPeople and sometimes borders on JerkAss, but in the end he's the one who [[spoiler: pilots the ''God'' Gundam against the ''Devil'' Gundam Colony that has seized Neo Japan and saves his BrainwashedAndCrazy girlfriend [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight through a surprisingly wordy and well-done]] [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming love declaration]] so they can use ''ThePowerOfLove'' against the BigBad.]] Impressive, huh?
* Negi Springfield of MahouSenseiNegima ''starts'' looking like one of these, but as the manga progresses, he starts becoming more painfully aware of his own weaknesses, and is willing to use [[BlackMagic questionable means]] to combat them. His motivation is pure as ever though, and he still falls into HonorBeforeReason a ''lot''.
** His father Nagi is a more straight example; he more-or-less saved the world singlehandedly, ending a world war in the process, and he's one of the most popular people in the magic world. So of course, he had to [[DisappearedDad go MIA]] right around the time Negi was born.
** The last manga chapters also have another example: [[spoiler: Princess Arika, Negi's MissingMom. She was accused of being exactly the opposite, as well as tried and apparently excuted, but the common people didn't buy it because she was genuinely kind to them.]]
* Sora from ''[[MahouTsukaiNiTaisetsuNaKotoNatsuNoSora Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~]]''.
* Albert from ''{{Gankutsuou}}'' becomes something of this at the end. The Count destroys his family and his life, murders [[spoiler: his best friend who [[LoveMartyr loved him]]]], and tries to kill him in front of his father. However, instead of wanting revenge, he [[EasilyForgiven readily forgives The Count]] and uses the PowerOfLove and Forgiveness (along with a [[HoYay kiss]]) to save the day.
* Yugi, the protagonist of ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}''.
** And how!
*** [[http://slifertheskydragon.deviantart.com/art/Yami-Yugi-the-Drunk-Busturd-20979616 Blah blah blah we can do it if we stick together... blah blah blah blah friendship... blech.]]
* Isaac, Miria, and Jacuzzi from ''{{Baccano}}!''. Isaac and Miria are the clueless type who unwittingly tend to spread joy and inspire people (ie. Eve, Ennis, Jacuzzi and Czeslaw) whereas Jacuzzi is the type that proactively (and almost [[MartyrWithoutACause suicidally]]) goes out of his way to help even complete strangers...unless you hurt his {{Nakama}}. In that case, [[BewareTheNiceOnes you're fucked]].
*Shibuya Yuuri [[strike: Harajuku Fuuri]] of Kyou Kara Maou transcends past this trope. [[spoiler: He doesn't even kill the BigBad.]] He befriends dragons, breaks down race walls, has managed to overturn every foreign policy his country ever had in less than a year, and trusts and loves ''everyone'' [[spoiler: even after he's been betrayed by them twice then used as a WeaponOfMassDestruction to wipe out an entire naval fleet]]. It gives his bodyguards migranes and is driving his [[AccidentalMarriage fiance]] [[{{Tsundere}} toward an aneurysm]].
* Mana Kirihara in ''Aquarian Age: Juvenile Orion''.
* Kitano from AngelDensetsu manages to be this and a NightmareFuelStationattendant.
* Akira from ''AoiHana'' has some of this, since she has the ability to be friends with most other girls. Later she is surpassed in that regard by Haruka, who drags everybody along [[GenkiGirl by sheer enthusiasm]].
* Marin from ''UmiMonogatari'' is prone to randomly hugging people and saying that she loves them. Kanon, her sister, a giant turtle. It doesn't matter. The girl's got plenty of love to spread around.
* Both Garrod Ran and Tifa Addil in GundamX. Garrod, because he managed to [[spoiler: subvert almost any of poor Tiffa's horrendous visions and help humanity ScrewDestiny]]; Tiffa, because her kindness let her reach for Garrod and show people what was needed to get the peace they all needed. [[spoiler: No wonder they fall in love and get together in the end.]]
* Yuuto Amakawa from OmamoriHimari is an example. While [[VanHelsingHateCrimes demon hunters and ayakashi]] are generally depicted as being very violent towards each other, Yuuto refuses to have anything to do with demon slaying, and strongly believes that demon hunters and ayakashi can live with each other in peace-[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome and was willing to step into a fight]] armed with only his belief in [[spoiler: Shizuku's]] ability to let go of her past and return to a peaceful life.
*Lute, the older brother of Flute and the son of Queen Horn in the ''Violinist of Hameln''.
* Keiichi, from ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'', falls into this [[VillainProtagonist eventu]][[MistakenForMurderer ally]].
* The Claw from ''GunXSword'' is an extremely rare villainous example of TheMessiah.
* Red from PokemonSpecial primarily shown on GSC and FRLG
* Several characters on ''CodeGeass'' -- and they stick out all the more since most of the show is a nasty battle of either GreyAndGrayMorality or BlackAndGreyMorality, depending on your point of view.
** Lelouch's half-sister, Princess Euphemia vi Britannia: always chipper; loves everyone; doesn't get angry ''even when people threaten her with death'', which happens more often than you might think. To the annoyance of her family, she takes bolder and bolder steps to fight anti-Eleven (that is, anti-Japanese) prejudice, and eventually she even sacrifices her place in the royal line of succession to give herself the leverage to make an attempt at lasting peace between Britannia and Japan / Area Eleven. ([[SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism Naturally,]] things don't go well for her.)
** Shirley Fennette. Unlike [[RebelliousPrincess Euphemia]], Shirley generally avoids discussions of politics and current events, but like her, she actively and bravely opposes prejudice and cruelty whenever and wherever she sees it; she feels tenderness toward pretty much everyone; she can't bear to see anyone get hurt; and she's nearly always chipper -- except when jealous (back to that in a moment) or when things are going ''really, seriously wrong''. Admittedly, she gets upset whenever she suspects [[ObliviousToLove her beloved "Lulu"]] of liking another girl more than her -- which is often -- but even then, she's never mean, just, at worst, sullen and gloomy. Shirley is a bit how Euphie might have turned out had Euphie not been stuck as a princess of the world's greatest superpower. ([[SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism Naturally,]] things don't go well for her, either. Then ... things don't go well for her, all over again.)
** Princess Nunnally, Lelouch's younger sister and reason for living -- and, though she has no idea, for killing. Like her older half-sister Princess Euphemia, she's always chipper, always ready to think the best of everyone. Unlike Lelouch, she has no interest in revenge against her family (or anyone else) for the many ways they have wronged her; she just hopes the world will become a nicer place, where Britannians and Japanese can live side by side in peace, and she can return to the family that has betrayed her. ([[RuleOfThree You can probably guess]] [[SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism where this is going.]])

[[/folder]]

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* It is common for Comicbook/{{Superman}} to be portrayed in this fashion a lot of the time.
** To quote Grant Morrison: "Superman loves you, and he's more proactive than God ever was."
* Flycatcher, the frog prince of ''{{Fables}}'', is universally kind and universally loved for it, and he's the only character who had no sins to absolve or remit under the Fabletown Amnesty. The Messiah Syndrome really kicks in when [[spoiler:he receives a purity-powered suit of armor that allows him to resurrect the dead, defeat massive armies without spilling blood, and establish the completely peaceful "Kingdom of Haven" in the middle of enemy territory.]]
* Death of [[TheSandman the Endless]] is quite possibly the friendliest, most compassionate entity in the DC Universe. She loves you, no matter who you are or what you've done.
* Zayne Carrick from StarWars KnightsOfTheOldRepublic is a good example of a fool who is actually an embryonic messiah. Initially a failing jedi padawan whose only power seems to be literal good luck (as in- he [[spoiler:spent an hour trying to catch a petty thief for the half-dozenth time, and thus arrived late to what should have been his own murder]]), over the course of the series he saves first himself; then a junk scavenger and his adopted daughter; then a bunch of captured jedi; then several million people from [[spoiler:an orbital nuclear bombardment]]; then he tries to save one of the Jedi masters who were [[spoiler:trying to kill him]]. As one of them says:
-->"You...''You''... would save ''me''?"

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Nausicaa from ''NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind.'' Though in this case, she is in fact an actual messiah figure (the Blue Clad One).
* Also from Hayao Miyazaki, Ashitaka from ''Princess Mononoke'' fits this trope perfectly (in fact if he didn't, his [[CursedWithAwesome curse]] would kill him).
* Victor Laszlo in ''{{Casablanca}}''. It says something about him that the only person in the entire movie who isn't in complete awe and admiration of the utterly heroic and saintly resistance leader and doesn't think he's the greatest thing since the invention of bread, sliced or otherwise, is the [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi]] officer who has been sent to capture him, which is a [[AcceptableTargets ringing endorsement]] if ever there was one. He's so noble that he doesn't even hold a grudge that his beloved wife, believing that he was dead, has fallen in love with another man, and his example is so powerful that that other man is eventually quite willing to sacrifice his one chance at happiness [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy by convincing her to stay with him]].
* Sergeant Elias K. Grodin from ''Platoon'' which makes his dramatic death scene all the more powerful.
* {{WALL-E}}.
* {{Happy Feet}}. Ironically.
* ''LadyInTheWater'' features as a secondary character a writer who, it is revealed, will in the future become TheMessiah by writing a work so universally beloved and inspirational that it will inspire world leaders and ordinary people alike to work towards making the world a better place, and who will eventually die in order to save us from ourselves. By itself, not ''that'' bad. However, writer-director MNightShyamalan chose to cast ''himself'' in this role. [[CanonSue This caused]] [[WriterOnBoard eyebrows to]] [[SmallNameBigEgo be raised]].
* Poppy from ''Happy-Go-Lucky''. It was half the point of the movie.
* Luke Skywalker in ''StarWars''. [[StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe may differ]], but consider that upon discovering his father is a Sith Lord and one of the galaxy's most ruthless killers, he decides--against the advice of everyone--that Dad can be saved from the Dark Side. He turns out to be right.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Carrot Ironfoundersson from Terry Pratchett's ''{{Discworld}}'' series. He gets an idea in his head and is able to drag the rest of the world around to his viewpoint. Even to the point that he's able to arrest a dragon which had previously been terrorizing the city. His love interest Sergeant Angua (an ActionGirl), and Commander Vimes both remark upon this ability of his. [[spoiler: In Carrot's case, it may be because he is the true and lawful heir to the throne of Ankh-Morpork.]]
** Discworld also has [[Discworld/SmallGods Brutha]], the last true believer of the Great God Om. His sheer basic decency extends to everyone from tortoises to the BigBad, [[spoiler: ''twice'']] and he brings in a new and more tolerant era for his CorruptChurch.
* Bobby from the ''Pendragon'' series. He seems to be able to make friends with all of travelers in every world in a matter of minutes of meeting them. And, it was said on more then one occasion he would be the only one to beat Saint Dane. [[spoiler: he does.]]
* Rama, in ''The Ramayana''. When a plot causes his rightful throne to go to his brother Bharata, Rama is delighted for his brother's good fortune, without any concern for his own loss of status. When he's exiled by this same plot, he has to talk ''the entire country'' (including Bharata) out of coming with him. He collects allies everywhere he goes, just by dint of his goodness. Rama and Sita are supposed to be the great lovers beyond time and space, but the effect is more that Rama loves everyone, everyone loves Rama, and Sita is a member of "everyone".
* Andy Dufresne, the main character of StephenKing's story ''Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption'' is TheMessiah of the story, which is remarkable considering the near hopeless circumstances that he finds himself in (one might even interpret him as TheWoobie). There are several symbolic parallels between him and Jesus Christ which shape the entire message of the book, that "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies".
* Alyosha, the third and youngest of ''TheBrothersKaramazov'', loves all and is loved by all. Dostoevsky uses an entire chapter to illustrate how it would be impossible to not trust him. Everyone - and we mean '''everyone''' - in the book confides in Alyosha, and at times these discussions seem to resemble a priest taking confession. The story in the Bible of Jesus Christ being tempted in the desert by the devil has its parallels in some of Alyosha's discussions. For bonus points, he starts off as a novice monk in the nearby monastery.
** And as for Crime and Punishment... Sofya, anyone?
** We might as well add Prince Lev Nikolaievich Myshkin from ''The Idiot'' as well. In general, Dostoevsky might be entirely too fond of this trope.
* Everybody in ''The Land'' except Thomas Covenant, the bad guys and [[TheStoic the Bloodguard]] is, personality-wise, TheMessiah.
* In Anne Bishop's ''BlackJewels'' trilogy, Jaenelle is the most recent (and implied to be the most powerful ever) incarnation of Witch, essentially born from the collective dreams of the races who facilitates their reconciliation [[spoiler: and eventually nearly kills herself in order to save her people.]]
* In ''[[LordOfTheRings The Lord of the Rings]]'' Aragorn's attachment to the other members of the Fellowship, as well as a large number of people he encounters during the books, qualifies him for this trope.
* Elua in the ''Kushiel's Legacy'' novels by Jacqueline Carey. Christ himself, albeit sporting a different name, is also in the series, but the religion of the main characters focuses on Elua. (Born of a mixture of Yeshua ben Yosef's blood and the Magdalene's tears, flowers arose where he walked, seven angels descended from Heaven to be his travelling companions, etc.) His single commandment to the race of people descended from him and his angelic followers was "love as thou wilt".
* Adil, one of the main characters in Sahar Khalifeh's ''Wild Thorns''. A Palestinian who works in Israel (the book was written in the 70s') to support his nine family members, and always looking out for his fellow workers. He's more than once described as trying "to solve the Middle East conflict all by himself." Even his cousin who considers him a traitor for working in Israel cares strongly about him.
* Eriond in ''TheBelgariad'' and ''TheMalloreon''. He's a small child in the former, although he is very trusting and generous. (He's been raised to be a complete innocent, so that he can handle The Orb, which tends to destroy anyone who touches it with less than completely pure motives.) By ''The Malloreon'' he's grown into the position. He's very mild in temperament, and even when he gets very angry (at one point they're in a Temple of Torak and a major sacrifice ritual (human, of course) is going on all he does is put out the temple fires — since if the hearts can't be burned, there's no way to continue the sacrifices.)
* Finny in ''ASeparatePeace'', who never sees anyone as an enemy, and believes that "when you really love something, then it has to love you back, in whatever way it has to love." Many readers (and English teachers) see him as a [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory Christ figure]].
* Mike in RobertAHeinlein's ''Stranger In A Strange Land''. He's a walking Jesus allegory, but beside that he has an innocence so strong it even scares people a bit.
* [[TheBible Jesus]]. Also the trope maker of MessianicArchetype of course, but the forgiveness and unconditional love preaching makes him a partial TropeMaker for this one.
* ''LesMiserables'': Jean Valjean, who in turn learned forgiveness from the Bishop of Digne after 19 years of prison made Valjean bitter and hatefull.
* [[ThePickwickPapers Samuel Pickwick, Esq]]. It's the main reason he's funny.
* As pointed out by the Nostalgia Critic, Charlie from the TimBurton remake. I'm not going to add any links that require brackets. I've done too much of that today already.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* Daniel Jackson in ''{{Stargate}}'' and ''{{Stargate SG-1}}''. No surprise that later, by the end of the fifth season, he evolves into a MessianicArchetype as well.
* Dr. Molly Clock in ''{{Scrubs}}''.
* Peter Petrelli of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' embodies this to a point that's almost GenreBlindness or even IdiotBall. He's so sweet and trusting that he'll even [[spoiler:cast his lot in with the villain if he has a [[FreudianExcuse convincing enough sob story.]]]]
* FlashGordon from the Sci-Fi channel TV adaptation is very much TheMessiah, whose idealism and altruism inadvertantly manages to bring together several tribes of highly eccentric crazies (including multiple members of the [[BigBad Big Bad's]] faction), who've spent decades hating each other.
* The Doctor from ''DoctorWho'' and Angel from ''{{Angel}}'' have elements of this trope. Neither is universally loving or even all that nice, but they will go to any lengths to right a wrong that they've just stumbled on. Further, they both have a powerful draw on everyone else. Evil characters obsess over them; good characters leave their lives behind to join them, and often end up making even bigger sacrifices.
** One quote from the episode "Last of the Time Lords" makes this [[{{Anvilicious}} painfully clear]] about the Doctor. "You wouldn't listen. Because you know what I'm going to say... [[spoiler:I forgive you.]]"
*** And it is ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome awesome]]''.
***And a WallBanger.
****Hell, let's just say it's ''both''. Because it is.
* Constable Benton Fraser from ''DueSouth'' makes himself something of a local hero in the slum neighborhood of Chicago he lives in, unwittingly and unerringly winning the hearts of nearly everyone around him due to his constant, unwavering kindness to his fellow man. His partner, Ray Vecchio (and later Ray Kowalski), his friends, and even his boss are fiercely protective of him when danger arises. His lack of street smarts and general naievete can cause problems, though, and they sometimes wonder about his sanity.
-->'''Fraser:''' You mean you're using some promotional ploy to get something for nothing?
-->'''Ray:''' Welcome to the United States of America, Fraser.
* Locke in ''{{Lost}}'', especially apparent in season 5. Perfectly contrasted with his mirror opposite [[spoiler:and occasional sidekick]], [[DarkMessiah Dark Messiah]] Ben.
* Xander Harris in the Season Six finale of BuffyTheVampireSlayer. TheZeppo steps up for what will be his best moment, even getting razzed later on for bragging on it. In the S6 finale, he goes to and refuses to leave the side of [[spoiler: Dark Willow as she prepares to destroy the world]]. Though set up for this by [[spoiler: Giles and the Coven whose power he's borrowed]] he still manages to shine. Despite her worst, he gets to [[spoiler: her, holding her as the good magic defeats the bad, allowing it to work through her]], and saying simply "I Love You", over and over again. A quick ref to how "This carpenter is gonna drywall you." lampshades the idea.
* Kaylee from {{Firefly}} she has only ever hurt Reavers (and at that not very much considering,) she was the first to accept Simon and River as part of the crew. She seems to be the least violent person in the 'verse. She even likes Jayne, making her one of only two people to like him after getting to know him (the other is his mother). Her bright and cheery personality makes people tend to gravitate toward her, and her love and respect for them solidifies her as the messianic idealized character on an otherwise somewhat cynical show.
* Despite being an [[TheAtoner atoning petty criminal and]] {{Jerkass}}, and a BookDumb hick, the titular character of ''MyNameIsEarl'' has a real knack for getting along with people, is actively working hard to become a better person by righting all his past wrongs, in the process making his town a better place, and is willing to make great sacrifices for the people he cares about. Sometimes he relapses, but he brings up some interesting questions on morality and what makes a good person.
* Dean Winchester from ''{{Supernatural}}''. At first, mostly because he's the only member of the Winchester family who hunts for the sake of saving people instead of revenge. Also, he's the most selfless and martyr-like individual on the show. By Season 4, however, this becomes nearly {{Word of God}} as after he's [[spoiler: sent to Hell, God sends an army of angels to save him and resurrects him.]] The title of the episode this happened in brings even more religious allusions: [[spoiler: ''Lazarus Rising''.]]
** And now, he's apparently [[spoiler:the human vessel for St. Michael, the only angel powerful enough to stop Lucifer]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* Terra Branford form ''FinalFantasyVI'' is a clear example of this late in the game. In the World of Ruin, she ends up caring for orphans whose parents were murdered by Kefka and eventually Terra finds her purpose. To fight to protect those who need it as well as ensure a better future. Love drives her.
** Celes Chere could also fit this trope in the World of Ruin portion of the game.
* Lloyd from ''TalesOfSymphonia''. He eventually transforms everyone in the party (and the world) for the better. He gives corny speeches explaining that everyone has the right to live freely, and inspires comments from his circle of friends on how softhearted, kind, strong, etc. he is.
** Colette arguably fits the description even more, but due to Lloyd's main (and player) character status, she gets much less of a chance to shine.
** Mithos, the legendary hero from the game's back story, was also a messiah. With his three companions and a belief in ThePowerOfFriendship, he saved the world from a {{magitek}} war. What subsequently happened to him is revealed later on in the game, and it's ''not'' pretty.
* Zidane Tribal from ''FinalFantasyIX'' is an example, despite the fact that he is a [[HandsomeLech lecherous]] thief. His line in the game's character montage is "You don't need a reason to help people". In fact, multiple characters throughout the game actually complain about how kind Zidane is to everybody that he meets.
* [[TheGoodCaptain Captain Brenner/O'Brian]] from ''{{Advance Wars}}: Days of Ruin'' commands the remnants of a military unit in a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic earth]], held together by his own leadership ability and charisma, and uses it to unconditionally rescue survivors and help people. [[spoiler:After ThePlotReaper is through with him, main character Will/Ed picks up the torch as well]].
* Sora from ''KingdomHearts'', who has friends all over the multiverse, and seems to hold them ''all'' in the same high regard. He even has an EmpathicWeapon that ''runs on'' ThePowerOfFriendship. How [[GenreSavvy savvy]] of you, SquareEnix!
* Kyle Hyde of ''[[HotelDuskRoom215 Hotel Dusk: Room 215]]'' is something of a messiah who [[AccidentalHero never planned to be]]. He only goes to the titular hotel on business with his company, Red Crown, and possibly to get a lead on the man he's been pursuing for three years, Brian Bradley. It turns out that all the other patrons of the hotel all have big problems tied to the hotel, Bradley, and [[spoiler:the art theft organization he joined, Nile,]] including [[spoiler:manager Dunning Smith, pining for his kidnapped daughter; Jeff Damon, who ran away from home with money and a gun after getting sick of his father's shady legal dealings; Kevin Woodward, trying to get his head around his malpractice suit and his wife somehow (through Nile) producing the money for a settlement; Helen Parker, searching for her lost son who loved to frequent the hotel; Martin Summer, who plagiarized that son's text for a novel and led to his disappearance]] and others. Through the course of one night at Hotel Dusk, Kyle Hyde manages to "take out [all of their] garbage" with evidence, questioning, and occasional tough love, and give them the strength to keep working to resolve their problems. He doesn't even want to arrest the person he's looking for despite what he did, he just wants to ask him "why?".
* Ion from ''TalesOfTheAbyss''. [[spoiler:Luke]] eventually too, but to a lesser degree.
* Talim from ''SoulSeries''. Only when you play as her as protagonist, but she definitely fits this trope.
* ''YggdraUnion'' has ''three.'' Yggdra, the titular character, becomes a wise and loving monarch over the course of the story; the main antagonist, Gulcasa, is one to his own people [[spoiler:to the point of dying trying to save them in a really twisted and tragic way]]; and then there's Nessiah, Gulcasa's friend and tactician (and [[spoiler:fallen angel, let's not forget]]), who is actually something of a fallen messiah figure--he was the real deal once, but [[spoiler:he essentially had the idealism and love for all living things [[BreakTheCutie tortured out of him]] when he was thrown out of Asgard for refusing to fight in its wars]].
* Elly/Sophia from {{Xenogears}} who embodies selfless love and self-sacrifice across dozens of incarnations.
* Jaina Proudmoore in the ''{{Warcraft}}'' series. She's probably the most basically decent person (that doesn't go crazy and try to kill everyone) in the entire series, even helping a race she was raised to hate kill her father for peace and to genuinely honor the bond that Theramore acquired with the orcs. This even carries into ''WorldOfWarcraft'' where it seems everyone has taken a level in jerkass/incompetent.
** Anduin Lothar was either this or TooDumbToLive in ''Warcraft II'', where he tried to negociate peace with the orcs (who were still AlwaysChaoticEvil back then).
**Thrall is probably the best example. He's not a perfect one, but he comes to save his people and leads a religious rival including fighting off demons to free his people, and that's after he saved them from slavery and a meaningless existence in slave camps. Thrall is also generally the voice of reason, attempting to avoid war with the Alliance, knowing that it will only bring ruin and death. It also helps that he's the Messiah of a Proud Warrior Race making him a bit more interesting than most.
* Deconstructed in ''FateStayNight'''s "Unlimited Blade Works" route. Shirou is a Messiah who lives by the creed of 'I will save everyone!' while Archer, a DarkMessiah, points out that even Shirou knows you can't save every single person, so Archer will help the maximum number of people possible... Throwing innocent people to the wolves when necessary to prevent a larger crisis. [[spoiler:Archer is also Shirou's future self, and implied to be the same Shirou from the Fate storyline.]] Basically, you can follow the ideals of the Messiah but it's going to totally screw you up inside if you're not careful or don't have a clear reason to do so, and in any case it simply doesn't work if you follow the ideal exactly.
** The biggest part of the {{deconstruction}} is arguably Shirou's psyche. Basically, his personality and reason for existing was shattered when his parents and his entire life was destroyed in the fire ten years ago -- being saved by Kiritsugu made his entire being revolve around that event, to the degree that Shirou has no sense of self and can only define himself by helping others, even if the recipients neither want, appreciate nor need his help.
* Aeris/Aerith from {{Final Fantasy VII}}. The idealistic one in a group of people who are technically terrorists, she winds up martyred for her cause. Her "light in a dark place" role is obvious from the beginning, where she's hanging out in a church and somehow has flowers, sunshine and a nice little waterfall in the middle of the most putrid slums on the planet.
* Erana from the ''QuestForGlory'' games is a powerful mage whose pure and loving influence has remained throughout the different lands even after she is [[SealedGoodInACan gone]], exuding peace and harmony, planting flowers and generally encouraging selfless good deeds. Also, she [[spoiler: sealed away an EldritchAbomination by sealing herself away with it, forever locked inside an icy tomb in order to ensure that the evil being never returned to the world]]. And you learn all this without even meething her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Rikk from ''{{Fans}}!''.
* Grace from - all together now - ''ElGoonishShive''.
* Maytag from ''{{Flipside}}''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
* Shandala from ''BrokenSaints'' fits this to a tee. Hell, pretty much all the tropes used in the description at the top of the page apply to her. Of course, when in the course of the story, it comes time for BreakTheCutie, things get ''really'' ugly...
* Neil Sinclair of ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' V3. No matter how many times he is knocked back by more [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism cynical or pessimistic]] characters, he keeps on trying, time and again, to gather as many students he can in an attempt to escape. His hugely idealist approach includes but is not limited to inviting a classmate into the group who had previously ''killed'' one of the other members of his group - S.A.D.D.
** [[spoiler: And now, his group has fallen apart after his death.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* Initially, Katara from ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', especially obvious in episodes like "Imprisoned," "The Desert," "Crossroads of Destiny," eventually reaching what was assumed by some villagers as literal messianic levels in "The Painted Lady." Then the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism Scale]] tipped toward closer to Cynical, and TheLancer passed the Idealistic baton [[MessiahCreep to its proper character]], TheHero, Aang. Katara, meanwhile, slid some towards WellIntentionedExtremist territory...
* The Flash, from ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''. Don't believe us? [[{{dystopia}} Look at what happens when he's not around.]]
--->'''Wonder Woman''' (to villain, who has seemingly just killed Superman): I'm going to punch a hole through your head.
--->'''Flash''': We don't do that to our enemies.
--->'''Wonder Woman''': Speak for yourself.
--->'''Flash''': I'm trying to speak for Superman.
** The above is a fine example. A better one would be the fact that [[spoiler: his death causes an alternate-Superman to decide to try the KnightsTemplar boots...and disintegrate Lex Luthor. For starters]].
** Flash is even nice to his villains. He plays darts with the Trickster, and can get him to go to jail just by asking. He knows every single person in his city, is willing to do mundane chores ([[MundaneUtility with his]] SuperSpeed, [[MundaneUtility of course]]) for them in between superheroing, and kids adore him.
** He can even convince Ultra-Humanite to dress up as Santa for some kids and then surrender to the police with minimal effort.
***Noone has mentioned that he once [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_for_an_eye paraquoted Gandhi]]?
* Starfire in ''TeenTitans'' is said to be the "heart" of [[{{Nakama}} the team.]] Just like Flash above, [[BadFuture things aren't pretty if she disappears.]]
* Ma-Ti in ''CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'', who's supposed to hold the group together with his [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway 'awesome' power]]. His first apparition has him [[FriendToAllLivingThings gently subduing a jaguar to save a monkey]]
* Lazlo from ''CampLazlo''. Consider this line from the episode "Burpless Beans":
-->'''Edward:''' Lazlo, why do you hate me?
-->'''Lazlo:''' I don't hate you, Edward. I love everybody!
* In ''{{Ben 10 Alien Force}}'', Ben Tennyson has borrowed not only SailorMoon's TransformationSequence but her steadfast refusal to sacrifice lives and her power to heal the villains' victims with the EmpathicWeapon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:RealLife]]
* Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi preached love for all humankind, and was {{Badass}} enough to find a way to harmonize his staunch ThouShaltNotKill philosophy with [[{{Determinator}} unflinching resistance]] to the tyranny of British colonial rule. (And the tragedy of Hindu/Muslim violence, and just about any other kind of injustice you can think of ...)
** Similarly, [[BadassPreacher Martin Luther King Jr.]], and many other prominent leaders of the nonviolent branch of the civil rights movement.
* Siddharta Gautama, aka Buddha. Possibly the UrExample.
* [[MisterRogersNeighborhood Fred Rogers]]. And if you need to have it explained to you why he qualifies, then you have [[JackButler this troper's]] condolences.
* I'd say Jesus, the trope namer deserves a spot here. What supernatural things the bible says he did may be refuted, but he taught the Importance of unconditional love and what not.
[[/folder]]

!!!Cleanup efforts for this trope are ongoing - need help confirming examples for which not enough details are provided.. Help us out by contributing to [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=xjwpd7lbyhlgfhr8qx86ru80&page=3#71 the thread]] in Trope Repair Shop

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