History Main / HeroesFrontierStep

Making a Heroes' Frontier Step is the polar opposite of crossing the MoralEventHorizon. It means committing an act completely unexpected and so noble, that it shows true heroism.

* ''VideoGame/AnotherCrabsTreasure''; [[spoiler:After going through hell and back to try and reclaim his shell, Kril ends up giving it to another hermit crab who is in worse straights than he is, choosing to try and help others instead of looking out only for himself]].

** Sonic does it again in ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'' when, [[spoiler:with the Master Emerald having been broken into seven Chaos Emeralds, he harnesses their power and becomes Super Sonic, defeating Robotnik once again. Knuckles warns Tom, Maddy, and Tails that the power of the Chaos Emeralds means [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Sonic will go mad from the power]] like Robotnik did with the Master Emerald...but Sonic simply uses his newfound powers to conjure up a few chili dogs, drops one on Knuckles's face as a joke, and finally relinquishes his power.]] When asked by Knuckles why he would give up such ultimate power, Sonic [[MeaningfulEcho echoes Tom's words from the start of the film]] by stating that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility he's still just a kid with a lot of growing-up to do]].

** Sonic does it again in ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'' when, [[spoiler;with the Master Emerald having been broken into seven Chaos Emeralds, he harnesses their power and becomes Super Sonic, defeating Robotnik once again. Knuckles warns Tom, Maddy, and Tails that the power of the Chaos Emeralds means [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Sonic will go mad from the power]] like Robotnik did with the Master Emerald...but Sonic simply uses his newfound powers to conjure up a few chili dogs, drops one on Knuckles's face as a joke, and finally relinquishes his power.]] When asked by Knuckles why he would give up such ultimate power, Sonic [[MeaningfulEcho echoes Tom's words from the start of the film]] by stating that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility he's still just a kid with a lot of growing-up to do]].

** Sonic does it again in ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'' when, with the Master Emerald having been broken into seven Chaos Emeralds, he harnesses their power and becomes Super Sonic, defeating Robotnik once again. Knuckles warns Tom, Maddy, and Tails that the power of the Chaos Emeralds means [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Sonic will go mad from the power]] like Robotnik did with the Master Emerald...but Sonic simply uses his newfound powers to conjure up a few chili dogs, drops one on Knuckles's face as a joke, and finally relinquishes his power. When asked by Knuckles why he would give up such ultimate power, Sonic [[MeaningfulEcho echoes Tom's words from the start of the film]] by stating that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility he's still just a kid with a lot of growing-up to do]].

* In ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020'', the titular character is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment established early on]] as kind (via saving a turtle from being run over by a truck and even attempting to cheer it up) and admiring a similar kindness in other people (his fondness for friendly town sheriff and veterinarian couple Tom and Maddie Wachowski), but Sonic's actual crossing of the Heroes' Frontier Step is when he [[TakeMeInstead briefly puts his own life on the line]] to keep Robotnik from taking Tom's, despite already knowing [[TheyWouldCutYouUp the danger]] that the doctor poses to him. If that wasn't convincing enough an example, [[spoiler:he bounces back from the brink of death and faces Robotnik head-on, [[NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech vowing to stop hiding and use his powers to protect his friends and home]] from the mad genius' malice.]] Tom and Maddie themselves also cross the Heroes' Frontier Step by helping Sonic out, regardless of how life-threatening the circumstances are for them.

*** Tidus gets his later on Mt. Gagazet when [[spoiler:the Fayth reveal that they created the dream version of Zanarkand that Tidus comes from and its people, including Tidus himself. They want Sin defeated so that they can stop dreaming and finally rest. Despite being aware that defeating Sin would cause him to [[CessationOfExistence cease to exist]], Tidus makes the step when he continues with the mission of destroying Sin anyway, and even withholds the aforementioned consequences of doing so until the last moment so that his co-guardians and Yuna don't lose their resolve.]]

*** Tidus gets his later on Mt. Gagazet when [[spoiler:the Fayth reveal that they created the dream version of Zanarkand that Tidus comes from and its people, including Tidus himself. They want Sin defeated so that they can stop dreaming and finally rest.]] Despite being aware that [[spoiler:defeating Sin would cause him to [[CessationOfExistence cease to exist]]]], Tidus makes the step when he continues with the mission of destroying Sin anyway, and even withholds the consequences of doing so until the last moment so that his co-guardians and Yuna don't lose their resolve.

-->-- '''Rachel Dawes''' to the future protector of Gotham City, ''Film/BatmanBegins''

*''Manga/Gantz'': There's a few steps that move Kurono from a slobby, selfish teenager to leader and hero.

** Arguably, one of his first genuinely heroic actions is saving Tae after initially leaving his entire class to die to the alien. It should be noted he is initially reluctant to even go back there, but [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack consciousness won in the end]].

* ''Literature/TheScholomance'': When someone tries to murder El, she refuses to use BlackMagic even though it's the only way she could save her own life and would have been a near-trivial act of will for [[BadPowersGoodPeople her]] even with a knife in her gut. Not only does this win [[ChronicHeroSyndrome Orion]]'s trust on the spot, it leads ''her'' to realize she's [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre a better person than she credited herself for]] and inspires her to greater actions later.

** Captain Qwark may be a [[DumbMuscle boneheaded]], [[ItsAllAboutMe selfish]] and [[MilesGloriosus cowardly]] man on a good day, and starts the series as an outright villain, but he's redeemed in ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]]'' when he stops running away and shows up in person to fight off Dr. Nefarious' forces. Despite still slipping in and out of questionable behavior from that point onwards (like taking credit for saving the galaxy), he starts helping out Ratchet and Clank from time to time, and come ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'', he's even [[PromotedToPlayable ready and willing to get his hands dirty in the field]].

** The ending to ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' has Link defeat Ganon and gain the full power of the Triforce. Given the opportunity to [[WhatYouAreInTheDark wish for whatever his heart desires]], Link wishes upon the Triforce to undo all the damage Ganon did to Hyrule, which includes resurrecting his uncle and the king of Hyrule. Afterwards, he willingly relinquishes the power of the Master Sword, returning it to its pedestal.
** Following the events of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', the direct sequel ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' begins with Link struggling to deal with his feelings after fulfilling his destiny as the Hero of Time. Soon, he finds himself lost in the alternate world of Termina, which is due to be annihilated by a falling moon in three days. Despite the impossible odds against him, Link travels back and forth in time as many times as it takes to find a way to save Termina from destruction. With the notable help of those he himself helped along the way, Link eventually succeeds.

* Many ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' heroes have their moments of this.
** Galuf from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV''. He and all his friends are at the mercy of [[BigBad Exdeath]], being pinned down by energy beams from crystals. [[spoiler:Through sheer will power he breaks the beam and faces Exdeath, the final boss of the game, ''one on one''. Exdeath throws everything at Galuf, from high-tier spells to Meteor, and the man takes it. Exdeath tears his lifepoints to zero and Galuf ''[[BeyondTheImpossible keeps fighting anyways]]''. Exdeath suffers a near VillainousBreakdown because he can't comprehend how Galuf could possibly draw that much power from his hatred, and Galuf calmly remarks it's not hate that keeps him going, but the love he has for his friends and granddaughter. Then he delivers the finishing blow, ''wins the fight'', [[HeroicSacrifice and immediately collapses and passes away]].]]
** Terra, from ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI FF6]]'' deserves a special mention: after Kefka destroyed the world, she stopped at a village of orphans and took care of them as a mother. She even went back to fight for them.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}'', Abe saves his whole race from slavery and worse.

* Two solid examples in ''VideoGame/StarcraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'' from previously ambiguous characters:
** Kerrigan is presented as a NobleDemon on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge who is, on the one hand, a far cry from her BrainwashedAndCrazy time as the "Queen Bitch of the Universe", but still willing to turn her back on her humanity in order to have her vengeance. Her defining moment is on Char, where her forces overrun and demolish the fortress of General Warfield. With his last breath, Warfield ''demands'' [[TheMenFirst that she let his wounded and noncombatants go]], pointing out that [[MoralityChain Raynor]] (in whose name she is notionally rampaging) would disapprove. She complies, showing restraint for perhaps the first time ever.
*** This is especially formidable if she's already visited Zerus and been reborn as [[HumanoidAbomination the Primal Queen of Blades]] -- showing that sacrificing her physical humanity doesn't have to mean giving up her morality.
** The second belongs to Crown Prince Valerian Mengsk, son of the BigBad and a decidedly on-the-fence character who, on the one hand, wants to remove his father Arcturus Mengsk's government, but on the other hand is no stranger to lying and manipulating. When he ends up allied with Kerrigan to assault Mengsk's capital, he has a straightforward demand -- that she give him time to evacuate civilians. In his case, it demonstrates not only that he has the moral fiber necessary, but the ''backbone'' to stand up to one of the strongest individuals in the galaxy and not request, but ''order'' her to do the right thing.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', the main character becomes one in the GoldenEnding of the Pacifist Run. No matter how many monsters fight them, they will ''not'' harm them back and win every single confrontation by either befriending, appeasing, or negotiating with them. Even Flowey, the EldritchAbomination that CameBackWrong and has spent the entire game manipulating and plotting to kill them, is spared in the end. The character single-handedly shows every single monster, most of whom believed HumansAreTheRealMonsters and were more than willing to wipe humanity out, that not only are humans and monsters the same but that they can coexist peacefully. They don't stop there, either: they help break the barrier that keeps the monsters trapped underground and frees them to the world above so the two groups ''can'' coexist.

* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'''s Ningguang is initially presented as a ruthless, calculating and manipulative businesswoman concerned solely with her own fortune. The greatest symbol of such is the Jade Chamber, a floating palace that stands as a monument to her wealth and power, which she is constantly expanding and is said to value above all else. [[PlayerCharacter The Traveler]] is openly distrustful of Ningguang and her intentions up until the climax of the Liyue story, when [[spoiler:after the vengeful god Osial is unleashed on the city, Ningguang sacrifices the Jade Chamber in a ColonyDrop to finish him off, proving her genuine concern for the welfare of Liyue and its people. Many of her in-universe detractors subsequently come around to admire her for this noble act.]]