History Main / FromHeroToMentor

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': [[TheAce Tommy Oliver]] starts as the Green SixthRanger of the first season of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' before becoming TheLeader in the next two seasons along with ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'' and the first half of ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo''. He would return in ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' as TheMentor for the teen ranger before becoming the Black Dino Ranger.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel III'' has Rean Schwarzer who still is the protagonist of the Erebonia arc despite becoming an instructor in the military academy of the branch campus. Later on though, he plays this straight in the next arc, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsThroughDaybreak'', where one of his students is an exchange student studying at Calvard's university, Aramis.

* Bruce Wayne becomes the mentor to Terry [=McGinnis=] in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' as Terry becomes the [[LegacyCharacter new Batman]]. While Bruce does keep a strong presence as MissionControl, the series keeps a strong focus on Terry, and in a few episodes, Bruce has little involvement.

* ''Fanfic/NierAutomataREBirth'': Thousands of years after the events of ''VideoGame/NieR'', Emil is now a magic instructor to Alexander and Blue the Machine child.

* John "Soap" MacTavish becomes this over the course of the original ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy, being a regular SAS operative and player character for much of the 1st game before becoming a non-playable squad leader in ''Modern Warfare 2'' and ''3'', alongside his own mentor, Captain Price.

* [[Franchise/{{Rocky}} Rocky Balboa]] has taken up the role of mentor a few times in the series. The first time happens in ''Film/RockyV'', where he trains Tommy Gunn. [[spoiler: However, Gunn becomes frustrated with both the pace of his training and his jealousy over being compared to Rocky, leading him to turn on his mentor and side with George Washington Duke.]] He becomes a mentor again in ''Film/{{Creed}}'', training his late friend and rival Apollo's son Adonis in boxing.

* ''VideoGame/{{PAGUI}}'' have the protagonist, Huo Wang, returning in the sequel as a KidHeroAllGrownUp and a mentor to the new main character, Tsui-Lin. While standing by the sidelines for most of the game, Huo have a few BigDamnHeroes moments in the sequel and resumes playable status in the last level.

* This was the focus of ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaThePawsOfDestiny'' where Po graduated from Dragon Warrior to Dragon Master and became the teacher to four young pandas, Bao, Nu Hai, Jing, and Fan Tong, helping all of them become a new generation of kung fu heroes as the Four Constellations.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': The series original protagonist, Dante, isn't the one in control at the beginning. That honor goes instead to a new hero, Nero. Dante is mostly pursuing his own goals through most of the game but upon interacting with Nero, shifts more into a mentor trying to subtly push the new hero into the forefront. This goes even further in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' where Nero is desperate to live up to Dante's legacy. [[spoiler:Eventually Dante has to travel to the Underworld to save everything and leaves Nero in charge of defending humanity on Earth.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Wildcat}}'' started out as a street level hero and member of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica but as he aged he became more known as a mentor to younger heroes training ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'', ''ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'', ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} (Barbara) and others at boxing and street fighting out of his gym.

* A variant in ''Literature/WarriorCats'' where first series protagonist Firestar is the mentor of second series protagonist Bramblestar, but he trains him in the first series where Firestar is protagonist and Bramblestar is already a full warrior by the time the second series rolls around.

''Franchise/AceAttorney'' has the eponymous character, Phoenix Wright himself. Having been taken down by a colleague he plans his triumphant return for 7 years while searching for someone who could help him fix the law. That person turns out to be Apollo Justice, the apprentice of the colleague that got Phoenix fired. Not holding back in any capacity, Wright turns Justice against his former mentor and assists him in taking the man down, operating as a defense counsel while still being DISBARRED. Then, through further examination and some behind of the scenes meddling, Phoenix dismantles his enemy's backup plans. It takes him a year to regain his attorney's badge. In the meantime, he still teaches Apollo and finds a new trainee: Athena Cykes. The next years see Phoenix still be TheHero from time to time, but he largely operates as a tutor to his young subordinates, and is lucky enough to see Apollo reach his level of skill.

*** Other crew members on the ''Ghost'' also serves as mentors to Ezra, including both Zeb and Rex, who help train him in other non-Jedi matters.

* ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'': Mark Evans is the captain of Raimon Jr High's football club and the main protagonist of the first three games. In the ''GO'' trilogy, [[TimeSkip which takes place 10 years after the third game]], he returns as the new coach of Raimon and acts as a mentor towards the new main characters, particularly the new main protagonist, Arion Sherwind.

* A lot of veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigades of the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar in the 1930s went on to organize volunteers during the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement in the US in the 1960s. Sometimes they confined themselves to providing materials and funds and tactical support. In a few cases they went South and actually used their military experience to provide armed guards to young activists threatened by the Klan and the police (which edges into OldSoldier territory).
* Some tennis players become coaches of younger players when they retire. Likewise, retired soccer players sometimes go on to be the coach of the team they used to play for, or another team entirely.