History Main / DecliningPromotion

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': At the end of ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'', Adolin Kholin refuses the crown of Alethkar when it would pass to him -- he doesn't want to be king, knows he'd be bad at it, and feels that he disqualified himself by murdering [[StarterVillain Highprince Sadeas]]. It doubles as {{def|iedTrope}}ying HeirClubForMen, since his cousin Jasnah, the late king's daughter, is crowned instead -- fortunately for everyone.

** William Riker, aka "Number One". He's offered his own command in the series, three separate times, it is eventually revealed, but doesn't accept it because he feels his place is serving at Captain Picard's side. It is pointed out that by staying where he is, he is denying other officers the chance to serve in that position, and that it could reflect poorly on him in the long run. He finally averts it in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' by accepting command of the USS ''Titan''.

* In Season One of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', after Judai's first conclusive win over Manjyome during an important exam, he was granted a promotion to Ra Yellow status. However, he turned the promotion down, preferring to remain in the Osiris dorm where Sho and Hayato were. (Sho did not forget this; while he was later accepted into Ra and even into Obelisk later, and ''didn't'' turn the actual promotions down, he still chose to live in the Osiris dorm to support his friend.)
** In the same season, Misawa refused a promotion from Ra Yellow to Obelisk Blue because he felt that he'd only be worthy of the position once he had proved himself the best duelist in the school by defeating [[WorthyOpponent Judai]].

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' is [[OfferedTheCrown offered the position of Chief Judge]] after "The Day The Law Died", but he refuses, recommending Academy Of Law principal Judge Griffin instead. Over the years, it's noted that Dredd doesn't want the job because of the sheer amount of paperwork it involves and that it'll take him off the streets.

* Despite it being his dream for most of his life, in ''[[http://ficwad.com/story/213011 Eroninja]]'' Naruto turns down Tsunade's offer to make him Hokage as he'd refuse to do the job halfheartedly but doesn't want to be forced into a position like is father was where he'd have to choose between the village and his family.

* ''FanFic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': In Chapter 11 of the sequel ''Picking Up the Pieces'', Lieutenant Mist Flight is mentioned as having been offered a Captain's position before, but always declining because he liked where he was. [[spoiler: He winds up becoming ''Acting'' Captain General as a result of Internal Affairs' actions against Gentle Step, who decides to use a sick day and leave Mist in charge.]]
* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} as envisaged by Creator/AAPessimal, the first two Witches to join the City Watch, who become the nucleus of the Air Watch, both successfully evade promotion for several years, content to remain Air Constables. As [[SnarkKnight Irena Politek]] argues, all the [[ExcrementStatement govno]] that comes with the responsibility of rank just isn't worth it for a few more dollars a month. As more witches and flight-capable people come to the Air Watch, this refusal to be promoted does not sit well with either Sam Vimes or Lord Vetinari. In particular, it does not sit with Vetinari's plans to create a dedicated Air Force. After [[Fanfic/GapYearAdventures she displays exceptional ability]] on a mission, Vetinari deliberately addresses Olga as "Sergeant Romanoff". Olga reluctantly gets with the programme. Corporal Politek follows on shortly afterwards. This leads, incrementally, to the set-up described in ''Fanfic/ThePriceOfFlight', where Olga and Irena are now, respectively, Commanding Captain and Senior Lieutenant.

* In ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'' James T. Kirk tells Jean-Luc Picard "Don't let them promote you", since that would mean that he would leave the ''Enterprise''.
* In ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' Kirk eventually takes his own advice. Early in the movie he's stated to have applied for promotion to admiral to take a position at Yorktown Starbase, having grown weary of endless exploration. In the denouement, Kirk is offered the promotion, but by then he's rediscovered his passion for command and turns it down: "Where's the fun in that?"
* ''Film/TopGunMaverick'': Its stated that with his decades of exemplary service, Maverick could have been an admiral or retired to become state senator, but he insists on remaining captain so that he can keep flying planes.

* Matt Braddock is the hero of several 50s serials, the novel ''I Flew With Braddock'' and two comic strips. He's a British bomber pilot with no time for petty rules and refused a commission because it would hold him back from the action.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** Commander Wedge Antilles spends more than half the Literature/XWingSeries trying to keep Admiral Ackbar from promoting him to general and out of the pilot's chair. The two of them even make a bet in the Wraith Squadron sub-series on whether the squadron will fail, and if Wedge loses he has to take the promotion. He finally accepts in ''Isard's Revenge'' upon finding out that his pilots have ''also'' been refusing deserved promotions, following his example, so that some of the greatest pilots in the Republic are ranked (and paid) as mere flight officers, the lowest rank an active pilot can have.
*** In ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'' Antilles briefly regrets having passed up offers of promotion as a Captain running a [[CriticalStaffingShortage short staffed]] frigate takes his frustrations out on him, feeling that if he had a higher rank he could snap back at the Captain.
** Luke Skywalker in Creator/AlanDeanFoster's ''Literature/SplinterOfTheMindsEye''.
--->Luke had no experience with titles, hence no use for them. When the Rebel leaders offered him any reward within their ability to grant, he had asked only to be permitted to continue piloting a fighter in the Alliance's service. Some thought his request unduly modest, but one shrewd general disagreed, explaining how Luke might be more valuable to the Rebellion without a title or commission which, the veteran pointed out to his colleagues, would serve only to make the youth a prime target for Imperial assassination.
*** The rest of the Legends continuity is at odds with that early portrayal, of course. Luke's desire for adventure in the original trilogy includes a desire for advancement; ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheEmpire'' even notes that if Obi-Wan could be a General and a Jedi (before the prequels would clarify how that came to be), why couldn't he? (Later, he resigns after his first battle as a general due to TheChainsOfCommanding).

* ''Literature/CiaphasCain'':
** Downplayed in Cain's case. It's mentioned in [[FootnoteFever a footnote]] in "The Greater Good" that he would more than qualify as a "Lord Commissar" (which is technically a title connoting respect, since the Commissariat is made up of equals and hierarchy is based more on seniority) but refuses to be called such. Downplayed because he still gets the respect and influence either way; he just does it as part of his HumbleHero persona.
** Magos Kildare has far fewer augmentations than her rank would give her access to, which is odd as the Adeptus Mechanicus believe in replacing as much of themselves with machinery as possible. [[spoiler:It's because she was implanted by genestealers years earlier, which an augmetic upgrade or other surgical procedure would reveal]].
** One of Cain's perennial discipline problems says he's uncomfortable with his new rank (obtained after helping Cain defend a police station from genestealer attack). Cain reassures him that he'll probably lose them soon enough, which cheers him up.

* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl: The Opal Deception'', [[HotBlooded Holly]] tries to refuse her upcoming promotion because it would make work more boring. Commander Root talks her out of it, explaining that she'll do more good at a desk job.

* At the end of Creator/TanyaHuff's ''[[Literature/ConfederationOfValor Valor's Choice]]'', the general offers the protagonist Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr [[UpThroughTheRanks a commission as an officer]] for more-or-less singlehandedly getting the Silsviss to join the Confederation. Because she's still pissed about the near-UriahGambit the brass pulled to put her in that position[[note]]They arranged for her Marine company to be shot down in hostile territory and have to hold off blindly aggressive Silsviss adolescents for several days of battle, to prove to the Silsviss that they were worthy allies.[[/note]], she turns him down saying she could never be an officer because [[YouBastard "my parents were married."]] She ''does'', however, accept a RankUp to gunnery sergeant between ''The Better Part of Valor'' and ''The Heart of Valor''.

* In {{Creator/Tom Clancy}}'s novel ''Literature/RedStormRising'', the aging Lieutenant Commander Jerry "The Hammer" O'Malley was a US Navy helicopter pilot who "cared more for his trade than for promotion boards."
* In ''Literature/TheLostFleet'', upon finally returning the fleet to Alliance space, Geary is offered a promotion from Captain all the way to Fleet Admiral, a rank no one has ever held in the history of the Alliance (probably because a good number of admirals dream of overthrowing the civilian leadership). Geary is reluctant, especially since it's highly unorthodox to jump so many ranks. He does, eventually accept, but only on the condition that he be demoted back to Captain after the mission is over. This serves two purposes: it keeps him in command rather than pushing paperwork somewhere in Fleet HQ and [[spoiler:it keeps him the same rank as his LoveInterest, so they can get married]]. He does get promoted to Admiral shortly after the demotion, though, but [[spoiler:they already get married by that point]].
* In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series, refusing promotion in most navies is career suicide - you not only won't get another promotion offer, but you'll be beached as quickly as possible and never hold another position of responsibility again. Lester Tourville instead avoids promotion by being known for such eccentricity that they can't push him beyond rear admiral, because he doesn't want to have to deal with the political shit that being a vice admiral would get him - until [[spoiler: he captures Honor Harrington, who's racked up enough of a legend by then that they pretty much have to promote him]].
** A notable exception is the Osterman Cross, a very high decoration only awarded to enlisted and [=NCO=]s for gallantry in combat. It's always accompanied by the [[UpThroughTheRanks offer of a commission]], which is usually turned down. The navy gracefully accepts that, as they'd have to be crazy to dispense with the services of such a person just because they don't want to be an officer.
** Michelle Henke doesn't explicitly refuse promotion, but there's an understanding that she's to be promoted strictly by seniority, because she's the Queen's cousin and doesn't want to feel like she got her rank by {{nepotism}}. Her personnel jacket says that she's "of superior ability but not prepared to accept accelerated promotion," even in wartime. Finally, Honor (who was her classmate but ''has'' leapfrogged up the ranks) tells her to cut the crap and accept the promotion Honor's giving her, because the navy needs its best people in the top ranks.

* In the ''Literature/MythAdventures'' novel ''M.Y.T.H. Inc in Action'', Guido is bewildered that [[SpringtimeForHitler his attempts at sabotaging the army]] have seen him go from raw recruit to sergeant in a matter of weeks. When the top brass suggest making him an ''officer'', he's had enough, and [[ScrewThisImOutOfHere quits]]. The next chapter opens with him saying that they tried to talk him out of it, but this mostly involved offering him even more promotions.

* In an episode of ''Series/GomerPyleUSMC'' Gomer's unit (all privates) are to take the Corporal's test. Gomer doesn't want to at first because "the Private is the backbone of the Marines" and he ''likes'' being the backbone.
* ''Series/MadamSecretary'': The season 1 finale "There But for the Grace of God" reveals in a {{flashback}} that Liz [=McCord=] chose to retire from the CIA rather than accept a promotion to Baghdad station chief, because it would've meant leaving her husband and three kids for at least a year. Her friend Juliet got the job instead, [[spoiler:implied to be her StartOfDarkness]].
* In the SeasonFinale of ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'', the B-Squad Rangers are offered a promotion to A-Squad. They collectively turn it down, saying that B-Squad is who they are. The A-Squad designation is thereafter retired.
** The original ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'' had an episode focused on [[TheLancer Houji]] being given an assignment to solve a case and gain a promotion to the Tokkyou division of the Space Police. In the end he declines it [[spoiler:out of guilt for having to kill the younger brother of his fiancée, who was the criminal responsible for the crime in question]].
* ''Series/{{Quark}}''. After saving the galaxy from the Gorgons, Quark is offered command of his own starship. However he insists that his crew be promoted with him, as they deserve equal credit. "If they don't go, I don't go." So the Head obliges...by not promoting Quark after all.
* The first episode of ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' has Rebecca not only turn down a promotion at the firm she works for in New York, but quit it altogether to move to California.
* ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'': When Brittas is heading off to Brussels, he offers Laura (his deputy manager) his job as Manager of the Leisure Centre. However, Laura declines since she's pregnant and hoping to move to America with her husband to raise the baby.

* [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars Like Ahsoka Tano 4,000 years later]], in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' CoolOldGuy Jolee Bindo was a Jedi Padawan who became disillusioned with the Order and left despite being offered a promotion to Knight. However their circumstances were opposites; while Ahsoka was upset over being unjustly punished by the Council, Jolee was frustrated that he hadn't been punished at all for going against the Council's wishes and [[CreateYourOwnVillain accidentally raising his wife into a Sith]]. The Jedi Council felt that he had learned his lesson the hard way and forgave him, but Jolee [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame couldn't forgive himself and felt that he was being rewarded for his mistakes]].