History Main / DutyThatTranscendsDeath

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Following a HeelFaceTurn, [[spoiler:Obito]] [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices his own life to protect Team 7]] from [[spoiler:Kaguya]], after which [[ReducedToDust his body crumbles to ash]]. However, after meeting [[spoiler:[[TheLostLenore Rin]]]] in the afterlife, he decides that there is still one more thing he can do, and [[spoiler:uses Kamui to [[BeyondTheImpossible warp his soul back to the world of the living and lend his chakra to Kakashi]], temporarily granting him his Mangekyo Sharingan and allowing him to use a fully-powered Kamui to assist Team 7 against Kaguya]].

* Toyed with in an episode of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A group of Klingons is willing to let Jadzia Dax out of a pact they made with her [[TheNthDoctor past host]] Curzon, seeing her as a different person than Curzon and thus not bound by Curzon's oath, but Dax herself feels compelled to follow through on the pact anyway.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In "Devil's Alphabet", Grant suggests that he and the other six members of the Devil's Alphabet Society meet every year on November 2 whether they are alive or dead. Although he is entirely serious, the others agree to it without much thought as they don't take it seriously. In 1896, the society discovers that they are being held to the occult bargain that they made 20 years earlier. Shortly after [[DrivenToSuicide committing suicide]], the unseen ghost of Deaver makes his presence at the meeting known by signing his name on the register and drinking the wine poured for him. Over the next two years, five of the other members die from various causes until Frederick is the SoleSurvivor. Frederick proposes to dissolve the society so that the dead may rest. Although Grant initially objects, the motion is passed unanimously.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', [[spoiler:Ulquiorra kills Ichigo during their second fight by [[TorsoWithAView blasting a point-blank Cero Oscuras through his chest]]. [[ForcedToWatch While Orihime is watching]], no less. She desperately attempts to heal Ichigo as she fights off a [[HeroicBSOD mental breakdown]], but between Ichigo's wounds not healing and Ulquiorra mopping the floor with Ishida, Orihime [[MadnessMantra falls back on her default response and cries out for Ichigo to help her]]. Somehow, Ichigo is able to hear her, and [[SuperpoweredEvilSide completely gives in to his Inner Hollow]], which has the side effect of resuscitating his body. The ensuing [[CurbStompBattle onslaught]] against Ulquiorra leaves Orihime terrified, as a Hollowfied Ichigo [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor repeatedly mutters that he will protect her]]]].

* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'', [[spoiler: Bruno Bucciarati]] is killed when [[spoiler:Diavolo has King Crimson punch his fist through Bruno's chest]]. However, thanks to a combination of Giorno's Stand Gold Experience and his own desire to protect Trish, his spirit is able to return to his body and keep going.
* Brook from ''Manga/OnePiece''. He and his original crew died, but he had the power of the Revive-Revive Fruit which gave him the ability to return to life. Unfortunately, it took his soul a year to find his body which had become a skeleton by then. He was then left to drift aimlessly on his ship for fifty years until he was found by the Strawhat Pirates. Why didn't he give up? It was for a baby whale his crew had befriended, Laboon. They had to leave him behind for his own safety, but promised to return to him. Brook does not consider death a good enough excuse for breaking a promise. It goes as far as him protecting his afro-styled hair as that is the only thing still recognizable about him. [[spoiler:Laboon is still alive. The Strawhats met him not long after reaching the Grand Line; in the same place he was told to wait. To say Brook was grateful to be told this would be an understatement.]]

* Even death didn't prevent Professor Binns from teaching history as a ghost at Hogwarts in ''Literature/HarryPotter''. However, it's implied Binns simply [[AchievementsInIgnorance never realized he was dead]].

* PlayedForHorror in ''TabletopGame/MummyTheCurse''. The Arisen are bound by duty, through the Rite of Return, and bestowed of might and durability of Biblical proportion to serve the Judges of Duat. But the bottom line? They are nothing more than tired old ''slaves'' to the whims of their gods, and they can't disobey. As the [[NightmareFuel/HunterTheVigil Nightmare Fuel page]] puts it, they have outlived everything and everyone they ever cared for, to serve otherworldly entities who were their taskmasters in life and demand their servitute ''[[FateWorseThanDeath for all eternity.]]''

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Wiki/RPCAuthority'': [[https://rpcauthority.wikidot.com/rpc-049 RPC-049]] is the ghost of former Site-002 Human Resources archivist Janet Neuman, who continues to do her job even after her death in 1957. She has been nominated for the Site-002 Employee of the Month award every month since 1957, often with significant majority votes. A permanent "Honourary Employee of the Month" plaque has been dedicated to her since 1962.

Subtrope of {{Determinator}}. If the character is an undead, this also becomes a subtrope of UnfinishedBusiness and may overlap with BackupFromOtherworld. See also GhostlyGoals and MurderIntoMalevolence. Compare PurposeDrivenImmortality.

* Even death didn't prevent Professor Binns from teaching history as a ghost at Hogwarts in ''Literature/HarryPotter''. However, it's implied Binns simply [[AchievmentsInIgnorance never realized he was dead]].

* Even death didn't prevent Professor Binns from teaching history as a ghost at Hogwarts in ''Literature/HarryPotter''.

* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/Ducktales2017'': Duckworth was Scrooge [=McDuck=]'s butler, very much dead prior to the show's start, and seemed content to stay that way. This changed when a StageMagician hired for Scrooge's birthday party ''accidentally'' [[AchievementsInIgnorance performed a real summoning ritual]]; Duckworth found himself amongst the living once more, albeit as a ghost capable of interacting with the real world -- and his first instinct is to immediately resume his job as Scrooge's butler, using his ghostly powers to aid in that job.

* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureVentoAureo'', [[spoiler: Bruno Bucciarati]] is killed when [[spoiler:Diavolo has King Crimson punch his fist through Bruno's chest]]. However, thanks to a combination of Giorno's Stand Gold Experience and his own desire to protect Trish, his spirit is able to return to his body and keep going.

* ''Wiki/RPCAuthority'': [[http://rpcauthority.wikidot.com/rpc-049 RPC-049]] is the ghost of former Site-002 Human Resources archivist Janet Neuman, who continues to do her job even after her death in 1957. She has been nominated for the Site-002 Employee of the Month award every month since 1957, often with significant majority votes. A permanent "Honourary Employee of the Month" plaque has been dedicated to her since 1962.

* [[http://rpcauthority.wikidot.com/rpc-049 RPC-049]] is the ghost of former Site-002 Human Resources archivist Janet Neuman, who continues to do her job even after her death in 1957. She has been nominated for the Site-002 Employee of the Month award every month since 1957, often with significant majority votes. A permanent "Honourary Employee of the Month" plaque has been dedicated to her since 1962.

* [[http://rpcauthority.wikidot.com/rpc-049 RPC-049 RPC-049]] is the ghost of former Site-002 Human Resources archivist Janet Neuman, who continues to do her job even after her death in 1957. She has been nominated for the Site-002 Employee of the Month award every month since 1957, often with significant majority votes. A permanent "Honourary Employee of the Month" plaque has been dedicated to her since 1962.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* PlayedWith in the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series: AllDeathsAreFinal, but occasionally, an individual's actions in life impress the spirits of the [[SpiritWorld Fade]] so much, they cross the Veil and possess the dead body, taking on the dead person's identity to carry out their duties. This happens, for instance, to the Grey Warden Kristoff in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'', who dies fighting the Darkspawn but has his corpse taken over by a spirit of justice who carries on the fight.