History Main / GoalInLife

* Erwin and Hange in ''PassionatePragmatism'' want to [[ForHappiness maximize happiness]] for humanity.

* The heroes in ''MysteryTeam'' just want to gain back the respect of the neighborhood... which they haven't had since they were seven.

* ''{{Berserk}}'': Griffith's goal in life--his "dream"--is to become the ruler of his own kingdom. One of his primary character traits is that he'll sacrifice ''anything'' to achieve that dream--and given ''Berserk'''s [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism highly cynical bent]], that leads him to do some [[MoralEventHorizon truly horrific things]].

-->-[[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* A major point in the second OVA of ''SoRaNoWoTo'' where Kanata asks just about every major character what their dreams and goals, all while attempting to figure out what her own is.

[[AC: {{Fanfic}}]]

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Meta}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* ''{{Buffyverse}}'':

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC:VisualNovels]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]
* Most of humanity, both on species-wise and individual levels, has lifelong goals. It may involve trying to expand their world, do as much good to the world, find the answers to life, build a huge freaking tower for building a huge freaking tower's sake. Or just getting drunk and having sex.
----

* [[TheCasanova Graz'zt]] of ''DungeonsAndDragons'' fame has, [[MagnificentBastard understandably]], countless goals in his immortal, infernal life. His true GoalInLife drives all other goals and all other plans, including his eternal war against [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Demogorgon and Orcus]] for the role of Prince of Demons and his [[HellOnEarth plan to absorb a Material Plane world into the Abyss]]. This goal is to unite all the Lower Planes (not just the Abyss) to create a near-impossible army of fiends that he would lead to [[RageAgainstTheHeavens tear down the Upper Planes into multiversal dust in the most glorious blood bath ever to grace reality]]. Which is quite {{Badass}}, if you think about it.
* ''{{Exalted}}'': This is built into the game mechanic itself with Motivation, which gives you extra dice to roll if you do an action that will gets you closer to its fulfillment. Motivation ''must'' be grand. Sample Motivation includes: [[WorldDomination becoming the Empress of Creation]], [[GottaKillThemAll killing every Dragon-blooded]], [[DepravedBisexual shagging all Celestial exalts]]...

* ''{{Buffyverse}}'': Angel's one is to protect Buffy as she assumes the Slayer mantle and, later, to fulfill the Shanshu Prophecy and become human. Angel sometimes deviates from this, for various reasons, among them a belief that his mission is being clouded by self-interest. By the fifth season, his faith wavers to the point of dismissing the Prophecy entirely. In the Series Finale, Angel is forced to literally sign away his chances in the human sweepstakes, nullifying the prophecy with a signature in blood. In the comic continuation, the Senior Partners finally give him a glimpse of the Shanshu Prophecy: Himself standing in an apocalyptic wasteland, grinning like a maniac. Now, Angel's goal is to keep improving the world ''in spite'' of the Prophecy; with luck, the future can be altered. (Unless the Partners were just dicking with him again.)

* Most of humanity, both in species-wise and individual levels, had lifelong goals. It may involve trying to expand their world, do as much good to the world, find the answers to life, build a huge freaking tower for building a huge freaking towers sake. Or just getting drunk and have sex.

* Most of humanity, both in specie-wise and individual level, had lifelong goals. It may involve trying to expand their world, do as much good to the world, find the answers to life, build a huge freaking tower for building a huge freaking towers sake. Or just getting drunk and have sex.

[[AC:{{RealLife}}]]

* Mocked in ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''. Carey asks Lance, [[FlatCharacter whose total personality is based on being the lifeguard]], what his goal in life is. His response? To [[TheDitz grow a dorsal fin and gills]].

* After ten episodes [[spoiler:and several GroundhogDayLoop]] DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife, the eponymous ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' finally find a GoalInLife, [[spoiler:'''SAVING REALITY ITSELF!''']] [[hottip:*:She does so by turning herself into a cosmic law.]]. Since the universe is potentially without end, it's probably the ultimate job security.

* In the universe of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', every young pony dreams of finding their true calling. Once they've found it, an apparently permanent mark appears on their flank, indicating their lifelong destiny.[[hottip:*:It's never mentioned what happens to those who reconsider their goal...]]

Someone who forgets his GoalInLife has suffered MotiveDecay. The MotivationIndex has a few life long goals that a person's GoalInLife maybe expressed through, although not all would qualify, especially if it's not specific enough or too short term. See the related SeriesGoal for the goal of the work in question, instead of an individual character's goal. DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife is for those whose GoalInLife is to ''find'' a GoalInLife.

* Humanity's life long dream: to solve its problems on earth, then just build a huge freaking tower for building a huge freaking towers sake.
** [[FreudWasRight Or just have sex]].

* Wowbagger, the Infinitely Prolonged from TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy has set himself the life goal of insulting the universe. More specifically, he intends to insult every being in it - individually, personally, one at a time, and in alphabetical order. It's not much of a goal, as he'd be the first to admit, but he says it passes the time (which, [[{{Who Wants To Live Forever}} being immortal]], he has a lot of).

* The Vorlon and Shadow Questions in ''BabylonFive'' are all about this. The Vorlons ask "Who are you?" to understand what someone already has and what parts of their past and present define their present outlook (and thus how they can '[[KnightTemplar nurture you]]' to their liking). The Shadows ask "What do you want?" as a way to understand someone's future ambitions, motivations and goals (and thus how they can '[[EvilMentor help you along]]').

* After ten episodes [[spoiler:and several GroundhogDayLoop]] DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife, the eponymous ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' finally find a GoalInLife, [[spoiler:'''SAVING REALITY ITSELF!''']] [[hottip:*:She does so by turning herself into a cosmic law.]]. Since the universe is potentially without end, it's probably the ultimate job security.

** It's technically a special talent rather than a true life goal. For example, Rarity's goal in life is to make dresses. Her special talent is mining and finding expensive gems, so she just vajazzles all her dresses.

* [[TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]] has had frequent "lifelong dreams" parodying the concept, the played straight-est version being when he revealed he's always wanted to own the Dallas Cowboys. He gets started on the road towards Cowboy ownership buy (a) buying Tom Landry's CoolHat from a collectible store and (b) being given the Denver Broncos by a SuperVillain he briefly worked for.

* In the universe of ''WsternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', every young pony dreams of finding their true calling. Once they've found it, an apparently permanent mark appears on their flank, indicating their lifelong destiny.[[hottip:*:It's never mentioned what happens to those who reconsider their goal...]]

* In the universe of ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', every young pony dreams of finding their true calling. Once they've found it, an apparently permanent mark appears on their flank, indicating their lifelong destiny.[[hottip:*:It's never mentioned what happens to those who reconsider their goal...]]