History Main / SomeoneHasToDoIt

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E70AGameOfPool A Game of Pool]]", after his death, Fats Brown has to show up and play a game of pool -- to the death -- against anyone who wants to prove he's the best pool player ever. When someone finally beats him, Fats is released, and the guy who beat him takes over.

* In ''ComicBook/FallenAngel'', the city of Bete Noire always has to have a Magistrate, as well as several other necessary positions. Doctor Juris seeks to escape his position as magistrate by handing it over to his successor, [[spoiler:his first-born son, [[TheDescendantsOfCain descendant of Cain]]]] so he can leave Bete Noire forever.

Compare to ThereCanBeOnlyOne. See also SubbingForSanta and KlingonScientistsGetNoRespect.

* Closely related is a disturbing variation from Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/TheHallowedHunt''. The ancient spell [[spoiler:of a bitter, defeated king ''passes on'' his very consciousness to his male descendants. Whenever the current holder dies the king's soul takes possession of his oldest son or closest relative, ''together with the accumulated souls of the unlucky predecessors''. And not even the king himself can do anything against it.]]

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "into every generation a [[TheChosenOne Slayer]] is born." A girl, [[BecauseDestinySaysSo chosen]] from [[spoiler: about 1800 Potential Slayers]], is selected to fight [[TheLegionsOfHell demonic forces]] in order to prevent [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Hell from taking over Earth]]. Once the current Slayer dies, the next [[CallToAdventure takes her place]].

* The Series/DoctorWho serial, ''The Keeper of Traken'', involved a planet where someone had to sit in a control chair to keep the planet running smoothly.

* In the ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' episode "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime", the absurdly strict town of [[MeaningfulName Stueksville]] has apparently only one public defender. It seems the way the job is filled is that if an AmoralAttorney passing through happens to get arrested, the current public defender tries to get their sentence reduced to "public service", in which case the attorney takes over the job and the previous public defender is finally allowed the sweet release of death.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'':
** The episode "A Game of Pool". After his death, Fats Brown has to show up and play a game of pool - to the death - against anyone who wants to prove he's the best pool player ever. When someone finally beats him, Fats is released, and the guy who beat him takes over.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'' episode "The Curious Case of Edgar Witherspoon". A man must maintain a patchwork contraption to keep the world stable. He's eventually replaced by another man who becomes fascinated by the machine.

->''"This world is rotten, and those who are making it rot deserve to die. Someone has to do it, so why not me? Even if it means sacrificing my own mind and soul, it's worth it. Because the world can't go on like this."''
-->-- '''Light Yagami''', ''Manga/DeathNote''

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueAction'', Buster Gold is basically the Time Cop, making sure the timeline is completely safe and stable. One would assume he would brag about how important this job is and milk it, but he honestly never sees the big deal of doing it. When Batman finds out about it and questions why he never said anything about it, Booster Gold sums it up perfectly.

-->--'''Light Yagami''', ''Manga/DeathNote''

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}, the hero goes cuckoo bananas and eventually, with the help of the personification of Entropy, ends the universe. Rick Jones, also somehow existing, persuades Entropy to become the personification of Eternity, a long-established entity within the Marvel Universe. The universe, such as it is, reboots.

* It has been revealed that the Marvel Universe needs three beings to exist, and one of them is ComicBook/{{Galactus}} the world-eater. Very bad things have happened when he is destroyed.
* Similarly, ''ComicBook/JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac'' is only the latest in a long line of "flushers," tasked with guarding a [[SealedEvilInACan waste-lock]] for [[CosmicHorror aggression incarnate]]. Should he die, the universe dies with him, flushing the evil into oblivion. When it reboots, there is a new flusher.
* The first story arc in the 2006 ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' series featured an immortal being who wanted to die, but couldn't unless somebody became immortal in his place. (Unlike the other examples, he wasn't doing any important job, it was just that, by its nature, immortality can not be created or destroyed, only transferred.)
* The Endless of ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' seem to work this way. If one of them is killed, a replacement of some sort will come into being. When questioned about this, and who died if a very similar being appears immediately, a knowledgeable characters answers [[TheNthDoctor "A point of view."]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Podcasts]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In an episode of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Jumanji}}'' animated series, Alan and the kids finally manage to (apparently) kill EgomaniacHunter Van Pelt by luring him into a BottomlessPit. However, Peter ends up transforming into a miniature version of Van Pelt since, according to the latter, "There must always be a Van Pelt. It's the rules of the game." After turning Peter back, the original Van Pelt manages to climb out of the pit somehow, resuming his old job.
* Being the Avatar in ''WesternAnimation/ObanStarRacers''.

-->'''Booster Gold''': It's like, you ever had rats in the attic? so you call a Rat Guy. Look, no one sets out to be the Rat Guy, but somebody has to do it and I do it. I'm Time's Rat Guy.

''"This world is rotten, and those who are making it rot deserve to die. Someone has to do it, so why not me? Even if it means sacrificing my own mind and soul, it's worth it. Because the world can't go on like this."''

* In the MarvelUniverse {{ComicBook/Captain Mar|Vell}}vel, the hero goes cuckoo bananas and eventually, with the help of the personification of Entropy, ends the universe. Rick Jones, also somehow existing, persuades Entropy to become the personification of Eternity, a long-established entity within the Marvel Universe. The universe, such as it is, reboots.

* In one of the endings of ''VideoGame/PrincessMaker 2'', you discover that the post of {{Satan}} passes on to the most fitting mortal should the Lord of Darkness himself ever die. Unfortunately, you only find it out when your daughter kills him and assumes the title.

* If you work at Podcast/''TheMagnusArchives'', you can't quit - the only way out is to die. It's not terribly reassuring to know that it probably won't be a long wait. [[spoiler: Melanie finds a way to TakeAThirdOption by blinding herself, as a person without sight is useless to the Ceaseless Watcher.]]

-->'''Booster Gold''': It's like, you ever had rats in the attic? so you call a Rat Guy, look no one sets out to be the Rat Guy, but somebody has to do it and I do it. I'm Time's Rat Guy.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'' has the Phoenix Oracles, of which there are 42 -- when "killed" they instantly reincarnate in a different location and travel back to one of their temples. There are also the Fae, of whom there are exactly 2,438,165. New Fae can only be born when an existing one chooses to die, apparently due to a finite supply of souls.

[[folder: Web Original ]]
* In the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', there is always an Archmage, he mystical defender of Earth. When the previous Archmage dies, is incapacitated, or gives up his power as Archmage, the next Archmage is chosen immediately and gains all the powers and responsibilities of the office.
[[/folder]]

* The Endless of ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' seem to work this way. If one of them is killed, a replacement of some sort will come into being.