History Main / WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility

In the hands of a poor writer, it is easy for this to turn into a character CursedWithAwesome powers and unable to enjoy them in any way, trapped in a life they didn't choose can easily become YouCantFightFate and HardWorkHardlyWorks, and is usually a one way ticket to {{Wangst}}-Ville. It can also degenerate into the idea that [[PersonalGainHurts benefiting from one's own talents or skills is wrong]], and that [[BystanderSyndrome trying to help others will only end in disaster]], but that you are still [[SamaritanSyndrome obligated to do so]] even knowing that FailureIsTheOnlyOption. The weight of the responsibility of the said great powers is often why heroes have ChronicHeroSyndrome.Â
Â

** Sandry also comes from a noble family and maintains the beliefs that the nobles are obligated to help those less fortunate and powerful than themselves. She sticks to this pretty well, although she does occasionally get a selfish streak.Â

** ArchangelUriel and other angels hint at the idea of this trope. Uriel is one of God's strongest and most dangerous servants. However, as his Duty is the protection of Free Will, then respecting the choices mortals make, even if they are crimes of horrendous evil or just stupid, must be respected. Uriel states he has the power to destroy galaxies, but when a mortal villain mouths off to him and flick the angel's nose, Uriel can only stand still.Â

** Stevie Rae doesn't use her powers to "rule the world or anything crazy like that", because of this trope. Stevie Rae also reads comic books.Â

* ''Literature/JurassicPark'': [[https://stjohns-chs.org/english/Seventeenth/jur.html Ian Malcolm talks about how a hypothetical martial artist, by the time he can kill someone with his bare hands, should also have learned the wisdom not to do so recklessly]]. He says that most other forms of power are similar. He then compares it to science, which allows people "to stand on the shoulders of giants" without developing the necessary wisdom. [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/quotes/qt1464414 The film had a similar speech]], though it could be summarized by the lineÂ

* Sarah in ''Literature/TalesOfAnMazingGirl'' feels it gives her awesome powers. However, it cuts around into her lounging around time.Â

* In Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'', played with. Lucy uses her access to cast a spell to find out what your friends think of you, but when Aslan rebukes her, it is not for the personal gain, but the eavesdropping. He explicitly says that spying on people by magical means is still spying. So with great power comes -- more chances to do things that would be wrong regardless of how you do them.Â

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Franchise/SpiderMan Where it]] [[ComicBook/AmazingFantasyNumberFifteen all began.]]]]Â

* The reason Creator/RudyardKipling's controversial poem "The White Man's Burden" falls under the heading of FairForItsDay is that while culturally supremacist, it still acknowledges that Westerners owe other peoples respect.Â

* Mentioned in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', but only under rather specific circumstances -- [[spoiler:if you kill Papyrus, but aren't going full KillEmAll, Sans will meet you in the Last Corridor and insinuate he knows about your SaveScumming, and ask if you have a special power, doesn't that mean you also have a responsibility to do the right thing? Regardless of what your response is, it leads to him calling you out for killing Papyrus]].Â

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Cool Hand Peter", Peter, Joe, Quagmire, and (a visiting) Cleveland decide to take a road trip down south to get away from their wives for a bit. While traveling, they're pulled over by a CorruptHick who arrests them on trumped-up charges simply because Cleveland is black. When it looks like their stay in prison may be indefinite, the gang opts to escape on their own, back to Quahog. When they arrive, it turns out the police force followed them, only for Joe to reveal that he anticipated this and called in Quahog's police force. The episode ends when Joe gives a speech.Â

* Poor President Bartlet from ''Series/TheWestWing'' has a very strong sense of this trope that invariably leads to enormousÂ

* {{Reconstructed}} in ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}:'' The Madrigals were given a "[[RandomlyGifted miracle]]" where everyone born into the family gets a magical power ([[MuggleBornOfMages well, except Mirabel]]). They use their skills to help everyone in town, with [[TheMatriarch Alma]] specifically stating that they strive to ''earn'' the gift that they were given. Over the course of the movie, however, it becomes clear that several family members are pushing themselves too hard for the sake of what others expect of them. By the end, everyone comes to accept a healthier version of this trope, while their {{Muggle}} neighbors make clear that they value them [[spoiler:even after they get {{De Power}}ed]]. Â

* Poor President Bartlet from ''Series/TheWestWing'' has a very strong sense of this trope that invariably leads to enormous guilt, to the point of declaring that he would not be able to stomach the prospect of remaining President if he ever walked willingly to a bunker during a crisis. The trope was not just limited to his personal feelings: it screwed him over badly on numerous occasions, most sadistically in the third season finale, because it's part of his ''job''.Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Religion]]Â
* Literature/TheBible in the Parable of the Faithful Servant: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]Â
* Divine spellcasters in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' make this a game mechanic: in exchange for their powers, they are required to use them in ways that advance (or at least do not conflict with) a given cause, typically a deity or religion. ThePaladin is an extreme example of this, losing their divinely granted powers instantly if they violate their code of conduct (or sacred oath in 5th Edition D&D).Â
* ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression'' calls its KarmaMeter "Obligation". High Obligation, you're a ReasonableAuthorityFigure and ScienceHero. Low Obligation, you're either a cackling lunatic or Mengele. The Peerage's view on it subverts it slightly; you ''do'' have a responsibility, but it's a responsibility to keep your head down, remain quiet, and don't do anything too insane. To them, a Genius trying to help has the risk of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters getting carried away]] and having [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans weird ideas on what helping means]].Â
* ''TabletopGame/{{Ironclaw}}'s'' section on [[WildMagic Necromancy]] states "with unlimited power comes unlimited irresponsibility."Â
* In the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'':Â
** {{Muggles}} can win free points on the KarmaMeter for exceptional acts of heroism, whereas the various supernatural splats always have to spend ExperiencePoints for the same. This is explicitly explained as a responsibility of the powerful to tend to the well-being of their souls.Â
** ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'':Â
*** The KarmaMeter is enforced more harshly for mages than for {{Muggles}}. Mages are blocked from the highest levels of Wisdom just for using magic for its MundaneUtility, a MagicMisfire is worse for low-Wisdom mages, and [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Spirits]] dislike low-Wisdom mages on sight.Â
*** Mages need to be careful about the spells they cast because flagrantly throwing around extremely obvious magic threatens the various MagicMisfire incidents of Paradox.Â
*** This belief is what separates the Silver Ladder from the [[AncientConspiracy Seers of the Throne]]. The Silver Ladder believes they're supposed to rule over [[{{Muggles}} Sleepers]], but that this rulership is for the Sleepers' good -- they're supposed to guide Sleepers towards enlightenment and generally rule well. Seers don't believe that control over Sleepers has any real responsibilities apart from not spooking the herd and abuse both mystical and manipulative power for personal gain on a grimly regular basis.Â
* In ''Sparks of Light'', one of the issues suffered by the Light is the question of "grey magic," or the use of the Light for personal benefit (ranging from using the Light to refresh yourself after an all-night study session, to rigging the stock market in your favor). The Courts of Light say "don't do that, ever," but no magical girl obeys that rule perfectly (and the Courts don't have any means of strictly enforcing it). The Twilight Courts broke away from the Light because they saw the Light's position as LawfulStupid. However, there's a reason for the rules, because there ''is'' a slippery slope to worry about, and a lot of Twilight girls eventually fall to the Dark.Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Video Games]]Â
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' and ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII II]]'' both deconstruct the eponymous BadassCreed, "Nothing is true; everything is permitted." Ezio, and Altair after CharacterDevelopment, remark that the Creed essentially is just an AntiNihilist repudiation of the concept of "natural law": the only codes of conduct that exist are the ones that human societies choose to impose on themselves for civilizations to exist, and thus the onus is entirely on individual people to act ''wisely''.Â
* In ''VideoGame/AtelierMeruruTheApprenticeOfArland'', [[spoiler:Meruru and the Masked G will [[ConversedTrope have a discussion]] about this if the player qualifies for the requirements of the Strongest Princess ending. Meruru is excited about being the "strongest princess," but comes to wonder just what power is and why it is or isn't important]].Â
* In ''VideoGame/AtelierFirisTheAlchemistAndTheMysteriousJourney'', after Ilmeria decides [[spoiler:to open an atelier of her own]] and sends a letter to her parents informing them of such, she receives a letter back stating that [[spoiler:alchemy brings great power, so wielding it without purpose would be a foolish thing to do. However, by choosing her path, she has become a respectable alchemist]].Â
* ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'':Â
** The Outsider grants his gifts of magic to people purely because he finds them interesting and wants to see what they'd do with an extra catalyst. He even tells Corvo outright that what he chooses to do with his newfound powers is entirely up to him.Â
** In a meta sense, Corvo's (and the player's) actions throughout the game drastically alter the tone of the setting. It could thus be said that this trope is the entire game's [[AnAesop moral]].Â
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', this was how the hero's father, Malcolm, viewed being a mage.Â
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has [[TeamMom Wynne]] asking the PC point-blank what it means to be a Grey Warden, and the rest of the conversation is more or less Wynne's Uncle Ben moment.Â
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/DriverSanFrancisco''. Chapter 1 is even called ''With great power...'' but the first thing Tanner does with his ability to BodySurf into the drivers of other vehicles is gleefully abuse said power with precisely zero repercussions.Â
* In Lament Mirror in the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 UpdatedRerelease of ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'', Salsa is alone with Frederic and hankering for some food. She asks Frederic why he doesn't use his magic powers to magic up a steak for them. He replies that "Magic is not a tool of convenience," and continues that even if such a thing were possible, their first thought should be of the children starving in the cities. Salsa is not persuaded by this logical argument and breaks down in a tantrum, causing Frederic to FacePalm.Â
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'':Â
** The core tenet of the Circle of Knowing and its successor organization, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn is that those with power and knowledge must wield it to better the lives of others. All of the Scions as of the 2.0 relaunch are staunchly devoted to making the world a better place by helping to defeat the threat of the Ascians and primal summonings despite having nothing to gain from it and often suffering for it.Â
--->'''Louisoix:''' To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom─it is indolence.Â
** The Company of Heroes's creed is that it's the duty of the strong to protect the weak. It's because the members of the Company are elite soldiers and heroes who possess strength far above most men that they're obligated to protect those weaker than them. This is why the surviving members of Company have taken up positions as bodyguards and protectors rather than continuing to peddle their trade as sellswords.Â
** The story examines this in regards to [[TheHero the Warrior of Light]] in particular.Â
*** In the Level 80 Summoner quest, Jajasamu asks the Warrior how they feel about constantly being at the front of the battle against primal summonings. The Warrior can respond by saying that [[GoodFeelsGood they're happy to be of service]] or say that it's just the way of things of things. As someone with the Echo and the ability to defeat primals, they feel obligated to help.Â
*** The Dark Knight questline also examines the Warrior's feelings of duty and the burdens associated with their title. [[spoiler:Fray, the embodiment of their buried resentments against those who have taken advantage of them as well as their self-love and self-esteem, rants and raves about how the Warrior shouldn't have to risk their life for others. Meanwhile, Myste, the embodiment of their grief and regret over the people they've killed and failed to save, implies that a part of the Warrior would like nothing more than to deny it all happened.]] Despite this, the [[WhatYouAreInTheDark Warrior refuses to forsake their responsibilities]] because [[SamaritanSyndrome even worse tragedies await should they lose the will to fight.]]Â
* In ''Videogame/{{Geneforge}}'', this is a major theme of the Shapers. While they're not good guys (GrayAndGreyMorality rules the roost), they know exactly how dangerous Shaping is, and while they ''use'' this technology as the basis of their civilization, they consider containment procedures and keeping Shaping under control to be just as important as continuing to develop the art for the good of their people. Their black labs have security procedures that make the CDC look lax, and they forbid the use of [[UpgradeArtifact Upgrade Artifacts]] because a core element of their philosophy is that developing one's power naturally means developing the ''discipline'' to use this power wisely while giving power to amateurs before they're ready will lead to chaos.Â
* In ''VideoGame/TheGodfather'' game, Tom Hagen tells you as Aldo Trapani that becoming Capo is an honor that comes with great responsibility, should you speak with him immediately after the promotion cutscene. Given that Aldo's at best a SociopathicHero and at worst an out-and-out VillainProtagonist, though, one wonders if there was meant to be any moral behind it...Â
* Cole from ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS}}''. And everything [[BigBad Kessler]] puts you through? [[spoiler:Preparation for when the shit hits the fan]]. Of course, with the game's [[KarmaMeter moral choice system]], it's up to the player whether or not Cole embraces this trope or if he rejects it and is only looking out for himself.Â
* Learning this is part of Good Delsin's CharacterDevelopment in ''VideoGame/InFAMOUSSecondSon''.Â
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', it's noted at multiple points that the [[TheChosenMany Chosen Ones]] who become Mega Men have the potential to change the very state of the world with the power of their Biometals. The heroes are the ones who choose to use that power to protect the innocent from Mavericks to keep them from suffering [[DoomedHometown the same fates their loved ones suffered]] or for the sakes of those who helped them when no one else would, while most of the villains want to use their powers [[WellIntentionedExtremist to rule the world and institute their brands of order on it because of their past traumas]].Â
* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', Athena was driven to become a lawyer because her [[SuperHearing powers]] showed her that a guy being hauled away for murder was innocent. She was about nine years old at the time.Â
* Spoofed in ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}''. After Ford Crueller teaches Raz how to use pyrokinesis, he tells him not to use it unless it's REALLY important, or unless it's REALLY funny. The dev team ensured it would [[RuleOfFunny always be funny]], [[strike:encouraging]] guaranteeing a [[IncrediblyLamePun flagrant]] [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential abuse of the power]].Â
* In ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', when Saradomin first achieved godhood, he became drunk with power, destroyed a city, and almost wiped out an entire sapient species because they were pacifists who chose not to worship or side with him during the ancient God Wars. He now regrets his violent actions and calls them [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failures]].Â
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraft'', [[DefiedTrope defying this trope]] is the entire motivation of the ultimate BigBad of the series. [[spoiler:Amon enjoyed the power that came with becoming a Xel'Naga but balked when he realized that the Xel'Naga aren't gods, but shepherds]].Â
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': Sith Inquisitor companion Ashara Zavros, formerly a Jedi Padawan, criticizes a revered Jedi Master for [[WhileRomeBurns living in meditative seclusion while the galaxy is torn apart by war]], but also takes note that in contrast to the Jedi Code, the Sith Code is more of a ''description'' of how Sith view the Force than an ''instruction'' on how to act. She argues that since she and the Inquisitor have these powers, they should be using them to help end the galaxy's suffering.Â
* Mentioned in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', but only under rather specific circumstances -- [[spoiler:if you kill Papyrus, but aren't going full KillEmAll, Sans will meet you in the Last Corridor and insinuate he knows about your SaveScumming, and ask if you have a special power, doesn't that mean you also have a responsibility to do the right thing? Regardless of what your response is, it leads to him calling you out for killing Papyrus]].Â
* Mentioned during King Terenas' voiceover about his son Arthas in the ''[[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Wrath Of the Lich King]]'' intro. Note that by this time, Arthas has long since done a FaceHeelTurn, and this line is juxtaposed against Arthas resurrecting an undead dragon.Â
-->"Our line has always ruled with wisdom and strength. I know you will show restraint when exercising your great power."Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Webcomics]]Â
* ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' is set in an RPGMechanicsVerse where this trope is a game mechanic: "Commander" units feel a sense of "Duty", which motivates them to use their talents for the betterment of their Faction, even to the point of enabling a ZerothLawRebellion if they doubt their Ruler's ability to act in their Faction's best interests.Â
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'': The "responsibility" part is why [[https://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01733.htm Sam doesn't want to hold Florence's remote control and "reset" scent vial]].Â
-->'''[[UpliftedAnimal Florence]]:''' Don't you want to keep these?\\Â
'''[[LoveableRogue Sam]]:''' Heck, no. With great power comes great responsibility, and who wants that?Â
* ''Webcomic/JupiterMen'': Once he starts getting the hang of his abilities, Quintin becomes convinced that he and Jackie [[TheChosenOne have been chosen]] to use their powers for the greater good of mankind like Jupiter-Man. After he and Jackie stop a mugger, Quintin is eager to do it again.Â
* In ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'', Misho was a Solar of the First Age, and therefore one of the rulers of Creation. Unlike many of his brethren, he ruled wisely and well. However, one day he saw the Loom of Fate, and due to his [[EideticMemory perfect memory]], he could never forget it. He spent the rest of his First Age incarnation working non-stop since with his power he knew every single second of his time could save hundreds of lives. It's implied that when the [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Usurpation]] came he didn't even notice until he was actually ''killed''.Â
* ''Webcomic/LadySpectraAndSparky'': After promising her husband that she won't let their inventions fall into the hands of the military, Lady Spectra decides to use them to become a superhero instead.Â
* In ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'', Mob has an incredibly mundane, mediocre life...and god-like PsychicPowers. However, he almost never uses his powers because when he was younger, his future mentor Reigen told him that he shouldn't ever view himself as superior to ordinary people, and that misusing his abilities would be like misusing a knife (but on a much grander scale). An early story arc introduces a ShadowArchetype character who does use his powers to rule his school; [[spoiler:after getting [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] by Mob, he undergoes a HeelFaceTurn and becomes much more humble]].Â
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' parodies it.Â
-->'''Elan''': "With moderate power comes moderate responsibility."Â
* Those with [[ElementalPowers powers]] in ''Webcomic/{{Pacificators}}'' are forced to either train and become T-Pacificators, or be labeled as renegades. There's no TakeAThirdOption at all.Â
* ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'': Isaac brings Max with him to a secret location and gets a surprisingly effective speech considering it's [[https://www.paranatural.net/index.php?id=139/ coming from someone with a doorknob for a face]].Â
* Inverted in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' by the [=AnthroPCs=] which are [[https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=668 fine with having no civil rights]] because having power would mean having to take responsibility ForTheLulz. Given how most of them seem free to run around doing whatever they please instead of serving as an actual computer, it seems like they've gotten the better part of the deal.Â
** Also, Hannelore points out that [[CorruptCorporateExecutive her mom]] could have never gotten to where she was as a businesswoman if she believed that.Â
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' sees [[DeusEstMachina Petey]] say this to the Rev (who identifies it as "the Gospel of Uncle Benjamin"). Given that Petey's put himself in charge of a defensive war, and understands that (directly) helping his friends can impact it even indirectly, he seems to believe it.Â
* This is ultimately [[https://www.spinnyverse.com/comic/07-18-2011 what drove Tiger to choose heroics over his family]] in ''WebComic/{{Spinnerette}}''. After his wife learned about his secret patrols as the hero Tiger, his wife made him promise to stop, out of fear that it would end up getting him killed. Later, [[KidAmidstTheChaos the school his daughters attended had been attacked by a gunman]]. While his daughters turned out to be safe, they admonished him for not taking up the mantle of Tiger to try and save the victims. He couldn't help but agree with them, even as his wife threatened to divorce him if he tried to be a hero again.Â
* ''Webcomic/{{Unordinary}}'': John is an advocate of this and expresses to Sera that he wishes that those with abilities would use them to protect the weak rather than oppress them. [[spoiler: After Sera confronts him about him being Joker, he declares that he doesn't believe that, which rattles her deeply]].Â
* Parodied in ''Webcomic/{{XKCD}}'': German physicist Georg Ohm [[https://xkcd.com/643/ never forgot]] the words of his dying uncle who told him, "With great Power comes Great Current squared times Resistance" and crafted that wisdom into the foundation of modern electrical engineering. Translated, that means that with high levels of Power one has the Responsibility to deal with the waste heat if one doesn't want their device to burn up.Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Web Originals]]Â
* WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall mocks this whenever it is encounter. "That's right people, don't have anything unique or special about you, perhaps it's not 'normal.'"Â
* ''Roleplay/{{Glowfic}}'' has some form of this/plays with this trope somehow.Â
** Bells use their power to give themselves all kinds of neat perks, such as TheNeedless and LivingLieDetector and ResurrectiveImmortality and such but they also always without exception use their FunctionalMagic or other AppliedPhlebotinum to improve worlds/people's lives, for example terraforming mars and setting up portals to it and filling it with houses and free magical healing items and free food replicators, and they fix malaria and persuade everyone around them with any power to do the same.Â
* ''Blog/HowToHero'' riffs on this concept when the guide reminds its readers that "if you’ve got great powers you’re morally responsible to do lots of good stuff with them." The parenthetical voice then asks any readers with a catchier way of saying that to send them a telegram.Â
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Lots of examples, including the headmistress of [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]], but Stormwolf (Adam Ironknife) is probably the best example. He's so devoted to the concepts of justice and law that he's letting bad stuff happen because he doesn't have proof of it. Also, every single person in the school club Future Superheroes of America is this way by definition.Â
** On the other hand, all of Team Kimba use their powers to make their lives easier, doing everything from Fey magically drying her long hair every morning, to Generator using her powers to earn money working in the Whateley Academy sewers.Â
** While Phase has few compunctions about using his powers to benefit himself through MundaneUtility, he is also ''very'' self-conscious about both the risks of misusing them and obligation to use them constructively, to the level of ChronicHeroSyndrome at times. While he explicitly denies wanting to be a superhero, he's been called out at least once for espousing this position in [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness a lot more words]].Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Western Animation]]Â
* ZigZagged in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10''. Ben uses the Omnitrix for personal gain or personal amusement every chance he gets. His immaturity, however, [[PersonalGainHurts usually brings about the worst possible result]]. However, [[MoralityPet Grandpa Max's influence]] and [[WhatYouAreInTheDark his own moral fortitude]] ensured his childish shenanigans never became anything more than victimless crimes, especially after meeting his EvilCounterpart Kevin 11 who essentially lived by ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers. By ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' he's grown past it and embraced this trope fully. [[HeelFaceTurn Kevin too]], but [[AntiHero to a lesser extent]].Â
** ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' features a Ben from Dimension 23, where Grandpa Max died before he got the Omnitrix. Because of this, Ben never learned there were both good and bad aliens and assumed all aliens were "haters". It takes the prime universe Ben and Dimension 23 Azimuth to set him straight.Â
* In ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', Danny has occasionally used his powers to retaliate against bullies. However, when he lays on Dash, he comes to regret it when a nerdish ghost confuses him as a bully.Â
** Danny using his powers for ''any'' [[AmbitionIsEvil personal gain]] [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin never works out well]] and sometimes [[NiceJobBreakingItHero puts Amity Park and its people in world-ending danger]]. One possible future that he created by cheating on an ersatz SAT led to his friends and family being killed in an extremely unlikely accident... because his English teacher wanted to make a point. Danny himself being the sole survivor wound up having his ghost half turned into a monster who killed his human half and began a ten-year reign of terror. Half-averted with Vlad Masters/Vlad Plasmius who used his powers to amass a fortune through clearly unethical means... and half-played straight in that he's a lonely and bitter man who wants to be loved. Well, that's what he says as he tries to repeatedly kill Jack Fenton and endangers innocent people regularly. You would think Vlad alone would be enough of an example to not need the other Aesops, but Danny can be an IdiotHero on occasion.Â
* On ''WesternAnimation/EllaTheElephant'', Ella can use her magic hat to help others, but it will start acting funny and not work properly if she tries to use it to do something like getting out of doing work.Â
* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Cool Hand Peter", Peter, Joe, Quagmire, and (a visiting) Cleveland decide to take a road trip down south to get away from their wives for a bit. While traveling, they're pulled over by a CorruptHick who arrests them on trumped-up charges simply because Cleveland is black. When it looks like their stay in prison may be indefinite, the gang opts to escape on their own, back to Quahog. When they arrive, it turns out the police force followed them, only for Joe to reveal that he anticipated this and called in Quahog's police force. The episode ends when Joe gives a speech.Â
-->'''Joe:''' You took an oath, just the same as me, Sheriff. To protect and serve, not to harass and douche. Just because you have a badge doesn't mean you can treat people any way you like, and as a law enforcement professional, you have an obligation to be more ethically upstanding than the average man, not less. ''Now get the hell out of my town!''Â
* The Canadian short ''WesternAnimation/HotStuff'' is about the responsibility of using fire and what could happen if one's careless with it.Â
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' has [[BadassNormal no superhuman abilities]], but her ability to call in favors comes close. She can usually line up global transport and any needed equipment from people she had helped in the past, at any hour of the day, to anywhere on Earth. She is reluctant to use it for her gain from an ethical standpoint, but in a more practical sense, she knows that abusing this ability might make it go away since it's tied to her character and reputation.Â
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' establishes that the Avatar Cycle exists primarily because Wan dedicated himself to protecting the world.Â
* [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E10PrincessSpike S5E10]] of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has Spike attempting to let Princess Twilight have a few hours of sleep after being up for several days in a row. As a result, he ends up making decisions in her name, eventually calling himself [[TitleDrop Princess Spike]]. Only near the end, after he had been warned by Princess Cadance, does Spike realize the consequences of his decisions, as the room where the convention was supposed to take place is completely flooded thanks to something that Spike wanted to be done later.Â
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirlsMovie'', which is a detailed telling of their OriginStory, the girls learn the hard way what using their full power recklessly can do to an innocent town; a game of tag wrecks many buildings and streets, and generally panic the citizens. In the end, the message is subverted, and by the time of the series, the ridiculously large amount of collateral damage the girls wreak on Townsville is [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight accepted by everyone]] as the cost of safety.Â
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'': Bow learned this lesson when he abused the power of a wand he took from Shadow Weaver in "Bow's Magical Gift". However, the biggest problem wasn't how he used the power but how often he used it.Â
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': while the main Aesop of "Lightsaber Lost" is about patience, it also touches on responsibility -- Ahsoka's lightsaber is pickpocketed off her at the start of the episode and she's worried what the criminal who took it could do with it as a result of her carelessness, and the episode culminates with said criminal taking civilians hostage with the lightsaber at their throats. Ahsoka is brought to a Jedi youngling class at the end of the episode to pass this lesson on to the children.Â
* On two occasions in ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'', Mario and Luigi have a chance to return to their home in New York. They end up going back to the Mushroom Kingdom however when they realize that King Koopa would seize the opportunity to cause trouble (once in the Mushroom Kingdom and once in their world). Also both times, they offer the Princess a chance to go with them, she firmly declines due to her responsibility to her people.Â
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' episode "The Stone Of Threbe", the girls have trouble getting the smelly character Blunk to take a bath, so they decide to transform to make it easier to catch him. A few minutes after doing so, their powers are stripped away by a side-effect of the [[PlotCoupon Stone of Threbe's]] presence, and they spend the rest of the episode wishing they'd used their powers more responsibly. The loss of the girls' powers isn't directly related to their misuse, but it seems like [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin Karma chose to bite them in the butt]].Â
** Which leads to FridgeLogic and a BrokenAesop since cleaning Blunk up was supposed to keep his stink from hurting Hay Lin's family-owned restaurant's business; since the restaurant's basement acts as the Guardian's HQ and Hay's grandmother/WITCH's mentor lives there it's in the best interests of the ''entire universe'' that it stay open. Karma does pay them back at the end when Blunk [[spoiler: rolls into a car wash and gets clean]].Â
** The girls usually experience similar cosmic backlash when they [[MesACrowd use their Astral Drop clones to make life a bit easier for them]]. In the third volume of the original comic, overuse of the Astral Drops leads to the girls' lives getting wrecked for a while, while in the second season animated series episode "H is for Hunted", Nerissa uses her powers to make one of Will's Astral Drops a living, breathing person... with [[TearJerker heartrending consequences]].Â
*** Also in "H is for Hunted" they transform to decorate their gym for the farewell party of one of their teachers and mostly get away with it, though they do come close to getting caught. The more realistic Aesop ("Don't neglect your responsibilities") is mixed in with the FantasticAesop fairly well and the Astral Drops are not used at all for the rest of the season, though more likely because of Nerissa's ability instead of the girls learning their lesson.Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â
[[folder:Real Life]]Â
* The doctrine of ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noblesse_oblige noblesse oblige]]'' teaches that the wealthy and powerful are expected to hold themselves to a higher standard and contribute more to society than those in less powerful or less fortunate positions.Â
* Used as a quote in an official U.S. Department of Justice press release by Manny Muriel, the Special Agent in Charge of the IRS' Criminal Division, when announcing the 5.5-year prison sentence of former Detroit-area trash hauling CEO Charles B. Rizzo on conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges.Â
-->With power comes great responsibility. When you willingly choose to use your power to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars and commit bribery, know that IRS-CI will be there to hold you accountable. [[IncrediblyLamePun IRS-CI Special Agents will comb through any rubbish to find evidence of a crime]] -- in this case, shell companies and phony legal settlement agreements, especially one as egregious and offensive as this.Â
[[/folder]]Â
----Â
->''"[[Music/WeirdAlYankovic If you missed it, don't worry\\Â
They'll say the line\\Â
Again and again and again]]"''Â

* Literature/TheBible in the Parable of the Faithful Servant: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."Â

** ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' features a Ben from Dimension 23, where Grandpa Max died before he got the Omnitrix. Because of this, Ben never learned there were both good and bad aliens and assumed all aliens were "haters". It takes the prime universe ben and Dimension 23 Azimuth to set him straight.Â

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' both subverts and averts this trope. While there are heroes who become heroes for the sake of protecting people and society, most heroes become heroes for fame, money and recognition, thinking it's no different than being a pop culture icon. It's for the latter reasons that motivates the Hero Killer Stain as he believes being a hero has become too tainted by "fakers". The League of Villains uses Stain's motivation as a stepping stone for their own plans.Â

-->With power comes great responsibility. When you willingly choose to use your power to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars and commit bribery, know that IRS-CI will be there to hold you accountable. [[IncrediblyLamePun IRS -- CI Special Agents will comb through any rubbish to find evidence of a crime]] -- in this case, shell companies and phony legal settlement agreements, especially one as egregious and offensive as this.Â

** Jake also notes in MM3 that their power traps them in a bind: they have enough power to fight and make them responsible, but they don't have enough power to actually ''win''.Â

--> Dhugal, I may have access to more and other kinds of power than most men, but I must answer for the use of that power to the same God and king that you do -- or that any of the priests and bishops do -- and to my conscience as well, which can be a far sterner taskmaster. Because I've been given far greater abilities, I've had to contend with far greater responsibilities. I didn't ask for them, but I have them. All I can do is serve the best way I ''know'' how.Â

--> Here am I, Lord:\\Â

--> '''[[spoiler: Micchy]]''': What was that you were always droning about? Noblesse oblige? That the most gifted should be the first to sacrifice. In that was true nobility. What is "nobility" then? To get hurt for others' sake, to let them use you... You expect anyone to be happy about that?Â

* Creator/{{Voltaire}} came up with the quote, making him the TropeNamer despite the iconic usage of the quote in ''Spider-Man'' being far more well-known. This mantra is often used on forums to explain how its leaders should act.Â

* The philosophy of UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} devised by Creator/AynRand specifically defies this trope. Objectivism defines the pursuit of one's material self-interest (without ever resorting to "force, fraud, or coercion") as morally good, and defines things which prevent people from doing so (such as the "oppressive" idea that you should act to save the lives of others when you do not want to do that) as evil. To an Objectivist, one's degree of power does not alter this fundamental moral principle: with power, comes no responsibility to do anything but [[ItsAllAboutMe advance your material greed]] without resorting to "force, fraud, or coercion": [[Literature/AtlasShrugged "I swear ... that I will never live for the sake of another man, *nor ask another man to live for mine*"]] establishes that ''everyone'' has the same and no greater responsibility than to seek their self-interest without violating the rights of others.Â
* The [[UsefulNotes/EconomicTheories political-economic doctrine]] of Social Darwinism also defies this trope, saying that when everyone acts selfishly and the government does not force the powerful to help the weak (through taxing them to provide public education, road works, healthcare, etc) and allows the powerful to prey upon the weak (through charging them rents for housing, utilities, transport, etc), the 'Invisible Hand' of 'The Free Market' perfectly ensures that the objectively 'valuable' and hardworking people in society become powerful/rich and the 'worthless' and lazy become weak/poor. In other words, Social Darwinism claims that when 'government gets out of the market' then the world operates according to LaserGuidedKarma. This lesson is evil in the eyes of Social Darwinism because there is no such thing as "the undeserving poor": the 'Invisible Hand' perfectly allocates wealth, so poor people are poor because they are morally bankrupt and/or objectively worthless to the economy. Preventing the so-called "needy" from dying only hurts the economy and society as a whole.Â
* A speech by UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill at [[UsefulNotes/IvyLeague Harvard University]] in 1943 included the line "The price of greatness is responsibility", which is close enough to the Spider-Man line to make one wonder if Stan Lee might not have come across that quote when creating Spider-Man.Â
* Soldiers, police officers, judges, and others in similar positions are often required to swear oaths to never abuse their powers. This does not prevent said powers from being abused either with or without official sanction.Â
* Any weapons or combat sports class will drill into their students' heads that they must use their skills and tools safely and responsibly. As noted in the ''Literature'' folder above, martial artists are trained from Day 1 to only use their powers in self-defense and defense of others, and the Eastern martial arts especially place great value on discipline and honorable actions. As with the example above, however, that's not to say that there aren't unfortunate instances of the ArrogantKungFuGuy in real life.Â
* The opinion of the Supreme Court in ''Kimble v. [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel Entertainment, LLC]]'', 576 U.S. ___ (2015), invalidating a licensing agreement related to a Spider-Man toy since the underlying patent expired, quoted the line word for word in its conclusion:Â
-->What we can decide, we can undecide. But ''stare decisis'' teaches that we should exercise that authority sparingly. Cf. S. Lee and S. Ditko, Amazing Fantasy No. 15: "Spider-Man," p. 13 (1962) ("[I]n this world, with great power there must also come -- great responsibility").Â
* Parenting is a mundane but common expression of this. You made (or adopted) a kid -- that's great! You have a HUGE degree of power over this younger, smaller person. However, with all that power comes a responsibility to make sure their physical and psychological needs are met and that they develop into independent, capable, socially functional, and morally upstanding people capable of taking care of themselves and being considerate of others throughout the next (at least) twenty years: In effect, you have ''the responsibility to develop your child into the best person you can make them be''.Â
* Adulthood itself is another mundane example. Yes, you have the freedom to do a lot of things you can't do as a kid, but for the vast majority of people, you need to hold down a job to pay to do these fun things. Or even for the basic things like electricity, food, or to keep a roof over your head -- a large part of adults spend their time working just to pay for things taken for granted. You can gorge yourself on junk food as much as you want, but you have to be aware of the risks to health by repeatedly doing so. Failing to meet one's responsibilities can lead to serious financial, legal, or health issues.Â

* In certain situations and under certain legal codes, being in a position of power means you are held to a higher standard for people under you than a bystander. In the US, a random person who sees someone needing rescue but does nothing to help is generally not required to try to save them. However, if a parent sees their child in distress, or a captain sees one of their crewmates/passengers in distress they are legally obligated to try and do something to help. Otherwise, they can be sued or even charged with a crime for doing nothing.Â

* In ''Manga/MobPsycho100'', Mob has an incredibly mundane, mediocre life...and god-like PsychicPowers. However, he almost never uses his powers because when he was younger, his future mentor Reigen told him that he shouldn't ever view himself as superior to ordinary people, and that misusing his abilities would be like misusing a knife (but on a much grander scale). An early story arc introduces a ShadowArchetype character who does use his powers to rule his school; [[spoiler:After getting [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] by Mob, he undergoes a HeelFaceTurn and becomes much more humble]].Â

--->'''[[UpliftedAnimal Florence]]:''' Don't you want to keep these?\\Â

* After promising her husband that she won't let their inventions fall into the hands of the military, [[Webcomic/LadySpectraAndSparky Lady Spectra]] decides to use them to become a superhero instead.Â

* ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'' Isaac brings Max with him to a secret location and gets a surprisingly effective speech considering it's [[https://www.paranatural.net/index.php?id=139/ coming from someone with a doorknob for a face]].Â

* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'':Â
** Black Mage turns this trope [[https://nuklearpower.com/2002/05/06/episode-145-opening-weekend-delight/ completely and unapologetically upside down]].Â
** [[https://nuklearpower.com/2005/05/28/episode-556-the-gangs-all-here/ As does Sarda]].Â
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'': [[https://bobandgeorge.com/archives/050103 How to get George to fight for a minor character? Remind him he's a superhero]]!Â
* ''Webcomic/TheDreamlandChronicles'': [[https://thedreamlandchronicles.com/the-dreamland-chronicles/todays-dreamland-chronicles-577/ It's not easy, being queen]].Â

* [[https://eheroes.smackjeeves.com/comics/1888400/to-be-used-only-for-good/ Parodied]] in ''Webcomic/EverydayHeroes'', when Carrie gets Summer out of doing chores by using the power of her PuppyDogEyes.Â
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'':Â
** [[https://freefall.purrsia.com/ff800/fv00776.htm To his misfortune, Sam discovers that the absolute power of a starship captain comes with absolute responsibility]].Â
** The "responsibility" part is why [[https://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1800/fc01733.htm Sam doesn't want to hold Florence's remote control and "reset" scent vial]].Â

[[folder:Toys]]Â
* In ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}} Adventures:'' ''Challenge of the Hordika'', after Vakama discovers evidence that he and the other Toa Metru were chosen by ''mistake'' rather than destiny, Norik tells him that whether or not his team was [[BecauseDestinySaysSo meant to be Toa]], they have the power, and so they have the responsibility to use it to help others.Â
[[/folder]]Â
Â

* Parenting is a mundane but common expression of this. You made (or adopted) a kid -- that's great! You have a HUGE degree of power over this younger, smaller person. However, with all that power comes a responsibility to make sure their physical and psychological needs are met and that they develop into independent, capable, socially functional, and morally upstanding people capable of taking care of themselves and being considerate of others throughout the next (at least) twenty years: In effect, you have ''the responsibility to develop your child into the best person you can make him be''.Â

* Many characters in ''Roleplay/MarvelsRPG'', especially Spider-Man, as is to be expected.Â

* UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill was credited with the saying "The price of greatness is responsibility", which is close enough to the Spider-Man line to make one wonder if Stan Lee might not have come across that quote when creating Spider-Man.Â