Line #52 Main/MessiahCreep


1	Given sufficient running time, the protagonist will invariably evolve into either the AllLovingHero or the MessianicArchetype, overriding any previous characterization.
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3	This seems likely to happen to a character who was previously TheDitz or TheFool, or otherwise fell into ThisLoserIsYou category. More cynically, it may occur because characters otherwise lacking any genuine positive qualities can only compensate by the "kindness of their heart". It can also occur as a result of exclusively ''positive'' CharacterDevelopment. A character actually learns their Aesops and overcomes the flaws in their personality, but creators are loath to have them develop new flaws, so they end up perfect.
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5	Note that not all characters falling into the MessianicArchetype are victims of Messiah Creep: it's about the archetype ''overriding'' previous characterization. If the character fell into the archetype from the beginning, it is Administrivia/NotAnExample.
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7	Often crosses over with a SaveTheWorldClimax; as their goals escalate to the scale of SavingTheWorld, their personality evolves into one worthy of the task.
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9	[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant This does not mean]] a Messiah who's a creep. Although [[DarkMessiah that also happens]].
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11	----
12	!!Examples:
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16	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
17	* Kenji from ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'' starts out as TheEveryman, but by the end is a full-fledged [[ThePowerOfRock rock and roll]] messiah.
18	* The original ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' anime is a clear-cut example: Usagi was initially the GirlyGirl, but became and was actually called the Messiah by the third season. Coupled with Minako's {{Flanderization}}, it caused them to swap roles, promoting Usagi to TheHero and reducing Minako to the GirlyGirl.
19	* Kira Yamato in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed'' essentially became one of these in the sequel series ''Destiny''.
20	** Setsuna F. Seiei later becomes one in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'' through his transformation into the first Innovator, and Flit Asuno becomes one in the last episode of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE''. Overall it seems to be a running theme in modern day ''Gundam'' series.
21	* Kei Kurono in ''{{Manga/Gantz}}'' does this starting out all the way from {{Jerkass}}. Although it's less drawing on the "kindness of their heart", and more tatooing "What would [[MessianicArchetype Kato]] do?" to the inside of his eyelids as part of his CharacterDevelopment.
22	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' starts as a lonely brat who most find annoying, but evolves into someone who can easily empathize with and win the support of anyone. This is somewhat [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] as he [[spoiler:even refers to HIMSELF a "savior."]] Then it turned out that [[spoiler:he was actually TheChosenOne of [[AllPropheciesAreTrue prophecy]] destined to SaveTheWorld ''and'' the reincarnation of one of the two sons of the Sage of the Six Paths]].
23	* Ash Ketchum from ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' was originally characterized a short-fused, [[BrattyHalfPint bratty]] IdiotHero in Kanto. After much CharacterDevelopment and multiple {{Retool}}s, his ''XY'' series self is written as a WideEyedIdealist AllLovingHero that mentors and inspires everyone around him. This is most prevalent during the SaveTheWorldClimax at the end of the series, where Ash leads the entire region, including two Champions, in the battle against [[OmnicidalManiac Lysandre]].
24	* Shibuya Yuuri of ''Literature/KyoKaraMaoh'' starts out an ordinary idiot who had super powers if he got really, really mad. Over the series he conquers racism, defeats the SealedEvilInACan, purifies a corrupted [[spoiler: deity]], and develops in a [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething competent monarch]], albeit one that is only still alive because of his [[UndyingLoyalty loyal]] [[TrueCompanions advisors]].
25	* Through all of his massive, massive CharacterDevelopment, it seems that Guts from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' is finally coming around to this. Slowly, but surely.
26	* ''Manga/LinebarrelsOfIron'' starts out with a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk protagonist who sticks to the good guys in the hopes of becoming a DestructiveSavior. After dealing with the ramifications of being drunk on power and causing civilian casualties, he undergoes massive character development and ends up mostly in this trope. Lampshaded: "The people needed a hero, wanted him to become a hero, so he ended up becoming a hero."
27	* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', despite Toriyama's claim that Goku can be a selfish person who will put a good fight ahead of everything, Goku experiences this even in the original manga. As a child, he was selfish in that he would only protect those he personally bonded with and he had no problem causing great physical harm or killing his enemies if provoked. As he grows older, he becomes more protective of humanity in general, to the point that he goes out of his way to revive the Dragon Balls during the Cell Games after Cell murdered the world army. He's also more picky about who he kills to the point of trying to spare monsters like Frieza and tries to defeat his enemies with minimum force.
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30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* According to Alex Ross, Franchise/{{Superman}} started out in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks as a strongman akin to Samson. By the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Curt Swan era, he had come to be much more representative of a heavenly savior. And, of course, he [[BackFromTheDead died and came back]] in the '90s. In ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'', Superman also fulfills the SecondComing aspect.
32	* ComicBook/XMen:
33	** ComicBook/JeanGrey started out as simply [[TheSmurfettePrinciple the token female]] to the original X-Men. Then [[ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga the Phoenix Saga]] happened; even following her return, her raw power remained far closer to Phoenix levels, her compassion became perhaps her most defining heroic trait as she was TheHeart of the X-Men alongside Nightcrawler (it was the entire point of ''X-Men: Red'' - not coincidentally, Nightcrawler was also on that team) and elevated to TheParagon, becoming the White Phoenix of the Crown and saviour of the multiverse in Grant Morrison's X-Men run. Her epitaph even said "She Will Rise Again." (And she did. Repeatedly).
34	*** This was deconstructed with Teen Jean, who was quite understandably not exactly thrilled to be cast as either a MessianicArchetype or TheAntiChrist in-waiting (never mind all the other messes her past/future self had got into), and the ghost form of Adult Jean, who was decidedly annoyed at both her situation and her younger self. They got on ''much'' better once [[spoiler: Adult Jean had her own body back and Teen Jean had bullied the Phoenix, which had killed her, into bringer her back too]]. Yet, even Teen Jean pulled a supposedly impossible messianic resurrection, twice - by [[spoiler: hijacking the entire Poison hive-mind with her remaining consciousness, absorbing enough psychic energy to recreate her body from a few pieces of DNA, conveniently saving the world in the process]] and by [[spoiler: essentially bullying the Phoenix into bringing her back]].
35	** Much like her mother, ComicBook/RachelSummers underwent this - from concentration camp survivor to Phoenix host and saviour of the multiverse, being considered the One True Phoenix, starting a quasi-Jedi religion in the future, and organising the raising of mutantkind's chief MessianicArchetype, Cable.
36	** {{ComicBook/Cable}} is an odd example - while he wasn't intended as a Messiah when he was first created, after TheReveal of his origin, he became this. He started out as a grizzled old minor telekinetic soldier and ideological counterpoint to Xavier, and became a Messiah, fighting an eternal war against SatanicArchetype Apocalypse (though the relationship has been more complicated than that for a long, long time). He intentionally leaned on the imagery during his 'Saviour Cable' period, intending to both invoke a GenghisGambit through fear of his sheer power, and martyr himself in a HeroicSacrifice to show people a better way.
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39	[[folder:Fan Works]]
40	* In ''Fanfic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40K'', despite his [[ScrewDestiny best efforts]], Shinji [[BecauseDestinySaysSo appears to be turning into]] the GodEmperor of Mankind.
41	* ''Fanfic/FairlyEnglishStory'': Considering [[MessianicArchetype who we're talking about]], it makes sense, but the exploration of it in Minato's character development is very interesting to study, considering the changes his personality gradually makes over the course of the story.
42	* In ''Fanfic/MyLifeIsAGoddamnMess'', Minato slowly evolves from an EmoTeen with the story's title as a catchphrase into MessianicArchetype.
43	* This seems to be happening to Jensen and co in ''FanFic/MassEffectHumanRevolution''. They may be the only ones with the ability who can bring at least momentary salvation to the galaxy. Either that or they'll die trying to fix the irredeemably broken.
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46	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
47	* Even in the first ''[[Film/TheMatrix Matrix]]'' film, Neo has some strong parallels to Jesus. By the end of the trilogy, he's practically an {{Expy}}.
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50	[[folder:Literature]]
51	* Literature/DocSavage is a really good doctor (creating antibiotics for plagues) who becomes a ''really'' good doctor (making the blind see, the lame walk, raising the dead from 3000 years ago) after just a decade's experience. [[spoiler:Then he falls from grace by fracturing his skull and goes to Hell to fight the devil]].
52	* This happens to ''Literature/HarryPotter'' within the first book, in which he goes from an abused, snarky, insecure, and vindictive child to a heroic savior, and increasingly throughout the series until he [[spoiler:literally allows himself to be killed and returns to life.]]
53	* ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'': Dr. Elwin Ransom goes through this over the course of the series. In the first book, Ransom is a kind of Joe Everyman having very-personal but largely-inconsequential adventures on Mars. In the second book, he is tasked with saving the entire world of Perelandra from the influence of cosmic forces of evil. By the third book, he has become the Pendragon, leader of the new Round Table, suffers for the sins of the Earth, regains man's legendary authority over the animals, and leaves for another world, vowing to one day return at the end of the world to save humanity.
54	* Appears in universe in the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', where Seerdomin slowly realizes that he's becoming a figure of salvation to the followers of the deity known as the Redeemer, because his daily visits to their god's barrow keep undesirables at bay. He is deeply conflicted about this, since while his deeds may seem heroic to outsiders, he is mainly in it for personal reasons.
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57	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
58	* Heavily [[InvokedTrope invoked]] in ''Series/BabylonFive'' with G'Kar. After a lifetime as a Narn [[LaResistance resistance leader]] and soldier, filled with hate for the Centauri, he experiences a revelation that causes him to completely rethink his own beliefs and values. After the Shadow War, he becomes something of a teacher and philosopher to the Narn colonists on board; his private writings were even taken and published ''(entirely against his will)'' as a new holy book, which sweeps through the masses. More and more, to G'Kar's irritation, the Narns look to him for spiritual answers rather than seeking them out for themselves. He wants to teach them, but is very uncomfortable taking on a [[MessianicArchetype Messianic]] role where his every word is dissected for some deeper meaning. Eventually, he leaves the station to [[WalkingTheEarth travel the galaxy]], both to find those deeper answers for himself and to give his people the chance to do the same without his interference.
59	* ''Series/{{Community}}'': Troy went from a surprisingly talented air conditioner repair student to "the Truest Repairman," the ChosenOne foretold in ancient prophecy. The Vice-Dean helps Troy take down a dictatorial regime solely to get him into the school, and isolates him from his friends in order to teach him all the ancient ways of the secret order of Air Condition Repair Men. Troy, for his part, finds the cultish attitudes of the Air Conditioner Repair Annex to be weird and confusing, and repeatedly tells them to stop taking it so seriously, since it's just a two-year degree.
60	-->'''Troy:''' Yeah, I told the Air-Conditioning Repair School that they had to start acting like a normal school. I can do that, cuz I'm their Messiah.
61	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor began as a selfish, irritable old man on the run from his own species. He did save people, but it was more because he happened to be around than because of any higher calling. Around the time of the Fourth Doctor's tenure, religious subtext began to appear, but it was very subtle and deployed with some actual weight behind it when it appeared, and he was still mostly an 'intergalactic bumbler'. By the time of the Tenth Doctor's tenure he's striking crucifix poses and being revived by the power of prayer. Though it needs to be said that the ending phase of Tenth's adventures involved deliberate {{deconstruction}} of his heroism creeping into the storylines. With the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor, the deconstruction was in full swing -- yes, the Doctor is still doing his best to be heroic, but the prideful implications of ChronicHeroSyndrome are increasingly examined. Companions and even random people call him out far more often on his vain or questionable moments. (When he claims in a fit of anger on two different occasions that he's "answerable to no one", his then companions look at him with instant distrust and outright tell him he's being arrogant and scary.)
62	** This is examined at length in [[Recap/DoctorWho2017CSTwiceUponATime "Twice Upon a Time"]], the Twelfth Doctor's GrandFinale, in which he meets and has to work with the First Doctor shortly before ''both'' of them are due to regenerate. One is not thrilled by Twelve's bold actions and declarations that he protects Earth from beings like the Testimony, and from there he's downright frightened to learn about the conflicts his future selves will be involved in and the reputation he will gain as "The Doctor of War" (among other names) in the process. Twelve is humbled by One's cooler, calmer approach to the crisis, which allows him to notice things Twelve does not, and the {{Novelization}} has Twelve additionally realize that One is the only Doctor [[BewareTheSuperman who never got carried away in his heroics to his and others' detriment]]. On the other side of the coin, One's more cynical view of the universe, particularly his view that GoodIsImpotent, and his inability to realize that he is already a HopeBringer is questioned by Twelve's companion when she asks him exactly what he set out from Gallifrey to find in the first place. Later, the climax and denouement has Twelve showing One that being "The Doctor of War" is as much about hope and healing as it is fighting and sorrow, which helps One accept regeneration at last.
63	* Fonzie from ''Series/HappyDays'' was originally a juvenile delinquent who dropped out of school who wasn't above threatening and even hurting teens who considered him a friend. As the series went on and his popularity skyrocketed, he eventually turned into an all-around protector of the other characters, and his skills as a PercussiveMaintenance fixer are exaggerated to a point they're supernatural. By the last season, he's a teacher, community leader and sports a Jesus-like beard.
64	* Daniel Jackson in ''Series/StargateSG1'' starts as a TVGenius, naturally assumes the role of TheSmartGuy when the title team ''SG-1'' is assembled, but by season four, becomes The Messiah while the role of TheSmartGuy is almost completely delegated to Samantha Carter. It certainly doesn't help that he later actually [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascends]]. Well, for one season. And then does it again, but only for one episode.
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69	[[folder:Music]]
70	* From 1997-2004, Music/{{Eminem}}'s stage persona was a repellent AntiRoleModel brat [[TheVirus turning the children of the world into him with his music]], although his good heart and social conscience appeared more commonly as time went on. He then succumbed to a [[CreatorBreakdown drug addiction]] that almost killed him, got clean, and (after a brief deviation into {{Horrorcore}} to purge himself of his bad-taste material) [[CareerResurrection emerged]] as a RecoveredAddict [[TheParagon paragon]], saved from death by the love of his fans, and granting his strength to them to save themselves. He began incorporating [[CrucifiedHeroShot messianic imagery]] in his music and visuals, depicting himself praying and wearing crucifixes, and writing songs like "Walk On Water" and "Rap God" (which became his [[RedBaron honorific]]). However, the transformation is complicated by the fact that becoming messianic didn't make his sense of humour any less childish or [[VulgarHumor disgusting]], which led to backlash both from the perspective that he [[WeWantOurJerkBack got too nice]] and [[JustJokingJustification wasn't doing the work to be nice enough]]. [[AudienceAlienatingEra This backlash]] led him to [[DiscontinuityNod ask his fans to forget about his niceguy persona]] in his 2018 single "Fall", before unleashing a salvo of [[TakeThatCritics petty and homophobic attacks on people he dislikes]]. Since then, while he still makes inspirational songs (and even had a Billboard Gospel Charts Number 1 single), his persona has gone in a more impish, GothicHorror-themed direction. It should be noted that [[FranchiseOriginalSin the seed of Eminem's holiness was there from the beginning]]: a lot of Eminem's early major-label music suggests he's on a MissionFromGod to [[TheGadfly annoy the world]].
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73	[[folder:Video Games]]
74	* Stocke from ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' starts out cold and aloof from his subordinates, but becomes more willing to form lasting emotional connections with other people over the course of the story. He remains somewhat stoic, but is completely dedicated to their well-being, and his desire to protect them eventually extends to the rest of Vainqueur's inhabitants as well. [[spoiler: By the end of the game, he actually sacrifices himself in the Ritual in order to protect all the races from the continent's desertification.]]
75	* If the player does enough, the protagonist of any of the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' games becomes the messiah by the end of the game.
76	** [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in ''VideoGame/Persona3'' as the player gradually goes from being a depressed loner to a straight MessianicArchetype with his [[FightingSpirit ultimate Persona]] ''actually being The Messiah''.
77	** In ''VideoGame/Persona4'' Yu can solve everyone's problems and become everyone's best friend, be top of the class, become the best fisherman of all time, be TheLeader of the group of meddling kids who save the world and even befriending [[spoiler: Adachi, the murderer himself]]. Subverted if the player decides to seduce all the potential love interests (and break their hearts on Valentine's day in the vita remake) or gets either of the bad endings ([[spoiler:either being party to the murder of an innocent man who was framed as the murderer, or outright becoming [[TheDragon Adachi's accomplice]]]]).
78	** The trend continues in ''VideoGame/Persona5'' with the Phantom Thieves starting out as [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits flawed characters seeking to change society for justice]], revenge or fame using morally questionable means, [[spoiler:and end up being treated as genuine heroes by saving the world from a controlling god born from the masses still using the same questionable methods]].
79	* ''Franchise/BlazBlue'', from beginning to end, is the story of how [[spoiler:a grumpy, anti-social wanted criminal who adopts the "Grim Reaper" as a moniker to frighten people eventually becomes the ''literal'' god of death and saves all mankind and reality itself from destruction.]]
80	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' saw this happen with the title Princess. Zelda's a LegacyCharacter, but with each game her role as a literal divine savior grew to overshadow Link's role in the story. This comes to its logical extreme in Skyward Sword, where Zelda is the {{Reincarnation}} of a heretofore unknown goddess named Hylia. ''Breath of the Wild'' and ''Tears of the Kingdom'' would follow the same trend, with Ganondorf transferring his traditional grudge against Link to her as well.
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83	[[folder:Web Comics]]
84	* Torg from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' has gotten a bit of this treatment as the series has gone on (particularly during "That Which Redeems"), but his {{Cloudcuckoolander}} status always reasserts itself eventually.
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87	[[folder:Web Original]]
88	* Sparadrap from ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'' starts out as a mix of TheFool and KindheartedSimpleton and takes the AllLovingHero road. He did gain hate for a couple of people along the way, but about half of the people he considers friends remain either jerks or non-friendly recurring enemies.
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91	[[folder:Western Animation]]
92	* Aang in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' begins as TheFool, and evolves into a MessianicArchetype. Although this ''had'' been [[LegacyOfTheChosen what he was originally supposed to do]] before running away and [[HumanPopsicle being frozen for a century]].
93	* Flash from ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', though this is a slightly unusual example, since he's only one of seven equally main characters and therefore not technically ''the'' hero. At least, no more so than the other six. He starts out as the [[KidAppealCharacter immature rookie]] of the group, with a leaning towards the idealistic approach and a tendency to hit on people. But this is followed by the implication that his influence is keeping the League out of KnightTemplar territory and a recurring tendency to try helping ''everyone'' that eventually leads to marking him as a MessianicArchetype.
94	* In terms of characterization, [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Optimus Prime]] has been going through a gradual one. While his nature as the heroic BigGood and the leader of the Autobots has remained the same, more modern series have slowly been making him more of a straight-up Messiah figure. Where the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers G1 version]] played basketball in his down time and often cracked jokes, later incarnations (save for the ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' ClassicalAntiHero take, whose identity exists entirely to move ''away'' from Prime's messianic shift) such as the [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries live-action films]] have shown him to be a stoic and entirely serious figure (yet one that still had it in him to make one-liners). The Aligned version starts out somewhat similarly in [[VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron his video game series]], but over time, he becomes the somber, stoic yet [[ColdHam suitably dramatic]] figure in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', which climaxes in a [[HeroicSacrifice scene where he willingly becomes one with the Allspark to create a new generation of Cybertronian life]].
95	* In ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', at the beginning of the series, our protagonist was an honest but down-to-earth, regular kid who did the right thing at the end, despite sometimes letting himself get carried away (just like regular children). However, in later seasons, he had a dose of IncorruptiblePurePureness put into his characterization, with his friends always consulting for his wisdom in whatever subject was discussed and was willing to "do the right thing", no matter the consequences.
96	* One could argue that Twilight Sparkle from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' belongs in this category, now that she has become a princess. Perhaps a DownPlayed example, as her personality does not seem to have changed even if her role within Equestrian politics has. It has been noted that she is more open to socializing, compared to her loner status in the pilot episode.
97	* As the eponymous character of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' grows up, all the other characters become entirely reliant on him to solve their problems and hold their neuroses in check... even though he's a teenager and they're thousands of years old.
98	** This gets deconstructed in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseFuture'', which makes it ''very'' clear that solving everyone else's problems has left Steven with an inability to address his own problems, not knowing how to rely on or ask others for help, viewing himself as a burden if he can't help anyone, having no idea who he is when he ''isn't'' helping people, years of trauma that he has only ''just'' started to finally address all coming back to bite him at once, and eventually everything winds up leading him to a full-on psychotic breakdown.
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