TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Duplicate Trope: Her Heart Will Go On

Go To

Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#1: Apr 19th 2015 at 8:27:15 AM

After carefully reading this trope and several related ones, I think Her Heart Will Go On / His Heart Will Go On is a duplicate trope.

The page states it's about

"A (usually) male Love Interest (temporary or otherwise) is killed off to show the (usually) female survivor's strength, perhaps as a Heartbroken Badass."
This definition is applicable to either The Lost Lenore (when the dead LI is remembered and motivates the character), or Disposable Woman (when the LI just provides the initial motivation and is forgotten afterwards). note  The trope page even mentions both The Lost Lenore and Disposable Woman, without explaining how this trope is different from them.

The Laconic is even more interesting. It says

"Woman's Love Interest is killed off to show how strong she is."
Note the Always Female part. The Laconic says it's Always Female, the trope page says it's "usually female", while the examples list provides several male examples that don't seem like subversions or anything, and His Heart Will Go On is a viable redirect.

Suggestion: Cut.

edited 19th Apr '15 8:29:26 AM by Rjinswand

shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#2: Apr 19th 2015 at 10:19:19 AM

The Lost Lenore requires that a character have more impact on the plot dead than alive. So any examples of dying at the end of the work wouldn't be that trope but could be Her Heart Will Go On.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#3: Apr 19th 2015 at 3:57:56 PM

[up]Wouldn't those examples be just "Love Interest dies"? Is that tropeable?

And what's the definition of this trope, anyway? Going through examples on the trope's page, it's treated as:

Anime And Manga

Comics Fan Works
  • Legacy: "Character mourns and remembers LI's death"
Film Literature Live-Action TV Music Video Games Webcomics
  • Sinfest: Seems like a parody of the song, and not the trope
Western Animation

edited 19th Apr '15 3:58:22 PM by Rjinswand

Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#4: Apr 20th 2015 at 6:07:33 AM

This trope is specifically about a guy dies and the Love Interest bucks up and continues on eventually coming out stronger than before instead of falling to pieces which is the usual stereotype.

Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X 2's Yuna is the perfect example of this, Late-Arrival Spoiler incoming.... in X her whole story is she is going off to die and overall pretty depressed but the LI dies instead affecting her and in the sequel she is living life to its fullest channeling Charlies Angels.

The Lost Lenore is more about a love interest's death being an old wound for the surviving member. The two can overlap depending on the example.

Edit: [up] The Negima one is quite correct, The character Ako is in in love with Negi's older looking alter ego and Chisame goes into a long scenario on killing that Alter Ego off so that Ako can come out the other side stronger instead of breaking her heart by having him reject her but it is turned down.

edited 20th Apr '15 6:39:13 AM by Memers

Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#5: Apr 20th 2015 at 9:08:02 AM

[up]

a guy dies and the Love Interest bucks up and continues on eventually coming out stronger than before instead of falling to pieces which is the usual stereotype.

To be honest, it seems like "not falling to pieces" is in fact the default narrative, judging by the amount of examples and the way they're presented. It's only when a character does "fall to pieces" in some way it becomes notable (e.g. The Mourning After). Note that the examples list is sorely lacking in "male character, dead female LI" examples, most of which feature the male character "not falling into pieces".

The "coming out stronger than before" could actually be a trope note . Something like "LI's Death Makes You Stronger". But then, the examples should specifically show that the character became "stronger" than they were before. Not just getting over LI's death and moving on like before.

Final Fantasy X 2 does sound like an example of "LI's Death Makes You Stronger". It's also an example of The Lost Lenore. The Lost Lenore is about when LI's influence on the character is as strong (or stronger) than when LI was alive.

Negima also sounds like an example of "LI's Death Makes You Stronger".


As an aside thought. Would it be possible to YKTTW "Love Interest's Death As Motivation"? It seems like a necessary, but missing supertrope to a lot of tropes.

edited 20th Apr '15 9:42:46 AM by Rjinswand

lakingsif Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
#6: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:00:38 PM

yes, YKTTW for "True Dead Romance" or something with a snappy title like you describe, keep Her Heart Will Go On but needs examples update, grammar too, is my suggestion

OH MY GOD; MY PARENTS ARE GARDENIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#7: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:05:18 PM

[up]

keep Her Heart Will Go On but needs examples update
Okay, but what meaning do you suggest it should have?

edited 20th Apr '15 12:11:33 PM by Rjinswand

lakingsif Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
#8: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:09:05 PM

[up] probably separate it more completely, so the LI dies at or near the end but hero doesn't crumble and she (or he) honours the memory - unlike The Lost Lenore where the LI is dead for most of, if not the entire, story with their non-existence being the driving force of the plot.

OH MY GOD; MY PARENTS ARE GARDENIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#9: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:17:42 PM

[up] There's one problem I see with it, though. While The Lost Lenore is actually relevant to the way the plot goes (LI's death directly influences the character and/or the plot), "LI dies at the end and the character honors it" is just... a thing that happens, it might be just a footnote in the epilogue.

I think, there needs to be some certain connection to the character or the plot, to avoid it just turning into a list of all dead LI.

lakingsif Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
#10: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:23:21 PM

[up] If you don't mind me using Titanic to exemplify, I think maybe causing the living lover to change their actions - typically, Kate would have been a mess, but she instead finds a lifeboat and abandons her family to live poor in America.

To contrast, Romeo And Juliet would not be this, because Juliet gives up and kills herself.

This unexpected resolution of the living lover needs to be in the examples, though, and I think a lot are lacking this element - presently, it does seem to be "boyfriend dies, nothing happens".

OH MY GOD; MY PARENTS ARE GARDENIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#11: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:26:16 PM

[up]I think that can work. It sounds pretty similar to what Memers was suggesting. Basically, "LI's Death Makes You Stronger".

So, if LI's death doesn't change the character much, or makes them weaker and broken, it doesn't fit. But if LI's death makes one stronger, or inspires them to change in a positive way, it fits.

lakingsif Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
#12: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:27:38 PM

[up] Now, are you going to put in the legwork, RJ? (that's what I call you in my head because I'm not trying to pronounce your handle to myself)

OH MY GOD; MY PARENTS ARE GARDENIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Rjinswand Since: Apr, 2015
#13: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:33:00 PM

[up]It's from Pratchett smile

By legwork, you mean YKTTW? I can do that. As for this trope, we should wait for more tropers' opinions.

lakingsif Since: Dec, 2012 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
#14: Apr 20th 2015 at 12:33:42 PM

[up]yes, YKTTW. Cool cool

edited 20th Apr '15 12:33:59 PM by lakingsif

OH MY GOD; MY PARENTS ARE GARDENIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#16: Jan 1st 2016 at 1:21:57 PM

Locking as part of New Years Purge.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Add Post

Total posts: 16
Top