rdfs:comment
| - So you're two thirds of the way through a book/movie/whatever, when suddenly, the main protagonist dies, is imprisoned, performs a Face Heel Turn, or is otherwise unable to act as the main protagonist. All seems lost, a Take Up My Sword hasn't been pulled! What is to be done? In so far as it applies to sidekicks, it's a relative to You Are in Command Now, which applies to more rigid situations where the Big Hat Of Command lands on a person's head whether they want it to or not, based on their level in the hierarchy. Due to the nature of this trope, spoilers are bound to follow.
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abstract
| - So you're two thirds of the way through a book/movie/whatever, when suddenly, the main protagonist dies, is imprisoned, performs a Face Heel Turn, or is otherwise unable to act as the main protagonist. All seems lost, a Take Up My Sword hasn't been pulled! What is to be done? But wait! A Sidekick, the Love Interest, The Rival, a Mauve Shirt (in theory, even an antagonist could pull this off) steps or is forced into the role of the main protagonist, and the work that you are reading focuses on them for the rest of the time it takes to finish the work. The original protagonist may return near the end. Essentially, it's when someone invokes Legacy Character. Take Up My Sword is different in that it implies that the protagonist had time to actually say something along the lines of ~I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin~ to his successor, whereas with Taking Up the Mantle, the character has to take the initiative or be shown that it's what they have to do, but ultimately, they have to make the decision themselves. In so far as it applies to sidekicks, it's a relative to You Are in Command Now, which applies to more rigid situations where the Big Hat Of Command lands on a person's head whether they want it to or not, based on their level in the hierarchy. May or may not be related to and/or overlap with Legacy Character, All Up to You, You Are in Command Now, Field Promotion, or It's the Journey That Counts. The Trope Namer comes from a line in The Bible where Elisha takes up the mantle of Elijah the prophet- literally. Due to the nature of this trope, spoilers are bound to follow.
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