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Herald

 Herald
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 Herald
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Herald
 Herald
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Herald
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The Herald is a person, message, or crystallizing incident that sets the Hero/Protagonist on the path of adventure. They bring the Call to Adventure. If a story's setup is similar to this:
then "X" is the Herald. Oh, and you'd better hope "X" isn't also the Big Bad, cause that tends to get messy.
The Herald can be non-human (a newspaper or news report, for examples), but a more memorable force has more impact.
Common subtropes include:

Almost Dead Guy
Come with Me If You Want to Live
Damsel Errant
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Mysterious Waif
Mystical Waif
Distress Call
Harbinger of Impending Doom
I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin
Inciting Incident
Mentor Mascot
Pursued Protagonist
Rescue Introduction
Starts with a Suicide
Take Up My Sword
Vagueness Is Coming

The Herald may have to bribe and/or enforce the call. Not to be confused with Heralds on TV Tropes.
 Herald
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2023-12-07T21:45:06Z
 Herald
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2023-12-07T21:45:06Z
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 Herald
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DBTropes
 Herald / int_10ddd3d5
type
Herald
 Herald / int_10ddd3d5
comment
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess had a complete Humiliation Conga with all the children of Ordon Village kidnapped and Link dragged into an already-overrun-with-shadows Hyrule and turned into a wolf before being locked in a dungeon.
 Herald / int_10ddd3d5
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1.0
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 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Video Game)
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Herald / int_10ddd3d5
 Herald / int_1331990c
type
Herald
 Herald / int_1331990c
comment
Nothing interesting happened in the Madoka's life... until, one day, Kyubey stumbled into her world and changed it forever for the absolute worse. The parallel with Nanoha is there.
Madoka herself serves as the herald for Homura. She and Mami introduce her to the world of magical girls and sets in motion the events that would lead to her wish
 Herald / int_1331990c
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1.0
 Herald / int_1331990c
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1.0
 Puella Magi Madoka Magica
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Herald / int_1331990c
 Herald / int_14504d82
type
Herald
 Herald / int_14504d82
comment
Michael Kappel in Collar 6 was propelled into his adventure when he rescued a half-dead young man from the woods near his home, exposing an international arms race and sending him on the run from political assassins. (The rescued man, named Gunther, stayed with him and rescued him several times over, so there's that...)
 Herald / int_14504d82
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 Herald / int_14504d82
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 Collar 6 (Webcomic)
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Herald / int_14504d82
 Herald / int_1869a077
type
Herald
 Herald / int_1869a077
comment
Samurai Jack features an episode where Jack, while walking through a ravaged landscape, hears a voice saying "Come to me". After following the voice through a mountain path filled with death traps, Jack encounters and fights against The Lava Monster, who is actually a man of Norse background who was imprisoned into the rock by Aku and denied an honorable death.
 Herald / int_1869a077
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1.0
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 Samurai Jack
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Herald / int_1869a077
 Herald / int_19ea2238
type
Herald
 Herald / int_19ea2238
comment
In The Adventures of Shan Shan, Shan Shan's life has been plagued by strangeness, but Julius gives it an actual focus.
 Herald / int_19ea2238
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1.0
 Herald / int_19ea2238
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 The Adventures of Shan Shan (Webcomic)
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Herald / int_19ea2238
 Herald / int_1beec425
type
Herald
 Herald / int_1beec425
comment
"The Child" from Scary Go Round heralded great change in order to inspire chaos. This worked due to lack of Genre Blindness: if a small bald child tells you that "Things will change... soon!", people know that panicking is the right thing to do.
 Herald / int_1beec425
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 Scary Go Round (Webcomic)
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Herald / int_1beec425
 Herald / int_1cc09117
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Herald
 Herald / int_1cc09117
comment
Rukia from Bleach, in a way, as she is the one who turns Ichigo into a shinigami.
 Herald / int_1cc09117
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1.0
 Herald / int_1cc09117
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 Bleach (Manga)
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Herald / int_1cc09117
 Herald / int_1dbe1afe
type
Herald
 Herald / int_1dbe1afe
comment
Watchers of the Throne opens with Tieron being visited by Chief Astropath Kerapliades, a living Subspace Ansible, who begs Tieron to send aid towards the besieged Cadian system.
 Herald / int_1dbe1afe
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1.0
 Herald / int_1dbe1afe
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 Watchers of the Throne
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Herald / int_1dbe1afe
 Herald / int_222c2051
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Herald
 Herald / int_222c2051
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Bryce Larkin's e-mail to the title character in Chuck.
 Herald / int_222c2051
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1.0
 Herald / int_222c2051
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 Chuck
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Herald / int_222c2051
 Herald / int_223c2a48
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Herald
 Herald / int_223c2a48
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In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the diaries of both King Rhoam and Princess Zelda mention a fortune teller who foretold the imminent return of Calamity Ganon; said prophecy kickstarted their search for and research into the ancient Sheikah Magitek used to defeat Ganon the last time.
 Herald / int_223c2a48
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 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Video Game)
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Herald / int_223c2a48
 Herald / int_23762f3e
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Herald
 Herald / int_23762f3e
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The hunters and the butterfly both play this role in The Last Unicorn.
 Herald / int_23762f3e
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1.0
 Herald / int_23762f3e
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1.0
 The Last Unicorn
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Herald / int_23762f3e
 Herald / int_2de7912a
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Herald
 Herald / int_2de7912a
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In Teresa Frohock's Miserere: An Autumn Tale, Matthew Kellogg serves this purpose to Lucian, telling him he can escape and reminding him of his duty.
 Herald / int_2de7912a
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1.0
 Herald / int_2de7912a
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 Miserere: An Autumn Tale
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Herald / int_2de7912a
 Herald / int_30ddd99e
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Herald
 Herald / int_30ddd99e
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Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger: Asuka is the Herald to Ryouga, Ranru and Yukito, giving them their Dino Braces and informing them about the invading Evolians. Mikoto is actually an interesting subversion as him finding the Dino Minder and Top Galer's egg gave him the power to temporarily become the Big Bad.
 Herald / int_30ddd99e
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 Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger
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Herald / int_30ddd99e
 Herald / int_3b34143f
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Herald
 Herald / int_3b34143f
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Harry Potter:
Harry's letters of acceptance into "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". One is ultimately delivered by Hagrid after the Dursleys do everything in their power to screen the call.
It's explained that Hogwarts sends special messengers like Hagrid to Muggle-born students when they are old enough to attend Hogwarts, as they would otherwise not know about their magical affinity. Harry was originally just sent the letters because Hogwarts assumed that he had been told by Petunia (who knew about magic), but she didn't, and the family kept sabotaging the letters, so Hagrid was sent.
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 Harry Potter
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Herald / int_3b34143f
 Herald / int_3ff0f7dd
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Herald
 Herald / int_3ff0f7dd
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Dr. Griffin in KateModern, first by the blood test he gives Kate, which leads to a complex series of events, and later by his possession of the list of girls who Kate and her friends need to save.
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1.0
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 KateModern (Web Video)
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Herald / int_3ff0f7dd
 Herald / int_43cb9c7
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Herald
 Herald / int_43cb9c7
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Kamen Rider Hibiki: The titular character is the Herald to Asumu Adachi. In a subversion to this trope, Asumu doesn't really get involved in the supernatural conflict, but the mentor/student relation with Hibiki does allow him to step out of his comfort zone and improve himself as a person.
 Herald / int_43cb9c7
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1.0
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 Kamen Rider Hibiki
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Herald / int_43cb9c7
 Herald / int_43f52aa9
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Herald
 Herald / int_43f52aa9
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In Oblivion, Uriel Septim VII is the Herald for the Player Character, who not only frees the Hero from the prison cell s/he was sitting in, but also hands him/her the Amulet of Kings and charges the Hero with delivering it to the Grandmaster of the Blades before being assassinated, thus kicking off the game's Main Quest.
Shortly afterwards, the Player Character becomes the Herald for Uriel's bastard son, Martin, rescuing him from Kvatch and dragging him into the role of the hero at his late father's behest.
 Herald / int_43f52aa9
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1.0
 Herald / int_43f52aa9
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 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Video Game)
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Herald / int_43f52aa9
 Herald / int_44127c7c
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Herald
 Herald / int_44127c7c
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Power Rangers
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers:
Zordon is the Herald to the original team, teleporting them to his command center and offering them to become the titular Power Rangers.
Rita is the Herald to Tommy, forcibly turning him into the evil Green Ranger.
Goldar is this to Adam, Rocky and Aisha. By kidnapping them, he exposed them to the conflict between the Power Rangers and the Evil Space Aliens, which eventually led them to becoming Rangers themselves.
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy two of Heralds, depending on the character. Furio is the Herald for Maya, attacking her home planet in a bid for the Quasar Sabers. Maya herself takes the position of Herald for Kendrix, Leo and Mike, as she is thrown into a wormhole leading to Earth's moon, where the former three were doing combat training. The three of them then decide to follow Maya into the wormhole to help her defeat Furio. This leads to them becoming Power Rangers.
Captain Mitchel is the Herald to the team in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. Each of the teammembers were ordinary humans handpicked by Captain Mitchel for their skills and, apart from Dana, none of them had any knowledge of the Demonic threat they would soon face.
The Dino Gems from Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. After they are found by Connor, Kira and Ethan, the three teenagers are sucked into the conflict with Mesogog.
 Herald / int_44127c7c
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 Power Rangers (Franchise)
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Herald / int_44127c7c
 Herald / int_443000dd
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Herald
 Herald / int_443000dd
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That rhyming butterfly from The Last Unicorn. As pointed out under Literature below, the hunters as well. Their conversation is how the unicorn learns that it is supposed to be the last of its kind in the first place.
 Herald / int_443000dd
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1.0
 Herald / int_443000dd
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 The Last Unicorn
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Herald / int_443000dd
 Herald / int_468bebb0
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Herald
 Herald / int_468bebb0
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The Death of Rats seems to have appointed himself Susan's personal Herald in the Discworld series. Either that, or he really, really likes swiping her chocolates, and uses warning her of her grandfather's difficulties as an excuse to get near enough.
 Herald / int_468bebb0
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 Herald / int_468bebb0
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1.0
 Discworld
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Herald / int_468bebb0
 Herald / int_4be3aedd
type
Herald
 Herald / int_4be3aedd
comment
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers:
Zordon is the Herald to the original team, teleporting them to his command center and offering them to become the titular Power Rangers.
Rita is the Herald to Tommy, forcibly turning him into the evil Green Ranger.
Goldar is this to Adam, Rocky and Aisha. By kidnapping them, he exposed them to the conflict between the Power Rangers and the Evil Space Aliens, which eventually led them to becoming Rangers themselves.
 Herald / int_4be3aedd
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1.0
 Herald / int_4be3aedd
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1.0
 Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
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Herald / int_4be3aedd
 Herald / int_4efd20ba
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Herald
 Herald / int_4efd20ba
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The minor character Mo-Ron in one episode of Freakazoid! has an important message for Earth, but he keeps forgetting what it was, to Freakazoid's mounting frustration.
 Herald / int_4efd20ba
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 Herald / int_4efd20ba
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 Freakazoid!
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Herald / int_4efd20ba
 Herald / int_4f7a49d9
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Herald
 Herald / int_4f7a49d9
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The young bard in The Keys Stand Alone: The Soft World, who walks past the four singing “Norwegian Wood,� which instantly catches their attention. He's grateful to have found them—the gods sent him on the mission to play the song until the right people heard it—and delivers the gods' message, then disappears from the story as the four hurry away.
 Herald / int_4f7a49d9
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 Herald / int_4f7a49d9
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 The Keys Stand Alone (Fanfic)
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Herald / int_4f7a49d9
 Herald / int_507dfb6a
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Herald
 Herald / int_507dfb6a
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Buzz-Buzz in EarthBound (1994) is the official Herald, but had Pokey not come knocking at Ness's door for help, the adventure likely wouldn't have happened. Paula herself turns out to be the Herald of Jeff, and Ness possibly the Herald for Poo. Maybe. We're not too sure.
 Herald / int_507dfb6a
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1.0
 Herald / int_507dfb6a
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 EarthBound (1994) (Video Game)
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Herald / int_507dfb6a
 Herald / int_5908ee91
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Herald
 Herald / int_5908ee91
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In Skyrim, Alduin ironically serves as the Herald for the Dragonborn, with his attack on Helgen taking place at the precise moment they were due to be executed, inadvertently saving the very person destined to thwart him.
 Herald / int_5908ee91
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1.0
 Herald / int_5908ee91
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1.0
 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Video Game)
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Herald / int_5908ee91
 Herald / int_624523ec
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Herald
 Herald / int_624523ec
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Black Legion has a Herald and a Herald-behind-the-Herald.
The first is Falkius, for Khayon and Lheor. He summons them and asks for their aid in the daring plan to find Vengeful Spirit and raid the Canticle City to reclaim Horus' corpse, setting everyone on the path leading to the Black Legion.
The second is Sargon, for Falkius. If it wasn't for him letting himself be captured by the Justaerin and telling them about Spirit's location, the plan wouldn't be created in the first place.
 Herald / int_624523ec
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1.0
 Herald / int_624523ec
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 Black Legion
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Herald / int_624523ec
 Herald / int_629cd094
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Herald
 Herald / int_629cd094
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Duncan in Dragon Age: Origins shows up right about the time events conspire so that he catapults the not-yet-Warden into a world of adventures.
The Warden later shifts into this role, serving as the herald to bring their various companions on the path of adventure. Providing they survive Origins, they continue this role in Awakening and Witch Hunt.
Ariane serves as a minor herald in Witch Hunt, kicking off the plot when she was mistaken for Morrigan by the Warden's scouts stationed in the Korcari Wilds, joining forces with the Warden after discovering both are searching for the Witch of the Wilds.
 Herald / int_629cd094
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 Dragon Age: Origins (Video Game)
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Herald / int_629cd094
 Herald / int_65bba1d0
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Herald
 Herald / int_65bba1d0
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Elner of Wisdom in Galaxy Fraulein Yuna (specifically in the prologue of the first game). Anyone who missed that only knows Elner in the Mentor role. (Yuri Cube might qualify in her very first scene in the second game.)
 Herald / int_65bba1d0
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 Galaxy Fraulein Yuna (Video Game)
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Herald / int_65bba1d0
 Herald / int_6a8aff51
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Herald
 Herald / int_6a8aff51
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The ten Heralds of the Almighty from The Stormlight Archive, tasked with leading humanity against the endless cycle of Desolations. When a Desolation beings, all ten Heralds return to fulfill their duty, before returning to Damnation to hold the enemies at bay until the next Desolation. The plot of the series starts in the Distant Prologue when nine of the Heralds can no longer bear their time in Damnation and refuse to return, deciding instead to give up their duties and wander the world anonymously. Taln, the only one of their number who died in the battle (and thus was already in Damnation), is left to bear the tortures for all of them. Four thousand years later, at the end of the first book, he returns.
 Herald / int_6a8aff51
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 The Stormlight Archive
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Herald / int_6a8aff51
 Herald / int_72262aee
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Herald
 Herald / int_72262aee
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In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang serves as a herald to Katara and Sokka, bringing them the Call to Adventure by promising them to find a waterbending master and providing an opportunity to beat up Fire Nation soldiers, respectively. Interesting case in that Aang is the real hero of the story, but Katara and Sokka follow The Hero's Journey more closely. However, Aang's herald could reasonably be Zuko, as his arrival at the Water Tribe village is what forces Aang to begin to accept the mantle and responsibility of the Avatar.
 Herald / int_72262aee
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 Avatar: The Last Airbender
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Herald / int_72262aee
 Herald / int_792239e5
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Herald
 Herald / int_792239e5
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Colette in Tales of Symphonia is an odd case of the Herald having lived with The Hero for years, and her Herald-ness being expected. They were ready to start the journey and were waiting for a sign.
 Herald / int_792239e5
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1.0
 Herald / int_792239e5
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 Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)
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Herald / int_792239e5
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Herald
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Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters has a strange example of this, as the Herald, the sentient computer virus Messiah, appears in the childhood of the characters, but the main conflict of the story only starts 13 years later. In the year 1999, Messiah attempted to enter this world, but was stopped by the parents of Hiromu and Yoko. Because they knew Messiah could come back in the future, they inserted the Vaccine Program in their Hiromu, Yoko and Ryuuji, making them the only ones able to fight Messiah and teleported them to safety. From then on, the three trained relentlessly for the day Messiah would return.
 Herald / int_79dfce5
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 Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters
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Herald / int_79dfce5
 Herald / int_7ac43256
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Herald
 Herald / int_7ac43256
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Ingram Plissken in Super Robot Wars: Original Generation. In fact, he could be seen as a multilayered example, as not only is he responsible for setting up the attack that drew Ryusei into the war, he was also the pilot of the artificial planetoid Neviim and (re)opened the Earth to interstellar civilization and all the wonders and perils that implies.
 Herald / int_7ac43256
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1.0
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 Super Robot Wars: Original Generation (Video Game)
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 Herald / int_7c42d374
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Herald
 Herald / int_7c42d374
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Goji, the rider we see on the very first page of City of Somnus, has been sent to find help for his village (which is currently being terrorized by a monster). He finds prince Paollo and his retinue who readily take the Call to Adventure.
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1.0
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 City of Somnus (Webcomic)
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Herald / int_7c42d374
 Herald / int_81692f99
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Herald
 Herald / int_81692f99
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Star Trek has this as part of the Klingons' funerary rites: at the moment that a Klingon dies, other Klingons hold open the eyes of the recently deceased, then unleash a mighty roar to warn the hereafter that a Klingon warrior is on their way.
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 Star Trek (Franchise)
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Herald / int_81692f99
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Herald
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Kamen Rider:
In many of the classical Showa series of Kamen Rider, the evil organization forcibly turns the main hero into a cyborg, who then escapes before they can fully brainwash him. After this, the main hero starts actively fighting the villains. This makes the evil organization the Herald to the main characters.
Kamen Rider Hibiki: The titular character is the Herald to Asumu Adachi. In a subversion to this trope, Asumu doesn't really get involved in the supernatural conflict, but the mentor/student relation with Hibiki does allow him to step out of his comfort zone and improve himself as a person.
 Herald / int_81f5d35d
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 Kamen Rider (Franchise)
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Herald
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Arcee serves this role in Transformers: Prime by managing to blow The Masquerade in a way that drags three human children into the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. And she's not particularly thrilled with it.
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 Transformers: Prime
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Herald
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In The Spectrum Retreat, the player character's daily routine is broken when Cooper hacks into his phone and reveals she wants to help him escape.
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 The Spectrum Retreat (Video Game)
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Herald / int_85c23558
 Herald / int_86aff994
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Herald
 Herald / int_86aff994
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Power Rangers Lost Galaxy two of Heralds, depending on the character. Furio is the Herald for Maya, attacking her home planet in a bid for the Quasar Sabers. Maya herself takes the position of Herald for Kendrix, Leo and Mike, as she is thrown into a wormhole leading to Earth's moon, where the former three were doing combat training. The three of them then decide to follow Maya into the wormhole to help her defeat Furio. This leads to them becoming Power Rangers.
 Herald / int_86aff994
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1.0
 Herald / int_86aff994
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 Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
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Herald / int_86aff994
 Herald / int_88fce462
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Herald
 Herald / int_88fce462
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Leopold Goenitz from The King of Fighters '96 announced the coming of Orochi.
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 The King of Fighters (Video Game)
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Herald / int_88fce462
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Herald
 Herald / int_8b7b9cd5
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R2D2 of A New Hope, when presenting the message "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." Thus begins Luke's journey to find Obi-Wan and leave Tatoonie.
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 A New Hope
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Herald / int_8b7b9cd5
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Herald
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In The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, while they are flying through the clouds, Link and Zelda get separated by a dark whirlwind, which drags Zelda to the surface. Link is then led to the surface by Fi, the spirit of the Goddess Sword, to rescue Zelda and defeat Ghirahim.
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1.0
 Herald / int_8c87469c
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1.0
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Herald / int_8c87469c
 Herald / int_8d84363c
type
Herald
 Herald / int_8d84363c
comment
The Town Crier in Rome is perhaps the ultimate example of this trope. He stands at Forum Romanum reciting the latest happenings in politics and the military, as dictated by whoever holds the power at present, allowing both the citizens and us viewers to follow the events. It's often used with great success to jump from one political/military event to the next, without having to waste numerous scenes on exposition.
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1.0
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1.0
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Herald / int_8d84363c
 Herald / int_8f8df73b
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Herald
 Herald / int_8f8df73b
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The Lion King (1994): Nala, when telling Simba what has happened to the Pridelands. This jerks him away from his 'Hakuna-matata' lifestyle and back to his responsibility as king.
 Herald / int_8f8df73b
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1.0
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1.0
 The Lion King (1994)
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Herald / int_8f8df73b
 Herald / int_99c0e061
type
Herald
 Herald / int_99c0e061
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Thanos is a particularly dark version of this for Drax the Destroyer. Prior to stumbling onto Thanos arriving above the Nevada sky in a flying saucer (resulting in Drax himself, his wife and his daughter all being slain), Drax had been a simple real estate agent and aspiring jazz musician named Art Douglas. After, well... Roaring Rampage of Revenge doesn't begin to describe it.
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1.0
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1.0
 Thanos (Comic Book)
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Herald / int_99c0e061
 Herald / int_9abca283
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Herald
 Herald / int_9abca283
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In Dragon's Dogma, the titular dragon himself serves as Herald to the player character. The dragon attacks the player character's hometown, rips the heart from the player character's chest and turns him or her into an Arisen, rendering the player character ageless and incapable of falling ill. He then challenges the player character to seek him out in combat, should he or she want their heart back, kickstarting the adventure of the game.
 Herald / int_9abca283
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1.0
 Herald / int_9abca283
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1.0
 Dragon's Dogma (Video Game)
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Herald / int_9abca283
 Herald / int_9b29d6b8
type
Herald
 Herald / int_9b29d6b8
comment
Chocolate Explosion in Dragon Mango. Her daughter had become a Lolita knight with two friends, but then she appears to urge them to a greater struggle.
 Herald / int_9b29d6b8
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1.0
 Herald / int_9b29d6b8
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1.0
 Dragon Mango (Webcomic)
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Herald / int_9b29d6b8
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Herald
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The Elder Scrolls:
In Oblivion, Uriel Septim VII is the Herald for the Player Character, who not only frees the Hero from the prison cell s/he was sitting in, but also hands him/her the Amulet of Kings and charges the Hero with delivering it to the Grandmaster of the Blades before being assassinated, thus kicking off the game's Main Quest.
Shortly afterwards, the Player Character becomes the Herald for Uriel's bastard son, Martin, rescuing him from Kvatch and dragging him into the role of the hero at his late father's behest.
In Skyrim, Alduin ironically serves as the Herald for the Dragonborn, with his attack on Helgen taking place at the precise moment they were due to be executed, inadvertently saving the very person destined to thwart him.
 Herald / int_9d34190a
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1.0
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1.0
 The Elder Scrolls (Franchise)
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Herald / int_9d34190a
 Herald / int_9fdbe934
type
Herald
 Herald / int_9fdbe934
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In Willow, Elora Danan's arrival is the start of Willow's journey.
 Herald / int_9fdbe934
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_9fdbe934
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1.0
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Herald / int_9fdbe934
 Herald / int_a2dee471
type
Herald
 Herald / int_a2dee471
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In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker,the Helmaroc King kidnaps Link's sister.
 Herald / int_a2dee471
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_a2dee471
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Video Game)
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Herald / int_a2dee471
 Herald / int_a2f21bd0
type
Herald
 Herald / int_a2f21bd0
comment
Adventure Hunters: Claude arrives at the capital, sleep deprived, panicky, and begging for help against a goblin raid. This leads to the trio discovering the golems nearby.
 Herald / int_a2f21bd0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_a2f21bd0
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1.0
 Adventure Hunters
hasFeature
Herald / int_a2f21bd0
 Herald / int_a5549ed0
type
Herald
 Herald / int_a5549ed0
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John the Baptist fits the announcement function of the herald: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!'"
 Herald / int_a5549ed0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_a5549ed0
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1.0
 The Bible
hasFeature
Herald / int_a5549ed0
 Herald / int_a5efe0e9
type
Herald
 Herald / int_a5efe0e9
comment
Tsukiuta's idols were scouted by magical rabbits, who live with them as dorm pets once they become idols. Possibly a Shout-Out to the above Sailor Moon example, especially considering the moon motifs - particularly the moment when Hajime saves the black rabbit Kuroda from some kids who were picking on him. It also has some air of Alice Allusion - down the rabbit hole and all that.
 Herald / int_a5efe0e9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_a5efe0e9
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1.0
 Tsukiuta (Music)
hasFeature
Herald / int_a5efe0e9
 Herald / int_a61ca024
type
Herald
 Herald / int_a61ca024
comment
Captain Mitchel is the Herald to the team in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. Each of the teammembers were ordinary humans handpicked by Captain Mitchel for their skills and, apart from Dana, none of them had any knowledge of the Demonic threat they would soon face.
 Herald / int_a61ca024
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_a61ca024
featureConfidence
1.0
 Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue
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Herald / int_a61ca024
 Herald / int_a8150af4
type
Herald
 Herald / int_a8150af4
comment
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: The Stranger's fall from the sky near Rhovanion is this for Nori Brandyfoot, and she firmly believes their meeting was fated. She takes his arrival as a call to the adventure she always wanted to happen, and by the end of Season 1, she and the Stranger head for the Lands of Rhun to learn about the mystery behind his coming to Middle-earth.
 Herald / int_a8150af4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_a8150af4
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
hasFeature
Herald / int_a8150af4
 Herald / int_ae050a9f
type
Herald
 Herald / int_ae050a9f
comment
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time had the Great Deku Tree pull an I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin on Link.
 Herald / int_ae050a9f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_ae050a9f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Videogame
hasFeature
Herald / int_ae050a9f
 Herald / int_b704a08a
type
Herald
 Herald / int_b704a08a
comment
In Reborn! (2004), the title character Reborn comes crashing into Tsuna's life with all the power and grace of a lightning bull in a china shop.
 Herald / int_b704a08a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_b704a08a
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1.0
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Herald / int_b704a08a
 Herald / int_b8e7bb8
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Herald
 Herald / int_b8e7bb8
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Super Sentai:
Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger: Asuka is the Herald to Ryouga, Ranru and Yukito, giving them their Dino Braces and informing them about the invading Evolians. Mikoto is actually an interesting subversion as him finding the Dino Minder and Top Galer's egg gave him the power to temporarily become the Big Bad.
Mahou Sentai Magiranger: The Troll appearing in the first episode is a Herald, as it forces the mother of the main characters to reveal the existence of magic and the evil Infershia. She then offers her children to become Magirangers to battle the Infershia.
Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters has a strange example of this, as the Herald, the sentient computer virus Messiah, appears in the childhood of the characters, but the main conflict of the story only starts 13 years later. In the year 1999, Messiah attempted to enter this world, but was stopped by the parents of Hiromu and Yoko. Because they knew Messiah could come back in the future, they inserted the Vaccine Program in their Hiromu, Yoko and Ryuuji, making them the only ones able to fight Messiah and teleported them to safety. From then on, the three trained relentlessly for the day Messiah would return.
 Herald / int_b8e7bb8
featureApplicability
1.0
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1.0
 Super Sentai (Franchise)
hasFeature
Herald / int_b8e7bb8
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type
Herald
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Ford Prefect of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is a downplayed example; while he whisks Arthur away, he hasn't got a clue where they're going.
 Herald / int_bb8d2f1a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_bb8d2f1a
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1.0
 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
hasFeature
Herald / int_bb8d2f1a
 Herald / int_bddc4ebe
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Herald
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The Dino Gems from Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. After they are found by Connor, Kira and Ethan, the three teenagers are sucked into the conflict with Mesogog.
 Herald / int_bddc4ebe
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1.0
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 Power Rangers: Dino Thunder
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Herald / int_bddc4ebe
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Herald
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At the very beginning of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid steals most of Link's items and turns him into a Deku Scrub, which forces Link into the plot proper.
 Herald / int_beac6ffb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_beac6ffb
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1.0
 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Video Game)
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Herald / int_beac6ffb
 Herald / int_c0ce313e
type
Herald
 Herald / int_c0ce313e
comment
Mahou Sentai Magiranger: The Troll appearing in the first episode is a Herald, as it forces the mother of the main characters to reveal the existence of magic and the evil Infershia. She then offers her children to become Magirangers to battle the Infershia.
 Herald / int_c0ce313e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_c0ce313e
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1.0
 Mahou Sentai Magiranger
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Herald / int_c0ce313e
 Herald / int_c11a5a3e
type
Herald
 Herald / int_c11a5a3e
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Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest: Seers are a go-to for any person assigned a quest, acting as a middle-man to give the quest-givers just enough information to go on since the gods themselves don't think it's important enough to tell them themselves.
Pollux Castor is a seer who runs a food truck called The Meat Wagon in a neighborhood that was once the Sacred Glen. When he's not serving brisket and fries, he sends quest-havers on their way.
In the case of the Wild Hunt motorcycle club, they are assigned Peggy Truthstalker, a seer assigned to them by the Orc-God Grog. She's known as the most feared trader on Wall Street thanks to her skills at reading omens.
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1.0
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1.0
 Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest
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Herald / int_c11a5a3e
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Herald
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Doctor Who did this on a number of occasions, such as in "Colony in Space", where a Time Lord gives the Third Doctor a mission, allowing him to leave Earth for the first time since his exile. Of course, the Doctor is frequently in the role of Herald for their many companions.
 Herald / int_c43df4d8
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1.0
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1.0
 Doctor Who
hasFeature
Herald / int_c43df4d8
 Herald / int_c487221e
type
Herald
 Herald / int_c487221e
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In Men in Black, the NYPD officer who would become Agent J chases down a perp who moves much too fast to be human. He eventually corners the suspect on a rooftop... and is told "Your world is going to end" before the guy's irises blink and he jumps to his death.
 Herald / int_c487221e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_c487221e
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1.0
 Men in Black
hasFeature
Herald / int_c487221e
 Herald / int_c7ea10cc
type
Herald
 Herald / int_c7ea10cc
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The Silver Surfer inverts this. He is the official Herald to Galactus the Planet Eater.
The Surfer is the most famous of Galactus' Heralds, but there have been others. Their job is basically to announce to a world that Galactus is coming. Ostensibly this is to give them a chance to flee the planet (The Trial Of Reed Richards features several space-faring races who survived the destruction of their homeworld), but Galactus tends not to fret too much if, say, the inhabitants can't leave due to not having advanced enough technology.
Parodied by Dial M For Monkey as The Silver Spooner, who was a herald for Barbequor.
Also parodied in DC Comics with the Scarlet Skier, Herald to Mr. Nebula, a flamboyant Galactus ersatz out to maliciously redecorate the universe according to his own tastes. When the Skier disobeys him, Nebula punishes him by making him wear increasingly ridiculous costumes.
 Herald / int_c7ea10cc
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1.0
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1.0
 Silver Surfer (Comic Book)
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Herald / int_c7ea10cc
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Herald
 Herald / int_c96cfe29
comment
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past featured the Take Up My Sword variety when Link's uncle um...passes out really bad or something moments after the story begins.
 Herald / int_c96cfe29
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_c96cfe29
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Video Game)
hasFeature
Herald / int_c96cfe29
 Herald / int_d31cdea
type
Herald
 Herald / int_d31cdea
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In The Hunger Games, Effie Trinket serves as the Herald by picking Prim's name from the reaping ball, causing Katniss to volunteer as tribute on her sister's behalf.
 Herald / int_d31cdea
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_d31cdea
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1.0
 The Hunger Games
hasFeature
Herald / int_d31cdea
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type
Herald
 Herald / int_d9e1a051
comment
Fruits Basket: When they find Tohru living in a tent on a Sohma land, and insist that she come live in their house. Repeated when it appears she will go back to live with her family, and Kyo and Yuki track her down to insist that she return.
 Herald / int_d9e1a051
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_d9e1a051
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1.0
 Fruits Basket (Manga)
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Herald / int_d9e1a051
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Herald
 Herald / int_dc3fc6db
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In Himenospia, Himeno is stung by a red wasp that grants her a sting with brainwashing powers. When she converts her bully Nagisa and some other people in self-defense, that now friendly bully shows up insisting Himeno creates the titular feminist utopic nation. After Himeno does end up taking over her hometown out of revenge for a mass shooting at her school and some conflict with American wasp-queen Serena, it is revealed Nagisa was a fellow queen the whole time who engineered nearly all the happenings in the story and used Himeno to bait and hunt Serena.
 Herald / int_dc3fc6db
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_dc3fc6db
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1.0
 Himenospia (Manga)
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Herald / int_dc3fc6db
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type
Herald
 Herald / int_e293455a
comment
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Into every generation, a Slayer is born." Giles serves as Herald, and later as Mentor. His official title is 'Watcher'.
She also had a Herald in the movie: Merrick, her first Watcher.
 Herald / int_e293455a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_e293455a
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1.0
 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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Herald / int_e293455a
 Herald / int_e3ed54c7
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Herald
 Herald / int_e3ed54c7
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Most mascots in the Pretty Cure series are like this.
 Herald / int_e3ed54c7
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1.0
 Herald / int_e3ed54c7
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1.0
 Pretty Cure
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Herald / int_e3ed54c7
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Herald
 Herald / int_ec52a5b9
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Bumblebee serves this function in Transformers (2007); a difficult task since he couldn't speak at the time.
 Herald / int_ec52a5b9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Herald / int_ec52a5b9
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1.0
 Transformers (2007)
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Herald / int_ec52a5b9
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Herald
 Herald / int_f10619d8
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In Tales of the Abyss, Luke's boring and repetitive life was changed when Tear broke into his manor and tried killing his swordmaster. Luke and Tear's magic collided and now the two of them are on the other side of the world.
 Herald / int_f10619d8
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 Tales of the Abyss (Video Game)
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Herald / int_f10619d8
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Herald
 Herald / int_f5e30a17
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Stand Still, Stay Silent: If it weren't for Torbjörn organizing the expedition, the members of the crew wouldn't have met, or in some cases even left their homes. Chances are that Reynir's plan to hide in a food crate to be able to visit a foreign country would have gone a little less sideways as well.
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Herald
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Luna in Sailor Moon; she sticks around to play the Mentor later.
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1.0
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1.0
 Sailor Moon (Franchise)
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Herald / int_fa738078
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Herald
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Parodied by Dial M For Monkey as The Silver Spooner, who was a herald for Barbequor.
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1.0
 Herald / int_fc0e7530
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1.0
 Dexter's Laboratory
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Herald / int_fc0e7530
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Herald
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Naota's life in FLCL was entirely uneventful until Haruko shows up, trailing traffic accidents in her wake, to smack him in the head with her Rickenbacker bass, turning his brain into an inter-dimensional portal through which robots emerge to do battle. It Makes Sense in Context, you just have to pay attention.
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Herald
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"Uncle" Felix in Spy Kids; he informs them that their parents have been kidnapped, that they are spies, and tells that 'the third brain lives'.
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The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Herald
processingCategory2
Archetypal Character
 Herald
processingCategory2
Beginning Tropes
 Herald
processingCategory2
Characters as Device
 Silver Surfer (Comic Book) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Men in Black / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Puma Man / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Spy Kids / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The ButterCream Gang / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Last of the Mohicans / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Pumaman / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Franchise) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Black Legion / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Green (2011) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 My Father's Dragon / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Percy Jackson and the Olympians / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Prince Caspian / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Hero with a Thousand Faces / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Hobbit / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Last Unicorn / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Sand Horse / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Watchers of the Throne / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Ptitleh1ltpj3ph282
seeAlso
Herald
 MagicalJxR
seeAlso
Herald
 Dawson's Creek / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Spirit Island (Tabletop Game) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Mystère (Theatre) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (Video Game) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Galaxy Fraulein Yuna (Video Game) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (Video Game) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Video Game) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Video Game) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 City of Somnus (Webcomic) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Sword Princess Amaltea (Webcomic) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Adventures of Shan Shan (Webcomic) / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Croods / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Last Unicorn / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 The Secret of Kells / int_a116a489
type
Herald
 Titan A.E. / int_a116a489
type
Herald