| abstract | - A Legacy Character is a character whose identity is passed down to them from an older character in the form of a title, job or persona for the newer character to assume. There are many ways this can come about:
* A mentor may pass their mantle on to their Sidekick.
* A sidekick is written out of the story and the mentor choses a new person to take on the sidekick's mantle.
* A character learns of their predecessor's legacy and is inspired to take up the mantle on their own.
* The character is a Chosen One in a long line of similarly Chosen.
* The legacy is a title or code name passed along to every person to hold the position regardless of relation, and the title becomes their primary identity. Outside of the work, Legacy Characters are especially popular as superheroes and action heroes, or any job that involves a Secret Identity. Long Runners that span multiple generations of characters are the most likely to use them, but they can also be created as part of a back-story, such as a Secret Legacy. Adaptations of a work with Legacy Characters to other media often only reference the current or best known holder of the legacy, only referencing other incarnations as a Mythology Gag. Younger heroes carrying the mantle often get a Rogues Gallery to match their predecessors, either via villains having kids of their own (much to the parent's chagrin), or younger villains "honoring" their own villainous legacy. This may become Generation Xerox if everyone around the Legacy Character is also a Legacy Character. If the Legacy Character is a descendant (probably because Lamarck Was Right), you've got yourself a Spin Offspring. If he's a former sidekick, it's Sidekick Graduations Stick. Many involve a formal moment of Passing the Torch, when the older character hands over responsibility to the younger, or a Take Up My Sword moment, if the older character dies. This is also convenient in creating change without actually fundamentally changing a title character's book. If people within the universe don't realize that there's a new man behind the mask and thus start spreading rumors he can't die, he's got Legacy Immortality. In recent years, passing the torch to a minority character has become a popular choice. See also Dying to Be Replaced. Compare The Nth Doctor. Examples of Legacy Character include:
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