Protagonists whose main goal changes

[Bokyongyo]

Wanted to know some of your favorite characters from a story you like (Comics, Movies, Anime, Shows, etc) or even your own, whose central driving goal of the story changes some way through the narrative and also how do you feel about protagonists whom follow this trope?

For me I’m indifferent depending on how well it’s executed in the story, usually the main goal that’s established in the beginning keeps me interested and losing that for something else can be hit or miss.

But it also has a chance of making the character as well as the story more dynamic so it really does depend I think on the story and how it’s handled

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Eren Yeager is probably one I can think of, although actually his core goal is the same (freedom!) may it be by killing all titans or killing everyone who isn't a titan.

I think they way to pull it off is either make it still about what the core quality of main character is about although in different way (like Eren), or have enough compelling character development that make them change.

[Bokyongyo]

God, Eren is a great one.

I love how he has gone from this typical shonen archetype to a very layered character. And his goal change is actually believable and earned too...

[silverraven0]

HunterXHunter? Gon just wanna find Ging but after a lot of progression that doesn't seems that important with

Summary

the world almost ending lmfao. All this while he wanted to find his dad, and it always remain his final goal, but when He did ended up finding Ging, I Feel like, that seriously doesn't seems that important. Maybe just me? with the new world arc being started. It focused more on Kurapika and Leorio too... It is still the archetype of protagonist just gettimg stronger arc after arc, but HxH just being special for me. Sorry I just wanna talk about this series lol.

I love that silly boy so much tho. I guess it is also the same with Yuyu Hakusho with the protagonist just wanna life again to ended up fighting random creatures and whatnot. XD

[DiegoPalacios]

I love that silly boy so much tho. I guess it is also the same with Yuyu Hakusho with the protagonist just wanna life again to ended up fighting random creatures and whatnot. XD

Gon is not someone who plans too much, he got his goal, but after fulfilling it he was like...... "and now what?"

[Mallory]

I was actually a huge fan of how Soul Eater changed goal posts. They started out with a very shounen "I must acquire x objects to level up" but on their journey to acquire those objects, they learn about other aspects of their world and gain a new goal... and in pursuit of the new goal, they end up accomplishing their old goal. It felt very natural.

[Inspector_Spinda]

Well my story takes place over one man's lifetime so naturally his goals change a much. I also watch and read a lot of episodic media so every book or every episode the character has different motives naturally. But if you're taking about one contained narrative, Monster is a fantastic anime everyone should watch. It has fantastic side characters including one woman who seems like the typical bitchy rich spoiled girlfriend, but is actually maybe the most complex character of the bunch. Her original goal is to marry the main character, then she wants to frame him for crimes, then shoot him, then put him in jail forever, then protect him from going to jail, then kill the man the main character is trying to kill, then run away with her new boyfriend, then make something good of her life. Spoiler alert, she only accomplishes the last thing x'D

[Iridium]

Goal changes are an interesting plot twist, when well performed; I think I came across this trope several times in manga narratives, and they surely seem to do the trick when it comes to give a protagonist some sort of extra layers of development. As @Inspector_Spinda said, when a story takes place over someone's lifetime, it is natural seeing those changes, and I love that.

For me, as long as it is well written and coherent with the protagonist's way of dealing with the events that trigger that change, it is a welcome twist =)

[RosesnWater]

Much like a character arc I think a goals can change for the good! My mc suffers the loss of a parental figure and brutally insults/pushes away her best friend (right at the funeral of said parental figure) and decides she’s no longer trying to live and devotes her life to killing the monster who was rumoured to have killed her parental figure even if she dies in the process . Obviously not a healthy set of goals, and these gradually change after she begins to reconnect with the people she’s pushed away in the last year, rediscovers the stuff that made life colourful for her and a little bit of romance-

It’s all how you frame it ^^