Al He Wanted Was To Make A Necklace For His Girlfriend!

[Forsaken Lover]

This seems to be big thing in RPG's but I suppose it can include other things too. The example that inspired this was from an RPG though.

See, I was reading on TVTropes' Character Sheet for Serge from Chrono Cross that "All he was ever trying to do was make a necklace for his girlfriend!" It struck me as both hilarious and interesting. You contrast where they began and where they ended and the two things are so far apart that you and whatever protagonist you're thinking of never could have seen it coming.

So the topic...well, here's an example to show you what I'm thinking:
Serge
The Beginning: He was trying to make a necklace for his childhood sweetheart.
The End: He defeats the supercompouter AI that rules the alternate dimension where he died, kills the dragon god from the future where reptiles ruled, and destroys the alien abomination merged with an ancient magic princess in order to keep it from annihilating all of space and time.

Basically, the type of protagonists relevant here are nice, simple little folks doing something perfectly routine until they get sucked into giant, crazy adventures without even meaning to. The bigger the contrast between the beginning and end, the more absurd the differences, the better.

[Wolf Kanno]

I don't think anyone is really going to beat Fei Fong Wong on this one...

[Fynn]

Oh yes. That's what you get for seeing the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding. You start the reversion of human beings into the particles of a mechanical super weapon.

I also think the P3 protagonist went in way over their head.

[Wolf Kanno]

Don't forget P2's Tatsuya as well. It's almost par the course for Persona protagonists.

[Fynn]

Yeah. But the P4 Brotagonist got off easy.

[Pumpkin]

Does Link count? In several games?

[Wolf Kanno]

Yeah, I would count Link. Especially the MM, WW, and LA versions.

[Fynn]

Also, Bowser counts. He just wanted to take over the Mushroom Kingdom in Bowser's Inside Story and then he got involved in all that Dark Star mess.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Secret of Mana is the classic Sword in the Stone version of crap getting out of hand fast.

Kids start playing where they're not supposed to, and find a cool sword. Main kid picks up the sword and unleashes monsters and other horrible things. The village kicks all the kids out for unleashing the curse and there you go. Begin adventure.

[Slothy]

Yeah, I would count Link. Especially the MM, WW, and LA versions.

LttP Link had it really rough. He was just trying to get a good nights sleep. At least Link in MM had already survived Ocarina and Link's Awakening was the LttP version unless I'm mistaken, so both were experienced with this stuff by that point.

[Wolf Kanno]

Yeah, I would count Link. Especially the MM, WW, and LA versions.

LttP Link had it really rough. He was just trying to get a good nights sleep. At least Link in MM had already survived Ocarina and Link's Awakening was the LttP version unless I'm mistaken, so both were experienced with this stuff by that point.

Yeah but we're still talking about guys who literally start their quest doing something simple (trying to get off an island and looking for Navi) and instead wind up in alternate realities where everything is pretty messed up. Fighting Ganon isn't going to prepare you for learning your inside a Fish's dream and stopping a smiling Moon from destroying an alternate reality version of Hyrule.

[Skyblade]

Yeah, I would count Link. Especially the MM, WW, and LA versions.

LttP Link had it really rough. He was just trying to get a good nights sleep. At least Link in MM had already survived Ocarina and Link's Awakening was the LttP version unless I'm mistaken, so both were experienced with this stuff by that point.

Yeah but we're still talking about guys who literally start their quest doing something simple (trying to get off an island and looking for Navi) and instead wind up in alternate realities where everything is pretty messed up. Fighting Ganon isn't going to prepare you for learning your inside a Fish's dream and stopping a smiling Moon from destroying an alternate reality version of Hyrule.

Link Between Worlds. He just slept in late, and got tasked with delivering a sword. Had he gotten up on time, he might have reminded the Captain to take the sword with him, and the entire adventure might not have taken place.

[Wolf Kanno]

The Onion Knights in FFIII and Bartz from FFV all count as well. One was just exploring and the other was camping.

[Forsaken Lover]

The Beginning: He was traveling and stopped at a bar for a drink.

The End: He abandons his vampire empire so he can travel through time and thus fix the rigged timeline to force a better outcome where the world isn't doomed ans also does battle with the eldrich god that controls life and death.

[Loony BoB]

Bartz was my first thought.

[Pumpkin]

I'm the only one who played this one but Fang from Fairy Fencer F just wanted some food