Hero's Reasons and Backstory

"Listen! You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my own life? You don't even know what I've been through!"

- Simba during his argument with Nala. "They call me Bulletproof Jackson. But I wasn't always "Bulletproof." Hell, I wasn't always "Jackson.""

- Bulletproof Jackson about to reveal his backstory.

Not to be confused with the hero's origin story and/or secret past, there comes a time in a story when the hero/heroine reveals his/her backstory and reasons for being who they are. This commonly happens when the protagonist: Sometimes, the hero's guardian/friend reveals the protagonist's reasons and backstory, which often makes the hero/heroine relatable and sympathetic, under these circumstances.
 * Gets into an argument
 * Breaks his/her silence
 * Makes a confession/tells someone the truth
 * Longs for something
 * Introduces him/herself
 * Revealing a secret
 * Releasing stress
 * Revealing the angel within

The hero's reasons and backstory can also be implied and/or shown, usually in a flashback.

Noteworthy Examples

 * When Jonathan tells Dracula the legend of the Lubove tragedy, the count reveals to him that humans murdered his wife, which is why he forbids humans from entering his hotel and Mavis from exploring the outside world.
 * Marlin lost his wife and all but one of his children to a predator attack, leading to his overprotection of Nemo.
 * When Star-Lord tries to break up an argument with his pals, Rocket inadvertently reveals his backstory of being used as a scientific experiment.
 * Garrett reveals to Kayley that he was once a stable boy who dreamed of becoming a knight, but was blinded in a fire. Sir Lionel trained him, but after Ruber murdered him, Garrett's dream and hopes were shot down, which led him to hide away in the Forbidden Forest.
 * Miguel Rivera dreams of becoming a musician like his great-great grandfather but has a hard time living in his household because after his distant relative supposedly abandoned his family, they forbid it. Nevertheless, he's determined to claim his destiny because he knows his family is supposed to guide him.
 * Merida dreams of freedom because she is trapped by castle life.
 * Shrek reveals to Donkey that he wants to be alone because people misjudge him before they get to know him.
 * During their argument, Mittens reveals to Bolt that her owners abandoned her and doesn't want the same thing to happen to her friend.
 * Bulletproof Jackson reveals that he started out as a traveling musician, but became a town hero after ridding Cole Junction of the Reaper Gang's tyranny.
 * The Beast's backstory is revealed in the beginning, as he was transformed into the hideous creature he is as punishment for his selfishness after turning away an old beggar woman. In the 2017 film, the objects reveal to Belle that when the Beast was a child, and before he was cursed his mother died and his horrible father took him in and twisted him up to be just like him, which was what made the prince nasty.
 * Hagrid reveals Harry Potter's backstory to him.
 * Tom Button explains to Benjamin why he left him in Queenie's care.
 * Jamal Malik reveals to the police chief why he signed up on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
 * Eddie Valiant reveals to Roger Rabbit that he despises toons with every fiber of his being because a toon murdered his brother.
 * Nick Wilde reveals to Judy Hopps that he was living out the "sly fox" stereotype because didn't want anyone to take advantage of him, ever since he was bullied by prey animals as a child.
 * Nita reveals to Kenai that she didn't grab the bag she dropped in the river because she was afraid of the water ever since the day she fell through the ice when she and Kenai were children.
 * Maui reveals to Moana that his parents abandoned him as a child, but the gods rescued him and made him the hero he currently is.
 * Eggs, with Fish, tells Winnie Portley-Rind the story of how his father gave him to the Boxtrolls as an infant to rescue him from the wicked Archibald Snatcher.
 * Monkey tells Kubo the story of how she defied her wicked father and fell in love with Hanzo, leading to Kubo's birth and backstory.
 * Yusuf Khan tells Kamala that before she was born, her mother had birth problems when she was pregnant with Aamir. But five years later, Kamala was born, and her father thought she was the most perfect person he had ever seen, which led him to give her her name.

Quotes
"(Donkey: What's your problem, Shrek? Why you hate the world, huh?) Look, I'm not the one with the problem, okay? It's the world that seems to have a problem with ME! People take one look at me and go "Aargh! Help! Run! A big stupid ugly ogre!" [sighs] They judge me before they even know me. That's why I'm better off alone."

- Shrek revealing the reason why he lives in solitude to Donkey. "All my life, I've lived and worked in the big city, which, now that I think of it, is kind of a problem, since I always feel uncomfortable around crowds. I mean it, I-I have this fear of enclosed spaces. I-I-I-- Everything makes me feel trapped all the time. You know, I always tell myself, there's gotta be something better out there, but maybe I think too much. I-I-I think everything must go back to the fact that I had a very anxious childhood. You know, my, my mother never had time for me. You know, when you're - when you're the middle child in a family of five million, you don't get any attention. I mean, how's it possible? And I've always had these-these abandonment issues, which plagued me. My father was basically a drone like I've said. And, you know, the guy flew away when I was just a larva. And my job, don't get me started on, 'cause it really annoys me. I-I was not cut out to be a worker, I'll tell you right now. I-I-I feel physically inadequate. I, I, my whole life I've never--I've never been able to lift more than 10 times my own body weight. And when you get down to it, handling dirt is you know, ewwww... is not my idea of a rewarding career. It's this whole gung-ho super-organism thing that-that-that I, you know, I can't get. I try but I don't get it. I mean you know, what is it, I'm supposed to do everything for the colony, and-and what about my needs? What about me? I mean, I gotta believe there's someplace out there that's better than this! Otherwise, I'd just curl up in a larval position and weep! The whole system makes me feel... insignificant! (Psychiatrist: Excellent. You've made a real breakthrough.) I have? (Psychiatrist: Yes, Z. You are insignificant.) I am?"

- Z revealing his backstory to his therapist. "Well, I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart, and put back together over and over and turned into some...some little MONSTER!"

- Rocket Raccoon spilling his backstory while arguing with the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy. "(Roger: What could have possibly happened to you to turn you into such a sourpuss?) You wanna know? I'll tell you. A toon killed my brother. (Roger, shocked: A toon? No.) That's right. A toon. (Eddie takes a deep breath, and tells Roger about his brother's death.) We were investigating a robbery at the First National Bank of Toontown. Back in those days, me and Teddy like working at Toontown, thought it was a lot of laughs. Anyway, this guy...got away with a zillion simoleons. We trailed him to a little dive down on Yukster Street. We went in. Only he got the drop on us, literally. Dropped a piano on us from fifteen stories. Broke my arm. Teddy never made it. I never did find out who that guy was. All I remember was him standing over me laughing, with those burning red eyes...and that high, squeaky voice. He disappeared into Toontown after that."

- Eddie Valiant telling Roger Rabbit why he hates toons - because his brother was killed by one. "I wasn't born a demigod. I had human parents. They, uh, took one look and decided they did not want me. They threw me into the sea like I was...nothing. Somehow, I was found by the gods. THEY gave me the hook. They made me...Maui. And...back to the humans I went. I gave them islands, fire, coconuts...(chuckles) ...anything they could ever want. (Moana: You took the heart for them. You did everything for THEM, so they'd love you.) It was...never enough. (Moana sits down next to Maui.) (Moana: Maybe the gods found you for a reason. Maybe the ocean brought you to them, because it found someone worthy of being saved. But the gods aren't the ones who make you "Maui." YOU are.) (Mini-Maui hugs his friend, who pats him on the back.) Thanks, buddy."

- Maui revealing his backstory to Moana. "Your mother sent you adrift in a basket to save your life! (Moses: Save my life? From who?) Ask the man that you call "father!""

- Miriam telling Moses the truth about his past even though he doesn't believe her. "When you live in a castle, everything is done for you. All the time. They dress you, feed you, drive you, brush your teeth. (Tiana: Aw, poor baby.) I admit, it was a charmed life until the day my parents cut me off, and suddenly, I realized...I don't know how to do anything."

- Prince Naveen revealing his backstory to Tiana. "I went on the show because I thought she'd be watching."

- Jamal Malik revealing to the police chief why he went on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" - to reconnect with his lost love, Latika. "Your mother died giving birth to you. I thought you were a monster."

- Tom explaining to Benjamin Button why he left him on Queenie's porch as an infant. "Kayley, I must tell you: I knew your father. (Kayley: You did?) (solemnly) I used to live in Camelot. I was a stable boy...but I dreamt of becoming a knight. One evening, there was a fire. I rushed to save the horses, but...I was hurt. At first, All I could see were shapes, then shadows. Finally, my world went black. After I lost my sight, your father was the only one who still believed in me. He taught me that a knight's strength comes from his heart, and his loyalty to the Oath of Camelot. (Young Garrett/Sir Lionel: "United we stand...now and forever.") Any hope I had of becoming a knight died with him. (Kayley, gently: I felt that way too, but I knew he would never want me to give up. He wouldn't want you to give up either. You're as good as any knight in Camelot.)"

- Garrett revealing his backstory to Kayley. "Sometimes I think I'm cursed. Because of something that happened before I was even born. See, a long time ago there was this family. The papá, he was a musician. He and his family would sing and dance, and count their blessings. But he also had a dream: To play for the world. And one day, he left with his guitar and never returned. And the mamá? She didn't have time to cry over that walkaway musician. After banishing all music from her life, she found a way to provide for her daughter. She rolled up her sleeves and she learned to make shoes. She could have made candy, or fireworks, or sparkly underwear for wrestlers. But no, she chose shoes. Then she taught her daughter to make shoes. And later, she taught her son-in-law. Then her grandkids got roped in. As her family grew, so did the business. Music had torn her family apart, but shoes held them all together. You see, that woman was my great-great grandmother, Mamá Imelda. She died WAY before I was born. But my family still tells her story every year on Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. And her little girl, she's my great-grandmother, Mamá Coco. (Cut to Miguel meeting Coco.) Hola, Mamá Coco. (Coco: How are you, Julio?) Actually, my name is Miguel. Mamá Coco has trouble remembering things, but it's good to talk to her anyway. So, I tell her pretty much everything.) (Cut to Miguel having fun with his great-grandmother.) I used to run like this, but now I run like this, because it's way faster. (playing wrestler) And the winner is...LUCHADORA COCO! (At dinner..) I have a dimple on this side, not on this side. Dimple, no dimple. Dimple, no dimple. (Enter Abuelita, holding a tray of tamales.) (Abuelita: Miguel, eat your food.) My abuelita, she's Mamá Coco's daughter. (Abuelita: O, you're a twig, m'ijo. Have some more.) No, gracias. (Abuelita: I asked you if you would like more tamales!) Sí? (Abuelita, serving more tamales: That's what I thought you said!) Abuelita runs our house just like Mamá Imelda did. (Cut to Abuelita forbidding Miguel to play music and shielding him from it.) (Abuelita: No music! No music! (driving away mariachis) NO MUSIC!!) I think we're the only family in Mexico who hates music. And my family's fine with that. But me... (Miguel's mother: Be back by lunch, m'ijo!) Love you, Mamá! (Miguel runs off to school.) I am NOT like the rest of my family. (Miguel sprints down the street.) (Old Lady: Hola, Miguel!) Hola! (He plays air guitar with mariachis and buys a snack.) Gracias! (Shopkeeper: De nada, Miguel!) (Miguel drums on toy alibrijes and a trash can, where Dante pops out.) Hey, hey! Dante! Sit. Down. Roll over. Shake. Fist bump! (He bumps his fist against Dante's paw.) Good boy, Dante! (Miguel runs off after tossing Dante his snack.) I know I'm not supposed to love music. (chuckles) But it's not my fault. It's HIS. Ernesto de la Cruz, the greatest musician of all time. (Miguel walks up to the statue of the musician as a tour guide speaks to her group.) He started out as a total nobody from Santa Cecilia, like me. But when he played music, he made people fall in love with him. He starred in movies. He had the coolest guitar! He could fly! And he wrote the best songs! But my all-time favorite, it's... (Cue Ernesto de la Cruz singing "Remember Me.") He lived the kind of life you could dream about, until 1942...when he was crushed by a giant bell. I wanna be just like him. Sometimes, I look at de la Cruz and I get this feeling like we're connected somehow. Like if HE could play music, maybe someday I could too...if it wasn't for my family."

- Miguel revealing his backstory and why he dreams of becoming a musician. "There is no Penny. She's fake! (Bolt: No. You're wrong! She loves me!) No. No, Bolt! That's what they do, okay? They act like they love you, they act like they'll be there forever, and then one day they'll pack up all their stuff and MOVE away and take their love with them and leave their declawed cat behind to FEND FOR HERSELF! (sighs) They leave her...wondering what she did wrong. (Bolt, with a sigh: I'm sorry, Mittens. But...Penny is different.)"

- Mittens revealing her tragic backstory to Bolt during their argument.