Who does your character fight for?
This goes back to my previous post about motivation. On top of what your character fights for, it's important to note who they're fighting for.
We so often see in media in general, not just fantasy, that people's motivations are often highly suspect. They fight to be snarky, to one-up their rivals/enemies, to show what a badass they are, or - as one movie franchise even went so far as to use - to avenge their dogs.
But when you get down to it, it's important to ask WHO your character(s) are fighting for. "The world" or "society in general" is probably most people's go-to, but that's honestly too impersonal. Yes, a true hero does fight so that everyone can live in peace, but that's generally too broad a brush to paint your character with - at least at the start. So authors will often default to family, most notably "wanting to make mama or papa proud." Well....
The problem with this is most of these books tend to star coming-of-age characters. Half the time it's their rebelliousness that gets their butt out the door to even partake of this adventure, so does this strong desire to make the parents proud really work? Is it more likely they'd do it to spite their parents for not believing in them and their maturity?
There's no right or wrong answer here. It's just something you need to think about as you write, because this will lend your characters depth and make it easier for many people to identify with them on some level. Maybe your readers have been through similar circumstances. Maybe they know someone who has. Or maybe it's something they'll go through at some point - and they'll remember your book and be inspired by your character when they do! Give your characters this depth, and you may even start seeing some real personal testimonials in your reviews.
To use my own series as an example, at the start, Kari doesn't really have anyone or anything to fight for aside from her deity and her Order. She's been brought back to life in a different time and place, and she's adrift. Throughout the series, though, as she enters relationships and becomes part of a large family, those bonds become more the focus of what she's fighting for. As she becomes a commander of her Order, she begins to fight for all those under her command. As she becomes a mother, she finds the ultimate thing for which to fight: children, or more pointedly, the future.
It becomes about more than just her. She doesn't just fight because she wants to live in peace, but because she wants her children and their generations to live in peace. As another character so aptly puts it when referring to one of his weapons, "I have a hope that I never need to pass them on to my son at all."
This is the sacrifice protagonists should be willing to make that differentiates them from antagonists who are fighting just as hard for their own beliefs. Antagonists in general fight for self.
Who does your character fight for?