A Chat with Satan: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Before the hero can achieve his destiny, he has to face himself and defeat the darkness in his own heart. Because [[Only the Worthy May Pass]], someone has to put the hero to the test and make sure that he has the character necessary to see things through.

 

 

If the hero fails this [[Secret Test of Character]], expect things to [[Tragic Hero|end badly]] for him.

 

Essentially, when a supporting character talks to the hero to reveal [[What You Are in the Dark]]. Differs from a [[Deal with the Devil]] in that the Satan-figure is primarily concerned with exposing the hero's true nature (and can sometimes be akin to a [[Trickster Mentor]], actively trying to improve the hero by getting them to see and reject their darker side); if the hero does not succumb to temptation, it doesn't mean that the tempter has failed in his mission. A type of [[Threshold Guardians]]. If the character playing "Satan" really ''does'' want to corrupt the hero, then they're [[The Corrupter]].

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[Naruto]]'' plays this very straight in one example, except for one minor twist; Naruto knows his dark side even better than the "dark side" itself, and actually embraces it and comforts it. In a way, his dark side was something that he mostly outgrew as he grew up.

* In ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', Evangeline goes through this with Negi. She tells him he can either face down his true dark nature and overcome it, bending it to his will, or he can become a raging immortal demon. She thinks the latter is kind of cool.

** In Genesis 3, the serpent tempts Eve with the knowledge of good and evil. His questions reveal that Eve is second-guessing whether God has her best interests at heart.

** In Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke 4, Jesus goes into the wilderness and is tempted by Satan. The devil presents him with three successive challenges, appealing to his appetite (turn this stone into bread), his vanity (jump off the temple so people will see God catch you), and his sense of his own destiny (worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world). Jesus refuses each of the tests, thus proving that he is worthy to begin his ministry.

* Ivan Karamazov dreams one of these in ''[[The Brothers Karamazov]].'' Doubly perturbing for him, as he's a committed skeptic.

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', Harry has these little chit-chats with alarming regularity. His "inner voice", Lea, Lasciel, Nicodemus...

** Another example occurs earlier in the series, when Delenn and Sheridan are being tested by the Inquisitor.

** G'Kar plays this role for Londo in "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari".

** Leoben plays this role for Starbuck several times during the series, most dramatically when she is assigned to interrogate him in "Flesh and Bone".

* In Season 5 of ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'', {{spoiler|Lucifer}} has had talks like this with both {{spoiler|Sam and Castiel}}, but they both resist his seductive nature.

== Video Games ==

* ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'', Cecil at the top of Mt. Ordeals.

* In ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Zelda II the Adventure of Link]]'', Link must defeat his own shadow, later named Dark Link, in order to obtain the third Triforce piece and awaken Princess Zelda. (However, given Link's status as the world's most legendary [[Heroic Mime]], there's no actual "chatting" involved.)

* ''[[Mass Effect]]'': Saren counts if you go Renegade, since that's how he operated.

[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]

[[Category:A Chat with Satan]]