View source for Because Destiny Says So

{{trope}}
{{quote|''"Destiny is unstoppable. Everyone has to give in... Give up--let life win."''
|''[[Gravitation]]''}}

[[The Hero]] finds that they are fated to accomplish some task or face some overwhelming foe. Sometimes this is a prophecy, sometimes it's predestination or [[Karma Meter|karma]] left over from a [[Reincarnation|previous life]], and sometimes it's because someone [[Time Travel|went back in time]] and told what he knew.

Whatever the mechanism, the prediction can become a central issue for the hero, either as a goal to pursue or [[You Can't Fight Fate|a fate to dodge]], and can drive much of a storyline.

Characters based on the [[Heroic Archetype]] are often saddled with issues of destiny, [[Secret Legacy|family]], and fate. See [[The Chosen One]]. '''Because Destiny Says So''' is a common excuse for why [[The Chosen One]] is [[The Only One]] allowed to save the world, or what have you.

If it's a recurring thing, it's [[Generation Xerox]] asserting itself through the ages.

Sometimes [[The Hero]] identifies it only in retrospect and assures the other characters that this is not a [[Contrived Coincidence]]. May be used to persuade them to carry out [[The Hero]]'s plan: [[There Are No Coincidences|it can not possibly be coincidence that he just received exactly the information he needs to carry it out, or that his new companion has exactly the skills required]]. Any sort of portent can be interpreted as a prophecy. Sole survivors of disasters are often regarded as marked out by destiny. Although [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane]] can come into play, with characters convinced that it was just coincidence to the end.

[[Sub-Trope]] of [[Prophecies Are Always Right]].

Compare with [[You Can't Fight Fate]], [[Only the Worthy May Pass]].

Contrast with [[Screw Destiny]].

{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Fuu, Umi and Hikaru of ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' must fulfill an ancient prophecy—but what they think they have to do and what they actually must do are two very, very different things.
* Honoka and Nagisa of ''[[Futari wa Pretty Cure]]'' are fated to become [[Magical Girl]]s, according to their mascots.
* A prophecy twist example: "Thus the earth shall turn to ash"... which turns out to refer to Ash Ketchum in one of the ''[[Pokémon (film)|Pokémon]]'' films.
** This is more a case of Because 4Kids Says So, since in the original (Japanese) version of the anime Ash is named Satoshi, whose name has nothing to do with the prophecy (which just refers to an "exceptional Trainer"). The prophecy is actually pretty bleak, prompting Satoshi to say "[[Screw Destiny]]!"
* Himemiya Chikane and Kurusegawa Himeko in ''[[Kannazuki no Miko]]'' are the reincarnations of priestesses who fought [[Orochi]] and are destined to do so again.
* Borderline in ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''. The Secret Dead Sea Scrolls possessed by the mysterious Seele organization supposedly predict the arrival of attacking Angels, although these predictions seem useless for all practical purposes.
** Seele is very prone to panicking when things don't seem to go exactly as the scrolls describe, which is just about every single time something a major event in the series occurs.
** In ''[[Rebuild of Evangelion]] 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone'', Misato tells Shinji that piloting Eva is "simply his destiny".
*** {{spoiler|1=While the secret of EVA-01 is that it has been constructed so only Shinji can be it's pilot.}}
* Used ''extensively'' in ''[[Sailor Moon]]''. Sailor Moon is fated to find the Moon Princess and then be the Moon Princess once she discovers her true identity, the Inner Senshi are fated to protect the Moon Princess, the Outer Senshi (minus Saturn) are fated to protect the Moon Kingdom (and by extension Earth) from outside threats, and Sailor Saturn is destined to bring her Silence Glaive down on worlds whose time has run out.
** It also seems to be the only reason Mamoru and Usagi are together, as they hate each other before their civilian identities are revealed to each other.
*** Only in the anime. Manga-wise the two where on friendly terms as their civilian selves and had apparently already started to like one another in their secret identities.
*** Also, in the Japanese version of the anime while the two do bicker almost every time they meet, their bickering does get less antagonistic and more banter-like in nature; it arguably starts to reach a level of [[Slap Slap Kiss]] prior to the reveal. And in the episode where Tuxedo Mask's identity is revealed, Usagi is clearly disturbed when the conversation she starts with Mamoru doesn't follow that pattern; that along with the shoulder wound makes her realize something's wrong.
** Subverted in [[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon|the live-action series]], when Mars decides to actively work against what was decided by their past lives.
* ''[[×××HOLiC]]'': "There is no coincidence in the world. What ''is'' there is 'hitsuzen'."
** For those who don't speak Japanese "hitsuzen" refers to "inevitable fate" or "what is determined".
** However, it is important to note that hitsuzen is not as written in stone as the Western concept of destiny is, and can be altered to some extent. "What is determined" is a better translation than "inevitability", really.
* The entire ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' franchise revolves around this trope and [[Screw Destiny]]. Depending on which series you're watching and even which season, the heroes may be trying to fulfill their destinies, or trying to change them.
** Two characters particularly offensive are Yami Yugi in the original series, and Sartorius in ''GX''. Watch the English dub of the second season and keep track of how many times Yami mentions "I will defeat Marik, it is my destiny". Sartorius' deck is based on Tarot cards with supposedly random effects, but he claims Destiny Says So, and thus their effects are already predetermined and he knows exactly how they'll turn out.
* Fuma Monou in ''X'' kills his beloved sister, turns against his best friend and tries to eradicate humankind, simply because destiny says so.
** ''X'' is pretty much made of this trope, honestly.
* Boingo's Stand Thoth, of ''Jojo's Bizarre Adventure'', takes the form of a comic book, and tells the immediate future, and it will happen, no matter what, as proven by what becomes of Oingo and Hol Horse.
** The [[Big Bad]] of part 6, Enrico Pucci, decides that heaven is a world where everybody knows their own destiny...and sets out to make it that way.
* ''[[RahXephon]]'' subverts this. The prophecy is only revealed in the antepenultimate episode, and its origin is far from supernatural. The protagonist also goes out of his way to state that he's doing what he's doing because he wants to, not because destiny says he must.
* ''[[Glass Fleet]]'' characters seem to rely far too much on Destiny, with a prophecy being one of the central aspects to the series. However, characters don't always interpret the words correctly...
* The Ultimate [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Rave Master]]'' is especially tied down by this one, and in a way that ties into [[Cosmic Plaything]], none the less. [[Alternate Character Interpretation]] of this makes him a [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds]] rather than [[Axe Crazy]].
* In [[Juushin Enbu]], Main character: Taitou is fated by the Hagun to face Keirou, the [[Big Bad]], and his companions are fated to have to choose between allying themselves between the two by the constellation that watches over the mark (for the most part). Taitou just wants to face Keirou out of revenge instead.
* According to the book read by Hap to Stoner in [[Eureka 7]] movie, Eureka is destined to have a male partner and together they will "change" the world. Apparently this comes to pass for both TV and movie version.
** The book never directly state Eureka's name, just refering her as "the Maiden with wings", thus its only valid to the TV series world because in the movie, Eureka never grow any wings. Interestingly, the movie ending does have references to the golden Bough that Holland and Dewey read in the TV series about the wife of the sacred king (Renton), the goddess of Earth (Eureka), went through death and rebirth.
* At the end of ''[[Nightmare of Nunnally|Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally]]'', this is essentially what  {{spoiler|C.C., formerly known as Lelouch vi Britannia,}} gives as  {{spoiler|his}} motivation going forward.  {{spoiler|Nunnally has a slightly different interpretation of things, though.}}
* ''[[Berserk]]'': When the Eclipse happens, Void said that the Band of the Hawk and the demons were all gathered to that cozy place called hell, in order to  {{spoiler|make [[The Chosen One|Griffith]] a new demon lord and to make his followers sacrifices for the rite}}, because ''causality'' said so. And Guts, being one of the few [[The Determinator|survivors]] of this event, continues to [[Screw Destiny|deny that notion to this day]].
** The Skull King actually stated that since Guts and Casca survived being offered as sacrifices during the Eclipse when they were fated to die, they now stand outside of fate. And this is why they are ''able'' to fight the Godhand (Though Casca at present isn't mentally capable of doing so at the moment).

== Comic Books ==
* In ''[[The Sandman]]'', even Destiny the character has no free will. He calls a certain fateful meeting of the Endless because his Book told him he was going to.
** However, Delirium escapes this trope by being the incarnation of insanity.
{{quote|'''Delirium:''' Do you know why I stopped being Delight, my brother? I do. There are things not in your book. There are paths outside this garden. You would do well to remember that.}}

== Film ==
* ''[[12 Monkeys]]'': The past is immutable. Everything the characters do to try to change the past leads to ensuring events unfold just as they did.
* ''[[Sphere]]'': One character notes the logging of a certain event in a future spaceship (falling down a black hole) as unexplained. He believes that this means that he and his colleagues will die down there, or else the event would be known in advance.  {{spoiler|In the event, they don't, but they end up choosing to use the Sphere's power to erase their memories of what happened.}}
* ''[[The Mummy Trilogy|The Mummy Returns]]'' resorts to this to explain several coincidences in the movie. The most blatant is the artifact the heroes carry through the entire movie despite the fact that they have no clue what the [[MacGuffin]] is for; naturally, it turns out to be completely necessary at the end. So why do they even have it? Fate, of course.
** At least [[Lampshade Hanging|Jonathan hangs a lampshade on it]]. "Where ''is'' all this stuff written?"
** It's specifically stated by Ardeth Bey that everything that happens is preordained. Evie is the reincarnation of Princess Nefertiri due to her part-Egyptian heritage (although they forget that the "Egyptian" in this case means "Arab", not the original Egyptian people). Meanwhile, Rick turns out to be a Medjai, one of the protectors of the secrets of the pharaohs. It's not entirely clear why an American infidel would be a Medjai. Rick joins the [[Badass Army|French Foreign Legion]] and travels to Egypt. Why? Read the trope name.
* ''[[Slumdog Millionaire]]'' concludes that {{spoiler|"It is written"}} explains why Jamal {{spoiler|manages to survive, win the quiz game, and get the girl}}, although some viewers may suspect that it's all a [[Contrived Coincidence]].
* In a cut scene from ''[[Star Trek (film)|Star Trek]]'', {{spoiler|future}} Spock says this is why Kirk and company are all serving together on the Enterprise despite [[Alternate Timeline|meddling villains from the future.]] The destiny aspect remains implied in the final cut of the film.
* ''[[Excalibur (film)|Excalibur]]'' has Arthur: 'I was not born to live a man's life; but to be the stuff of future memory.'
* [[The Terminator]] said it best in part 3; "Because you're John Connor".
* The members of [[The Adjustment Bureau]] will do everything in their power to ensure "things happen according to plan", regardless of reasoning.
** Of course,{{spoiler|the ending clearly shows that plans can change}}.

== Literature ==
* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' novels:
** In ''[[Brothers of the Snake]]'', the Space Marine squad Damocles disgraced itself in its leader's eyes, [[Youth Is Wasted on the Dumb|confessing to breaking rules]]; he refused to let them go on a certain undertaking. Somewhat thereafter, Petrok insists on their going on the rescue mission for that undertaking. He tells the leader that first, he has [[Dreaming of Things to Come|dreamed of it]] and second, he thinks the squad's disgrace was Fate's way of ensuring that they would be kept off the mission itself, so as to be available for the rescue.
** ''[[Gaunt's Ghosts]]'' has this with the involvement of the Ghosts in general, and Gaunt and Milo in particular, in the reincarnation of Saint Sabbat.
* In Richard Adams' novel ''[[Watership Down]]'', the story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle involved the rabbit hero trying to bargain with the Black Rabbit, to exchange his life for his people. However, the Black Rabbit refuses saying that there is no bargain; what is is what must be. In the animated film, Hazel makes a similar attempt to bargain with the sun god Frith and receives the same answer. Fortunately, {{spoiler|what followed was largely a complete victory over General Woundwart's forces.}}
* Basically the entire reason why Bella and Edward from ''Twilight'' are in love. They have nothing in common, hardly know each other, and don't even seem to like each other. But it's twue wuv, really!
* In [[David Drake]] and S.M. Stirling's ''[[The General]]'' series the AI supercomputer Center's power to extrapolate future events from data is indistinguishable from prophecy - even if Center does include numerical odds.
** Center seems to particularly enjoy (as much as an emotionless AI can) showing the protagonist the Bad Ends that could result if things go wrong. Since the tech level is mid-19th century and politics is very much a Byzantine blood sport, they can go very wrong indeed...
* [[David Eddings]]' ''[[Belgariad]]'' enjoys this trope throughout the series - Destiny is nothing so much as a [[The Chessmaster|chessmaster]] who is constantly annoyed by his pieces arguing with his orders.
** And Destiny is snarky. What's not to love?
* [[David Eddings]]' ''[[Elenium]]'' series, however, takes a slightly different stance; Destiny tells every man, woman and child roughly what their role in life is - and Gods and the most powerful of wizards can sense this and even see it. Sparhawk, on the other hand, has ''no'' destiny. And you wouldn't believe just how nervous that makes the Gods.
* ''[[The Redemption of Althalus]]'', by [[David Eddings]]: Lampshaded. One of the female leads sarcastically comments to one of the male leads upon hearing a prophecy: 'Gives you a nice, warm sense of your own importance, doesn't it? Save the world, boy! Save! Save!'. ([[Rule of Three|You may have noticed]] [[David Eddings]] [[Captain Obvious|is fond of this trope]].)
* In [[Teresa Edgerton]]'s ''The Queen's Necklace'', {{spoiler|Rath}} recounts how the religious group who raised him thought him a miracle: a Maglore appearing centuries after (they believe) the Maglore had been wiped out. Obviously, he had been transported through time for a purpose. Although he later learned that they were wrong about the wiping out, he had survived several things that should have killed him as a child, and he thinks it may have been his destiny that saved him.
* It's probably easier to count the ''[[Redwall]]'' books ''not'' hung on this trope. There's even a [[Prophecy Twist]]: the beginning of ''The Bellmaker'' has the prophecy "Five will ride the Roaringburn, but only four will e'er return"; five leave Redwall, but {{spoiler|Joseph stays behind to help the country they save rebuild itself.}}
* [[Robert Jordan]]'s ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' novels take this trope and turn it up to eleven. Not only must the Prophecies of the Dragon (which apparently run on long enough to fill a largish book) be fulfilled, but various characters are either having prophetic dreams, seeing prophetic visions, or travelling through magical gates to get prophetic answers, all of which inevitably come true. It's very nearly reached the point where major characters can fulfill a half dozen ancient prophecies without even meaning to just by having breakfast.
** This is also a literal case of Because Destiny Says So when the [[Chosen One]], not knowing what to do next, consults the prophecies written about himself in a deliberate effort to fulfill them.
** At the same time it is stated in the books that the prophecies are just a guideline under which events ''could'' play out the way one hopes. Characters are warned that intentionally attempting to fulfill the prophecies could really fuck things up while in an interesting twist ''ignoring'' them could do just the same. In Book 3 a Portal Stone trip through countless [[Alternate History|parallel worlds]] shows the many ways that already could have happened in this age alone...
* In ''[[The Dark Tower]]'', Ka is the driving force between all of the main characters' actions. The particularly creepy tarot scene sums up Ka's position. In addition, in the twist ending Ka forces Roland  {{spoiler|to begin his life again. It's mentioned that this isn't the first time it's happened}}.
* Two of the main characters in [[Neil Gaiman]] and [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Good Omens]]'' possess a book of highly accurate (if not always understandable) prophecies from Agnes Nutter, witch. The Because Destiny Says So reaches such a point that, toward the end of the book, these two characters realize correctly that they can pretty much select any prophecy at random and it will be ''exactly'' the one they need at that time.
** This is also the logic with which Anathema lives her life, {{spoiler|until [[Screw Destiny|Newt convinces her to live her own life instead of sticking to her ancestor's prophecies.]] Though this part may also be playing it straight,as knowing Agnes Nutter, she might have predicted this too.}}
* In [[Graham McNeill]]'s [[Warhammer 40,000]] [[Ultramarines (novel)|Ultramarines]] novel ''Dead Sky Black Sun'', when Uriel meets Colonel Leonid, who can tell him what is in the [[Evil Tower of Ominousness|Chaos fortress]], Uriel tells him that [[There Are No Coincidences|it was not chance]] that brought him to meet Leonid.
** Later, Leonid speculates that they recovered a woman from a daemon's control in order that he might not [[Dying Alone|die alone]], since she comes from his regiment.
* In [[Philip Pullman]]'s ''[[His Dark Materials]]'', various witches claim that most of what Lyra does is destiny ([[Subverted Trope|although]] just because it's destiny doesn't mean it ''has'' to happen).
* Because Destiny Says So is a factor in the ''Sign of Seven'' trilogy by Nora Roberts. After their friends have gotten involved in relationships with each other. Gage and Cybil are actually pretty annoyed at the idea that they should get romantic because destiny said to. (They do anyway.)
* From ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (novel)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' onward, the ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'' books were all about the prophecy "...neither can live while the other survives." Technically, ''all'' of the books (or at least Voldemort's motivations) were about that, but until ''Order of The Phoenix'', neither Harry nor the reader knew it.
* This is a repeated theme in [[James Swallow]]'s ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' novels:
** In his ''[[Horus Heresy]]'' novel ''The Flight of the Eisenstein'', the [[Old Retainer|housecarl]] Kaleb thinks his master [[The Chosen One|chosen by the God-Emperor]] and so Kaleb's carrying out his wishes is part of the Emperor's work. {{spoiler|He [[Heroic Sacrifice|sacrifices]] his life to preserve his master for that work.}}
** In his ''[[Blood Angels]]'' novels ''Deus Encarmine'' and ''Deus Sanguinius'', both Arkio and Rafen foresee they are destined to a [[Cain and Abel]] fight, and one would die. When Inquisitor Stele plays on Rafen's mind to induce [[Driven to Suicide]], Rafen's random flight brings him to a make-shift mediation chamber that he had made earlier. [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane|It might have been the Emperor guiding him, it might have been chance, it might have been muscle memory]]; on the other hand, he breaks free of Stele's influence and receives a vision.
** At the end of ''Red Fury'', {{spoiler|Seth}} declares that the events of the novel had been sent by the Emperor to test the [[Blood Angels]] and {{spoiler|to remind the other Chapters from Sanguinius's gene-seed that they were not cousins but [[Fire-Forged Friends|brothers]].}}
** In ''Faith & Fire'', when Verity is the sole survivor of a transport, she is told that the Emperor has plans for her.
*** Of course, this was said by a Repentia Mistress who does nothing but spout of litanies and such.
* In Nick Kyme's novel ''[[Salamanders|Salamander]]'', an artifact calls Dak'ir toward it—so powerfully that he doesn't even notice that he ransacks crates, looking for it, or that he had found it. He confides in another brother later, who agrees that it looks as if he were ''meant'' to find it.
** Later, a strange eruption from the planet Nocturne is regarded as a portent of ill fortune.
* Destiny is very much the driving force in Virgil's ''[[The Aeneid|Aeneid]]''. The gods repeatedly tell Aeneas, as well as one another, that the Trojan refugee has a destiny to fulfill; and at the point when Aeneas finds himself comfortable & happy, pretty much playing house with Dido in Carthage, the gods get impatient and interfere, reminding Aeneas of his ''duty'' to keep sailing until he reaches Italy so he can get around to founding what will become the Roman empire. Definitely [[Older Than Feudalism]].
* The Tralfamadorians, an imaginary alien species from [[Kurt Vonnegut]]'s ''[[Slaughterhouse-Five]]'', take this to ridiculous extremes. They literally experience the entirety of history at once, and don't understand the concept of free will. They know they're going to destroy the universe doing pilot testing but don't try to stop it. Of course, to them, if something is ever alive, they can infinitely look at when it was, so death isn't a big deal to them.
** It's not so much that they "don't understand the concept of free will" as the fact that they ''know for a fact that it doesn't exist''.
* Taken really literally in ''[[Left Behind]]''. There doesn't have to be logic behind some of the things people will do. They do it because it's in the prophecy.
* How much of ''[[Dune]]'' and its sequels are [[The Chosen One]] acting out a preordained destiny, and how much is actually [[The Messiah]] ''choosing his own'' destiny and then being forced to live it out unto the bitter end? [[Frank Herbert]] would like you to think about it.
{{quote|"I meddled in all the possible futures I could create until, finally, they created me."}}
** It's stated that "absolute prediction = completion = death". The Guild Navigators can get away with it because their glimpses into the future are limited to allowing their FTL ships to avoid disaster, and are done on a journey-by-journey basis, but anything more than that is implied to be a lethal trap for the prognosticator.
* This trope drives the whole plot of ''[[The Prophecy of the Stones]]''. Literally every action taken by the protagonists is to fulfill their role as foretold by the eponymous prophecy.
* In Lloyd Alexander's ''[[Prydain Chronicles]]'' there is the ''Book of Three'', a book that details the past, present, and possible futures of the land of Prydain. At least the future until all enchantment is broken in the land. At the end, [[The Magic Goes Away]] and prophecy goes with it.
* In the ''[[Warrior Cats]]'' series, Firestar is told that he is the subject of a prophecy, "Fire alone can save our clan". Later, three of his kin find out about their own prophecy "there will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws".
** As if this weren't enough, Destiny made it impossible for Jayfeather to be a warrior on top of his blindness
* In [[Robert E. Howard]]'s "[[The Phoenix on the Sword]]" it's why Epemitreus insists on aiding [[Conan the Barbarian]], because "Your destiny is one with Aquilonia".
** In "The Tower of the Elephant" Yog tells Conan that he is the hand of fate.
* More of the "powerful ancient mage says so" than this in ''[[Night Watch (novel)|Night Watch]]'' with Anton and Svetlana, whom Geser predicted would have an extremely-powerful child. Anton, who has knows Geser for years, trusts him implicitly and simply goes along with this. Svetlana is, understandably, a little more reserved and is upset that Anton is with her mainly due to some prediction. Then again, her previous marriage was a failure, with her ex suing her for custody of their child (something that is only mentioned once and completely forgotten in later novels), so it's understandable why she'd be wary of future relationships. Eventually, this frustration results in her having a threesome with a couple of Anton's coworkers... with Anton sleeping next door. The next morning, she's even more infuriated that he doesn't seem to care that she did that (one of her justifications appears to be that she hasn't had sex since the end of her marriage, which means that Anton hasn't even made a move to be more intimate). Somehow, though, their relationship and, later, marriage, works out.
* The entire plot of ''[[The Saga of Darren Shan]]'' happened because [[Evil God|Desmond Tiny]] [[For the Evulz|wanted to have some fun.]] Subverted in that Darren was able to say [[Screw Destiny]], and [[Took a Third Option]].

== Live-Action TV ==
* In ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', Buffy learns that she is prophesied to be killed by the Master. This does happen, but she's [[Only Mostly Dead|only clinically dead]] (after drowning), and after some timely CPR she's as good as new.
** In Season 8 {{spoiler|this is adverted. Angel and Buffy are destined to fuck a new universe into existence, which they do. Then they abandon it to save this one, which they weren't supposed to. Then they destroy all magic to save this universe from the new one.}}
* In ''[[Babylon 5]]'', the (highly accurate) prophecies of Valen are a central pillar of Minbari culture for a thousand years. Unlike many shows, however, there is a ''reason'' for the accuracy of Valen's prophecies... Other characters (Lady Ladira, Elric the Technomage) were also prophetic, mostly in regard to the future of Londo Mollari. (Londo himself had prophetic dreams on many occasions.) In fact, the use of prophecy in ''[[Babylon 5]]'' is so extensive that there's an [http://www.chronology.org/noframes/b-five/visions.html entire Web page] detailing it. As with all good prophecies, however, when the events foretold eventually come to pass, they [[Prophecy Twist|rarely happen in the expected or obvious context]].
** In ''The Passing of the Techno-Mages'' trilogy, it's revealed that Elric's "prophecy" was based on little more than psychology and common sense. The technomages don't have any precognitive powers. They're just trained from young age to be good observers and performers.
* In ''[[Kings]]'', it's more like "Because [[God]] says so." And He's not always nice about it.
* In the third season of ''[[Lost]]'', Desmond regularly sees flashes of the future, always seeing Charlie die. He saves him a couple times, but  {{spoiler|[[You Can't Fight Fate]] and Charlie dies in the season finale}}.
** On ''Lost'', you cannot kill yourself before the Island is done with you. And if you try to run away from your destiny, then you end up a wreck. Just ask Jack.
* In ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'', Merlin is told by the last dragon that he is fated to protect Arthur until he can grow up, become king and have his own great destiny, so it's kind of recursive. Also a lot of the decisions he makes to secure this destiny were infuenced by this  {{spoiler|prophesy}} and the great dragons  {{spoiler|rather biased directions}} on how to go about achieving it.  {{spoiler|E.g. poisoning Morgana in the Fires of Idirsholas to save Camelot even though she had little to no idea of what was acually happening at the time or her role in causing it.}}
* ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'': From the beginning, a very evil (albeit vague) destiny was hinted at for Sam Winchester. By the fourth season, it was insinuated that Dean also had some sort of destiny: "The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it".  {{spoiler|"It" being the Apocalypse, which Dean inadvertently started when he tortured souls while in Hell.}} By the beginning of the fifth season  {{spoiler|after Sam unknowingly releases Lucifer from Hell}}, the brother's ''shared'' destiny is revealed:  {{spoiler|they were born to finish the battle between the Archangel Michael and his brother Lucifer, started in Heaven eons ago, when Michael banished Lucifer to Hell. Sam is Lucifer's vessel, and Dean is Michael's. As the Archangel Gabriel says in one episode: "As it was in Heaven, so shall it be below."}}
** Not to mention the fact that Michael's whole reason for fighting his brother is the fact that it's his destiny. Of course, it's pretty much subverted in Swan Song as Michael's instance on killing his brother because destiny said so  {{spoiler|gets him in locked up in Hell with Satan.}}
*** Note that for Michael (and Gabriel for that matter, who believed [[You Can't Fight Fate]] almost to the end) it's a ''personal'' matter, because this is a Christian setting, 'destiny' is 'God's plan,' and God is their ''dad''. Those two actually knew him personally. Michael doesn't say 'destiny says so,' he says "I am a good son."
* Unsurprisingly in a miniseries based on fairy tales, in ''[[The Tenth Kingdom]]'' it is apparently Virginia's destiny to stop the [[Big Bad|Evil Queen]], save all the monarchs of the Kingdoms, and restore Prince Wendell to his rightful throne. Granted, seeing as {{spoiler|the Evil Queen is her [[Mysterious Parent|long-lost mother]]}}, this might be seen as her responsibility, a personal problem she must clean up after. But when the Gypsy Queen vaguely intones that she has "a destiny that stretches way back in time", and [[Spirit Advisor|Snow White]] tells her that Wendell "needs you to save his kingdom, we all do," you get the feeling there's something rather arbitrary about all this. The fairy godmother does do a very good (if slightly [[Anvilicious]]) job of comparing her life to Virginia's to explain why she "found the right person." But when, after {{spoiler|killing her mother in self-defense [[Karmic Death|with the poison comb]]}}, Wolf tells her it was not her fault, even Virginia seems to buy into it by saying the fateful words: "It was my destiny..."
* In the 1998 ''[[Merlin (TV miniseries)|Merlin]]'' series, whether destiny is absolute or not is a point of contention among the main characters. The Lady of the Lake accepts her impending demise because, "It's fate," and Merlin attempts to kill Vortigern to fulfill a prophecy he'd seen about Uther defeating him.(Though he had ample reason to do so besides the prophecy.) However, Mab is determined to [[Screw Destiny]] and keep herself alive, and Merlin quite often attempts to escape what is told is his destiny at points as well.
** He also accuses the Lady of the Lake in lying to him about a knight from across the pond finding the Grail and saving the kingdom, when, in fact, he simply assumed that the knight would be {{spoiler|Lancelot}} and not {{spoiler|Galahad, Lancelot's son}}.
* The whole point of ''[[Lexx]]'' is that everything you do will happen again, to the point of [[Eternal Recurrence]]. Well, at least as long as the Time Prophet is alive... then everything goes off the scales and off most expectations.
* ''[[Stargate Universe]]'' features the [[Precursors|Ancient]] starship ''Destiny'', the most advanced rust bucket you'll find this side of the cosmos. The characters find themselves dependent on ''Destiny'''s needs for their own survival (like material to get the air filters working), but ''Destiny'' conveniently brings them to planets where they can gather the necessary materials. Some characters early on decide to [[Screw Destiny]] and abandon ship, but most of the crew members view the ship's presence at a location as proof enough that it is worth exploring.
** Also, those who abandon ship are revealed not to have survived the winter. An unknown entity temporarily resurrects them and brings them to the ''Destiny'' aboard a brand-new shuttle, only for them to die one-by-one in the same manner they previously died. But hey, the ''Destiny'' crew has a new shuttle!
* Chloe King, from ''[[The Nine Lives of Chloe King]]'', who was destined to unite the Mai prides.
* There are tons of prophecies in ''[[Legend of the Seeker]]''. Somehow, they all end up working out in one way or another. {{spoiler|How does Richard defeat Darken Rahl at the end of the first season, as he is prophecied to do? He doesn't. Rahl dies trying to break up a ritual set up by Richard and Kahlan to mind-control all of D'Hara}}. The second season is resolved in an even more improbable manner. {{spoiler|Richard ends up unknowingly handing the [[The Devil|Keeper]] the Stone of Tears, which would ensure the end of the world. Then Kahlan kills Richard, snaps out of her "blood rage", and sheds a tear on Richard, which somehow turns into another Stone of Tears}}.
* Only cursorily invoked overtly in [[Smallville]], but viewers knew from season one that Lex Luthor might be trying to be a good guy ''now'', but he was [[Doomed by Canon]], and he and Clark were ''going'' to become archenemies, and there was no stopping it. Also, ancient Native American / Kryptonian prophecy said so.

== Music ==
* This is the entire point of the deceptively cheery song [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc "Que Sera, Sera"], originally recorded by Doris Day in 1956.  Then again, she performed it for an [[Alfred Hitchcock]] film (''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'') so it is perhaps not surprising that it suffers from [[Lyrical Dissonance]].

== Tabletop Games ==
* It's essentially the job of the Sidereal [[Exalted]] to ensure this. Complicating matters are the facts that a) Fate is designed by committee, with all the attendant foibles, b) it can be defied by sufficiently powerful beings or simply through [[Heroic Willpower]], and c) certain beings exist outside of Fate entirely, and tend to function as the [[Spanner in the Works]] whenever they come into contact with anyone or anything that doesn't share their immunity.
** This applies hard to the Five Maidens. The Maidens possess the ability to observe samsara (the underlying blueprint of reality) in order to be given hard knowledge of the future and their own purpose in it, but they become completely bound to whatever they see. It's suspected that the Maidens (and possibly the world in general) have a lot more freedom if they don't actually look at samsara, but that is (of course) unverifiable.

== Theater ==
* Prometheus's accounts to Io in ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'': both her miserable wanderings, and that her descendant will free him.
* The eponymous king in ''[[Agamemnon]]'' is fated to be killed. Cassandra tries to warn him about his destiny, but . . . [[Cassandra Truth|it's Cassandra]].

== Video Games ==
* The Hero (the player) from ''[[Dragon Quest V]]'' was fated to get married, but he obviously wasn't fated to marry his childhood friend, Bianca Whitaker. Because "The Legendary Hero," of folklore, was born, regardless of whether the player took his marital vows, with some blonde country bumpkin girl or not. So in a way it's almost like a subversion with ''[[Screw Destiny]]'' because the player can literally screw Bianca over by marrying somebody else. (If they're cold-hearted enough. Or if they dislike Bianca for whatever reason.)
* Knuckles from the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series is fated to spend the rest of his life on Angel Island, guarding the immensely powerful Master Emerald (although, considering the number of times it's been stolen or broken to pieces by a baddie or even himself, Knux is a pretty bad guardian). Whether he does this solely out of choice or whether someone told him to be the guardian isn't clear.
** Either that, or he subconsciously wants to be be done with fate.
** Either way, fate's not doing a very good job. You said he's fated to spend the rest of his life on Angel Island guarding it, but based on how many times, like you said, it's been stolen or broken, how long does he actually spend on Angel Island doing what fate ordains for him? He's probably on Angel Island at most 1/3 of the time, and less than that guarding the stupid thing.
* ''[[Treasure of the Rudra]]'', The Danan Prophecies.  {{spoiler|If you play as Sion you will know what they are in Ramylith's Castle late in the Sky Island portion of his scenario.}}
* In the dating sim/RPG ''[[Ar tonelico]]'', one of the potential love interests has to spend her entire life singing in a special room to prevent the [[Sealed Evil in a Can]] from waking up, Because Destiny Says So. Her conflict between commitment to fulfill her duty and desire to avoid this fate and be free comes to the forefront many times if you pursue her.
** This isn't really a case of Destiny Says So. This is more of a case of inheriting the position and everyone uses the word Destiny as an excuse.
* Subverted, ironically enough, in ''[[Tales of Destiny]]''. The title is actually misleading: One of the legendary Swordians tells the main character he's the [[Chosen One]], but later on it's revealed that the Swordian was just telling him that so he'd play Hero.
** On the other hand, this plays a giant role in ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'', with the existence of the Score, a telling of fate lasting thousands of years, and whether or not the heroes decide to fight it or go along with it. ''Abyss'' arguably deconstructs the whole trope because it shows that most people are dependent on knowing their own part in the Score at all times, and that most of it is a [[Self-Fulfilling Prophecy]] because the people blindly act according to what the Score has told them to do. It has given rise to a massively powerful [[Corrupt Church]] (even though the head of the church is a pretty nice guy) that has monopoly on reading the Score. {{spoiler|The [[Big Bad]] is motivated to [[Omnicidal Maniac|destroy the world]] to [[Screw Destiny|free it from the Score]], as the predictions in the Score led to the war that destroyed his homeland.}}
* Played with in ''[[Final Fantasy Mystic Quest]]'': {{spoiler|The Dark King informs you at the end that he made up the prophecy foretelling his defeat. When you beat him, your [[Trickster Mentor]] reveals he's the Crystal of Light - implying that he arranged things so that you'd fulfill the prophecy, true or not.}}
* This trope is the entire premise of  the ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]'' trilogy, although at the same time frequently and ruthlessly subverted by the [[Reset Button|Dagger of Time]].
** Ironically, the combination of Because Destiny Says So and [[You Can't Fight Fate]] is what drives the second and third games, wherein  {{spoiler|the Prince is hunted in an attempt to remove him from time for screwing with, er, time, and the third game wherein everything he prevented in the ''first'' game comes to pass anyway because of what he did in the ''second'' game.}} In the end, he only escapes his rightfully deserved punishment because he accepts that he's ''not meant to change the past''. Which, again, ironically, he then does ''anyway''.
* Played with in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 3'': Snake Eater, where Snake, when you call Sigint while equipping the cardboard box, displays such a fondness for it that he claims that it was his ''DESTINY'' to be in the box.
** [[Memetic Mutation|Snake! You can't do that! You'll create a time paradox!"]]
* Maria from ''[[Silent Hill 2]]'', {{spoiler|who chooses to follow her fate, although she was told that James is a "bad man".}}
* Used in an interesting fashion in the ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' series-the prophecies of Alaundo, which you discover towards the end of the first game, seem to lay out a specific path for the protagonist and his/her siblings, which indeed appears to be true throughout the first and second games-and in ''Throne of Bhaal'', even the bad guys are still operating from the prophecies and what they mean. The twist comes late in ''Throne of Bhaal'', when you find out that {{spoiler|the prophecies aren't a foretelling of what you will do-they're warning of what will happen if you fail}}, and that the [[Big Bad]] {{spoiler|is using the prophecies to manipulate everyone, and has no intention of following them.}}
* The meaning behind the word "Survivor" in the title of ''[[Devil Survivor]]'' is a combination of this and [[Screw Destiny]]—the main characters are told the major events of every day and the exact date of their (and most other peoples') deaths, and the goal of each day is to find a way to get around it.
* This is pretty much the driving force of any ''[[The Legend of Zelda|Zelda]]'' game. It's destiny that if you are a blond-haired boy who wears a green tunic at any point in his lifetime, you are morally/contractually bound to [[Save the Princess]].
** [[The Legend of Zelda CDI Games|It is written: Only Link can defeat Ganon]]. [[Plot Hole|Two out of three of said games actually have Zelda defeat him]].
** There is, however, no ''specific'' prophecy or god stating that Link ''must'' save Zelda/Hyrule. Instead, it's almost always a case of Link ''choosing'' to save Zelda. There's only one instance where there's a prophecy, which is ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Zelda II the Adventure of Link]]'', in which he still technically has a choice. In other words, Link saves the day not because he's [[The Chosen One]], but rather because he ''chooses'' to be [[The Chosen One]].
* Subverted in ''[[Quest for Glory I]]''. The [[Muggles]] of Spielberg believe there's a prophecy concerning a hero who will restore the missing royal children and drive off the witch Baba Yaga, breaking her curse on the valley. [[Eccentric Mentor|Erasmus]] explains that the "prophecy" is actually just a counter-curse - put simply, a list of instructions on how to break the curse.
** And in the sequel, Ad Avis invokes a prophecy to revive the evil djinn Iblis, which implies that he is guaranteed to win. It isn't until after you beat him that you learn that the prophecy Ad Avis was using was horrifically mistranslated. The true prophecy predicts that an attempt to revive Iblis would occur, but did not ensure that it would succeed.<ref>which does not, however, mean that [[It's a Wonderful Failure|it can't]]</ref>
* The reason Ness must go on his journey in ''[[EarthBound]]''.
* Played with in ''[[The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind]]''. You have to run around completing the prophecy, because the prophecy says so. You aren't [[The Chosen One]], and the prophecy is really just a check-list of tasks a person, any person, must complete to be considered [[The Chosen One]]. If they fail, clearly they weren't the right person and someone else will eventually come along to try.
* This trope turns out to be behind a lot of plot developments in ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]''. In particular, Cid [[You Are in Command Now|handing command of Garden and SeeD to Squall]], a newly-graduated SeeD with limited field experience and no actual successful missions under his belt - Cid doesn't exactly come out and ''say'' that it's because Squall is destined to defeat the sorceress, but he treats it as enough of a foregone conclusion that Squall, shocked and confused by the sudden unwanted promotion, protests, "Don't talk about this like it's been decided since my birth!" In fact, Cid is acting on {{spoiler|1=foreknowledge of a [[Stable Time Loop]] in which Squall is indeed the one who not only defeats the sorceress but, having accepted his role in the whole thing, provides Cid and Edea with the foreknowledge upon which they founded SeeD to begin with}}.

== Web Comics ==
* ''[[Digger]]''. [[Zig-Zagging Trope]] is the best I can describe it.
* ''[[Bob and George]]'' [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/040917c Foreordained!!!]
* A large chunk of ''[[Homestuck]]'' and Sburb, mainly through use of [[Stable Time Loop]]s. This is also a huge basis of Aradia's character, and her adherence to predestination makes her a really [[The Eeyore|depressing conversation partner.]] But she's 0kay with that. She's 0kay with a lot of things.
** It even applies to things like online chats and online memos:
{{quote|{{color|grey|CCG: THIS IS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY TO START A NEW MEMO. }}
{{color|grey|CCG: IN FACT IT'S A BETTER TIME THAN ANY BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF CHAT CLIENT PREDESTINATION I DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE DO I.}} }}
* ''[[Goblins]]'': Many Goblins are named by the clan fortune teller based on predictions of what they will do later in life, so there are Goblins with names like Chief ([[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|the clan chief]]), Complains-Of-Names (who dislikes the Goblin naming tradition), Dies-Horribly (Who is incredibly nervous), etc. Saves-A-Fox attempts to avert this, killing the fox she was meant to save and invoking [[Screw Destiny]], but ends up doubly-subverting it when Dies-Horribly theorises that the fox may have had a terminal illness and she [[Mercy Kill|'saved' it from a painful and prolonged death.]]
* In ''[[Pibgorn]]'', [http://www.gocomics.com/pibgorn/2003/06/24/ Fate, by definition is incorruptible].
* ''[[Underling]]'': [https://web.archive.org/web/20120624082832/http://underlingcomic.com/page-one-hundred-twenty-nine/ This was no random encounter, you realize!]
* In ''[[Endstone]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20120702031749/http://endstone.net/2009/05/25/issue-1-page-19/ Kyri believes she was the rocker of Endstone because she will save the world].
* ''[[The Water Phoenix King]]'' [[Zig-Zagging Trope|plays with]] this trope as a core part of the setting. The force Tamantha (a sort of synthetic fate constructed by a [[Lawful Stupid]] god) does things such as pushing those who defy it towards insanity, but it is not all-powerful, and the protagonists are out to destroy it.

== Web Originals ==
* In the ''[[Whateley Universe]]'', Bladedancer seems to be stuck with this in her role as Handmaid of the Tao. The most glaring example to date may be the incident where she was forced to {{spoiler|kill an innocent man}} 'because the Tao required it'. Though the mentor telling her so wasn't necessarily helping her own case by afterwards revealing that she'd been flat-out lying about the actual reason ''why''...
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series]]'': "But why would you do such a thing?" "Because a robot from the future told me to!"
* In ''[[The Dragon Wars Saga]]'', the Stevens' quadruplets are so destined to save an alternate universe on the brink of destruction that their bedroom door turns into a portal to that other world.
* Sasha was forced to fight for the salvation of the world in [[Greek Ninja]] because of this.
* ''[[Skippy's List]]'' has examples:
{{quote|7. Not allowed to add "In accordance with the prophecy" to the end of answers I give to a question an officer asks me.}}

== Western Animation ==
* In ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'', Raven is doomed to a "because destiny says so" scenario concerning the [[The End of the World as We Know It|apocalypse]]. Her friends attempt to [[Screw Destiny|avoid this scenario by taking precautions against it]] but Raven submits to it upon realizing that resistance would get the other Titans killed.
* Another [[Cartoon Network]] [[Superhero]] team series, ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'', used a similar prophecy twist to the ''Pokemon'' example, in an episode where Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Supergirl are abducted to the 31st century by the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]. The Legion is concerned, because all their records indicate that Supergirl won't return from the future, which we are led to believe means she's going to die. Indeed, she does have a [[Disney Death]], but returns in the very next scene... but then decides to stay in the future, as she had fallen for Legionnaire Brainiac 5.
* Zuko, from ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', eats, breathes, and sleeps this trope. Only his interpretation of his destiny switches twice every season.
** The show's attitude to destiny can be summed up nicely by Iroh's line: [[Prophecy Twist|"Destiny is a funny thing, Prince Zuko. It never happens the way you expect."]]
** This was also Iroh's reason for leading the siege of Ba Sing Se: he had a [[Psychic Dreams for Everyone|prophetic dream]] about conquering the city. Only after a siege of 600 days, the death of his son and three years of banishment, he understands he has to take it ''back'' from his own nation, rather than conquer Ba Sing Se ''for'' the Fire nation.
* In ''[[South Park]]'' season 12, episode 11, "Pandemic 2: The Startling", Craig [[Genre Savvy|consistently and intentionally]] ignores signs that he is destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Yet, [[You Can't Fight Fate|it's tough to fight fate]].
** Of course, this is exactly how he ends up fulfilling it. {{spoiler|He starts walking away from the [[Big Bad]] and ends up stepping on some stone "thing" that results in the [[Big Bad]]'s destruction}}.
* In [[ThunderCats (2011 series)|the 2011 ''Thundercats'' reboot]], the Cleric Jaga's [[Opening Monologue]] [[Encyclopedia Exposita|quotes]] from the ''Book of Omens'' a prophecy concerning young protagonist King Lion-O, explaining his destiny:
{{quote|'''Jaga''': For it was written that he would be born of fire, a king to lead his people to victory, against ancient spirits of evil.}}

==  Real Life ==
* [[Winston Churchill]] wrote the following about his accession to the office of Prime Minister on May 10, 1940, the same day that the Germans launched their long-awaited attack on the Western Allies:
{{quote|...on the night of the 10th of May, at the outset of this mighty battle, I acquired the chief power in the State. ... I cannot conceal from the reader of this truthful account that as I went to bed at about 3 a.m. I was conscious of a profound sense of relief. At last I had the authority to give directions over the whole scene. I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial. Ten years in the political wilderness had freed me from ordinary party antagonisms. My warnings over the last six years had been so numerous, so detailed, and were now so terribly vindicated, that no one could gainsay me. I could not be reproached either for making the war or with want of preparation for it. I thought I knew a good deal about it all, and I was sure I should not fail. }}

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[[Category:Fate and Prophecy Tropes]]
[[Category:Motivation Index]]
[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
[[Category:Romance Arc]]
[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]
[[Category:Stock Aesops]]
[[Category:Transformation Causes]]