Only the Worthy May Pass: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

There is a barrier that blocks the progress of the protagonists unless they are worthy.

It may happen that there are people on the far side of the barrier who shouldn't be worthy. This trope hinges on the [[Rule of Perception]] more than it ought to.

 

 

Compare [[Because Destiny Says So]], [[Only Idiots May Pass]], [[Secret Test of Character]].

{{examples}}

 

* In ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', Raoh was only able to ride the legendary horse Kokuoh after he had gained its respect.

* In ''[[Inuyasha]]'', there's a sacred cave near the Demon Hunter Village where the Shikon Jewel was formed, that only people with pure intentions can enter. Inuyasha is able to enter at first, but when he starts talking about how he's going to use the jewel's power to slaughter his enemies, he's forcibly launched outside.

** He was able to re-enter in order to save Myoga near the end of the episode. Apparently the ejection isn't irrevocable.

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

 

== [[Fan Fiction]] ==

** Among the four, weak is, of course, relative.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* The ancient Egyptian variation below was shown in one of the ''[[Sesame Street]]'' movies, ''Don't Eat the Pictures''.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* In ''[[Neverwhere]]'', Richard must face an Ordeal in order to earn a special [[Plot Device|key]].

 

** Also, The Siege Perilous. For those who don't know their Mallory, this was the only unlabeled seat Merlin placed at the Round Table, which would incinerate anyone who sat in it except "He who shall surpass all other Knights" by finding the [[Public Domain Artifact|Holy Grail]].

* In Ancient Egyptian religion, your heart is weighed against the Feather of Justice, to see if you are worthy of their paradise. If not, a hideous monster eats your heart.

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** Or not ''evil'' enough.

** In the adventure module ''Apocalypse Stone'', the Castle Pescheour can only be reached by those who pass a series of tests of character. Of course, as these things go, the player characters get a break from this rule when they're unwittingly stealing the [[Cosmic Keystone]] on the [[Big Bad]]'s bidding, but when they're trying to get it back to save the world, they have to pass the tests. Or three out of five, anyway. You can't trust PCs to get it right. The tests they are given consist of focusing on their quest rather than running after XP, not selling their superior fighting skills to seriously imbalance an entire small war for treasure, giving a death knight a chance for redemption, investigating an accusation of witchcraft properly to make sure justice is done, and donating magic items to save a village.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

** An example can be seen in Interplay's ''Lord of the Rings'', where you can't enter a bar with a kid in your party, or with a horse in your party, or you can't enter a certain hobbit's house when a certain character is present.

* The trope is [[Invoked]] in the second ''[[Dark Parables]]'' game, where a door in the palace bears a plaque saying almost this exact phrase. You can't open the door until you're on the hard mode [[New Game+]], when you can receive the [[MacGuffin]] that will unlock it.

** If you bring Sten with you, he [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructs]] this trope a bit when he remarks that Andraste must have a surplus of followers if she is willing to endanger them with these tests.

* ''[[The Elder Scrolls]] IV: Oblivion'' does this. You must be of a certain level to begin several of the Daedric quests. In the ''Knights of the Nine'' expansion, you are only allowed to begin the quests once you have prayed at nine shrines, one for each deity and you are only allowed to wear the enchanted armor you get if your Infamy is 1 or less.

* In the second ''[[Jak and Daxter]]'' game, Mar's heir must face "The Tests of Manhood", but since [[Infant Immortality|he is too young]], [[The Hero|Jak]] goes through it instead. {{spoiler|Turns out, Jak ''is'' Mar's heir, thanks to a [[Stable Time Loop]]}}.

* This is parodied in ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' - three doors at the beginning of the Naughty Sorceress's Tower require the character to have some sort of effect. Since this is Kingdom of Loathing, they are both arbitrary and wacky.

** To elaborate: {{spoiler|The [[MacGuffin]] has been programmed by you, Darth Revan, to only give out its information to yourself. Since it has been slightly damaged since then, it tries to ascertain your identity by asking you questions. If you answer "wrongly" (i.e. you made a switch to the Light Side in the mean time), it sends you a few droids to exterminate you, but finally recognizes you by your feelings while fighting}}.

** A similar subversion happens in ''[[Fallout]] 3'', where a player with significantly Bad Karma can get into Paradise Falls with no questions asked. Players with Good Karma, on the other hand, are told to go enslave somebody before they're let in.

* In [[Pokémon]] Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, there is a person blocking the entrance to Snowpoint Temple. She refuses to let you enter because you're unworthy, and you can only get in after beating the game.

** There's a similar situation in Red/Blue (Firered/Leafgreen); the [[Bonus Dungeon|Cerulean Cave]] is blocked by some random guy until you become the League Champion and complete the sevii islands quest (only in Fire Red/Leaf Green). In fact, all of the games have certain areas inaccessible for one reason or another until Championship is obtained. From Generation III and on, it usually opens up some sort of enhanced trading, too, because you would need to beat the champion to get the National [[Gotta Catch Em All|Pokedex]], allowing you to get [[Mons]] not available already in that game.

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

[[Category:Older Than Dirt]]

[[Category:This Index Is in The Way]]