Prophecies Are Always Right: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Prophecies never lie. In fiction, especially [[Fantasy]], a prophecy is equivalent to [[Because Destiny Says So|destiny]]. Prophecy is never wrong, oracles are never false, prophets never turn out to be deluded and "predictions" never turn out to be political allegories of the time they were written in. If they weren't, [[Law of Conservation of Detail|why even bring them up in the first place?]] Prophecies, furthermore, are always believed, except by those who simply don't like what is predicted, or [[The Chosen One]] who [[Refusal of the Call|can't accept his fate]]. They may [[Prophecy Twist|twist]], they may [[Either/Or Prophecy|have loopholes]], they can even [[Prophetic Fallacy|be misleading]], but in the end, the prophecy ''is'' fate, and [[You Can't Fight Fate|you can't fight it]].

 

[[Sub-Trope]] of [[All Myths Are True]]; [[Super-Trope]] of [[Because Destiny Says So]].

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* Parodied in one ''[[Project A-ko]]'' OAV. A prophecy is discovered at the beginning, and seems to be progressing towards fulfillment as the story goes on. At the end, the professor who discovered the prophecy gravely pronounces it to be... a complete coincidence.

 

 

* Discussed in gubgub434's [[Dramatic Reading]] of [[Naruto Veangance Revelaitons]], when Ronan protests that the prophecy that states that he will destroy the world cannot be true. The author says people such as Oedipus, [[Harry Potter]] and others refused to accept that their prophecies would come true, but the prophecies were proven correct.

 

== Film ==

* In [[Susan Cooper]]'s ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' series, the series of prophecies that guide the Light come true exactly as written. It's stated that the Dark has its own set of prophecies, but we aren't told anything else about them.

* In ''[[Dark Rendezvous|Yoda: Dark Rendezvous]]'' the young Padawan Whie Malreaux regularly dreams about what he'll be doing in the future. Details seem to be obscured—he once knows that someone will beat him but not who or how, even though when it was actually happening her name was stated - but the gist always happens. He knows that a Jedi will kill him and it will surprise him; he thinks this means he'll turn to the Dark Side and be hunted down, but really Anakin Skywalker does it while on his murderous rampage. Despite the future always being in motion, some things are apparently set.<ref>Heaven knows what we'll see in ''Yoda: Dark Rendezvous II: Electric Boogaloo''</ref>

** Gandalf forsees that Gollum's fate is bound up with that of the Ring, and the Ring cannot be destroyed unless Gollum is kept alive. Naturally, this comes true, as Frodo is unable to destroy the Ring in the end, and Gollum is one who destroys it.

** Gandalf also forsees that Merry and Pippin are more vital to the quest than even Glorfindel, and that they should be included in the Fellowship instead. Needless to say, they prove vital by getting the Ents involved in the war, and by killing the Witch-king, as well as keeping Denethor alive long enough to reveal his vision in the ''palantir'' that results in the decision to march on Mordor—all of which were vital to the quest.

 

 

* In ''[[Angel]]'', the prophecy that {{spoiler|Angel will kill his son}} turns out to be a demonic fake. The demon in question spent the last few hundred years perverting it so that the real prophecy wouldn't come true. ''Both versions'' end up happening.

** Slightly subverted on ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' though; the prophecy about Buffy says she's going to die to free The Master - she does, she recovers, and is more or less prophecy-free from there on out.

* Similarly, ''[[Babylon 5]]'' is full of prophecies, and Narns are the only species with no telepaths. When Narn Ambassador G'Kar yells in the first season that one night, the Centauri will awaken to find the Narn's teeth at their throat, it's clearly just ambassadorial bluster...that also happens to come true, {{spoiler|near the very end of the show}}.

** Played straighter with all the other prophecies—whether via Centauri death-dream, Vorlon vagueness, [[Stable Time Loop]], or whatever Lorien's deal was, they all get taken utterly seriously, met with trepidation and some degree of fatalism by all parties involved.

* Abed from ''[[Community]]'' makes several predictions weeks to hours in advance about [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick|actions, conversations, and menstruation cycles]] of the rest of the study group. Every last one is shown on screen or implied to be correct.

* In ''[[Lexx]]'' the time prophets could see into the distant past and because [[Eternal Recurrence|time is cyclic]] in the two universes it meant they could effectively predict the future. One of them predicted that His Divine Shadow would wipe out the [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Brunnen-G]] and [[Genocide Backfire|then one of them]] would end his reign. Sure enough, the Shadow destroyed the Brunnen-G and reanimated one warrior as an undead assassin, only for said warrior to regain his free will and fulfill his destiny 2,008 years later.

 

* ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]'' has a subversion in one of the playable archetypes: The tribe of the character is known for its oracles and she utters quite a few prophecies. However, she never learnt the rite for receiving them and just makes them up as she goes to lend her own plans more weight than they'd be afforded otherwise since she is a Metis (shameful and near-outcast offspring of two werewolves mating with each other).

 

== Video Games ==

 

 

* ''[[Dominic Deegan]], Oracle for Hire'': This trope is subverted. Most of Dominic's prophesies are only possibilities, and he has been known to become a [[Chessmaster]] and manipulate everyone so that the most desirable possibility comes true. The one time he ''does'' get a vision that is unavoidable, the [[Tonight Someone Dies|Fated Fatal]], it only tells him ''that'' someone will die, with no clue as to who, when, or how.

* In ''[[Hitmen for Destiny]]'' there is an organization called Destiny and it's job is to ensure that various prophecies are fulfilled {{spoiler|due to the fact that it's a moneymaking venture and destiny, their moneymaker, is fallible}}. The point of this is discussed in spoilerific detail [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/thorsby/destiny/series.php?view=archive&chapter=40932 here].

* In ''The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny'', it's prophesied that "only one will survive--" and it comes true: {{spoiler|Mr. Rogers!}}

 

== Western Animation ==

{{quote|''Sokka: But the fortuneteller was wrong! You didn't have a safe journey, you were almost killed!''

''Old Man: But I wasn't! Alright, have a good one...'' }}

* ''[[Winx Club]]'': Subversion: {{spoiler|When giving the Winx the Black Gift, the ethereal fairies specifically say "More than one human being could be beyond life's threshold, but you may rescue one person. This is the prophecy, Winx." The next scene seems to suggest that there would be a dilemma between using it on Duman or someone else (many were expecting Bloom, from the trailer that followed the episode). As it turns out, Duman has long been destroyed before the Black Gift comes into play, leaving only Nabu in danger. And then when Layla decides to summon the Black Gift to use on Nabu, Ogron takes it away and uses it on a flower, meaning that it is neither used by the Winx, nor on a person.}}

* ''[[American Dragon: Jake Long]]'': [[Executive Meddling]] actually ''prevented'' the fulfillment of at least one aspect of a prophecy in the finale. See [[Executive Meddling]] for details.

* Double Subverted in ''[[Kim Possible]]'', when foreign exchange student/heir to his country's throne, Prince Wally, is almost killed in an assassination attempt to fulfill an ancient prophecy that the country's monarchy will end with Prince Wally. The characters pat themselves on the back for a good job averting the prophecy, when Wally, impressed with Democracy, claims he will [[Abdicate the Throne]]. Thus fulfilling the prophecy.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fate and Prophecy Tropes]]