Rule of Three: Difference between revisions
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[[Schoolhouse Rock|Three is a magic number.]]
The '''Rule of Three''' is a pattern used in stories and jokes, where part of the story is repeated three times, with minor variations. The first two instances build tension, and the third releases it by incorporating a twist.
This is especially common in storytelling. [[Youngest Child Wins|The third of three brothers succeeds after his older siblings each failed.]] The protagonist is given three tests and receives the prize after the third. It's almost unusual to find a folktale that does ''not'' incorporate the rule of three in some form. This may be an artifact of the oral tradition, in which the stock formula of the first, second, and third attempt makes the story easier to remember.
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Alternatively, the twist can come during the second iteration (such as [[Chekhov's Skill]]) [[Subverted Trope|failing the first time it's used]] only to return to its original form on the third pass; this version tends to accompany [[This Index Will Be Important Later|Chekhov's tropes]].
The [[Overly Long Gag]] could be seen as a subversion of the
In art, there's a rule of ''thirds'' where putting items in the intersections between thirds-lines draws more attention and is more visually appealing than plonking them right in the center, which is considered boring. In design, particularly three-dimensional design such as shop displays, groups of three objects, or objects arranged to form a triangle, are considered most attractive to the eye.
The Rule
A constructed phrase such as "Veni, Vidi, Vici." that has three grammatically and logically connected elements is known as a Tricolon. When the three elements increase in length, it's a Tricolon Crescens.
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* In ''[[Transformers Armada]]'', the ultimate weapon, the Hydra Cannon, is made of three smaller uber-weapons, the Star Saber, Skyboom Shield, and Requiem Blaster. Each of these is itself made of three Mini-Cons.
* Specifically invoked by Batou in ''[[Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)|Ghost in The Shell]] 2: Innocence''.
* In ''[[One Piece]]''
** There are three Marine Admirals (not counting Vice Admirals): Borsalino, Issho, and Aramaki; the latter two are replacements for Kuzan (who resigned) and Sakazuki (who was promoted), Sakazuki himself having filled the position after Sengoku resigned, suggesting this is policy among the Marines.
** As well as three great powers: the Marines, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and the Four Emperors
** The Monster Trio in the Strawhat crew consists of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
** There are three Ancient Weapons, Pluto, Poseidon, and Uranus.
** The number three seems to hold significance for Luffy’s [[Arch Enemy]] Marshall D. Teach, aka Blackbeard. He has three missing teeth [[Depending on the Artist|(usually)]], usually carries three muskets in his belt, his beard (after the [[Time Skip]]) has three braids, his crew uses a Jolly Roger with three skulls, and he is one of three different characters based on the historic [https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Blackbeard Blackbeard] (the others being Edward Newgate and Thatch, both of whom were murdered by Teach). This - along with several characters referring to Teach as “they” rather than “he”, plus odd shifts in personality - has led to the odd fan theory that Teach either has [[Split Personality|three separate personalities]] or is even more than one person, possibly three brothers who share the same body.
* In ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' there are three true Dragon Slayers: Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy.
** Also there was three active S-Class mages in the guild: Laxus, Erza, Mystogan. Then: Erza, Mirajane and Mystogan. Currently Erza, Mirajane, Gildartz.
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** In "[https://web.archive.org/web/20131207050226/http://surlalunefairytales.com/maidmaleen/index.html Maid Maleen]", when she is pretending to be the bride, she speaks to three objects; the bride must find out from her three times what she said, and the bridegroom figures out the substitution.
** In "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130814130639/http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/186truesweetheart.html The True Sweetheart]", the heroine goes to the ball three times.
** In [https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Golden_Goose "The Golden Goose"], the two older brothers refuse to share with the [[The Fair Folk| "little grey man"]] they encounter, and are punished with bad luck that causes them injury. The third - Simpleton, the protagonist - youngest brother shares with him, and the man rewards him by telling him where to find the eponymous Goose.
*** Also, in some versions of the story a King offers Simpleton his daughter's hand in marriage if he can complete three [[Impossible Task]]s, find someone who can eat a mountain of bread, find someone who can drink all the wine in the kingdom, and find a ship that can sail on both land and sea. Again, the little grey man he befriended is able to do all three.
* Anecdotes have plenty of examples. For an example, three nation anecdotes.
* Shows up all the time in religion:
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== Tabletop Games ==
* Rather than using it as a trope, the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' setting ''[[Planescape]]'' and its video game spinoff ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' explicitly mention the Rule of Three in-story as a principle with cosmic validity. (''Everything'' involves the number 3 somehow. There are even three cosmic principles.<ref>The other two are Unity of Rings (an unbroken ring is the most perfect shape) and Center of All (because the multiverse is infinite size, you are always standing in the center of it, no mater where you are)</ref>) Since the world(s) of Planescape are [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe|shaped by belief]], it's not impossible that that's true. If enough people believe it's nonsense, it won't be...
** There are enough [[Flat Earth Atheist]]s like Morte to disbelieve it, yet the rule persists for the reason that Morte gives, that minds have a tendency to create patterns. This tendency is perhaps stronger than belief, which is why the rule can be widely debunked yet the evidence of it still appears.
** One NPC adopts this principle and runs with it clear off the field. Calling himself "Rule of Three," he's an information broker who requires things in sets of three as his payment, and gives three true answers to any question. As a second character is known to associate with another of the three cosmic principles, it's suspected a third is out there somewhere as well, because... well, Rule of Three.
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