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Following on from the oral tradition, speech-writers have learnt the 'Rule of Three' - listen to a political speech- the points come in threes, from 'Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer' to Tony Blair declaring 'Education, education, education'.
 
The rule of three is also used widely in comedy. Many popular jokes are based on three [[Stock Character|Stock Characters]]s (e.g. Priest, Imam, Rabbi), all in the same situation. The first two react normally, the third does something ridiculous (but stereotypically in character). In Britain, ''Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman'' jokes denigrate either the Irishman as stupid or the Scotsman as a tightwad, while the Englishman is usually the [[Straight Man]] of the gag (Unless it's being told by the Scots or Irish. When an American tells it, Englishmen are stuffed shirts.) This is why most Americans have [[Britain Is Only London|never heard of Wales]]. Another (geeky) variant is the engineer/physicist/mathematician series of jokes, however, these are virtually never considered offensive, largely because the stereotypes are often jokingly accepted by the members of those three groups. (e.g. The engineer is overly practical, the physicist makes large assumptions, and the mathematician comes up with [[Mathematician's Answer|a correct, but useless answer]]; these are played up for humourous effect, but have some valid basis)
 
A more popular variation on the rule is to repeat the same joke or concept three times, but put a twist on the third one that makes it funny again. One version of this is [[The Triple]], wherein a character lists three items - the first two logical and serious, and the [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|third applying a twist or joke]]. For example, a character might say [[Ignore the Disability|to a bald person]], "Can I get you anything? Cup of coffee? Doughnut? Toupee?" (From ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]''.)
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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 [['''Rule of Three]]''', because it fails to deliver the expected twist.
 
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.
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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.
 
This is why there are [[Power Trio|Power Trios]]s and [[Terrible Trio|Terrible Trios]]s.
 
Variations on this trope include uses of 5, 7, 12, and convienent multiples of five afterward (i.e., 25, 50, but not 35 or 70).
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* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: ''[[Keroro Gunsou]]'' episode 9 has Moa blowing up Giroro and Keroro twice in a row. Then it happens a third time, and the [[Lemony Narrator|narrator]] explains that this is due to the conventions of humor.
* In ''[[Dragonball Z]]'', before King Kai (King Kaio) agrees to train someone, they must make him laugh with a joke. Tien performs the multiform technique to create 3 bodies just before shouting the punchline. Thus making his joke 3 times funnier.
* [[Rule of Three]] is referenced in ''[[Golden Boy]]'' by a couple of proverb-misquoting Yakuza members: "Even Buddha only waited three times."
* ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'': The ''third'' {{spoiler|Endless Eight episode}} has Itsuki state that {{spoiler|"We have entered an endless recursion of time."}} three times in a row.
* 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.
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** A deleted scene shows Arthur and Bedevere about to cross a lake, only to be accosted by the bridgekeeper again, who says, "He who would cross the Sea of Fate must answer me these questions twenty-eight!" After some deliberation, Arthur and Bedevere toss him into the lake and continue on their way.
* ''[[Airplane!]]!''. During the landing sequence, Dr. Rumack ([[Leslie Nielsen]]) steps into the cockpit three times and says "I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you" in exactly the same way: once as they begin the descent, once in the middle of the landing, and once after the plane is on the ground.
* [[Robert Rodriguez]] wove multiple instances of the [[Rule of Three]] into his scenario for ''[[El Mariachi]]''. Example: The [[Big Bad]], a heavy smoker, is twice seen striking a match off his resentful [[The Dragon|Dragon]]'s cheek; the third time it happens, the Dragon is doing it to the (dead) Big Bad. In his book, ''Rebel Without a Crew'', Rodriguez calls this "the kindergarten school of filmmaking", what he used to write a script that was interesting but also (and more importantly) ''quickly finished''.
* Guy Richie's first two films, ''[[Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels]]'' and ''[[Snatch]]'' feature dialogue exchanges where two characters repeat the same line of dialogue three times while responding to another character. "No, Harry, you can't" in the former and "Yeah, dad, you told us" in the latter.
* In [[Austin Powers]], Dr. Evil's Mook Mustafa will answer a question if asked three consecutive times. The scene with him in ''The Spy Who Shagged Me'' uses the Rule twice. Austin discovers his weakness when he asks one question three times, then he asks another question three times, and finally on the third question he asks it once, then says, "Do I really have to ask you three times?" and asks it two more times, but Mustafa refuses to answer because he interrupted the questioning with a different question. Then Mustafa gets shot.
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== Jokes ==
* A joke in 2009 uses the [[Rule of Three]] to explain the three close celebrity deaths that year.
{{quote|[[wikipedia:Farrah Fawcett|Farrah Fawcett]] died and went to heaven. Saint Peter said "You were very good on Earth, so you have been granted one wish." Farrah thought for a bit and said "I wish for the safety of all children on Earth." Half an hour later, [[Michael Jackson]] arrived in heaven.<br />
Michael Jackson was surprised to find himself in heaven, but even more surprised that he was once again black. "Saint Peter," he said, "I worked pretty hard to lighten my skin over the years. Can you fix it?" Half an hour later [[Billy Mays]] arrived in heaven with some OxiClean. }}
* Jokes in general tend to make very heavy use of the [[Rule of Three]], especially those following the "Blonde/Brunette/Redhead" or "Nationality/Nationality/Nationality" formula.
 
 
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*** Possibly, although ''[[The Hunting of the Snark]]'' has been a recurring motif throughout sci-fi; for instance, the [[Alien (franchise)|Nostromo]] was originally going to be called the "Snark".
* The absurdist holy book ''[http://www.principiadiscordia.com/ Principia Discordia]'' is based on a Rule of ''Five'', which bleeds over into such works of Discordian fiction as ''[[Illuminatus]]!''
* The alien race (dubbed the Ramans) that created the gargantuan space object in ''[[Rendezvous With Rama]]'' by [[Arthur C. Clarke]] apparently do everything in threes -- triplethrees—triple motifs litter it. (It is implied they had three hands, and presumably also three legs). The last line of the novel uses this for a stinger. Years later, this fact served as a handy [[Sequel Hook]] for Clarke when he decided to let Gentry Lee write follow-ups.
* “Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects ''vast'' and ''cool'' and ''unsympathetic'', regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.” (H G Wells 1898 War of the Worlds, opening paragraph). “How beautifully underplayed is that adjective ‘unsympathetic’.” (Brian Aldiss, Trillion Year Spree p. 152).
* ''[[Stardust (novel)|Stardust]]'': The King of Stormhold has three remaining sons. Also subverts the youngest brother convention by making him pure evil, and the oldest a caring and decent man. The middle brother is a useless sex maniac. The youngest son is also the Seventh Son.
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** Other Tolkien examples: there are three [[The Silmarillion|Silmarils]], three Elven [[The Lord of the Rings|Rings of Power]], three races that got Rings of Power, three groupings of Elves of the Light, three ancient tribes of noble Men, three archaic clans of Hobbits, and three survivor states of Numenor (Arnor, Gondor, and Umbar). [[Big Bad|Melkor]] disrupts the Music of the Ainur three times.
** There are also nine Nazgul. Nine is thrice three, and a very important number in [[Norse Mythology]].
* Dennis Dutton might have some good points about the flaws in Christopher Booker's ''[[The Seven Basic Plots]]''[http://denisdutton.com/booker_review.htm\], but he really shows his ignorance of tropes when he tries to attack Booker's use of the [[Rule of Three]]:
{{quote|Dutton: ...while there are three bears, three chairs and three bowls of porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears,* there are actually four characters. The story would better support Booker* s theory were it ''Goldilocks and the Two Bears''.}}
* In ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'' by [[Charles Dickens]], the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present do not change Scrooge's mind. It is the third ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be, who convinces Scrooge to change his ways.
** Not entirely true. By the end of the Ghost of Christmas Present's visit, Scrooge is shown a pair of [[Street Urchin|street urchins]] freezing to death and shows compassion for them, only to have his earlier harsh words thrown back in his face. The [[Rule of Three]] still applies to the story structure, though.
** Only in certain movie adaptations. In the original story Scrooge is slowly repenting of his ways from the very first ghost, and has fully repented by the end of the second. He even begins his time with the third by stating that he is a different man than he was, and is eager for the spirit to guide him further. Unfortunately, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come isn't the friendly sort.
* [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] examples:
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** Ref. ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', maybe "hexalogy" would have been too much of a pun? [[Don't Explain the Joke|After all]], "hex" is also German/old-English for "witch" or "magical curse" (hence the FPS ''Hexen'').
* In a Sci-fi story "a little lubricant" (yes, ahoi [[Double Entendre]]) the ''third'' spaceship makes it back to Earth.
* The entirety of Wil McCarthy’s novel ''[[The Collapsium]]'' is structured this way. It’s broken into three “books,” ''Once Upon a Matter Crushed'', ''Twice Upon a Star Imperiled'' and ''Thrice Upon a Schemer’s Plotting'', and each begins with a nearly identical setup and set of challenges for the main character. But with each iteration, the complexity of the story takes a step up, until the final section, where everything goes to hell and plot threads from all three sections pay off. By the [[Word of God|author’s own admission]], the novel was written as a modern hard-SF fairy tale, so [[Rule of Three]] is used ''very'' deliberately.
* Lampshaded and made an explicit magical rule in the ''[[Percy Jackson and The Olympians]]'' books, where the number three is sacred (three Furies, three Fates, three sons of Kronos atop three thrones), and so Half-Blood heroes going on quests are allowed only two companions. Breaking this is seen to invite trouble.
* [[Diana Wynne Jones]]'s book ''[[Power of Three (novel)|Power of Three]]'' has this in spades, unsurprisingly. The main characters are three siblings; there are three peoples living on the Moor - Lymen, Dorig and Giants; there are three Powers, Sun, Moon and Earth. The children's father performed three tasks to win their mother, and there are three exchanges of gold collars before the conflict between the peoples can be resolved.
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* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in [[Sergey Lukyanenko]]'s ''The Stars Are Cold Toys'' by an alien living computer who wonders about the human fascination with the number three. The humans are stumped, and the best explanation they can come up with is "two is not enough, and four is too much." Surprisingly, the alien is satisfied with the answer.
* In the [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine Relaunch]], the number three appears to have considerable significance for the cultures involved with the Wormhole Aliens; the Eav'oq, the Bajorans, and the Ascendants (who themselves make three, obviously). Connected to this, we have the trio of the Voice, the Hand and the Fire. Further, there are nine orbs (three times three), and nine Emissaries. The Wormhole Aliens certainly like the number three, though for what reason (other than this trope) is as yet unclear. Finally, the Hebitians, a race of Precursors on Cardassia, also demonstrate a great love of the number. This may not be coincidental; frequent hints that Hebitian culture is connected to that of the Bajorans suggest we have a whole interconnected spiritual community valuing the rule of three.
* ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'''s [[Arc Number]] is usually seven, but the [[Rule of Three]] still pops up a few times.
** Jaqen H'ghar owes Arya three [[I Owe You My Life|life debts]], and in true folktale fashion she wastes the first two on trivial vendettas and [[Guile Hero|makes creative use]] of the last one to get what she really wants.
** Runs deep in the Danaerys chapters. She's the last of three children, she has three dragon eggs, three handmaids, and three bloodriders, etc etc. When she is scouting out from Vaes Tolloro, she sends each of her three bloodriders in a different direction. The first two come back empty-handed, the last one takes a long time but ultimately returns with three emissaries from Qarth, a city ruled by three major guilds...
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* [[Twilight]] gives us this memorable gem:
{{quote|'''Bella:''' About three things I was absolutely positive: First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him, and I didn't know how dominant that part might be, that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.}}
* In [[Devon Monk]]'s ''[[Age of Steam|Dead Iron]]'', LeFel tries to invoke this on Jeb Lindson -- heLindson—he shouldn't have to kill him more than three times.
 
 
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{{quote|'''Crow (in Kirk's voice):''' We have had many wars like this in our own history. Our Civil War of Earth. Our World War one and two. Our Krinkleganglium Wars of Kromulon Thirteen...}}
*** One episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]] features this joke from a man claiming to be a historian from the 26th century. Talking to Geordi, he mentions several blind artists by surname, ending with (Stevie) Wonder. On rewatching this episode, one realises that this is meant to be a clue that he isn't from the future but from the 200 years in the past.
*** When ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'' the Enterprise got caught in a time loop, [[Groundhog Day Loop|reliving the same day over and over]] -- and—and that day always ended with the destruction of the Enterprise. Eventually they caught onto this and decided to program a message into Data's brain to be sent back into the rift on the next iteration, and hopefully help them avoid the collision that got them caught in the rift in the first place. During the next go-round, the number three continually appeared throughout the day (Data was subconsciously repeating the pattern) until the time of the collision came again. Left with two choices about how to avoid the accident (one suggested by Data, and one by Commander Riker), they noticed that ''three'' could refer to the number of rank insignia on Commander Riker's lapel. Therefore Riker's was the right idea, not Data's.
** The main [[Power Trio]] of [[The Kirk|Kirk]], [[The Spock|Spock]], and [[The McCoy|McCoy]] in the Original Series.
** And to top it off in the grand finale of [[Star Trek: Enterprise|Enterprise]] has the three Enterprise Captains speaking the "these are the voyages" narration while the three Enterprises appear on the screen.
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'''Director Vance:''' There is always a third. }}
* And [[Discussed Trope|discussed]] on ''[[NCIS: Los Angeles]]'', when Deeks makes the requisite "Gesundheit" joke after someone says a weird-sounding German name...twice, and the others all just stare at him.
{{quote|'''Deeks:''' [[Rule of Three]]. The third time will be hilarious.}}
** {{spoiler|Sure enough, it came up a third time, and Callen seemed to think it ''was'' good.}}
* ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'': I wish my mom would let me have a car... or a bike... or my roller skates back.
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* The Trinity Killer in ''[[Dexter]]'' Season 4. 3 sets of kills spanning 30 years.
* This was actually very prominent in [[The Sopranos]]. Junior superstitiously believes that it applies to real life, going so far as to hope that his old friend dies of cancer because . . . two of his friends have died of cancer already, and if a third meets the same fate, he'll be off the hook. Obviously cancer only targets three people of a given generation, right? It also plays into fan theories regarding the finale. Virtually every detail of the final scene evokes the number 3: there are 3 Sopranos at the table, there are 3 pictures on the wall, Meadow is able to successfully parallel park on her 3rd attempt. This brings Junior's "these things happen in 3s" theory to mind, suggesting that Tony really does die at the end to complete the trio that started with Bobby and Sil.
* [[Double Subverted]] with [[Adult Swim]]. In 2009, they aired ''[[The Room]]'' for [[April Fools' Day]]. In 2010 and 2011 they did this again. Surely they're doing something different for 2012, right? Uh oh, their airing that movie aga--THEYaga—THEY BROUGHT BACK ''[[Toonami]]''??? [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|AWESOME!!]]
* Lampshaded in ''[[30 Rock|Thirty Rock]]'' episode "Hey Baby, What's Wrong" by dr Leo Spaceman, after the second of three of Jenna's examples of what pressure means to her.
 
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== Music ==
* The Blue Man Group has kept itself to exactly three performers because it's the smallest group possible where you can have someone excluded from a majority somehow, a recurring factor used for a lot of their humor. (The Blue Men really only have individual personalities insofar as each one winds up doing several things -- thethings—the more oddball the better -- thatbetter—that cause the other two to look askance at him.)
* Earth, Wind, and Fire.
** Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Crosby, Stills and Nash; Peter, Paul and Mary...
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And the Jay-Z song was on
And the Jay-Z song was on }}
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtiQ3X6-Q2w&feature=related Scherzo] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPKzQhvI3_U&feature=related Tarantella] -- It—It's ALL in triplet patterns.
* Indian Classical music (both Carnatic and Hindustani) has a huge array of compositions in meters with 3 counts per beat, which are often light and lilting numbers, though some are also heavy numbers. In rhythmic finales, it is customary to repeat the ending sequences three times, with optional variations.
** Folk music in India just '''adores''' triad rhythms.
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**** And then, after his resurrection, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, extracting from Peter a promise to continue his work three times before he leaves him alone. This is often regarded as a symbolic reversal of Peter's thrice-denial of Jesus before his death. Also cf. the Fight Club example above.
*** The three Christian virtues: Faith, Hope, Love/Charity (Charity refers to ''agape'' or selfless love, as opposed to Eros as self-gratifying and/or sexual love).
*** Also, although the only reference to this event in the Gospels states that [[Jesus]] was placed "in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn", Nativity plays tend to show two innkeepers telling Mary and Joseph to go elsewhere because all the rooms are taken -- beforetaken—before a third also says that there are no rooms, but that Mary and Joseph may use the stable, since Mary is pregnant.
*** The Gospel of Matthew, the only one that mentions the Wise Men or Magi, doesn't specifically state that there were three of them, only that they came "from the East". The gospel does mention that they presented Jesus with three symbolic gifts; gold (signifying Christ the King), frankincense (representing Jesus' divinity) and myrrh (an embalming incense, indicating that Jesus would die to save God's people).
*** When Jesus fasted in the desert, he was tempted three times by the Devil; 1) Turn the stones into bread, 2) Throw yourself from this cliff and let God save you, and 3) swear loyalty to me and the kingdoms of the world will be yours.
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== Tabletop Games ==
* Rather than using it as a trope, the ''[[Dungeons and 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.) 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|Flat Earth Atheists]]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]].
* In the Living Greyhawk campaign, a magic item spoke three prophesies of destruction that the players could attempt to prevent.
** Almost subverted in the fact that the original editor was only going to let the item speak twice, because the Big Bad had already received the first prophesy. But, then a change in editors mandated that [[Viewers are Morons|the audience is stupid]].
* White Wolf's Storyteller/Storytelling systems use the [[Rule of Three]] extensively: three sets of three attributes, usually physical (strength, dexterity, stamina), social (charisma, manipulation, appearance), and mental (intelligence, wits, perception), and three kinds of abilities (talents, skills and knowledges). The rest can vary depending of the individual games, but the [[Rule of Three]] is also prominent in several:
** In the ''[[New World of Darkness]]'' the three attribute groups are divided in another way, each with three traits in it like the main groups; power (strength, intelligence, and presence), finesse (dexterity, wits, manipulation), and resistance (stamina, resolve, composure).
*** The demo for ''[[Changeling: The Lost]]'' has Blue Jenny, who {{spoiler|if her real name is spoken in her presence three times, her Keeper will be summoned. Hence the reason for her getting the motley's help retrieving what's actually her diary}}.
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*** In ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', each Clan has three favored Disciplines its members can learn more easily, and drinking the blood of one vampire three times, on three different nights, gives this vampire power over the drinker. Also, vampires have three virtues to fight their three different flavors of frenzy.
*** In ''[[Mage: The Ascension]]'', the Resonance of a mage's magick is defined by three types of specific resonances: Dynamic, Entropic, and Static. This is linked to the cosmology of the Old World of Darkness (see below). Relatedly, they face three kinds of main foes: the Technocrats (linked to Stasis), the Nephandi (liked to Entropy) and the Marauders (linked to Dynamism).
*** In ''[[Changeling: The Dreaming]]'', changelings can be of three general ages: childlings, wilders, and grumps. And since the setting is about mythos and fairytales, there are MANY occurrences of the [[Rule of Three]].
*** ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]'' introduced the cosmology detailed below, and also gives players three major traits that determine their werewolf character's place in the Garou Nation and what Gifts they can learn: tribe, auspice, and breed. Werewolves, and most other shapeshifters, have three breeds.
*** Over the course of the various editions of the various games, a somewhat unified and coherent cosmology emerged, with three major entities or forces: the destructive Wyrm, the creative Wyld, and the stabilizing Weaver, none of which are inherently evil (all in all, it's similar to the hinduist Trimurti). They play a major role in ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]'' (where they first appeared) and ''[[Mage: The Ascension]]'' (the Tradition mages that players usually roleplay are, in a way, balancing the three against three kinds of extremists). Supplements that delved into the deeper aspects of the Triat (the common name used for the trinity of Wyrm, Weaver, and Wyld) would reveal that each of the three has three more specific aspects. The most well-known are the aspects of the Wyrm known as the [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Eater-of-Souls, the Beast-of-War, and the Defiler]].
** The ''[[Trinity Universe (game)|Trinity Universe]]'' setting. Three games: [[Two-Fisted Tales|Adventure!]], [[Superhero|Aberrant]], and [[After the End|Aeon]] (later renamed [[Disney Owns This Trope|Trinity]]). Three "classes" of character: paramorphs (or [[Badass Normal|Daredevils]]), eximorphs (or [[Superhero|Stalwarts]]) and psychomorphs (or [[Psychic Powers|Mesmerists]]). The actual mechanics show the same divisions as other Storyteller systems. Each stat doesn't have three skills though. But oh well.
** ''[[Exalted]]'', while using almost the same system as the ''Old World of Darkness'', subverts expectations by running its setting on the number five instead. Indeed, that the Lunar Exalted use the [[Rule of Three]] anyway makes them stick out incongruously, though that is justified: they ''used'' to have five castes and so forth, but their long exposure to the Wyld ([[Primordial Chaos|unshapable chaos]] [[Reality Is Out to Lunch|outside Creation]]) has thrown them out of whack.
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering|Magic the Gathering]]'' blocks are released in three sets. Furthermore, Wizards of the Coast have their own "rule of three" - the first set establishes core concepts and mechanics, the second set develops them further, and the third introduces some new twist. For example, the third set of the artifact-based block ''Mirrodin'' presented effects that produced or used all five colors of mana, the third set of the legendary-based block ''Kamigawa'' gave the Epic spells and rewarded large hand sizes, and the third set of the land-based block ''Zendikar'' introduced the massive and colorless Eldrazi.
** The "One for Three" cycle of cards from the first core sets that cost one mana of it's color's mana type. Grating the caster 3 of something related to the color (Damage, Life, or most famously, card draw).
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== Video Games ==
* MANY video games (especially [[Platform Game|Platform Games]]s and [[Shoot'Em Up|Shoot Em Ups]]) give you three lives before it's [[Game Over]] for you.
** Some platformers have it to where you must strike the enemy three times to finish the boss battle.
** There's also the very common three-hit combo attack.
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* ''Pokémon'' has this in spades. Generation I has Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. The second generation has Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. Generation III has Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, as well as Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza. Generation IV gives us Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina as a trio, as well as Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit. With the fifth generation around the corner, it's almost guaranteed that there will be another trio.
** The maximum number of evolutionary stages for a single Pokémon is three (unless it branches, such as Eevee, who started out with three evolved forms. It now has seven.
** The fifth generation has ''three'' trios: The Tao, Kami and Musketeer trios? The Musketeers have [[Shout-Out|Keldeo]] throwing them off-- itoff—it's a trio if we're counting the elemental monkeys, though.
** By the end of each generation, there are three non-remake games: Red, Blue, and Yellow in Generation I (in Japan, Yellow is the [[Trilogy Creep]], because there's already Red, Green and Blue), Gold, Silver, and Crystal in Generation II, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald in Generation III, and Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum in Generation IV. And the third is always quite different.
** There's also three starters in all games except for Yellow.
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** Also, the Mini-Cons added a third unique group of transformers alongside the Autobots and Decepticons - as witness their unique emblem.
* ''Triple Threat - Rail Racer!'' And the original Triple-Changers came in sets of 3, and the Unicron Trilogy (and Headmasters) tended to have 3-kid sidekick teams. Transformers is _mostly_ based around the number 2, though.
* Lampshaded and Subverted in ''[[Duckman]]''. While looking for suspects at a nightclub, Duckman says "Something bugs me. He's the third suspicious character we've talked to, and the third one is always guilty". The lights go out, shots are heard and when it's over the suspect is dead on the floor. Cornfed observes "So much for the [[Rule of Three]]."
* In an ''[[Animaniacs]]'' short: "Tea? Coffee? Monster?"
** Another example: Slappy is eulogizing her archfoe Walter Wolf, who was faking the funeral to 'get' her. According to Slappy, Walter was a firm believer in this rule, including three bombs that were found lying around to blow her up. 'I'm sure he'd want to be buried with it.'
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** While not current in divorce, three is still important in Jewish court matters. The smallest size of a court is three (since it's the smallest plural odd number, meaning no ties). Also, ''Hataras Nedarim'', a process done on Rosh Hashana Eve, involves collaring three friends who sit as a court and asking them that one's unfulfilled promises be annulled. The "court" repeats a small passage three times which effects the annulment. Similarly, a shorter version involves just saying the words "''mutar lach''" (you are released) three times. And there are three basic duties of a Jewish husband toward his wife - feeding her, providing her with cover, and satisfying her sexually.
* In sports, there's the Triple Crown (horse racing), and the "hat trick" (various sports, all involving 3 of an action, usually but not exclusively scoring).
** Also (in Baseball) the Hitting Triple Crown--highestCrown—highest batting average, most home runs, most runs batted in--andin—and the Pitching triple crown: most wins, most strikeouts, lowest earned run average.
* Baseball seems to run on this trope. Here are some examples:
** 3 strikes and you're out.
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** From an earlier time in German history: ''Kinder, Küche, Kirche'' (the proper concerns of women: children, kitchen, and the church)
* Lotsa "Three Strike" systems when it comes to rules in general. Two warnings, and the third time is when the proverbial poop hits the fan.
* There are lots of threes in the human body: Three bones in the ear (hammer, anvil, and stirrup), three types of muscle (smooth, skeletal, and cardiac), three layers in the skin (epidermis, dermis, and subcutis), three types of blood cells (white, red, and platelets), hair can be divided into three parts (bulb, root, shaft)... Also, all organ systems arise from one of three primary germ layers in embryonic development -- thedevelopment—the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm.
** Related: insect anatomy - head, thorax, abdomen.
* In mathematics, there are three basic ways to approach a problem: graphically, numerically and algebraically. (This is sometimes even called the Rule of Three.)
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* Franz Boas defined three types of anthropology: Ethnology, physical anthropology, and linguistics. [[Sixth Ranger|Archaeology was folded into anthropology later.]]
* In computer engineering, there's this: if a CPU encounters an exception, it calls an exception handler routine. If the handler encounters an exception itself, the CPU calls a special handler. But if the special handler too encounters an exception (such as the interrupt descriptor table being corrupt, making it impossible to call any handlers), that's called a triple fault and the CPU shuts itself down. Some kernels like Linux use it as a last resort in case the PC goes completely bonkers: if an ACPI reboot fails, the kernel sets the IDT length to zero, making the table impossible to access and ''[[Logic Bomb|intentionally triple-faulting the CPU]]''. Not exactly to spec but it works.
* [[Invoked Trope|Attempted]] and [[Subverted Trope|failed]] by Rick Perry during the Republican Presidential Debate of November 9th9, 2011. Governor Perry said that as president, he would eliminate three government agencies: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUA2rDVrmNg "Commerce, Education, and the-um, uh what's the third one there? Let's see..."]
* Quantum Chromodynamics states that each quark, the elementary particles of which hadrons are made, carries an electric charge which is a multiple of a third of the elementary charge; that each quark is one of three 'colours'; that quarks, like all elementary particles, come in three families; and much of a quark's characteristics is based on a unitary group, a mathematical construct, called SU(3).
* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: In [[Ancient Rome]], many legal matters were performed by simply stating what you were doing three times in front of witnesses, i.e. if you were marrying someone, you would say "I marry you" three times.
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