Prophecies Are Always Right: Difference between revisions

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]].

 

 

In fantastic stories with prophecies in them, writers are so wedded to this trope that even a fake prophecy, or anything that even vaguely sounds like a prophecy, will turn out to be true.

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* ''[[Mai-Otome]]'': The legend of the Tragic Meister had almost nothing to do with the actual events that led to Mai Tokiha's disappearance; the real story was considerably less tragic, to say the least. However, the same series includes a straight example of this trope (although if the characters knew the circumstances under which the legend of the Guiding Star was fulfilled, it would definitely have quite a few eyebrows raised).

* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'': Carim's annual prophecies are always correct. Now, if only they were written in a less flowery form and in a language that isn't dead [[Cryptic Conversation|so people could interpret what its saying a lot easier]].

* ''[[Scrapped Princess]]'': Played straight -- all of the prophecies of the Oracle of Grendel are true, until a minor character does some research and finds out that 3 of the 5110 prophecies so far have been wrong. Then subverted when we find out that the 5111th prophecy that drives the plot of the show was partially made up to push a specific political agenda. {{spoiler|It is revealed the prophecies were made by the evil angels who imprison humanity. They were wrong three times. Of course, they have the power to control humans, so they could have ''made'' all the others correct.}}

 

== Fan Fiction ==

 

 

*** Another one occurred in "Empire" when Vader tells Luke that he had foreseen the two of them ruling the galaxy as father and son but it might have been a lie to try to get Luke to join him.

** In ''[[The Phantom Menace]]'', Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan that he has foreseen him becoming a great Jedi knight which is pretty much the only prophecy in the films to actually be 100% true.

* Seems to be the case so far in the [[Kung Fu Panda]] series. In the first film, it was said that the Dragon Warrior would save the Valley of Peace. And it happens by the end of the film. In [[Kung Fu Panda 2|the sequel]], Lord Shen is told that he will be defeated by "a warrior of black and white". Lord Shen tries to keep this from happening by killing all the pandas, but Po survives and ends up defeating him by the end of the film.

 

== Literature ==

* In ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' this trope normally holds true but is subverted by {{spoiler|Dany's son being satanically miscarried instead of leading the Dothraki to conquering the whole world as was prophecized}}. But it leads to {{spoiler|Dany trying to take over the world}}.

* ''[[Chronicles of Thomas Covenant]]'': The prophecy is an interesting case -- right from the start, it's clear in the prophecy that it could [[Either/Or Prophecy|go in two different directions]] -- he could "save or destroy" the Land, and he definitely will do one or the other. Knowing Thomas, it initially seems like a bit of a free kick that the Land is stuffed.

* ''Gregor the Overlander'': Subverted hard. The series revolved around the prophecies of Sandwich (no, really), who wrote numbers of them in his tenure in the Underland some time before. At first, these prophecies seem to be always turning true (the first two books for example), but the third and fourth books become increasingly stretched to fit the prophecy. It all comes to a head when it is revealed that in the last prophecy, {{spoiler|Gregor is supposed to die}}. After going into the final battle, Gregor {{spoiler|does not die}}, and not all of the prophecy comes true, as is noted by several characters throughout the book such as {{spoiler|Ares, Gregor, Ripred, and Luxa}}. However, they still manage to con the people and creatures of the Underland that the prophecy is true {{spoiler|with a little help from Luxa's "prophetic" sister, who believes the prophecies are true in order to bring peace amongst the humans and rats.}}

** Moreover, the primary people whose destiny it is to fulfill the prophecies are aware of what they are doing and are actively collaborating with them. This is said to be necessary because of the way the prophecies were divided in the first place; great care must be taken to avoid another accident which, if it were to happen, could potentially unmake the universe.

** Alternatively, it could lead to new potentials and prophecies, meaning that the original two would less less likely than they currently were (50%) of winning. Although a real and immutably accurate prophecy does exist, Belgarath in his seven thousand years has had plenty of time to encounter many self-deluded "prophets" who are simply mad, and knows how to tell the difference.

** Interestingly, Trelawney made several smaller predictions aside from her big two that were actually right. They were simply dismissed or misinterpreted by Trelawney herself. Only in hindsight can their true meaning be seen.

*** Hers wasn't the only one, either. While outright lying about seeing a vision, he claimed to see Buckbeak flying free and alive, which he did.

* In [[Hilari Bell]]'s ''The Prophecy'', a prince finds a prophecy with instructions for how to slay a dragon. It turns out the whole thing was made up by the prophet for his own ends, but the prince kills the dragon anyway.

** Though as Anathema points out, Agnes was mostly concerned with her descendants: as they lived in Smalltown, England, there was a chance they might get hit by a falling brick in Kings Lynn and very little chance of being hit by a stray bullet in Dallas.

** Given the laughter of her ghost when the new book was destroyed (which she undoubtedly saw coming), plus the way it appeared out of nowhere when how she got the first printed was a subplot, this was probably just an elaborate prank on her part.

** 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.

*** Well, as far as they know. Still, a Slayer coming [[Back From the Dead]] '''had''' to have a prophecy connected to it, even if we never see it. {{spoiler|Also, the entire Slayer line has been guided to end this universe and start the next. Too bad for that one that Buffy and Angel really don't give a fuck what a prophecy says.}}

** 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.

* In ''[[Star Trek]]:[[Deep Space Nine]],'' the "prophets" of Bajor turn out to be the aliens who created the Wormhole, who exist outside of linear time, and who can therefore forsee prophecies by simply reading the future. Even when people use the prophecies to try to avoid them, the attempt only ends up ''fulfilling'' them.

 

== Tabletop RPG ==

* Inverted by [[Pathfinder]], as the default setting takes place during the Age of Lost Omens, which was kicked off when major prophecies suddenly stopped being right.

* Warhammer40000 gives us Orikan the Diviner, Necron astromancer. His prophesies are always right because he is willing and able to use time travel to retroactively change anything he didn't anticipate and ensure his original prophecy comes to pass.

** {{spoiler|And then double subverted by Nasrudin himself when he explains that depending on your interpretation of the prophecy you may be fulfilling it anyway.}}

* Double subversion in ''[[Final Fantasy Mystic Quest]]''. There is a prophecy wherein a hero will save the world... {{spoiler|until you reach the final boss, who by way of pre-fight chat informs you he made that prophecy up as a prank ages ago.}} Once you defeat the final boss, you discover that the old man you had been running into {{spoiler|is the Crystal of Light in the guise of a human... who's been pulling strings behind the scenes to make it so that the prophecy ''does'' come true.}}

* Subverted in ''[[Might and Magic|Might and Magic IX]]'', via the False Prophet version. The overall plot of the game involves your party receiving a Writ of Fate from the Oracle prophesying that your destiny is to stop the warlord Temur Lang from conquering the world. However, when you finally run into Temur Lang, you learn that he's trying to conquer the world because ''he'' received a Writ of Fate from the Oracle prophesying that it's his destiny to do so. After comparing notes, you join up to go against the Oracle, who's the real [[Big Bad]], basically making up false prophecies for shit and giggles.

* ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'': This is a major plot point. The heroes and the [[Big Bad]] are both trying to eliminate the Score, a [[Self-Fulfilling Prophecy]] (maybe) that apparently eliminates free will.

* ''[[Persona 4]]'': Igor tells you that you are going to be involved in a 'great mystery'. Guess what happens only a day after you arrive? Yup {{spoiler|Mayumi Yamano dies, lighting the spark that leads to the whole world almost being destroyed}}.

* All the characters in [[Odin Sphere]] knew of the forthcoming Armageddon and the events that will unfold. Eventually it did happen as foretold. If the player chooses not to follow the prophecies, you will get the bad ending.

 

 

== Western Animation ==

** Also this line, from the old man above, after saving his life:

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

* ''[[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}}