Threshold Guardians: Difference between revisions

 

{{quote|''"How far are you prepared to go? How much are you prepared to risk? How many people are you prepared to sacrifice for victory? Are you willing to die friendless, alone, deserted by everyone? Because that's what may be required of you in the war that is to come."''

 

A figure or event that tests the resolve of a [[Heroes|Hero]] as he pursues his destiny and/or his goal. The Guardian is not necessarily adversarial, but puts the hero in a position where he must make a decision that reflects a sincere commitment to the task at hand, by providing a threat or bar to progress that the hero must specifically choose to overcome.

 

 

* Master Shifu is Po's first threshold guardian in ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'', and only by choosing to overcome Shifu's [[Training from Hell]] and eventually besting him in a sparring match over a dumpling indicates preparedness to take on Tai Lung... who may be a Threshold Guardian himself, if the plans for series of films are any indication.

* ''[[Star Wars]]'': The cave on Dagobah in ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', where Luke battles an illusory image of Darth Vader. Notably, Luke ''fails'' the test by not understanding [[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him|the lesson]], foreshadowing tragedy when they fight for real later in the movie.

* In the film ''[[The Neverending Story (film)|The Neverending Story]]'', Atreyu is required to pass by two golden sphinxes. As he gets closer to the Threshold Guardian sphinxes, he views the fallen bodies of those who went before him who didn't have the faith to pass. In the movie, "having faith" meant "running really fast".

** Does this justify the trope [[Draco in Leather Pants]]?

* In [[James Swallow]]'s ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' novel ''[[Blood Angels|Red Fury]]'', Gorn insists that Rafen give him the message intended for Lord Seth. Rafen demands to be treated with respect. Gorn's reaction is that he has some fire after all.

* Humphrey employs guardians to keep people out of his castle in ''[[Xanth]]''. Of course as the Magician of Information, he always knows who is coming to visit and devises the guardians with that in mind. More impressively, he tends to schedule so that his present visitors will prove suitable guardians for expected future visitors. He's managed to at least once maintain the pattern when there ''were no'' inhabitants of his castle and it was left technically undefended, even ensuring visitors would receive their answers in his absence.

* In the ''[[Earthsea Trilogy]]'', graduating from the school of magic in Roke begins with the realization that it ''has'' a Threshold Guardian.

* Baretreenu serves this purpose in ''[[Blaze Union]]'', stipulating that her son must battle her to the death if he really wants full access to his demon powers, thus proving his resolve. Unfortunately, in this case it's not so much "resolve" as "[[Failure Knight|abject terror of failing]]". Gulcasa walks out of this encounter empowered, [[Self-Made Orphan|orphaned]], and even more traumatized than he already had been. A little later on in the game, Soltier [[Hannibal Lecture|tries to act as one of these too]], but by then [[Shut UP, Hannibal|Gulcasa has gotten sick of hearing it]].

* Duncan in ''[[Dragon Age]]'' acts as the Theshold Guardian during the Joining Ritual, which tests the resolve of potential Grey Warden recruits. When [[Signed Up for the Dental|Ser Jory]] learns that this involves drinking Darkspawn blood and is potentially ''lethal'', he foolishly draws his sword and tries to back out. Duncan swiftly kills him, hands the Joining Cup to the protagonist and makes it ''very'' clear that there is no turning back.

 

== Web Comics ==

* In ''[[Sinfest]]'', [https://web.archive.org/web/20140209163359/http://sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3581 Baby Blue takes on this role for a strip.]

 

 

== Western Animation ==

 

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[[Category:Punk Punk]]

[[Category:All the Tropes Superhero Team]]