History Main / RefusedByTheCall

*** Kengo was the one initially given the Rider Switches and he intended to use them to become Fourze, but his [[IllBoy poor health]] meant he was too weak to use the Fourze Driver and so it ended up going to Gentaro instead.

** In ''Birth By Sleep'', Ven desperately wants to help Terra and Aqua on their mission and sneaks out to do so, against the wishes of Master Eraqus. As he's the youngest of the three, Terra and Aqua turn him down and tell him to return home. [[spoiler: Eraqus wants to keep Ven out of the Big Bad's hands, since he's an important component of the Big Bad's plan. But he can't tell Ven this because it would cause him to remember his traumatic past. Naturally, Ven goes along anyway, does remember, and becomes an emotional wreck. Ironically, at this point Terra and Aqua allow him to join them, because there's nowhere else to hide...but by then Ven's enthusiasm is long gone.]]

* Played with in Jak II. The Underground brings "The Kid" to the Tomb of Mar, believing him to be the true heir of Mar. However, the tomb's oracle refused to admit the kid [[spoiler:(whose name is Mar too)]] on the grounds that he was too young to face the tests, so Jak enters instead. [[spoiler: Except it turns out that Jak is Mar the kid's future self.]]

* In the games ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', Ecruteak City's gym leader Morty is a case of this. He trained for years believing that he would be the one chosen to summon the legendary Ho-oh back to its home, but then the player shows up and takes that role instead. He takes it ''much'' more gracefully than many examples of this trope.

* In ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'', there's Yuka Sugimoto, an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who doesn't really fit into class, and spends all her time reading fantasy-stories and dreaming of going to another world -- somewhere she'd BELONG! Then, suddenly, a mysterious, golden-haired {{Bishonen}} appears at the school, searching for a missing queen... and finding Yuka's classmate, Youko Nakajima. Yuka, eager to escape her dreary existence, talks Youko into bringing her along into the Twelve Kingdoms. However, as Youko manifests more and more "specialness" in the other world, Yuka finds it harder and harder to convince herself that SHE should really be the "Main Character", with her desperate need to be "important" eventually driving her to become an antagonist. [[spoiler:At the end, however, she realizes that Youko is somewhat BlessedWithSuck, and that she's lucky to be just a "side-character". Understanding that she DOES belong back in the "real world", she returns home with a smile, intending to live a normal life. And failing, but that's another story...]]

Compare MissedTheCall, when the Call went to you by mistake and was aimed for someone else. Contrast RefusalOfTheCall, where the hero ''is'' the intended recipient of the Call, but isn't interested. See also TheUnchosenOne, where they get over with it and still do the hero thing. If the one refused is interested in heroism not for its own sake, but to fulfil dreams of grandeur, they may be a GlorySeeker.

* While she is [[TheChosenOne a godwoken]], one of the [[TheChosenMany candidates]] to succeed the Divine, ''all'' of the gods, including her own, say Lohse in ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' should '''not''' be the next [[GodKing divine]], due to her demonic possession problem. Some of the gods even flat out tell the player character to kill her, and whenever Lohse goes through the same trials the other players do, the other gods are ignoring her. She doesn't seem too broken up about this, however - she does have the option to [[CallingTheOldManOut call out Rhalic]] when he pleads with her to not kill him, and the player can give some LaserGuidedKarma to the gods by making ''her'' the next Divine. [[spoiler:Though to be fair, the gods are justified in not wanting to let her anywhere ''near'' godhood. The demon that is possessing her is justifiably feared by anyone who knows who he really is, and if he attained the power of the gods, he would [[CessationOfExistence end everything and everyone]]]].

* Played with in Jak II. The Underground brings "The Kid" to the Tomb of Mar, believing him to be the true heir of Mar. However, the tomb's oracle refused to admit the kid on the grounds that he was too young to face the tests, so Jak enters instead. [[spoiler: Except it turns out that Jak is "the Kid's" future self.]]

Compare MissedTheCall, when the Call went to you by mistake and was aimed for someone else. Contrast RefusalOfTheCall, where the hero ''is'' the intended recipient of the Call, but isn't interested. See also TheUnchosenOne, where they get over with it and still doing heroes' thing. If the one refused is interested in heroism not for its own sake, but to fulfil dreams of grandeur, they may be a GlorySeeker.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', not only was Chloe never supposed to have gotten the Bee Miraculous, having found it after Ladybug accidently lost it, but the first thing she does with it is transform in public, blowing any chance of her having a SecretIdentity. While she's allowed to temporarily wield it again on two occasions, once the villains start targeting her and her family, the other heroes decide that it's not safe to let her use it anymore, essentially forcing her to step down as a hero. She isn't happy about this.

*** Kengo was the one initially given the Rider Switches and he was intended to use them to become Fourze, but his [[IllBoy poor health]] meant he was too weak to use the Fourze Driver and so it ended up going to Gentaro instead.

** In ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'', [[spoiler: Gamou]] knows darned well that he wasn't chosen for anything, though that doesn't stop him from acting like he is. Despite what he pretends, he actually has to resort to [[EvilutionaryBiologist forced evolution]], and even then, that doesn't get him Chosen. He gets called out on it in the penultimate episode.

* In ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'', there's Yuka, an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who doesn't really fit into class, and spends all her time reading fantasy-stories and dreaming of going to another world -- somewhere she'd BELONG! Then, suddenly, a mysterious, golden-haired {{Bishonen}} appears at the school, searching for a missing queen... and finding Yuka's classmate, Youko Nakajima. Yuka, eager to escape her dreary existence, talks Youko into bringing her along into the Twelve Kingdoms. However, as Youko manifests more and more "specialness" in the other world, Yuka finds it harder and harder to convince herself that SHE should really be the "Main Character", with her desperate need to be "important" eventually driving her to become an antagonist. [[spoiler:At the end, however, she realizes that Youko is somewhat BlessedWithSuck, and that she's lucky to be just a "side-character". Understanding that she DOES belong back in the "real world", she returns home with a smile, intending to live a normal life. And failing, but that's another story...]]

* Gentle Criminal from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' wanted nothing more than to be a legendary hero when he was growing up, but he was a bad student that flunked the Hero Training Program four times before a botched attempt at heroism got him expelled and disowned by his family. Broke and with nowhere else to go, he turned to supervillainry so people would remember him then.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* Adam Milligan of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', despite being [[spoiler: already dead]], is fine and dandy with the idea of [[spoiler: being TheChosenOne, coming BackFromTheDead]] to team up with [[spoiler: an [[ArchangelMichael archangel]]]]to fight [[spoiler: [[{{Satan}} the Devil]]]] and SaveTheWorld. Too bad [[spoiler: he's just being used to force [[TheChosenOne the REAL Chosen One]] into accepting the charges for TheCall.]]
* ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'': Emiri and Sugishita were initially in line to become [=AbareYellow=] and Blue, but their bodies cannot sustain the transformation and the respective Bakuryuu go to Ranru and Yukito. Later happens to Emiri again when she gains temporary superpowers and attempts to become "[=AbarePink=]" with them, but ends up turning herself into a pig instead. She can't catch a break.

---> [[spoiler: '''Kengo''']]: "I'm sure you realize it yourself. Sorry, but you're not TheChosenOne. The one who must [[spoiler: return to the Presenter]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome is me]]."

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Almond in ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'' JumpedAtTheCall when her brother Cucumber was informed that he was the [[TheChosenOne Legendary Hero]]. However, she was refused due to being a little sister, who's role is set by previous generations to be the damsel in distress for her brother to save. However, despite everyone telling Cucumber that Almond can't be the Legendary Hero, being a little sister, she is pretty determined to be [[TheUnchosenOne the one to defeat]] [[BigBad the Nightmare Knight]]

-> ''You know, just leaving the rest of the kids behind to waste their ''"non-prophesized lives"'' away;''\\
"Of course you're welcome to Thorn Valley, there's plenty of education for everyo-- ''ooh'', you're not a ''Messiah'', are you? Yeah, public school's down the stree''t''..."

-->'''Mami:''' Oh, you saved [[TeamPet my mascot character]]!\\
'''Madoka:''' ''Your'' mascot character?!

-->'''Gandalf:''' "We do not doubt that under jest you are making a valiant offer. But one beyond your strength, Bilbo. You cannot take this thing back."

** In ''Series/KamenRiderFourze,'' [[spoiler: Gamou]] knows darned well that he wasn't chosen for anything, though that doesn't stop him from acting like he is. Despite what he pretends, he actually has to resort to [[EvilutionaryBiologist forced evolution]], and even then, that doesn't get him Chosen. He gets called out on it in the penultimate episode.
--> [[spoiler: '''Kengo:''']] "I'm sure you realize it yourself. Sorry, but you're not TheChosenOne. The one who must [[spoiler: return to the Presenter]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome is me]]."

* For a tragic example in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' we have Imad Malek, AKA Scirocco. Found a magical sword in a cave and tried to use it to do good as the newest incarnation of "Scirocco" a title passed on from user to user. What he didn't know was it's wielders are predestined and so the sword - or rather the curse laid upon it, viewed him as a thief. Said curse makes any thief's desires back-fire on them with the presumption anyone who would steal it would be evil, that way it could never be used for evil. No one considered the prospect of a good-hearted thief. Opps.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'' We have Nathaniel Winter, a wealthy real-estate investor who acquired a huge plot of land on a convergence of lay-lines, built a theme-park on top of it, and had the "great" idea of using the children that passed through and whole host of deaths theme-parks are magnets for as a steady stream of sacrifices to stock-pile magic. He then tried to use his money and magical death-trap to buy his way into the Illuminati. As unscrupulous as the Illuminati are, they rejected him on the grounds of A. Being a nut, and B. Clearly having no talent for what he was attempting.

For a tragic example in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' we have Imad Malek, AKA Scirocco. Found a magical sword in a cave and tried to use it to do good as the newest incarnation of "Scirocco" a title passed on from user to user. What he didn't know was it's wielders are predestined and so the sword - or rather the curse laid upon it, viewed him as a thief. Said curse makes any thief's desires back-fire on them with the presumption anyone who would steal it would be evil, that way it could never be used for evil. No one considered the prospect of a good-hearted thief. Opps.

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', after Neo takes the red pill and joins Morpheus, the Oracle tells Neo that he isn't [[TheChosenOne The One]]. [[spoiler:Except he is, and the Oracle is just a ManipulativeBastard. Some of the dialogue is consistent with an alternate theory that she ''was'' telling the truth, just not the whole truth; he wasn't The One ''yet'' because he had to accept it and believe it first.]]

* In ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', Qui-Gon Jinn finds and brings in Anakin Skywalker when he realizes that he has a majorly high Midichlorian count, meaning he is most likely TheChosenOne. He's brought before the Jedi Council... and is told that he can't be trained - he's too old, thus he has emotions that would ruin it all as it would lead to The Dark Side. He's only made a Padawan when Qui-Gon is killed by Darth Maul and Qui-Gon specifically asks for Anakin to be trained as a last wish.

Compare MissedTheCall, when the Call went to you by mistake and was aimed for someone else. Contrast RefusalOfTheCall, where the hero ''is'' the intended recipient of the Call, but isn't interested. See also TheUnchosenOne, where they get over with it and still doing heroes' thing.

* Antigra in the Literature/{{Redwall}} book ''Taggerung'' is convinced her son Gruven should have been the Taggerung (the chosen super-warrior) rather than Tagg, the hero of the book. She raises Gruven to be as bitter about it as she is, and everything goes horribly wrong for both of them because of it. It's even known among those that ''really'' know Gruven, as during the time that he's tracking Tagg he is whiny, an ineffective leader, and all-around useless. No wonder Valug Bowbeast and Eeffra abandon him.

** Riku in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI the first game]]. Maleficent (and the WordOfGod) says that the keyblade was originally meant for him. What Maleficent ''doesn't'' tell Riku was that it was his own fault the keyblade rejected him and chose Sora instead. Had Riku waited one more night and left with his friends on the raft the next day, he would have gotten the keyblade and likely remained their leader as they went on a world-saving adventure. Instead, he gave into his impatience (perhaps with some whispering temptation from the Darkness), and opened the door to his world's heart, allowing TheHeartless to spill in and consume that entire world and everyone in it. Riku's two friends only survive thanks to the keyblade, and all three of them are split up from each other and lost. Sora has to go save the world and find his old friends with a new set of friends.

* While she is [[TheChosenOne a godwoken]], one of the [[TheChosenMany candidates]] to succeed the Divine, ''all'' of the gods, including her own, say Lohse in ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' should '''not''' be the next [[GodKing divine]], due to her demonic possession problem. Some of the gods even flat out tell the player character to kill her, and whenever Lohse goes through the same trials the other players do, the other gods are ignoring her. She doesn't seem too broken up about this, however - she does have the option to [[CallingTheOldManOut call out Rhalic]] when he pleads with her to not kill him, and the player can give some LaserGuidedKarma to the gods by making ''her'' the next Divine. [[spoiler:Though to be fair, the gods are justified in not wanting to let her anywhere ''near'' godhood. The demon that is possessing her is justifiably feared by anyone who knows who he really is, and if he attained the power of the gods, he would [[CessationOfExistence end everything and everyone]].
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' backstory, near the end of the 2nd Era, the [[OldMaster Greybeards]] summoned TheChosenOne who would who would [[TheConqueror restore the Empire]] and [[ScrewYouElves conquer the elves]] to High Hrothgar, their monastery on [[TheTower the Throat of the World]]. Wulfharth Ash-King, the legendary ancient King of the Nords, famous [[GodInHumanForm Shezarrine]] who [[EternalHero had died and come back to life]] at least three times, and noted [[FantasticRacism Elf-hater]], JumpedAtTheCall and went to the Greybeards. Instead, Wulfharth is "blasted to ash" by the Greybeards who declare Hjalti of High Rock (a young [[GodEmperor Tiber Septim]]) to be the one instead]].