History Main / TheChooserOfTheOne

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Jiraiya was prophesied to train TheChosenOne who would either bring peace or destruction. Considering all of his other candidates/trainees are now dead and neither has happened yet, the titular character is now the one by default.

* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'', [[BigGood Raiden]] designated [[TheChosenMany several characters as his chosen]] during [[BigBad Shao Kahn's]] invasion of Earthrealm, preventing their souls [[YourSoulIsMine from being taken by Shao Kahn's Soulnado]] and allowing them to mount a counterattack against the invaders. This group consisted of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage (BackFromTheDead after being killed by Kahn's extermination squads due to the Soulnado preventing passage into the afterlife), Sonya Blade, Jackson "Jax" Briggs, Sub-Zero (the original's younger brother), Smoke ([[UnwillingRoboticisation much to his surprise]]), Nightwolf, Kurtis Stryker, and Kabal. Presumably, the same applies to the Forces of Light in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', which consisted of most of the same characters (key differences being that [[spoiler:Kung Lao had been killed off by Kahn in the climax of the ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 MK2]]'' arc, Sub-Zero had been captured by the Lin Kuei and turned into a cyborg instead of Smoke, and Kitana and Jade had joined the Earthrealm heroes prior to the events of ''3'']]).
* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', [[spoiler: the GreaterScopeVillain, Izanami, was responsible for giving the Protagonist, Namatame and Adachi the ability to enter the [=TV=] World, so that she could determine what sort of world humanity wanted. Since, Adachi was the most active prolific, she believes that what they want is [[AssimilationPlot oblivion]].]]
** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' has two examples:
*** [[spoiler: Yaldabaoth was the one who gave the Protagonist and Goro the ability access the Metaverse, allowing them to create the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and Shido's Conspiracy, and pits them against each other as part of a twisted "game" to determine whether or not he should remake the world. However, Yaldabaoth intentionally [[FixingTheGame rigs the game]] so that he can enslave humanity himself.]]
*** [[spoiler: Morgana, meanwhile, was created by [[BigGood Igor]] to gather "Tricksters", and guide them in his place, so that they can stop Yaldabaoth.]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', [[TheChosenMany several people]] are granted the Echo, the blessing of the goddess Hydaelyn, in times of great strife so that they can protect the realm from certain destruction. [[spoiler:At least, that's what everyone believes. ''Shadowbringers'' reveals that the Echo is, as its name implies, a simple ''echo'' of the power everyone had before the world was sundered, reawakened by triggering PastLifeMemories of the final days of Amaurot. Hydaelyn's words to "hear, feel, think" are not the source of the Echo -- the Echo is what allows you to hear them in the first place.]]

** Though he did consider Naruto TheChosenOne anyway even when one of his students, Nagato, who wielded a legendary godlike power, was still alive.

* Rupert Giles, and also the demon Whistler in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''

** In Third Edition, the Dragon-Blooded are chosen like other Exalted - in their case, from the pool of those who have the blood of the Five Elemental Dragons - though their patrons don't speak to them during Exaltation.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'' it's Queen Tara's duty to pick her successor. Later, she picks MK to carry the pod to Nim Galuu.

->'''Lana''': So how is it that you're important enough to know about this prophecy, huh?!\\
'''Turrick''': I wrote it.

* The LightNovel/{{Slayers}} TRY plays with it when Lina is approached by the dragon priestess Filia to save the world from destruction. Lina brags about how OF COURSE she'd come to her first, but at this point, the priestess announces that Lina was actually their second choice... with the first one being her ''much feared'' big sister Luna, who told Filia to go to Lina and tell her to take the "job".

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': If you're an Exalt and not a Dragon-Blooded, then someone in Heaven, Hell, the Underworld or Autochthonia is vouching for you. In case of being a Sidereal, one of the Five Maidens chose you ''before'' you were born, unless your exaltation is some kind of freak accident.

** For [[BadassNormal mortal heroes]], ([[WhatMeasureIsANonSuper when they matter]]) the choosers are usually the Sidereal Exalted, who oversee the Loom of Fate. They use astrology to manipulate destiny, and sometimes operate in disguise on Creation to ensure that fate goes the way it's supposed to. Their "prophecies" are a mix of genuine mystical foresight, careful planing, and subtle manipulation, and they sometimes have to improvise when their predictions go awry because pushing new prophecies through Heaven's [[ObstructiveBureaucrat hopelessly corrupt and frequently incompetent bureaucracy]] is often more trouble than it's worth.

* The SideKick in ''Film/PumaMan'' is also the one charged with finding the chosen one to become the eponymous hero. This involves throwing him out a window to see if he has a cat's ability to survive long falls.

* The LightNovel/{{Slayers}} TRY plays with it when Lina is approached by the dragon priestess Filia to save the world from destruction. Lina brags about how OF COURSE she'd come to her first, but at this point, the priestess announces that Lina was actually their second choice... with the first one being her ''mch feared'' big sister Luna, who told Filia to go to Lina and tell her to take the "job".

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' sees the a myserious old man name the hero Benjamin the chosen hero of the prophecy, the only one who can defeat the Dark King. Turns out, he had no idea and was just guessing. Oh, and the ancient prophecy was started by a bored Dark King long ago as a lark.

** The prequel novel ''Literature/MassEffectRevelation'' describes Saren in this role for Anderson. Unfortunately, Saren has a deep-seated hatred for humans (his brother was killed during the brief war between the turians and the humans), as well as an agenda of his own. He causes an explosion that kills many innocents and then blames it on Anderson, when it's time for the latter's evaluation. Naturally, this kills any chance for Anderson to become a Spectre.

* In ''WebComic/KillSixBillionDemons'', Zoss is prophecied to pick a specific person to be his successor as, more or less, king of the multiverse. He shows he has a choice about this by choosing that person's girlfriend Allison instead, though this may only have been because his original choice is captured before he can hand over the MacGuffin. Anyway, it's pretty clear Zoss has made his choice, although there are others who continue to disagree and try to take the prophecy back on track.

* Alpha Trion seems to fill this role across various incarnations of ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' often passing on the Matrix of Leadership or empowering pre-chosen Optimus Prime to serve as leader of the Autobots. Sometimes the Matrix itself serves this role in choosing [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield who may wield it's power]] and punishing the unworthy.

* Franchise/{{Green Lantern}}s are chosen by their ring for their ability to overcome great fear. Usually the living planet Mogo adds in a moral component to the criteria so villains who can overcome great fear aren't chosen. Later Hal Jordan destroyed the corps and all but one of the Guardians of the Universe, Ganthet. He forged one last ring and chose the next, last Lantern on his own and almost seemingly at random with a glib "You'll have to do." Years later, after Kyle relit the [[PowerSource Central Power Battery]] and resurrected the Guardians, Ganthet had this to say:

* In the epic fantasy ''The Jasmine Throne'', concerning a succession struggle between siblings in a crumbling empire, the royal family of the client kingdom Alor all have prophetic true names that they are only to reveal when the time is right. These range from MundaneUtility (a princess several generations back had a name that was three pages of advice on how to handle a drought), to predicting the person in question's death, to this. A certain character's name prophesies that [[spoiler: Malini, the imperial princess, is fated to rule. All the lords she recruited to fight for her compassionate-but-useless brother Aditya against their sadistic, fanatical emperor Chandra already know Malini is the real brains of the operation, but the prophecy helps her overcome the ingrained prejudice against a woman ruling in her own right.]]

* This is Sunspot's role in the ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' reboot of ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'' -- through the reformed (and hopefully good) A.I.M. Corporation, he seeks out people he feel is ready to carry the title of "Avenger" No more [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative initiatives]], no more [[ComicBook/AvengersAcademy academies]], just people who have done the hero thing long enough to step it up.

If the Chooser is a god or EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity they may do the designating themselves rather than via prophecy, SuperEmpowering the chosen from a complete random {{Muggle}} into the One. Other possible Choosers are SentientPhlebotinum, an EmpathicWeapon, TheForce or {{God}}(s).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Witches and demons originally carved their own [[{{Familiar}} Palismen]], but since Emperor Belos took over, the trees used to make them became scarce; the Bat Queen now brings abandoned Palismen for magic users to adopt. In this case, the wielder does not choose what Palismen they want, the Palismen chooses ''them'' based on what the wielder wants to do with their life.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Witches and demons originally carved their own [[{{Familiar}} Palismen]], but since Emperor Belos took over, that became scarce; the Bat Queen now brings abandoned Palismen for magic users to adopt. In this case, the wielder does not choose what Palismen they want, the Palismen chooses ''them'' based on what the wielder wants to do with their life.

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': A complicated and spoiler-iffic example. [[spoiler: The prophecy fortelling of the Chosen Undead specifies that s/he will ring the Bell(s) of Awakening... which are of course located [[TheQuest beyond a long string of obstacles]]. [[FridgeBrilliance Reading between the lines a bit]], the prophecy [[ProphecyTwist may actually be an elaborate testing method to find the strongest undead possible]] to [[BarrierMaiden Link The Fire]], a fact supported by the [[FromACertainPointOfView half-truths]] that [[UnreliableNarrator Frampt, Kaathe and Gwynevere convey]]. At the end, by [[{{Determinator}} fighting your way to the end]] and [[HeroicSacrifice Linking the Fire]], ''you yourself'' choose to be the Chosen Undead. Or [[RefusalOfTheCall you]] [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere may opt]] [[AmbiguousEnding out]].]]

* In ''LightNovel/MushokuTensei'' the Holy Beast is born when the world will soon face a great disaster. Once matured it seeks out the one destined to fight against the disaster and accompanies them. [[spoiler:Its choice is not set, as it chose Lara Greyrate in this timeline but a different individual in previous iterations where she did not exist]].

* Kirin in ''Literature/TheTwelveKingdoms'' choose each nation's king. The real deciders are gods, but the kirin never make a mistake, even if they think they did.

* In ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'', Chii is responsible for choosing ''The One Just For Me'' which beyond simple happiness for her and that one, activates a potentially dangerous program.
* The LightNovel/{{Slayers}} TRY plays with it when Lina is approached by the dragon priestess Filia to save the world from destruction. Lina brags about how OF COURSE she'd come to her first, but at this point, the priestess announces that Lina was actually their second choice... with the first one being her ''mch feared'' big sister Luna, who told Filia to go to Lina and tell her to take the "job".
* In ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'', Clow Reed knew that Kero and Yue would have trouble accepting a new master after he died, so to make sure they ended up with one they could both approve of, he split the task of appointing his successor between them. Kero would nominate a likely candidate, and Yue would test their worthiness once they had [[GottaCatchEmAll gathered all of the Clow Cards]].
* ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'' is strange in that being TheChooserOfTheOne is like being TheChosenOne. The Chooser, the Magi, is meant to select the next king who will lead the people to greatness. Aladdin, the main character, is [[spoiler: one of four]] Magi. [[spoiler: The others are Judar, Scheherazade, and Yunan]].
* In ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'', a devil named Dokuro Skull needed to find a way to save [[DarkIsNotEvil New Hell]] from a [[ReligionOfEvil cult of evil demons]]. The odds were very bad, so she set-up events so that out of all the possible futures, ones where the world was saved would send back a messenger to help her make that particular future come true by creating a StableTimeLoop. Just in case the messenger turned out to be evil, she created an AlternateSelf to act as a watchman, judging the messenger's trustworthiness. The alternate Dokuro ultimately chose Keima to be the one to save New Hell.

* ''Manga/DevilsAndRealist'': The protagonist William Twining is the elector, the one to choose [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils a demon to rule hell]] once [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] dies. He [[RefusalOfTheCall has no interest in this]], but the demons keep finding him anyway.
* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', the regional Professors are this, as anyone who ends up with a Pokedex is practically guaranteed a life of danger and fighting against evil. Humorously, a couple of the Pokedexes don't end up with the ones the professors originally intended (theft, loss, mixups), but things wind up working out eventually. Frankly, it doesn't matter who the professors choose; the Dexes will end up in the hands of exceptional trainers.
* In ''LightNovel/MushokuTensei'' the Holy Beast is born when the world will soon face a great disaster. Once matured it seeks out the one destined to fight against the disaster and accompanies them. [[spoiler:Its choice is not set, as it chose Lara Greyrate in this timeline but a different individual in previous iterations where she did not exist]].

* The Godhand of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' are malevolent examples, as they choose people to become demons through the process of Causality.
* Directly invoked in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' - Akihiko, who programmed the titular VR-MMO and turned it into a [[TheMostDangerousVideoGame deathtrap]] also programmed the system to automatically assign the unique DualWielding skill to whatever player had the [[FragileSpeedster highest reaction-speed rating]] - making them TheChosenOne by default, since they'd stand a much better chance of reaching the FinalBoss (himself) than any other player. Kirito - the main character and TheChosenOne - eventually becomes aware of this, and in a later arc, uses it to deduce that a fearsome fighter in the ''Alfheim Online'' VR-MMO isn't one of the survivors of SAO like many assumed - since her reaction-speed is faster than his, ''she'' would have been designated as TheChosenOne if she'd been there, instead of him.
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', plays around with this on several levels. The protagonist, Shinji Ikari starts out being choosen to pilot one of the HumongousMecha known as the "Evangelions". However, it is very quickly established that Shinji has the title of the "Third Child", and is just one of TheChosenMany and that the Chooser in this instance is the Marduk Institute, an organisation under the UN that picks potential Evangelion pilots. However, [[spoiler:it is later revealed that the Marduk Institute doesn't actually exist, but is a front organization for NERV, and by extension [[AncientConspiracy SEELE]], set up to cover for the fact that there is actually no real selection process for the pilots. As it turns out, every single one of Shinji's classmates are potential pilots, and they all are either explicitly said or at the very least heavily implied to have a MissingMom. It turns out that it is the later that makes them potential Evangelion pilots, as the Evangelions are controlled by the strong bound between mother and child, by having the soul of said mother placed in an Evangelion to properly power it]]. The ultimate truth, however, is that [[spoiler:Shinji ''actually'' is the Chosen One, and it was his mother, Yui Ikari, that was the Chooser. By willingly letting her soul get absorbed into an Evangelion, and thereby arranging for Shinji to be an Evangelion pilot, she threw the proverbial wrench in SEELE's AssimilationPlot, by making sure it was Shinji, and not them who would be in the place to be the final arbiter of humanity's fate]].

* ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'', William pulled a CreateYourOwnHero on Sherlock Holmes and chose him specifically to be the hero to his villain.

* The incumbent Sorcerer Supreme has at least some say in who becomes the next to hold the office. In Comicbook/DoctorStrange stories, the Ancient One guards the office and determines who is worthy to hold it, despite having died and become [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence one with Eternity]] many years before.

* This is Sunspot's role in the ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' reboot of ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'' -- through the reformed (and hopefully good) A.I.M. Corporation, he seeks out people he feel is ready to carry the title of "Avenger" No more [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative initiatives]], no more [[ComicBook/AvengersAcademy academies]], just people who have done the hero thing long enough to step it up.
* ''Comicbook/{{PS238}}'' has a Chooser who is a ChosenOne himself--apparently, whoever gets the TimeTravel superpower is destined to discover the Castle Outside of Time and Space, and whoever does that gets to pick out the person who will [[spoiler:decide whether or not to make superpowers permanent]]. Tom, the current Chooser, picks [[spoiler:[[MuggleBornOfMages Tyler]]]].
* In ''ComicBook/{{Birthright}}'', the Chooser is Rook, a TokenHeroicOrc who plucks young Mikey Rhodes from his life on Earth according to an ancient prophecy that he will one day free the land of Terrenos from [[EvilOverlord God-King Lore]]. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, Rook was unaware that the prophecy was just recycled from an older version that placed ''Lore himself'' as the hero who saved Terrenos before he turned evil. And even the updated version only says that the summoning of the ChosenOne will "lead to" Lore's defeat, not necessarily that he will do it himself.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'' it's Queen Tara's duty to pick her successor. Later, she picks MK to carry the pod to Nim Galuu.
* Rare non-living partial example in the form of The Matrix of Leadership in [[WesternAnimation/TransformerstheMovie Transformers: The Movie]], in which the Matrix, a talisman of extraordinary power, and containing the soul of countless Autobot leaders, chooses Hot Rod to become the next Prime, and at the same time choosing him to defeat Unicron, an OmnicidalManiac who threatens to '''''eat''''' everything in existence.

** The Oracle, as the full story plays out, is the one that created the whole [[ProphecyTwist prophecy to begin with]]. Neo could have very well been chosen by the Oracle, although it requires a nudge to Morpheus to find him. Once that's done, [[ChekhovsGun she offers Neo a cookie, saying that, after he eats it, he'll be "right as rain."]] What are "cookies" in the computer world? They add information to a program. All that Neo needed was a push to act more than what he felt. Remember that the Oracle didn't tell Neo that he wasn't the One--he drew his own conclusion. The Oracle is rooting for the humans, so helping Neo ultimately ''choose himself'' is part of her plan. Remember the sign above her kitchen: "Know Thyself" in Latin? That's what she does to people.

* In the original ''Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' movie, Merrick is essentially this, being the one who finds Buffy and tells her she is the chosen one.
* The SideKick in ''Film/PumaMan'' is also the one charged with finding the chosen one to become the eponymous hero. This involves throwing him out a window to see if he has a cat's ability to survive long falls.
* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Dr. Erskine overhears a conversation between Steve Rogers and Bucky, and realizes that Steve is the perfect candidate for the SuperSerum.
* Dodgers manager Branch Rickey in ''Film/FortyTwo'', who declares that ''somehow'' he's going to find an African-American baseball player to integrate into his baseball team.
-->"I don't know who he is or where he is, but he's coming."

* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
** In ''Literature/TheHobbit,'' Gandalf chooses Bilbo to be the group's burglar, even though Bilbo has never been on an adventure before and doesn't want to go on one now. It turns out to be a good choice.
** In Gandalf's backstory given in ''Unfinished Tales'', Gandalf (or Olórin) was in turn chosen by Manwë, being the only one of the five Istari to be so chosen rather than volunteering.
** As Gandalf himself puts it: "I dare say he was 'chosen' and I was only chosen to choose him; but I picked out Bilbo."
* In the ''[[Literature/TheBelgariad Malloreon]]'' series by Creator/DavidEddings
** The two opposing Prophecies cannot meet directly, lest the universe be destroyed (or worse, a third Prophecy be created), so they each choose a human champion to act on their behalf, the Child of Light and The Child of Dark. The Children generally are allowed to step down once they've accomplished a specific goal.
** Cyradis the BlindSeer is responsible for choosing between The Child of Light and the Child Of Dark at the final showdown.
** At the end of ''The Malloreon'', The Children of Light (Garion) and Dark (Zandramas) have to choose their successors, whom Cyradis will choose to become the new God That Should Have Been.
* In ''Literature/HarryPotter,'' Voldemort was unknowingly the Chooser, since whoever he decided to mark "as his equal" [[SelfFulfillingProphecy would be the one with the power to defeat him]]. Technically, it could have been either Harry or Neville -- or even nobody at all, as Potterverse prophecies don't necessarily come true -- but Voldemort made it final. Such are the perils of trying subvert a prophecy when you've only heard half of it. Voldemort never does learn of his mistake. Plus, Voldemort's ego and sociopathy would never have allowed him to make the "correct" choice for subverting the prophecy by simply doing nothing even if he had heard the whole thing rather than just half of it. The very concept that someone even ''might'' become powerful enough to defeat him meant that he ''had'' to kill them.

* Vatra from ''Literature/OfFearAndFaith'' travels around recruiting various people at the behest of her Emperor to end the thirty year Demon War. Unlike Noble, who was given [[TheChosenOne specific directions]] who to find, Vatra chooses her recruits personally with her own judgement.
* Riven from ''Literature/BlueRabbit'' has dedicated his entire life to finding a Dark Human who can become Illuminated and save his world. Once he discovers Erika is a Dark Human, she becomes pretty much [[WellIntentionedExtremist the only thing he cares about]].

* In the ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'', the sword of the king of the Enchanted Forest decides who gets to be the next king, though it usually goes to the eldest child anyway.
* In the ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomRynosseros'' a rogue AI, for reasons of its own, grants seven sandship captains "Coloured" status, making them living legends in the dominant Aboriginal culture, and free rein to pilot their ships across the Australian continent. The last of these captains, Tom Tyson/Rynosseros, is given the most important color, Blue, which signifies Unity.
* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': The Stormfather, the unfathomably powerful entity that sends the [[HostileWeather highstorms]], is the one behind [[spoiler:Dalinar's visions]]. Honor, the creature called the Almighty, gave them to him and told them to send them when the time was right. Following the Almighty's [[spoiler:death at Odium's hands]], the Stormfather wanted nothing to do with any of it, but he kept his promise regardless, giving them to a variety of people, including [[spoiler:Gavilar Kholin, possibly Szeth-son-Neturo, and of course Dalinar]]. However, that was the exact minimum he was required to do, and he refused to help any further by speaking to the people involved or allowing his children, the honorspren, to return to humanity and [[BondCreatures make new bonds]]. Quite a few problems in the first two books arise because the visions make very little sense to someone without the proper context--context which no one alive today has.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov:
** "Literature/DreamingIsAPrivateThing": Joe Dooley is a talent scout who looks for kids with the potential to become {{Creators}} of [[{{Cyberspace}} dreams]]. Jesse Weill is willing to risk his company's money on [[UnlockingTheTalent training a kid in storytelling]] for years on Joe's recommendation.
** ''{{Literature/Franchise}}'': [[MasterComputer The massive computer, Multivac,]] chooses [[TheEveryman the perfectly average Norman Millar]] to represent the opinions and views of the entire American people in this year's election. Data about his opinions will be used to [[PrescienceByAnalysis extrapolate everyone's votes in every city/county of the country]].

* ''Series/NirvanaInFire'': Langya Hall, run by Lin Chen. Langya Hall compiles the prestigious Langya List every year that lists the greatest talents in the world in each discipline. Most people seem to regard them as a divine oracle, but they are actually just an extremely well run nigh-omniscient KnowledgeBroker.

* Rupert Giles, and also the demon Whistler in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
* Doyle, on ''Series/{{Angel}}'', sent by the powers to tell Angel he was a chosen one, while also complaining that the Chosen One doesn't stock beer in his fridge.

* In ''Series/LegendOfTheSeeker'':
** Zedd names Richard as the Seeker. There's some bias here, given that he is a relative. Later on, though, he chooses Leo to be the next Seeker while Richard is in the Palace of the Prophets. Later yet, he names ''himself'' as the Seeker, although at the time he wasn't quite himself.
** Presumably, any wizard of the First Order can do that, but there are only two left, and the other one is in the employ of the first season's BigBad.
* In ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'', Herne the Hunter, a pagan god/spirit of some kind, chooses who will become the Hooded Man, which is quite handy because if one dies, Herne can simply choose another. There seems to be some kind of prophecy involved, that "The Hooded Man will come to the forest, there to meet with Herne the Hunter, to be his son and do his bidding", but it's hard to tell if it's the prophecy choosing Herne's Sons, or Herne doing it, or both.

* There is the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, who is the second most important spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism. Each has a part to play in finding reincarnation of the next Lama. The Panchen Lama bears part of the responsibility for finding the incarnation of the Dalai Lama and vice versa. Tragically, this tradition seems to have come to a halt as the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was taken into custody by the Chinese Government when he was 6 years old and hasn't been seen since. It's widely expected that whenever the 14th Dalai Lama dies, China will produce the Panchen Lama (or an imposter thereof) to "identify" a 15th Dalai Lama who can be raised to be loyal to the government. Possibly because of this, the Dalai Lama has hinted that he might choose not to reincarnate.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': If you're an Exalt and not a Dragon-Blooded, then someone in Heaven, Hell, the Underworld or Autochthonia is vouching for you. In case of being a Sidereal, one of the Five Maidens chose you ''before'' you were born, unless your exaltation is some kind of freak accident.
** For Solars and Lunars in Second Edition, ultimately it's the Exaltation itself that chooses the one to be precise, in a manner of speaking. The heavens might influence whom is chosen, but in the end it is the actions of the mortal that call the Exaltation to them.
** For [[BadassNormal mortal heroes]], ([[WhatMeasureIsANonSuper when they matter]]) the choosers are usually the Sidereal Exalted, who oversee the Loom of Fate. They use astrology to manipulate destiny, and sometimes operate in disguise on Creation to ensure that fate goes the way it's supposed to. Their "prophecies" are a mix of genuine mystical foresight, careful planing, and subtle manipulation, and they sometimes have to improvise when their predictions go awry because pushing new prophecies through Heaven's [[ObstructiveBureaucrat hopelessly corrupt and frequently incompetent bureaucracy]] is often more trouble than it's worth.

* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'', [[BigGood Raiden]] designated [[TheChosenMany several characters as his chosen]] during [[BigBad Shao Kahn's]] invasion of Earthrealm, preventing their souls [[YourSoulIsMine from being taken by Shao Kahn's Soulnado]] and allowing them to mount a counterattack against the invaders. This group consisted of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage (BackFromTheDead after being killed by Kahn's extermination squads due to the Soulnado preventing passage into the afterlife), Sonya Blade, Jackson "Jax" Briggs, Sub-Zero (the original's younger brother), Smoke ([[UnwillingRoboticisation much to his surprise]]), Nightwolf, Kurtis Stryker, and Kabal. Presumably, the same applies to the Forces of Light in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', which consisted of most of the same characters (key differences being that [[spoiler:Kung Lao had been killed off by Kahn in the climax of the ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 MK2]]'' arc, Sub-Zero had been captured by the Lin Kuei and turned into a cyborg instead of Smoke, and Kitana and Jade had joined the Earthrealm heroes prior to the events of ''3'']]).
* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' has Buzz Buzz come from [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture 10 years in the future]] to declare Ness TheChosenOne.

* The goddess Hylia in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', as part of her plan to permanently destroy [[spoiler:Demise]], needed to find someone with an unbreakable spirit to help forge the Master Sword and [[spoiler:wield the complete Triforce]]. No points for guessing who she picked.
** Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors''. Zelda and Impa set out to become this, and Zelda seemingly has her sights set on Link, but then an attack happens. Link sets out on his own and proves to be the chosen one himself without Impa or Zelda coming to him. Then Impa sees this and gives him the hero's tunic, making her this trope after the fact.
* Gwonam in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames Link: Faces Of Evil]]'':
-->'''Gwonam''': It is written: "Only Link can defeat Ganon."
* A unusual example occurs in ''Franchise/MassEffect''. Nihlus was ''meant'' to be be this and joined the ''Normandy'' to assess whether [[TheChosenOne Shepard]] was suitable for the position of first Human Spectre. However, on the first of several missions meant to decide this, Nihlus ended up with a bullet in the back of the head, courtesy of [[BigBad Saren]]. Of course, this minor setback did little to stop Shepard from eventually taking up the role of ChosenOne and saving the Galaxy.
** The prequel novel ''Literature/MassEffectRevelation'' describes Saren in this role for Anderson. Unfortunately, Saren has a deep-seated hatred for humans (his brother was killed during the brief war between the turians and the humans), as well as an agenda of his own. He causes an explosion that kills many innocents and then blames it on Anderson, when it's time for the latter's evaluation. Naturally, this kills any chance for Anderson to become a Spectre.

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': A complicated and spoiler-iffic example. [[spoiler: The prophecy fortelling of the Chosen Undead specifies that s/he will ring the Bell(s) of Awakening... which are of course located [[TheQuest beyond a long string of obstacles]]. [[FridgeBrilliance Reading between the lines a bit]], the prophecy [[ProphecyTwist may actually be an elaborate testing method to find the strongest undead possible]] to [[BarrierMaiden Link The Fire]], a fact supported by the [[FromACertainPointOfView half-truths]] that [[UnreliableNarrator Frampt, Kaathe and Gwynevere convey]]. At the end, by [[{{Determinator}} fighting your way to the end]] and [[HeroicSacrifice Linking the Fire]], ''you yourself'' choose to be the Chosen Undead. Or [[RefusalOfTheCall you]] [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere may opt]] [[AmbiguousEnding out]].]]

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', [[TheChosenMany several people]] are granted the Echo, the blessing of the goddess Hydaelyn, in times of great strife so that they can protect the realm from certain destruction. [[spoiler:At least, that's what everyone believes. ''Shadowbringers'' reveals that the Echo is, as its name implies, a simple ''echo'' of the power everyone had before the world was sundered, reawakened by triggering PastLifeMemories of the final days of Amaurot. Hydaelyn's words to "hear, feel, think" are not the source of the Echo -- the Echo is what allows you to hear them in the first place.]]

* In ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', Poppy assumes that this is her purpose; to find the fabled Hero of Demacia and pass the hammer she currently wields to its rightful owner. In truth, ''Poppy herself'' is TheChosenOne, but she is far too much of a HumbleHero to realize it.
* ''VideoGame/Centipede1998'': The opening cutscene of level 1-1 shows that the hero is selected by a "magic stick" -- a forked rod with what appears to be a compass on it.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** Before he went to the Realm of Darkness, Mickey left Donald and Goofy a letter instructing them to find "The Key" -- a Keyblade wielder. A twist is that said Key is originally supposed to be Riku, but because he turns to the dark side, the key passes to Sora.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' reveals that Keyblade wielders can turn {{Muggle}}s into one of their own. Terra willingly turns Riku, while Aqua accidentally turns Kairi when the latter touches her Keyblade. Aqua also becomes a symbolic chooser of the one later on, when she advises Sora to rescue Riku if the latter falls to darkness.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' sees the a myserious old man name the hero Benjamin the chosen hero of the prophecy, the only one who can defeat the Dark King. Turns out, he had no idea and was just guessing. Oh, and the ancient prophecy was started by a bored Dark King long ago as a lark.

* In ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'', the part is split between two beings: Jade Blackwater searches for the Agents, but its the amulets that chose them.

* In ''WebComic/KillSixBillionDemons'', Zoss is prophecied to pick a specific person to be his successor as, more or less, king of the multiverse. He shows he has a choice about this by choosing that person's girlfriend Allison instead, though this may only have been because his original choice is captured before he can hand over the MacGuffin. Anyway, it's pretty clear Zoss has made his choice, although there are others who continue to disagree and try to take the prophecy back on track.
* In ''WebComic/DarthsAndDroids'', Darth Kanata tries to offer the laser sword of destiny first to Rey because, due to her heritage, she might be the chosen one who will restore imbalance to the Force. After she refuses, she offers it to Yanni first, saying he might qualify just because he knew Luke, but changes his mind because a fresh chosen one can't be old and grey. Finally he gives it to Finn, who has absolutely no basis to be the chosen one, explaining that prophecies are rubbish anyway and ''someone's'' got to fix things.

[[folder: Toys]]
* Toys/{{Bionicle}} characters’ destinies are set by [[BigGood Mata Nui,]] and fate remains one of the only supernatural elements of the story to survive DoingInTheWizard. [[spoiler: The destinies of Mata Nui himself and Makuta were set by the Great Beings, who intended for them to be “brothers” and work together to restore Spherus Magna. Makuta’s ambition to take over Mata Nui’s body inadvertently fulfilled this destiny, as during his fight with Mata Nui he pulls Spherus Magna’s moons close enough together for Mata Nui to finish the job.]]

* ''Fanfic/CheshireMiraculousLadybug'' {{Deconstructed|Trope}} the trope by showing how much research and observation one would need in order to make the right decision about who gets superpowers. Master Fu's picks for Miraculous holders tend to go awry because he does not truly know what these people are like, having only superficial information on each of his chosen.
** Max did not get along properly with Kaalki and he became overwhelmed by the responsibility.
** Kim was one of Marinette's more serious bullies and he was unable to prioritize properly. He became an active hindrance multiple times due to his gung-ho approach to trying to "stop" Cheshire.
** [[spoiler:Marinette herself was selected to wield Pollen. What Master Fu was unaware of is that Marinette is ''Cheshire'', his enemy. Furthermore, he was completely unaware of Marinette's terrible social situation, which would make her a terrible fit for heroism in most cases]].

* In the epic fantasy ''The Jasmine Throne'', concerning a succession struggle between siblings in a crumbling empire, the royal family of the client kingdom Alor all have prophetic true names that they are only to reveal when the time is right. These range from MundaneUtility (a princess several generations back had a name that was three pages of advice on how to handle a drought), to predicting the person in question's death, to this. A certain character's name prophesies that [[spoiler: Malini, the imperial princess, is fated to rule. All the lords she recruited to fight for her brother Aditya against their sadistic, fanatical emperor Chandra already know Malini is the real brains of the operation, but the prophecy helps her overcome the engrained prejudice against a woman ruling in her own right.]]

* ''VideoGame/Teenagent'': {{Downplayed}}. A FortuneTeller randomly picks Mark Hopper on a phonebook to train him into a secret agent.

* In ''WebComic/DarthsAndDroids'', Darth Kanata tries to offer the laser sword of destiny first to Rey because, due to her heritage, she might be the chosen one who will restore imbalance to the Force. After she refuses, she offers it to Yanni first, saying he might qualify just because he knew Luke Amidala, but changes his mind because a fresh chosen one can't be old and grey. Finally he gives it to Finn, who has absolutely no basis to be the chosen one, explaining that prophecies are rubbish anyway and ''someone's'' got to fix things.