History Main / TheFinalTemptation

* In the MLP fic ''Fanfic/RainboomsAndRoyalty'' (an AU where Rainbow Dash became Celestia's student instead of Twilight), [[BigBad Nightmare Moon]], like in canon, tempts Rainbow Dash just prior to the FinalBattle. It is much [[DarkerAndEdgier darker]], however, in this story. Rather than offer her the captaincy of the Shadowbolts, Nightmare Moon commiserates with her, pointing out that [[NotSoDifferent she too knows how it feels that have one's self and achievements overlooked in favor of another]]. She tries to plant seeds of doubt in Rainbow's mind about whether Celestia truly cared for her or even understood her, or whether she was just using Rainbow as a weapon. Nightmare Moon then offers all of Rainbow's goals and fondest desires to her, namely a spot on the Wonderbolts and [[AllLoveIsUnrequited Shining Armor's love]]. And not just that, but she offers to fulfill all of her ''friends''' wishes as well if Rainbow would proclaim loyalty to her. Finally, she points out that with Celestia gone, she was the only one capable of controlling the sun and the moon, and was thus indispensable to Equestria. Despite heavy temptation and inner turmoil, Rainbow resists with a simple realization: Celestia loved her, and all Nightmare Moon cared about was her own self-gratification.

* ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' has a scene at the end where [[BigBad the Enchantress]] tells the Task Force X members she can give them whatever they want, including bringing back dead loved ones, and shows each person present a vision of what they most desire. Harley Quinn seems like she's going to side with her [[spoiler: only to say [[ThePowerOfFriendship "There's one problem: you messed with my friends!"]] and attack her.]]

* {{Inverted}} in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. Shortly before being given the option to [[KickTheDog kick several loyal and innocent dogs in horrifying and gruesome fashion]] in exchange for a [[AGodAmI divinely]] [[OneWingedAngel powerful]] [[WasOnceAMan new form]], Griffith experiences a vivid dream or vision of living a quiet, content life married to Casca and raising a child together. Thing is, in the vision he's still crippled, will never attain the [[AmbitionIsEvil greatness he always believed he was capable of]], and the child [[MamasBabyPapasMaybe is implied]] to be [[HeroicBastard Guts and Casca's]], not Griffith's. It's not truly an idyllic life, just the best he can realistically hope for without [[DeusExMachina supernatural intervention]], and he [[AttemptedSuicide attempts to off himself]] rather than submit to it before [[TakeAThirdOption another option is offered]]. The vision isn't an attempt to get him to RefuseTheCall, but to show him [[DespairEventHorizon just how screwed he is]] to tempt him to make a DealWithTheDevil.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has Evangeline trying to convince Setsuna to give up her swordsmanship in favor of living the life of a normal girl. [[TakeAThirdOption It doesn't go as planned.]] ''[[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Maybe.]]''

* In the MLP fic ''FanFic/RainboomsAndRoyalty'' (an AU where Rainbow Dash became Celestia's student instead of Twilight), [[BigBad Nightmare Moon]], like in canon, tempts Rainbow Dash just prior to the FinalBattle. It is much [[DarkerAndEdgier darker]], however, in this story. Rather than offer her the captaincy of the Shadowbolts, Nightmare Moon commiserates with her, pointing out that [[NotSoDifferent she too knows how it feels that have one's self and achievements overlooked in favor of another]]. She tries to plant seeds of doubt in Rainbow's mind about whether Celestia truly cared for her or even understood her, or whether she was just using Rainbow as a weapon. Nightmare Moon then offers all of Rainbow's goals and fondest desires to her, namely a spot on the Wonderbolts and [[AllLoveIsUnrequited Shining Armor's love]]. And not just that, but she offers to fulfill all of her ''friends''' wishes as well if Rainbow would proclaim loyalty to her. Finally, she points out that with Celestia gone, she was the only one capable of controlling the sun and the moon, and was thus indispensable to Equestria. Despite heavy temptation and inner turmoil, Rainbow resists with a simple realization: Celestia loved her, and all Nightmare Moon cared about was her own self-gratification.
* ''FanFic/ChronomistressOutOfTime'': Queen Chrysalis, who traps people in [[LotusEaterMachine blissful illusions]] so that she can feed on their emotions, makes one last desperate bid to offer this to the protagonist who is escaping her lair.

* ''FanFic/TheEquestrianWindMage'': During the final fight with Sombra at the end of Season 1, he casts an illusion on Vaati that shows him gaining everything he's ever wanted (control of Hyrule, Zelda by his side, etc.) if just [[FaceHeelTurn goes back to evil]]. And it almost works, until Luna intrudes on the vision and reminds Vaati of the bonds he's made in Equestria, which is enough to give him the strength to fight off the illusion and the temptation.

* In ''WebComic/{{Eatatau}},'' the renegade [[SpaceMarine Dark Angel]] sergeant Johnson finds a sword belonging to the [[PhysicalGod Primarch]] Lion El'johnson himself. His SpiritAdvisor, Lucypher, tells him that with that sword, he could lead such a crusade that he'd become second only to the Emperor of Mankind himself, showing him visions of becoming Chapter Master, killing Abbadon the Despoiler, and triumphantly returning to Terra (which quite uncomfortably mirrors Horus' temptations). Johnson feels he is unworthy to wield the blade, which Lucypher reveals was a SecretTestOfCharacter and gives him the armor and plasma pistol he wielded in life.

* In ''Fanfic/PerfectionIsOverrated'', an example similar to ''Anime/MaiHime'' happens, only this time, [[spoiler:Yukariko]] is doing it to [[spoiler:Natsuki]], offering her a world in which [[spoiler:not only are her parents and dog still there, but so is everyone else she's met at Fuuka Academy. Natsuki comes to the realization that she can never get back what she's lost, but she can move forward, and frees herself from the illusion.]] The chapter in which this takes place is even called "Last Temptation".

* In the anime ''Anime/MaiHime'', Mai experiences this at one of her lowest points courtesy of another [=HiME=]'s powers. Her temptation is an idyllic life free of the many tragedies that have afflicted Mai's thus far but she rejects it for harsh reality. (And mind you, this is not even her ''last'' temptation; that would be [[EndOfTheWorldSpecial the temptation to remake the world to her liking]], which she eventually rejects as well.)

* ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Season Six has a two-parter episode aptly named "The Last Temptation of Barry Allen". In the lead up to ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' when Barry is fated to perform a HeroicSacrifice so the Multiverse can survive, he's offered a chance to save everyone ''and'' survive by Ramsey Rosso aka Bloodwork. [[spoiler:At first Barry seems willing to reject it believing it to be a lie, until the Speed Force informs him that Rosso ''isn't'' lying, causing Barry to explode into rage over being denied the chance to live happy with his family. At the end of Part 1, Barry ends up accepting Rosso's offer and lets himself get infected.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''WebComic/{{Eatatau}},'' the renegade [[SpaceMarine Dark Angel]] sergeant Johnson finds a sword belonging to the [[PhysicalGod Primarch]] Lion El'johnson himself. His SpiritGuide, Lucypher, tells him that with that sword, he could lead such a crusade that he'd become second only to the Emperor of Mankind himself, showing him visions of becoming Chapter Master, killing Abbadon the Despoiler, and triumphantly returning to Terra (which quite uncomfortably mirrors Horus' temptations). Johnson feels he is unworthy to wield the blade, which Lucypher reveals was a SecretTestOfCharacter and gives him the armor and plasma pistol he wielded in life.

* [[EvilSorceror Dr. Facilier]] of ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' tempts Tiana with a vision of the restaurant she's been trying to open her entire life, in one of the straightest applications of this trope. Double points for Dr. Facilier's name. [[BilingualBonus "Facile" means "easy" in French]]. Yep. ''The villain in this movie is essentially the embodiment of "taking the easy route."'' [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped Bravo, Disney. Bravo...]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' episode Puhoy. On a particularly dagger-rainy day, Finn is bummed out by Flame Princess not laughing at one of his jokes. He overthinks it decides to go 'fester' his mind under some pillows. Finn the drops into a pillow world and falls in love with one of its local residents.
** Subverted, however, in that [[spoiler: he decides that his new formed family is more important than his old life, and only returns when he dies of old age.]] Its also unclear whether the events truly occurred or if they were just a dream.

Compare WeCanRuleTogether. See also LeaveYourQuestTest, but without a supernatural slide show. Not to be confused with the last temptation in T. S. Eliot's ''Murder in the Cathedral''.

* [[EvilSorceror Dr. Facilier]] of ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' tempts Tiana with a vision of the restaurant she's been trying to open her entire life, in one of the straightest applications of this trope. Double points for Dr. Facilier's name. [[BilingualBonus "Facile" means "easy" in French]]. Yep. ''The villain in this movie is essentially the embodiment of "taking the easy route."'' [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped Bravo, Disney. Bravo...]]

* ''Discworld/TheScienceOfDiscworld:'' In the second book, the Elf Queen tries to stop Rincewind from assisting Roundworld's humanity by offering him his heart's desire. However, due to a long stint on a desert island, Rincewind's developed some odd ideas about what's tempting and what's not, so his great desire, rather than being the pleasures of the flesh is... potatoes. The Elf Queen is so baffled and outraged by this, she storms off. And Rincewind would've been happy with a humble bag of crisps.

** Frodo's visit to Lothlórien is also TheFinalTemptation for Galadriel, which is played up in [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings the film]] as a LeaveYourQuestTest with ominous lighting effects and a OneWingedAngel appearance for [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Dark Queen Galadriel]].

* Referenced by name in Martin Scorsese's Film/{{TheLastTemptationOfChrist}} complete with the vision of having a normal married sex-life and children. In the temptation vision, Jesus actually meets the apostle Paul who tells him that he will preach the risen Christ regardless of whether Jesus is crucified.

** Not to forget Simon, [[spoiler:who is with Kamina again, although they're scavengers stealing from the beast men. The real Kamina shows up, and Simon points out that there's two of him (a sniveling, falsely apologetic scavenger, and the Dai-Gurren leader). Kamina just tells him to "choose the one you want."]]

* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'': In "The Engine", [[spoiler: the Conductor/Amelia offers to make Tulip a train car containing a "perfect life" in which where her parents never divorced are are still HappilyMarried. Tulip shoots her down quickly, pointing out that not only would she always know it's an illusion, but that Amelia repeatedly failed to make a car based on her own "perfect life"]].

* Referenced by name in Martin Scorsese's Film/{{TheLastTemptationOfChrist}} complete with the vision of having a normal married sex-life and children. In the temptation vision, Jesus actually meets the apostle Paul who tells him that he will preach the risen Christ regardless of whether Jesus is crucified.