History Main / TwoRoadsBeforeYou

* Satirized in ''Videogame/SaintsRowIV'', where EvilOverlord Zinyak gives The Boss a choice between two doors. One (red) means to continue to fight, which he promises will result in the permanent destruction of Earth and the near-eradication of humanity. To enter the other (blue) door is to surrender and be executed, a noble self-sacrifice to save the Earth. Choosing the latter will get you a Non-Standard Game Over and the "You Chose... Poorly" achievement.

* Satirized in ''Videogame/SaintsRowIV'', where EvilOverlord Zinyak gives The Boss a choice between two doors. One means to continue to fight, which he promises will result in the permanent destruction of Earth and the near-eradication of humanity. To enter the door is to surrender and be executed, a noble self-sacrifice to save the Earth. Choosing the latter will get you a Non-Standard Game Over and the "You Chose... Poorly" achievement.

* ''Literature/TheBible'' has a slight twist: it's not obvious that there is a choice between HeavenAndHell, except to those who search for it.

See also SadisticChoice and TakeAThirdOption. Has some [[RuleOfSymbolism symbolic]] relation to AtTheCrossroads. SuperTrope of RedPillBluePill.

Not to be confused with AtTheCrossroads which is a trope about a more physical crossroads.

** Also came in play with Kelsey Leigh, the second Captain Britain (later renamed Lionheart); when Brian offered her the choice, after telling her to "protect the realm", she chose the Sword over the Amulet. In the issues of ''New Excalibur'' this was [[DiscussedTrope discussed]], and it was held that the choice was not between good and evil, merely between more ruthless means to fulfill the Captain's mission and more reasonable ones. It went differently with [[BigBad Albion]], however, as he chose the sword, but used to [[KnightTemplar try and conquer the United Kingdom in the name of order]].

* ''Film/ShogunAssassin''. Ogami Ittō has to go on the run when the Shogun sends ninja assassins after him, but kill his wife instead. As a RoaringRampageOfRevenge is HarmfulToMinors, he presents his infant son with a SecretTest.

* The protagonist of ''Film/ShogunAssassin'' has to go on the run when the Shogun sends ninja assassins after him, killing his wife instead. He gives his infant son a SecretTest; either reach for a toy ball and he will [[MercyKill send him to join his mother]], or reach for the sword and join his father on the Road to Hell. He knows his son is too young to comprehend the test, but must chose regardless.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has the choice among the sword, shield and wand, presented by... a caption thing stating in unequivocal terms that the choice will shape the rest of the adventure.

* Ride/DisneyThemeParks: ''Ride/IndianaJonesAdventure'' is presented this way. On the ride, the guests enter one of three doors. The doors represent a choice of three gifts from the deity Mara: eternal youth, earthly riches, or visions of the future.

** In the episode "The Hidden", Kowalski can't decide whom to save: Private, who owes him money or Marlene, who has vital information.

TheHero is confronted with a choice between two mutually exclusive paths. Sometimes it's the choice between good and evil, law or chaos, or even just choosing between fire magic and ice magic. The point is, only one path can be taken, and there's no way back.

* Similar to the other Greek figures below, Percy Jackson is offered a choice by Hera in Heroes of Olympus. He is offered a choice between retrieving his memories as a demigod hero, and subsequently passing a point of no return fighting another war for the gods, or living a mundane but peaceful life without his old memories.

** A DiscussedTrope in "Scorpion", when Captain Janeway ponders whether to take a RidiculouslyDifficultRoute between two vastly-superior enemies bent on mutual destruction, or give up their chances of returning to Earth and settle down in the Delta Quadrant. She decides to TakeAThirdOption by forming an EnemyMine alliance with one of the combatants.

** A DiscussedTrope in "Scorpion", when Captain Janeway ponders whether to take a RidiculouslyDifficultRoute between two vastly-superior enemies bent on mutual destruction, or give up their chances of ever returning home and settle down in the Delta Quadrant. She decides to TakeAThirdOption by forming an EnemyMine alliance with one of the combatants.

* In the mini-series ''Rhodes'', Cecil Rhodes talks to one of his followers about a dream featuring this trope, during which he had a choice of taking the hard path or the easy path.

** A DiscussedTrope in "Scorpion", when Captain Janeway ponders whether to take a RidiculouslyDifficultRoute between two vastly-superior enemies bent on mutual destruction, or give up their chances of ever returning home. She decides to TakeAThirdOption by forming an EnemyMine alliance with one of the combatants.

* On ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', the Doctor is presented a choice between saving a friend and saving someone he didn't know well, and both had identical chances of survival. The guilt from choosing his friend drives the Doctor insane as it creates a conflict between his base programming and what he'd become.

* The TropeNamer is ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', with Rakan explaining the difference between the main character's [[IdiotHero father's]] path and his [[OurVampiresAreDifferent master's]] path. [[spoiler:Negi chooses the indirect route and begins the hard journey of mastering Magica Erebia, which transforms him into a kind of demon.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'': Aleu gets this question posed to her by her [[SpiritAdvisor Spirit Guide]], Muru. She can continue on and find out who she really is, or return home to her family and old life. This one gets bonus points for being posed in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RdNcwpQN34&feature=related song]].

* In ''Cry of the Icemark'', the warlock has a choice between being good and being evil, and there is a very specific point in the text where he chooses: Simple, easy and powerful, or good? [[TheDarkSide The choice was obvious.]] [[spoiler:[[ThePowerOfLove And then Thirrin spoke.]]]]

-->At that moment, in the sunset on Watership Down, there was offered to General Woundwort the opportunity to show whether he really was the leader of genius and vision which he believed himself to be, or whether he was no more than a tyrant with the courage and cunning of a pirate. For one beat of his pulse the lame rabbit's idea shone clearly before him. He grasped it and realized what it meant. The next, he had pushed it away from him. The sun dipped into the cloud bank and now he could see clearly the track along the ridge, leading to the beech hangar and the bloodshed for which he had prepared with so much energy and care.