History Main / TwoRoadsBeforeYou

* ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' uses a version of this trope with two doors as a central motif.

->''"You've got two roads before you: One is the path of righteousness, where you carefully walk the road to the light--the direct route. That's your merry co-op play. The other is the path of heresy, searching for power along the path to darkness--the indirect route. Single player. It fits a shut in--uh, lone wolf like yourself."''

* The TropeNamer is ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', 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. By the end of the story his choice is a blurred mixture of both choices called "The Grey Path".]]

[[folder:ComicBook]]

* ''Film/TheDarkKnight'': The Joker offers Franchise/{{Batman}} a choice between saving Harvey and saving Rachel (and [[spoiler:lies about each other's location just to further fuck with Batman]]); likewise, he offers both a passenger-ship and a ship full of prisoners the choice of blowing up the other ship in order to save themselves. Also an example of the SadisticChoice.
* It's presented as this in ''Film/BatmanForever'' when The Riddler has Batman choose between saving Robin or Chase. Ultimately subverted, as Batman saves them both because he chooses to be both Bruce Wayne and Batman.

* ''Literature/WatershipDown''. General Woundwort leads an expedition with the aim of killing the rabbits who've humiliated him and returning the escapees from his warren by force. In an effort to avert bloodshed, Hazel goes alone to meet him. He points out that rabbits have enough enemies without fighting each other, and if they work together a lot of Efrafa's problems (such as overcrowding and rebellion) will be solved.

--> '''Spencer''': Listen, I'm your older brother. So I will help you through this difficult decision. Just... just close your eyes.
--> '''Carly''': Okay. ''(closes her eyes)''
--> '''Spencer''': Okay. There's two roads in front of you. Road A, and... [[{{Metaphorgotten}} the-the... one on the left]]... ''(pauses, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere then runs out of the room]])''
--> '''Carly''': ''(opens her eyes, then laughs)'' [[SarcasmMode Thank you!]]
* Monty Hall's "The box or the curtain?" on ''Series/LetsMakeADeal''
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''

** A DiscussedTrope in "Scorpion", when Captain Janeway ponders whether to take a RidiculouslyDifficultRoute between two vastly-superior enemies involved in a genocidal war, 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.

** In [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E11LatentImage "Latent Image"]], the Emergency Medical Hologram is presented a choice between saving a friend and saving a RedShirt when both had identical chances of survival. The guilt from choosing his friend drives the EMH insane as it creates a conflict between his base programming and [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming what he'd become]].

-->'''Janeway:''' There's a path before me. The only way home. And on either side, mortal enemies bent on destroying each other. If I attempt to pass through them I'll be destroyed as well. But if I turn around, that would end all hope of ever getting home. And no matter how much I try to focus my mind, I can't see an alternative.

* In the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myth]] "The Judgment of Paris", he -- had to choose among Wisdom, Power and Love (as personified by Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, respectively). It wasn't entirely a fair choice, though -- all three goddesses used bribes. He chooses Love, and is thus given the love of the most beautiful woman alive - Helen, who just happens to be married already. This leads directly to UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar.
** Also from Greek myth, Heracles having to choose between an easy, comfortable life (pleasure) or a harsh, glorious one (virtue), he chose the latter.
*** A similar prophecy affected Achilles - he would definitely die bored and unknown if he died old, and he would definitely die young if he went out finding glory in battle (which he is ''very'' good at) - namely UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar. He was wanted the latter as a big BloodKnight and died in said war, despite his mother's attempts to keep him out of it.

* This trope is the whole basis of the ''[[Music/{{Rush}} Hemispheres]]'' suite; Love and Reason are struggling to be the driving force of humans. In the end, they TakeAThirdOption.

-->'''Adso:''' (as TheNarrator) I have never regretted by decision, for I learned from my master much that was wise, and good, and true. ''[snip]'' And yet...now that I am an old, old man, I must confess that of all the faces that appear to me out of the past, the one I see most clearly is that of the girl, of whom I have never ceased to dream, these many long years. She was the only earthly love of my life, yet I never knew--nor ever learned--her name.

* Another literal version at the end of ''Film/TheBatman2022''. Selina Kyle asks Batman to [[LeaveYourQuestTest leave with her]] instead of staying in Gotham to fight a HopelessWar. Selina quickly realises that Batman won't take the offer, but when she rides off on her motorcycle Bruce appears to change his mind, riding after her on the Batbike until they are side-by-side. However when they reach the T-intersection at the head of the road, Selina goes one way and Batman goes the other.

** In [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS5E11LatentImage "Latent Image"]], the Emergency Medical Hologram is presented a choice between saving a friend and saving a RedShirt when both had identical chances of survival. The guilt from choosing his friend drives the EMH insane as it creates a conflict between his base programming and what he'd become.

** In "Jetral", the Emergency Medical Hologram is presented a choice between saving a friend and saving a RedShirt when both had identical chances of survival. The guilt from choosing his friend drives the EMH insane as it creates a conflict between his base programming and what he'd become.

** 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.

* ''Series/ICarly'': Spencer uses this analogy to help Carly decide between staying at Ridgeway or switching to the private school Briarwood in iMay Switch Schools:

--> '''Carly''': Okay. (She closes her eyes).
--> '''Spencer''': Okay. There's two roads in front of you. Road A, and... the-the... one on the left. (Pauses, then runs out of the room).
--> '''Carly''': (Opens her eyes, then laughs) Thank you!

* A literal version at the start of the Italian SwordAndSandal movie ''Samson and His Mighty Challenge''. While Hercules is at a fork in the road, Zeus sends down a BoltOfDivineRetribution to encourage him to take the path of virtue, but Hercules decides to take the other road to Lydia where he can save a beautiful princess and get into [[HoYay wrestling matches with other sweaty Greek musclemen]]. The Australian GagDub ''Film/HerculesReturns'' has him riding the wrong way because [[DumbMuscle he's just thick.]]

* ''Literature/LesMiserables'': When Jean Valjean saves Javert’s life, any other person would have to chose between ToBeLawfulOrGood. Javert’s MoralDilemma is pretty different:

* 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. He seems to think he's taking the hard path, but the way he becomes corrupted by power indicates otherwise.

->''"You've got two roads before you: One is the path of righteousness, where you carefully walk the road to the light--the direct route. That's your merry co-op play. The other is the path of heresy, searching for power along the path to darkness--the indirect route. Single player. It fits a shut-in lone wolf like yourself."''

-->-- '''Jack Rakan''', ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima''

* 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. By the end of the story his choice is a blurred mixture of both choices called "The Grey Path".]]
* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', Dawn had to choose between Kenny, her childhood friend, and Ash, with whom she had been traveling for a long time. Guess whom she chose?

* This trope is the whole basis of the ''[[{{Music/Rush}} Hemispheres]]'' suite; Love and Reason are struggling to be the driving force of humans. In the end, they TakeAThirdOption.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}:'' There are four factions that the player can support: The Minutemen, The Railroad, The Institute, and The Brotherhood of Steel. The Minutemen and The Railroad can get along together, but the Railroad, the Institute and the Brotherhood all hate each other, so whoever you support, two or three other factions have to be destroyed. The final decision comes fairly late in the game.

* 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. (Of course the ManipulativeBastard Zinyak was lying anyway.)

* Used less than subtly in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' during the second-to-last Catwoman mission. While escaping from the vault with the loot she's been after the entire game, she hears about how Batman is in trouble and has to choose whether to go help him or escape with her money. The vault even has a green line painted toward the Batman door and a red one leading to the exit. You can take the red door if you want but it leads to a NonStandardGameOver where Batman and Gordon are killed and Oracle is left narrating as thugs sent by SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker [[spoiler: who has just become immortal]] raid Wayne Mansion.

* In ''Discworld/SoulMusic'', Imp y Celyn, leaving his homeland forever, finds himself at a junction which gives him the option of travelling to the quiet, respectable city of Quirm or the WretchedHive of Ankh-Morpork. He quickly realises the sensible thing to do is to go to the smaller, less intense city, at least until he understands how city life actually ''works''. And since leaving your homeland forever should not involve doing the sensible thing, he heads to Ankh. This kicks off the events of the book. [[spoiler: After said events have been {{Cosmic Retcon}}ned away before they kill him, it's revealed he is (and presumably ''always was'') in Quirm.]]

* 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. (It's likely the ManipulativeBastard Zinyak is lying anyway.)