Line #54 Main/ThreadOfProphecySevered


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10	[[quoteright:338:[[Webcomic/{{Oglaf}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prophet_2.png]]]]
11	[[caption-width-right:338:Looks like this shop doesn't offer a [[NoHeroDiscount hero discount.]]]]
12
13	->''"With this character's death, the thread of prophecy is severed. Restore a saved game to restore the weave of fate, or persist in the doomed world you have created."''
14	-->-- '''Pop-up message''' (to players when an NPC who is essential to the main quest dies), ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind''
15
16	TheChosenOne finally has found the weapon they were destined to grab, or the MacGuffin was retrieved and is about to be used, or TheChosenMany are finally assembled. It seems like TheProphecy is about to be fulfilled.
17
18	But then the weapon/MacGuffin is disposed, lost, or destroyed, or TheChosenMany start to argue or most of them are captured by the evil forces. The prophecy foreshadowed years ago crumbles before it ever gets a chance of happening.
19
20	The difference between this trope and the trope ProphecyTwist is that in the Prophecy Twist, the prophecy does end up fulfilled, but not in the way expected, whereas in this trope, the prophecy is completely shattered by something happening to a deeply crucial part of it.
21
22	Overlaps with ScrewDestiny when a character intentionally defies a prophecy, causing it to fail. Compare SelfDefeatingProphecy. Contrast TwistingTheProphecy (knowingly fulfilling a prophecy in a way that creates a favourable outcome), PropheciesAreAlwaysRight, and SelfFulfillingProphecy.
23
24	May be caused by ThePoorlyChosenOne (or may have caused ThePoorlyChosenOne to exist in the first place), by someone ImmuneToFate getting involved, or a [[TimeTravel Time Traveller]] deciding to MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight (or [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong the opposite!]]).
25
26	Not to be confused with the webcomic ''Webcomic/ProphecyFailed''. See also ThreadsOfFate.
27	----
28	!!Examples:
29
30	[[foldercontrol]]
31
32	[[folder:Comic Books]]
33	* In ''ComicBook/AstonishingXMen'', the titular heroes find themselves on the Breakworld, a planet where [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy bloodthirsty murder and destruction are a way of life]], after its inhabitant Ord comes to Earth on a violent, anti-mutant rampage. The team discovers why: an ancient, recently-discovered mural on Breakworld depicts Colossus (recently [[NotQuiteDead back from the dead]]) somehow destroying the entire planet. Colossus makes it clear that he has no intention of fulfilling this prophecy, suggesting that the thread of fate will be severed...and then the whole trope is [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when it's revealed that there was never a prophecy to begin with. Aghanne, a Breakworldian healer who'd grown so exhausted by the constant suffering of her people that she figured [[WellIntentionedExtremist blowing up the whole planet was the only course of action]], secretly carved the mural into a cavern wall and then ensured that people would discover it in the hopes of bringing Colossus and the rest of the X-Men to space so he could fulfill his "destiny", as the organic metal he transforms into can be used to destroy the energy source for the Breakworld's power. He ultimately doesn't go through with the plan.
34	* In ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', a wise and benevolent race of {{Precursors}} left a [[ItOnlyWorksOnce one-use]], unimaginably powerful weapon for their descendants (humanity) to use against a terrible enemy they foresaw. The weapon ends up used against a terrible enemy, but the wrong one and far too early, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero not only leaving humanity defenseless but also tearing a rift in reality from the overkill which later causes its own problems]].
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Fan Works]]
38	* ''Blog/BetterBonesAU'': Thistleclaw was supposed to become leader and Mosskit was supposed to be the hero who overthrew him. Then Bluestar manages to succeed to the leader position instead, at the cost of Mosskit's life, completely breaking the prophecy.
39	* ''Fanfic/BigSister'': Vulkan's ability to ScrewDestiny and defy all of Konrad's visions of death and despair perplex the seer. While he's briefly paralyzed by the notion that [[HopeIsScary it might be possible to destroy]] the BadFuture that his visions predict, he's soon convinced to take up arms and fight against it.
40	* ''Fanfic/TheChosenSix'': The pact made by the titular six winds up overriding the original prophecy.
41	* ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'': After most of her classmates prove to be [[FairWeatherFriend Fair-Weather Friends]], Marinette decides that Alix will ''never'' receive the Rabbit Pocket-watch and become Bunnyx. In order to prevent a TimeParadox, the Bunnyx that had already appeared in the past is [[TrickedOutTime implied to be]] [[spoiler:a sentimonster impersonating Alix's future self]]. Alix doesn't take this well.
42	* In ''Fanfic/TheManySonsOfWinter'', a Green Man makes an offhand comment to Arya Stark, asking her not to allow her brother Bran to climb any towers. This perplexes her, as he's long since abandoned the hobby in favor of starting warg training. This disquiets the Green Man, who laments destiny has been severed and fate is no longer certain.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
46	* {{Double subver\|sion}}ted in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films (if watched in chronological order). The prequel trilogy often refers to a prophecy that a [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]] will arise to "bring balance to the Force", meaning destroying the last of the Sith (it's spelled out in the novel ''[[Literature/StarWarsMasterAndApprentice Master and Apprentice]]''). The Jedi believe Anakin Skywalker to be the Chosen One due to his [[TrulySingleParent miraculous birth]], so when he falls to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, the few surviving Jedi believe the prophecy has failed. As it turned out, Anakin eventually ''did'' destroy the Sith, after significant prompting from his son Luke. Then in the sequel trilogy (as well as in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'') it eventually turns out the Sith didn't ''stay'' destroyed.
47	-->'''Obi-wan Kenobi:''' You were the Chosen One! It was said you would ''destroy'' the Sith, not ''join'' them! Bring Balance to The Force, not leave it in darkness!
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Literature]]
51	* Both sides in ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' fear this happening, and the Prophecies get very edgy in circumstances that neither can account for. TheLegionsOfHell try to do this in order to nullify both Prophecies and take over, though the attempts fail.
52	* {{Invoked}} in the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' trilogy ''Literature/TheYearOfRogueDragons''. The ''BigBad'' of the piece is the one attempting to fulfill a prophecy, that {{dracolich}}es will inherit the Earth (for whatever reason, he seems to think this is a ''good'' thing), and it's the heroes' job to ''prevent'' this.
53	* In the bonus chapter of ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'', a precognitive terrorist sets up a DeathTrap for Shiki, foreseeing a 100% chance of successfully killing her. Because his vision is so clear, however, Shiki is able to "see" it, too, and, using her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception (which let her essentially destroy anything she can perceive visually), "kills" that particular timeline outright, rendering her attacker's prophecy utterly wrong (and stripping him of prophetic powers as a side effect).
54	* ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'': Aureliano Jos´ was destined to marry Carmelita Montreal, have seven children, and die of old age, but instead he ends up getting murdered at a young age due to not listening to Pilar Ternera's advice.
55	* In ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'', the EitherOrProphecy says that Darren and Steve will fight to the death, and the winner will live on to become [[EvilOverlord Lord of the Shadows]]. [[AntiAntiChrist Darren]] doesn't want to become evil, so he says ScrewDestiny and [[spoiler: makes it so that he dies along with Steve]]. When Darren is [[spoiler: briefly resurrected for a short mission]], Lady Evanna, the one who told him the prophecy, tells him that the surviving vampires have gone on to seek peace in ways that had previously been considered impossible.
56	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': When Daenerys is pregnant with her son Rhaego, he is prophesied to be the "stallion that mounts the world", a mighty conqueror... up until he's killed in the womb by a witch's BloodMagic in {{Revenge}} for the massacre of her people. Given the series' penchant for [[ProphecyTwist Prophecy Twists]], though, well, Daenerys is later called "Mother of Dragons" for a ''reason''.
57	* {{Justified\|Trope}} in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'', which {{handwave}}d away the apparent failure of TheChosenOne Anakin Skywalker to permanently destroy the Sith and balance the Force[[note]]The Emperor returned from the dead in ''ComicBook/DarkEmpire'', and then various other dark side users emerged in other stories, many of which were written before the prophecy was introduced in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and needed {{retcon}}ning to still fit into canon.[[/note]] with the notion that Anakin's role was not, in fact, to destroy all the Sith forever, but to end Literature/DarthBane's line of Sith specifically, due to the damage that the experiments of Literature/DarthPlagueis on the Force itself were doing. The Jedi of the prequel era simply [[ProphecyTwist misinterpreted the prophecy]].
58	* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire'', Burn kills one of [[TheChosenMany the five prophecy dragonets]] in its egg in the prologue of the first book, leading to the guardians trying to raise said dragonets getting a replacement that clearly doesn't fit the prophecy. [[spoiler: Turns out this is because the prophecy was made up in the first place.]]
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
62	* PlayedWith in the episode "Movie Madness" of ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce''. The MonsterOfTheWeek is a movie director with borderline RealityWarper powers who can do just about anything he wants for the movie he's making about the destruction of the Power Rangers as long as it's in his script, to the point he seemed unbeatable. Then during the climax of the Megazord battle, turns out that the script's final page depicting their destruction is missing because Trip ripped it out to ask for an autograph, which allows the Rangers to destroy him.
63	* In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E21TheReckoning The Reckoning]]", Ben Sisko and Jadzia Dax translate an ancient tablet predicting an apocalypse called [[TitleDrop the Reckoning]], which is set off when the tablet is inadvertently broken and a Prophet and Pah-wraith that had been sealed within escape. They possess respectively Major Kira and Jake Sisko and do battle on the station, but are interrupted when Kai Winn activates a [[{{Technobabble}} technobabble]] emitter prepared by the crew, driving the warring SufficientlyAdvancedAliens out of their hijacked bodies and off the station.
64	* Things get a little nuts in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' after season five because the Winchester brothers manage to abort [[Literature/BookOfRevelation the Biblical apocalypse]] in the finale. Other supernatural superpowers they interact with in later seasons sometimes comment that [[NowWhat they have no idea what's "supposed" to happen anymore]] because "we're post-apocalyptic now", and so their new cadre of villains is now basically making things up as they go along. The writers are LeaningOnTheFourthWall a bit here: the series planned to [[PostScriptSeason last only through season 5]], so when Creator/TheCW renewed them they had to resort to WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants.
65	[[/folder]]
66
67	[[folder:Mythology & Religion]]
68	* ''Myth/ClassicalMythology'': One of the extremely rare success stories is the tale of Metis. Zeus heard a prophecy that the child Metis bore after she gave birth to Athena would become the lord of heaven, so, to prevent this from happening, he swallowed Metis while she was still pregnant with Athena. Which as far as we know, successfully averted his doom.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
72	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': Aroden, the patron god of humanity, prophesied that he would [[PhysicalGod return to the world]] and usher in a GoldenAge. Instead, on the foretold date, he [[GodIsDead died]] under mysterious circumstances. No major prophecy has come true in the approximately hundred years since, and the planet is wracked with cataclysms and political upheaval in the "Age of Lost Omens".
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Video Games]]
76	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
77	** In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', it's possible for the player character to [[TropeNamers "sever the thread of prophecy"]], mainly by killing or letting die [[http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Essential_NPCs certain characters]] who are [[UnwinnableByDesign essential for the main quest]], at which point you'll get a pop-up message that says essentially "[[SaveScumming go back a save]] or the world is doomed". What the game ''[[GuideDangIt doesn't]]'' tell you is that there's another way to win, referred to by players as "the back path", which only requires one specific character alive. (The later games make such characters unkillable.)
78	** The series in general has an interesting relationship with prophecy. [[TheUnchosenOne There is no actual "chosen one"]]: anyone can fulfill any prophecy for which they meet the conditions, or not. This is demonstrated most clearly in ''Morrowind'': the PlayerCharacter travels to the Cavern of the Incarnate and meets the shades of a number of Dunmer who previously tried to be the Nerevarine (the prophesied heir of [[MessianicArchetype the ancient elven hero Nerevar, who was betrayed and murdered by his companions]], now the three {{Physical God}}s of the Tribunal religion): they met the initial conditions of the prophecy ("a prisoner born on a certain day to uncertain parents"), but died before completing their quests.
79	* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'': When the Norns deliver a prophecy that Heimdall will kill Atreus, Kratos fights him. When Heimdall makes it clear he will never stop trying to kill Atreus, Kratos kills him to make sure that prophecy will never come true.
80	** The Norns also reveal that there isn't any prophecy at all, prophecies and destiny come true because everyone involved simply acts as they always do - Heimdall will kill Atreus because he can't stand the boy and Atreus will continue to push his buttons. Kratos will kill Heimdall and trigger Ragnarok because he kills gods and is a PapaWolf. Kratos and the gang's respective character developments involve learning from their mistakes so they won't constantly make the prophecies come true. [[spoiler: They succeed at the very last second]].
81	* In ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', the Dark Prognosticus is a prophetic book detailing how TheMultiverse will be destroyed. The Ancients responded to this by writing the Light Prognosticus, a book that details how the destruction can be prevented, though it's noted that, unlike the Dark Prognosticus, it's not a 'real' prophecy, just a sequence of countermeasures that are tailor-made to ScrewDestiny. It ''just barely'' works.
82	* PlayedWith in ''VideoGame/TakAndThePowerOfJuju'', when Lok, the believed mighty warrior prophesied to save the Pupununu people, ends up getting SquashedFlat, thus sending Tak on a quest to revive him to put the prophecy back on track. It's then revealed near the end of the game that the prophecy was never severed: ''Tak'' is the prophesied hero.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Web Comics]]
86	* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'': [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2014-01-18/comic/non-storyline/randoms/everchosen/ The Everchosen is about to murder the sacrifice that will allow him to become the vessel for the dark gods and take over the world...]] and then the team's gunship lands on him. [[AccidentalHero Not even on purpose]]; they were [[AchievementsInIgnorance looking for the beach]].
87	* ''Webcomic/{{Nodwick}}'': Attempted by Baphuma'al twice in two separate timelines by attempting (and mostly succeeding) to destroy the weapons prophesised to destroy him. Both times, at least one survives. Also, accidentally accomplished in the main timeline, as Nodwick visiting the alternate one invalidated the existing prophecies, requiring the gods to scramble a fair bit.
88	* ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'': In a strip inspired by ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'', TheChosenOne enters a weapon shop [[https://www.oglaf.com/pay-win/ and tries to take a legendary sword without paying for it]]. The shopkeeper [[ShopliftAndDie threatens to give him a Crossbow of Annihilation to the back of the head]], the Chosen One call his bluff, and we cut to a party of adventurers wondering why the book of prophecy is just blank pages afterwards.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Western Animation]]
92	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': Attempted by King Andrias [[spoiler:and [[MindHive the Core]]]] regarding a prophecy of "three stars burning bright, come from beyond to expel the night". [[spoiler:It is revealed that the "three stars" are actually Anne and her friends Sasha and Marcy, who had unknowingly absorbed the energy of the Calamity Gems when they were pulled into Amphibia. Initially, the Core wanted Andrias [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim to kill Marcy when he first met her]], but instead he (not willing to do so since she reminded him of his old friend Leif) convinced it that it would be more {{pragmatic\|villainy}} to trick the trio into giving up their powers and drain them back into the Calamity Box, under pretense that the Gems needed to be recharged in order to send them home. [[DidntSeeThatComing Unfortunately]], he discovered that Anne still maintained a fraction of her power due to inadvertently stopping the transfer before it was complete. According to Mother Olm, as long as she still has that piece, she can restore Sasha and Marcy's power]].
93	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': After audiences had been teased with the image of the [[https://images.app.goo.gl/kjpPTskP1Z4DrNjg8 Zodiac/Cipher Wheel]] since the beginning of the series, the series finale reveals that the natives of Gravity Falls predicted that [[TheChosenMany ten people who represent the ten symbols in the Zodiac]], when united, could create a force strong enough to vanquish BigBad Bill Cipher and reverse his hold on the town. After the main and supporting cast sort out who represents which symbol, they hold hands and begin glowing... until Stan and Ford's unresolved issues cause them to fight, breaking the circle before it could finish Bill off. Even worse, with all the Zodiac members assembled in one place, Bill makes quick work of [[ForcedTransformation polymorphing]] those not in the Pines family and trapping the Pines to stop them from trying again. (Thankfully, [[TakeAThirdOption the Pines brothers find another way]].)
94	* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' episode "Jack and the Wandering Creatures", Jack encountered a powerful guardian of a time portal, who had declared that only one person was destined to defeat him and use the portal. After {{Curb Stomp\|Battle}}ing Jack, the Guardian spared him because Jack ''was'' the one destined to use the portal, but [[YouAreNotReady couldn't use it yet]]. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, episode "C" reveals that Jack would never get to use the destined portal as Aku had found and destroyed it ''and'' the Guardian.]]
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Real Life]]
98	* For propaganda purposes, when he entered the UsefulNotes/ThirtyYearsWar, the Swedish King [[UsefulNotes/NotableSwedishMonarchs Gustavus Adolphus]] adopted the moniker of ''Der Löwe aus Mitternacht'' ("the Lion from Midnight", or "the Lion from the North"), a world-altering figure from a prophecy by 16th-century Swiss philosopher Theophrastus von Hohenheim (also called UsefulNotes/{{Paracelsus}}). Unfortunately for those who believed his prophetic claims, King Gustaf was killed in a mishap at the Battle of Lützen in 1632. Explained in more detail by ''WebVideo/SabatonHistory'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwyliVNq-nE here]].
99	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThreadOfProphecySevered