hmmmmmmm, would anakin of star wars actually count as the unchosen one? In the end (though it took some help) he did wipe out the sith - and even before then, he did fulfil the prophecy and bring balance to the force - went from one sith and hundreds of jedi, to two sith, and two jedi.
Just the Jedi didn't want it balanced despite thinking they did
Deleted the following Zero Context Example from the Literature section. If anyone knows enough about it to flesh it out into a full example and put it back, please do.
- Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: Johnny.
Pulled this, because whoever added it got their chronology messed up. Roy said he would take on Xykon only because it was necessary to save the world in the second book, in Shojo's throne room. It's only in the fourth book that he learns that he's not bound by the Blood Oath and that his father didn't even follow up on it (and in fact, it's only in the same fourth book that he learns he's bound by the oath at all - he'd only really taken it up as a favor to, and a final screw-you to, his father). Now, it may still be an example, since Roy is perfectly willing to screw the Blood Oath in Shojo's throne room, but citing that the Oath doesn't actually bind him to the quest isn't the reason why.
- Roy Greenhilt from Order Of The Stick. When he finds out that the Blood Oath he thought bound him to fight Xykon not only didn't, but wasn't even followed through by the person who'd first sworn it (his father), he tells his father's ghost in no uncertain terms that he's only taking up the Oath again because of the danger Xykon posed to the world. He even goes as far as to tear up the contracts officially holding the Order together, making sure he and his party's involvement in the quest was strictly voluntary.
|Y| = |X| Add 5
The Harry Potter example was recently cut from the page. Now, I'm not going to argue it either way, but I figure it ought to be put up for discussion. Here's the original Page Quote and the Example.
PAGE QUOTE:
EXAMPLE:
- As shown in the second page quote, this is played with in the Harry Potter series. Harry absolutely is The Chosen One... but he doesn't like it, pointing out quite astutely that "destiny says I have to commit murder or die in agony" is a really bad destiny. Dumbledore responds by making Harry into an Unchosen One in The Half-Blood Prince. He makes Harry realize that the prophecy marking him as The Chosen One doesn't mean a thing and that, while Voldemort will continue to try and kill Harry because he believes in the prophecy, it is Harry's decision, and his alone, to stand up to him. Harry's happier once he realizes that he personally wants to take Voldemort down and would have done it anyway.
- A lot of people were convinced that Harry and Neville would turn out to have their chosen/unchosen roles reversed in truth. Turns out, not so much.
- While I did indeed "know that already", I must admit, in all fairness one should concede that had just about any other.
- Neville, of course, is the ultimate Unchosen One—-especially interesting because, when it was first made, the prophecy could have referred to him or Harry, but was definitely placed on the latter when Voldemort tried to kill him. Nevertheless Neville grows from a whimpering Butt-Monkey in the first book to a badass resistance leader in the last one, through sheer character and will rather than prophecy or even magical talent (of which he has little). He also plays a pivotal role in Harry's ultimate victory. If Neville hadn't destroyed the final horcrux, Voldemort would have survived the final battle.
- Neville actually has a fair bit of talent. He's shown early on as a skilled herbologist. In his fifth year, he breaks his wand, which we later learn had in fact been his father's. Despite the fact it hadn't actually been his wand, he had already shown quite a bit of skill in the battle at the ministry. This only improves with his replacement wand, which he actually owns. We also learn that his grandmother is not helpful for his self-esteem; she compares him to his parents, highly gifted and fully trained aurors. Between getting his own wand and his grandmother being reminded that he is not his parents, he is able to put his talents toward other branches of magic.
- A lot of people were convinced that Harry and Neville would turn out to have their chosen/unchosen roles reversed in truth. Turns out, not so much.
Obviously, it's natter-filled, but it might belong here, I don't really know. Seemed like that was one of the whole points at the end of the series.
"The fact that your food can be made into makeshift bombs alarms the Hell out of me, Scrye." - Charlatan
Star Wars: Surely the existence of a Chosen One implies at least the possibility of an Unchosen One, especially if they're outright pitted against each other, and the latter wins. I'm not sure I understand Jeanne-Antoinette's argument.
What may not be possible in a place where there is no darkness?
I removed the Firefly example because while Mal certainly wasn't the Chosen One, there's no evidence that anybody else was either. As far as I remember, the Alliance pursued River because she knew too many secrets that they didn't want getting out, not because she had any 'special destiny'.
- Firefly's Malcolm Reynolds was not chosen in any way to be a hero...he just happened to be the one whose boat Simon Tam booked passage on, and possessed an honorable streak. On the other hand, River Tam was chosen, but she damn well didn't want to be chosen and fought against it as best she could.
Edited by meticulousMorology