History Main / NotSoOmniscientAfterAll

->''"I have seen everything that has ever happened. Ever will happen. Ever could happen. And yet, ''what the hell is this?!''"''

* At the end of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', Madoka pulls an [[spoiler:AbstractApotheosis and becomes TheOmniscient by existing in all points of space and time]]. Later in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'', Kyubey creates [[spoiler:a space that is isolated from all forms of external influence, preventing Madoka from entering it and blocking out her omniscience]]. However, the show doesn't explicitly say this, [[ViewersAreGeniuses and expects the viewers to figure it out on their own]]. In fact, Madoka does [[spoiler:enter the isolated space...[[GodInHumanForm but she has to take the form of a human to do so]], causing her to lose her omniscience via losing her omnipresence]]. Even when the isolated space is broken, this gap in omniscient enabled [[WhamEpisode a shocking event]] to [[DidntSeeThatComing take her by surprise]].
* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', Goku is surprised that [[TheWatcher King Kai]] with his antennae [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling can observe events of significance]] in the Milky Way, and telepathically contact anyone in that range; doesn't know where the new homeworld of the Namekians even is, much less be bothered to keep tabs on them, because he assumed that he "knew everything." He was also somewhat alarmed by him knowing nothing of the Cell situation on Earth. King Kai basically retorted that he has a lot of "important godly things" that occupy his time. [[TheGodsMustBeLazy Goku found him napping in a lawnchair when he met him again]]. It seems that just because a being CAN see everything, doesn't mean they actually bother to look, or even know where to look.

* Xiaomei from ''Manga/EdensZero'' is this [[WillfullyWeak entirely by choice]]. Although she is rumored to know everything across all of time, she really only knows the past and present with absolute certainty. Her knowledge of the future, on the other hand, is limited to [[MultipleChoiceFuture various possibilities]] that (bizarrely enough) all hinge on the outcomes of battles, because a.) knowing everything that will ever happen would be boring, and b.) [[SexIsViolence she gets off on watching people fight]].

* In ''Fanfic/KnowThyself'', while the Oracle knows about Harry's origins and is aware of the Wizarding World, she admits that she doesn't not know everything because it is "out of [her] jurisdiction... [it] has its own Oracle."

* In ''Franchise/TheMatrix'', it is noted that the Architect, the program that created the Matrix, can at least calculate or guess the likely outcomes of certain events, such as in his confrontation with Neo in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded''. However, the Oracle later affirms that the Architect is incapable of actually ''seeing'' the future and knowing for a fact what will happen, explaining that he sees choices as variables in a balanced equation and cannot take the human element into account.
* In ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', Liu Kang asks Raiden (god of lightning) in the end if he knew all along what would happen. It's hard to tell whether his response is serious or sarcastic. He follows the comment with his trademark laugh.
-->'''Raiden:''' I had no clue. You humans are so unpredictable.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
** The power of intellectus is the ability to know the answer to a question just by asking it without going through the usual channels of learning it. At first confused with omniscience. The difference is with omniscience one knows everything all the time. Intellectus only lets you know something when you ask the question. Both limited in you have to ask the right questions and so far the only beings who have it have it in a limited form.
** Intellectus also doesn't tell you why. For example, using it to find out how to hurt Harry Dresden will tell you to go after his friends [[spoiler: and daughter]]. It will not tell you that this is because he loves them or that he will respond by grabbing as many weapons as he needs to end you.
** It is also limited to the domain of the entity holding it. For an ancient island containing intellectus, the island will know everything that happens on its lands and shores but not about the region beyond or even a person standing on a dock connected to the land. Angels, ancient gods, demons, and Mothers Summer and Winter likely have a wider range of knowledge.
* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'':
** The Prophecy normally knows everything except for the outcomes of key meetings between the Child of Light and the Child of Dark. It usually sets things up far in advance, but in the fourth book, when [[spoiler: Olban tries to kill Garion]] the Prophecy warns Garion at the last second, suggesting it didn't see this one coming.
** In the prequels, Belgarath and the Alorn kings' theft of the Orb of Aldur from under the god Torak's nose was intended to be a foregone conclusion, as it wasn't an EVENT (the Prophecy of Light won the last one)...but neither Prophecy anticipated that Torak would refuse the Dark Prophecy's orders by attempting to reclaim the orb personally. After a moment of panic and hasty negotiation, both prophecies agree to allow the orb to be used against him.
* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}:''
** Merlin Athrawes has access to uber-high tech spying devices which give him near-omniscient spying capability. Especially considering that his enemies are all using renaissance-level tech. However he can't keep up with everything at once, and things occasionally slip past him; resulting in much guilt on his part over things that happened that he feels he should have been able to prevent.
** Also a critical problem for him is that he can't send his gear too close to the Church's headquarters for fear of tripping still functioning high-tech sensors. This results in critical knowledge gaps if the plans being developed are kept sufficiently quiet: the terrorist attacks such as those in the fifth book, ''How Firm a Foundation,'' are an example in that Merlin had no idea they were coming.
* There's a brief moment in ''Literature/BloodMeridian'' where Judge Holden, the hyperintelligent, demonic [[HumanoidAbomination something-or-other]] who, before and after, never seems to fail at ''anything,'' loses track of a member of the Glanton gang... and genuinely can't account for him. Even fellow gang member Toadvine is surprised and thought the judge knew where he went. The judge seemingly makes a point of never mentioning it again, although later in the book, he makes it his stated purpose to know and understand everything in the world and so take control of his destiny, or words to that effect.
* ''Literature/TheCosmere'': Hoid is a centuries-old [[DimensionalTraveler worldhopper]] with access to several of the universe's various magic systems. He spends most of his time in the shadows, offering cryptic clues to main characters to steer events and help out. One his abilities, referred to as Fortune, lets him know when and where he need to be to influence major events. Unfortunately, it doesn't necessarily let him know ''why'' he needs to be there or what exactly he should do. For example in ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', he spends the majority of the second book wandering Terris Dominance looking for the Well of Ascension, not knowing that [[spoiler:the Lord Ruler had moved it]]. There are also more minor examples; in ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Hoid is happily surprised to find that the Ryshadium are near-sapient horses of great strength. He privately notes that he's glad he ''can'' still be surprised after so long.
-->'''Kaladin:''' What do you know?\\
'''Hoid:''' Almost everything. That ''almost'' part can be a real kick in the teeth sometimes.
* There are a few verses in Literature/TheBible that imply God isn't really omniscient as is commonly thought. For example: [[Literature/BookOfHosea Hosea 8:4]] talks about how the Israelites set up Princes and without God knowing about it. There's also a few verses throughout where He asks the human characters things like where someone is. That said, these are in the Old Testament, as it wasn't until the advent of Christianity that the whole idea of God being Omnipotent and Omniscient (as opposed to just really powerful and smart) became the official doctrine.
* ''Literature/CradleSeries'': The Arelius family have a bloodline ability that allows them to detect everything within a certain radius. Eithan Arelius has a detection web of at least a hundred yards, likely far larger, and he is famous for always knowing everything, always. One book started with an assassin hunting down more and more desperate means of killing him, only to discover every time that Eithan has already gotten there and removed any possibility of the weapons/monsters being used against him. In ''Blackflame'', someone Eithan kills turns out to have been FakingTheDead through clever use of an AutoRevive and a bound ghost. Eithan is horrified to realize he accidentally let an enemy live with knowledge of some of his greatest secrets, but Emperor Naru Huan, Eithan's old friend, is just enjoying the novelty too much to care.
-->'''Naru Huan:''' Am I to understand that I just received accurate information ''before'' the Arelius Underlord? Let me just... ''[sighs happily]'' breathe it in. This is a good day.
* ''Literature/TheSagaOfBilly'' provides several examples:
** Blathnat, god of Knowledge, is known for his [[TrueSight inescapable gaze]], but Nyses, deity of secrets, is the only being he has always failed to see.
** Atella, goddess of Peace and war, is able to see through every manifestation of her children, the shield and the sword. This way, she can see almost anything happening on the battlefield. However, a good strategy cannot account for everything, and she can be blind to an unarmed person. Thus, the tide of battle could be changed without the patron of strategy ever seeing it coming.
* In ''Literature/GodEmperorOFDune'', [[GodEmperor Leto II]] has been working to make himself this through a millennia spanning breeding program. The goal being that no one like himself could ever control all of humanity ever again. [[spoiler: He succeeds with Siona and as a result she is able to kill him.]]

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' -- Observer/Brain Guy is supposedly an all-powerful omnipotent being, but in truth he's more an OxymoronicBeing who barely does anything with his powers and mostly just serves as Pearl's henchman (at one point he even states "I'm not ''that'' omnipotent, Pearl!"). There are various potential justifications for why his powers aren't very effective (ie. Bobo carved up Brain Guy's brain for use as sandwich meat), but the MST3KMantra fully applies in any case.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Enabran Tain. Even in retirement TheSpymaster stays on top of everything, right down to knowing when people have made impulsive, last minute decisions to visit him and what their favorite drinks are. In the end, he comes out of retirement to head a joined Obsidian Order/Tal Shiar task force intent on destroying the Dominion. It does not end well. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, he doesn't realize that his second-in-command (the Tal Shiar leader) is actually a disguised Founder who had instigated the entire task force with the intention of wiping out both organizations as a prelude to invasion. When Tain realizes what's happened, it's too late, and he observes to Garak that he's clearly lost his touch because he'd never have been deceived prior to his retirement.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'':
** The FatalFlaw of the Sidereal faction is to get into large groups, predict the future, and then make horrible, horrible decisions. One time they did this, right before the Usurpation, led to the temporary annihilation of the Solars, mass deaths among the Terrestrials, and genocide against the Solar's allied races, in order to [[{{Gotterdammerung}} establish a lesser but safer and more stable response to the Golden Age]]. So many beings in ''Exalted'' have ScrewDestiny as a passive power, though, that this eventually led to the deaths of nine tenths of the human population of Creation.
** The Maidens of Destiny (most particularly Jupiter, Maiden of Secrets) are, between the five of them, virtually omniscient, able to use their powers (and authority in the CelestialBureaucracy) to know virtually anything. They do have certain limits; there are some things that are not in any of their domains, their fellow Incarnae tend to escape their vision (the Unconquered Sun is big enough that prophecy kind of warps around him, and Luna is extremely unpredictable), and there are some things (like the creation of the Exalted) that they just don't see coming (although it's vague if this is because the source of their visions doesn't know it either, or if it simply withholds the information from them).

* This is the plot twist in William Shakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''. Macbeth uses the advice three oracles give him to conquer a nation. He was given a warning that "No man born of woman" will be able to kill him. He is later killed by [=MacDuff=], who "was untimely ripped" from his mother's womb, after Birnham Wood came to Dunsinane...as in, the soldiers attacking his castle used branches from the forest to camoflauge their numbers.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' had the supercomputer Takamagahara which was omniscient by virtue of being able to observe every single variation in the time-space continuum at once. However, when BigBad [[CardcarryingVillain Hazama]] / Terumi pitted [[AntiHero Ragna]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Bloodedge]] and [[PersonOfMassDestruction Kusanagi]]: [[RageAgainstTheHeavens Sword of the Godslayer]] against each other, all three minds got so occupied with observing the possibilities of the battle that it lost track of one possibility for 1/470000th of a second. That lapse in attention, it turns out, was all Hazama/Terumi needed to infiltrate Takamagahara and expose it to a magical supervirus, thus putting it out of commission.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonFable'':
--> '''Vaal''': How can I be omniscient when people do not tell me what they are doing?!
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomsOfAmalurReckoning'', people who rely on Fateweavers to know how things turn out are always caught off guard when the Fateless One gets involved.

* A good half of the plot in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars: Kane's Wrath'', is juggling threads behind the scenes so that the eponymous MagnificentBastard can pull off his [[GambitRoulette usual schtick]] in the main storyline. From Rio to Sarajevo to Egypt, Kane is always one step ahead, but only through considerable effort on behalf of his top-secret special forces. [[spoiler: And Alexa Kovacs's [[TheStarscream scheming and betrayal]] of Killian and Kane himself]] comes as an outright shock even to the master manipulator.
* Done in ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''. Pious magickally contacts the Ancient he is serving -- potentially Chattur'gha, Xel'lotath or Ulyaoth, depending on the player's choice -- and inquires what should be done about any potential opposition. The Ancient responds with utter lack of concern, stating they have had a vision of the future where they triumph over a rival Ancient, so their victory is assured. Unfortunately for them, Mantorok, humanity's main supernatural ally, has gamed the system such that the Ancients are actually seeing visions of ''parallel timelines''; in the player's current playthrough, protagonist Alex ensures Pious' Ancient fails by summoning the ''other'' rival.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel III and IV'', [[spoiler:[[TheTease Musse Egret]] is able to see all kinds of futures if someone moves at a certain way but there are times that she won't see things coming. An example would be that she knew that Osborne was going to try something against Olivert but she couldn't predict that Osborne would give the order to blow up the Courageous while it's still in the sky. Or the fact that she could have seen that Ash was going to pick up a gun made by an enemy nation and use it to shoot the emperor.]]
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'' series. [[OurGodsAreDifferent The Outsider]] is omnipresent, all powerful, and can see everything, but a significant part of the plot is that he ''can't'' see the future and he knows it. For this reason, [[ItAmusedMe he amuses himself]] by interfering in the human world just to see what would happen, and gets curious if a human makes an unexpected choice in response to his interference. Basically, he's gotten very good at predicting the future, and so get amused by the rare occasions when he's wrong.

* In ''Webcomic/KidRadd'', [[spoiler:[[TheOmniscient The Seer, who else?]]]] has one of these moments when [[spoiler:he takes over Crystal's body, taking away his omniscience and causing him to miss two vital things that let Radd win: the Lucky Penny and the health power-up inside Bogey (or perhaps just Bogey's presence inside Chimera).]] Doubles as [[spoiler:a VillainousBreakdown.]]
* [[LouisCypher Doc Scratch]] of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is ''functionally'' [[TheOmniscient omniscient]]. He still has gaps in his knowledge. Though due to his enormous intellect he's often able to fill those gaps in with near-perfect deductions, so he doesn't mind so much...usually. His gaps are mostly caused by the PowerOfTheVoid and {{Alternate Timeline}}s. He also has some trouble with Spades Slick and [[spoiler: the author]].
-->'''Doc''': How were you able to contact me? Oh, never mind, I figured it out instantly.

* ''Webcomic/DubiousCompany'''s heroes ask [[RandomNumberGod Phred,]] why he can't just kill [[EvilOverlord Kreedor.]] Phred gives 3 reasons: Kreedor is the [[DavidVersusGoliath better]] fighter, the other gods don't trust [[ChaoticNeutral Phred,]] and manipulating the [[OddJobGods odds]] of success is [[BlueAndOrangeMorality just wrong.]]

* Psionic Minmax in ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'' is a ClockKing who can use his genius-level intellect coupled with his knowledge of the Maze of Many's reset mechanics to accurately predict how each of the parties travelling through the maze will behave...until Kin decides to take a course of action that he had absolutely no way of predicting. As a result, at one point, he confidently makes a prediction that he has at least 8 minutes to finalize his plans before any of the other parties have a chance to finish the maze, only to emerge from his hideout to find Kin and Forgath standing by the maze exit, thanks to a DungeonBypass.

* An interesting variation happens in ''Webcomic/{{Magellan}}''. Goanna went to a psychic for info on a symbol and she told her to take an airplane overseas. Goanna does so and the plane nearly crashes but is saved by the hero Epoch. When Goanna returns to her (quite angry) the psychic repeatedly screams, "You should be dead!" A later story revealed she ''was'' right. Goanna should've died on that flight and she did, in an AlternateTimeline.

* The [[{{Psychopomp}} arbiters]] in ''Anime/DeathParade'' come across as this to the deceased souls whom they are tasked with adjusicating, to the point where some guests seem to believe that they are God, but in truth they are simply glorified judges with their own internal biases who make mistakes and aren't given all the information needed, instead often having to fill in the blanks themselves.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', Dr. Manhattan is an [[TheOmniscient omniscient]] NonLinearCharacter. During the storyline, something happens that make him unable to see past a certain point in the future, and he speculates that it ''could'' be the fallout and EMP from a large nuclear exchange mucking with his extra-temporal senses. [[spoiler: It turns out to be Ozymandias bombarding him with {{Phlebotinum}} so that he won't catch on to Ozy's plans too soon.]]
* Hercules from ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules'' temporarily became omniscient during the ComicBook/ChaosWar crossover. Despite this, he was tricked repeatedly and had to be guided to victory by others. Omniscience is useless if one either ignores it or does not bother to use it.

* This bites Thanos in the ass ''hard'' in ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet. Even when the gauntlet grants him complete mastery over every conceivable domain of existence --including the mind-- he still writes off Nebula as being a mindless, husk of an organism he just keeps around to torture. ''Even after he usurps Eternity's position'' of being the omniscient, omnipresent force of the entire Universe... [[spoiler: he's still shocked when it turns out Nebula had at least enough mental faculties to simply take the Gauntlet for herself, take his position for her own, and serve as the BigBad for the remainder of the miniseries.]]

* In the ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' chapter "Coyote Knew This Would Happen All Along" [[spoiler: it quickly becomes apparent that the thing Coyote is bragging he knew would happen all along (Loup-as-Jerrick falling in love with Annie) is not, in fact, the thing that happened (Loup-as-Jerrick falling in love with Lana). When they finally manage to explain this to him, he [NeverMyFault blames]] Loup for not doing what he was "supposed" to, and Lana's creator (who he doesn't realise is Kat, and in a futher blow to his omniscience decides is probably ''Zimmy'') for her ''existing''.]]

* In the ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' chapter "Coyote Knew This Would Happen All Along" [[spoiler: it quickly becomes apparent that the thing Coyote is bragging he knew would happen all along (Loup-as-Jerrick falling in love with Annie) is not, in fact, the thing that happened (Loup-as-Jerrick falling in love with Lana). When they finally manage to explain this to him, he blames Loup for not doing what he was "supposed" to, and Kat for Lana ''existing''.]]

* ''Literature/TheCosmere'': Hoid is a centuries-old [[DimensionalTraveler worldhopper]] with access to most of the overpowered magic systems. He spends most of his time in the shadows, offering cryptic clues to main characters to steer them in the right direction. Part of this is due to a magical ability to sense when and where important events are happening, so he knows just where to push to make things go the way he wants. He still has limits, however. In ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'', he was looking for the Well of Ascension, but spent most of book 2 wandering in the Terris Dominance since the Lord Ruler had shifted the land to mask the location of the Well. There are also more minor examples; in ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Hoid is happily surprised to find that the Ryshadium are near-sentient horses of great strength. He privately notes that he's glad he ''can'' still be surprised after so long.

[[quoteright:338:[[WebComic/GirlGenius https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/notomni.png]] ]]

* From the ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' episode "Godfellas", when Bender meets a being who may or may not be {{God}} (it isn't sure itself):

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has Aleister Crowley. He has access to an incredible amount of information as the Board Chairman of Academy City, thanks to surveillance systems like satellites and [[spoiler:nanomachines that fill all of the city]]. He's still caught off guard when [[spoiler:Shiage, a [[{{Unsorcerer}} Level 0]], manages to defeat the Level 5 Shizuri]]. There are more examples later in the light novels: he doesn't know about [[spoiler:[[ImmortalBreaker World Rejector]] or Lola Stuart actually being Coronzon.]]

** Wan Shi Tong is a giant knowledge spirit whose library contains all sorts of knowledge and whose name means "He who knows 10,000 things". However, since he's reliant on fox spirits to gather knowledge for him some of his knowledge can be less-than accurate, such as believing that radios have tiny people inside of them.