History Main / OnlyTheWOrthyMayPass

[[folder: Fan Fiction]]

* A subversion in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''. ''Only the penitent man shall pass'' makes it sound like a worthy person is the only one who will get through. But the truth is [[spoiler: all anyone has to do to get by this trap is prostrate themselves on the ground. And then do a somersault. You know, like you do in church]].

** In ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', finding the Well of Souls, which hides the Ark of the Covenant, requires digging in an extremely specific spot. Finding said spot requires reading the words on a medallion which must be placed atop a staff carved to the exact measurements given by the inscription; the medallion will then focus the sun's rays on the correct location on a scale model of the desert which contains the Well. The instructions themselves are also tricky: while one side of the medallion tells seekers to make a staff "six kadam high," the other side informs them to "''take back'' one kadam to honor the Hebrew God whose Ark this is," suggesting that only someone who respects divine power is worthy of uncovering the treasure.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' the new king of the High Elves has to pass through the Flame of Asuryan. While Asuryan's standards aren't that high and they've had a few terrible kings, after Malekith schemed and murdered his way to the throne he ended up burned so badly he requires a magical suit of armor to give his ruined body strength. He managed to throw himself out of the flame in time, but never passed through it.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': Only the worthy may open the morality lock on a Matrix. One has to be "pure of spirit" to convince a Matrix to open. It's never explicitly stated what "pure of spirit" means, but it's strongly implied that some degree of selflessness is required, as well as some degree of self-''worth''. In ''Lost Light'' #2, [[spoiler:Rung's final twelve]] Matrixes refuse to open at first. It's only after Rodimus kicks things into gear with a hell of a RousingSpeech that the assembled crews are able to start opening Matrixes to [[spoiler:destroy an evil AlternateUniverse Primus-as-Cybertron]]. It's quite notable that the various Matrix openers include [[FlatEarthAtheist Ratchet]], [[PlugNPlayFriends Misfire and Swerve]], and even ''[[AxCrazy Whirl]]''; each was able to display some kind of worth (selfless medical treatment, willingness to put the past behind them and be friends, and self-forgiveness respectively) that permitted each of them to open a Matrix.

* Only the sufficiently awesome can wield [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]]'s hammer ([[MarvelUniverse Marvel's Thor anyway]]). Beta Ray Bill manages it (and gets his own equally awesome hammer). ComicBook/CaptainAmerica can lift it; but it's too heavy for him to swing. Franchise/{{Superman}} used it briefly, but rather than meeting the requirements Odin simply suspended them because the current situation was that desperate (it's implied that the hammer likes a warrior spirit, and Supes is too nice). Franchise/WonderWoman did it in a non-canon crossover, as has Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian. One [[HeroicBystander unnamed paramedic has also found and returned the hammer to Thor in the aftermath of a battle]].

[[folder: Religion, Legends, and Mythology]]
* In Ancient Egyptian religion, your heart is weighed against the Feather of Justice, to see if you are worthy of their paradise. If not, Ammit eats your heart.
** It's more like oblivion/destruction of the soul vs. an afterlife that's an improved version of the life you just lived, rather than [[HijackedByJesus Heaven or Hell]], though.

* The original ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' contains a kind of inversion, where a now broken and confused device programmed by a Sith Lord quizzes the PlayerCharacter to find out whether they are the person it's supposed to reveal its information to. Because TheDarkSide perverts its users' brains, the device will accept your answers as correct if they rationalise doing the nastiest thing possible. Otherwise, it will try to kill you with robots, but fortunately, the violent emotions evoked by the combat will cause the device to see the Player Character as bad enough to pass.

* The original ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' contains a kind of inversion, where a now broken device programmed by a Sith Lord quizzes the PlayerCharacter to find out whether they are the person it's supposed to reveal its information to. Because TheDarkSide perverts its users' brains, the device will accept your answers as correct if they rationalise doing the nastiest thing possible. Otherwise, it will try to kill you with robots, but fortunately, the violent emotions evoked by the combat will cause the device to see the Player Character as bad enough to pass.

* The original ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' contains a kind of inversion, where a now broken device programmed by a Sith Lord quizzes the PlayerCharacter to find out whether they are the person it's supposed to reveal its information to. Because TheDarkSide perverts its users' brains, the device will accept your answers as correct if they rationalise doing the nastiest thing possible. Otherwise, it will try to kill you with robots, but fortunately, the violent emotions evoked by the combat will cause the device to see the Player Character as nasty enough to pass.

* The trope is {{invoked}} in the second ''Videogame/DarkParables'' game, where a door in the palace bears a plaque saying almost this exact phrase. You can't open the door until you're on the hard mode NewGamePlus, when you can receive the MacGuffin that will unlock it.

* The original ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' contains either a subversion or an example of the cynical type: There is a program on Kashyyyk which asks questions of the main character, expecting the Dark Side answers that [[spoiler: Darth Revan]] would give before you are able to pass. If you stick to your Light Sider convictions, it repeatedly attempts to kill you with big robots before relenting.
** To elaborate: [[spoiler: The MacGuffin has been programmed by you, Darth Revan, to only give out its information to yourself. Since it has been slightly damaged since then, it tries to ascertain your identity by asking you questions. If you answer "wrongly" (i.e. you made a switch to the Light Side in the mean time), it sends you a few droids to exterminate you, but finally recognizes you by your feelings while fighting]].
** A similar subversion happens in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', where a player with significantly Bad Karma can get into Paradise Falls with no questions asked. Players with Good Karma, on the other hand, are told to [[IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten go enslave somebody before they're let in]].

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' does this. You must be of a certain level to begin several of the Daedric quests. In the ''Knights of the Nine'' expansion, you are only allowed to begin the quests once you have prayed at nine shrines, one for each deity and you are only allowed to wear the enchanted armor you get if your Infamy is 1 or less.

* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', this is how the Namekian Dragonballs were ''supposed'' to be gathered, with each village offering a different test to anyone who came looking for them. Freeza just [[KillEmAll went with a more direct route]].

* Most (if not all) ''Zelda'' games have something like this in it. In the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda original game]], no one could enter Death Mountain without the Triforce of Wisdom. This was partly about proving your worth, but also about being able to ''survive'' what was inside.
** Only a descendant of the Hylian Knights could acquire the necessary {{Plot Coupon}}s to succeed in the quest in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast''.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', the Ocarina of Time, the Song of Time, and three gems belonging to three different races are needed to get to the Master Sword, and the Master Sword itself poses as a barrier to any not worthy of the Triforce, requiring them to not ONLY be fundamentally good, but ([[EpilepticTrees according to some people]]) also physically fit.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]]'', one must beat The Tower of the Gods before being given access to [[spoiler:the submerged Hyrule]]. And said Tower is only attainable if you have the pearls of the goddesses in the right places, which must be obtained from their respective guardians.
** This makes up most of the plot of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. Link must prove he has the spirit of a hero in order to wield the Master Sword.
*** This was deconstructed by [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] in his review of the game, making him wonder [[SkewedPriorities whether the powers-that-be actually really care about stopping the villains more than they do making Link's life difficult]]:
--->All the rest of the time is mainly spent "proving your worth". First you "prove your worth" for the Master Sword, then you "prove your worth" for the three Sacred Flames, and then "prove your worth" a few more times for the Song of the Hero. If I were Link, I'd throw the sword down and yell, ''"Do you want this motherfucker dead or what?!'' I feel like I'm trying to arrest the person burgling your house and you keep telling me to fuck off until I've put on some nicer shoes!"
** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' has this as the ''entire'' game. Ganon's leftover goons need Link's blood to revive their boss, but the dungeons, including TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, are all a big test. Ironically, [[NintendoHard this is the hardest game in the entire franchise]]; the test is worse than the actual villains you must face to save the world in the other games!

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondPearlAndPlatinum'', there is a person blocking the entrance to Snowpoint Temple. She refuses to let you enter because you're unworthy, and you can only get in after beating the game.
** There's a similar situation in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Red/Blue]]'' (''[=FireRed/LeafGreen=]''); the [[BonusDungeon Cerulean Cave]] is blocked by some random guy until you become the League Champion and complete the sevii islands quest (only in Fire Red/Leaf Green). In fact, all of the games have certain areas inaccessible for one reason or another until Championship is obtained. From Generation III and on, it usually opens up some sort of enhanced trading, too, because you would need to beat the champion to get the National [[GottaCatchEmAll Pokedex]], allowing you to get {{Mons}} not available already in that game.