History Main / RedStringOfFate

* ''Literature/TianGuanCiFu'' sees Hua Cheng literally tying a red string between himself and Xie Lian, and giving it enough power that no matter how far apart they are or how much is in the way, it will always still be there as long as they both exist. Although all it ''actually'' does is reassure them that the other is alive, every other character who sees it clearly believes it's this trope. Xie Lian eventually admits that it is, once he accepts that Hua Cheng is in love with him.

* ''Manga/DetectiveConan: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper'' concludes with Ran selecting [[WireDilemma which color wire on a bomb to cut]]; the bomber had designed the bomb to go off if the red wire were cut, having overheard that red was her favorite color, but Ran couldn't bring herself to cut it, seeing it as the red string of fate between her and Shinichi.

* Parodied in ''Manga/SoulHunter'', after Tou Sengyoku [[HasAType improbably falls for]] [[{{Gonk}}Dokoson]]. The second time she meets him (he was trying to sneak on her while she was sleeping to kidnap her) she invokes this trope... except that it's not a red string wrapped around the finger but a massive red cable with huge shackles at the ends tying his neck to her arm. Dokoson isn't amused.

* Gepetto from the ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' series uses this literally as his ultimate weapon. It's acquired after his sidequest, where it's revealed that his dead daughter's soul lies within his puppet, saving him from a demon. The string manifests as their filial love; Her devotion to her father, and his to his daughter (For reference, he attacks with the puppet, and puppet strings are the weapons, adding attack power and the like)

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. Ghirahim appears again to tell Link that the reason they keep bumping into each other is because they are bound by a red thread of fate; in the Japanese script, [[VillainousCrush he is talking about this exact trope]]. He also gets behind Link, invading his personal space again, and whispers in his ear. He tells Link to come to him after licking his lips and says they're bound by that red thread of fate, that they're destined to fight. He also says that the thread of fate will be soaked crimson with Link's blood.

* [[http://youtu.be/BOpCm5FN8FM Thievery Corporation's video]] for "That Time We Lost Our Way" has LouLou Ooldouz Ghelichkhani singing while following one, with Rob & Eric playing bongos & a squeezebox nearby.

* TaylorSwift has a song named Invisible String on her eighth studio album, Folklore. The song talks about a girl singing about how the person she's with is someone she's meant to be with.

* At the end of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'''s first season, Graham Akre claims that he and protagonist Setsuna F. Seiei are connected by this -- [[FoeYay the fate to face each other in battle.]] Though he's a Westerner, Graham is a massive Japanese culture {{Otaku}} and would likely understand the reference. Setsuna on the other hand, despite his Japanese CodeName, is actually [[UsefulNotes/{{Kurdistan}} Kurdish]] and probably doesn't understand the reference at all.

* Eto in ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' is mainly nude wrapped in bandages. In a volume 5 cover [[FoeYay Eto wraps her bandages around Kaneki's neck]], and they're initially colored red.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. In an interesting bit of FoeYay during their second battle, Ghirahim appears again to tell Link that the reason they keep bumping into each other is because they are bound by a red thread of fate; in the Japanese script, he is talking about this exact trope. He also gets behind Link, invading his personal space again, and whispers in his ear. He tells Link to come to him after licking his lips and says they're bound by that red thread of fate, that they're destined to fight. He also says that the thread of fate will be soaked crimson with Link's blood.

The trope namer is an East Asian belief originating from Myth/ChineseMythology called ''yīnyuán hóngxiàn'' also known as the Red String of Fate or Red Thread of Marriage. Frequently found in Japanese works, where it's referred to as ''akai ito'' or ''unmei no akai ito''. The concept is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string tied by ''Yuè Xià Lǎorén'', the old lunar matchmaker god. In the Chinese mythos, it's around both parties' ankles. In the Japanese mythos, it's traditionally bound from a male's thumb to a female's pinky finger, but it's more common these days to show ''both'' parties attached at the pinky.

The trope namer is an East Asian belief originating from Myth/ChineseMythology called ''yīnyuán hóngxiàn'' also known as the Red String of Fate or Red Thread of Marriage. Frequently found in Japanese works, where it's referred to as ''akai ito'' or ''unmei no akai ito''. The concept is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string tied by ''Yuè Xià Lǎorén'', the old lunar matchmaker god. In the Chinese mythos, it's around both parties' ankles, while in Japanese, it's bound from a male's thumb to a female's pinky finger (though it's become more common to show ''both'' parties attached at the pinky).

* {{Deconstructed}} in ''VideoGame/YomawariMidnightShadows''. Yui and Haru end up being bound together by a (literal) red string, symbolizing their unbreakable bond. [[spoiler:This turns out to mean bad things for Haru, as Yui's malevolent spirit is trying to attack her, and Haru literally can't break free, as the string grows back every time it is cut. It is only until when Mr. Kotowari [[AnArmAndALeg cuts off Haru's hand]] that the red string is severed, and Yui's spirit is at last put to rest.]]

* ''Manga/KannazukiNoMiko'''s opening features the two heroines tied by a red string. It appears in the show itself in the form of Himeko's bloodied bandage which twirl around the arms of both females [[spoiler:as the gods take Chikane away in the last episode]].

* ''FanFic/ToTheStars'': [[spoiler:Homura]] leaves one of Madoka's ribbons with her fellow magical girls, who consider it a religious relic and place it in the Church of Hope. The protagonist, [[spoiler:a distant relative of Madoka]], has a plot-relevant vision upon touching it.

* In ''LightNovel/HaiyoreNyarkoSan'', [[EldritchAbomination Nyarko]] claims that she and Mahiro are connected by the red ''tentacle'' of fate. Given that it's Nyarko saying it, the truth of this is ... questionable.

* In the manga's 139.5 omake of ''Manga/AliceAcademy'', the hands of baby Mikan and Natsume are seen as connected by a (likely red) string.

* This becomes a plot-point in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'''s summer OVA when Yue (an IneptMage at the time) uses this on Nodoka and Negi, creating a physical red string tying the two together by their pinkies for a day.

* Referenced in ''Comicbook/DCComicsBombshells'', with Comicbook/{{Batwoman}} likening the red string of fate to the red stitching on the baseballs she uses. [[spoiler: This turns out to be foreshadowing, as at the end of the series, she marries Maggie Sawyer, a girl she met back when they played together on the same baseball team]].
* A rare Western example appears in ''Comicbook/{{Snotgirl}}'', where Charlene realizes she's in love with Lottie while wrapping her fingers around a red string on her [[StringTheory investigation board]].

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'':

The trope namer is an East Asian belief originating from Myth/ChineseMythology called ''yīnyuán hóngxiàn'' also known as the Red String of Fate or Red Thread of Marriage. Frequently found in Japanese works, where it's referred to as ''akai ito'' or ''unmei no akai ito''. The concept is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string tied by the god, ''Yuè Xià Lǎorén'', the old lunar matchmaker god. In the Chinese mythos, it's around both parties' ankles, while in Japanese, it's bound from a male's thumb to a female's pinky finger (though it's become more common to show ''both'' parties attached at the pinky).

The trope namer is an East Asian belief originating from [[Chinese mythology]] called ''yīnyuán hóngxiàn'' also known as the Red String of Fate or Red Thread of Marriage. Frequently found in Japanese works, where it's referred to as ''akai ito'' or ''unmei no akai ito''. The concept is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string tied by the god, ''Yuè Xià Lǎorén'', the old lunar matchmaker god. In the Chinese mythos, it's around both parties' ankles, while in Japanese, it's bound from a male's thumb to a female's pinky finger (though it's become more common to show ''both'' parties attached at the pinky).

The trope namer is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend called ''yīnyuán hóngxiàn'' also known as the Red String of Fate or Red Thread of Marriage. Frequently found in Japanese works, where it's referred to as ''akai ito'' or ''unmei no akai ito''. The concept is that two people who are destined to be together are attached by an invisible red string tied by the god, ''Yuè Xià Lǎorén'', the old lunar matchmaker god. In Chinese mythos, it's around both parties' ankles, while in Japanese, it's bound from a male's thumb to a female's pinky finger (though it's become more common to show ''both'' parties attached at the pinky).