History Main / RefusedByTheCall

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', after Neo takes the red pill and joins Morpheus, the Oracle tells Neo that he isn't [[TheChosenOne The One]]. [[spoiler:Except he is, and the Oracle is just a TricksterMentor. Some of the dialogue is consistent with an alternate theory that [[MetaphoricallyTrue she]] ''[[MetaphoricallyTrue was]]'' [[MetaphoricallyTrue telling the truth, just not the whole truth]]; he wasn't The One ''yet'' because he had to accept it and believe it first.]]

-->-- ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic'' (on the plot of ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH2'')

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11309061/17/Consul-of-the-Underworld-The-Game-Begins Consul of the Underworld: The Game Begins]]'', Hades trains and teaches his daughter the best he can in the eventuality of her becoming the prophesied saviour of Olympus. When she reaches [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday her sixteenth birthday]], the Fates reveal she's indeed fated to greatness... but hers is not the Great Prophecy's achievement.

* ''Series/{{Stargirl}}'': During the ActionPrologue, as Starman lies there dying, he hands the Cosmic Staff to his friend and sidekick Pat and tells him that someone should carry on the legacy. Pay says he will try. Starman corrects him and explains that Pat is ''not'' the right person for the job. He repeats it two more times so Pat gets the point. Even the Staff stops glowing when Pat takes it.

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Gentle Criminal wanted nothing more than to be a legendary hero when he was growing up, but he was a bad student that flunked the Hero Training Program four times before a botched attempt at heroism got him expelled and disowned by his family. Broke and with nowhere else to go, he turned to supervillainy so people would remember him then.

** Not just anyone can use the [[TransformationTrinket Faiz Gear]] in ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz''. When Mari tries to use it to defend herself from an attacking [[MonsterOfTheWeek Orphenarch]], the belt explosively rejects her. Desperate, she puts the belt around nearby [[TheHero Inui]], who had become caught up in the situation, and forces him to transform. It works. A few episodes later, [[WideEyedIdealist Keitaro]] steals the belt from Mari and Inui and attempts to become a hero. The belt likewise rejects him and he would've been killed by Orphenarchs had Inui and Mari not intervened.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/JakII''. The Underground brings "The Kid" to the Tomb of Mar, believing him to be the true heir of Mar. However, the tomb's oracle refused to admit the kid [[spoiler:(whose name is Mar too)]] on the grounds that he was too young to face the tests, so Jak enters instead. [[spoiler:Except it turns out that Jak is Mar the kid's future self.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', a Buddy Pine wants to become Mr. Incredible's sidekick, and Mr. Incredible refuses on the grounds that it's too dangerous. [[spoiler: Buddy later becomes Syndrome, the Incredibles' arch enemy.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'':

* ''Film/{{Shazam}}'' opens with the titular wizard summoning Thaddeus Sivana to see whether he's worthy of inheriting the wizard's powers. He's rejected due to his willingness to grab power from less savory sources. He becomes the film's BigBad out of rage at the rejection. It's later revealed that Shazam has been searching and rejecting candidates for ''decades.'' He ultimately only chooses Billy Batson because Dr. Sivana forced his hand.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Winn Adami becomes a Vedek and later the Kai of Bajor but in all that time the Propets had never spoken to her. She becomes [[TheResenter highly resentful]] of Starfleet Captain Benjamin Sisko because of his [[TheChosenOne close relationship]] with the Prophets and how they listen to him. In the final season this causes her to [[FaceHeelTurn turn her back]] on the Prophets in favor of the Pah-Wraiths.

* In ''Literature/TheTwelveKingdoms'', there's Yuka Sugimoto, an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who doesn't really fit into class, and spends all her time reading fantasy-stories and dreaming of going to another world -- somewhere she'd BELONG! Then, suddenly, a mysterious, golden-haired {{Bishonen}} appears at the school, searching for a missing queen... and finding Yuka's classmate, Youko Nakajima. Yuka, eager to escape her dreary existence, talks Youko into bringing her along into the Twelve Kingdoms. However, as Youko manifests more and more "specialness" in the other world, Yuka finds it harder and harder to convince herself that SHE should really be the "Main Character", with her desperate need to be "important" eventually driving her to become an antagonist. [[spoiler:At the end, however, she realizes that Youko is somewhat BlessedWithSuck, and that she's lucky to be just a "side-character". Understanding that she DOES belong back in the "real world", she returns home with a smile, intending to live a normal life. And failing, but that's another story...]]
* In ''Anime/HappinessChargePrettyCure'', Miyo Masuko, a photographer (and an {{Expy}} of Mika Masuko of ''Anime/YesPrettyCure5'') is chosen by Blue to become a Pretty Cure. However, she doesn't get the powers and concludes that AdultsAreUseless. Blue later believes that she was rejected because her job of telling the world of the Precure is just as important as fighting in the front lines.

* Steve Rogers was rejected from the army as being utterly, ''utterly'' unsuited for combat. Then he ended up in a special program and became ComicBook/CaptainAmerica.

* During the invasion of Canterlot in ''Fanfic/TheLifeAndTimesOfAWinningPony'', Cloud Kicker seeks out Shadow's Armor, an extremely powerful magical artifact that she hopes will be enough to let her fight on even footing with [[BigBad Queen Chrysalis.]] Unfortunately, the armor has its own built-in SecretTestOfCharacter... and Cloud fails it, leaving [[HeroOfAnotherStory Cadance and Shining Armor]] to save the day instead.

* In ''Fanfic/AzumangaUndPanzer'', [[Manga/AzumangaDaioh Chiyo]], having transferred to [[Anime/GirlsUndPanzer Oarai]] after a tsunami destroyed "Azu High" and the surrounding town, [[JumpedAtTheCall jumps at the chance to join the tankery team]]. Unfortunately, she's informed that since she's under 15, she's too young to do tankery[[note]]The Little Army manga shows Miho and Maho participating in tankery near the end of grade school and the beginning of middle school, respectively, and Alice Shimada of Der Film commands the University Strengthened Team at 12, but that's neither here nor there[[/note]]. Chiyo's quite upset, but is told that she can be "the brains" of the team and help them out by researching their opponents, even if she can't actually fight.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11309061/17/Consul-of-the-Underworld-The-Game-Begins Consul of the Underworld: The Game Begins]]'', Hades trains and teaches his daughter the best he can in the eventuality of her becoming the prophesied saviour of Olympus. When she reaches [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday her sixteenth birthday]], the Fates reveal she's indeed fated to greatness... but hers is not the Great Prophecy's achievement.
* ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': In chapter 6 of the sequel ''Diplomat at Large'', it's noted that Zephyr Breeze tried to join the army when the call went out for recruits, but was rejected. Luna refers to his "serious lack of stick-to-it-ness" as a factor.

* Kit in ''Film/ALeagueOfTheirOwn''. The league scout has no real interest in her and only recruits her if she can convince Dottie to go along. This builds up resentment on her part (she had already spent her life in Dottie's shadow) that culminates when Dottie goes to the bosses saying they just can't play on the same team anymore (hoping to be traded) and accidentally gets her little sister shipped off to another team.
* Before he becomes Captain America, Steve Rogers encounters this problem repeatedly when trying to join the army in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''.
* In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', Xavier was the initial option to make the time travel, but it was not to be. He would die if they attempted it. So it had to be Wolverine, whose mind can heal as fast as it gets hurt by the procedure.

* In ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'', it's Darren's best friend Steve who wants to become a vampire. Mr Crepsley tests his blood, declares it "evil" and refuses, causing Steve to vow to kill Crepsley when he grows up. This is made worse when Crepsley makes Darren a (half-)vampire; although Darren only did it to save Steve's life, Steve thinks that Darren conspired to deliberately ruin his dreams. Years later, Steve reappears, [[spoiler: in league with Darren's enemies and out for blood.]]
* There's a Literature/DragonridersOfPern short story called 'Ever The Twain' about a pair of twins called Neru and Nian who live in a hold on Ista Island. Neru is fanatic about dragons and desperately wants to be a rider, and Nian doesn't really give a damn. Dragons come on Search and find Nian to be acceptable, but they pass by Neru until Nian convinces them to give him a shot. Neru is quite resentful, even though he Impresses a bronze, but he gets over it.
* In Creator/JamesSwallow's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} ''[[Literature/BloodAngels Deus Encarmine]]'', Rafen's BackStory: Koris rejected him for his [[{{Pride}} arrogant]] [[IWorkAlone independence]], Rafen walked out into the desert [[DespairEventHorizon on the verge of despair]] and nearly [[DrivenToSuicide let a scorpion kill him]] when he thought he saw a vision and was encouraged by it; then he realized that the Blood Angels shuttle had been crash-landed. He found the Space Marines dead or out cold and rallied those young men who had been chosen. Koris recovered and concluded that Rafen had learned his lesson, so he got to be TheHero anyway.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', there is a flashback to Lily and Petunia arguing on the train platform. Petunia had written Dumbledore asking to attend Hogwarts, but was refused, because she was not magical like Lily.
* In Creator/TimPowers' ''Literature/TheDrawingOfTheDark'', there is a background character who believes he is [[spoiler:the reincarnation of Myth/KingArthur]], and that he has been summoned to Vienna to resist the forces of Suleiman. He continually tries to foist his tactical opinions on the local leaders, and reawaken the memories of his [[spoiler: [[TrueCompanions Knights of the Round Table]]]]. Sadly, while he was right about [[spoiler: Myth/KingArthur being reincarnated]], it was not him, and by the end of the story he is a drunken pitiful wretch, and somehow cobbles together a set of armor and a horse and charges alone against the Turkish army. It ends exactly the way you would expect that sort of thing to go.
--> "Many are called. Few are chosen." - Aurelianus
* Retired burglar/hero Bilbo Baggins is all set to take up the Ring quest in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' when it's proposed in Rivendell, and has to be told he's simply too old and too susceptible to the Ring's temptations.
-->'''Gandalf''': "We do not doubt that under jest you are making a valiant offer. But one beyond your strength, Bilbo. You cannot take this thing back."

* Creator/SholemAleichem wrote a play called "The High School" where a brilliant young man is all set to enter a prestigious academy. Seemingly his application was accepted, but when he and his father get there, he's told there must be some mistake, his name is not on the rolls. Seems he didn't apply in time to get in under the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_quota quota]] limit.
* [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends The Junior Jedi Knight series]] features Uldir Lochett, a teenager who seeks out Luke so that he can beg the Jedi Master to teach him in the ways of the Force. But although Luke lets him study at the academy, Uldir ultimately has no chance of becoming a Jedi since he completely lacks any Force sensitivity. His frustration over this leads him to briefly side with the villain of the final book who (falsely) claims to be able to teach him how to use the Force, but he rejoins the heroes once he realizes that he's been deceived.

* Possible SecretTestOfCharacter version in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''. The protagonist, Snake, is tasked with hunting down and killing his mentor, "The Boss." She's ''waiting for him'' right where he's supposed to be inserted into Soviet territory, beats him soundly with her bare hands, and tells him to go home, because he can't defeat her. She sends each of her subordinates after him one after another, which he beats, and each time Snake encounters and fights the Boss, he does better in their hand-to-hand encounters until he's finally good enough to be able to defeat her. [[spoiler: Since her mission was to be killed by him, it seems the entire operation was one giant SecretTestOfCharacter to strengthen him up.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has a ''lethal'' version of this. The Joining that all Grey Warden initiates must undertake to become full Wardens forces them to take in a less virulent but still eventually lethal version of the Darkspawn Taint by drinking a cocktail of Darkspawn blood, lyrium, and [[spoiler: Archdemon blood]]. Not everyone survives drinking it for whatever reason.
* Epic villain archetypes in ''VideoGame/CityOfVillains'' were refused by the call, so they hacked the database of people who were chosen for the call and added themselves to the list. Then it gets confusing.
* Sarkli in ''Franchise/StarWars VideoGame/RogueSquadron 3'' has his accomplishments (including personally saving the lives of Luke Skywalker and General Dodonna on Yavin IV) completely ignored in favor of Luke going and grabbing Dodonna from his hiding spot in the first place, then he gets left behind on Dantooine while Luke flies off to rescue Tycho Celchu by himself. It's no surprise that [[spoiler: he promptly defects to the Empire where his talents will actually be recognized]].
* Played with in ''VideoGame/JakII''. The Underground brings "The Kid" to the Tomb of Mar, believing him to be the true heir of Mar. However, the tomb's oracle refused to admit the kid [[spoiler:(whose name is Mar too)]] on the grounds that he was too young to face the tests, so Jak enters instead. [[spoiler: Except it turns out that Jak is Mar the kid's future self.]]
* In the remakes ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'', Ecruteak City's gym leader Morty is a case of this. He trained for years believing that he would be the one chosen to summon the legendary Ho-oh back to its home, but then the player shows up and takes that role instead. He takes it ''much'' more gracefully than many examples of this trope.

* While she is [[TheChosenOne a godwoken]], one of the [[TheChosenMany candidates]] to succeed the Divine, ''all'' of the gods, including her own, say Lohse in ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'' should '''not''' be the next [[GodKing divine]], due to her demonic possession problem. Some of the gods even flat out tell the player character to kill her, and whenever Lohse goes through the same trials the other players do, the other gods are ignoring her. She doesn't seem too broken up about this, however - she does have the option to [[CallingTheOldManOut call out Rhalic]] when he pleads with her to not kill him, and the player can give some LaserGuidedKarma to the gods by making ''her'' the next Divine. [[spoiler:Though to be fair, the gods are justified in not wanting to let her anywhere ''near'' godhood. The Doctor/[[IKnowYourTrueName Adramahlihk]], the demon that is possessing her is justifiably feared by anyone who knows who he really is, and if he attained the power of the gods, Adramahlihk would [[CessationOfExistence end everything and everyone]]]].
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' backstory, near the end of the 2nd Era, the [[OldMaster Greybeards]] summoned TheChosenOne who would who would [[TheConqueror restore the Empire]] and [[ScrewYouElves conquer the elves]] to High Hrothgar, their monastery on [[TheTower the Throat of the World]]. Wulfharth Ash-King, the legendary ancient King of the Nords, famous [[GodInHumanForm Shezarrine]] who [[EternalHero had died and come back to life]] at least three times, and noted [[FantasticRacism Elf-hater]], JumpedAtTheCall and went to the Greybeards. Instead, Wulfharth is "blasted to ash" by the Greybeards who declare Hjalti of High Rock (a young [[GodEmperor Tiber Septim]]) to be the one instead.
* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWright: Trials And Tribulations'', this is why [[spoiler:Godot]] has such irrational spite towards Phoenix. Years ago he and his girlfriend, Mia Fey, were CrusadingLawyer[=s=]. They were driven and talented and everyone thought they were destined for greatness. Then [[spoiler:Godot (or Diego, as he was known then) was poisoned and fell into a coma for six years]]. Mia kept fighting and got many criminals locked away, [[spoiler:including Godot's poisoner]], eventually being assassinated when Redd White realized [[HeKnowsTooMuch she was a threat to his dominance]]. Fortunately, Mia's apprentice- Phoenix- was around to avenge her death. '''Then''' [[spoiler:Godot]] woke up, long after he could have been of any use to anyone. His entire mindset throughout the game is 'Why not me? Why did it have to be some upstart kid who barely knew anything about law or Mia?' [[{{Foil}} In comparison]], Mia didn't care who caught Redd as long as he got ''caught''.
* For a tragic example in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' we have Imad Malek, AKA Scirocco. Found a magical sword in a cave and tried to use it to do good as the newest incarnation of "Scirocco" a title passed on from user to user. What he didn't know was it's wielders are predestined and so the sword - or rather the curse laid upon it, viewed him as a thief. Said curse makes any thief's desires back-fire on them with the presumption anyone who would steal it would be evil, that way it could never be used for evil. No one considered the prospect of a good-hearted thief. Oops.

* Headon, the Tester of chosen Regulars on the first floor of the ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', tells [[spoiler: Rachel that she]] isn't chosen at all and not welcome to climb the Tower.
* Almond in ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'' JumpedAtTheCall when her brother Cucumber was informed that he was the [[TheChosenOne Legendary Hero]]. However, she was refused due to being a little sister, whose role is set by previous generations to be the damsel in distress for her brother to save. However, despite everyone telling Cucumber that Almond can't be the Legendary Hero, being a little sister, she is pretty determined to be [[TheUnchosenOne the one to defeat]] [[BigBad the Nightmare Knight]],

* ''WesternAnimation/MightyDucksTheAnimatedSeries'': Canard snuck up to Dragaunus' slaves looking for warriors and found his old friend Wildwing, who he knew was a stalwart defender who could take anything and who people tended to look up to. When he Called Wildwing to help dethrone Dragaunus, Nosedive wanted to come to, but Canard Refused the "kid". (Again, this is taking place in a ''slave camp''.) Wildwing promptly told Canard he and his brother were a set -you want one, you take both. [[spoiler:Canard took both.]]