History Main / SlidingScaleOfFreewillVsFate

The relationship free will-fate is not necessarily constant. It can vary between stories and even inside those stories, although how much this is actual change and how much it is simply the revelation of the true nature of Fate also differs.

* Fundation series is type 4. The psychohistory makes quite good predictions but it can go off-course - the predictions are not 100% sure [[spoiler: as clearly demonstrated by Mule]].

* {{Twilight}} is a Type 4. Alice's predictions of the future will change if somebody involved in the vision makes a decision that would change the future.

** YMMV HP scores 1.5, the prophecies were all fulfilled and grandfather did kill the child, but Author's intent wss not so much inelluctable Fate, but more like Light-siders are gonna do Light stuff and Dark-siders do Dark, so the results are obvious which scores 2. UnfortunateImplications of the way the story was written are that Fate and Prophecy are minor Powers before the glory of Albus Dumbledore, the Supreme ruler of the Universe which scores 1.

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* {{xxxHOLIC}} it's high in the scale given the following quote: "There is no such thing as coincidence in this world - there is only inevitability."

* '''Type 5 - Pure Free Will'''

* ''LegacyOfKain'' shifts between Type 1 and Type 2. Several times YouAlreadyChangedThePast is demonstrated, such as in ''Soul Reaver 2'' when [[spoiler:Raziel kills his human self in the past]]. However, history can be changed by creating a temporal paradox powerful enough to distort the timestream, at which point it will restructure itself according to the outcome of the situation that created the paradox, adjusting to the new chain of events in a butterfly effect-like ripple. AntiHero protagonist Raziel [[spoiler:has a future version of his own soul bonded to his arm as a sword]], so by nature of simply existing Raziel [[spoiler:is a walking paradox]] and has the power to change history with every action he takes. However, even he isn't completely immune to destiny, as ''Soul Reaver 2'' ends with [[spoiler:Kain warning Raziel about the Hylden, who will be released as a result of something Raziel hasn't yet done]], so while his path ''can'' be predicted, but he can choose to defy it.

* ''Homestuck'' seems to lie heavily under Type 1. The universe and Sburb seems to be custom-engineered to prevent the characters from using TimeTravel to change anything because it automatically crafts a StableTimeLoop so YouAlreadyChangedThePast. The [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]] always maintain that the kid protagonists are doomed to fail and mess up their session so badly that it retroactively broke the Trolls' as well. However, none of this stops the kids from continuing to ''try'' and ScrewDestiny, especially Rose. We probably won't know where for sure the series comes to rest between the two extremes until the story ends, and we find out whether the kids really do manage to succeed in their quest or not.

* ''{{Merlin}}'': everything the Dragon advices Merlin to do is BecauseDestinySaysSo. Placing this show as a Type 1.

* HarryPotter is at least a 3. Because people care a lot about prophecy. However there are prophecies that do not come to pass.

* Persona3 deals with how Death is inevitable.

* ''{{Berserk}}'' lies somewhere between 1 and 2. Causality plays a big role in the universe of Berserk. People like Guts are able to struggle against causality, but are unable to completely overcome it and/or maintain their struggle indefinitely.
* CardCaptorSakura is high in the Fate scale
* {{xxxHOLIC}} it's high in the scale given the following quote: "There is no such thing as coincidence in this world - there is only inevitability"

* In LawrenceofArabia , Lawrence's batman disappears in the desert. The bedouin refuse to try to save him because "it is written"(and because a bedouin would know well enough to be afraid of the desert). Lawrence rides off claiming, "nothing is written" and comes back in a few hours with his batman. [[spoiler:However it is ultimately revealed that this is a #1 given that Lawrence has to execute the batman.]]

* {{Push}} has a type 3. Watchers see the outcome of decisions, not really fate. But their predictions usually either come true or [[ItGotWorse get worse]].

* Modern literature is filled with examples of vague prophecies that are stoppable, twist-able, or just plain wrong since YouCantFightFate fell out of favor and was replaced by ScrewDestiny
* ''{{Discworld}}'' is 2-3. There is definitely a Destiny - the History Books kept by the Monks of Time describe the complete history of the Disc from beginning to end, Death's life timers start off with the appropriate amount of sand, ''something'' ensures Carrot arrives in Ankh-Morpork just as it needs a dragon-slaying king, and so on. But the History Monks can change what the books say, life timers can be smashed, turned over, or just mutate to eke out the sand as much as possible, and Carrot can decide Ankh-Morpork doesn't need a king after all. The ''Companion'' says "On the Discworld, the future is set. The job of everyone is to fight back."
* {{Twilight}} is a type 4. Alice's predictions of the future will change if somebody involved in the vision makes a decision that would change the future.

* ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'', firmly believes in "No fate but what we make" and the entire series comes down to Sarah and John trying to prevent the events of T3.[[spoiler:However due to the events of Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation; maybe fate is inevitable after all...]]
* ''{{Merlin}}'': everything the Dragon advices Merlin to do is BecauseDestinySaysSo. Placing this show as a #1.
* PowerRangers tends towards 2. Sometimes, through tremendous effort, fate can be changed... and sometimes it can't, and trying to change things changes only the details. Prophesies tend to be fairly spot-on, and time-travelers usually need several attempts to come even close to changing things, although with [[PowerRangersTurbo one notable]] [[PowerRangersInSpace exception]], they're usually successful if they're Rangers.
* ''[[FlashForward2009 Flash Forward]]'' oscillates between 1 and 2: free will works but fate will take steps to 'correct out' any changes you make (i.e. if you kill yourself to prevent your flash-forward, someone else will end up doing what led up to your flash-forward).

* Greek and Norse mythology were high up on the fate scale as not even the gods could escape it.

* {{Exalted}} is 2. Mortals are bound to fate but the Exalted and the gods are not, although it can still be a powerful force against them.
* {{Scion}} is 2, for other reasons. Here Fate can be overcome but is very powerful and some individuals and pantheons have been totally ensnared by it (the Norse for one).

* GeniusTheTransgression: Includes time travel and thus is complicated. The past used to be a 1 in that you could not change it. However after the elimination of the Terminals it is now a 2, you can change the past but it takes a LOT of resources. The setting overall however operates at about the 2 to 4 level, depending on who you ask and what wonder is being used to make the prophecy. It isn't that they disagree, it is that the laws of metaphysics differ depending on what they think they should be.
* The {{Eberron}} Campaign Setting is a 3. The Draconic Prophecy tends to give "if A then B" scenarios, with various groups trying to cause or prevent A. It's more of a suggestion than a prophecy, really.

* ChronoCross is a #5 that's presented as a #1 thanks to an absurdly powerful supercomputer from the future. Which effectively makes it a #2

* KungFuPanda is high in the fate scale as it can be seen from this quote: ->"One often meets his fate on the road he takes to avoid it."...

* ''Homestuck'' seems to lie heavily under #1. The universe and Sburb seems to be custom-engineered to prevent the characters from using TimeTravel to change anything because it automatically crafts a StableTimeLoop so YouAlreadyChangedThePast. The [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]] always maintain that the kid protagonists are doomed to fail and mess up their session so badly that it retroactively broke the Trolls' as well. However, none of this stops the kids from continuing to ''try'' and ScrewDestiny, especially Rose. We probably won't know where for sure the series comes to rest between the two extremes until the story ends, and we find out whether the kids really do manage to succeed in their quest or not.

* '''Type 0 - Neither fate nor free-will exist.'''

* '''Type 1 - BecauseDestinySaysSo.'''

* '''2. Fighting Fate Is Hard.'''

* '''3. Prophecies Are Guides, Not Rules.'''

* '''4. Prophecies Are Predictions.'''

* '''5. Pure Free will.'''

* '''0. Neither fate nor free-will exist.'''

* '''1. BecauseDestinySaysSo.'''
** All things are predestined and we all just play our parts. At some point the father will act in such a way as to kill his son and nothing can be done to avert that. [[YouAlreadyChangedThePast Even trying to change fate through time travel is pointless]]

* '''2. Fighting Fate Is Hard.'''
** Fate exists but is not the be all and end all. Either only some people can defy fate or defying fate takes a lot of effort or resources, almost as if Fate is reality's path of least resistance. Unless a lot of effort is expended or a hero got involved at some point the father will act in such a way as to kill his son.

* '''1. BecauseDestinySaysSo'''

* '''3. Prophecies Are Guides, Not Rules'''

* '''4. Prophecies Are Predictions'''

* '''5. Pure Free will'''
** Either there is no such thing as fate or there is no way to find out what is "fated", no way to see into the future and no prophecies, two states that are effectively indistinguishable. If the prophecy exists then it is little more than a protensious guess with no actual power or fate behind it.

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* '''0.-Fate nor free-will exist.'''

* '''1.- BecauseDestinySaysSo'''

* '''2.- Fighting Fate Is Hard.'''

* '''3.-Prophecies Are Guides, Not Rules'''

* '''4.-Prophecies Are Predictions'''

* '''5.-Pure Free will'''

** Either there is no such thing as fate or there is no way to find out what is "fated", no way to see into the future and no prophecies, two states that are effectively indistinguishable. If the prophecy exists then it is little more than a protensious guess with no actual power or fate behind it.

* ''{{Discworld}}'' is 2-3. There is definitely a Destiny - the History Books kept by the Monks of Time describe the complete history of the Disc from beginning to end, Death's life timers start off with the appropriate amount of sand, ''something'' ensures Carrot arrives in Ankh-Morpork just as it needs a dragon-slaying king, and so on. But the History Monks can change what the books say, life timers can be smashed, turned over, or just mutate to eke out the sand as much as possible, and Carrot can decide Ankh-Morpork doesn't need a king after all. The ''Companion'' says "On the Discworld, the future is set. The job of everyone is to fight back."