History Main / TheChosenOne

* Coryn, in ''GuardiansOfGahoole'' fits this. So do Soren and probably Hoole himself. At the time of Hoole's death, the Ember was hidden, and it was fortold a barn owl would come to be the next to retrieve the ember. This was Coryn. But it was also said there would be "another king, un-embered, but Glaux blessed". This is Soren.
* In PoulAnderson's ''[[Literature/TimePatrol Brave To Be A King]]'', Manse prevents an infanticide by telling the king that, among other things, that the child is favored of the gods.

* In the ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'', Shining Armor's story strongly suggests that he has a special destiny. [[BigGood Mother Deer]] and her followers later confirm this, explaining that [[spoiler: as he's ImmuneToFate, he's the only one who can lead [[EldritchAbomination the Wolf]] to destroy [[HumanoidAbomination Makarov]] and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong remove his taint from the timeline timeline]]]]. His story also invokes this for laughs, as the DarkIsNotEvil cult that rules Massailand becomes convinced that he's ''their'' Chosen One, and then that he isn't (in both case, because of their InsaneTrollLogic); Shining is worried that, given his [[WeirdnessMagnet luck]], they might be right the first time.

** Another, more tragic example, is [[spoiler: Luke Castallen,]] who was always fated to betray the gods and serve Kronos, and to [[RedemptionEqualsDeath finally]] perform a HeroicSacrifice to destroy Kronos.]]

* Zak Saturday of ''TheSecretSaturdays'' is suspected by his parents to have been born to counter the Kur Stone, thus stopping a massive army of killer cryptids and saving the world, if need be. [[spoiler:Now that it's been revealed that [[TomatoInTheMirror Zak ''is'' Kur]], it's destiny for Zak to take over the world (as far '''EVERY SINGLE CRYPTID''' on Earth is concerned).]]

-->-- '''DouglasAdams'''

* Though it doesn't fit perfectly, Nasu says that in the ''{{Nasuverse}}'', only one person can be born with the potential to possess [[EvilEye "Eyes of Death Perception"]]. This is notable because it implies that [[KaraNoKyoukai Ryougi Shiki]] and [[{{Tsukihime}} Tohno Shiki]] exist in [[AlternateReality separate universes.]]

*** And he specifically stated in interviews that it was intentional to remove Sinclair (a popular character on B5) during the height of the series. Straczynski designed the show to have a beginning, a middle, and an end (plus 20,000 contingency plans) unlike most shows. But Sinclair leaving at the end of the first season (rather than sometime in Season 2 or 3) and coming back in later seasons was not a contingency plan - it was forced by actor Michael O'Hare's mental health issues (he had schizophrenia; his paranoid delusions weren't helped by the fact that his character was having less-paranoid delusions, as well). This led to JMS bullshitting for several years about how he had "realized Sinclair's arc had played out too quickly" and the character needed to be written out for story reasons; in reality, he had promised O'Hare to keep the circumstances of Sinclair's departure from the show a secret until O'Hare died (JMS revealed it in May 2013, O'Hare having passed the previous September).

*** And he specifically stated in interviews that it was intentional to remove Sinclair (a popular character on B5) during the height of the series. Straczynski designed the show to have a beginning, a middle, and an end (plus 20,000 contingency plans) unlike most shows. But Sinclair leaving at the end of the first season (rather than sometime in Season 2 or 3) and coming back in later seasons was not a contingency plan - it was forced by actor Michael O'Hare's mental health issues (he had schizophrenia; his paranoid delusions weren't helped by the fact that his character was having less-paranoid delusions, as well). This led to JMS bullshitting for several years about how he had "realized Sinclair's arc had played out too quickly" and needed to be written out for story reasons; in reality, he had promised O'Hare to keep the circumstances of Sinclair's departure from the show a secret until O'Hare died (JMS revealed it in May 2013, O'Hare having passed the previous September).

*** And he specifically stated in interviews that it was intentional to remove Sinclair (a popular character on B5) during the height of the series. Straczynski designed the show to have a beginning, a middle, and an end (plus 20,000 contingency plans) unlike most shows. But Sinclair leaving and coming back in later seasons was not a contingency plan - it was JMS's decision (he realized that Sinclair's CharacterArc had played out too quickly, so he had Sinclair PutOnABus until he was needed again).

Bonus points if the character is actually called "The Chosen" or "The Chosen One", or the phrase "Only You Can Save X" appears. The title of Chosen One may prove to be [[TheUnchosenOne largely unnecessary]]. See also OnlyTheChosenMayWield for examples of how the Chosen One is often identified. Compare ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne. Contrast TheUnchosenOne.

** According to Iroh, Zuko was also a Chosen One, as he was the only Firebender who could teach Firebending to the Avatar, and restore the Fire Nation's honor, by taking on the role of the new Fire Lord.

* ''Disney/TheLionKing 2'' makes use of this when referring to the cub Kovu, who was Scar's 'chosen one' as heir to the throne of the Pride Lands.

*** That's just because Neville, even at the beginning of the books, was a can of awesome just waiting for a reason to be unleashed. He even ends up winning the cup for Griffindor because of his willingness to stand up for his friends. That bit was just Foreshadowing, but the guy was in Griffindor for a ''very good reason''. Book seven just taught us how much he'd learned to show his colors.

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Captain Sisko is the Emissary to the Prophets, the Wormhole entities that the Bajorans worship as gods. It takes a little while for the science-loving Sisko to embrace his role as the messiah of another race, but he manages. Sisko later learns that he is actually a Prophet's ''son'' (his mother briefly took on human form to give birth to him before leaving him with his human father). Over the course of the series Sisko, in his dual roles as Starfleet officer and Bajoran Emissary, saves Bajor from military and spiritual threats.

* There are ''two'' chosen ones in Literature/{{Phenomena}}, [[MagicKnight Alk]] and [[AnIcePerson Ilke]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony Friendship is Magic}}'' featured Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's very own chosen one. As the Element of Magic, she would be sent to Ponyville to unite five more Elements of Harmony (all of them mares her age) under her leadership, so that she could use her friends as test-cases for the inevitable moment she must lead all of Equestria as its new princess.

* * ''WesternAnimation/{{My Little Pony Friendship is Magic}}'' featured Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's very own chosen one. As the Element of Magic, she would be sent to Ponyville to unite five more Elements of Harmony (all of them mares her age) under her leadership, so that she could use her friends as test-cases for the inevitable moment she must lead all of Equestria as its new princess.

* Sam Winchester of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Sam is essentially the chosen one of the series. He was chosen to be the vessel for [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]]. Everything that has happened, including the death of his mother, to Azazel/YED bleeding in his mouth, to the development of Sam'a special abilities has led up to the fact that Sam was the one that would eventually destroy the world.

* Neo in ''Film/TheMatrix''. In ''Reloaded'', Neo discovers that the One is a byproduct of the Matrix, anticipated and manipulated by the same artificial minds. Neo is just the latest of a long line. What makes him unique is his [[ScrewDestiny refusal to serve the function of the One]].
* In ''StarWars'', Anakin Skywalker is the Jedi's prophesied Chosen One, though he goes through several movies of being TheDragon before doing a HeelFaceTurn and fulfilling his destiny. He remains extremely lucky and unusually skilled (at everything except relationships, apparently) the whole time, consistent with a standard Chosen One package.
* John Connor is the chosen one to save mankind from destruction to the machines in the ''{{Terminator}}'' series. Mainly because of a StableTimeLoop. [[TimeTravel Thinking]] [[TimeyWimeyBall about]] [[YouAlreadyChangedThePast this]] [[IdiotPlot is]] [[MindScrew not likely to help your sanity.]]
* The main character in ''KungPow: Enter The Fist'' is called "Chosen One". He's important because he has a ''sentient, talking '''tongue'''''.

* In ''TheGoldenChild'', Chandler Jarrell is the man chosen to save the eponymous child from death. He's [[ResignedToTheCall not at all happy about it]].
* Cale from ''TitanAE'' is the only one able to operate the ultimate TreasureMap to Mankind's salvation.
-->'''Cale:''' For your information, I happen to be Humanity's last great hope.
-->'''Preed:''' I weep for the species.
* Genkuro in ''SwordOfAlexander''.

* ''MotherOfTears'': Sarah kind of becomes this by default.
* Played with in the 2006 remake of ''TheInitiationOfSarah''. The villains assume that the powerful MagicalGirl Sarah is the girl of prophecy that they need to sacrifice to complete their evil ritual. [[spoiler: It is actually Sarah's {{Muggle}} sister, Lindsey.]]

The ultimate victim (or beneficiary) of BecauseDestinySaysSo. The oldest and most common SuperHeroOrigin. The easiest way to turn an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent into the only thing preventing TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Take it for granted that they are the OnlyOne.

Bonus points if the character is actually called "The Chosen" or "The Chosen One", or the phrase "Only You Can Save X" appears. The title of Chosen One may prove to be [[TheUnchosenOne largely unnecessary]]. See also OnlyTheChosenMayWield for examples of how TheChosenOne is often identified. Compare ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne. Contrast TheUnchosenOne.

* Griffith of ''{{Berserk}}'' is a good example of a villainous ChosenOne, what with being [[spoiler:chosen by the Crimson Behelit to become the fifth member of the Godhand during the Eclipse]].

* In ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'', Nagato, Asahina and Koizumi tell Kyon that he is TheChosenOne—the person that Haruhi has chosen.
** In "The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya," Koizumi speculates on whether Haruhi herself is some sort of [[TheChosenOne chosen one]]—chosen by the true god to fix a flawed world.

* The Book of Darkness, an all powerful magical tome from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'' chooses its master at random, and the most recent one is a paraplegic young Japanese girl by the name of Hayate Yagami. [[spoiler:This also makes her a different kind of ChosenOne, as Gil Graham, the TSAB admiral who had been tracking the book down decided that she will be the last master, as he planned to seal her together with the book when it goes berserk when it is completed since she was alone and nobody would mourn for her.]]

* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'': Particularly true in Alan Scott's case as he is the third ChosenOne in a line with each being chosen for a different purpose. To a lesser extent, the Green Lantern Corps consist of 7200 members who are the "Chosen Ones" for their specific sectors of space (though they're chosen for worthiness, not to fulfill a prophecy.) The only true chosen one of the Corps to date is Sodam Yat who was tied to a prophecy about the BlackestNight.

** {{Subverted|Trope}} by Carrot. From the first book he appeared in (''Discworld/GuardsGuards''), it has been obvious that he was the ChosenOne to be king of Ankh-Morpork: he was a poor farm boy, he's LawfulGood, he has a cool sword, etc. However, even though later books have made it obvious that Vimes, Vetinari, Carrot, and other members of the Watch know he is the Chosen One, Carrot prefers to remain in the Watch.

* A lot of the ''EaCycle'' revolves around finding TheChosenOne.

** Actually, Squirrelflight, Leafpool and Stormfur (if his short time as a protagonist in ''Moonrise'' counts as being a main character) weren't [[TheChosenOne Chosen Ones]]. And it turns out that [[spoiler:Hollyleaf wasn't one, either]].
** Firestar got to be TheChosenOne ''twice''.

* One of the ''YoungWizards'' novels puts a strange twist on this trope: only at the very end of the novel, right after the BigBad has been defeated, do the viewpoint characters learn that one of them had always been TheChosenOne for that particular battle, and was the only person throughout all the timelines of all the universes who could have possibly pulled it off.

** Really, when it comes right down to it, ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' doesn't really have a ChosenOne - it has a Chosen FiveManBand, each with a specific purpose in [[spoiler:"God's"]] plan.

** Actually, it's Arthur who's the ChosenOne. He's just such a ChosenOne that fate gave him his own ChosenOne to keep him alive and sane throughout being a ChosenOne. His wife Guinevere is a ChosenOne too, with a destiny so sure that the most powerful healing artifact in the Five Kingdoms could not stop a dream of her becoming queen, because fate had decreed it. In other words, he's such a powerful ChosenOne that all the people in his life become {{Chosen One}}s just by being around him.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' revolves around a ChosenOne named Fei [[spoiler: who is a reincarnation of the original ChosenOne, Abel. His choosing is eventually revealed to be sheer accident, as his contact with the Wave Existence occurred because Abel got lost while trying to escape the doomed ''Eldridge''. His contact allows him to survive and entrusts him with the task of freeing the Wave Existence from the Zohar, and he is destined to die and be reborn forever until he accomplishes his task. Ironically, if Abel had not gotten lost, someone (or perhaps no one) else would have become ChosenOne.]]
** The game has another ChosenOne, Elhaym. The Wave Existence created the original Elhaym out of Abel's longing for his mother (he was lost, remember?) and she likewise reincarnates across several lifetimes.
* A number of ''DragonQuest'' games have a ChosenOne, though the method of choosing differs. In [=DQ1=], the hero is chosen by virtue of being the descendant of a great hero. In [=DQ2=], er, ditto. In [=DQ3=], the same thing happens, [[spoiler: but the hero goes on to become the great hero of legend referenced in [=DQ1=] and 2.]] [=DQ4=]...yeah. [=DQ5=], the protagonist is actually ''not'' the ChosenOne, [[spoiler: but his inevitable son is.]]

** Speaking of the ''Tales'' series, Luke in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' is [[PropheciesAreAlwaysRight prophesied]] to be TheChosenOne who will lead his world to new heights of prosperity. [[spoiler:Which is then subverted. Then played straight again]].

* In ''LastScenario'', IdiotHero Hilbert is one of these. Being the descendant of the legendary hero Alexander, it's his role to prevent the resurrection of the demons who once threatened the world[[spoiler:-pffthahaha! [[SubvertedTrope No, actually, that's all a lie]]. He was just ''told'' he was TheChosenOne as part of an elaborate EvilPlan to manipulate and destroy humanity. He's just some nameless farmboy who was fed this fib simply because he was stupid enough to believe it.]]

** Interestingly enough, in later games, Link actually has to ''earn'' the title of Chosen Hero. Most notably in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', where simply being on a quest to defeat the BigBad isn't enough, he also has to recover the pieces of the Triforce of Courage and show that he's courageous enough to actually receive it in his various adventures. His was probably because the out-of-timeline-erasure of the last ChosenOne caused the Triforce to burst into 8 powerless fragments, which could not seek a bearer for themselves, like a complete Triforce-piece does. It still probably ''had'' to be Link and nobody else, since the Triforce probably wouldn't have accept anybody else for a "host".

** Zelda (the Zeldas?), too, would count as a Chosen One; seeing as how she received the Triforce of Wisdom. Ganondorf, though, he has the Triforce of Power, not so much; he unconsciously chose that one himself. The Zelda of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' is specifically referred to by Fi as one of great destiny and purpose, which officially deems her as such in-universe. Although it's later reveal that Zelda is [[spoiler:Goddess Hylia mortal reincarnation, so she isn't TheChosenOne as much as GodInHumanForm]].

** The prophecy is still subverted in other ways, such as [[spoiler: the 'great evil' of ages past -- that is, the 'evil' version of TheChosenOne you've been sent to smite -- being the almost completely helpless prisoner of the ''real'' BigBad. And he's actually a pretty decent guy who, in his centuries of confinement, has had a chance to mull over his past actions and decide he was in the wrong.]]

* The ''LegacyOfKain'' series plays around with this, not getting around to deciding just who's TheChosenOne, or what they're chosen ''for'', until the end of the series. [[spoiler:In ''Defiance'', both Raziel and Kain believe they're the Champion of the vampires. Eventually, it's revealed that Raziel could be the Champion of either the Vampires or the Hylden, and as the only one with free will, he can choose. In the end, Raziel plays out both Champions' parts by giving the Hylden Overlord a sufficiently strong host body in the form of Janos Audron, and giving Kain, the Scion of Balance, everything he needs to fulfill his own destiny by erasing Nupraptor's corruption from his spirit and fusing himself with the Soul Reaver.]]
* ''SecretOfMana'' also plays with this trope. Near the start of the game, the main character pulls [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield a sword out of a stone]]. He is later told that only a great hero should be able to remove the sword, but since he is too young to be a hero, it must have happened because the power of Mana is weakening. He is asked to take care of the sword until he can find a real hero to give it to. Later on it turns out that he was TheChosenOne all along. [[spoiler: He's even the son of a hero!]]
** The sequel, ''SeikenDensetsu3'', also handles this trope in an interesting way since there are six characters to choose from, and you can choose any one of them to be the main character. Destiny doesn't choose TheChosenOne until shortly into the game when your first character finds a weakened fairy looking for somebody to save the Mana Tree. [[spoiler: While you inevitably fail to save the Mana Tree, your fairy friend becomes the new Mana Goddess who will eventually be able to restore it.]]

* Creator/BioWare has actually been moving away from this lately, the player characters in both ''Franchise/MassEffect'' and ''Franchise/DragonAge'' are not so much the ChosenOne prophesied to save the world as the ''only'' one who can save the world through a combination of circumstance and badassitude.

* In the [[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/316541 web cartoon]] ''WebAnimation/AnimatorVsAnimation'', a sadistic Flash animator creates a little stick man called "Victim" to torment. "Victim" quickly turns around and starts tormenting ''him'', [[InterfaceScrew tearing up the Flash GUI]] and playing kickball with the mouse cursor until the harried animator manages to close the program. Things escalate in ''[[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/368557 Animator vs. Animation 2]]'', in which the animator makes the careless mistake of naming his creation ''TheChosenOne'': not only does this nightmare creature with the power of ten million stick men destroy the Flash interface, he ''[[BreakingtheFourthWall escapes to the animator's desktop]]'' and begins wreaking havoc there. The only thing that stops his rampage is the timely intervention of Avast Anti-Virus, after which TheChosenOne is rehabilitated as the best pop-up blocker ever (he ''incinerates'' the bastards!). Finally in ''[[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/576381 Animator vs, Animation 3]]'' ''TheChosenOne'' escapes from his pop up blocker 'job' and begins [[InterfaceScrew wrecking havok again on the animator's desktop.]] The animator is forced to create another stickman named ''TheDarkLord'' to try and destroy the ''TheChosenOne''. Thier battle reaches all across the desktop and it ends with the computer blue-screening due to the two teaming up to destroy the animator's computer.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is fond of prophecies and Chosen Ones: Cartman, Butters Stotch, Craig Tucker, Kyle Brovfloski, and Stan Marsh have all been some kind of ChosenOne, although in four different events and in different ways.

** Craig is stated to be a ChosenOne by being part of an ancient Incan prophecy about defeating [[spoiler: giant guinea-pigs.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' has various messages (combined with your actions) that heavily suggest that you are TheMessiah who will save the Nali from the tyranny of the Skaarj. This may be a subversion however, as the tournament games ([[WordOfGod said to be set after the first game]]) suggest that the Nali are still being hunted, although the reference is non-specific enough that you could easily assume your character at least made their situation far better.

* SepterraCore. The appropriately-named Chosen think that being the descendants of Marduk's army make them this collectively, and Doskias in particular thinks that being Marduk's direct descendant (which means he's the great-great-great-great-etc. grandson of God) makes him TheMessiah as well.

** WordOfGod states that they made Desmond's ancestors Altair and Ezio come from separate bloodlines because they wanted Desmond to be the culmination of multiple Assassin bloodlines that carry Precursor genetic material. Desmond is ''the'' Chosen One because he carries such a high concentration of Precursor [=DNA=].

* The PlayerCharacter in ''DarkSouls'' is the Chosen Undead, whose fate is to [[spoiler:succeed Lord Gwyn and link the Fire, [[MultipleEndings or plunge the world into darkness]].]] However, they are not the first [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]], just the one who's managed to get the furthest in the [[EverythingTryingToKillYou dangerous land of Lordran]].
* Played with in ''GuildWars''. The White Mantle seeks out people who are deemed to be chosen ones by fate it seems. Given how many, it apparently doesn't take much to be one of the chosen ones it seems. [[spoiler: However, ItSucksToBeTheTheChosenOne as the White Mantle will try to sacrifice you on a bloodstone. This means that the prophecy can't be fulfilled to destroy the Mursaat.]] It's revealed over the course of "Prophecies" that [[spoiler: the player character(s) are Chosen too, but it's also implied that they aren't ''the'' chosen one, so much as the only ones ''of'' the Chosen who got there.]]
* VideoGame/{{Weaponlord}} is an interesting example, as all the playable characters[[spoiler:, including the BigBad]] are all considered the Chosen One by virtue of being born under a sacred event called the Warrior's Moon.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' also is an interesting example. Neku is just another player of the Reapers' Game, among dozens of other [[spoiler: dead]] guys/gals. Later in the game, it's revealed that [[spoiler: Neku IS actually the chosen one... And he was chosen by Shibuya's resident Jerkass God just because he was staring at a graffiti wall.]]. However, in the Secret Reports [[spoiler: Hanekoma reveals that Neku has "dense and all-inclusive Soul" and "high Imagination" and was therefore picked by the Composer for his qualities (that are the reason that Neku can use all sorts of pin while his fellow Players cannot). The graffiti wall in the UG attracts people with those qualities, so Josh just knew that Neku was the right person. Which makes Neku a true ChosenOne... Or sort of that.]]

The ultimate victim (or beneficiary) of BecauseDestinySaysSo. The oldest and most common SuperHeroOrigin. The easiest way to turn an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent into the only thing preventing TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. Take it for granted that they are the OnlyOne. Villains can just as easily be "chosen," too.

One would think that the title implies some [[CouncilOfAngels superior]] [[{{God}} intelligent]] [[CrystalDragonJesus being]] [[PowersThatBe or]] [[TheForce force]] actually had to make the Choice, but it's not common practice to expect TheChooserOfTheOne. Other human beings have a lot of trouble just finding the Chosen One. And don't even get started on [[MissedTheCall when they're wrong...]]

* ''UnLunDun'' by China Miéville subverts this. A book of prophecies says that Zanna is supposed to be the Shwazzy, the one who will save the world from Smog, the BigBad. But when Zanna is injured, her friend Deeba must take up the fight against Smog, even though she's in the prophecies as the PluckyComicRelief.
** It goes so far as to have Deeba be christened "the Unchosen One" ([[TheUnchosenOne Now its own trope.]])
* Subverted twice in ''Literature/GoodOmens'' by NeilGaiman and Creator/TerryPratchett. First, the Antichrist (who is the Chosen One in this case) is [[spoiler: accidentally SwitchedAtBirth one too many times, leaving the forces of Heaven and Hell to prepare the wrong boy for Armageddon for 11 years.]] Second, [[spoiler: when they both finally track the real Antichrist down, he reveals he doesn't want to destroy the world or TakeOverTheWorld, plus he manages to convince both sides to just forget the whole thing.]] There are strong hints that the PowersThatBe [[XanatosRoulette intended all of it to happen from the start.]]
* Subverted in ''JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'' where there is a prophecy about the two bringing magic back to England and they think of themselves as chosen ones, restoring magic to its peak, except that they don't match the MessianicArchetype at all (especially the unsympathetic Norrell). Additionally, their skills pale in comparison to those of earlier magicians, and in essence, they are pawns setting events in motion to hasten [[spoiler:the Raven King]].

* The true name of Alfred Montbank is the ''DeathGateCycle'' is Coren, which is the Sartan word for "Chosen" or "To Choose". It's apparently a very common name among Sartan, as parents hope their child will be chosen for some great destiny. Alfred comes to hate his name when sheer chance results in him being chosen to be the only survivor of the Sartan community on Arianus.

** She does [[IGotBetter get better]] in ''{{Serenity}}'', though at considerable cost, and plays the strope straighter by leading the gang to a secret of galactic importance... and then saving most of their lives.

* ''[[Series/TheCollector The Collector]]'': [[spoiler: Morgan was God's chosen instrument to discover the cure for Plague, centuries ahead of reality. The Devil successfully distracted him from this role]].