History Main / TheFatalist

* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfiniteBurialAtSea'', [[spoiler:during one of the discussions Robert and Rosalind Lutece have about why exactly Elizabeth is attempting to change the course of the current dimension's events, Rosalind says that she doesn't understand why Elizabeth is trying, telling Robert that, "What's done is done. What's done will be done." He calls her a fatalist, which lines up with the fact that he's a little more tender-hearted than Rosalind when it comes to Elizabeth and her actions, which is why the two of them set into motion the events of the main game since he felt guilty for having a hand in helping Comstock take her from Booker when she was a baby]].

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', Lmar believes that he will die some day since it's the price to pay for being a {{gangbanger|s}}. Lmar's line of thinking makes him take reckless actions many times over, which causes Franklin to chew him out for it every time he has to go save him.

* Yuuko Ichihara from ''Manga/XxxHolic'' believes in everything being subject to "hitsuzen", a Japanese term usually translated as "inevitability."
%%* [[spoiler:Rika]] from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry''.

%%Zero-context* Shouma from ''Anime/{{Penguindrum}}''. ''Especially'' in Episode 12.
* [[DeconstructedCharacterArchetype Deconstructed]] by Sir Nighteye in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. He is a firm believer of YouCantFightFate; no ifs, ands, or buts about it, he has a very cynical view of every situation and only sees worst-case scenarios. Consequently, his worldview hampers his [[{{Seers}} Foresight Quirk]], which itself is responsible for his negative attitude in the first place. [[spoiler:Only when he's dying at the end]] does he realize that his visions only came true [[SelfFulfillingProphecy because he never actively tried to change them]].

%%* Urawa/Greg from his [[strike:one]] two appearances in ''Anime/SailorMoon'', and so much more so in the [[FanficRecs/SailorMoon Shivaverse]].
* Tsunekichi Hatadaira from ''Manga/TalentlessNana'' has the "Talent" of prophetic dreams, documented throughout the night using a Polaroid camera. Everything depicted in the photos comes true one way or the other, and any attempt to say "ScrewDestiny!" oftentimes causes said [[SelfFulfillingProphecy scene to come true.]] The exact moment he stopped caring about trying to control his destiny was when he got a prophecy of him failing his high school entrance exam; he crammed all night, got horribly sick the next day, and failed it anyway.

* Ensign Mashengo from ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' practically has YouCantFightFate as his catchphrase. [[spoiler:They're also his [[TakingTheBullet last words]].]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'':
** This is [[Characters/BatmanTwoFace Two-Face]]'s philosophy, represented by his habit of flipping a coin to decide what he does. This is in direct opposition to the philosophy he had as Harvey Dent. Although Two-Face isn't above abusing ExactWords to twist the coin flip's result.
** Batman villain/ComicBook/SuicideSquad member ComicBook/{{Deadshot}} believes that if it's his time to die, he dies. [[spoiler:That said, he's understandably pissed off when it's revealed to him that Amanda Waller had kept bringing him back to life so that he could serve on the Squad permanently.]]
* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Klara starts off as a fatalist, both because of her strict Calvinist upbringing, and because her life before joining the Runaways is [[DomesticAbuse so]] [[MaritalRapeLicense horrible]] that the only way she can rationalize it is to assume that it's part of some divine plan. She throws off this kind of thinking during ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'' when she prays for ''someone'' to save her friends, and in response, a tree nearly impales the ArcVillain, allowing her friends to escape. It turns out that she herself is a mutant who can [[GreenThumb control plants]] as her power. She ends up in a much happier position [[spoiler:being adopted by a gay couple and thus refusing to rejoin the Runaways during [[ComicBook/RunawaysRainbowRowell Rainbow Rowell's run]]]].

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', Doctor Manhattan embraces this viewpoint. It's {{justified|Trope}}, though -- he takes this view because he can see the future himself. And the past. [[NonLinearCharacter And every point in time simultaneously]]. This fades when the tachyon swarm disrupts his ability to see the timestream. He becomes more emotional and proactive while relishing the uncertainty.
* Comicbook/DoctorFate has the ability to see the future thanks to a combination of the Helmet of Fate and the Lords of Order.

* The Cyclopes in ''Film/{{Krull}}'' made a deal with the Beast, sacrificing one eye to see the future, but were cursed to only be able to foretell their own deaths. It tended to leave them depressed by nature. Subverted in that they could defy ''how'' it would happen (if not ''when)'', but if they did, the death would be far more painful. Naturally, [[spoiler:Rel ends up making exactly this kind of HeroicSacrifice in the movie.]]

* C-3PO from ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars: A New Hope]]'' has his share of fretful moments when the Rebel craft is boarded by Imperial troops, nearly gives up hope when stranded in the Tatooine desert, and despairs when Luke and his friends are trapped in the garbage disposal; one of his frequent catchphrases is "We're doomed". At the beginning, he remarks "We'll be destroyed for sure, this is madness" and later notes that there will be no escape for Princess Leia.

* Achilles in ''Film/{{Troy}}'' (along with Hector and most of the other characters from the ''[[Creator/{{Homer}} Iliad]]'').
-->''"I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The Gods envy '''us'''. They envy us because [[WeAreAsMayflies we're mortal]] because any moment might be our last. Everything is ''more'' beautiful ''because'' [[YouCantFightFate we're doomed]]. You will never be lovelier than you are now. [[ThereIsOnlyOnePossibleFuture We will never be here again]]."''
%%* ''Film/WarGames''
%%-->"Now, children, come on over here. I'm going to tell you a bedtime story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin. Once upon a time, there lived a magnificent race of animals that dominated the world through age after age. They ran, they swam, and they fought and they flew, until suddenly, quite recently, they disappeared. Nature just gave up and started again. We weren't even apes then. We were just these smart little rodents hiding in the rocks. And when we go, nature will start again. With the bees, probably. Nature knows when to give up, David."
* ''Film/{{Tenet}}'': [[TheLancer Neil]]'s knowledge of inversion gives him a "what's happened, has happened" mentality. [[spoiler:This gives him a sense of peace about his impending HeroicSacrifice in the final battle,]] but it doesn't change his heroic motives or his overall positive outlook.

* From Creator/TomKratman's ''Literature/{{Caliphate}}'':
** Pretty much all Muslims, even those like Mahmoud al Beshay who left their homeland to get away from Islamic culture, believe that something will or won't happen depending on Allah's will. [[spoiler:Up to and including surviving an incredibly nasty bioweapon the Caliphate is having created to wipe out their enemies.]]
** One of the reasons the Caliphate relies on the Janissaries for their military forces is that the Janissaries will practice and perform regular maintenance on their equipment so that it remains functional, as not being raised from birth in Islam means "as Allah wills it" isn't a core behavioral tenet.
* Creator/RobertEHoward's Literature/ConanTheBarbarian:

* As described in the ''Literature/ConfessionsSaintAugustine'', the Manichees held that all errors in life were really the fault of the all-powerful good substance, but Augustine recognizes later in life that this belief only served to help the Manichees fool themselves into ignoring their own freely-made errors.
* Lady Evanna and her brother [[spoiler:Hibernius Tall]] in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan''. Both of then ancient magical beings seem clever and playful at first, if in dark and creepy ways, but as the fatal confrontation draws near, they both grow solemn, preemptively mourning for the world if the [[TheAntiChrist Lord of the Shadows]] come to power in the ways they foresee. [[spoiler:After the title character goes AntiAntiChrist in the end, Evanna sees that there can be hope if you create it and defies her father to encourage peace between the vampire clans.]]

* The Dragon in ''Grendel'' is one of these, due to being omniscient. It makes him grouchy, sarcastic, and cynical rather than the standard Zen approach, though.
* Played with in the final chapter of ''Literature/AHeroOfOurTime'', which is even titled "The Fatalist". An officer shoots himself in the head on a bet, despite the warnings of the main character, who has a premonition that the officer will die that day. The pistol jams, however, so the officer collects his money and heads home--only to be slashed to death by a drunken Cossack for no reason whatsoever, and his last words, referring to the main character, are "He was right!" The novel leaves deliberately open who the chapter title refers to: the main character, the officer, or the former's commanding officer with whom he discusses it at the end of the chapter and who simply states something along the lines of "YouCantFightFate" on the topic of the officer's death--before proceeding to criticize the pistol model he was using for jamming too often.

* In an ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin example, the eponymous ''Jacques the Fatalist'' of Denis Diderot's philosophical novel. Jacques is an unusual example of this, somewhat like a positive take on Pangloss' "best of all possible worlds" philosophy in ''Literature/{{Candide}}''. Jacques believes that everything that happens in one's life is already written on high, and thus he enjoys positive things and reacts with stoicism toward negative ones because he believes that everything that happens is unavoidable.

* The Tralfamadorians in ''Literature/SlaughterhouseFive'' are a [[PlanetOfHats race of fatalists]] due to [[NonLinearCharacter existing at all points in time at the same time.]] They know exactly how everything will happen and therefore don't see the need to get fussed about or try to change any of it. They even know how the universe itself will end; it's going to be their fault during a new fuel test, but they just accept it.
* ''Literature/{{Somewhither}}'': A common saying among the inhabitants of the Dark Tower is "Fate is fated." An understandable sentiment, since everyone's future is predicted years in advance, up to and including date of death, by astrologers, and the predictions are nearly never wrong.

* Creator/MarquisDeSade's libertines are often evil versions. They use the idea that their misdeeds are determined as a defense, saying they can't help themselves. However, they are generally {{hypocrite}}s, whining about "oppression" by society seeking to stop them (though, logically, [[ExcuseBoomerang that would be determined too]]).

%%** Amd Zathras certainly is a comedic version.

%%* The eponymous character of ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' is this. The series never answers whether he's right, but it makes him a much darker character.

* The Huntsman in ''Series/The10thKingdom'' is a villainous example, but with a reason: if he didn't believe in fate, he'd have to accept that his own actions led directly to the death of his son.

* Protoman, from Music/TheProtomen's eponymous Act I album. The twist here being that he wants with every fibre of his being to be proven wrong.
* Another version of Protoman, in Music/TheMegas' ''History Repeating'', has a variation: he argues that he and Mega Man are predestined by their programming. Mega Man begs to differ.

* Most [[{{Tragedy}} Tragic Heroes]] throughout ancient mythology are fatalistic, especially in Greek, Nordic, and [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] tradition. See ProphecyTwist; SelfFulfillingProphecy; NayTheist; YouCantFightFate; and ThereIsOnlyOnePossibleFuture.
** In ''Literature/TheIliad'', [[BadassNormal Hector]] knows he is fated to lose to Achilles, and [[ValuesDissonance runs away from him for that reason]]. He eventually turns to fight and is swiftly killed.

* The Fated in the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' setting ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' are a bit of a subversion. They claim to believe in the ultimate fate that no one can alter, but what they actually seem to believe in is not helping others (and, conversely, not expecting help themselves). They still strive to achieve things, though: if they succeed, then they were fated to do so and, if not, they've no business complaining about it.

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' this is Gwafa Hazid's justification.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Ulysses is a deconstruction. Ulysses simply could not accept that the destruction of his hometown was a random accident, the destruction he had wrought was ultimately meaningless, and his actions caused unforeseen collateral damage. After enduring multiple tragedies and his own guilt on the matter, Ulysses developed an obsession with hidden meanings and symbols, seeing the world as a puzzle to solve and something for him to fix. After dwelling on these thoughts, Ulysses decided that the solution was to wipe the slate clean and start over, destroying both the [[DisasterDemocracy NCR]] and [[HordesFromTheEast Caesar's Legion]] with targetted nuclear strikes. Telling him that he has no way of knowing that he will get the results he wants is dismissed out of hand.
%%* Kratos from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. Amusingly, his fatalist views are aligned towards helping the greatest {{determinator}} in the game.
%%* In ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'' [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Kleito reveals that the dragons as a race are this.]] Kind of hard to blame them [[ContinuityNod considering their civilization was destroyed via]] [[ColonyDrop Moon Drop]].
* From the ''Xeno'' series: ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' has Zanza, the BigBad of the game. He's able to see into the future via visions and strongly believes that everything he sees in them is [[YouCantFightFate inevitable]] and that the passage of fate is infallible. So when his visions begin to cut off and point towards his death at the hands of Shulk, he starts suffering a VillainousBreakdown, unable to accept that the passage of fate [[ScrewDestiny can be changed]].
%% ** Wilhelm from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''. On the other hand, he's made the Eternal Recurrence take place countless times before...
* In the ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' series, Kain at first ''seems'' this way to Raziel, who actually uses the term to describe him. It turns out he seems this way because he's watched the whole timeline and has it memorized, so he knows exactly what's going to happen and is waiting for the exact moment to ScrewDestiny.
* Xan, the chronically depressed elven mage from ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', leaves no doubt about how doomed he thinks he, the other party members, their quests, and their goals are. Many players find him darkly funny, to the point that when he was DemotedToExtra in [[VideoGame/BaldursGateII the sequel]], fans made a GameMod that made him a playable character again.
* Uhai the Soaring Hawk from ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' joins the Black Fang because he's sure that TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is coming and he can't do anything to avoid it. More specifically, Uhai was already a member because he found a sense of kinship with [[WeHelpTheHelpless Brendan Reed and his sons]], whose philosophy of punishing the wicked and protecting the weak he agreed in. When Nergal took over the Fang, Uhai refused to defect -- both from loyalty to his TrueCompanions and from a belief that he's not powerful enough to oppose Nergal. Out of respect for Eliwood and his friends for successfully defeating him, though, he aids them with his dying breath, partially because he believes they might have a chance to stop Nergal and partly out of respect for their resolve and strength.
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'':
** Gerome is a heroic example: having lost all hope [[spoiler:after the BadFuture has taken place]], he is one of the [[spoiler:[[KidFromTheFuture Kid from the Future]] group]] who believes the least in the chance to [[spoiler:change Ylisse's destiny]], but fights for it nonetheless.
** The villain Validar smugly believes that [[spoiler:Grima's return]] is destined and the heroes' efforts to thwart it are futile. His critical quote is "This is all written!", directly contrasting Chrom's "[[ScrewDestiny Anything can change!]]".
* In ''VideoGame/SabresOfInfinity'' Cazarosta displays this in his speech at the military ceremony, in which he declares the idea of free will to be a delusion.
-->'''Cazarosta:''' We are [[TitleDrop sabres in the hands of infinity,]] to move and act as we are bid. The fact that we sometimes have second thoughts in the obeying gives us the delusion that we have some ability to determine our fates, that we are born with a freedom to choose our actions: to be kind or cruel, good or evil. That is mankind's most glorious and beautiful dream, but it is a delusion nonetheless.
* [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Garland]] is given this characterization in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''. He is one of the few characters in the game who's aware of the GroundhogDayLoop they're all stuck in and has been completely broken by the endless repetition of divine war. He's resigned to become a BloodKnight because enjoying the conflict is all he has left to his life, and the mere suggestion that the cycle can be broken drives him furious because he refuses to believe in false hope.
* The Fateweavers in ''VideoGame/KingdomsOfAmalurReckoning'' are able to see the threads of fate but have no power to actually change them, so it's understandable that they would adopt a YouCantFightFate mindset. That all changes when [[ImmuneToFate The Fateless One]] appears.
* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'': In ''BioshockInfinite/BurialAtSea,'' [[spoiler:during one of the discussions Robert and Rosalind Lutece are have about why exactly Elizabeth is attempting to change the course of the current dimension's events, Rosalind says that she doesn't understand why Elizabeth is trying, telling Robert that, "What's done is done. What's done will be done." He calls her a fatalist, which lines up with the fact that he's a little more tender-hearted than Rosalind when it comes to Elizabeth and her actions, which is why the two of them set into motion the events of the main game since he felt guilty for having a hand in helping Comstock take her from Booker when she was a baby.]]
* [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Itherael]] of ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', justified for he is fate itself. One of the reasons he supports the Nephelem is that they are the only creatures he knows of that are ImmuneToFate, and thus actually stand a chance of screwing the destiny he foresees.
* The Grey Wardens in ''Franchise/DragonAge''. After the Joining, it's explicitly spelled out for them that there is no going back and that every member must accept that for the rest of their life, ([[spoiler:the next thirty years]]), they have sworn an oath to fight the Darkspawn horde. Then, when the Wardens have reached the age for their Calling, they will go down [[TakingYouWithMe taking as many of the Darkspawn as they can with them.]]
* Saren Arterius in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. He works to bring about the return of the Reapers from Dark Space, seeing the evidence that they have repeatedly harvested the galaxy for millions of years as proof that resisting them is futile and only those who [[TheQuisling prove useful]] to the Reapers will be spared the coming invasion. [[spoiler:His fatalism is somewhat understandable since he's later revealed to have been slowly [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Indoctrinated]] by Sovereign and Paragon Shepard can convince him to [[IDieFree resist long enough]] to [[HeroicSuicide shoot himself]]]].
* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'', Arthur Morgan is fairly convinced that, even though he is intelligent and eloquent, he is still little more than a thug and ne'er-do-well who will likely ultimately die an ignoble death. [[spoiler:Once he is forced to confront his mortality following a diagnosis of [[IncurableCoughOfDeath tuberculosis]], however, he becomes confronted with the truth of the matter: with his death now just around the corner, the fact that he doesn't believe in anything leaves him feeling more scared than ever before. In an optional encounter with Sister Calderon, he even confides in her his fears of what is to come, quietly admitting: "...I'm afraid."]]
* Azala, the leader of [[LizardFolk The Reptites]] in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' is revealed to be this in the end. When you defeat her, she expresses shock that the heavens chose "the apes" over her race, and accepts her death even when Ayla tries to convince her to escape with them because it is their fate to go extinct.

* [[spoiler:Sans]] from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' is seemingly aware that he's in a video game (or at least bound by the mechanics of one) and has concluded that his choices are meaningless and the world is at the mercy of the player alone. As such, why bother trying to change anything, since said player could just reload their game and invalidate his choices? [[spoiler:His main actions within the game are to try and encourage the player to feel gratitude and emotional connection to his friends, and to make them feel the emotional weight of any cruel or thoughtless actions. Should the player embark on a course that would lead to ''permanent'' damage to the world (such as a Genocide Run), he endeavors to frustrate the player into stopping.]]
* Lmar in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' believes that he will die some day since it's the price to pay for being a gang banger. Lmar's line of thinking makes him take reckless actions many times over, which has Franklin chew him out for it every time he has to go save him.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel III'', Emperor Eugent III is a firm believer that all things will come to pass and any attempt to steer fate would be a foolish idea. He tells [[TheHero Rean]] that this is the reason why he doesn't stop [[EvilChancellor Osborne]] with his policies. [[spoiler:He's [[YouCantFightFate proven very right]] about this, invoking the biggest DownerEnding of the ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries''.]]
* Yulia Lyuricheva from ''VideoGame/Pathologic2'' is a fatalist who designed the Town-on-Gorkhon's very strange road system. She manages to anticipate events much like the psychics in the town, but rather than using intuition, she takes a very scientific approach to fatalism and predetermination, which Lara Ravel finds depressing.
* Kyurem from ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity'' opposes the heroes because [[spoiler:he believes there's nothing he can do to stop the Bittercold, so there's no point in fighting it]]. It helps that he's got some ability to [[{{Seers}} see the future]], which is a large part of what fuels this belief. However, once the protagonist and their partner beat him, Kyurem steps back and allows them a chance after all.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfHorror'', 'Fatalist' is a potential backstory a character can be played with. This forces the player to [[InterfaceScrew solve the game's mysteries in the order they're generated on the corkboard,]] instead of being able to freely choose the order. If the game puts [[ThatOneLevel Chilling Chronicle of a Crimson Cape]] in slot one, then that's just how it goes.
* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'': [[AnimeChineseGirl Ranpha Franboise]] is a huge fan of fortune-telling, and is always absolutely convinced that her fortunes will always come true. The third chapter of the first game shows her agonizing about this because apparently the fortunes she follows have a 99% accuracy. [[spoiler:At least, until she finds out that these readings are only accurate ''within'' the Transbaal system, making her realize she was fretting over nothing]].

* Wanda in ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' once tried to fight against fate. Everyone she loved died as a result, and she still ended up working for the people it was foretold she would work for. This is why she believes it's impossible to fight against fate, and that trying to do so just causes suffering as fate reasserts its hold on you. Oddly, her LoveInterest displays the exact opposite mindset, being willing to take all of that misery in the hope that she can change things for the better.
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'': Dies Horribly, a victim of a tribal custom where children are named by fortune tellers, believes that his death is inevitable and that there's no fighting it, so he's a real coward. He ends up [[spoiler:giving his life to a demon in exchange for an artifact that the rest of his party needs, but then is revived almost immediately afterwards due to a loophole in the contract.]] And Saves a Fox seems to be inching towards this attitude away from her initial stance of "ScrewDestiny" after [[spoiler:Dies tells her that the fox she killed "instead" of saving had acted like it was in the first stages of a slow and agonizing disease.]]

* [[https://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic/wishy-washy This]] ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' strip has [[Franchise/SuperMario Bowser]] criticizing [[VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG Geno's]] belief that no wishes will be granted without the Star Road as fatalistic, as it's entirely possible to grant wishes entirely by one's own will, rather than waiting for a magical Star Road to do it.
-->'''Bowser:''' I wish I was kicking you through the ceiling. ''[kicks Geno through the ceiling]'' FREE WILL, CHUMPS!

** Jadis is TheOmniscient, and cannot turn it off. She knows everything at all times, which includes perfect knowledge of everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in the future including her own actions. This has not only rendered her a MadOracle [[AndIMustScream entombed in a giant crystal]], stuck with nothing but perfect knowledge of all that is and ever will be, but has also rendered her a major fatalist. [[spoiler:When Allison asks her why she bothered rescuing and healing her, Jadis simply responds "it's what I do" (at that point in time).]]
** Mottom is a more mundane version of this trope, believing herself PowerfulAndHelpless to the degree that she has no real control over her life and her own actions despite being a universe-conquering [[GodEmperor God-Empress]], meaning that everything horrible that is done in her name is ultimately out of her hands and the inevitable solution to her situation. [[spoiler:Allison disabuses her of the notion, somewhat violently, and Mottom suffers a breakdown when she realises she is inevitably going to die and no longer has a StatusQuoIsGod excuse]].

* The townsfolk in "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheFortuneteller The Fortuneteller]]" in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', who all believe Aunt Wu's foretellings with such certainty that they calmly walk into the maw of great danger.

** His sister also believes in this via the Mandate of Heaven: Ruling is a divine right only blessed to certain people.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE49IAmTheNight I Am The Night]]", Batman is resigned to the idea that one of his enemies will eventually kill him.
-->'''Batman:''' Sooner or later, I'll go down. It might be the Joker, or Two-Face, or just some punk who gets lucky. My decision. [[IRegretNothing No regrets]].
** In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS1E13TimeWarped The Once and Future Thing: Time, Warped]], he meets his [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond future self]] and comments that he's surprised that he lived so long.

* As described in the ''Literature/{{Confessions}}'', the Manichees held that all errors in life were really the fault of the all-powerful good substance, but Augustine recognizes later in life that this belief only served to help the Manichees fool themselves into ignoring their own freely-made errors.

* Archdeacon Claude Frollo in ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' is a strong believer in the futility of struggling against the workings of fate, demonstrated when he rebukes Quasimodo for saving a fly from being eaten by a spider. His fatalism is mostly a coping method to deal with [[JadeColoredGlasses his dissatisfaction with his life]], and as a way of [[YouCantFightFate avoiding responsibility for his moral shortcomings]].

* ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'': [[AnimeChineseGirl Ranpha Franboise]] is a huge fan of fortune-telling, and is always absolutely convinced that her fortunes will always come true. The second chapter of the first game shows her agonizing about this because apparently the fortunes she follows have a 99% accuracy. [[spoiler:At least, until she finds out that these readings are only accurate ''within'' the Transbaal system, making her realize she was fretting over nothing]].

* General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson was legendary for being as steady as a 'stone wall' in battle, even under cannon fire. He is quoted as saying "May mine and I, by God's grace, stand like a stone wall before the onslaught of the enemy, trusting that we are as safe on the battlefield as we are in our beds." believing that he would die whenever God willed it. Jackson was a devout Calvinist (see above).

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The Cyclopes in ''Film/{{Krull}}'' made a deal with the Beast, sacrificing one eye to see the future, but were cursed to only be able to foretell their own deaths. It tended to leave them depressed by nature. Subverted in that they could defy ''how'' it would happen (if not ''when)'', but if they did, the death would be far more painful. Naturally, [[spoiler: Rel ends up making exactly this kind of HeroicSacrifice in the movie.]]

** In the backstory, Primarch Konrad Curze was DreamingOfThingsToCome - only he was shown the worst of the futures. This, combined with his certainty that the future would happen the way he had foreseen it and his apparent inability to resist his own violent urges, caused him to turn into an example of this trope.

* Uhai the Soaring Hawk from ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' joins the Black Fang because he's sure that TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is coming and he can't do anything to avoid it. More specifically, Uhai was already a member because he found a sense of kinship with [[WeHelpTheHelpless Brendan Reed and his sons]], whose philosophy of punishing the wicked and protecting the weak he agreed in. When Nergal took over the Fang, Uhai refused to defect - both from loyalty to his TrueCompanions and from a belief that he's not powerful enough to oppose Nergal. Out of respect for Eliwood and his friends for successfully defeating him, though, he aids them with his dying breath, partially because he believes they might have a chance to stop Nergal and partly out of respect for their resolve and strength.

* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'': In ''BioshockInfinite/BurialAtSea,'' [[spoiler: during one of the discussions Robert and Rosalind Lutece are have about why exactly Elizabeth is attempting to change the course of the current dimension's events, Rosalind says that she doesn't understand why Elizabeth is trying, telling Robert that, "What's done is done. What's done will be done." He calls her a fatalist, which lines up with the fact that he's a little more tender-hearted than Rosalind when it comes to Elizabeth and her actions, which is why the two of them set into motion the events of the main game since he felt guilty for having a hand in helping Comstock take her from Booker when she was a baby.]]

Sometimes they keep this attitude to the end, but sometimes they change once somebody proves to them that they can ScrewDestiny. Maybe the reason they believe so strongly in fate is because [[{{Seers}} they can see or predict the future]]. Maybe it's because PropheciesAreAlwaysRight or BecauseDestinySaysSo. Or maybe [[ButThouMust the outcomes are always inevitable no matter what choice you make]].

* Tsunekichi Hatadaira from ''Manga/TalentlessNana'' has the "Talent" of prophetic dreams, documented throughout the night using a Polaroid camera. Everything depicted on the photos comes true one way or the other, and any attempt to say "ScrewDestiny!" oftentimes causes said [[SelfFulfillingProphecy scene to come true.]] The exact moment he stopped caring about trying to control his destiny was when he got a prophecy of him failing his high school entrance exam; he crammed all night, got horribly sick the next day, and failed it anyway.

** One of the reasons the Caliphate relies on the Janissaries for their military forces is that the Janissaries will practice and perform regular maintenance on their equipment so that it remains functional, as not being raised from birth in Islam means "as Allah wills it" isn't a core behavioral tennet.

* Lady Evanna and her brother, [[spoiler:Hibernius Tall]], in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan''. Both of then ancient magical beings seem clever and playful at first, if in dark and creepy ways, but as the fatal confrontation draws near, they both grow solemn, preemptively mourning for the world if the [[TheAntiChrist Lord of the Shadows]] come to power in the ways they foresee. [[spoiler:After the title character goes AntiAntiChrist in the end, Evanna sees that there can be hope if you create it and defies her father to encourage peace between the vampire clans.]]

* Most [[{{Tragedy}} Tragic Heroes]] throughout ancient mythology are fatalistic, especially in Greek, Nordic and [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespearean]] tradition. See ProphecyTwist; SelfFulfillingProphecy; NayTheist; YouCantFightFate; and ThereIsOnlyOnePossibleFuture.

%% ** Wilhelm from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''. On the other hand, he's made the Eternal Recurrance take place countless times before...

** Gerome is a heroic example: having lost all hope [[spoiler:after the BadFuture has taken place]], he is the one of the [[spoiler:[[KidFromTheFuture Kid from the Future]] group]] who believes the least in the chance to [[spoiler:change Ylisse's destiny]], but fights for it nonetheless.

* [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Garland]] is given this characterization in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy''. He is one of the few characters in the game who's aware of the GroundhogDayLoop they're all stuck in and has been completely broken by the endless repetition of divine war. He's resigned to become a BloodKnight, because enjoying the conflict is all he has left to his life, and the mere suggestion that the cycle can be broken drives him furious because he refuses to believe in false hope.

* Saren Arterius in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. He works to bring about the return of the Reapers from Dark Space, seeing the evidence that they have repeatedly harvested of the galaxy for millions of years as proof that resisting them is futile and only those who [[TheQuisling prove useful]] to the Reapers will be spared the coming invasion. [[spoiler:His fatalism is somewhat understandable since he's later revealed to have been slowly [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Indoctrinated]] by Sovereign and Paragon Shepard can convince him to [[IDieFree resist long enough]] to [[HeroicSuicide shoot himself]]]].

* Yulia Lyuricheva from ''VideoGame/Pathologic2'' is a fatalist who designed the Town-on-Gorkhon's very strange road system. She manages to anticipate events much like the psychics in the town, but rather than using intuition she takes a very scientific approach to fatalism and predetermination, which Lara Ravel finds depressing.
* Kyurem from ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity'' opposes the heores because [[spoiler:he believes there's nothing he can do to stop the Bittercold, so there's no point in fighting it]]. It helps that he's got some ability to [[{{Seers}} see the future]], which is a large part of what fuels this belief. However, once the protagonist and their partner beat him, Kyurem steps back and allows them a chance after all.

** Jadis is TheOmniscient, and cannot turn it off. She knows everything at all times, which includes perfect knowledge of everything that has happened, is happening and will happen in the future including her own actions. This has not only rendered her a MadOracle [[AndIMustScream entombed in a giant crystal]], stuck with nothing but perfect knowledge of all that is and ever will be, but has also rendered her a major fatalist. [[spoiler:When Allison asks her why she bothered rescuing and healing her, Jadis simply responds "it's what I do" (at that point in time).]]

** To an extent, Zuko in the first two seasons, continuously obsessed about his "destiny", and despite hardly knowing what that means, choosing it over his happiness, sanity, and family.

* Uhai the Soaring Hawk from ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' joins the Black Fang because he's sure that TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt is coming and he can't do anything to avoid it. More specifically, Uha was already a member because he found a sense of kinship with [[WeHelpTheHelpless Brendan Reed and his sons]], whose philosophy of punishing the wicked and protecting the weak he agreed in. When Nergal took over the Fang, Uhai refused to defect - both from loyalty to his TrueCompanions and from a belief that he's not powerful enough to oppose Nergal. Out of respect for Eliwood and his friends for successfully defeating him, though, he aids them with his dying breath, partially because he believes they might have a chance to stop Nergal and partly out of respect for their resolve and strength.

* Comicbook/DoctorFate has the ability to foresee the future thanks to a helm containing the spirits of the Lords of Order, one of whom being Nabu. And for whatever philosophy he spouts, it is almost always guaranteed to happen.

* The Huntsman in ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'' is a villainous example, but with a reason: if he didn't believe in fate, he'd have to accept that his own actions led directly to the death of his son.

* There is more information [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalism here]] about fatalism and how it differs from similar views, plus criticism of the idea.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Ulysses is a deconstruction. Ulysses simply could not accept that the destruction of his hometown was a random accident, the destruction he had wrought was ultimately meaningless and caused unforeseen collateral damage. After enduring these tragedies, Ulysses developed an obsession with hidden meanings and symbols, seeing the world as a puzzle to solve and something for him to fix. After dwelling on these thoughts, Ulysses decided that the solution was to wipe the slate clean and start over, destroying both the [[DisasterDemocracy NCR]] and [[HordesFromTheEast Caesar's Legion]] with targetted nuclear strikes. Telling him that he has no way of knowing that he will get the results he wants is dismissed out of hand.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Ulysses is a deconstruction. Ulysses simply could not accept that the destruction of his hometown was a random accident, the destruction he had wrought was ultimately meaningless and caused unforeseen collateral damage by, discovering Hoover Dam (which resulted in the first battle for Hoover Dam), causing the deaths of countless people by telling Elijah about the Sierra Madre, militarizing the White Legs under Caesar's orders, and his actions at the Big Mountain Research Facility. After enduring these tragedies, Ulysses developed an obsession with hidden meanings and symbols, seeing the world as a puzzle to solve and something for him to fix. After dwelling on these thoughts, Ulysses decided that the solution was to wipe the slate clean and start over, destroying both the [[DisasterDemocracy NCR]] and [[HordesFromTheEast Caesar's Legion]] with targetted nuclear strikes. Telling him that he has no way of knowing that he will get the results he wants is dismissed out of hand.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Ulysses is a deconstruction. He simply could not accept that the destruction of his hometown was a random accident and that the destruction he had wrought was meaningless. Instead, he developed an obsession with hidden meanings and symbols, seeing the world as a puzzle to solve, and decided the solution was to clean the table and start over, destroying both the [[DisasterDemocracy NCR]] and [[HordesFromTheEast Caesar's Legion]]. Telling him that he has no way of knowing he will get the results he wants is dismissed out of hand.

* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Ulysses is a deconstruction. He simply could not accept that the destruction of his hometown was a random accident and that the destruction he had wrought was meaningless. Instead, he developed an obsession with hidden meanings and symbols, seeing the world as a puzzle to solve, and when he couldn't decided to clean the table and start over, destroying the scraps of civilization left in the process.

** Batman villain/ComicBook/SuicideSquad member Characters/{{Deadshot}} believes that if it's his time to die, he dies. [[spoiler:That said, he's understandably pissed off when it's revealed to him that Amanda Waller had kept bringing him back to life so that he could serve on the Squad permanently.]]