History Main / ThePresentsWereNeverFromSanta

* Kyoko of ''SkipBeat!'' still believes she got her purple worry stone from a fairy prince named Corn, which is very important to her. The pretty blond boy in question was ten at the time, and she was six; he presumably thought it was harmless to play along with such a ridiculously cute little girl. [[spoiler: Now that Hizuri Kuon has grown up and [[BecomingTheMask become]] Tsuruga Ren, the ethical issues involved in his convoluted lies have become really ridiculous.]] Incredibly, none of it has actually bitten yet.

->''Listen. Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not some farcical aquatic ceremony!"''
-->-- '''Dennis''', ''MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. See also ScamReligion, for when Bob tries to get others to believe in his nonsense. The MagicFeather can be the token of Bob's specialness, a gift from his benefactor that symbolizes Bob's not so real powers. For the real thing, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity in general as well as specific characters such as SantaClaus, TheChooserOfTheOne and [[EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity The Lady of the Lake]].

* Played for maximum tragedy & angst in the ''StarTrekVoyager'' episode [[spoiler:''Course Oblivion'']]. The crew put their trust in a shapeshifting alien who they believe to be the Star Fleet Captain Katheryn Janeway. This creature does believe itself to be Janeway, and it's trying to keep her crew safe and get them home, just like the real Janeway would. Too bad for the crew that she's not a real Star Fleet officer, and has a really flawed understanding of what is "safe" and what is "home".

*** For the record: What with Shoutaro being a [[BastardBoyfriend self-involved jerk]] and her mother being [[AbusiveParents abusive and neglectful]], the most meaningful emotional connection Kyoko had in her ''whole early life'' was in those couple of weeks with Corn. Probably a large part of why she has never hesitated to keep believing in fairies. (Of course, given that her Hate Demons have actual psychic and possibly sometimes physical effects and the ESP guy seems to be the real deal, she may be correct to believe in fairies. She also hallucinates them sometimes. ([[OrIsIt Or not.]])

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. See also ScamReligion, for when Bob tries to get others to believe in his nonsense. The MagicFeather can be the token of Bob's specialness, a gift from his benefactor that symbolizes Bob's not so real powers. For the real thing, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity in general as well as specific characters such as SantaClaus and [[EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity The Lady of the Lake]].

*** Considering the group committed the crime totally obliviously, and that the Paladins themselves had actively suppressed and hidden any information which might have let anyone outside their order even know it was a dangerous thing to do, the group probably would have been just fine with a real Angel (and it would have saved everyone some hassle/murder down the line when the fact the trial was rigged comes to light).

* ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick'' features two different kind of FauxEmpoweringEntity. Both are of the scam artist kind, but different kinds of scams.
** An Angel "of pure Good and Law" clears the heroes' names, making them innocent of a very serious crime in the eyes of an order of Paladins. However, the trial is just a ShamCeremony, and the "angel" is just a manipulative ghost disguised as an angel.
*** Considering the group committed the crime totally obliviously, and that the Paladins themselves had actively suppressed and hidden any information which might have let anyone outside their order even know it was a dangerous thing to do, the group probably would have been just fine with a real Angel (and it would have saved everyone some hassle/murder down the line when the fact the trail was rigged comes to light).
** The evil trio who tempts V takes on the role of EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity, but subverts the role to snare the wizard. V is manipulated into accepting a price they doesn't understand (rather than admit that their own power had failed yet again) and is tricked to believe that they has an excuse to let hir more destructive tendencies run wild without accepting true responsibility for the havoc. Also, the power the trio give is tainted and fatally flawed in itself, not at all what V had imagined "Ultimate Arcane Power" to be, as revealed when [[spoiler:s/he tries to take down Xykon and gets schooled by the vastly more powerful lich]].
** Well, V. had lost control of the strongest part of the empowerment by the time he/she took on Xykon.

[[quoteright:226:[[ChickTracts http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/EasterBunny_2993.jpg]]]]

** Lampshaded in ''CityOfHeroes'', where all villain characters are apparently potential "Chosen Ones" in some kind of prophesy based around the main villain. And in a notable {{Deconstruction}}, the epic archetypes have an alternate introduction, where they ''hack into Arachnid's systems and mark themselves as one of the Chosen Ones''.

** Lampshaded in ''CityOfHeroes'', where all villain characters are apparantly potential "Chosen Ones" in some kind of prophesy based around the main villain. And in a notable [[Deconstruction]], the epic archetypes have an alternate introduction, where they ''hack into Arachnid's systems and mark themselves as one of the Chosen Ones''.

[[quoteright:226:[[ChickTracts http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/EasterBunny_2993.jpg]]]]

* Light Yagami of ''DeathNote'' briefly wonders why ''he'' was given a book that could kill anybody. When the being who slipped him the Death Note tells him that 'I did it because I was bored. There's nothing special about you', he decides fate gave him the Death Note. [[AGodAmI This tells you something about his motivation.]]

* ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'' features two different kind of FauxEmpoweringEntity. Both are of the scam artist kind, but different kinds of scams.

** Psychiatrists, however, have confirmed that many who turn atheist do so due to the Father-God complex: the human tendency to visualize God in the likeness of the strongest patriarchal figure in their life (generally their fathers, natch.) If said father figure is abusive, neglectful, or simply not even there...

** It's also of note that for all the denial that finding out about Santa had any influence in their atheism, it's one of the first things referenced when atheists talk about "how our parents lied to us..." with "Santa Claus" and "God" mentioned in the very same breath.

* In ''TheExorcismOfEmilyRose'', an angel gives the titular character blessings and tactical updates in her war against the devil. While psychiatry (in the movie as well as in RealLife) is convinced that Emily was insane and that it was wrong of her priest to advice her to stop taking her medication, the movie makes it [[AmbiguousSituation ambiguous]] whether the battle was all a matter of insanity (making the angel a FauxEmpoweringEntity who helped Emily destroy herself) or a real battle between spiritual forces (making the angel a EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity who helped Emily defeat the devil and [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth move on to a better place]]).

Compare ''and'' Contrast WindmillPolitical: While a {{windmill}} is a threat that isn't really a threat, this trope features a kind of help that ultimately isn't helpful. See also ScamReligion, for when Bob tries to get others to believe in his nonsense. For the real thing, contrast EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity in general as well as specific characters such as SantaClaus and [[EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity The Lady of the Lake]].

->''Listen. Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not some farcical aquatic ceremony! I mean, you can't go around, wielding supreme executive power, just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!"''

* In ''TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', the Wizard is ultimately proven to be a fraud, giving out {{Magic Feather}}s as if they were real gifts. (However, the gifts are symbolic. Thus they can be considered valid in the film version, which was AllJustADream.) In [[Literature/LandOfOz the novels]], the Wizard later learns real magic that nonetheless never has as big an effect on characters or the story as those three symbolic gifts he gave in the first book.

* In ''TheWizardOfOz'', the Wizard is ultimately proven to be a fraud, giving out {{Magic Feather}}s as if they were real gifts. (However, the gifts are symbolic. Thus they can be considered valid in the film version, which was AllJustADream.) In the novels, the Wizard later learns real magic that nonetheless never has as big an effect on characters or the story as those three symbolic gifts he gave in the first book.

* Kyoko of SkipBeat! still believes she got her purple worry stone from a fairy prince named Corn, which is very important to her. The pretty blond boy in question was ten at the time, and she was six; he presumably thought it was harmless to play along with such a ridiculously cute little girl. [[spoiler: Now that Hizuri Kuon has grown up and [[BecomingTheMask become]] Tsuruga Ren, the ethical issues involved in his convoluted lies have become really ridiculous.]] Incredibly, none of it has actually bitten yet.

* In FiddlerOnTheRoof, a prophetic dream make Golde accept that her daughter will marry a poor tailor instead of a rich butcher. Good for the daughter, and also for the husband (who lied about the supernatural vision in order to dodge the wrath of his wife) - but clearly against Golde's true wishes.

* In TheWizardOfOz, the Wizard is ultimately proven to be a fraud, giving out {{Magic Feather}}s as if they were real gifts. (However, the gifts are symbolic. Thus they can be considered valid in the film version, which was AllJustADream.) In the novels, the Wizard later learns real magic that nonetheless never has as big an effect on characters or the story as those three symbolic gifts he gave in the first book.
* In TheBible, Satan arguably fills this role as he's tempting Jesus with empty/meaningless promises in the desert.

* Played for maximum tragedy & angst in the StarTrekVoyager episode [[spoiler:''Course Oblivion'']]. The crew put their trust in a shapeshifting alien who they believe to be the Star Fleet Captain Katheryn Janeway. This creature does believe itself to be Janeway, and it's trying to keep her crew safe and get them home, just like the real Janeway would. Too bad for the crew that she's not a real Star Fleet officer, and has a really flawed understanding of what is "safe" and what is "home".

* ScarredLands: One of the lesser ChaoticEvil gods is fake. The Chaotic Evil overgod killed but then pretended to make him a God so that his followers would pray to the overgod who slayed him while believing that it is him they serve. Why? ForTheEvulz, of course. And all the poor minions get for their faithful service is the horrors of Hell. Note that this isn't a ScamReligion: It is a real ReligionOfEvil that really worship an evil God - it's just that they have been deceived regarding ''which'' evil God hears their prayers!

** A noteworthy WorldOfWarcraft example is the wise old ogre who crowns the character king or Queen of Ogri'La. Since the quest is a group quest and was quite popular back in its days, it rarely took long until a new batch of five new kings & queens was publicly announced by the same old ogre.
** Lampshaded in CityOfHeroes, where all villain characters are apparantly potential "Chosen Ones" in some kind of prophesy based around the main villain. And in a notable [[Deconstruction]], the epic archetypes have an alternate introduction, where they ''hack into Arachnid's systems and mark themselves as one of the Chosen Ones''.
* Uncle Rupee in ''Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland''.
* Lady Yunalesca in FinalFantasyX filled a role similar to this. For a thousand years she assisted summoners with the pen-ultimate step of their pilgrimage to obtain the Final Summon by [[spoiler: turning one of their guardians into it]]. Turns out, this is all a vicious, endless cycle of death destruction (and she knew it) and that her authority comes from her dad being the BigBad that controls and recreates the monstrous Sin these summoners sought to destroy once and for all. Fortunately, the heroes reject her offer to "help" them, destroy her to end the cycle of pointless sacrifice, and TakeAThirdOption instead.

* [[http://xkcd.com/842/ This]] XKCD comic.