History Main / TheThreeTrials

* ''MassEffect'' has three planets that must be visited to unravel Saren's schemes: Therum, Noveria and Feros. These may be visited in any order, and after two of them are cleared a lead also appears on a fourth planet, Virmire.

* IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade: To reach the Holy Grail, Indy must get past three traps: The Breath of God[[note]]"Only the penitent man shall pass" (humbling oneself by kneeling below blades that would otherwise decapitate him)[[/note]], the Word of God[[note]]"Only in God's name shall he proceed" (stepping only on tiles with letters that spell "IEHOVA", what with there being no J in Latin script)[[/note]], and the Path of God[[note]]"Only in the leap from the lion's mouth shall he prove his worth" (taking a leap of faith onto a path rendered invisible by ForcedPerspective)[[/note]].

* In ''LostInOz'', to open Horn's Gate, the heroes must answer three riddles. Selina answers the first two and Alex answers the third.

** Done twice in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland''. Find a map, a ship, and a crew in the second act, then a ring, a diamond, and a way to remove a cursed ring (hand lotion, if you're curious) in the fourth act. Each object demands a lengthy expedition and perilous adventure -- yes, even the hand lotion.

* IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade: To reach the holy grail Indy must get past three traps: The Breath of God[[note]]"Only the penitent man shall pass" (humbling oneself by kneeling below blades that would otherwise decapitate him)[[/note]], the Word of God[[note]]"Only in the God's name shall he proceed" (stepping only on tiles with letters that spell "IEHOVA", what with there being no J in Latin script)[[/note]], and the Path of God[[note]]"Only in the leap from the lion's mouth shall he prove his worth" (taking a leap of faith onto a path rendered invisible by ForcedPerspective)[[/note]].

* The climax of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''. The BREATH of God! The WORD of God! The PATH of God!

* IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade: To reach the holy grail Indy must get pass three traps.

* Much of the middle of ''DragonAge'' revolves around gaining support for the Grey Wardens by bringing old treaties to various leaders. There are three treaties -- one for the elves, one for the dwarves, and one for the mages -- and you can visit the three groups in any order. There is a fourth one though that's unrelated to the treaties, the Castle Redcliffe that Alistair believes will be able to assist. Naturally, none of these four people are able to help you right off the bat, and you have to save their asses before they'll help you.

** Done twice in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland''. Find a map, a ship, and a crew in the second act, then a ring, a diamond and hand lotion in the fourth act. Each object demands a lengthy expedition and perilous adventure - yes, even the hand lotion.

* The main quest of ''TheElderScrolls III: Morrowind'' can be solved after acquiring three things - the two artifacts the sword Keening and the hammer Sunder and a means of wielding them for more than a second without dying.

* ''DiabloII'' Act 2 and 3 require you to track down three magical artifacts to combine into a weapon that'd open the way to the endboss. Technically there were four items in the third act, but the last one was obtained right next to where you needed to use them.

* Present in level 6 of ''DevilMayCry 3''. You are presented with three challenges, representing strength, skill and intelligence (if i recall correctly). Passing one of them gives you nothing, passing two opens the way to the end of the level and passing all three nets you the Artemis gun.

* ''KingsQuestI'' follows this pattern pretty straight, with the three treasures as a magic chest, a magic shield, and a magic mirror. (The difference being in [=KQI=], the treasures are required to win the game, not just to solve the first quest).

* Present in level 6 of ''DevilMayCry'' 3. You are presented with three challenges, representing strength, skill and intelligence (if i recall correctly). Passing one of them gives you nothing, passing two opens the way to the end of the level and passing all three nets you the Artemis gun.

* ''[[VideoGame/PeasantsQuest Peasant's Quest]]'': You have to stink like a peasant, dress like a peasant, and be on fire like a peasant before the knight will let you go fight Trogdor. And then there are the three guardians who ask you questions outside Trogdor's lair and give you the equipment you need.

* [[MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail "Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see."]]
* ''MassEffect'' has three planets that must be visited to unravel Saren's schemes: Therum, Noveria and Feros. These may be visited in any order, and after two of them are cleared a lead also appears on a fourth planet, Virmire.

* CrimsonSkies: High Road to Revenge has the Three Trials of Soloho - Marksmanship, Courage and Skill.

* ''{{Turgor}}'' has one of the brothers announce you will be given three trials to determine your worthiness, given one after another. However, the second trial is failed before you even start it.

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* ''DayOfTheTentacle'', the entire game between the prologue and the endgame. Interestingly done in that each task is set in its own time period and pursued by a different character.

* ''GrimFandango'' Year 2 is built around one of these. Manny must acquire unionised worker bee equipment for Glottis (and sober up his sidekick in the process), forge a maritime uninion membership for himself (and steal from a major mafia boss in the process), and finally prevent a ship's cook from showing up for work (and dig through giant kitty litter in the process).

* In almost every ''{{Xanth}}'' book, someone will go to the Good Magician's castle to get information, where they will have to get past three challenges of varying nature before he will see them.

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*** The fourth episode changes up this trope a bit by charging Guybrush with four crimes to get himself acquitted from, followed by someone remarking [[LampshadeHanging "I thought there would be three"]], and then with having to find six voodoo ingredients.

* A staple of numerous [[TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]] games [[TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast Link to the Past]] onwards. To elaborate:
** [[TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast Link to the Past]] had the Player collect the [[MacGuffin three pendants of virtue]] of wisdom, power, and courage.
** [[TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]] has Link gather the three spiritual stones of forest, fire, and water.
** [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]] has the player collect the pearls
** [[TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]] requires you to collect the three fused shadows.
** [[TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]] has three trials which must be passed to gain entrance to [[spoiler: the Desert Temple]].
* SkywardSword has the three first Silent Realms, the three dragons' songs, the first three dungeons set in three provinces...

* [[HomestarRunner Peasant's Quest]]: You have to stink like a peasant, dress like a peasant, and be on fire like a peasant before the knight will let you go fight Trogdor. And then there are the three guardians who ask you questions outside Trogdor's lair and give you the equipment you need.

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* Trope namer, the Three Trials in ''TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'': Swordplay, thievery and treasure-huntery.

** And again in ''EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'', where Guybrush has to prove his innocence by finding and retrieving the stolen loot, find the real perpetrator, and find a piece of evidence that ties him to the crime...and later on when Guybrush has to find the three pieces of the Ultimate Insult (a bronzed hat, a golden man, and a silver monkey head) on Jambalaya Island.

** And yet again in the first chapter of ''TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', when Guybrush has to board a Ship, find a treasure and start a fight so a journalist gives Guybrush information on a person that can get him off the island he is in when he has a story to write about in his newspaper.

* Parodied in Episode 2 of ''StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople''. Homsar tells Strong Bad that he'll only join him after he completes the "three ancient tasks of great boredom", but very quickly admits that he was only joking. It's played straight in a few other episodes, though:

** [[TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Wind Waker]] has the player collect the pearls

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* ''BackToTheFutureTheGame'': About half the episodes feature this. For example, the three demeanors in Ep. 3: "Citizen Brown".

* The climax of ''IndianaJones and the Last Crusade''. The BREATH of God! The WORD of God! The PATH of God!

* Subverted and mocked in Episode 2 of ''StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople''. Homsar tells Strong Bad that he'll only join him after he completes the "three ancient tasks of great boredom", but very quickly admits that he was only joking.
** Played straight in a few other episodes, though:
*** In "Homestar Ruiner", Strong Bad, in order to get Homestar out of his house, must clear him of the public nudity charge against him, get him back together with Marzipan, and make him the winner of the Race to the End of the Race. Note that each of these is undoing the damage that an earlier set of Three Trials inflicted on him.
*** In "Baddest of the Bands", in order to get the band contest up and running, Strong Bad must get three bands to sign up: he has to get Coach Z and Bubs to re-form their rap duo, get Homestar a job singing with Pom Pom, and convince Marzipan to enter her band Cool Tapes in the contest instead of playing a benefit for an endangered albino bat. Then once the contest starts, Strong Bad must sabotage all three of the other bands.