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1''You were always going to read this category description.''
2
3See also {{Seekers}} and {{Seers}}.
4----
5[[index]]
6
7!!Character Tropes
8* ApocalypseMaiden: An innocent character is destined to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt just by existing.
9* BlindSeer: A character who is physically blind, and yet they can see more than we can, e.g. into the future.
10* TheChosenOne: The ancient prophecy says that only a certain person can save the world.
11** TheChooserOfTheOne: The one that decides who TheChosenOne is.
12** TheChosenPeople: A specific civilization or nationality is chosen by a higher power as its favorite, often for a higher purpose.
13** TheChosenWannabe: The character is envious of the actual [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]] and wants to replace them.
14** TheChosenMany: TheChosenOne, but there's several of them. Alternately, a superpowered individual discovers an organization of similarly-powered individuals.
15** TheChosenZero: TheChosenOne is a loser.
16** ThePoorlyChosenOne: Where TheChosenOne fails at being the Chosen One.
17** ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne: Being TheChosenOne comes with more problems than perks.
18** TheUnchosenOne: A character decides to save the world despite not being marked as TheChosenOne.
19* ExternallyValidatedProphecy: When a character makes a prediction about the future which is not fulfilled in the work, yet an audience aware of history knows will be fulfilled. In other words, a CallForward to real life.
20* FaintingSeer: An oracle/seer has a dramatic negative reaction to the future they see.
21* TheFatalist: A character who believes everything that happens is destined to happen and there is no way to escape it
22* ImmuneToFate: [[ScrewDestiny Screwing Destiny]] as a superpower.
23* InstantOracleJustAddWater: The Dehydrated Oracle immerses themself nearly or completely in water, and through contact with the liquid is gifted with visions of the future.
24* JunkieProphet: A character relies on drug-tripping hallucinations or other trance-induced behaviours to see the future.
25* MadOracle: A character who can see the future, but seems to have terrible mental health.
26* MagicalSeventhSon: Being the seventh son of a seventh son is an omen of supernatural powers or greatness. Often this power is being a seer.
27* MultipleChoiceFuture: There are multiple, equally-probable futures.
28* MysticalWaif: A fragile young woman infused with plot-relevant magical powers.
29* NonLinearCharacter: A character that is both in and out of time.
30* NotSoOmniscientAfterAll: A character doesn't know everything, to the great surprise of themselves or people around them.
31* TheOmniscient: A character who knows everything.
32* OmniscientHero: The main character knows everything.
33* OracularUrchin: A young person who makes mysterious comments that imply or indicate they know the future, or at least more than they should.
34* PrecrimeArrest: Someone gets arrested for a crime that they would commit in the future.
35* PrescienceByAnalysis: Predicting the future with probability, statistics, and mathematics and science in general.
36* {{Seers}}: People who can see into the future, past and to faraway places.
37* WaifProphet: A weak and/or sickly (either physically or mentally) character who can see into the future. Usually but not exclusively female.
38
39!!Other Tropes
40* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Fate is accepted as objective fact.
41* BirthmarkOfDestiny: TheChosenOne has a mark that means they're the Chosen One.
42* CheatedDeathDiedAnyway: Narrowly avoiding death in one incident, then getting killed in a totally separate incident shortly thereafter.
43* {{Chronoscope}}: A device that allows its user to view past and future events.
44* CometOfDoom: A comet in the sky signals—or perhaps causes—a truly momentous event.
45* CrystalBall: Crystal balls are used for magical purposes, typically for seeing things, and especially the future.
46* DeadMansHand: A poker hand with two aces, two eights, and any other unmatched card. Usually a PortentOfDoom.
47* DreamingOfThingsToCome: A character has prophetic dreams of a future event.
48* EitherOrProphecy: A prophecy specifies two possible outcomes to an event.
49* FailedFutureForecast: A work makes a prediction about the future that doesn't come to pass.
50* FateDrivesUsTogether: The main couple meets by repeatedly bumping into each other.
51* FlashSideways: A [[{{Flashback}} suddenly resurfacing memory]] which comes from the character's AlternateSelf in an AlternateUniverse.
52* ForeseeingMyDeath: A character has foreseen the circumstances under which they are going to die.
53* HijackedDestiny: A character manages to steal TheChosenOne's status away from the proper chosen one.
54* {{Horrorscope}}: A character reads something in their horoscope in the news so unbelievably horrifying that they will resort to doing anything or everything to prevent it from coming true.
55* LovesMeNot: A character does something (usually plucking flower petals) to determine whether someone loves them, alternating between saying the love interest "loves [them]" and "loves [them] not" with each turn.
56* Magic8Ball: A popular toy used for fortune telling.
57* MagicMirror: A mirror with magical powers that can do more than reflect one's image.
58* MagpiesAsPortents: The association of certain numbers of magpies with good or bad luck, and the rituals for warding the bad luck off.
59* MisfortuneCookie: The slip of paper in a fortune cookie tells the character something demotivational or otherwise grim. Could serve as {{Foreshadowing}}.
60* NiceJobBreakingItHerod: A villain tries to kill a child who is destined to defeat them. This often [[SelfFulfillingProphecy backfires]].
61* NoManOfWomanBorn: A seemingly-impossible prophesized condition is ultimately met through ExactWords or LoopholeAbuse.
62* OuijaBoard: A board game that is seen as a mystical device which can be used to communicate with spirits.
63* PokeInTheThirdEye: A character messes with people who are trying to scry against them.
64* PortentOfDoom: An omen of ill-fate.
65* PreemptiveDeclaration: Character declares a future action as if done in past tense, before [[SelfFulfillingProphecy actually doing it]].
66* PrescienceIsPredictable: Perfect knowledge of the future makes life boring or depressing.
67* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: Prophecies are always correct, and are neither lies nor jokes.
68* PropheciesRhymeAllTheTime: Prophecies all come in verse.
69* ProphecyArmor: A character destined to die from a specific circumstance [[PlotArmor cannot die from anything else]].
70* TheProphecy: A prophecy that drives the plot.
71* ProphecyPileup: When two or more prophecies overlap.
72* ProphecyTwist: A prophecy technically comes true, [[ExactWords but not in the way it seemed like it would]].
73* PropheticFallacy: A prophecy that is incomplete or otherwise doesn't give those who see it all the information.
74* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: DreamingOfThingsToCome? Oh, that's normal, everyone gets those. Even those that don't have PsychicPowers. Especially those that don't have PsychicPowers.
75* RedStringOfFate: Character knows another character is their soulmate because a plot device (invisible red string, birthmarks, timers, etc.) connects to them.
76* ScrewDestiny: Character decides to go against their written fate.
77* ScryVsScry: When dueling {{Seers}} start [[OutGambitted trying to counter]] [[XanatosSpeedChess each other's plans]].
78* SelfDefeatingProphecy: The very existence of prophetic foreknowledge initiates [[ScrewDestiny the alteration of the future]].
79* SelfFulfillingProphecy: A prophecy fulfilled by attempts to prevent it from happening.
80* SlidingScaleOfFreeWillVsFate: Sliding scale determining how much free will characters really have in a work.
81* StrangelySpecificHoroscope: A character's horoscope for the day literally predicts what's going to happen to them.
82* TarotTroubles: Tarot card readings hint at [[PortentOfDoom terrible dangers]].
83* ThereAreNoCoincidences: A character [[GenreSavvy does not believe]] that [[ContrivedCoincidence strange things just happen]].
84* ThreadsOfFate: Powerful and supernatural threads that can represent or even wield cosmic forces like destiny and fate, often to the point where cutting one can end a person's life.
85* ThreadOfProphecySevered: A prophecy fails to come to pass due to something involved in it going wrong.
86* TomesOfProphecyAndFate: A book of prophecies that can be used to predict the future.
87* TwistingTheProphecy: Knowingly fulfilling a prophecy in a way that creates a favourable outcome.
88* VaguenessIsComing: Something bad is coming, but... what, exactly?
89* VideoGamesAndFate: Video games where the strictly linear gameplay is justified in-story, by way of reference to fate, destiny or mind control.
90* WhenThePlanetsAlign: As the orbits of planets and/or other celestial objects cross paths, wacky stuff begins to happen.
91* WindsOfDestinyChange: The ability to alter probability or luck.
92* YouAlreadyChangedThePast[=/=]YouCannotChangeTheFuture: A character goes [[TimeTravel back in time]] to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong, only to discover that the "changes" they're making to the past were what "already" happened anyway.
93* YouCantFightFate: Characters are unable to prevent what's been foretold.
94
95[[/index]]

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