Basic Trope: Characters are unable to change the events.
- Straight: Psychic Alice predicts that Bob Killer is destined to fight against the greatest foe in the whole world, Lord Evulz. He cannot change his destiny at all.
- Exaggerated: Bob Killer must fight a goddess who is not only literally named Fate, but she is also the conceptual being of destiny. He literally cannot fight against Fate.
- Downplayed: Bob Killer is able to change some events in Psychic Alice's prophecy, but not enough to change his ultimate destiny.
- Justified:
- Bob Killer is known as the true Chosen One, and is the only one who can truly give him defeat.
- Bob Killer was the most appropriate and accurate person the prophecy told about.
- The event in question is the result of a Xanatos Gambit, so it really can't be averted, no matter what Bob does.
- Inverted: Screw Destiny
- Subverted: At first, it seems like Bob is going to do exactly as the foretelling of the psychic told him, but he isn't interested in doing it.
- Double Subverted: ...But then Bob must do it anyway, as life is not so simple.
- Parodied:
- Bob keeps following the psychic for a while. When the psychic stops, she admits that she was being dramatic and humorous about a predestined fight. Bob becomes relieved, but at the same time, now wants to chase her and tell her to never do that again.
- Bob laughs off Alice's silly prediction and solemnly swears he will never engage in combat with Evulz and will immediately do whatever he can to ensure this won't be the case. Then, as he drives home, he accidentally runs over Evulz.
- Zig Zagged: Bob is in the middle of resting and doing other things, then going back to being forced to challenge Lord Evulz.
- Averted: There are no predetermined series of events for Bob Killer.
- Enforced: "Let's show this character that there's no way he can just magically get out of this literal plot by Lord Evulz!"
- Lampshaded: "Well, this is it. I must fulfill my life and save the world. I cannot change it, however I wish."
- Invoked: Because Destiny Says So
- Exploited: Prophecy Twist—a very cunning and bold character can take advantage of what fate actually says and play everybody towards that fate in a way that benefits him.
- Defied: Screw Destiny
- Discussed: "This is unfortunate, considering that he basically has no choice but to fulfill that prophecy. It's just going to happen to him anyways."
- Conversed: ???
- Played for Laughs: Bob says that will never happen, but through some strange means, he ends up defeating Lord Evulz unintentionally.
- Deconstructed:
- After a talk about his fate, Bob Killer has a Heroic BSoD, as there is no way to pick any other option.
- Bob Killer realizes that the psychic was joking and scamming him. Bob Killer grows angry and never trusts prophecies ever again.
- Reconstructed:
- Bob later thinks about the fact that he may finally found somebody who is worth challenging.
- He learns how to accept the fate that all things in life are controllable.
- Played For Drama: With fate controlling everything, Bob becomes lazy and unmotivated; what's the point of doing anything if it's not what is already predetermined?
Back to You Can't Fight Fate, and you have no choice but to succumb to it.
