This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Lale: What about the reverse, where the protagonist is the promised fiance who doesn't want to get married and is fighting in said challenge for their freedom?
Goldfritha: What's the difference between this and Standard Hero Reward? Sure, there are situations where the challenge doesn't handle some pressing need, and situations where the king decides, after the battle, that this is suitable bridegroom, but does this cover only those situations where the marriage is not actually a reward?
gibberingtroper: Is this strictly for the old style king challenging suitors for a princess? I ask because this trope has a mundane modern day equivalent embodied in the movie Meet The Parents, where the suitor has to survive a weekend with testy parents (one of whom happens to be a [retired?] CIA operative.) There are a lot of these in modern fiction, anything from just being able to tolerate the would-be in-laws to the suitor having to prove they're man enough or woman enough via some manly or womanly activity.
- Nevermind, its Parental Marriage Veto (although there might still be room for a sub trope about the specific challenges a mate must face to gain the approval of the parents.)
