History Main / OnlyThePureOfHeart

** Sora also deserves mention here, as the purity and courage within his heart is what makes him the keyblade bearer. In fact, certain interpretations of a line in Jiminy's journal indicates that Riku would have been the keyblade bearer, but he allowed darkness into his heart, so it snubbed him. Thus, Riku was only able to obtain a keyblade later by transforming his sword into one; how exactly he did that [[AWizardDidIt isn't really explained.]]

* In Episode 7 of ''WebAnimation/SunsetParadise'', [[BigBad Sir Benedict]] goes about performing entirely shallow and self-serving good deeds around town so he can earn the "pure heart" required to cross the magical barrier protecting the coveted [[MacGuffin Phoenix Egg]] within the lighthouse. He succeeds in [[FriendToAllChildren winning over the local children]], but the lighthouse keeper gloats that no one becomes pure of heart through half-assed favors. [[spoiler:Then it turns out Benedict really meant the [[ChildrenAreInnocent "pure hearts" of the children themselves]], whom his EliteMooks proceed to [[WouldHurtAChild violently and traumatically ram into the barrier]] [[LoopholeAbuse to force their way through]].]]

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* In Episode 7 of ''WebAnimation/SunsetParadise'', [[BigBad Sir Benedict]] goes about performing entirely shallow and self-serving good deeds around town so he can earn the "pure heart" required to cross the magical barrier protecting the coveted [[MacGuffin Phoenix Egg]] within the lighthouse. He succeeds in [[FriendToAllChildren winning over the local children]], but the lighthouse keeper gloats that no one becomes pure of heart through half-assed favors. [[spoiler:Then it turns out Benedict really meant the [[ChildrenAreInnocent "pure hearts" of the children themselves]], whom his EliteMooks proceed to [[WouldHurtAChild violently and traumatically ram into the barrier]] [[LoopholeAbuse to force their way through]].]]
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--->Jack:(with a smile) But it can hurt you, Aku. (Commence CurbStompBattle)

* In Myth/ArthurianLegend, Galahad gets these privileges, as befits the man who represents IncorruptiblePurePureness so much that he's the page header for it. He's also TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth.

* The MacGuffin in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''. It would probably have accepted Jack, but the traveling companion who led him there in the first place was Aku in disguise.

* Eriond from ''Literature/TheMalloreon'' is this trope personified. Despite (apparently) having no power to speak of, being pure and innocent enough to be one of three people in the entire world who can touch the Orb of Aldur without being destroyed, and being inoffensive as milk, evil is incapable of harming him. The quintessential example of this comes when he stands in front of the BigBad who has [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifted]] into a dragon and emerges completely unscathed from her fire. It helps that his ultimate destiny is [[spoiler:to become a God]].

** This trope was formerly called NimbusPrivileges, after the dub name for Goku's Kinto'un cloud. Neither Muten Roshi nor Kuririn can hope to ride it because Kuririn stole dirty magazines for Muten Roshi, although a few other characters more pure of heart apparently can. Gohan, Goten, Chi-Chi, and ([[SplitPersonality in a tellingly specific way]]) "Good" Lunch, but not Bulma. As one might expect from {{shounen}}, this isn't a VirginPower; Goku, Gohan, and Goten mainly stop riding because he and many other characters simply fly on their own, much faster than Kinto'un can (although it is a handy transport when wanting to save on energy).

** Goku's pure heart also renders him immune to Akkuman's ultimate move, the Akumaito Kōsen, which works by causing the negative thoughts in a person's mind to ''explode''.
** At one point it's mentioned that only someone of a pure heart can become a Super Saiyajin. Vegeta then explains he was capable of it because his heart is pure ''evil''. The trick with becoming a Super Saiyajin is a combination of purity and rage. So you have to be pure, and then [[BerserkButton something]] has to piss you off [[UnstoppableRage in a big way]]. Emotional bursts flares up one's Ki, and causes the transformation; the purer and kinder the individual, the more potent the rage-burst when it happens (potentially explaining why Vegeta had such a hard time - he's ''always'' angry, so him raging isn't that big an emotional burst). "Need" is also a factor. In Vegeta's case, he ended up putting himself in an ''extremely'' dangerous position while training in order to ''force'' himself to need the power just to survive. It might sound crazy, but consider that he probably wouldn't want to live anymore anyways if he couldn't pull it off after seeing Goku achieve it.
*** A bit of a ZigZaggedTrope in this regard as while the need for a pure heart is greatly emphasized early on, by the middle of the Cell arc it's never brought up again and seemingly dropped as a requirement. It has never been demonstrably confirmed that a Saiyan ''can't'' turn Super Saiyajin because they ''aren't'' pure of heart, and at least one character, Bardock, has achieved it despite a dubious personality at the time, albeit in a WhatIf story.
** The [[CombinedEnergyAttack Genki Dama]] can only be used by someone of pure heart as well. Therefore, when Goku enters the Super Saiyajin form, he's unable to use it, because the Super Saiyajin state taints his heart with rage and [[BloodKnight bloodlust]]. This doesn't prohibit him from going [=SSJ=] ''after'' forming the attack, which he does in the Android 13 movie (outright absorbing the energy), in the final battle against Kid Buu, and against Jiren in ''Anime/DragonBallSuper''. Through training, Goku and Gohan learn to activate and stay in Super Saiyajin form as if it were their normal state, likely why these acts can happen.
*** Cell claims to be able to use the Genki Dama, but never actually does so in the anime. Fans speculate that like Vegeta's Super Saiyajin, being pure evil satisfies the "pure of heart" requirement, while others suggest that his line in ''VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai'' ("Okay planet, gimme that stupid energy!") implies that he's forcibly taking the energy rather than asking for donations.

** ''Birth By Sleep'' gives us [[spoiler: Ventus, who had the darkness in his heart forcibly removed. This caused him to have nothing but light allowing him the same privileges the princesses have including access to Kingdom Hearts, as well as the ability to seal his heart in another being (which he does at the end of the game, by staying in Sora's heart as a shelter) while leaving behind a comatose body (à la Kairi in [=KH1=]).]]

** ''Birth By Sleep'' gives us [[spoiler: Ventus, who had the darkness in his heart forcibly removed. This caused him to have nothing but light allowing him the same privileges the princesses have including access to Kingdom Hearts, as well as the ability to seal his heart in another being which he does with Sora at the end of the game.]]

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* Creator/LloydAlexander's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain''. When Taran first tries to wield the sword Dyrnwyn in ''The Book of Three'', he's blasted by its power. In ''The High King'' he's able to use Dyrnwyn to destroy the Cauldron born and Arawn Death Lord. Dyrnwyn has an inscription: "Draw Dyrnwyn, only thou of noble worth, to rule with justice, to strike down evil. Who wields it in good cause shall slay even the Lord of Death." When Taran first drew Dyrnwyn he was a callow youth. When he drew it the second time he had matured into a noble man.

* In Creator/MadeleineERobins's ''Literature/SoldForEndlessRue'', Crescia enjoins Laura to keep everything scrupulously clean, and keep washing her hands, and make up the brews in ''clean'' pots -- no soap traces, even. She explains it as how the saints love purity, so they must keep things pure to invoke their aid. [[spoiler:Later, after Laura's seduction, she explains that Laura would have had to remain a virgin to follow her.]]

** It should be noted that the swords' stringent requirements are also constant, and their FatalFlaw; if a Knight lies, hurts innocents, or kills without ''very'' good reason, their Knight abilities are instantly lost, and the sword they bear has a chance of breaking. Once broken, a sword can never be fixed, and one of humanity's greatest weapons against evil is destroyed. NiceJobBreakingItHero. [[spoiler:However, there is hope. Even after an improper use of the Sword's power, Michael Carpenter reminded Harry that the key aspect in any of the Swords is not ''sword'' but the trait it represents. When the Sword of Faith was depowered and broken by improper usage, it was reconstituted when a worthy man grabbed it and reformed in the shape of his faith]].

* This comes up a few times during the last two seasons of ''Series/StargateSG1''. In the season 9 premiere, both knowledge and "truth of spirit" are required to access Merlin's hidden treasures. Comes up again the following season when "only those of virtue true may win the prize concealed beyond the reach of the flawed and tainted"; ie, only those with truth of spirit can access the Sangraal. This proves to be true when Adria discovers she can't use her Ori mind powers during the quest for the Sangraal and she is left behind when the others are teleported away during the journey.

* The Siege Perilous (Dangerous Seat) from some Arthurian stories can only be safely sat in by a pure knight.
* In Myth/ArthurianLegend Galahad gets these privileges, as befits the man who represents IncorruptiblePurePureness so much that he's the page header for it. He's also TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth.

* Kairi of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' and the other Franchise/{{Disney Princess}}es, as they are the only beings in the world(s) that have no darkness in their hearts and therefore are the only ones allowed to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, the center of all the worlds and greatest kingdom in existence. They also have the ability to send their hearts into other bodies for safekeeping causing their body to remain comatose but magically protected until it's returned.

** Sora also deserves mention here, as the purity and braveness within his heart is what makes him the keyblade bearer. In fact, certain interpretations of a line in Jiminy's journal indicates that Riku would have been the keyblade bearer, but he allowed darkness into his heart, so it snubbed him. Thus, Riku was only able to obtain a keyblade later by transforming his sword into one; how exactly he did that [[AWizardDidIt isn't really explained.]]

* The Triforce in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' is bound by such rules. The Triforce will grant a wish to anyone whose heart is balanced with power, wisdom, and courage. If someone is not, then the Triforce will break apart into its component triangles--the person who touched it will get the piece that corresponds most to themselves, while the other two go and find someone else who shows a great affinity for that component. Hence Ganondorf gets Power, Zelda gets the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link the Triforce of Courage. The Triforce can be recompiled after this and the wish can be carried out once it is.

* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfWiglafAndMordred'', only Wiglaf could get the magic sword from the lake because he is good, and only those who are "pure" can wield it (pure evil seems to work too.)

* In the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E15TheLastMabelcorn The Last Mabelcorn]]", [[UnicornsAreSacred a unicorn]] named Celestabellebethabelle says that she'll give away some of her hair[[note]](needed for a spell to protect the Mystery Shack)[[/note]] to someone who's pure of heart. This leads Mabel to an identity crisis when the unicorn insists Mabel is still not pure of heart no matter what she does. [[spoiler:It turns out Celestabellebethabelle is a liar and unicorns can't see into anyone's heart.]]

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Some things are just too good to let everybody get their hands on; they might be too rare, too dangerous or maybe just too evil to start dishing out all willy nilly. However, [[IncorruptiblePurePureness people with pure hearts]] will have the chance to access things less purehearted people cannot, such as:

** This trope was formerly called NimbusPrivileges, after the dub name for Goku's Kinto'un cloud. Neither Muten Roshi nor Kuririn can hope to ride it because Kuririn stole dirty magazines for Muten Roshi, although a few other characters more pure of heart apparently can. Gohan, Goten, Chi-Chi, and ([[SplitPersonality in a tellingly specific way]]) "Good" Lunch, but not Bulma. As one might expect from {{shounen}}, this isn't a VirginPower; Goku, Gohan and Goten mainly stop riding because he and many other characters simply fly on their own, much faster than Kinto'un can (although it is a handy transport when wanting to save on energy).

** At one point it's mentioned that only someone of a pure heart can become a Super Saiyajin. Vegeta then explains he was capable of it because his heart is pure ''evil''. The trick with becoming a Super Saiyajin is a combination of purity and rage. So you have to be pure, and then [[BerserkButton something]] has to piss you off [[UnstoppableRage in a big way]]. Emotional bursts flares up one's Ki, and causes the transformation; the purer and kinder the individual, the more potent the rage-burst when it happens (potentially explaining why Vegeta had such a hard time - he's ''always'' angry, so him raging isn't that big an emotional burst). "Need" is also a factor. In Vegeta's case he ended up putting himself in an ''extremely'' dangerous position while training in order to ''force'' himself to need the power just to survive. It might sound crazy, but consider that he probably wouldn't want to live anymore anyways if he couldn't pull it off after seeing Goku achieve it.

* In the third season of ''Anime/SailorMoon'', the purity of the heart can be extracted as a crystal. The BigBad guys, called the Death Busters, as well as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are searching for three specific Pure Heart Crystals that contain powerful treasures known as Talismans. When the three Talismans come together, they produce the Holy Grail, which could either purify the world or put the world into eternal silence, depending on who's hands it falls into (The Messiah of Light or the Messiah of Silence).

** Minako was initially worried that her heart wasn't pure, after the Death Busters targetted the rest of the Sailor Senshi. She became very cheerful after the Death Busters attacked her and extracted her heart crystal...until she collapsed because ''her spiritual heart had just been ripped out''.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'', the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam can only be used by someone who is pure of heart and has good intentions. How this actually works is unknown. Note that this is only true in the novel: the OVA makes no such mention of any such system, and the reason only Banagher can pilot it is because the Unicorn was registered to his DNA in the first episode as a security measure.

* Only the purest and most devoted of warriors can even lift the hammer of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] (as depicted in the MarvelUniverse, anyway), and fewer can actually use it. The list of people who can do this is very short (though Beta Ray Bill, Captain America and [[spoiler:Jane Foster]] the "new" Thor have been able to wield it, and Deadpool got his hands on a pretty close copy) and Thor himself lost the ability during ''The Reigning'', when he veered into serious KnightTemplar territory. Beta Ray Bill temporarily lost the ability to wield his own hammer Stormbreaker which has the same enchantment after his quest for vengeance against Galactus for eating his homeworld ventured into HeWhoFightsMonsters territory.
** Notably, during the DC crossover ''ComicBook/JLAAvengers'', Wonder Woman can manage it ''but not Superman''. (Supes used the hammer, but only because Odin lifted the restriction due to the critical situation; afterwards Thor explains this, but also remarks that it's never been in worthier hands.)
** In ''Comicbook/OriginalSin'', Comicbook/NickFury whispers something to Thor [[spoiler:that instantly makes {{Mjolnir}} find not only Thor, but ''every single Asgardian'', unworthy of it.]] It's later revealed in ''The Unworthy Thor'' that [[spoiler:the thing that made Thor and the rest of Asgard unworthy was that "Gorr was right", that is Gorr the God Butcher claimed that the gods were unworthy of the love and affection mortals gave them because they were such vain and vengeful creatures.]]

* In ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'', Power Girl was specifically told that Stargirl, not she, had to defeat the King of Tears, because purity of heart was needed. (Earlier in the same story, Stargirl had her heart broken because a villain had needed her love to cast a spell for her purity of heart.)

* Part of the plot of ''[[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul]]'' involves the Fountain of Life, a fountain in Nanda Parbat which Ra's considers a more pure version of the Lazarus Pit, which according to the monks of Nanda Parbat, can only be used by people with pure hearts. The Sensei, Ra's father, scoffs at this as he intents to taint it, but sure enough, when his fight with Batman results in the two of them landing in the Fountain, he is destroyed while Batman's injuries from the fight are healed.

* ''Fanfic/BeAllMySins'': Natalie has a sobering moment when she realizes the presence of a holy relic of a martyr burns her. It's quite the wakeup call as to how far she's fallen into corruption... which she does her best not to think about.
* In ''Fanfic/EquestriaAcrossTheMultiverse'', Innocence Magic can only be used by those completely lacking the desire to do harm, even the temptation to do so. As a result, it can only be wielded by the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyG3 World of Empathy]] ponies or ponies channeling [[{{Reincarnation}} past lives]] that were from there. Innocence Magic is no better than normal magic on its own and its true power comes from how it interacts with other forms of magic. Namely, it gives a significant boost to Light Magic but weakens Dark Magic by the same degree, and is a straight up KryptoniteFactor to those using corruptive magics. This makes it a perfect fit for them, as they're {{Actual Pacifist}}s and thus can use it to provide support for their more combat willing allies.

** The prequel novels claimed that the whole pure of heart thing was bull that some bard invented later. The reason why the Orb burned Torak was because it hated Torak personally. The reason the Orb was entrusted to Riva was because he was the one person in the party who retrieved it who had no ambition and therefore could be trusted not to use it for anything.

** In 3x07 Currents, [[spoiler:Dr. Deaton]] is taken. Knowing it would (most likely) be [[spoiler:Scott]] who'd come to save him, the [[WitchWithACapitalB villain]], put [[spoiler:Dr. Deaton]] in a ring of Mt. Ash - which supernatural creatures cannot cross. [[spoiler:Scott]] indeed does come to the rescue and tries to break through anyways, and in the process, [[spoiler:Scott's]] eyes turn [[ForeShadowing red]] - but [[spoiler:he]] is still a Beta. This also confirms what [[spoiler:Dr. Deaton]] reveals [[spoiler:he]] had believed. As [[spoiler:Dr. Deaton]] explains to [[spoiler:Scott]] post rescue:\\

* In the ''Series/{{Raven}}'' game show's spin-off '' Raven: The Dragon's Eye'', only someone who fits this trope can retrieve the title MacGuffin without getting corrupted by it's power. [[spoiler: Once it is retrieved, Raven destroys it.]]

** In 3.5 Edition, evil clerics could not cast Good spells, lawful clerics could not cast Chaotic spells, and so on (giving TrueNeutral the best spell selection in the core). Furthermore, in some supplements there were Corrupt spells which only evil characters could cast and Sanctified spells which only good characters could cast.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'', the Avatar character class can [[MagicKnight equip any weapon, any armor, and cast magic.]] This originally required a KarmaMeter, or 8 of them.
* Kairi of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' and the other Franchise/{{Disney Princess}}es, as they are the only beings in the world(s) that have no darkness in their hearts and therefore are the only ones allowed to open the door to Kingdom Hearts, the center of all the worlds and greatest kingdom in existence. They also have the ability to send their hearts into other bodies for safe keeping causing their body to remain comatose but magically protected until it's returned.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', [[spoiler:rejecting the physical corruption of The Grail]] requires a truly pure heart and those who are not are consumed by the corruption. Notably, the only person in the show who's able to shake it off without effect is Gilgamesh, [[PureIsNotGood a self-centred sociopath who is so beyond human that he cannot regard humans as anything but possessions]].
* In ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'' the only one who can open the Precursor Stone is [[spoiler:young Jak]], because he still has "the pure gift". It won't open for [[spoiler:the older Jak because he was corrupted by Dark Eco through the experiments in prison.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'', only a pure-hearted woman can make a purely selfless wish on the Skullheart without being turned into a HumanoidAbomination. One character was close, who wished for another to have a good life, but the skull noted that the wish was driven by guilt, so was slightly impure. The wisher didn't immediately turn into a HumanoidAbomination, but was slowly turning into one.

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonMasters'', it's explained that only the pure of heart can even ''see'' Ho-Oh, and he'll only chose those that are ''exceptionally'' worthy. He chooses [[spoiler: Silver]]. The ChosenOne in question is ''extremely'' surprised, and thinks he's unworthy because he has a rather checkered past. Lance sets him straight.

-->Jack:(with a smile) But it can hurt you, Aku. (Commence CurbStompBattle)

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk1996'' episode "Innocent Blood", Rick Jones could not be harmed by Comicbook/GhostRider's flames. Ghost Rider said this meant Rick had no evil in his heart.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk'' episode "Innocent Blood", Rick Jones could not be harmed by Comicbook/GhostRider's flames. Ghost Rider said this meant Rick had no evil in his heart.

* Webcomic/{{Erma}} has the titular character's father Sam befriend a bar full of yokai by drinking a wine that would have killed him if he had been anything less than pure.

** At one point it's mentioned that only someone of a pure heart can become a Super Saiyajin. Vegeta then explains he was capable of it because his heart is pure ''evil''. The trick with becoming a Super Saiyajin is a combination of purity and rage. So you have to be pure, and then [[BerserkButton something]] has to piss you off [[UnstoppableRage in a big way]]. Emotional bursts flares up one's {{Ki}}, and causes the transformation; the purer and kinder the individual, the more potent the rage-burst when it happens (potentially explaining why Vegeta had such a hard time - he's ''always'' angry, so him raging isn't that big an emotional burst). "Need" is also a factor. In Vegeta's case he ended up putting himself in an ''extremely'' dangerous position while training in order to ''force'' himself to need the power just to survive. It might sound crazy, but consider that he probably wouldn't want to live anymore anyways if he couldn't pull it off after seeing Goku achieve it.

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Note that despite the [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman heavy-handed]] [[FantasticAesop Aesop,]] pure good is usually portrayed as extremely difficult both to attain and maintain: Just as VirginPower requires that you CantHaveSexEver, any small stumbling will destroy your powers, too (even if it is in mind only).

Subtrope of PhlebotinumHandlingRequirements. Compare OnlyTheKnowledgableMayPass, OnlySmartPeopleMayPass, OnlyTheWorthyMayPass, ChildrenAreInnocent. Related to FantasticAesop. Super-trope for OnlyGoodPeopleMayPass.

** This trope was formerly called NimbusPrivileges, after the dub name for Goku's Kinto'un cloud. Neither Muten Roshi nor Kuririn can hope to ride it because Kuririn stole dirty magazines for Muten Roshi, although a few other characters more pure of heart apparently can. Gohan, Goten, Chi-Chi (at least as a child), and ([[SplitPersonality in a tellingly specific way]]) "Good" Lunch, but not Bulma. As one might expect from {{shounen}}, this isn't a VirginPower; Goku, Gohan and Goten mainly stop riding because he and many other characters simply fly on their own, much faster than Kinto'un can (although it is a handy transport when wanting to save on energy).

* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': The Sword of Beowulf can only be drawn by the pure of heart. Harm became pure evil [[spoiler:by murdering his own sister, the only person he ever loved,]] so he could wield it [[spoiler:The Sword rejects him when he feels a shred of remorse after seeing his sister's ghost, becoming impure.]] The point is, of course, that while Pure Is Not Good, pure is also not easy.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'', only a pure-hearted woman can make a wish on the Skullheart without being turned into a HumanoidAbomination.