History Main / RiteOfPassage

* In ''GoneWithTheWind'', Scarlett scandalizes everyone at the debutante ball by showing up in a red dress instead of virginal white.
* Ditto the titular ''{{Jezebel}}'',

''Film/300'' The young king Leonides has to kill a wolf with his bare hands and bring back its fur. Indeed, all spartans must pass for hard training in their short childhood.

* Ian Fleming's JamesBond novels (and later the movies) establish that in order to become a double-0 agent, a spy must first complete two assigned kills. The books and films are ambiguous as to whether these must be the person's first two kills ever (the 2006 version of CasinoRoyale indicates these to be Bond's first kills).

* During Dan Slott's brief run on ''[[FantasticFour The Thing]]'', Ben Grimm chose to re-affirm his Jewish heritage. His rabbi allowed him to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah on the thirteenth anniversary of the rocket flight that first turned him into the Thing. No word on whether or not this involved a circumcision.

* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has "ice-dodging," where young Water Tribe members have to navigate a boat through a field of icebergs. Sokka, Katara, and Aang perform the task through a field of rocks, being too far north for icebergs.

* For the wolves in RockosModernLife, the rite of passage is to bring an elk home for dinner. Heffer, being an adopted steer, misinterprets this and brings over a living, female elk home as a date.

* ''MassEffect'' has two: the turians undergo a period of compulsory military service to earn citizenship, while any quarian you meet outside the Flotilla is likely undergoing their [[GoingToSeeTheElephant Pilgrimage]] to earn a place on a ship's crew and a MeaningfulRename.

* The Na'vi of ''{{Film/Avatar}}'' climb to the top of the floating mountains where the banshees live, and [[BondCreatures subdue and bond one of them]], to become hunters and adults.

* In ''[[{{TheGiver}} The Giver]]'', getting assigned a job is an important rite that determines the rest of a person's life; being assigned the unusual job of Receiver is what marks Jonas as special in the community.

* In the novel ''{{Nation}}'' by TerryPratchett when a boy comes of age he is left on an island and must construct a canoe and get back to his village as a rite of passage, to receive his adult soul so the tribe believes. Mau is on his way home when the tsunami hits, which is why he's [[LastOfHisKind the only survivor]].

[[AC: Webcomics]]

* For the wolves in RockosModernLife, the rite of passage is to bring an elk home for dinner. Heffer, being an adopted steer, misinterprets this and brings over a living, female elk home as a date.

[[AC: Literature]]

* In ''FalloutNewVegas'', the Great Khans are required to take a beating from the other members of the tribe before becoming a full fledged raider, and the New Canaanites (What Mormons became in the {{Fallout}} 'verse) learn how to shoot with a .45 Auto Pistol.

* ''StarTrekGenerations'' features a ritual where the Enterprise-D crew impersonate 19th century British Naval officers aboard a holodeck simulation of a wooden ship, charging Worf in a staged court martial with "performing above and beyond the call of duty on countless occasions," and "having earned the admiration and respect of the entire crew," before Picard "sentences" him with promotion to Lieutenant-Commander. Worf then had to jump from a plank to grab an officer's hat on a rope above his head. Riker comments to Picard that no one else had succeeded in doing so before. When Worf succeeds, Picard answers, "If there's one thing I've learned, Number One, is never underestimate a Klingon."

* StarTrek: Klingons who reach the Age of Ascension must walk through a gauntlet of warriors who jab him with pain sticks.

* The ''StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Yesteryear" introduced the [[http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Kahs-wan kahs-wan]], an ordeal in which Vulcan children must survive in the desert for 10 days by themselves with no supplies to prove their courage and strength. For young Spock, it becomes even more when his companion selhat, I-Chaya, who had followed him against his wishes, was mortally wounded and the attending vet could only give Spock two choices, an extended life in agony or putting him out of his misery; Spock made the mature and logical choice to put him down.

* Quite a few in WarriorCats. Becoming an apprentice marks the end of childhood; [[MeaningfulRename getting a warrior name]] is a recognition of adulthood and the clan's trust. Becoming a mentor is also an awaited event, showing the clan's trust in the wisdom and responsibility of a warrior, and allowing a cat to become a deputy.

* Example from ''{{Community}}'', according to Pierce, being punched in the face is one for men.

** In ThePhantomMenace Amidala has to prove her capability as queen and even wears a debutante ball-gown like dress for the parade scene.
* ''TheWarriors'' has a gang whose members must first get punched out without flinching or screaming.

* In ''DragonQuestVI'', the heroes must help [[RoyalBrat Prince Holse]] complete his RiteOfPassage by acting as his bodyguards. While he starts out a DirtyCoward, the heroes' courage [[CharacterDevelopment really effects and inspires him]], enabling the rite to bring out the best in him and prove his ability to succeed his father as future ruler.
* ''DragonQuestVIII'', on the other hand, has [[PrinceCharmless Prince Charmles]], who ''also'' needs help to complete his rite: obtaining the heart of an Argon Lizard. Unlike Holse, Charmles quickly proves himself to be a complete and utter {{Jerkass}}, as well as an EntitledBastard who learns ''[[CompletelyMissingThePoint nothing]]'' from the rite. Although he appears to [[KarmaHoudini get away with this]] at first, his disrespect for the ritual comes back to haunt him in the long run, as it eventually costs him [[spoiler: his right to the throne ''and'' to marry Princess Medea]].

* ''GunnerkriggCourt'': For regional fairies [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=150 making their own clothing]] marks coming of age. They also [[http://www.formspring.me/gunnerkrigg/q/783278458 get their names as a part of the ritual]].

* ''{{Warriors}}'' has a gang whose members must first get punched out without flinching or screaming.

* The ''StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Yesteryear" introduced the [[http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Kahs-wan kahs-wan]], an ordeal in which Vulcan children must survive in the desert for 10 days by themselves with no supplies to prove their courage and strength.

* Every Lord of the {{Thundercats}} a series of trials before they can be crowned. For Lion-O this meant five different trails spread over five episodes.

* Quite a few in WarriorCats. Becoming an apprentice marks end of childhood, [[MeaningfulRename getting warrior name]] is a recognition of adulthood and clan's trust. Becoming a mentor is also awaited event, showing clan's trust in wisdom and responsibility of a warrior, and allowing cat to become a deputy.

* StarTrek Klingons who reach the Age of Ascension must walk through a gauntlet of warriors who jab him with pain sticks.

* Some people consider being bullied at school as something you has to deal with and learn how to defend themselves instead of always running to an adult for help and by standing up for yourself, you grow up and learn to be independent when being threatened. This may have been fine decades ago, but with the rise of social networking and the aggression in children and teenagers rising, adults can't brush off bullying as a rite of passage anymore.

* ''FlashGordon'' (1980). A young Arborean man is initiated into adulthood through the "test of manhood", which involves [[HandInTheHole sticking your arm into a stump]] and hoping you don't get stung by the monster inside.

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