History Main / RiteOfPassage

* ''VideoGame/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. Two twist the knife even further, the secret ending reveals that Charmles's failure to complete the rite [[HoistByHisOwnPetard directly resulted in his long-lost cousin doing so instead]]]].

* The Green family in ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'' has a special family rite of passage where a young family member has to find the toughest critter there is, wrestle it, and pin it on the count of three before the sun sets, so they can officially earn the Green family name. Those who fail to do such won't be a Green anymore and will have to change their last names to something else.

* ''VideoGame/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]].

A number of {{Comin of Age Stor|y}}ies have rites of passage. SexAsRiteOfPassage is a subtrope. For other kinds of rites and rituals that earns you membership into a group of people, see InitiationCeremony and is various subtropes such as the GangInitiationFight.

SexAsRiteOfPassage is a subtrope. For other kinds of rites and rituals that earns you membership into a group of people, see InitiationCeremony and is various subtropes such as the GangInitiationFight.

Lots of cultures have a special ceremony that marks the transition from teen to adult. It's both a celebration of a major life landmark and an acknowledgment that the celebrant is a part of the mystical society of grownups. In cultures without such a ceremony, other major life landmarks are celebrated instead. May include a MeaningfulRename； if this is culture wide then it's a RiteOfPassageNameChange.

Lots of cultures have a special ceremony that marks the transition from teen to adult. It's both a celebration of a major life landmark and an acknowledgment that the celebrant is a part of the mystical society of grownups. In cultures without such a ceremony, other major life landmarks are celebrated instead. May include a MeaningfulRename, if this is culture wide then it's a RiteOfPassageNameChange.

Lots of cultures have a special ceremony that marks the transition from teen to adult. It's both a celebration of a major life landmark and an acknowledgment that the celebrant is a part of the mystical society of grownups. In cultures without such a ceremony, other major life landmarks are celebrated instead. May include a MeaningfulRename.

* In ''Literature/AWizardOfEarthsea'', the mage Ogion the Silent gives Duny his TrueName of "Ged" in a coming of age ceremony.

* In the novel ''Literature/{{Nation}}'' by Creator/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]].
** ''Nation'' has a notable twist to this trope; while many similar 'rites of manhood' stress self-reliance, Mau's rite stresses community; when he is left alone on the island, he discovers that the tribe left behind tools to complete his task, along with a large stone bearing the inscription, "Men help other men."

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

* The ''Literature/DreambloodDuology'': Downplayed with the Banbarra women, who just gift each other jewellery to celebrate their first menstruation, [[SexAsRiteOfPassage first sexual experience]], first child, and menopause. One woman mentions that the men have a more elaborate rite where they "go off into the desert and do something with their penises", but is indifferent to the details.

* ''WesternAnimation/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.

* In ''Literature/TheGiver'', 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.

** Drow has [[http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Blooding The Blooding]]. ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.

** The quarians have the Pilgrimage, in which a quarian who is of age leaves the Flotilla and strikes out on their own across the galaxy. They are only allowed to return once they have discovered something of value they can bring back that will enrich the fleet and the lives of those on it. What they bring back varies enormously: Tali'Zorah brings back information on the geth found during her time with Shepard, which is of vital military importance to the quarians, but other minor quarian characters are mentioned as bringing something as mundane as a ship model for their prospective captain.

* America (and other parts of the western world) has the Sweet Sixteen; less formally, getting your first car (representing freedom and responsibility), turning the age of consent, [[SexAsRiteOfPassage losing your virginity]], turning 21 (or being old enough to legally drink), and graduating from high school and/or college are also seen as major steps towards adulthood.

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

* For Kunta Kinte's tribe in ''Series/{{Roots}}'', there is a series of rituals that include wrestling, hunting, and at the end, genital mutilation.

** And the sequel introduces the krogan rite to establish themselves as a true warrior. It can be completed solo, or the young krogan may convince one or two already established warriors to help them (called a "krantt"). Said rite (or at least the Clan Urdnot variant) follows the history of the Krogan, and is as follows: Activate a totem that summons waves of varren for you to kill, symbolizing how the Krogan became the top species on a DeathWorld. Activate it again, and a wave of insect like klixen arrive, representing how the Krogan were introduced to the galaxy to fight the rachni (whom the klixen resemble), kill them too. Activate it one last timn, which causes it to set off the Thresher Maw Hammer, which natrually enough summons a Thresher Maw. This represents the Krogan's fate under the [[DepopulationBomb Genophage]], an enemy that cannot be fought, one you can only try to survive. You must survive for five minutes while the most dangerous predator in the galaxy tries to kill you. If you get out alive, you're in. If you ''kill'' the Thresher Maw, this is also acceptable, and is considered a mark of enormous skill (the only Urdnot to manage this in the past thousand years or so is Wrex).