History Main / RiteOfPassage

* ''Webcomic/{{Muted}}'': When a Severin woman in the Matriarch's line turns 21, she must complete a ritual on the first full moon (usually with her twin sister). This ritual involves summoning a demon and making a deal for a rich husband in exchange for whatever the demon wants. The plot kicks off when Camille summons a plant demon (Dendro) during her ritual, instead of the intended Severin demon.

* The Vortixx race in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' must climb "The Mountain", one pair at a time. Said large rock is actually a sentient but immobile animal who eats one of the climbers, allowing the other to finish. Roodaka even went through the passage twice, just to prove how much of a badass she is (not that she really needed to).

A number of {{Coming 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.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer,'' a Slayer who reaches the age of 18 is secretly drugged in order to be BroughtDownToNormal, then forced to fight against a vampire. (This evokes a bit of FridgeLogic: sure, you want a Slayer to be as strong and resourceful as possible, but since they're usually "[[TheChosenOne called]]" younger than that, why let them have the job for several years before bothering to test them?)

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': After she's accepted into the Emond's Field Women's Circle, Egwene is then shoved by Nynaeve into the river as a kind of ritual test. She's swept downstream by the waters, but is uninjured.

* In some parts of the United States, being asked by one's parents to call them by their first names is a Rite Of passage for both parent and offspring; it's a formal recognition that the child is now an adult, but it's also a tearful recognition for both that the child is now old enough that the parent can no longer protect them, no matter how much the parent might wish they could.

* In the ''Manga/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' manga, it's shown that male Sheikah get their ears pierced in a coming-of-age ceremony.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', the Sarghress clan has a ''Blood Rite'' which is probably based on ''The Blooding''.

* In ''Webcomic/BirdBoy'', [[http://bird-boy.com/volume-1-page-7 Bali is frustrated because of the upcoming rite of passage]].
* Subverted in one ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'' comic where the supposed rite of passage is just an excuse to trick children into getting killed by a venomous bog beast, and refusing to take part passes a SecretTestOfCharacter...and the prize [[MortonsFork contains a concealed bog beast]].

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' had one of Hank's co-workers planning a Quinceañera for his daughter. Bobby complained that he doesn't get a rite of passage like that, so he comes up with the idea of a "Sweet Fourteeno".

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' features the "Gathering" during which Jedi younglings find and harvest their first lightsaber-crystals in the Temple-cavern on Illum. To find their crystals, each must face and come over their flaws and short-comings, such as selfishness, fear, lack of self-confidence, or lack of faith.
* Meanwhile the 2003 ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'' series had Anakin and Obi-Wan interrupting a rite of passage for a young Nelvaanian, the chief's son, was battling a giant creature called a Horax, and Anakin killed it.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', the residents of [[{{Kaiju}} Monster Isle]] often send their residents to attack Townsville as a trial for heroes, with anyone who survives a beating from the girls and making it home before the night is over considered a hero among their populace.

* In some parts of the United States, being asked by one's parents to call them by their first names is a Rite Of passage for both parent and offspring; it's a formal recognition that the child is now an adult, but it's also a tearful recognition for both that the son or daughter is now old enough that the parent can no longer protect him or her no matter how much the parent might wish he or she could.

** 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. Tali even joins Shepard’s ship and crew by giving the Alliance (human military) something very valuable -- the evidence to get a rogue StateSec operative disbarred.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' 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). Activate it one last time, which causes it to set off the Thresher Maw Hammer, which naturally 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.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' has two krogan colonists noting that, since Andromeda has no thresher maws, they're going to have to find a new rite of passage. Conversation turns to the giant, NighInvulnerable, mechanical worm-thing just out on New Tuchanka's doorstep, and whether they can get its attention somehow.

** The turians undergo a period of compulsory military service to earn citizenship starting at 15, assuming they are of able mind and body. Once completed, they can choose to either remain in the military or become a civil servant and join the reserves.
** 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. Tali even joins Shepard’s ship and crew by giving the Alliance (human military) something very valuable -- the evidence to get a rogue StateSec operative disbarred.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' 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). Activate it one last time, which causes it to set off the Thresher Maw Hammer, which naturally 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. ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' has two krogan colonists noting that, since Andromeda has no thresher maws, they're going to have to find a new rite of passage. Conversation turns to the giant, NighInvulnerable, mechanical worm-thing just out on New Tuchanka's doorstep, and whether they can get its attention somehow.

** The Turians undergo a period of compulsory military service to earn citizenship starting at 15, assuming they are of able mind and body. Once completed, they can choose to either remain in the military or become a civil servant and join the reserves.
** 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. Tali even joins Shepard’s ship and crew by giving the Alliance (human military) something very valuable - the evidence to get a rogue StateSec operative disbarred.
** 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). Activate it one last time, which causes it to set off the Thresher Maw Hammer, which naturally 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).
*** ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' has two krogan colonists noting that, since Andromeda has no thresher maws, they're going to have to find a new rite of passage. Conversation turns to the giant, NighInvulnerable, mechanical worm-thing just out on New Tuchanka's doorstep, and whether they can get its attention somehow.

** The turians undergo a period of compulsory military service to earn citizenship starting at 15, assuming they are of able mind and body. Once completed, they can choose to remain in the military or become a civil servant.
** 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. Tali even joins Shepard’s ship and crew by giving the Alliance (human military) something very valuable - the evidence to get a rogue StateSec operative disbarred.
** 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). Activate it one last time, which causes it to set off the Thresher Maw Hammer, which naturally 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).

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has "ice-dodging," where a fourteen-year-old Water Tribe member has to navigate a boat through a field of icebergs with their father's help. Sokka never had a chance to do this, since his dad Hakoda was away at war; upon meeting Bato in the Earth Kingdom, he performs a variation of the ceremony with jagged rocks, with Bato standing in for Hakoda and Katara and Aang assisting.

* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': Shortly after marrying Niles, Daphne decides she's had enough of the [[FawltyTowersPlot chaos]] that happens whenever he and Frasier host a party so she's going to host the next one. Naturally her dinner party ends up being just as chaotic as any of the brothers' parties. As the guests flee Frasier consoles Daphne by telling her she's now officially one of the Crane family.

** A good example of the latter is the British SAS acceptance tests. The last one? You have to resist interrogation for 36 hours straight.
** Many navies have a ceremony for sailors [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony crossing the Equator for the first time.]] [[note]] No comparable fuss is usually made when crossing the Date Line or the Greenwich Meridian; this may be due to Tradition. These ceremonies date back to the Age of Exploration, long before sailors could reliably know ''what'' longitude they were on; but latitude has always been easy to find if you have the right instruments. [[/note]]

* ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': Every werewolf who undergoes the First Change is bundled together with other fresh changes to undergo the Rite of Passage that will allow them to be recognized by a tribal totem and become full-fledged members of the Garou Nation. After earning the first rank of Cliath, werewolves are expected to undergo solo challenges based on their Auspice and/or Tribe (e.g., felling a powerful Wyrm creature for a Get of Fenris Ahroun, negotiating peace between hostile factions for a Child of Gaia Philodox) to further climb in rank, earning more esteem from the spirits and a greater place of prominence in the Nation.

[[folder:Film]]

** For boys who grew up wearing tight underwear like briefs and sleeping in pajamas, transitioning to wearing and sleeping in boxers instead is a rite of passage for boys as they come of age.

* ''Film/FlashGordon1980'': 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.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'':
** PlayedForLaughs with the 4*Town concert, as 13-year-old Mei proclaims that going to the concert will turn her and her friends into true women.
** Played straighter with the red moon ritual that seals the red panda spirit; every one of Mei's female maternal relatives has gone through it, and they view it as a necessary part of growing up.