History Main / ScrewDestiny

*** Ironically, the ''villains'' are also fighting fate. [[spoiler:The entire reason the Fal'cie turn people into L'cie is because this is the only way they can work around their own hardwired limitations as magical machines. For all their contempt towards humans, the Fal'cie believe that humanity is ultimately stronger than them because they have free will.]]

* The ''Series/TheFlash2014''/''Series/Supergirl2015'' crossover ''Fanfic/CallMeKara'' has [[Characters/TheFlashBarryAllen Barry Allen]] saving [[Characters/SupergirlTheCharacter Kara]]'s life at the beginning of the story. ComicBook/DoctorFate straight up tells Kara that she was destined to die on the floor of her apartment.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has 'Marth' [[spoiler:aka Lucina traveling to the past along with several others to prevent the the Fell Dragon Grima from destroying the world]]. Chrom even starts saying "Anything can change" when he scores criticals after this plot point is revealed. [[spoiler:Grima's [[TheDragon right hand]]]] Validar, by contrast, is TheFatalist who believes that "it is all written".

** During his mainstream appearances in DC comics outside the Vertigo imprint, Destiny has indeed been screwed several times. At the chronological start of the ''ComicBook/TheLordsOfLuck'' arc, he noticed a hole in his book, something that existed even though it shouldn't be possible, gradually warping fate. Realizing only said hole could repair the missing piece of the book, Destiny tore the manacles binding him and it, and tossed it away so it could find its way to the source. [[spoiler:Said source were the Challengers of the Unknown, who survived an accident that was literally impossible to survive; at the end of the arc, their new sidekick apparently fulfills a HeroicSacrifice - but when Destiny allows him to thumb through the book, they realize ''they can't find her in it''...]]

** Reversed in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1''. Doc originally is very vocal about not finding out too much about one's own destiny, believing that subverting destiny could be potentially world-destroying, but eventually gives in and [[spoiler: tapes Marty's letter back together, learning of his murder in 1985 and thus being able to prevent it]].
** In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'', we learn that Marty wound up in an auto accident [[NobodyCallsMeChicken because he got called "chicken"]], leading to him working in a menial job that he gets fired from after being called "chicken" again. After considerable CharacterDevelopment in ''[[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII Part III]]'', Marty avoids the auto accident, and a message Jennifer took from the future, telling his future self "You're fired" gets erased.

* Subverted very strongly in ''Film/TheDevilsAdvocate'' when Creator/KeanuReeves' character goes so far as to blow his own brains out to defy his Satanic father, only to end up sucked right back into a different type of honey trap by the Devil in another guise after choosing differently once the ResetButton is pushed.

* Subverted in ''Manga/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'', in a number of ways.

** Reversed in ''Film/BackToTheFuture''. Doc originally is very vocal about not finding out too much about one's own destiny, believing that subverting destiny could be potentially world-destroying, but eventually gives in and [[spoiler: tapes Marty's letter back together, learning of his murder in 1985 and thus being able to prevent it]].

** In ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', tradition says that Literature/TheLittleMatchGirl must die duringHogfather's eve and be carried back to Heaven by angels, as a bittersweet reminder to the comparatively happy population that things aren't that bad as they're still better off than the Little Match Girl. Only, this time, [[TheGrimReaper Death]] has taken on the mantle of the Hogfather (long story), and decides to take advantage of a LoopholeAbuse (that he's technically doing another job at the time) to go against his natural role, just this once. The action leaves his servant Albert flabbergasted and the angels very much miffed that things did not go according to the script. Then Albert starts pelting them with snowballs.

** In the ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' series, The Tradition is a powerful, but not all powerful, magical force that tries to force lives to follow the plot of traditional faerie tales. Rather than accepting fate the people of the Kingdoms study the tradition to predict and avert the worse tales and even use it to their own benefit: In one case a king sends his only daughter to live in a comfortable tower guarded by non-lethal tests knowing this will attract a good husband and worthy successor. In another a baby girl is fated to follow the story of Rapunzel, since they fail to free her from the Tradition they simply act out the beginning of The Princess and the Pea and move her life to a much less miserable destiny.
** In the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, there are characters who have Destinies, or find that ThereAreNoCoincidences, and scurry for a way to assert their agency, yelling "Screw destiny!" at the tops of their lungs. Nevertheless, things tend to turn out as they should.

* Used a lot in ''ComicBook/XMen'', with several issues being about them averting some "pre-destined" tragedy. Certain mutants can see the future, however, Destiny being one of them. Characters/{{Mystique}} does [[{{Pun}} screw Destiny]] to "father" [[Characters/MarvelComicsRogue Rogue]].

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13501363/8/Chaos-Effect Chaos Effect]]'': Edwin Chaos at first believes he must stick with canon because the Pharaoh is destined to defeat Zorc. However when he realizes this means allowing Mokuba get his soul ripped out by Pegasus he decides to begin bending the rules to try and alter destiny.
** Mai's temporary death during the Virtual Heroes arc is what finally has him snap and fulfill this trope, declaring that he's done with destiny/canon and from now on he'll do what is right.

* Subverted by Lt. Dan in ''Film/ForrestGump'', who believes his destiny is to die in the field with his men like every generation of his family before him, fully embraces it, and is '''very''' pissed off when Gump instead saves his life and leaves him a cripple. It takes Dan years to get over his "destiny" to die, but he eventually befriends Gump and even later on becomes a married man (his wife is implied to be a Vietnamese-American, no less) with new legs made out of titanium alloy.

** Reversed in ''Film/BackToTheFuture''. Doc originally is very vocal about not finding out too much about one's own destiny, believing that subverting destiny could be potentially world-destroying, but eventually gives in and [[spoiler: tapes Marty's letter back together, learning of his death in 1985 and thus being able to prevent it]].

* Subverted by Lt. Dan in ''Film/ForrestGump'', who believes his destiny is to die in the field with his men like every generation of his family before him, fully embraces it, and is '''very''' pissed off when Gump instead saves his life and leaves him a cripple. It takes Dan years to get over his "failure" to die, but he eventually befriends Gump and even later on becomes a married man (his wife is implied to be a Vietnamese-American, no less).

[[folder:Real Life]]
* This is one of the defining differences between modern societies and those from ancient times. In the old days, [[ForeverWar war]], [[EatingShoes famine]], and [[ThePlague plague]] were considered [[CosmicEntity integral aspects of the cosmic order]], whereas they are now considered technical problems which can be solved through social development, economic growth and technological development.
** For that matter, even death is no longer considered for some as the preordained destiny of mankind; the fact that corporations such as Google are investing their vast resources to defeat them speaks volumes to a change of heart at the core of humankind.
** This transformation of outlook was interestingly enough kicked off (in the West as least) by Christianity of all things. Prior religions had a cyclical view of the world in which everything was fated to repeat forever while Christian doctrine introduced linear view of the world where world events were building up to a grand finale where good would triumph over evil, ushering an age of bliss. Moreover the idea of perfectibility of society also stems from here as there is now a transcendent ideal to aspire towards. After the Middle Ages these ideas were taken up by secular philosophies and organizations as well - leading to our changed outlook.
** For most of human history, peace was simply not in the stakes; even if there was no open war, rulers had to consider the possibility that the next season may bring at war with a neighboring nation. Nowadays, we can talk about real peace in the sense a British politician doesn't have to consider the possibility of war with the Germans when making the yearly plan. In fact, statistical research indicates that we live in the most peaceful period of human history, with wars mostly localized in comparatively small regions of the world. In general terms, humans have more chance of dying in a road accident than being killed in a war or by terrorists.
** In TheSeventies, it was predicted that an extremely high percentage of the world's population was condemned to die of famine due excessive population growth, and this was actually stated by serious, formal institutions. Enter the Green Revolution, directed by Mr. Norman Borlaug and funded by the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. In a few decades, they have driven famine from ''most'' of the planet through the development of new crops, with the number of people saved from starvation being estimated at ~1 billion. In fact, we have been so successful, now we need to educate people to not eat too much and to eat healthy.
** We have managed to wipe smallpox and rinderpest (bovine plague) from the face of Earth. In other words, we have driven viruses into extinction. That said, the ignorance of some could be seen as a subversion to this: Things like the Anti-Vax Movement are allowing viruses we've since beaten into submission to make a comeback, as if it really ''is'' our destiny to suffer such things.
** In some cultures, these catastrophes were even considered deities. In other words, in the eyes of ancient cultures, we have effectively killed gods.
* Worldwide, our social fluidity and tolerance toward others is another point. For example, while in ancient times, it was unthinkable in India to see a denizen of the Untouchable caste move into higher hierarchical orders, the introduction of democracy has broken such reality. India has even had an Untouchable as a democratically-elected president.
** Most peoples of the world started revolutions against what was called the Divine Right of the Kings, greatly diminishing their powers or completely replacing them with other governmental systems.
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* [[AntiAntiChrist The titular hero]] of ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' is practically an AnthropomorphicPersonification of screwing destiny. Several of the occult nasties he confronts express amazement that there even ''is'' a confrontation, proclaiming his ostensible fate as a future linchpin of the Apocalypse ... but he's already got a job, thanks, and he's not interested in outside offers. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep going for ever - [[spoiler: in 2012, he died and TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt began, but it seems his sacrifice means humanity now has the opportunity to fight its own extinction and FlingALightIntoTheFuture]].

* Used a little oddly, but nonetheless awesomely, in ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', in which humanity is able to alter its entire destiny simply by [[spoiler:having all humans dream all at once, completely rewriting all the laws of the universe and in the process dramatically shifting its place within said universe]].
** Supposedly cats can do this, too. Then again, the whole thing was a story told by cats... it's hard to pick out what is real and what isn't in ''Sandman''. Though, by implication at least, Destiny's book is never wrong, and would probably include such a dream. And even that gets called into question near the end of the series. Delirium at one point tells Destiny that his book doesn't cover ''everything''.

* The entire point of the series ''ComicBook/{{Lucifer}}'': pretty much all the protagonist's actions are aimed at escaping God's plan.

'''Destiny:''' [[spoiler: No. Now you look at the ashes. ''**Lucifer does so; [[YouCantFightFate the ashes tell him what will happen next]]**'' [[SubvertedTrope And now you change your mind]].]]
** During his mainstream appearances in DC comics outside the Vertigo imprint, Destiny has indeed been screwed several times. At the chronological start of the ''The Luck Lords'' arc, he noticed a hole in his book, something that existed even though it shouldn't be possible, gradually warping fate. Realizing only said hole could repair the missing piece of the book, Destiny tore the manacles binding him and it, and tossed it away so it could find its way to the source. [[spoiler:Said source were the Challengers of the Unknown, who survived an accident that was literally impossible to survive; at the end of the arc, their new sidekick apparently fulfills a HeroicSacrifice - but when Destiny allows him to thumb through the book, they realize ''they can't find her in it''...]]

* At the end of ''ComicBook/TheBlackVortex'', [[ComicBook/AllNewXMen O5 Angel]] explains to [[Characters/X23LauraKinney X-23]] that he took up a portion of the titular power, gaining flaming wings in the process, because he saw what he would become in the future by meeting his present day self and decided "Screw that!"

* ''ComicBook/UltimateFF'': The fate of the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe depends on Sue having a baby with the infamous Reed Richards. Fine. She will do it... [[ProphecyTwist but nobody said that she had to have sex with him]]. Let's just restrain him, create some forcefield scalpels, and extract the required body fluids for an artificial insemination.

* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''Fanfic/LessonsFromTheMountain''. When Maedhros boasts he can find a way around the Valar's pronouncements, he's reminded him that he thought he could defeat Morgoth, in spite of the Valar warning he was doomed to fail. And fail he did.

* The MagicalGirl CrossOver ''Fanfic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'' begins with a villainous example. [[Anime/SmilePrettyCure Joker]], in the afterlife, meets [[Manga/SailorMoon Chaos]], origin point and guiding force behind every universe's BigBad. After hearing of [[EternalRecurrence the endless cycle of war between good and evil]], in which [[YouCantFightFate evil is destined to lose every time]], Joker convinces Chaos to spare him and rebel against its fate and natural function, so that the cycle might finally end for good.
* Mana from ''Fanfic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40k''. Not being mentioned by the Dead Sea Scrolls, she has the ability to alter destiny.

* The fanfic ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon'' has [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha]] pretty much do this [[spoiler:to her past life and what is expected of her as the reincarnation of [[Anime/SailorMoon Princess Serenity]]]]. This has major repercussions as [[spoiler:she refuses to reignite her [[ReincarnationRomance past romance]] with Mamoru so she can...ahem, [[{{Pun}} Screw Fate]], chooses to continue working in the TSAB as a mere officer instead of claiming her birthright as heir to the Moon Kingdom, and drives Luna to the point where she might end up [[HeWhoFightsMonsters deciding to find ways to get Nanoha to accept her destiny no matter what]]]].

* Edwin Chaos in [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13501363/8/Chaos-Effect Chaos Effect]] at first believes he must stick with canon because the Pharaoh is destined to defeat Zorc. However when he realizes this means allowing Mokuba get his soul ripped out by Pegasus he decides to begin bending the rules to try and alter destiny.

-->'''Miles Morales''': Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go! Nah. I’mma do my own thing.

* The premise of ''Film/MinorityReport''. At first, it seems that YouCantFightFate, but by the end, knowing your destiny is enough to give you the choice to change it.

* Barbossa makes several statements along these lines in the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd third]] and [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides fourth]] ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films. Justifiable, since his destiny has been completely out of his hands for nearly twelve years- placed under a sense-killing curse for ten years, killed right after the curse is lifted, and resurrected just in time to be dragged into a war. He deserves a break.
* In ''Film/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime'', the prince was [[spoiler:given a second chance to change history completely when he travelled back in time in the ending, sparing the lives of those who had died in the storyline]].

** In ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', tradition says that [[Literature/TheLittleMatchGirl The Little Matchstick Girl]] must die during [[YouMeanXmas Hogfather's eve]] and be carried back to Heaven by angels, as a bittersweet reminder to the comparatively happy population that things aren't that bad as they're still better off than the Little Match Girl. Only, this time, [[TheGrimReaper Death]] has taken on the mantle of the Hogfather (long story), and decides to take advantage of a LoopholeAbuse (that he's technically doing another job at the time) to go against his natural role, just this once. The action leaves his servant Albert flabbergasted and the angels very much miffed that things did not go according to the script. Then Albert starts pelting them with snowballs.

* Eddings' other big work, ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' and ''Literature/TheMalloreon'', actually manages to play this both ways. On the one hand, you ''can'' decide to screw both of the competing destinies. On the other hand, nobody dares do so because [[UnpredictableResults the result would be unpredictable]], so both sides stay in the comfort zone of trying to make "their" prophecy happen at the detriment of the other (and the prequels show Belgarath and Polgara going out of their way to make sure things happen as predicted).

* In Norway, ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars''' title has been translated as ''Fuck Fate'', which Creator/JohnGreen [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140807021710/https://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/86606723303/how-is-it-that-the-english-title-for-tfios-is-beautiful finds to be a]] {{Woolseyism}}.

* In the novel ''Literature/GoodOmens'', [[spoiler:Adam, the boy Antichrist, decides to ignore his destiny and calls off the Apocalypse]], saying that it doesn't matter what is "written", because "it can always be crossed out". Although it is later speculated by Aziraphale and Crowley that maybe everything that happened, including Adam defying his destiny, has been God's real plan all along.

* Played with in ''Literature/HarryPotter''. Harry spends much of ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half-Blood Prince]]'' worrying about the prophecy that marked him TheChosenOne. Eventually, Dumbledore makes Harry realize that the prophecy means nothing and Harry is perfectly free to walk away from all of it. When Harry thinks back on what Lord Voldemort has done, however, he decides he doesn't ''want'' to Screw Destiny and [[TheUnchosenOne decides to do his part]] to finish Voldemort for good.
** It's convincing when Voldemort doesn't want either of them to do this, and will track down Harry and duel him in order to fulfill the prophecy.
** "Neither can live while the other survives." In the final analysis, the trope is completely beside the point as neither Voldemort nor Harry have any interest in averting the prophecy in the end. Voldemort knows Harry has the power to defeat him eventually, but there's no certainty he'll actually do it, and Harry (as aforementioned) takes it upon himself to fulfill this thing that's been hanging over his head. Dumbledore had said years before that the choices a person makes are what is important, so Harry chooses himself and lets whether Fate chose him or not hang.
*** Exactly. The oracle pretty much predicted the choices they would make. If both of them decided to screw destiny, they would, [[SelfFulfillingProphecy but neither will]].
* Curiously explored in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials''. Lyra is the subject of a prophecy [[spoiler: that claims she will bring about the end of destiny]].
* ''Literature/IAmNotASerialKiller'': [[TheSociopath John]] has no prophecies to his name. What he does have is an inability to relate to others, an uncanny comfort with corpses, and a lot of homicidal urges that have him convinced that PowersThatBe want him to become a serial killer. He is not content with that destiny, and makes it his life's mission to be better than everybody expects him to be.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' plays with this on a meta level: [[spoiler: The Whispers are embodiments of the Planet's will, incarnations of destiny and arbiters of fate who try to keep events on track with that transpired in [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII the 1997 game]] since those events ended with the Planet's survival. However, both [[AllLovingHero Aerith]] and [[BigBad Sephiroth]] have, through TheLifestream, become aware of how future events will transpire, and that if destiny is allowed to go on as it should, then it's going to ''royally'' screw over Sephiroth... so, naturally, he attempts to screw destiny first. And the easiest way to screw destiny is by [[ManipulativeBastard making the heroes attempt to screw destiny]], for example by goading them into starting the final boss fight against him within the Singularity, the Whispers realm, ''way'' before they're strong enough to actually win, thus forcing the Whispers to intervene, causing a fight to break out between the heroes and the Whispers [[XanatosGambit that the Whispers cannot win without screwing up destiny]]. Aerith, in the meantime, is torn between giving up, accepting her fate and eventually sacrificing herself for the safety of the Planet as she should, or defying destiny and putting her faith in the possibility of a better tomorrow at the expense of endangering the original timeline's much safer ending. She eventually settles for the latter and takes a proactive role in changing the course of events for the better]].

* Not a genuine example, but Batman tells the Riddler straight his views on the subject in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "If You're So Smart Why Aren't You Rich?":
-->'''Riddler:''' That is grand-scale cheating, Batman! You are not allowed to tamper with the Hand of Fate!\\
'''Batman:''' [[ShutUpHannibal I don't believe in Fate]].

* In ''Film/{{Next}}'', Creator/NicolasCage's character, Cris Johnson, is able to break through the common science fiction cliche that, even with the power to tell the future, destiny is unchangeable. In fact, the whole movie's tagline is that "If you can see the future, you can save it." Curiously, ''Film/{{Knowing}}'' also stars Creator/NicolasCage and seems to have a similar premise, only for Cage's character to [[YouCantFightFate fail to save anyone]].

* The bonus chapter of ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'', "Future Gospel", is all about precognition and screwing destiny. Mikiya gets to deal with a weaker sort of precognition, where he saves a man from a traffic accident by simply acting on the knowledge that that man will ''most likely'' die in the next few minutes. Meanwhile, Shiki escapes from a RubeGoldbergDevice DeathTrap by literally destroying the future a precognitive assassin set up for her with her Mystic Eyes, since his actions were causing the future to have an existence that she could kill. Nonetheless, TheStinger reveals that there ''are'' situations where YouCantFightFate, e.g. while SHIKI (Shiki's male personality) had many possible futures ahead of him, none of these saw him live past February 1996.

* In episode 12 of ''LightNovel/ScrappedPrincess'', it is [[TheReveal revealed]] that Pacifica is capable of screwing with the divine plan of the Peacemakers, since she was one of the few who weren't programmed from birth to follow their every wish.

--->'''[[spoiler:[[BigBad The Anti-Spiral]]]]:''' You continue to struggle even knowing what you know!?
--->'''Simon:''' Of course we do! The tomorrow we're trying to grab for ourselves... Is not the tomorrow that you've set out for us! It's the tomorrow that we choose for ourselves--a tomorrow that we choose out of all of the infinite universes! We'll fight our way through! We'll keep fighting and [[spoiler: protect the universe! We'll stop the Spiral Nemesis, too]]!

** ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' ends in one big example when John and Sarah Connor take every conceivable measure to make sure Skynet never even gets built, much less cause a nuclear holocaust. But it's a YouCantFightFate in disguise, because their attempts result in a TemporalParadox that ''facilitates'' Skynet being built via a StableTimeLoop. Also, they completely overlooked the fact that the US government likely had records on Dyson's research, and simply had a team working on it in secrecy beyond what could be researched by the likes of Sarah and John Connor.

* The fanfic ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon'' has [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha]] pretty much do this [[spoiler:to her past life and what is expected of her as the reincarnation of [[Anime/SailorMoon Princess Serenity]]]]. This has major repercussions as [[spoiler:she refuses to reignite her [[ReincarnationRomance past romance]] with Mamoru so she can...ahem, [[IncrediblyLamePun Screw Fate]], chooses to continue working in the TSAB as a mere officer instead of claiming her birthright as heir to the Moon Kingdom, and drives Luna to the point where she might end up [[HeWhoFightsMonsters deciding to find ways to get Nanoha to accept her destiny no matter what]]]].

-->'''DoctorStrange''': ''Somehow that child... that young man defied fate and destiny today.''