Line #129 Main/SentientCosmicForce


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10	->''"Ohohoho, little goldsparkle, it is much, MUCH, more than [a hellish realm]. Every single thought or feeling you have ever had, both consciously '''and''' subconsciously, becomes reality in the Warp. Every single human emotion becomes a power. Every single metaphor becomes a literal meaning. Everyone's wishes, dreams, desires, fears, and nightmares are incarnated. Of course, the reason the Warp is so corrosive and horrifying is because so many conflicting and contradicting ideas are floating around inside of it. And the "Gods" are, in fact, collective subconscious constructs that reflect crucial mental aspects of ALL life."''
11	-->-- '''Magnus the Red''', ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice''
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13	A sentient cosmic force is a form of BackgroundMagicField with a will of its own. Like a Background Magic Field, it is a pervasive form of AppliedPhlebotinum, existing on a planetary or universal scale, that acts as "fuel" for FunctionalMagic. It is generally not material, existing as an intangible energy or on a spiritual level, though it may have a physical manifestations in areas that act as a [[LeyLine nexus]] or [[PlaceOfPower wellspring]] for it. However, while BackgroundMagicField is simply an inanimate part of nature, a sentient cosmic force is capable of thinking and acting on its own.
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15	It can favor some people or factions over others. It can communicate, or at least be communed with. It has goals, and can enact {{plan}}s to further those goals ([[TheChooserOfTheOne which may involve picking someone]] to be TheChosenOne). It is rarely described as actually "alive", however -- it is not something that can be spoken to directly. In this way, sentient cosmic forces are generally distinct from deities: while you may meditate and commune with it in a temple, it doesn't actively seek prayer or worship. More plainly, although a sentient cosmic force is aware of events and capable of influencing them, it is not a person.
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17	If a sentient cosmic force is hostile, or even actively evil, then expect the world this force is in to be a CrapsackWorld. Of course, it might be [[BlueAndOrangeMorality too alien to fit any notions of morality]] that we can understand. TheDarkSide exists when the will of a good or neutral cosmic force is corrupted, or as the EvilCounterpart to the good aspects as a [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil necessary counterbalance]].
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19	A {{subtrope}} of BackgroundMagicField and CosmicEntity. May overlap with TheLifestream when it's created by life itself or when things become one with it after death. Contrast PhysicalGod, where the cosmic force has a face and a body to act out its will directly. Compare SentientPhlebotinum.
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22	!!Examples:
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24	[[foldercontrol]]
25
26	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
27	* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': Part of TheReveal at the end. [[spoiler:The [[BigBad Winged Lion]] that grants its power to Dungeon Lords is an avatar of {{Mana}} itself, having become self-aware through contact with living creatures. This is key to defeating it -- the protagonist can't kill it any more than he could kill "air" or "heat", but he can inflict a DeathOfPersonality by destroying its desire to [[EmotionEater consume human desires]]. Without this fundamental part of its personality, it loses all its agency and becomes an impassive observer.]]
28	* The Truth in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' is the source of alchemy and knowledge. Few people ever see it though (only those who attempted human transmutation). At the end, it [[spoiler:punishes Father for his actions and gives back Al's body in exchange for Ed [[BroughtDownToNormal giving up his alchemy power forever]]]].
29	* In ''Manga/GetterRobo'', Getter Rays are eventually revealed to be a quasi-sentient entity with the power to accelerate evolution, which "chose" mankind over the dinosaurs. Getter Emperor can be considered an AnthropomorphicPersonification of the force (as can [[spoiler:its larval form]] Shin Getter, when at full power). Getter Rays are depicted variously as any combination of AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, TheAssimilator, TheCorruption, CreepyGood and OmnicidalManiac, depending on continuity and how [[AxCrazy mentally stable]] their chosen heralds are at the time.
30	* The Ide of ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'' is implied to have started manipulating all parties from the beginning of the show, when the Solo Ship and the titular Ideon machine are discovered, to ultimately destroying the universe at the climax of the ''Be Invoked'' film in order to restart it. In the TV series, the Ide displays its power through the Ideon by unlocking more of its armaments, one of which is a energy beam generating from its hands like a sword that can cleave a planet apart, with another being a gun that fires enough power to level galaxies.
31	* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Darkness]][[note]]Nightshroud in the English dub.[[/note]] the final antagonist of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', turns out to be the mere avatar of negativity as a concept, an alternate dimension of darkness. Intending to absorb humanity into itself, it nonetheless claims it's not acting out of any more motivation than a natural force just doing what it does, "like water flowing from a high place to a low place". This is reflected by its namesake card; where all previous duel spirits in the show were monster cards, Darkness is a ''field spell''.
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Comic Books]]
35	* The dark energy that infested ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' during TheEighties is implied to be this. It's an energy field that is implied to be attracted to (or induces) feelings of vengeance and malevolence in others, and can empower beings like The Pale Horseman and Lord Soverign with paranormal abilities.
36	** Starfighter's Lorus is a more benevolent version. We don't know much about it except that it can be channeled for various mystical effects by drawing certain symbols, but it evidently chose heroic Duncan Keller to be its agent on Earth.
37	* ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'': The Dreaming, which WordOfGod acknowledges was drawn from Australian Aboriginal beliefs.
38	* Franchise/TheDCU has the seven entities representing the [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience rainbow-derived]] "Emotional Spectrum". All of them both are fueled by the energy that comes from certain primal emotions/drives of living creatures, ''and'' can imbue living beings who strongly connect with those emotions/drives with various powers and abilities (most of which [[FountainOfExpies conveniently match up with the abilities of the Green Lanterns]]). In rainbow order, they are:
39	** Red spectrum: [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Butcher]], the entity of rage, which fuels the Red Lanterns' powers (and in most continuities, their horrific transformations into near-mindless [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge berserkers]]).
40	** [[AllThatGlitters Orange spectrum]]: [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Ophidian the Tempter, a snake-like entity]] which represents/fuels/is fueled by the emotion of Greed and for that reason usually only [[ThereCanBeOnlyOne tends to only be able to empower one individual at a time]] ("[[{{Pun}} Agent Orange]]" tends not to want to share). Tends to assert extreme influence over almost anybody who touches the Orange Lantern that contains it, [[KryptoniteFactor with the exception]] of those [[ThePowerOfLove wielding a Power Ring in the violet spectrum]].
41	** Yellow spectrum: the [[EldritchAbomination Fear-feeding/fueling entity Parallax]], which fuels the [[RetCon current version]] of the [[BigBad Sinestro]] [[ArchEnemy Corps]]' Power Rings, which give abilities similar to a Green Lantern's but are usually given out to people "able to inspire great fear".
42	** Green spectrum: Ion, the basking shark-looking entity feeding off/fueling the [[DependingOnTheWriter nebulously-defined]] (but roughly equivalent to [[TheDeterminator stubbornness]]) "emotion" of Willpower, which powers the rings of the [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Green Lantern Corps]]. The latter are chosen precisely because they can "[[ArcWords overcome great fear]]", because [[FatalFlaw fear, of course, is the enemy of an otherwise iron-clad will]]. (This was [[RetCon later given]] as part of the explanation of why Green Lanterns historically had their powers be [[WeaksauceWeakness weak or ineffective against the color yellow]].)
43	** Blue spectrum: Adara, the entity of Hope, which imbues the Blue Lanterns with their abilities based on how [[HopeBringer inspiring/hopeful]] they are. [[InformedAbility Allegedly]] one of the "[[HeartIsAnAwesomePower most powerful]]" entities in the Emotional Spectrum, but in practice, the Blue Lanterns empowered by it are [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway usually]] not very [[WeaksauceWeakness useful]] without a Green Lantern nearby, since being near one empowered by Willpower is a prerequisite to using the more impressive of their abilities (Watsonian explanation: Hope isn't much good without willpower to back it up. Doylist explanation: StoryBreakerPower, since they can charge a GL ring to 300% and counter red, yellow, and orange rings).
44	** Indigo spectrum: Proselyte, the entity of Compassion (generally depicted as [[TheEmpath empathy]]). Fuels the powers of the mysterious Indigo Tribe, most of whom are [[RedemptionQuest reformed criminals]]. In addition to energy construct type abilities like the Green Lanterns, this entity's followers can also [[TheEmpath psychically sense emotions]], apparently [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience visualizing them based on the colors associated with them]].
45	** Violet spectrum ([[DependingOnTheArtist though it's usually colored more red-violet or pinkish]]): the "Predator" [[ThePowerOfLove feeds off/fuels the emotion(s)/drive of Love]] that give the [[DistaffCounterpart Star Sapphires]] their largely Green Lantern-like abilities plus a bunch of crystal-related and "love"-related abilities, including the ability to show you your OneTrueLove. Its [[MindControl hosts]] and [[AmazonBrigade champions]] tend to be AlwaysFemale, though this may have more to do with the [[BattleOfTheSexes group who found the gem that contained its power being all-female and not terribly fond of the men they had left behind]], than any actual preference on the entity's part. Indeed, the Predator itself has taken on male hosts in the past.
46	* The DCU also has the Source from ''ComicBook/NewGods''. Just how many of these does one universe need, anyway? In any case, The Source emanates from beyond "the Source Wall", a giant wall on the outskirts of reality; the New Gods, and possibly everyone, go there when they die, but it is also sentient and communicates with the New Gods through a giant burning hand that gives them hints about what actions they should take.
47	** Furthermore, it ''also'' has the Endless from ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989''; Death, Destiny, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium (formerly Delight). Each embodies their given role, and often appear as something different to whoever's looking at them (Dream, for instance, was simultaneously perceived both as a tall EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette by John Constantine and as an ancient Martian God by the Martian Manhunter). However, they aren't explicitly required to fulfil their role for it to continue happening, with the universe accommodating -- Destruction retired, and the universe kept on going, and when Dream was imprisoned for most of a century, despite some significant side-effects in both the mortal world and the Dreaming itself, things kept going.
48	* [[ComicBook/XMen The Phoenix Force]] and the [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Power Cosmic]] are two Marvel Universe examples, although the former [[ContinuitySnarl is hard to explain due to countless revisions]].
49	** There is also the Captain Universe power (which itself is an extension of the Microverse’s Enigma Force), which goes around the universe to imbue a powerup to superpowered individuals in order to let them combat a great upcoming cataclysm that the universe (or rather, the power) foresees as so great that it should not come to pass. Spider-Man possessed it for a time, because he had to stop a nuclear reactor from wiping New York off of the map while the Avengers were occupied elsewhere, and a later Captain Universe ended up on the pre ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' Avengers roster, and aside from being handicapped by a brain-damaged and amnesiac host, spoke for itself.
50	[[/folder]]
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52	[[folder:Fan Works]]
53	* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'': as in Marvel canon, the Phoenix Force is this, and is merged with Destruction of the Endless, another example of this trope, along with the latter's siblings, and Galactus.
54	* In the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'':
55	** The Concepts are all this, being the living embodiment of their respective aspect of reality. This includes Celestia and Luna, though they're a bit more limited due to being incarnated into the mortal world at the moment. They aren't ''just'' Equus's day, night, sun, and moon, but the cosmic ''concept'' of those things. The same applies to Discord.
56	** The Blank Wolf is a cosmic entity that exists to be reality's immune system, and will appear to [[RetGone erase]] anything threatening it. [[spoiler:He's also [[OurAngelsAreDifferent an angel]] born from the torn off wing of Fate herself.]]
57	* In the [[Fanfic/{{Cinderjuice}} Contractually Obligated Chaos]] series, this is the best way to describe the plot. The rest of the cast gradually decides that the plot is more or less a sentient being which controls everything, and they are subject to its whims. It's usually benevolent, but prone to pursuing RuleOfDrama, RuleOfFunny, and/or RuleOfCool without warning. No one is safe from it; arguably, this includes the author. Given that the source material is the ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' cartoon, this manages to make perfect sense.
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59
60	[[folder:Films]]
61	* Eywa in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' is a GeniusLoci physically comprising the neural network between the various flora and fauna on Pandora, and comprising the memories of various creatures, but is sentient and can cause GaiasVengeance when required. By the time of ''Film/AvatarTheWayOfWater'' she has [[GodInHumanForm created an avatar for herself in Kiri.]]
62	* While its motives are unclear, in ''Film/{{Excalibur}}'' a Force-like... force... is identified as "The Dragon".
63	* In the ''Franchise/FinalDestination'' series, the main cast is faced off against "Mr. Dead", which is to say Death itself. Death has no form or body, but rather exists as a sentient force of nature that brings about the deaths of those that are meant to die. It's also rather [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch-y]], being an inscrutable and unstoppable entity picking off hapless mortals in ridiculously cruel ways.
64	%%* This is thoroughly spoofed by ''Film/SpaceBalls'' with "da Schwartz!."
65	* The Force from the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe. It's an energy field, it gives powers. It has a ChosenOne, and is believed to have [[MysticalPregnancy caused his birth via an "immaculate conception"]]. It has a will of its own, but nobody fully understands it (and it might be impossible to do so). The Jedi and their [[EvilCounterpart evil counterparts]] the Sith, along with a variety of lesser groups from the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' and ''[[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Legends]]'', each have their own belief systems about the true nature of the Force, but out-of-universe it's generally presumed that the Jedi are closest to the truth. The Sith believe that the Force is something that can, and should be, controlled and exploited for all its worth. Given the horrible fates that befall nearly every Sith, the Force apparently disapproves. According to WordOfGod, the Will of the Force is determined by a HiveMind of sentient microorganisms called the Whills that act on the universe through the midi-chlorians in an attempt to rid itself of the DarkSide's corrupting influence on others.
66	** There are some cases in which it is less distant and more immediately helpful. In ''Rebel Force: Uprising'', when Luke is being tortured and put through brainwashing so bad that even [[SpiritAdvisor Obi-Wan's spirit]] can't help him anymore, he hears an inner voice encouraging him. He thinks it sounds like him but older, and assumes that it's his father's voice. [[LukeIAmYourFather We know it's not]].
67	** Tash Arranda in ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: Eaten Alive'' finds something that horrifies her, "yet, at the same time, it triggered something else inside her, a powerful and comforting force that seemed to fight against her fear and give her strength." Later in the book she's cornered by attackers and feels it again, calming and protecting her so that she is able to escape, and in general it helps her when things seem darkest. Sometimes this scares her because she feels like connecting to it makes her [[LossOfIdentity lose her identity]], sometimes it reminds her that YouAreNotAlone.
68	** And then again, the Jedi can be thrown a curveball sometimes. In the Mortis arc of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka bump into beings that are pretty much {{Physical God}}s, and apparently [[AnthropomorphicPersonification personify]] aspects of the Force. Jedi teachings don't include any specific gods, and none of the Jedi know what to make of them.
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70
71	[[folder:Literature]]
72	* In ''Literature/{{Belgariad}}'', destiny/the will of the universe is both sentient and [[DeadpanSnarker rather snarky]].
73	* In Fiona Patton's ''Literature/{{Branion}}'' series, this describes the Holy Triarchy, which represents three of the four elemental powers. The fourth, Flame, is implied to have been this at one point, but somehow the FounderOfTheKingdom made a pact with It, took It within herself, and became the first [[GodEmperor Aristok]] and [[GodInHumanForm Vessel of the Living Flame]]. Characters in the fourth book commit [[TheHeretic heresy]] by seeking to do the same with the Wind, Sea and Oaks.
74	* Creator/BrandonSanderson's ''Cosmere'' contains sixteen Shards, each of which is a fragment of godlike power created when [[spoiler: a greater being or force called Adonalsium was somehow shattered into these Shards.]] Each shard has an Intent (described by it's name), which is the component of [[spoiler:Adonalsium]] that it represents. Shards that have appeared (directly or indirectly) so far include Ruin, Preservation, Endowment, Honor, Cultivation, Odium, and Autonomy. In order to be used, a Shard must be help by a person who will eventually become completely focused on the Shard's intent, literally unable to act in a way contrary to it. The Shards are responsible for the FunctionalMagic systems that exist on the planets they inhabit, and have some ability to communicate and direct people on those planets to accomplish their goals, although it's unclear exactly how much a totally unlimited shard can do.
75	** ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'' has the diametrically opposed Shards Ruin and Preservation who worked together to create the planet, and are now working against each other to destroy and protect it respectively. [[spoiler:Ruin is [[NiceJobBreakingItHero released]] at the end of "The Well of Ascension" when it is able to trick Vin into thinking that letting it go will help save the world. [[SealedEvilInACan Ruin was trapped]] by Preservation in [[PlaceOfPower the Well of Ascension]] when Preservation betrayed the [[EquivalentExchange deal]] they had made that Ruin would eventually get to destroy the world they created. Preservation is somewhere between dead and dying through the series (the distinction is a little tough with a God who dies over a long period of time), but has a long term ThanatosGambit set up which accounts for Ruin's eventual escape due to Preservation's significantly better ability to predict the future..]]
76	** ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' has Endowment who gives all people on the planet it inhabits a magical "Breath" which can be passed between people or used to animate and Command non-living organic objects. It is also responsible for creating [[OurZombiesAreDifferent the Returned]], Godlike beings who are people who die then are sent back with a single powerful Breath capable of healing any disease or injury (at the cost of the Returned's life). It is believed [[spoiler:(and partially confirmed by Lightsong's actions at the end of the book)]] that each Returned is sent back with a specific purpose to accomplish, although in the process of coming back to life they lose all their memories, so they have to try to figure out what their purpose is along the way.
77	** ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has THREE shards, Odium, Honor and Cultivation. Getting into the full details of information about them is impossible without excessive spoilers. However Honor leads to both culture and magical focus on Oaths, Odium is to blame for constant violence and strife, and Cultivation seems to have by far the best ability of the Shards to predict the future, and a penchant for helping people improve themselves.
78	* ''Franchise/CthulhuMythos'': Yog-Sothoth is often described as The Gate and The Key. It acts as a kind of manifestation, separate entity and integral part of the universe itself. As such, it's not surprising that it doesn't actually ''do'' much in [[Creator/HPLovecraft Lovecraft's]] works, and when it does in "Literature/TheDunwichHorror", namely [[spoiler:fathering HalfHumanHybrids that were involved in a plan for an eldritch invasion]], you might think it's a much more limited entity.
79	* In Creator/JamesHerbert's ''Literature/TheDark'', patches of concentrated darkness, roused in a London house via diabolical ritual, hold and rouse human aptitude for depravity. On the house's demolishment, the Dark [[HatePlague spreads citywide]]...
80	* ''{{Literature/Dinoverse}}'' turns out to have one, though it's poorly described. The TimeMachine that Betram [[AchievementsInIgnorance accidentally]] built in the first book turns out to have been part of a pattern - people across the multiverse had started building similar machines, with similar lack of understanding, and activating them. At one point it's shown that the required parts for it to work are extremely simple, and it activates on its own. Later said character gets himself fused with this force and is said to be benign.
81	* Magic in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series is explicitly mentioned to be a little bit alive. It's the reason HEX seems to add or upgrade parts of its own accord, and part of the reason that not using magic is one of the most important skills a wizard can utilize.
82	* In Creator/DavidGemmell's ''Literature/{{Drenai}}'' novels, priests are dedicated to the Source, which imparts mystical powers.
83	* In S. M. Stirling's ''Literature/{{Emberverse}}'' it appears to be this that caused the Change.
84	* The god of Mijak[[note]]Or rather, the thing the Mijaki ''mistake'' for God.[[/note]] from the ''Literature/GodspeakerTrilogy'' is a particularly evil variant. It never speaks in words to its worshipers, but influences their thoughts and desires and acts through its priests, the godspeakers, and through specific chosen ones like Hekat and later the Hammer. It demands constant sacrifice to sustain itself and very much wants to conquer the world. A character from outside the Mijaki culture at one point describes it as "a well of dark power".
85	* ''Literature/TheEmpiriumTrilogy'': The empirium is a magical force that everything in Avitas is made out of. The ability to tap into it is what gives humans their powers. As one of the Queens of Prophecy, Rielle can hear and even request help from the empirium, especially as her connection to it grows stronger.
86	* The Domain is implied to be this in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''[='s=] ''Literature/TheForerunnerSaga'' for the Milky Way and seemingly attempts to warn the [[{{Precursors}} Forerunners]] about the downfall of their empire. The Domain appears to have motives separate to that of any other faction, even the [[RecursivePrecursors Precursors]], who [[spoiler:''created'' the Domain prior to their near-extinction at the hands of the Forerunners, making it a rare ''artificial'' version of this trope]].
87	** Additionally, the Precursors' own highly advanced technology is said to operate on "neural physics", a highly esoteric branch of science based on the principle that the universe as a whole is alive.
88	* Dust, from ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'': while the "magic" element of it is subtle, it's observed to be attracted to children as they reach puberty, [[spoiler:is discovered to be to be the stuff which gives intelligent creatures sentience,]] and is the reason Lyra's truth-telling Alethiometer works. [[spoiler: It also speaks to a character from Will's world who is studying it through her computer and sends her on a quest.]]
89	* ''Literature/InCryptid'' and the related ''Literature/GhostRoads'' series have [[AtTheCrossroads the Crossroads]], an EldritchAbomination that feeds on the BackgroundMagicField and offers [[DealWithTheDevil deals]], for which the price is always maliciously high. When it comes to collect, if it doesn't outright kill someone, it takes them to a DeathWorld from which [[TrappedInAnotherWorld there is no escape]]. It turns out the Crossroads are [[spoiler:a "cosmic parasite" that usurped the role of the Anima Mundi, a sort of "[[GeniusLoci soul of the world]]", whose bargains were fair]].
90	* In Creator/JamesHerbert's ''Literature/TheMagicCottage'', the universe is said to be driven and shaped by emotion. The titular cottage, with its nurture of intimacy and creativity, stands on a leyline of such "ethereal vitality."
91	* A recurring element in Creator/ThomasLigotti's stories, going by names such as Nethescurial, the Tsalal, and the Great Black Swine, and it's always described as [[MadeOfEvil absolute evil]].
92	* ''Literature/TheOldKingdom'' has the Charter, which is a sort of metaphysical document that orders and defines all life and magic within the world, and is close enough to reality in the titular Kingdom that it can be directly tapped into to power Charter Magic. Whether the Charter itself is truly sentient is debatable [[spoiler: though the beings who created it were]] but it has shown some ability to take steps to preserve itself (and by extension, the universe) mostly by making sure the right people are born at the right time and sending visions to [[MadOracle the Clayr]]. Opposed to the Charter is [[EntropyAndChaosMagic Free Magic]] and its [[OurDemonsAreDifferent elementals]] [[spoiler: the most powerful of which is Orannis the Destroyer]] as well as TheUndead.
93	* ''Literature/PerdidoStreetStation'' has the Torque, described by one character as a tumor that aborted itself from the womb that produced the forces of Birth and Death. Whilst not evil per-se, it is a natural force that is almost totally uncontrollable that warps and mutates matter and biology into horrifying things. Merely trying to research it can turn you into an EldritchAbomination. It was once used as a weapon; the results of the Torque Bomb were so awful even after a generous application of Magitek versions of nuclear weapons there's a country-sized region of the world which isn't going to be inhabitable by anything but abominations ever again.
94	* The magic from ''Literature/TheSoldierSon'' trilogy acts this way. It's not a living thing, but throughout the entire trilogy it is attempting to force Nevare's hand.
95	* In the epic MindScrew that is "Through The Gates of the Silver Key" [[spoiler: we learn that not only is Yoggy its own creature, it is one out of presumably many ultimate archetypes. Every person of any species is apparently a facet of one of these archetypes, and Yog-Sothoth includes all great thinkers and wizards, including protagonist Randolph Carter. It's anyone's guess what/who the ''other'' archetypes are.]]
96	* Creator/JRRTolkien's Middle-earth is created and sustained by the Flame Imperishable, which emanates from [[{{God}} Eru Ilúvatar]] himself. [[WordOfGod The author's letters]] confirm he intended it to be a CrystalDragonJesus of the Holy Spirit.
97	* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In the ''[[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Legends]]'' novel "[[Literature/NewJediOrder The Unifying Force]]" Luke brings all the Jedi together into a conclave on the sentient planet Zonama Sekot in which he tells the Jedi that the Force itself seems to have a will of its own and that when sentient individuals act against that will is when conflict occurs, but when people act in accordance with its will peace happens and individuals "fade into the Force."
98	* The True Source, which turns ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime.'' [[spoiler: [[GodOfEvil The Dark One]] itself turns out to be one of these in the last book as well, more a personification of evil, chaos, and entropy rather than a person. [[TheChosenOne Rand]] manages to reseal it by turning its own magic, [[BlackMagic the True Power]] back against it, ensuring that the harder the Dark One fought against being sealed, the more tightly it ''was'' sealed]].
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
102	* The [[TheFederation Warp Monarch]] in ''Series/ChouseishinGransazer'' is ruled by a computer-like EnergyBeing simply called the "Warp Monarch's Will", which is stated to embody the will of the universe and is capable of sending messages throughout the Warp Monarch.
103	* The Speed Force on ''Series/TheFlash2014'' is demonstrated to be sentient when it speaks directly to Barry through avatars of people he loves. The Speed Force even gives him a WhatTheHellHero speech for [[spoiler:giving up his speed in exchange for a single life, when he could have used it to save many more lives. Also, the only way the Speed Force will give him his speed back is if he comes to term with his mother's death]].
104	-->'''Barry:''' I'm ''talking'' to the Speed Force? Isn't that like saying I'm having a conversation with gravity, or light, or...
105	* In ''{{Series/Lost}}'' this is what's said to [[spoiler:emanate from [[CosmicKeystone the Heart of the Island]]]].
106	-->'''Jacob:''' What's down there?\
107	'''Mother:''' Life. Death. Rebirth.
108	* The Morphin' Grid from ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' might be this. An omnipresent energy field that turns TheChosenMany into Rangers, but only when/for as long as the cosmic principles of Good and Evil are out of balance. This presumably makes it sentient, as it has to make those judgments. Despite the mystical connotations, ordinary humans in later series do find a way to tap into it for mundane energy needs.
109	* The first season of ''Series/Space1999'' floats the idea of a 'Cosmic Intelligence' which is guiding and protecting the Moon on its journey around the Universe in order to use it as a catalyst for change. In one episode, ''Black Sun'', the Intelligence apparently even speaks to two of the main characters.
110	* The mycelial network in ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'', which exists in a pocket of subspace, is said to be integral to the very existence of life. It's even implied to serve as [[spoiler:a kind of ''afterlife'', as Stamets meets Culber there after the latter is killed by [[SplitPersonalityTakeover Voq/Tyler]]]]. This is also why its corruption by [[spoiler:the I.S.S. ''Charon'']] is so concerning: if the network dies, it may very well take all life in TheMultiverse with it.
111	* The Minus Energy present in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' is heavily implied to have a life of its own, with it's appearance in ''Series/UltramanEighty'' having it talk to 80 and boast about its creation of Minus Energy monsters throughout the show. By extension, the Yapool ''Series/UltramanAce'' also count as they are an entity made out of the Minus Energy with a mind of its own and capable of free will planning.
112	* ''Series/DoctorWho'': There are some implications that reality itself is "alive" to some degree, with the resident ClockRoaches being compared to antibodies sterilising the "wounds" caused by a TemporalParadox. The tie-in tabletop RPG section on how time travel and paradoxes work gets ''very'' anthropomorphic about it, at one point stating that when a "time spur" is created (the event in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E8FathersDay "Father's Day"]]) the universe "[[CloseEnoughTimeline doesn't care how the paradox is resolved, as long as it's resolved]]".
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
116	* The Force from ''Franchise/StarWars'' is based on UsefulNotes/{{Taoism}}, which teaches that there is a universal force called (but not named) the Tao that flows through all things, passively guiding the universe along a natural course. By living a certain meditative lifestyle, one can become "like an uncarved block" and then allow the Tao to shape them.
117	* Certain versions of UsefulNotes/{{Pandeism}} and UsefulNotes/{{Pantheism}} have this -- though 'sentient' varies and need not imply activity or sapience.
118	** UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, in particular, has Brahman.
119	* UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} in particular has the Holy Spirit, who is the third person within the Blessed Trinity and is best defined as being the power of God that carries out His will. However, UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} and UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} see Him as more of an impersonal force sent by God to influence humanity in contrast to Christianity which teaches that He's a person with thoughts and feelings like us on equal footing with the Father and Son.
120	* Greek philosophical systems, such as Stoicism and Neoplatonism, had the concept of ''Anima mundi'' - the World Soul. It is described as an intrinsic connection between all living things on the planet, which relates to the world in much the same way as the soul is connected to the human body.
121	* Algonquian and Anishinaabe mythology has the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitou Manitou]] (Not to be confused with the horror novel ''Literature/TheManitou''), which is described as the omnipresent, spiritual and fundamental lifeforce which manifests everywhere. The Iroquois Native Americans have the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orenda Orenda]], an extraordinary invisible power inherent in people and the environment, capable of being exerted according to the will of its possessor.
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
125	* The Draconic Prophecy in ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' can be this. It's left deliberately vague so that the DM can give it whatever nature he wants, but what has been confirmed about it fits: It gives people powers (Through Dragonmarks), it's pervasive and covers the material plane (leaving marks on the landscape, construction, etc). It has a will and a purpose, but those are so complex and long terms that no being can fully understand it. Dragons spend their whole lives trying to figure it out, only ever achieving small glimpses of the Prophecy's nature.
126	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has a lot of examples of this trope. The universe literally runs on RuleOfCool and is self-aware of this:
127	** Anyone, not just an Exalt, can channel virtue into actions to increase the chance to success, even if they fight the frickin' ''Ebon Dragon''.
128	** The more extreme an Exalt's Virtue, the more [[{{Mana}} Essence]] he has. The universe respond to your morality (both the Black-White kind and the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Blue-Orange kind]]).
129	** And then there are the Pattern Spiders. They are god-machines who are responsible of causality in the Universe, they are sentient, and they can be affected in many ways. The aforementioned Ebon Dragon has Charms solely to screw them.
130	*** Not only can the Pattern Spiders be affected by you, sometimes it's not even necessary -- the Pattern Spiders are ''bored out of their minds''. Enough so that if you try to do something cool enough, they'll usually fudge the rules to make it more likely to work (represented in gameplay as bonus dice).
131	** The creators of the universe are also this. They were kind of cosmic douchebags[[note]]At least, that's what Heaven's propaganda tell you. However, Heaven is a sham and a scam.[[/note]], so the Exalts either killed them or imprisoned them. The Green Sun Princes can invoke their power, and the more one does so, the more universe around him or her works according to his or her patron's ideal vision. Which is not a nice place.
132	* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'' has both the Light (the embodiment of virtue, beneficence, and the desire to make the world a better place.) and its opposite the Darkness (the embodiment of vice, corruption, despair, and malevolence). The titular Princesses are empowered by the Light, while the Darkness has a wide variety of minions created from those who were consumed by vice or despair in various ways.
133	* The Warp from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' would be a rare evil version. It is malevolent, at least at the moment: originally it was a benign, peaceful force that has become corrupted by all the grief, rage, and suffering [[CrapsackWorld that's been happening in the galaxy]] for the past few million years. It has, in fact, many wills (thanks to its chaotic nature), as its wills can be given identities in the form of Chaos Gods. Just like the Force from ''Franchise/StarWars'', it can give super powers, though [[LovecraftianSuperpower not often ones you'd want to keep]].
134	* ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'' has this trope as the pillar of its cosmology. The universal forces of Chaos, Order and Entropy exist and have something resembling a personality, called the Wyld, the Weaver and the Wyrm, respectively. Werewolves' entire lives revolve around the conflict between these three forces, specifically being rather friendly with the Wyld, wary or antagonistic to the Weaver and VEEEEEERY antagonistic to the Wyrm.
135	[[/folder]]
136
137	[[folder:Video Games]]
138	* In ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'', the mysterious "Well of the Furies" is actually a SentientCosmicForce. To date, its exact goals are poorly-eludicated, but seem to involve trying to take control of its [[TheChosenMany Chosen Many]], the "Incarnates."
139	* ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' (especially ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeonII'') heavily implies that there are [[spoiler:two forces of equal power at play in the world. On humanity's side is the Light, the embodiment of all of man's hopes for a better tomorrow and something to watch over them, which fuels the powers of several heroes. On the other side is the Iron Crown, a.k.a. what the Stress symbol actually represents, the embodiment of all of humanity's failures and destructive choices.]]
140	* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'': In [[VideoGame/Destiny2 the sequel]]'s ''Shadowkeep'' expansion, the "Unveiling" lore book reveals this to be the case for the Light/Traveler and the Darkness/Pyramids. In the book, the Darkness relates an allegorical account of how the two of them used to exist in a garden before time began, tending to flowers in it. When the gardener (Light) got frustrated how the garden seemed to stagnate, similar patterns continually arising in it, they tried to introduce a new "rule" into the garden, much to the winnower's (Darkness) alarm. The two fought and fell into the garden, starting time, and becoming cosmic forces that exhibit [[RealityWarping paracausal power]]. Later lore released with the ''Beyond Light'', ''Witch Queen'', and ''Lightfall'' expansions (and their followup Seasons) imply that [[SubvertedTrope this isn't actually true]] -- [[spoiler:the Gardener and the Winnower are actually seperate individuals from the Light and the Darkness, instead acting as the source of these powers. The Gardener became The Traveler, while the Winnower became The Witness, the true BigBad of the ''Destiny's Saga of Light and Dark'']].
141	* ''VideoGame/Dota2'' Has Enigma, Io, Keeper of the Light and Chaos Knight as playable heroes. They are the AnthropomorphicPersonification of gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force respectively, also known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_interaction the four fundamental forces of the universe.]] [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration Their abilities even correspond thematically to what they represent.]] Ancient Apparition meanwhile is heavily implied to be the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_death_of_the_universe#:~:text=The%20heat%20death%20of%20the,sustain%20processes%20that%20increase%20entropy heat death of the universe,]] given sapience and form.
142	* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' has the Greater Will: an unseen, unheard divine being that acts through messangers. It's a cosmic entity who is credited with having created the very concepts of life, individuality and souls, and is associated with gold, light and immortality. The Greater Will is the entity who created the titular [[CosmicKeystone Elden Ring]], seeded the world with the [[WorldTree Erdtree]] and is the one that chooses [[PhysicalGod Empyrean]]. While it can interact with the physical world in some form, it's unknown if it even ''has'' an appearance and isn't just a metaphysical, thinking cosmic ''energy''. It's apperently so distant that even its dedicated messangers, the Two Fingers, can take up to ''hundreds of years'' of continously calling to establish contact with it.
143	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
144	** [[GodOfGods Anu]] and [[TheAntiGod Padomay]] are the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification anthropomorphized]] primordial forces of [[OrderVersusChaos "stasis/order/light" and "change/chaos/darkness"]], respectively. Their interplay in the great "Void" led to Nir, "creation". Nir loved Anu, [[DrivenByEnvy which Padomay hated]]. Padomay killed Nir and the 12 worlds to which she gave birth. Anu wounded Padomay, presuming him dead. Anu salvaged the pieces of the 12 worlds to create one world: Nirn. Padomay returned and wounded Anu, seeking to destroy Nirn. Anu then [[TakingYouWithMe pulled Padomay and himself outside of time]], ending Padomay's threat to creation "forever". Due to being pulled outside of time, neither can directly influence the affairs of the mortal world, but it is believed that their presence is still felt, largely InMysteriousWays and in PowersThatBe type ways.
145	** [[EldritchAbomination Sithis]], a representation of the [[PowerOfThevoid Void]], is believed to be what is "left of" Padomay, a shadow that continues to inject "chaos" into the stasis of creation. Sithis is worshiped by the [[MurderInc Dark Brotherhood]] in their ReligionOfEvil.
146	** The et'Ada are the "original spirits" who formed out of the [[PiecesOfGod intermingled spilled blood]] of Anu and Padomay. Depending on their actions during the creation of Mundus, the mortal world, they would become known as either the Aedra or the Daedra. Essentially, they are the embodiments of the concepts they represent. (Akatosh IS Time, Sheogorath IS Madness, etc.) For example, when someone (usually mortals working with divine implements) "breaks" time, causing time to flow in a nonlinear fashion, they have "broken" Akatosh. These events are known as "Dragon Breaks", essentially {{Time Crash}}es during which RealityIsOutToLunch. For more details about them, see ''Characters/TheElderScrollsDivineBeings'' and ''Characters/TheElderScrollsDaedra'' subpages.
147	* TheLifestream of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', used as a fuel by the [[MegaCorp Shinra Electric Power Company]]. In its solidified form it is [[PowersAsPrograms the materia that allows the use of magic]], and is the combined spirit of all living things of the Planet, and when you piss it off enough it [[GaiasVengeance releases a whole bunch of monsters to get rid of whatever is annoying it]].
148	* [[spoiler:Energy-X]] is implied to be this at the end of the second ''VideoGame/FreedomForce'' game; presumably more would have been revealed had a third game been made.
149	* The Light and the Darkness in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''. Each has their own realm (along with a realm where they're mixed, and a realm that lacks either). They're mostly just a BackgroundMagicField each, but each seems to have a will of its own -- the (rarely seen) realm of Darkness creates Heartless, and the (broken from an ancient war) realm of Light rebuilt itself using the pure light found in children's hearts, and will summon/swap around Keyblades depending (to some degree) on the intended wielder's balance of light and darkness. Neither of the forces seems directly opposed to the other, though -- most of the reasons that the realm of Light suffers from darkness are due either to the previously mentioned war or to the series' BigBad, who seeks to disprove myths about Darkness and gain personal power with increasingly reckless and ''ruthless'' experiments.
150	* ''VideoGame/MassEffect'': Asari religion is said to revolve around this, moving away from a more literal worship of the goddess Athame. [[spoiler: In the third game, we learn Athame was fact real, and a Prothean to boot.]]
151	* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': The Axiom, first mentioned in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse''. The Axiom represents the entire non-physical part of the universe, and any human who manages to make contact with it becomes something [[{{Transhumanism}} on an level incomprehensibly far above]] what they previously were (so far, only a single person is known to have done so, and they're a recurring character surfing the multiverse now). It's made clear that The Axiom and YHVH completely hate each other - YHVH hates that a force exists the He may not be able to control, and the Axiom will engineer the existence of [[PlayerCharacter Messiahs]] just to mess with YHVH's attempts to remake the world in His image.
152	* ''VideoGame/StarShiftOrigins'': The light and darkness of the universe have been in conflict since the start of the universe, but formed a truce because of the threat of their accidental creations' time powers.
153	* In ''VideoGame/{{Starhawk}}'', Rift energy, AKA "blue gold", is an efficient power source and spews out of the ground. Direct exposure turns people into exoskeletal, mutant zealots that worship the Rift and attack anyone who tries to harvest it. Sometimes, it grabs people and pulls them into itself.
154	* Apparently, the Voodoo from ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'' is this, according to the Voodoo Lady. Of course, [[HollywoodVoodoo real Voodoo has nothing to do with this]].
155	* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', each fonon has an aggregate sentience (most are named after the summon spirits of previous games), but the one that's most important to the storyline is Lorelei, the aggregate sentience of the seventh fonon of sound.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
159	* The {{Franchise/Nasuverse}}:
160	** "Gaia" is [[MotherNature the will of the planet Earth]], and "Alaya" is the collective unconsciousness of humanity. The clash between Gaia and Alaya out of their respective desires for self-preservation created some sort of a cosmic force called "The Counter Force". If either Gaia or Alaya becomes closer to destruction, the Counter Force will act towards saving the one closer to destruction, usually at the expense of the other. The form it can be communicated with exists as "Counter Guardians", heroes who have formed a contract with the World to save it when it comes closer to destruction... though the presence of a Counter Guardian means that [[GodzillaThreshold every other course of action that the Counter Force could've taken has been exhausted]], Counter Guardians typically lack autonomy when summoned in that capacity, and their ''modus operandi'' is to annihilate both the direct cause of the threat and everything else within the surrounding area (i.e. massive collateral damage/casualties is the norm for such events).
161	** The "Ultimate Ones", each the "[[UltimateLifeform ultimate being]]" of an entire celestial body that embodies [[GeniusLoci said world's will]]. According to ''Literature/AngelNotes'', every planet (and the Moon) has an Ultimate One. These beings have [[EldritchAbomination utterly bizarre forms and minds]] to say the least, as one of them (ORT, originally believed to be Type-Mercury but is actually Type-Oort Cloud) even came to Earth responding to Gaia's dying message ''thousands of years before Gaia died''. The reason Gaia can't create Type-Earth as her physical form is because Alaya is preventing her from doing so. She had to resort to striking a deal with Type-Moon, a.k.a. Crimson Moon Brunestud, to allow it residence on Earth in exchange for creating a substitute, the result being the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent True Ancestors]]; one particular True Ancestor, [[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Arcueid Brunestud]], had been implanted by Crimson Moon with a copy of said Type's personality, and upon its eventual awakening (which will probably lead to [[SplitPersonalityTakeover her original personality being lost]]) she will attain her highest level of power and become a being known as "Archetype:Earth" (something that happens in one ending in ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood''), making the closest thing to a true Ultimate One of Earth.
162	[[/folder]]
163
164	[[folder:Web Comics]]
165	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', magic has [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1832 a will and objectives of its own]]. It's known to have a flair for the dramatic and even seems at times to have a sense of humor. Among its objectives was a desire to not be used by more than a small fraction of the people, to the extent of changing its own rules... [[spoiler: until it was persuaded that the rise of the internet made that not viable anymore and it agreed to go public]]. Notably, it's flair for the dramatic isn't a personality trait so much as it is Magic being [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm so alien]] that big dramatic moments are all it really understands of us.
166	* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Skaia is described as something like this. The characters also talk about Paradox Space as though it was this trope, but [[UnreliableExpositor looking at the story itself]] it seems Paradox Space is about as sentient as gravity or destiny. It's also a term that describes everything that exists ever.
167	* In the highly meta fancomic ''{{Webcomic/Roommates}}'' the [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality Story]] and [[PanderingToTheBase Fanservice]] are referred to as such by [[FourthWallObserver Azira and Crowley]], [[TheFairFolk Jareth]] and narration. In its SpinOff ''{{Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor}}'' at least Sarah and Sophie think this too. Because these are basically the in-universe representations of AuthorPowers and ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve (of the fandom; "{{Fangirl}}s masquerading as fate".) respectively this may be very very literally true. They also obviously have humor and an agenda (like [[ShipperOnDeck not even subtly ship Jareth / Sarah]]). Oh. And also [[WildMagic power magic]].
168	* The Morce from ''[[http://space-blood.thecomicseries.com/comics/1 Space Blood]]'', like the Force from Star Wars has a similar role and its two sides with the Zedi being based on the Jedi and the Knights of Len being based on both the Sith and the Knights of Ren but both sides are evil and that the former is towards LightIsNotGood [[spoiler:and it turns out that the Morce is made of evil]].
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Web Original]]
172	* In ''Literature/{{Phaeton}}'' the universe itself is implied to be this.
173	* The Literature/WhateleyUniverse has its own take on the Tao (see Religion above) that seems to take a somewhat more active role by empowering the occasional ChosenOne when it serves its purposes and is generally credited with an OmniscientMoralityLicense by its followers at least. Its current chosen Handmaid is Bladedancer -- by all accounts potentially unstoppable if the Tao wills it so, yet "merely" a BadassNormal otherwise (which is most of the time).
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	[[folder:Western Animation]]
177	* The spin off book "The Enchiridion", from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' reveals The Multiverse itself is a self-aware entity, and that it is [[PlaceOfPower the source of all Magic across all of existence]].
178	* A common RunningGag in the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts was for one of the characters to be trying to handle a job, only for whatever apparatus involved to meticulously move and fall apart out their favour. In "Moving Day" for example, Goofy tries to push a piano into a van, only for it to continuously roll out. As the short continues it moves in more contrived ways, rolling back and forth independently and even jumping when Goofy catches it in the act.
179	* There are two cosmic powers shown in ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'' that have some hint of inner will. The first is the Power of Grayskull, also known as Light and Justice, who grants those who wield it PersonalityPowers. By its own volition, Grayskull can only be wielded by a true Champion, someone who fights for those who cannot defend themselves. Its opposite is [[TheDarkSide the Power of Havoc]], a destructive and corruptive force that mutates its wielders [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous into reflections of their worst selves]]. The two powers are always in opposition. If one power finds a wielder, the other power will find someone else to wield them and serve as a [[ArchEnemy Nemesis]].
180	* The eponymous [[ThePowerOfFriendship Magic of Friendship]] in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' appears to be one of these and is tied to the [[WorldTree Tree of Harmony]]. It manifests in response to strong acts of friendship between ponies, through such vectors as the Elements of Harmony and the Fire of Friendship (which may be weaponized as a HeartBeatDown or a CareBearStare). Beginning with Season 5, it becomes a MagneticPlotDevice that actively sends specific [[{{Pun}} mane]] characters on quests to solve friendship problems throughout the world, implying a definite decision-making process.
181	* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', Candace believes that it's something like this that prevents her from busting her brothers (and probably preventing their mom from noticing anything odd). In the SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'', it's revealed that they were simply BornLucky.
182	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SentientCosmicForce