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| - The character is undertaking a challenge of courage, strength and/or skill for some important prize. However, at a critical moment, the hero is confronted with doing something that is morally unacceptable (or not -- this is a fairly common victim of Fridge Logic). Despite being warned about a forfeit if the reprehensible act is not done, the hero reluctantly stands by the decision and accepts that the challenge is lost, expecting no credit for the deed, often not expecting anyone to know. Sometimes, instead of refusing or doing the act, the hero will Take a Third Option.
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abstract
| - The character is undertaking a challenge of courage, strength and/or skill for some important prize. However, at a critical moment, the hero is confronted with doing something that is morally unacceptable (or not -- this is a fairly common victim of Fridge Logic). Despite being warned about a forfeit if the reprehensible act is not done, the hero reluctantly stands by the decision and accepts that the challenge is lost, expecting no credit for the deed, often not expecting anyone to know. However, the hero is then told that that refusal is exactly what was needed to triumph. It was actually a test of character, and the hero has passed with flying colors. Oddly enough, the hero seldom rejects the tester, the reward, or the whole situation on the grounds that it was an underhanded trick -- and this not only when the other character was a Mentor, Threshold Guardian, or otherwise an authority figure, but between equals (such as a Fidelity Test.) Watch for Exact Words. When a character is told that the prize depends on the "results" or "outcome" rather than the success, it will be phrased in such a manner that no one would, at first glance, take it to mean anything but success, but the character saying it can point out that he is doing exactly what he said. (If more than one character tried, and one succeeded in the ostensible goal but still failed the test, expect bitterness.) Sometimes, instead of refusing or doing the act, the hero will Take a Third Option. This will sometimes occur in the context of a Training Accident or The Game Never Stopped. Often goes hand-in-hand with Writer on Board. A reversal of Threshold Guardians. A Career-Building Blunder operates on a similar principle. A subtrope of both Sweet and Sour Grapes and Secret Test. Contrast If You're So Evil Eat This Kitten, which is this trope applied to villainous behavior. Honest Axe, Leave Your Quest Test, Unwinnable Training Simulation, and A Chat with Satan are related types of tests. What You Are in the Dark is related as well: Most Secret Tests involve putting you in the dark to test you. If it's not a test of moral character, it's just a Secret Test or a Hidden Purpose Test. Examples of Secret Test of Character include:
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