You Will Know What to Do: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Reggie:''' Take this walkie talkie and hide. You'll know what to do.
'''Twister:''' I will?
|''[[Rocket Power]]''}}
Stock phrase when the hero is presented with a [[Plot Coupon]].
Played for laughs when the item in question [[It May Help You
Usually translates as "We're not going to tell you what the magic amulet does yet in order to keep the audience in suspense," or, more cynically, "We don't actually want to do the work to prevent a [[Deus Ex Machina]] ending, so we're throwing this in now to make it look like we had it planned all along." Sometimes, in a very long arc, it can also mean "We haven't worked the resolution out either, so we're tossing in a random item now. The author will work out what it's for later." Perhaps they know that an [[Unspoken Plan Guarantee|unspoken plan always works]]?
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Often parodied these days by having the coupon itself be something not merely innocuous, but outright ridiculous.
An offshoot of [[Chekhov's Gun]] and often used as ammo for [[
It has never been revealed what would have happened if they ''didn't'' know what to do with it...
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* [[Justified]]/[[Handwaved]] in ''[[Rave Master]]''. Haru Glory, wielder of the Ten Commandments sword, initially can only create the "Explosion Sword." Eventually, he is given the Rave of Wisdom, which gives him knowledge which is only gradually unlocked and told "
* This was sort of the case in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' where Kaiba gave Yugi his copy of Fiend's Sanctuary before the final battle with Marik in Battle City. Kaiba knew it was an effective weapon against the Winged Dragon of Ra, but he just told Yugi to take it and nothing else, figuring that if Yugi was capable of winning at all, he could figure out how to use it on his own. Fortunately, he did.
** Although, while it is absent from the dub, Kaiba calculated when he gave Yugi the Fiend's Sanctuary card that it would do nothing more than increase Yugi's chances against Marik from 3% to 20%; he still doubted Yugi stood much of a chance. Kaiba told Ishizu that he only helped Yugi to prove her wrong about the bond between them when he lost. At least that's what he ''claimed'' his motive was. And as stated, Yugi did win, the card helping a great deal.
* Zigzagged in the first season of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]''. After Daitokuji-sensei loses to Judai, he gives Judai the [[Tome of Eldritch Lore| Emerald Tablet]] before his physical body dies. Later, before he duels [[Big Bad| Kagemaru]], Judai finds a card called Sabatiel - The Philosopher's Stone in the book, and figures he should add it to his deck. Just as he's at the end of his rope, he draws the card, but still has no idea how to use it. Daitokuji's spirit appears and is about to tell him ''exactly'' how to use it, but then [[It Makes Sense In Context| he's swallowed by his cat Pharaoh]] before he can tell Judai the complete effect. Fortunately, Judai is able to figure that out on his own.
== [[
* Comic book example: In ''[[
▲* [[Justified]]/[[Handwaved]] in ''[[Rave Master]]''. Haru Glory, wielder of the Ten Commandments sword, initially can only create the "Explosion Sword." Eventually, he is given the Rave of Wisdom, which gives him knowledge which is only gradually unlocked and told "[[You Will Know What to Do]]." From then on, he's able to [[New Powers As the Plot Demands|whip out new forms of his sword as the plot demands.]] This comes with understanding of ''how'' the powers work, so he can from then on also call them forth at will.
* In the "Fate" story path of ''Fate/Stay Night'', Archer takes time {{spoiler|before his [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}} to tell Shiro that he is a "maker" not a "fighter", and that this will save him. Of course, Archer is {{spoiler|speaking from personal experience, as he's Shiro's older self}}.▼
== [[
* ''[[Drunkard's Walk]]'': The trope name is said said word-for-word to Doug Sangnoir by [[Ah! My Goddess|Belldandy]] when she gives him a vial containing a drop of blood from each of the gods living at Tarikihogonji temple:
▲* Comic book example: In ''[[Exiles (Comic Book)|Exiles]]'', when Beak joins the team, they're told that he has "an important task ahead of him" and that "several worlds will hang in the balance", essentially making the character into the [[Plot Coupon]].
{{quote|"When faith calls to faith," she added, "you will know what to do with this."}}
* In chapter 13 of the 1996 [[Mega Crossover]] ''[[The Dance of Shiva]]'', [[Sailor Moon|Queen Serenity]] (appearing in a dream) thanks [[Bubblegum Crisis|Linna]] for returning her lost daughter to her and to reward her touches her on the forehead, saying, "You will know how to use this when the time comes" as a shock runs through her.
== [[Film]] ==
* The main character of the movie ''[[Paycheck]]'' gets ''twenty'' of these in a [[Note to Self:]], but this is more [[Justified Trope|justified]] than most examples of this trope, as well as more skillfully executed. (It's pulled off with even ''more'' flair in the original short story.)
* In the second ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' film: "I gotta [[It May Help You
* The Autobox Matrix of Ass-Kicking in ''[[Transformers:
* In ''[[
* Parodied in ''[[Reign of Fire]]'' :
{{quote|- I'm going out. Anything happens, you know what to do.
- Er... no.
- Yeah, me neither.}}
* Done rather poorly in ''[[Troll 2]]'', when Grandpa Seth hands Joshua a [[It May Help You
* In the move ''[[Little Nicky]]'', a group of angels hand Nicky a white orb before his confrontation with his brother, relaying a message from the God that when the times comes,
* Happens in ''[[Starship Troopers]]''. A literal [[Chekhov's Gun]] is handed out when Rasczak shoots and kills a communication officer that has been captured by a flying bug and then exclaims, "I expect any one of you to do the same for me." Later, Rasczak's legs are torn off by a tunneling bug, and he looks at Rico and says, "Rico... you know what to do!" Rico replies, "Yes sir!", and after a moment's hesitation, shoots him.
* [[Patton|"When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do."]]
== [[Literature]] ==
* In [[Perry Moore]]'s superhero novel ''[[Hero (
* ''[[Harry Potter and
** It does however raise the question why he didn't just give it to them earlier, transfigured if necessary, since {{spoiler|he knew he was going to die almost a year in advance}}. [[Batman Gambit|But hey, it's Dumbledore.]]
* In John Moore's ''Bad Prince Charlie'' the titular prince is given a charm and told 'you'll know what to do when the time comes'. Given what kind of books Moore writes, when the time comes to actually use it as a last resort in the face of an enemy army they mock him by [[Lampshade Hanging|reciting the same phrase back at him]].
* In David Mitchell's ''Cloud Atlas'', the character Zach'ry in the section "Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After" is given a series of mystical and seemingly nonsensical clues by a fortune teller, explaining only that he will know what they mean when the time comes. {{spoiler|The clues end up saving his life in the climax, as they are detailed instructions on how to evade a band of savages that is attempting to capture him.}}
* ''[[Metro 2033 (
* Done several times in the [[Sword of Truth]]. Prophecies given 3000+ years ago can be pretty nonspecific, you know? Additionally, the irrational use of this trope is lampshaded by Richard himself, who, as Seeker, is somehow expected to know how to solve everyones' problems. He actually ends up subverting his own lampshade by being an unusually bright and logical protagonist, and its revealed that one of the primary characteristics of a true Seeker is that they have this trope or the ability to invoke it ''before'' they get the sword.
== [[Live
* The [[Golden Snitch|amulet]] from the final episode of ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' had the Fisher King giving Merlin a waterglobe artifact in season 3 and telling him "When all seems lost, this will show you the way." But Merlin himself had to figure out what to do with it (and did so on accident,dropping and smashing it so the water fell into the bucket and Freya appeared.)
== [[Oral Tradition]], [[Folklore]], Myths and Legends ==
* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: ''[[
== [[Video Games]] ==
* In ''[[Ratchet and Clank]] Future'', after a slight Fourth Wall breaking moment, recurring character "The Plumber" gives the protagonists a "3 3/4 Centicubit Hexagonal Washer" claiming it will "[[It May Help You
* Inverted in [[Escape
{{quote|
* In ''[[Eric the Unready]]'', you pull the legendary banana "Excalibanana" out of a stone, thus proving that you are the hero chosen to save the princess. You're then instructed to throw it in the pond, so you can magically summon it forth in its time of need. Exactly what use you'll have of a banana, even a legenday one with a badass name, is not readily apparent.
▲* In the "Fate" story path of ''[[Fate/
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Parodied in ''[[
** Of course nothing happens, because Quagmire was too [[Genre Blind]] to do a banana peel gag. {{spoiler|Cleveland}} was probably looking at it less expectantly and more "Did he just throw a banana at me?"
* In one episode of ''[[
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[[Category:Cryptic Conversation]]
[[Category:Stock Phrases]]
[[Category:This Index Will Be Important Later]]
[[Category:Chekhov's Gun]]
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