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Of course, this makes them the target of so many [[The President's Daughter|kidnapping plots]] even the ''parodies'' have become a [[Dead Horse Trope]]. Note that ''[[Mundane Solution|just plain killing]]'' the Barrier Maiden is rarely an option—either the villain becomes infatuated with her or he wants to [[Break the Cutie]] to [[The Dark Side]] and turn her into an [[Apocalypse Maiden]], or there's a complex [[Black Magic]] ritual needed before he can destroy or steal her power. Simply killing will just make her [[Reincarnation|reincarnate]] elsewhere...the list goes on and on.
The life of a poor '''Barrier Maiden''' is pretty sucky to boot [[Superpowerful Genetics|(even more so than for a superhero's kid)]]. She's usually treated as a [[MacGuffin]] [[The President's Daughter|instead of a person]],<ref>(Which might be technically true if she used to be an inanimate [[MacGuffin]] that was turned into a [[MacGuffin Girl]])</ref> is expected to make a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] if victory is on the line, and is usually chained to a temple or altar as part of her duties. As a job, maintaining the [[Containment Field]] or being a [[Cosmic Keystone]] usually isn't pleasant either: if the evil is becoming stronger or the [[Eldritch Abomination]] is weakening reality, she might end up dying either holding up the roof or when the barrier breaks.
Expect the Barrier Maiden to be a [[White Magician Girl]], [[The Messiah]], [[Apocalypse Maiden]] or [[Pollyanna]]. Male examples are pretty uncommon, but [[Greek Mythology|Atlas]] at least is a good one, making this [[Older Than Feudalism]]. See also [[MacGuffin Girl]] and [[Holy Child]]. Not to be confused with the [[Barrier Warrior]], but they may occasionally overlap. Also not to be confused with a [[Unusual Euphemism|Maiden Barrier]], which can also make dating awkward.
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==▼
▲== Anime and Manga ==
* {{spoiler|Lucille Lilliant}} from ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'', who's {{spoiler|put into a forced coma and locked inside a capsule for 15 years}}. A whole arc is about her {{spoiler|using the last remains of her powers to contact Jamil, her former pupil, [[Grand Theft Me|through Tiffa's body]] so they can thwart the enemies' plans to capture her.}}
* Also Maria Armonia from ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam|Victory Gundam]]'', a powerful holy woman with [[Healing Hands]] and the puppet ruler of the Zanscare, {{spoiler|as well as the Newtyope in charge of the [[Mind Rape]] device known as the Angel Halo.}}
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== [[Comic Books]] ==
* An issue of the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]], Season Eight'' comic features a young woman performing this task for a demonic house and not feeling at all well thereby. The character was based on a mentally ill fan, who evidently liked it.
* ''[[Fantastic Five]]'', a what-if future continuity of the ''[[Fantastic Four]]'', sets Sue Richards up as one in a quite literal sense. It's used as a surprise twist: {{spoiler|A massive rift in space-time was just about to tear a few dimensions wide open. Sue was critically injured trying to close it. So, as her final request, Sue's comatose body is suspended in a massive generating machine, on a space platform in interdimensional space, so her force field powers can keep the rift from breaking loose and destroying the universe. Reed stays with her in a lonely vigil, continuing his work for the Five on Earth through remote-controlled proxy robots that the group claims are cyborgs.}}
* Access from ''
== [[Film]] ==
* The protagonist of ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076683/ The Sentinel]'' (''not'' the television show) {{spoiler|becomes one such at the end of the movie, guarding the literal Gates of Hell (she partially qualified by being a failed suicide)}}.
* Leeloo from ''[[The Fifth Element]]'' is another example of this.
* The titular character from ''The Golden Child'' is a rare male example.
== [[Literature]] ==▼
▲== Literature ==
* The Childlike Empress in ''[[The Neverending Story (novel)|The Neverending Story]]'' was a [[Fisher King]] for the land and her illness is thought to be what's causing The Nothing that's destroying Fantasia, but her sickness is actually due to her needing a new name. (Fantasia is failing because {{spoiler|very few humans are visiting these days}}. The two problems are related and can be solved in a similar manner.)
* Ehlana, Queen of Elenia in the ''Elenium'' trilogy by [[David Eddings]], serves as a Barrier Maiden during the first 2 1/4 books. The ghost of a dead knight comments to the series protagonist that "the darkness hovers at the gate, and Ehlana is our only hope of light." The action of the series mostly focuses around recovering the mystic artifact that will keep the poisoned queen from dying, and thus prevent the world from succumbing to the grip of evil.
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* The Eternals from ''[[Fablehaven]]'' are a group of immortal Barrier People (not all maidens) who serve as {{spoiler|the second lock to opening the demon prison Zyzyx}}. Immortality has ''not'' [[Who Wants to Live Forever?|been kind to them]], such that it is not actually all that difficult for them to be convinced to take their own lives. {{spoiler|The [[Big Bad]]'s [[Ironic Hell]] is to become one of them.}}
* Princess Jenna from ''[[Septimus Heap]]''. Basically, the safety of the Castle depends upon her presence in the Castle, leading to both the plots of ''Magyk'' and ''Flyte'' as she is persecuted by [[Big Bad|DomDaniel]] and actually kidnapped respectively.
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
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** A bit different in both versions. In ''Magiranger'', her life force maintains the seal, so if she is killed, the gate will open. (The wheel thing above her head while she was captive, there in both versions, was to break the protection spell that normally makes this impossible.) In ''Mystic Force'', the title of Gatekeeper is passed down, but fully sealing the gate killed Clare's mother, so it's said that opening it will kill Clare. The wheel thing was designed to tap that power. (She should ''still'' have died, though, and there wasn't even a [[Hand Wave]]. Rin, on the other hand, is in the clear, as it's not operating the gate that would kill her, but the other way around.)
* {{spoiler|Princess Astra}} in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial "The Armageddon Factor."
** The Keeper of Traken from [[Doctor Who/Recap/S18/E06 The Keeper of Traken|the serial of the same name]] is quite possibly the inspiration for the ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' example. The Keeper has great power, but having to focus that power to maintain the Traken Union has to get [[And I Must Scream]]-y after having to do it and nothing else for years and years and years, but that's not the plot point that it is in ''Rayearth.'' Also, like ''Rayearth,'' there are still those who want to take the position despite knowing this.
* In ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' we get {{spoiler|Lilith, the devil's right-hand man -- er, woman, I mean, demon --}} who is the final seal holding Lucifer in his cell. Once she's dead, he's free to bring the apocalypse. Interestingly, there's a completely separate (male) character serving as the [[Apocalypse Maiden]].
* The Imagin of ''[[Kamen Rider Den-O]]'' want to make their [[Alternate Timeline]] a reality by destroying the existing timeline. They travel to the past, laying destruction there, but the existence of Singularity Points (the Kamen Riders) prevent any permanent changes. The [[Big Bad]] then figures out that a special Singularity Point, called the "Junction Point", is the one keeping the timeline stable, and that the Imagins' victory will only be ensured by destroying the Junction Point.
== [[Oral Tradition|Oral Tradition, Folklore, Myths and Legends]] ==
* For crimes against the Olympians, Atlas, one of the Titans from Greek myth, had to carry the heavens (not the Earth itself, but the sky above it) for all eternity. He was ultimately turned to stone by Perseus for being a [[Jerkass]] to him on his way back; whether or not [[And I Must Scream|he was still aware]] is up for debate. But then [[Continuity Snarl|Perseus was one of Hercules's ancestors]].
* An example from the Christian martyrology: the unnamed Princess from Saint George of Cappadocia's legend,{{context}} as well as her Japanese counterpart, Princess Kushinada from the Orochi myths.{{context}}<!-- How are either of these examples of this trope? And how are they related? -->
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* Ashling from ''[[Magic: The Gathering|Lorwyn]]'' was supposed to be one of these, {{spoiler|bringing the flamekin's fire through the transition to Shadowmoor. She didn't go along with the idea.}}
* ''[[Exalted]]'':
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Not one of them struck free her chains.
"To know the world..."
"...is to own it," she said.
== [[Video Games]] ==
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* A gaint dragon {{spoiler|,who is Ryu's mother}}, in ''[[Breath of Fire 2]]'' is seen blocking the door that leads to the final dungeon to keep the [[Big Bad]] from coming out. {{spoiler|In a normal ending, Ryu replaces her since she dies.}}
== [[Web Comics]] ==▼
▲== Web Comics ==
* Snowman from ''[[Homestuck]]'' is an ''evil'' Barrier Maiden—no one will kill her because they know if they do the whole universe will end, and she takes advantage of this to torment [[Villain Protagonist|Spades Slick]] without fear of retribution.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Varla from ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (animation)|Dungeons and Dragons]]'' is both this and a [[Reality Warper]]. [[The Woobie|Poor, poor little girl]]
* {{spoiler|Will Vandom}} and the other Guardians from [[WITCH (animation)|WITCH]] may be partial examples, as the Veil that separates the worlds is drawn from the Heart of Candracar and the resulting drain on their power makes them weaker during Season 1, {{spoiler|Will}} having the worst of it since it deprives her of any offensive ability; she doesn't even know what her elemental affiliation ''is''! When the Veil is lowered in Season 2 all the Guardians receive a power boost as their powers return, {{spoiler|Will gaining the power of Quintessence which is [[Shock and Awe]], the ability to animate objects and give personalities to electrical appliance among other abilities}}.
* In ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer &
* [[The Multiverse]] in ''[[Turtles Forever]]'' is tied to the existence of {{spoiler|the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (comics)|original Ninja Turtles]]}}; if they die, then say bye-bye to the multiverse.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]▼
[[Category:Characters As Device]]
[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
▲[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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