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{{trope}}
[[File:
Diamonds are forever, which comes in handy when you want to make someone ''really'' suffer during a life sentence while keeping them ([[Cardboard Prison|securely!]]) caged.
Characters in a '''Crystal Prison''' are put inside some gorgeous, colorful and exquisitely cut variety of gem. This crystal is usually made of [[Phlebotinum]] capable of keeping the captive alive despite the lack of air, either in [[Human Popsicle|suspended animation]] or [[And I Must Scream|forever awake]]. This [[Tailor-Made Prison|escape proof prison]] may trap them bodily like [[People Jars|a bug in amber]]; in fact, if the Crystal Prison isn't coffin sized it's going to be small enough to be worn as jewelry.
While breaking the gem can release the captive, attempting this literal jailbreak may not be a guarantee of getting the captive out alive. Breaking it could also shatter or kill the captive, or the gem may be unbreakable unless the jailer/creator somehow dispels it. That being said, a prisoner who is pushed into using [[Heroic Resolve]] may crack open the crystal through sheer force of will.
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If the crystal is imprisoning a very important character, and if [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors]] is in-universe at the time, this can get a person or persons from all the various groups to [[All Your Powers Combined|combine their powers into one technique]], preferably in a big Finale or at least a [[Swirly Energy Thingy]] that features [[Power Glows]], and dis-integrate, not disintegrate (breaking, not incinerating or atomizing) the crystalline prison.
Contrast [[Soul Jar]], where the [[Soul]] is put in a crystal, and [[Body to Jewel]], where the character becomes crystal. Also compare [[Harmless Freezing]], with ice blocks being the main difference. See also [[Mineral MacGuffin]], [[Magic Mirror]], [[Phantom Zone]] and [[Power Crystal]].
As you can see from the example distribution, this is most common in anime and video games.
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==▼
* In ''[[Sailor Moon]]'
▲== Anime and Manga ==
** In the final fight against Kaorinite, Tuzedo Mask also gets sealed in a glass crystal by Senishenta.
▲* In ''[[Sailor Moon]]'s'' first season, Jadeite got this for repeatadly failing his queen.
▲** In the final fight against Kaorinite, Tuzedo Mask also gets sealed in a glass crystal by Senishenta.
* Hellmaster's signature move in ''[[The Slayers]]'', whether a coffin-sized one on individuals or a titanic glacier on an entire city, copied by Rezo in the 4th season.
* In ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'', Washu was trapped in a gem on Kagato's ship until Mihoshi managed to break it.
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** It's also made quite clear that she isn't preserving her life by doing this, one of the characters notes that they only have a handful of hours to rescue her before she'll die while trapped.
* In the ''[[Naruto]] Shippuden'' three-tails filler arch, the villain put Hinata in one of these. While the crystal substance was extremely strong, the main problem was getting her out without [[Literally Shattered Lives|shattering her]] if she was even still alive.
* Featured as imagery in ''Kimiyo Kedakakuare'', the ending theme for ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury]]'' to express that both of the female leads need to open up to each other.
== [[Comic Books]] ==▼
* An early ''[[Justice League of America]]'' story, "The Doom of the Star Diamond!"▼
▲== Comic Books ==
▲* An early [[Justice League of America]] story, "The Doom of the Star Diamond!"
** During the JLA Grant Morrison run, this happened to Triumph. He was a hero who turned bad due to a run of unbelievably crappy luck.
* In [[Blackest Night]], a ''[[Green Lantern]]'' story, this is one of the methods the Star Sapphires (Violet Lanterns) use to recruit new members. The crystals they encase people in become brainwashed to become more compassionate and compels them to join the Star Sapphires. A real mystery is that, as of the moment, the Star Sapphires comprise only of women. They've trapped men before, but all have either broken free or were rescued by someone else. (deadpantroper has never read Blackest Light, but knows that in the DC emotional spectrum compassion is associated with indigo and that violet is associated with love)
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* The first book in the [[Franco Belgian Comics]] series ''Chroniques des pays de Markal'' is about a stone with this power.
== [[Film]] ==▼
▲== Film ==
* The [[Cosmic Horror|Ogdru Jahad]] in the ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' film. Hellboy shatters the ice-like crystals, partially releasing them.
* Zod & co. from ''[[Superman]] 2'', who got thrown into the original [[Phantom Zone]].
* For the [[Jerkass Genie|evil Djinn]] in the first two ''[[Wishmaster]]'' movies (at least), a gem was basically used in place of the more traditional [[Genie in a Bottle|bottle]].
* Godzilla Junior is trapped in a crystal by the titular alien villain in ''[[Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla]]''.
* ''[[Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation]]'' had the characters trapped in a crystal chandelier by Dark Heart.▼
== [[Literature]] ==▼
▲== Literature ==
* In the ''[[The Elenium]]'', Queen Elhena starts off in a crystal. Turns out it's not to imprison her, but to keep her alive until her knights can find a cure to her illness.
* In ''Servant of the Dragon'', third book in [[David Drake]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Isles]]'' epic fantasy series, Cashel is served by the demon Krias, who is trapped in a large gem mounted on a ring.
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* The [[Cosmic Keystone|Keystones]] of ''[[The Seventh Tower]]'' act as this.
* ''[[Dungeons
▲== Tabletop RPG ==
▲* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' has a spell called Trap The Soul. When cast, it imprisons the target's soul inside of a gem.
** There's also Magic Jar, where you willingly transfer your soul into a gem or crystal, then attempt to possess another living creature who comes near.
** ''[[Dungeons
** A demilich could drain the souls out of its victims' bodies and store them in its gemstone teeth.
** Adventures
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** And, of course, the card itself does exactly what you'd expect.
== [[Video Games]] ==▼
▲== Video Games ==
* ''[[Mega Man X]] 2'' features Crystal Snail and his weapon, the Crystal Hunter. Getting hit by it will trap you in crystal, and you have to mash buttons to get out. When you [[Power Copying|beat him and get his weapon]], you can do the same to weaker enemies and use the trapped enemy as an [[Improvised Platform]]. And if you dash into them, [[Literally Shattered Lives|they shatter into pieces]].
* The Arcane Warrior whose soul was [[And I Must Scream|trapped within a gem for thousands of years]] in ''[[Dragon Age]]'' comes to mind.
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* The Unholy Crystal boss in ''[[Splatterhouse]]'' 2, which {{spoiler|contains the soul of Jennifer}}.
* ''[[Oblivion]]'' has soul gems, which [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|are gems in which you can trap souls]].
* Something of a recurring theme in ''[[Valkyrie Profile]]'' and ''[[Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria]]''; apart from the Valkyrie's ability to temporarily trap monsters in a crystal (ice for Lenneth, light for Silmeria), Silmeria, Lenneth and Brahms all end up in crystals during VP 1 and 2. [http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100722133703/valkyrieprofile/images/thumb/0/02/Silmeria_VP_Lenneth.jpg/569px-Silmeria_VP_Lenneth.jpg Rather like this, really.]
* Myzrael is a princess (elemental princess, note) trapped in a crystal in a quest in ''[[World of Warcraft]]''.
** A few enemies and bosses, notably some crystal giants, can do this to you. A few ice using bosses can imprison you in an ice block as well.
** Warlocks can trap the souls of their enemies in crystals in order to fuel their stronger spells. And it happens to the warlock himself in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18inYNWrsTg this episode] of "Chronicle of the Annoying Quest"
* In the musical [[Edutainment Game]] ''Julliard Music Adventure'', the player must rescue a Queen who is trapped in an amulet.
* ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'': Once [[Blessed with Suck|branded a L'Cie]] by the [[Jerkass Gods|Fal'Cie]], Crystal Stasis is the reward for fulfilling their focus, in contrast to failing and becoming a Cie'th (i.e. [[Body Horror|transforming into a twisted, zombie-like horror]]). But this also means {{spoiler|the Fal'cie can reawaken them and use them as puppets as much as they want}}. This is what happened with Serah and Dajh, {{spoiler|and Vanille and Fang were originally Pulse L'Cie brought to Cocoon and awakened by Barthandelus as his [[Unwitting Pawn
* The entire plot of ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'' comes about because the [[Big Bad|Naughty Sorceress]] [[
* ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' had several Toads and Lumas trapped in crystals (possibly by [[Big Bad|Bowser]]), and Mario/Luigi had to spin said crystals to set them free.
** There are also [[The Goomba|Goombas]] trapped in crystals as well. Makes players wonder why Bowser wanted to trap his own minions in crystals along with his enemies.
* In ''[[
* An Archaeology item of ancient amber in '[[World of Warcraft]]'' allows characters to do this, but only to themselves. As one might imagine, it's not a particularly useful item.
* In ''[[Warcraft]] III'', a Soul Gem shows up in the last mission of the Orc campaign; it's used to imprison {{spoiler|Grom Hellscream}} so he can be captured without killing him.
* The [[Big Bad]] does this to your entire party at the end of ''[[Breath of Fire II]]''. {{spoiler|[[The Hero]] breaks out of it, but this angers the [[Big Bad]] and he [[Literally Shattered Lives|shatters the remaining crystals]]. ([[The Hero]]'s [[Eleventh-Hour Superpower]] brings them [[Back
* In the Story Mode of ''[[Soul Series|Soul Calibur V]]'', Patroklos is imprisoned in a crystal {{spoiler|after the spirit of Soul Calibur turns on him}}.
* In ''[[Chrono Cross]]'', when you find {{spoiler|Schala}}, {{spoiler|the Time Devourer}} has her imprisoned in a crystal atop its back. [[Guide Dang It|Freeing her]] is how you unlock the [[Golden Ending]].
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* Several enemies are trapped inside crystals in the Crystal Caves -level of ''[[MediEvil (1998 video game)|Medievil]]''.
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* In the ''[[Skin Horse]]'' arc "Borrowers," Tip finds the maintenance staff trapped inside the living crystal entities in the basement. He gets captured too, but since the crystals are sensitive to noise, they release him when he threatens to start singing Madonna.
== [[Western Animation]] ==▼
▲== Western Animation ==
* At the end of her episode of ''[[Adventure Time]]'', {{spoiler|Tree Trunks}} ends up inside a gem, {{spoiler|(gem-apple, really)}}. She seems quite fond of it.
* During the two-part finale of ''[[Storm Hawks]]'', many sky knights are captured and imprisoned in a giant crystal.
* In ''[[Thundercats 2011]]'' this is [[Parodied Trope|Parodied]] in "Omens Part Two," when The [[Lizard Folk|Lizard]] Army uses a [[Treasure Is Bigger in Fiction|giant]] geode as a [[Trojan Horse]] to enter Thundera, having been stuck waiting in there for two days, not counting the trip ''to'' Thundera. One complains to his general about the smell after being freed.
* [[Galaxy Rangers]]: A Psychocrypt victim will have his [[Life Energy]] in one crystal, and his body entombed in a second. Merging the two will free the person.
▲* ''[[Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation]]'' had the characters trapped in a crystal chandelier by Dark Heart.
▲* [[Galaxy Rangers]]: A Psychocrypt victim will have his [[Life Energy]] in one crystal, and his body entombed in a second. Merging the two will free the person.
== [[Real Life]] ==
* Amber is the fossil resin of ancient trees. Since resin evolved as a way of trapping insects and other small animals (to protect the tree from the damage they do), we naturally find a lot of insects, spiders, etc., trapped in amber.
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[[Category:Bejeweled Tropes]]
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[[Category:Magic Items Index]]
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