Locked Out of the Fight: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:Obi-wan locked out 1541.jpg|link=The Phantom Menace|frame| [[Fridge Logic|Why didn't he just cut through the generators]]?]]

 

This is when characters are accompanied by some allies, but the plot requires that they are somehow forced to fight without those allies. This is typically done by somehow physically preventing the allies from doing anything.

 

See also [[In the End You Are on Your Own]], [[Deus Exit Machina]], and [[Rear Window Witness]].

{{examples}}

* During one battle of the Dark Tournament in ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', some finagling by those in charge locked Hiei and Genkai out of one round, leaving Team Urameshi with three people (one critically wounded). They still won, in part due to Kuwabara earning a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]].

* In ''[[Fate/stay night|Unlimited Blade Works]]'', during the battle at Kotomine Church, Tohsaka Rin and Saber are kept from participating in the battle between Shirou and Archer due to Archer summoning [[BFS|oversized swords]] which prevent them from moving.

* In [[End of Evangelion]], Asuka fights the Mass Production Evangelions alone, as {{spoiler|Shinji is kept from participating as Unit 01 is covered in the cement-like substance bakelite}}. This does not end well for Asuka, and when {{spoiler|Unit 01 finally goes into berserk mode, Shinji arrives just in time to see Asuka being eaten, causing him to snap and trigger [[The End of the World as We Know It]].}} Of course [[Fan Dumb]] has {{spoiler|Shinji just moping around during the battle.}}

* In the finale of the first ''[[Record of Lodoss War]]'' OVA, Parn's allies are forced to hold off monsters one by one, leaving him to fight the [[Big Bad]] one-on-one.

 

 

* This happens twice near the end of the ''Reign of the Supermen'' part of the [[Death And Return Of Superman]] storyline. The first instance traps Superman and Steel separated from the Matrix Supergirl and forced to face Mongul alone. The second, Superman purposely seals himself, Eradicator and the Cyborg Superman in the Engine Room of Engine City to protect Supergirl, Superboy, Steel and Hal Jordan from Kryptonite Poisoning.

* As the climactic battle of ''[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]]'' approaches, several of Superman's fellow heroes arrive to help, but are kept away by a [[Force Field]] until it's all over.

 

 

* In ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'', during Kyon and Haruhi's (and later [[Magical Girl|Nonoko's]]) fight with [[Half Life|the Combine]], Koizumi is unable to join because he cannot enter Kuyou's [[Phantom Zone|shadow song]], and Nagato has to stay in the club room to stall Emiri.

 

** Obi-Wan gets locked out again in ''Episode III'' when Dooku knocks him out and crushes him under a platform.

* Clint Eastwood movie ''Gran Torino''.

* In ''[[Conan the Barbarian|Conan The Destroyer]]'', the heroes infiltrate an evil wizard's tower to steal a [[Plot Coupon]]. When Conan enters a room with full-length mirrors covering each segment of the wall, a pane of one-way glass slams down behind him (naturally, it appears identical to the other mirrors when viewed from inside the room), allowing the wizard to summon a monstrous brute which Conan must defeat alone (fortunately, Conan is able to figure out that the mirrors are the monster's [[Achilles' Heel]]).

* In ''Karate Kid II'' Daniel is trapped on a platform with the villain, separated from Mr. Miyagi and the rest of the village by a moat that's only a few feet deep (seriously). Because of this, he has to fight the enemy himself rather than {{spoiler|letting Mr. Miyagi do it like he does in every other fight in the movie}}.

 

== Literature ==

* This is kind of what happened during the big battle in ''[[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'', which is described from the perspective of Susan and Lucy who did not take part in it like their brothers did.

* For a stretch at the end of [[Jim Butcher]]'s [[Dresden Files]] novel ''Fool Moon''.

 

 

* ''[[Star Trek]]'' TOS episode "Arena".

** [[Star Trek: Voyager]] several times, most memorably in the episode "Tsunkatse." Janeway [[Timey-Wimey Ball|does it to herself]] in the finale.

* ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' does this a couple of times, too. Although most of the time you can [[Game Breaker|circumvent]] the rule somewhat by buffing the protagonist up before the encounter in question begins.

* An interesting variant is exemplified by the quicksand scene in ''Time Crisis 4'', where the players are sucked into the pit and have to fight [[Horde of Alien Locusts|terror bites]] while NPC Captain Rush is bothered by more traditional foes at the top.

* Repeatedly abused in ''[[Star Wars]]: [[Knights of the Old Republic]]''. Not only with doors and things, but even a special [[Cutscene Power to the Max]] force power that some bosses use to literally paralyze everyone in the party other than you.

* ''[[Shadow Hearts]]'' does this during the Man Tower and He-Man Sushi sidequests in ''Covenant'' and ''From The New World'', respectively. During the last segment, each member of the party holds off one of the challengers, leaving Joachim/Hilde (depending on the game) to go on ahead.

 

 

* There's a bit in ''[[Dominic Deegan]]'' where the party is rushing toward the main villain of the arc, but various lesser villains pop out to stop them, with the effect of slowly reducing the party's members ("You guys keep going - I'll hold him off!") until only two people made it to the center ring.

 

[[Category:Narrative Devices]]

[[Category:Combat Tropes]]