History Literature / TheMazeRunner

%% ** Possibly Newt and Alby. [[spoiler: Well, before Alby died, anyway.]]

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: The Gladers' names are [[spoiler:not their real names, but names based on scientists and inventors and such that were planted in their memories]].

** W. I. C. K. E. D. It doesn't stand for anything good, either: [[spoiler:"World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department."]]

* PreemptiveApology: In the Scorch, Teresa apologizes to Thomas in advance for [[spoiler:betraying, torturing, and attempting to kill him - we later learn that WICKED had promised that both she and Thomas would be safe if she played along. Needless of her motives, Thomas never fully accepts the apology.]]

%% * StrappedToAnOperatingTable: [[spoiler:Thomas in ''The Death Cure'' when [[{{FunWithAcronyms}} WICKED]] is trying to [[{{Squick}} remove his brain.]]]]

* TechnicallyLivingZombie: While [[PlagueZombie Cranks]] are not 'zombies' in the sense of 'monsters that have died and risen again', the Flare has eaten away so much of their mental capacity that they have been reduced to animalistic creatures with a taste for human flesh - basically, zombies.

** [[spoiler: Sonya, the co-leader of Group B, is Newt's younger sister.]]

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Understandably, most characters have a negative view of the Cranks, but some take it UpToEleven and lump them all together as wild animals, when only those who pass the Gone can be classified as such.

Thomas and five of his friends escape from the WICKED compound and as a result must evade relentless capture. They learn of a rebellious organization who has realized the futility of WICKED's experimentation and want to shut them down for good.

''The Maze Runner'' is a novel series written by James Dashner. It currently consists of five books and a supplementary material:

Thomas and five of his friends escape from the WICKED compound and as a result must evade relentless capture. They learn of a rebellious organization who has realized the futility of WICKED's experimentation and wants to shut them down for good.

* KlingonPromotion: Officially, the Chancellor and all other executives of WICKED can be Purged once they are certain to be infected with the virus. Ava Paige ascended to her position this way, when her predecessor, Kevin Anderson, slowly turned into a Crank and absent mindedly bit three of his fingers. [[spoiler: Something that she is responsible for, as she wanted to get rid of him and continue the tests.]]

%% * JigsawPuzzlePlot: Sometimes in ''The Scorch Trials''. [[spoiler: Jorge and Brenda's early characterization is more or less jettisoned with the explanation that WICKED forced them to play certain parts to test the protagonists]].

** Gally more or less serves as this in the first book, where WICKED is monitoring things off-screen for the majority of the book. It's more explicit in [[FilmOfTheBook the movie]].

* IdiotBall: According to ''The Death Cure'', the Coalition government that [[spoiler:released the Flare didn't seem to realize that sometimes viruses ''mutate.'' Weren't these supposed to be the world's top scientists and biologists? Did they just forget that this happens? '''Especially''' considering radiation is a prime source of viral mutation, such as the intense solar radiation that the Earth was being subjected to? What did they think was going to happen?]]

%% Zero Context Example entries are NOT allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* InformedAbility: The Gladers are picked for their intelligence from their childhood, though few of them actually show any real genius other than setting up a system of order in the Glade. The best real example is sort of roundabout, but Minho and Thomas coordinate battle tactics and formations on the fly during firefights despite never having used guns before. Otherwise, they're of average outlook and just above-average intelligence.

The next day, a girl arrives in the Glade for the first time. Her name is Theresa and she's in a coma. Who is she? Why is she there? Why does Thomas feel so drawn to her? And more importantly, will any of them ever escape?

* ApocalypticLog: Both the "Confidential Files" and "Recovered Correspondences" entries in ''The Maze Runner Files'' are formatted like this.

** The prequel ''The Kill Order'' also ends this way. [[spoiler:Mark, Alec, Trina, and Lana, all die over the course of the story, but at least they manage to transfer Deedee to the PFC base in Alaska, where she would be safe. However, the following book reveals that Deedee really is Teresa, whom we all know bite the dust in the long run, downsiding their achievements a bit]].

* ICannotSelfTerminate: While some of the Cranks in earlier stages seem horribly miserable and afraid of their impending FateWorseThanDeath, none of them ever commit suicide, and some are mentioned to have been administered a MercyKill by their loved ones. [[spoiler: In ''[=TheDeathCure=]'', after Newt finds out he has the Flare, the literal first thing he does is write a note to Thomas begging him to kill him; as [[SanitySlippage the disease progresses,]] Newt repeatedly asks Thomas to put him out of his misery. [[TearJerker Thomas eventually complies.]] ]]
* IdiotBall: According to ''[=TheDeathCure=]'', the Coalition government that [[spoiler:released the Flare didn't seem to realize that sometimes viruses ''mutate.'' Weren't these supposed to be the world's top scientists and biologists? Did they just forget that this happens? '''Especially''' considering radiation is a prime source of viral mutation, such as the intense solar radiation that the Earth was being subjected to? What did they think was going to happen?]]

** ''The Fever Code'' reveals that Mark has a pretty good understanding with Ava Paige, compared to his lukewarm-to-terrible relationship with pretty much other adults in the WICKED compound. [[spoiler: That is, until he discovers that she is whitewashing herself from her crimes.]]

* KlingonPromotion: Officially, the Chancellor and all other executives of WICKED can be Purged once they are certain to be infected with the virus. Ava Paige ascended to her position this way, when her predecessor, Kevin Anderson, slowly turned into a Crank and absent mindedly biting three of his fingers. [[spoiler: Something that she is responsible for, as she wanted to get rid of him and continue the tests.]]

''The Maze Runner'' was written by James Dashner. It's followed by a sequel, ''The Scorch Trials'', involving the aftermath of the first book and the introduction of new friends and enemies. The final book, ''The Death Cure'', was released in October 2011, introducing the context and ramifications of the previous books and concluding the story. A prequel to the trilogy has been released as of August 14, 2012, called ''The Kill Order''. Another prequel, set between ''The Kill Order'' and ''The Maze Runner'' titled ''The Fever Code'', was released on September 27, 2016.

* AnyoneCanDie: No one is safe in the series, not even the main characters that the readers would expect have PlotArmor to go with. The first book kills off [[spoiler:the TagalongKid and the youngest Glader, Chuck]], and the third book -- ''The Death Cure'' kills off [[spoiler:one of the main sidekicks, Newt, and a LoveInterest, Teresa]]. Then there's the first prequel, ''The Kill Order'', which sees the deaths of [[spoiler:''the entire main cast'' (Mark, Alec, Trina, and Lana), with the only surviving major character (Deedee/Teresa) being only introduced ''2/3 way to the novel'']].

* BashBrothers:
** Thomas and Minho. As the two really work well with each other during fights.

** The prequel ''The Kill Order'' also ends this way. [[spoiler:Mark, Alec, Trina, and Lana, all die over the course of the story, but at least they manage to transfer Deedee to the PFC base in Alaska, where she would be safe. However, the same book also reveals that Deedee really is Teresa, whom we all know bite the dust in the long run, downsiding their achievements a bit]].

* BungledSuicide: [[spoiler:It’s revealed in ''Death Cure'' that Newt tried to kill himself by jumping off one of the Walls some time before Thomas’s arrival. He survived, but broke his leg, hence his permanent limp.]]

* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:Chancellor Paige]] is this [[spoiler:at the end of ''The Death Cure''. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure She finally sees that WICKED has gone too far]] and implements [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere her plan]] to get the rest of the Immunes away to safety so that the human race can survive, which she begins by rescuing Thomas from an imminent cranioectomy. Notably, Paige herself [[TheGhost never appears in person in the series]]]].

* ChildhoodFriends: [[spoiler:This is what Thomas, Teresa and Aris are revealed to be, having grown up together under WICKED's care]].
* ClosedCircle:
** ''The Maze Runner'' features a place called the Glade. A bunch of teenagers are trapped in it with no memory of their lives before they woke up there. The Doors open at dawn and close at dusk, but only lead to a giant maze with no way out. Better yet, the Maze changes every night while the doors are closed. Oh, and if you're in the Maze at night, giant metal monsters attack you.

* FunWithAcronyms: WICKED, [[spoiler:'''W'''orld '''I'''n '''C'''atastrophe: '''K'''illzone '''E'''xperiment '''D'''epartment. Where Killzone is a malapropism for the mind-brain construct]].

** Chancellor Paige, the head of all the mess that is WICKED. [[spoiler:Eventually, though, the cruelty of that position gets to her and she decides to cut their losses and stop torturing people for a cure that might never come]]. Notable in that she is [[TheGhost never seen]] in the series, barring TheFilmOfTheBook.
** Then there's Katie [=McVoy=], a bit character who is only mentioned in two short letters published in ''The Maze Runner Files'' whose [[SmallRoleBigImpact not-so-small role]] involves [[spoiler:suggesting the method to kill half of the world population using the V C321xb 47 virus AKA the Flare virus, which mutated unpredictably, as in, ''setting off all this mess in the first place'']]. By the events of ''The Maze Runner'', however, [[spoiler:she is already long dead due to catching the virus and committing suicide to prevent it spreading over as her last act of redemption]].

* HeterosexualLifePartners:
** Minho and Alby. As the latter puts it, "He's [Minho] the only one who can boss me around like that."

* ICannotSelfTerminate: While some of the Cranks in earlier stages seem horribly miserable and afraid of their impending FateWorseThanDeath, none of them ever commit suicide, and some are mentioned to have been administered a MercyKill by their loved ones. [[spoiler: In ''TheDeathCure'', after Newt finds out he has the Flare, the literal first thing he does is write a note to Thomas begging him to kill him; as [[SanitySlippage the disease progresses,]] Newt repeatedly asks Thomas to put him out of his misery. [[TearJerker Thomas eventually complies.]] ]]
* IdiotBall: According to ''Literature/TheDeathCure'', the Coalition government that [[spoiler:released the Flare didn't seem to realize that sometimes viruses ''mutate.'' Weren't these supposed to be the world's top scientists and biologists? Did they just forget that this happens? '''Especially''' considering radiation is a prime source of viral mutation, such as the intense solar radiation that the Earth was being subjected to? What did they think was going to happen?]]

** Teresa is named after Mother Teresa.

* SouthOfTheBorder: The Scorch is implied to be located in post-apocalyptic Mexico. The only named native of the region, Jorge, acts as Hispanic as one can be.

* SunkenCity: In ''The Kill Order'', Mark often flashes back to living in a skyscraper, because the city was flooded with scorching water after the solar flares melted the ice caps.

* TomatoSurprise: ''The Kill Order'' has an epic one: [[spoiler:Deedee, the little 5-year-old girl who's shunned by her villagers for being an Immune? She's ''Teresa''. This is not a secret to everyone in-universe, as Teresa just kind of tells Thomas about her birth name in passing. This does, however, affect something; namely, [[TheEndingChangesEverything the way the readers interpret everything beforehand]]]].

''The Maze Runner'' was written by James Dashner. It's followed by a sequel, ''The Scorch Trials'', involving the aftermath of the first book and the introduction of new friends and enemies. The final book, ''The Death Cure'', was released in October 2011, introducing the context and ramifications of the previous books and concluding the story. A prequel to the trilogy has been released as of August 14, 2012, called ''The Kill Order''. Another prequel, set between ''The Kill Order'' and ''The Maze Runner'' titled ''The Fever Code'', is set to be released on September 27, 2016.

* AmnesiacDissonance: Thomas is so afraid of having to deal with this that he constantly refuses even the possibility of having his memories restored. [[spoiler:He gets his way and he never actually learns what kind of person he was]].

* LineOfSightName: [[spoiler:Thomas was named that way because a WICKED member who took him from his mother saw a light bulb in his house, and Thomas Edison immediately crossed his mind]].

* AdamAndEvePlot: [[spoiler: The ending. Out of the entire human race, only a select few are able to resist the influence of the Flare virus. They are thus humanity's last hope to rebuild the Earth. However, that last few actually number several hundreds, which is far more realistic than the usual application of this trope.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: No one is safe in the series, not even the main characters that the readers would expect have PlotArmor to go with. The first book kills off [[spoiler: the TagalongKid and the youngest Glader, Chuck]], and the third kills off [[spoiler: one of the main sidekicks, Newt, and a LoveInterest, Teresa.]] Then there's the first prequel, ''The Kill Order'', which sees the deaths of [[spoiler: ''the entire main cast'' (Mark, Alec, Trina, and Lana), with the only surviving major character (Deedee/Teresa) being only introduced ''2/3 way to the novel''.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:By the end of ''The Death Cure'', many of the characters from the first book are dead (including Chuck, Teresa and Newt), there's no cure for the Flare and the Immunes will inherit the Earth. Thomas, Minho, Brenda, Jorge and the 200 Immunes begin rebuilding civilization in a safe place far from the Scorch]].
** The prequel ''The Kill Order'' also ends this way. [[spoiler: Mark, Alec, Trina, and Lana, all die over the course of the story, but at least they manage to transfer Deedee to the PFC base in Alaska, where she would be safe. However, the same book also reveals that Deedee really is Teresa, whom we all know bite the dust in the long run, downsiding their achievements a bit.]]

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Gally turns from being Thomas' adversary into steadfast helper in ''The Death Cure'' after he escapes from WICKED's custody and joins the Right Arm. It seems that this in part fueled by [[TheAtoner his regret for being directed to kill Chuck]].]]
** Also, [[spoiler: Ava Paige, who realizes the errors of her ways and the fact that no cure for the Flare virus will ever be found. She decides to become a BigGood and gets Thomas and the Immunes to head for the paradise she has prepared for them, free from the Flare virus.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: At least two characters do this to protect [[spoiler: Thomas.]]
** ''The Maze Runner'' has [[spoiler:Chuck TakingTheBullet for Thomas from Gally.]]

* IntergenerationalFriendship: Jorge gets along well with many people much younger than him in age, including Brenda and Thomas. In the case of Brenda, he might as well be [[ParentalSubstitute a father figure]], as she already lost hers in a horrific manner.

* LineOfSightName: Not quite, but close. [[spoiler: Thomas was named that way because a WICKED member who took him from his mother saw a light bulb in his house, and Thomas Edison immediately crossed his mind.]]
* LoveTriangle: While Thomas’s original love interest is Teresa, he ends up growing closer to Brenda in the second book [[spoiler: after being separated from Teresa for an extended period of time, and finding out that she had betrayed him. He eventually ends up with Brenda, partially due to him never forgiving Teresa for what she had done and partially because of the girl’s [[DroppedABridgeOnHim sudden death]] at the end of ''Death Cure''.]]
* MaybeEverAfter: [[spoiler: Thomas' romantic arc with Brenda has this kind of ending. The series is closed with them HoldingHands while WatchingTheSunset in the safe haven, but there's nothing confirming that they're hooking up, although they might. But then, Thomas ''is'' still grieving for the loss of his friends, particularly Teresa.]]

* TheMole: At the end of ''The Scorch Trials'', Thomas finds out that [[spoiler: Teresa and Aris has been working for WICKED all along. And Brenda. And Jorge. [[DiabolusExMachina And, uh..., it seems that WICKED can control anyone wherever they like as long as they have the control chips inserted into their brains]]. Naturally, this makes Thomas suffer from a ''very serious'' trust issue for the rest of the series.]]

* ThePromisedLand: The "Safe Haven", the main goal of the Gladers in ''The Scorch Trials''. Supposedly, they would receive a cure for the Flare there. [[spoiler: It seems to be a cop-out when all they find at the end is [[ExactWords a flag with "Safe Haven" written on it]], but ''The Death Cure'' reveals that WICKED ''does'' have a safe haven, although it's not a true reward for the Gladers. Chancellor Paige only reveals it when she's really certain that no cure for the Flare virus will ever be found.]]

* TomatoSurprise: ''The Kill Order'' has an epic one: [[spoiler: Deedee, the little 5-year-old girl who's shunned by her villagers for being an Immune? She's ''Teresa''. This is not a secret to everyone in-universe, as Teresa just kind of tells Thomas about her birth name in passing. This does, however, affect something; namely, [[TheEndingChangesEverything the way the readers interpret everything beforehand]].]]

* WatchingTheSunset: [[spoiler: The main trilogy ends this way, featuring Thomas and Brenda HoldingHands. It signifies that after all the running that Thomas has to endure throughout the series, he can finally sit down and get some rest.]]

* BerserkerRage: In "The Scorch Trials", [[spoiler:after getting fried by lightning and kick around by Jorge, Minho snaps and mercilessly beats on him till Thomas gets him to stop]].

%% * HeelFaceTurn: One of the more extraordinary examples in which [[spoiler: the BigBad becomes the BigGood]]. She was apparently on the fence, though.

* HeroicSacrifice: In ''The Death Cure'', [[spoiler:Teresa]] dies saving [[spoiler:Thomas from falling debris as they try to escape WICKED for the last time]].

A film franchise started in 2014, with TheBookOfTheFilm. For more information on the films, click '''[[Film/TheMazeRunnerSeries here]]'''.

!!The Films Provide Examples Of:
* BodyHorror: The effects of the Flare Virus are garish; whatever part of your body got infected first starts to fester and turn black as your respiratory functions start to cease, followed by a degeneration of your mind to a feral zombie-like state. Advanced cases have horribly twisted limbs, skin marred by black tendril-like growths, a twitching and jerky gait likely caused by some form of palsy, and most Cranks have [[EyeScream gouged their eyes out]] to stop the hallucinations they're plagued by.
* BittersweetEnding:
** ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials:'' [[spoiler: Teresa ends up betraying Thomas by calling WCKD to their location]], resulting in [[spoiler: Mary's death, Aris's, Minho's and many Immunes' captures, as well as the breaching of the Red Arm's safe place.]] Luckily, [[spoiler: some of the survivors repel WCKD's forces back, and Thomas begins to formulate a plan to save everyone in WCKD's capture and kill the leader of WCKD, Ava Paige.]]
* DyingAsYourself: In ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials'', [[spoiler:Winston]] is bitten by a Crank and infected so they begged their friends to help them so they wouldn't become a Crank. [[spoiler:Newt]] hands them a loaded gun and the rest quietly leave. After the group travels far enough, [[SoundOnlyDeath a gunshot is heard.]]
* FamousLastWords:
** ''The Maze Runner'':
*** "Get them out." [[spoiler:Alby]]
*** "Remember. ''[[ArcWords WCKD is good.]]'' [[spoiler: Ava Paige's double]]
*** "I belong to the Maze. We all do." [[spoiler: Gally, supposedly]]
*** "Thank you. Thank you." [[spoiler:Chuck]]
** ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials'':
*** "Thomas... Take care of them..." [[spoiler: Winston]]
*** "At least my conscience is clear." [[spoiler:Mary]]
%% * FilmOfTheBook
* ForeShadowing: In ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials'', during the rave party scene, while under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, not only does Thomas see [[spoiler: Winston (even though he was already dead earlier)]], he also sees [[spoiler: Newt as a Crank]]. For those who have read ''The Death Cure'', that is '''''clearly not a good sign...'''''
* InNameOnly: ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials'' is radically different from ''The Scorch Trials'', with only a few key elements and themes remaining. Wes Ball, the director, likened it to using the same ingredients to make a different recipe.
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: Thomas and Brenda make out at a post-apocalyptic rave party after they've been imbibed with hallucinogenic drugs.
* SceneryGorn: The vast shots of the empty and crumbling buildings and bridge in ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials''.

A film franchise started in 2014, with TheBookOfTheFilm. For more information on the films, click '''[[Film/TheMazeRunnerFilmSeries here]]'''.
Film/TheMazeRunnerSeries

* AdaptationNameChange: WICKED became WCKD in the films although the pronunciation remained the same.

* PrettyBoy: Newt as portrayed by Thomas Brodie Sangster, with his soft, almost androgynous facial features and blond hair.

* AdaptationalHeroism: While still antagonistic towards Thomas, Gally is significantly less psychotic than his book counterpart. He brings up logical and reasonable accusations towards Thomas and is much more sympathetic. [[spoiler:Until the whole "let's leave Thomas and Teresa to die in a failing attempt to save ourselves" thing]].

* ChainedToARock: Gally plans to tie Thomas and Teresa to posts in front of the opening to the maze and leave them as an offering for the grievers.
* ADayInTheLimeLight: The DVD comes with a 24 page comic told from Minho's perspective set before Thomas is sent to the maze.

** ''The Maze Runner:'' Thomas's group end up [[spoiler: finally escaping the Maze on a helicopter, with help from unnamed people who ensure their safety, as they get their first look at the outside world.]] The downside, however, is that [[spoiler: Chuck ends up [[DiedInYourArmsTonight dying in Thomas's arms]] by Gally]], something which hits Thomas the hardest.

* DespairEventHorizon: At the end of the first film [[spoiler:everyone back in The Glade died with Gally the sole survivor and stung by a Griever, he lost all hope and tries to kill everyone, including himself]].

%% * SlidingScaleOfAdaptationModification:
%% ** ''The Maze Runner'': Type 4.
%% ** ''Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials'': Type 2.