History Main / BarrierMaiden

* In ''Franchise/{{Shadowchasers}}'', [[spoiler:[[GodOfEvil Tharizdun]] is a villainous example. The gods dare not kill him, despite the potential genocidal cataclysm he would attempt to start if he was freed from his prison; killing him would allow [[Cthulhu Mythos the Great Old Ones]] to reclaim the power they invested when they turned him into their UnwittingPawn, potentially resulting in them releasing a far ''more'' dangerous threat.]]

* Deirdre from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' is this due to her heritage. On one hand, she's the long-lost daughter of Prince Kurth and carrier of [[BigGood Naga's]] bloodline. One the other, [[spoiler:she has minor Loptyr blood, making her a target for his cult's plan to resurrect him, so they abduct her and get her to unknowingly marry her half-brother]].
* Also, [[spoiler: both Ninian and Nils]] from [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe "Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]]. This is because [[spoiler: both siblings are sought after for their half-Dragon heritage, which means they're the only ones in-story able to open the Dragon's Gate and allow other dragons to go through it.]]

* Another spin of the Kushinada myth is used in ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters The King of Fighters 97]]''. First, [[spoiler: like in the original legend there's a group of girls that are kidnapped, and all but one of them become {{Human Sacrifice}}s for Yamata-no-Orochi; instead of having Susano-o save and then marry the SoleSurvivor aka Princess Kushinada, she's rescued by the leaders of the Three Sacred Clans, who then seal up Orochi since they can't kill him.]] Second, in the present [[spoiler: Kyo Kusanagi's {{Tsundere}} girlfriend Yuki is the last descendant of the remaining Kushinada, so the Orochi clan abducts her and plans to sacrifice her in the ritual that will bring Yamata no Orochi back into this world. She survives her ordeal thanks to Kyo, Chizuru and Iori, though.]]

* [[spoiler: Another girl named Yuki]] plays the BM role in ''TheLastBlade.'' [[spoiler: Unlike KOF's Yuki, when offered the chose to either seal the Hell's Gate or not, TLB!Yuki ultimately decides to do so at the cost of her own life.]]

* Shana, from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'', is an evil example. At first, you think of her just as TheChick and TheMedic, but then you discover she is the Moon Child, the only being able of resurrecting the [[DragonInChief Virage Embryo]], last boss of the game. Until she is used by [[BigBad Melbu Frahma]] for this purpose, no one, not even her, is aware of her real identity.
* Misha, one of the three potential love interests in ''ArTonelico. ''

->"Lafrenze, don�t forget. You are the last guardian of the door that protects this world from the dead that dwell in Hades. [[VirginPower You cannot ever break the barrier of purity.]]"

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games, the main character [[{{Miko}} Reimu Hakurei]] maintains the barrier between Gensokyou (a sealed-off FantasyKitchenSink) and the rest of the world. She's also [[HardWorkHardlyWorks very lazy]], but she has a ''lot'' of innate power. [[{{Intangibility}} "If [danmaku combat] wasn't just for play, no one could defeat her with any method."]] In fact, [[NonLethalWarfare the Spell Card rules that turns combat into something more like a game for spectators to watch]] was created more for the sake of the youkai than for Reimu, since it allows them to win without killing Reimu and subsequently dooming the MagicalLand they live in.

->"Lafrenze, don’t forget. You are the last guardian of the door that protects this world from the dead that dwell in Hades. [[VirginPower You cannot ever break the barrier of purity.]]"

Expect the Barrier Maiden to be a WhiteMagicianGirl, AllLovingHero or ThePollyanna. Male examples are pretty uncommon, but [[GreekMythology Atlas]] at least is a good one, making this OlderThanFeudalism. See also MacGuffinGirl and HolyChild. Not to be confused with the BarrierWarrior, but they may occasionally overlap. Also not to be confused with a [[UnusualEuphemism Maiden Barrier]], which can also make dating awkward. Compare with LoadBearingBoss. Contrast ApocalypseMaiden.

* In the ''SeikenDensetsu'', aka ''{{Mana}}'', game series, [[spoiler: The WorldTree]] is ''not'' the same Mana Goddess that created the world as legend says, but is [[spoiler: a person of some variety who became the new Mana Goddess/Tree the last time the world needed a new one]]. This is played to particularly devastating effect in ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', the remake of the first game, in which [[spoiler: the female protagonist plays this role]]. It's particularly devastating in [[spoiler: Sumo]]'s route since [[spoiler: she's also the LoveInterest of the main character there]].

* [[spoiler: The title character]] in the manga version of ''Manga/{{Karin}}''. [[spoiler: Karin turns out to not just be a "blood creator", but a special kind of vampire named "Spirit of Psyche" that is born when the vampire species is struggling, so the blood Karin produces can bestow fertility in other vampires.]] Therefore, [[spoiler: she's kidnapped by the Brownlick clan, which intends to first have the poor girl [[medicalrapeAndImpregnate raped and forcibly impregnated]] so there will be more Psyche Vampires around, then feed from her blood to rejuvenate themselves -- even when that's almost invariably going to kill her.]]

* [[spoiler: The title character]] in the manga version of ''Manga/{{Karin}}''. [[spoiler: Karin turns out to not just be a "blood creator", but a special kind of vampire named "Spirit of Psyche" that is born when the vampire species is struggling, so the blood Karin produces can bestow fertility in other vampires.]] Therefore, [[spoiler: she's kidnapped by the Brownlick clan, which intends to first have the poor girl raped and forcibly impregnated so there will be more Psyche Vampires around, then feed from her blood to rejuvenate themselves -- even when that's almost invariably going to kill her.]]

* Yuri Suzuki from ''AnatoliaStory'' starts as this, since she's thrust into the Hitite Empire because [[BigBad Queen Nakia]] needs her blood to perform a curse she wants to cast on other kingdoms.

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' the Shinigami sealed himself to the ground of what became Death City in order to imprison the first Kishin, Asura. 800 years later, Asura gets out thanks to Medusa's {{Magnificent B|astard}}itch credentials, but for the sake of the manga's storyline Shinigami stays put. The anime, however, [[HumongousMecha finds a way around that]]. ALso in the manga, [[spoiler:Crona becomes the new guardian of Asura's seal. Unlike Shinigami, this seal is on the moon, so Crona has no one to keep company with in the meantime.]]

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' the Shinigami sealed himself to the ground of what became Death City in order to imprison the first Kishin, Asura. 800 years later, Asura gets out thanks to Medusa's {{Magnificent B|astard}}itch credentials, but for the sake of the manga's storyline Shinigami stays put. The anime, however, [[HumongousMecha finds a way around that]].

* The Imagin of ''{{Kamen Rider Den-O}}'' want to make their AlternateTimeline 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 BigBad 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.

Expect the Barrier Maiden to be a WhiteMagicianGirl, TheMessiah or ThePollyanna. Male examples are pretty uncommon, but [[GreekMythology Atlas]] at least is a good one, making this OlderThanFeudalism. See also MacGuffinGirl and HolyChild. Not to be confused with the BarrierWarrior, but they may occasionally overlap. Also not to be confused with a [[UnusualEuphemism Maiden Barrier]], which can also make dating awkward. Compare with LoadBearingBoss. Contrast ApocalypseMaiden.

** Both [[TheChosenOne chosen children]] [[TheMessiah Naruto]] and [[DarkMessiah Nagato]] could be considered male examples of this.

* Lunagel (Rin) from ''MahouSentaiMagiranger'' is the gatekeeper whose body and life keeps the evil monsters imprisoned in Infershia. Clare serves as her US counterpart in ''Series/PowerRangersMysticForce'', though unlike previous gatekeepers, she nonsensically gets to stay alive when the gate is inevitably broken.

* While the Archive from ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' doesn't actually prevent the destruction of the world by her existence, she ''is'' a repository of all mankind's knowledge and knows everything that is ever written down. Particularly in ''Small Favor'', she's treated as quite possibly the single most [[PersonOfMassDestruction badass]] BarrierMaiden in all of history.

** To a lesser extent, Lúthien: the War of the Jewels is temporarily suspended as long as she's wearing a Silmaril, because she's [[PuritySue Lúthien]] and nobody wants to take the jewel from her. As soon as it passes to her son Dior, the war starts right back up again.

Of course, this makes them the target of so many [[ThePresidentsDaughter kidnapping plots]] even the ''parodies'' have become a DeadHorseTrope. Note that ''[[MundaneSolution just plain killing]]'' the Barrier Maiden is rarely an option -- either the villain becomes infatuated with her or he wants to BreakTheCutie to TheDarkSide and turn her into an ApocalypseMaiden, or there's a complex BlackMagic ritual needed before he can destroy or steal her power, or simply killing will just make her [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnate]] elsewhere... the list goes on and on.

Expect the Barrier Maiden to be a WhiteMagicianGirl, TheMessiah or {{Pollyanna}}. Male examples are pretty uncommon, but [[GreekMythology Atlas]] at least is a good one, making this OlderThanFeudalism. See also MacGuffinGirl and HolyChild. Not to be confused with the BarrierWarrior, but they may occasionally overlap. Also not to be confused with a [[UnusualEuphemism Maiden Barrier]], which can also make dating awkward. Compare with LoadBearingBoss. Contrast ApocalypseMaiden.

* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' the Shinigami sealed himself to the ground of what became Death City in order to imprison the first Kishin, Asura. 800 years later, Asura gets out thanks to Medusa's MagnificentBitch credentials, but for the sake of the manga's storyline Shinigami stays put. The anime, however, [[HumongousMecha finds a way around that]].

* [[ManipulativeBitch Senna]] from ''{{Everworld}}'' serves as some sort of weird cross between this and ApocalypseMaiden. She's basically a living portal between Everworld and "the Old World" (ours), and several forces in Everworld want her for various reasons. An added twist: in a world full of [[GodOfEvil murderous deities]] and a god-eating EldritchAbomination, ''she'' intends to become the BigBad herself.

* In ''KingdomHearts'' The Seven Princesses of Heart collectively have the power to reveal the keyhole necessary to get to Kingdom Hearts, the origin of life in the universe and a recurring MacGuffin. The bad guys do all they can to find the missing Princesses so they can fully take over.

* In the ''SeikenDensetsu'', aka ''{{Mana}}'', game series, [[spoiler: The WorldTree]] is ''not'' the same Mana Goddess that created the world as legend says, but is [[spoiler: a person of some variety who became the new Mana Goddess/Tree the last time the world needed a new one]]. This is played to particularly devastating effect in ''SwordOfMana'', the remake of the first game, in which [[spoiler: the female protagonist plays this role]]. It's particularly devastating in [[spoiler: Sumo]]'s route since [[spoiler: she's also the LoveInterest of the main character there]].
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games, the main character [[{{Miko}} Reimu Hakurei]] maintains the barrier between Gensokyou (a sealed-off FantasyKitchenSink) and the rest of the world. She's also [[HardWorkHardlyWorks very lazy]], but she has a ''lot'' of innate power. [[IntangibleMan "If [danmaku combat] wasn't just for play, no one could defeat her with any method."]] In fact, [[NonLethalWarfare the Spell Card rules that turns combat into something more like a game for spectators to watch]] was created more for the sake of the youkai than for Reimu, since it allows them to win without killing Reimu and subsequently dooming the MagicalLand they live in.

** ''Fatal Frame 2'': The [[BarrierMaiden BarrierMaidens]] are twin girls (or twin boys). One of them is sacrificed to hell...darkness...''abyss thing'' to prevent it from devouring the village, while the other stay in the village to act as a living goddess of some sort. The real {{Squick}} part? The girl who is to remain alive must strangle her sister as an act of sacrifice. And that's just the beginning of the circle of tragedy that engulf a lot of people, including the protagonist Mio and her handicapped twin sister Mayu.

** Another character from the same series, the IdolSinger Athena Asamiya, is a rare case where the BarrierMaiden is ''also'' an ActionGirl. As an {{Expy}} of the already mentioned Saori Kido, this is expected.

* Shana, from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'', is an evil example. At first, you think of her just as TheChick and TheMedic, but then you discover she is the Moon Child, the only being able of resurrecting the [[DragoninChief Virage Embryo]], last boss of the game. Until she is used by [[BigBad Melbu Frahma]] for this purpose, no one, not even her, is aware of her real identity.

* Sakuya from ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' is a cherry tree spirit and powerful protector. Her guardian saplings protect the nearby lands from evil, and their corruption not only weakened her into a [[ConvenientComa coma]] but allowed evil to flourish. Amaterasu's missions largely revolve around restoring her saplings, culminating in Sakuya being restored and [[{{Striperiffic}} "refreshed"]].

* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, is this by virtue of being the Lord of Sunlight. [[spoiler: In actuality, his real purpose as a BarrierMaiden is that he sacrificed himself by Linking the Fire, turning him into the fuel that allows all fire in the world to continue existing.]] Whether or not that is a [[GreyAndGreyMorality good thing]] is an entirely different matter.

* In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireII'', a giant dragon [[spoiler:,who is Ryu's mother]] is seen blocking the door that leads to the final dungeon to keep the BigBad from coming out. [[spoiler: In a normal ending, Ryu replaces her since she dies.]]

** Galadriel does the same with Lothlorien in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. It should be noted that it was Melian who taught Galadriel her stuff.
** To a lesser extent, Luthien: the War of the Jewels is temporarily suspended as long as she's wearing a Silmaril, because she's [[PuritySue Luthien]] and nobody wants to take the jewel from her. As soon as it passes to her son Dior, the war starts right back up again.

* There is a clear example in Tolkien's ''TheSilmarillion'': Melian the Maia uses her powers to guard and defend Doriath with a protection called the Girdle of Melian.
** Galadriel does the same with Lothlorien in ''TheLordOfTheRings''. It should be noted that it was Melian who taught Galadriel her stuff.

* Princess Peach in the original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''