History Main / ExploringTheEvilLair

For starters, the place is probably full of {{Death Trap}}s, and the owner is likely not far off and just waiting to [[OffScreenTeleportation sneak up]] on the intruder at just the right time. That they've been brought to the lair alive is seldom good news, he "[[IHaveYouNowMyPretty has you now]], [[TermsOfEndangerment pretty!]]" and can intend anything from marrying, killing, eating, mating, or ''wearing'' the captive[[hottip:*:([[{{Firefly}} And hopefully, it'll be in that order]]). Fun times.

Typically, whoever is doing the exploring may be unlucky and killed or captured, or get lucky and manage to hide from the villain and escape in a tense and nail biting sequence (or think they did, only to have their arm [[BarrierBustingBlow bust through a wall and catch them]]). Usually, they get just as far as the threshold before the one, ''tiny'' sound[[hottip:*:(Or ringing cell phone, in modern versions. Extra {{irony}} points if it's the trespasser's partner calling to warn them that they're in the villain's lair)]] wakes it, or it shows up at the doorway. [[SortingAlgorithmOfMortality Survival varies by victim, of course.]]

For starters, the place is probably full of {{Death Trap}}s, and the owner is likely not far off and just waiting to [[OffScreenTeleportation sneak up]] on the intruder at just the right time. That they've been brought to the lair alive is seldom good news, he "[[IHaveYouNowMyPretty has you now]], [[TermsOfEndangerment pretty!]]" and can intend anything from marrying, killing, eating, mating, or ''wearing'' the captive[[hottip:*:([[{{Firefly}} And hopefully, it'll be in that order]])]]. Fun times.

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* In ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' Willow is taken to the [[AffablyEvil Mayor's]] office and guarded by one incompetent vampire. After she escapes she starts looking around for information on his plans. She's caught by Faith, who quite rightly mocks her for "Nancy Drewing" instead of escaping.

* Rosella does this in KingsQuestIV. Justified in that case, as she does need to grab Genesta's talisman and the magic fruit if she hopes to see Daventry again.

* ''{{Legend}}''. Jack and his friends enter Darkness' lair to rescue Lilly and the unicorn.

For starters, the place is probably full of {{Death Trap}}s, and the owner is likely not far off and just waiting to [[OffScreenTeleportation sneak up]] on the intruder at just the right time. That they've been brought to the lair alive is seldom good news, he "[[IHaveYouNowMyPretty has you now]], [[TermsOfEndangerment pretty!]]" and can intend anything from marrying, killing, eating, mating, or ''wearing'' the captive[[hottip:*:([[{{Firefly}} And hopefully, it'll be in that order]])]]. Fun times.

If that isn't nerve wracking enough, the villain and/or monster might be sleeping not-very-soundly among the memorabilia and leftovers from their last kill. If the hero is really up a creek, he or she will wake up next to said villain, with the latter keeping a paw on them or wearing the only key to the door out around their neck.

* In AlfredHitchcock's ''RearWindow'', Jeffries (convalescent with a broken foot) helplessly watches his girlfriend Lisa checking out the villain's [[strike:lair]] apartment.
* In ''ReturnToOz'', Dorothy going into the witch Mombi's original head case to get the key and powder of life. Of course, the head wakes up and screams like a living nightmare.

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* Rosella does this in KingsQuestIV. Justified in that case, as she does need to grab Genesta's talisman and the magic fruit if she hopes to see Daventry again.

* In a parody of AlfredHitchcock's ''RearWindow'', [[TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]] sent Lisa to investigate the Flanders pad when he thought Ned had killed his wife.

* ''{{Dragonslayer}}'', when Galen entered the dragon's lair to rescue the princess.

* ''[=~Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn~=]'': Simon, upon his [[WhereItAllBegan return to the Hayholt]], with specific attention to Hjeldin's Tower, which has become EvilSorcerer Pryrates' lair. The latter is not present when he does it, but the book pulls a ChairReveal with [[spoiler:King Elias]], who ends up releasing Simon, which then turns into a HopeSpot when he's captured by the returning Norns and thrown into the forge dungeon.

* JRRTolkien did this a couple of times:
** ''TheHobbit''. Bilbo enters Smaug's lair.
** ''TheLordOfTheRings''. Frodo and Sam in Shelob's lair.

* In ''TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Clarice Starling winds up playing hide-and-seek with "Buffalo Bill" in his basement instead of getting out and calling for backup. To be fair, there was an innocent hostage involved.

* In AlfredHitchcock's ''RearWindow'', Jeffries (convalescent with a broken foot) helplessly watches his girlfriend, Lisa checking out the villain's [[strike:lair]] apartment.

** ''TheHobbit''. Bilbo enters Smaug's lair repeatedly.

* ''Literature/TheOdyssey'': Odysseus and his men explore the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus in which they're trapped by his return, making this one OlderThanDirt.

* ''Literature/TheOdyssey''. When Odysseus and his men explore the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus they're trapped by his return, making this one OlderThanDirt.

* ''TheOdyssey''. When Odysseus and his men explore the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus they're trapped by his return, making this one OlderThanDirt.

Which makes the idea of a free protagonist willingly exploring the lair once they find it ([[LetsSplitUpGang and alone,]] which is usually the case) all the more bizarre. Of course, exploring the lair represents an enormous opportunity for the heroes. If they don't know who [[DwindlingParty has been killing them off]], or [[NighInvulnerability how to kill the unkillable]], exploring the lair represents a treasure trove of clues in the form of finding a StalkerShrine, ShrineToSelf, SupervillainLair or other clues to their identity/weakness (remember, villains ''[[EvilOverlordList always]]'' keep the one thing that can harm them in their lair). It can also present them with the irresistible and incredibly dangerous chance to attack the villain or monster in their sleep. The GenreSavvy advise the {{Nakama}} to NeverSplitTheParty; threaten to leave TheSoCalledCoward [[FineYouCanJustWaitHereAlone to wait alone]] to get him to cooperate, if necessary.

Which makes the idea of a free protagonist willingly exploring the lair once they find it ([[LetsSplitUpGang and alone,]] which is usually the case) all the more bizarre. Of course, exploring the lair represents an enormous opportunity for the heroes. If they don't know who [[DwindlingParty has been killing them off]], or [[MadeOfIron how to kill the unkillable]], exploring the lair represents a treasure trove of clues in the form of finding a StalkerShrine, ShrineToSelf, SupervillainLair or other clues to their identity/weakness (remember, villains ''[[EvilOverlordList always]]'' keep the one thing that can harm them in their lair). It can also present them with the irresistible and incredibly dangerous chance to attack the villain or monster in their sleep. The GenreSavvy advise the {{Nakama}} to NeverSplitTheParty; threaten to leave TheSoCalledCoward [[FineYouCanJustWaitHereAlone to wait alone]] to get him to cooperate, if necessary.

* In AlfredHitchcock's ''RearWindow'', Jeffries (convalescent with a broken foot) convinces Lisa to check out the villain's [[strike:lair]] apartment.

There are very few situations that warrant an "OhShit" quite as much as waking up in the villain's Evil Lair. The reasons are many and obvious, but this wouldn't be TVTropes if we didn't analyze 'em all!

Which makes the idea of a free protagonist willingly exploring the lair once they find it ([[LetsSplitUpGang and alone,]] which is usually the case) all the more bizarre. Of course, exploring the lair represents an enormous opportunity for the heroes. If they don't know who [[DwindlingParty has been killing them off]], or [[MadeOfIron how to kill the unkillable]], exploring the lair is represents a treasure trove of clues in the form of finding a StalkerShrine, ShrineToSelf, SupervillainLair or other clues to their identity/weakness (remember, villains ''[[EvilOverlordList always]]'' keep the one thing that can harm them in their lair). It can also present them with the irresistible and incredibly dangerous chance to attack the villain or monster in their sleep.

Typically, whoever is doing the exploring may be unlucky and killed or captured, or get lucky and manage to hide from the villain and escape in a tense and nail biting sequence (or think they did, only to have their arm [[BarrierBustingBlow bust through a wall and catch them]]). Usually, they get just as far as the threshold before the one, ''tiny'' sound[[hottip:*:(Or ringing cell phone, in modern versions. Extra {{irony}} points if it's the trespasser's partner calling to warn them that they're in the villains lair)]] wakes it, or it shows up at the doorway. [[SortingAlgorithmOfMortality Survival varies by victim, of course.]]