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In Josephine Tey's ''The Singing Sands,'' the MacGuffin is an unfinished sonnet, which the protagonist, who used to write sonnets in school, takes with him out of idle interest, then considers finishing it as a gesture to the dead person; as he studies it, he realizes it is a code.
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* Hitchcock's second version of ''The Man Who Knew Too Much.'' The man who knows too much doesn't exactly know just what it is he knows.
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* Billy Bones does this to Jim in MuppetTreasureIsland as well.
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* How the Green Lantern Corps recruit new members
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* How the Green Lantern GreenLantern Corps recruit new members
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* In ''{Casablanca}}'', Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
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* In ''{Casablanca}}'', ''{{Casablanca}}'', Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
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* In {Casablanca}}'', Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
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* In {Casablanca}}'', ''{Casablanca}}'', Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
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* The somewhat-obscure MarvelComics hero The Torpedo (see RomSpaceKnight and NewWarriors) got his [[PowerArmor supercostume]] from the dying scientist who had made it for an evil organization but then changed his mind... while he was ''waiting for an elevator''. Then he just decided to [[TooDumbToLive *put it on*]] right then and there, which got him into a fight with {{Daredevil}}, who had been pursuing the scientist moments before!
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* The somewhat-obscure MarvelComics hero The Torpedo (see RomSpaceKnight and NewWarriors) got his [[PowerArmor supercostume]] from the dying scientist who had made it for an evil organization but then changed his mind... while he was ''waiting for an elevator''. Then he just decided to [[TooDumbToLive *put ''[[TooDumbToLive put it on*]] on]]'' right then and there, which got him into a fight with {{Daredevil}}, who had been pursuing the scientist moments before!
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* In "{{Casablanca}}", Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
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* In "{{Casablanca}}", {Casablanca}}'', Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
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* One of MarionZimmerBradley's Lythande stories begins with Lythande comforting a dying woman, and getting stuck with the task of returning a magical artifact to the woman's people.
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* One of MarionZimmerBradley's Lythande stories begins with Lythande comforting a dying woman, and getting stuck with the task of returning a magical artifact to the woman's people. (She isn't very enthusiastic about this, but it [[ClingyMacGuffin won't leave her alone until she does...)
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* Done in ''{{EarthBound}}'' when Buzz Buzz is fatally wounded by Pokey's mother. Before he dies, he hands you the Sound Stone so you can record the Your Sanctuary melodies. He was going to give it to you in a bit, anyway.
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* Done in ''{{EarthBound}}'' ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound}}'' when Buzz Buzz is fatally wounded by Pokey's mother. Before he dies, he hands you the Sound Stone so you can record the Your Sanctuary melodies. He was going to give it to you in a bit, anyway.
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** A rather interesting version in ''{{Mother 3}}'' (and this can be removed if it doesn't count): taking a MacGuffin is what causes [[spoiler: its guardian Magypsy]] to die ([[spoiler: or rather, disappear]]). I'm Not Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin?
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** A rather interesting version in ''{{Mother 3}}'' (and this can be removed if it doesn't count): ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'': taking a MacGuffin is what causes [[spoiler: its guardian Magypsy]] to die ([[spoiler: or rather, disappear]]). I'm Not Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin?
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** A rather interesting version in ''{{Mother 3}}'' (and this can be removed if it doesn't count): taking a MacGuffin is what causes [[spoiler: its guardian Magypsy]] to die ([[spoiler: or rather, disappear]]). I'm Not Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin?
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* ''MenWithBrooms'' has Donald Foley arranging to have his ashes placed in the last of the [[MineralMacGuffin Magellan Stones]], and his will is basically him guilt-tripping his old curling team into reuniting and trying to win the Golden Broom.
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* ''MenWithBrooms'' ''Film/MenWithBrooms'' has Donald Foley arranging to have his ashes placed in the last of the [[MineralMacGuffin Magellan Stones]], and his will is basically him [[ThanatosGambit guilt-tripping his old curling team team]] into reuniting and trying to win the Golden Broom.
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* A dying Race Bannon gives a sample of a deadly bioweapon to Brock Samson and the Venture boys in the ''VentureBros'' episode "Ice Station- Impossible"
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* A dying Race Bannon gives a sample of a deadly bioweapon to Brock Samson and the Venture boys in the ''VentureBros'' ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' episode "Ice Station- Impossible"
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pulling image per IP thread
; see link
; see linkDeleted line(s) 1,3 (click to see context) :
[[quoteright:350:[[GreenLantern http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hal_jordan_5192.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A hero dies, a hero is born.]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A hero dies, a hero is born.]]
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* A dying Race Bannon gives a sample of a deadly bioweapon to Brock Samson and the Venture boys in the Venture Bros episode "Ice Station- Impossible"
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* A dying Race Bannon gives a sample of a deadly bioweapon to Brock Samson and the Venture boys in the Venture Bros ''VentureBros'' episode "Ice Station- Impossible"
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* This is how you get the kinesis module in ''DeadSpace''. A blinded, mortally-wounded woman manages to hang on long enough, alone in a monster infected GhostShip, to give Isaac a necessary tool for solving the various puzzles he'll be presented with later.
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* This is how you get the kinesis module in ''DeadSpace''.''VideoGame/DeadSpace''. A blinded, mortally-wounded woman manages to hang on long enough, alone in a monster infected GhostShip, to give Isaac a necessary tool for solving the various puzzles he'll be presented with later.
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Renamed It May Help You On Your Quest.
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Compare TakeThis, PlotCoupon, and {{MacGuffin Escort Mission}}. See also AlmostDeadGuy, who passes on ''information'' instead of plot coupons. For when the transaction involves human beings, see TakeCareOfTheKids.
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Compare TakeThis, with ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest, PlotCoupon, and {{MacGuffin Escort Mission}}. See also AlmostDeadGuy, who passes on ''information'' instead of plot coupons. For when the transaction involves human beings, see TakeCareOfTheKids.
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Alt-titles are primarily for searching. Tropes have one name. In most circumstances we don\'t want alt-titles in wiki text.
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* In [[PiratesOfTheCaribbean At World's End]], from Pirates of the Caribbean, while Elizabeth Swann is on Sao Feng's boat, they get attacked. Sao Feng gets stabbed by a giant piece of wood and [[TakeThis hands over a seemingly useless trinket]] which later turns out to be one of the Pieces of Eight needed for the meeting, and for [[spoiler: releasing Calypso from Tia Dalma]].
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* In [[PiratesOfTheCaribbean At World's End]], from Pirates of the Caribbean, ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', while Elizabeth Swann is on Sao Feng's boat, they get attacked. Sao Feng gets stabbed by a giant piece of wood and [[TakeThis [[ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest hands over a seemingly useless trinket]] which later turns out to be one of the Pieces of Eight needed for the meeting, and for [[spoiler: releasing Calypso from Tia Dalma]].
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* This trope is basically how the ''{{Animorphs}}'' begins---Elfangor, an alien from the ([[AntiHero more-or-less]]) good Andalite species, crash-lands on Earth in front of five kids, warning them that the ([[AntiVillain more-or-less]]) evil alien Yeerks are invading and giving them the morphing power to fight them. In this case, though the MacGuffin is just information/a power rather than an object. [[spoiler:But then, they manage to ''retrieve'' an object---the device that gives the morphing power---from David later...]]
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* This trope is basically how the ''{{Animorphs}}'' ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' begins---Elfangor, an alien from the ([[AntiHero more-or-less]]) good Andalite species, crash-lands on Earth in front of five kids, warning them that the ([[AntiVillain more-or-less]]) evil alien Yeerks are invading and giving them the morphing power to fight them. In this case, though the MacGuffin is just information/a power rather than an object. [[spoiler:But then, they manage to ''retrieve'' an object---the device that gives the morphing power---from David later...]]
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* ''{{Chuck}}'' gets the Intersect in an e-mail from a dying Bryce Larkin.
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* ''{{Chuck}}'' {{Chuck}} gets the Intersect in an e-mail from a dying Bryce Larkin.
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* PowerRangersSPD starts with one of these (though he gives Jack the plot device a bit before the MechaMooks catch up with him, leading them away.)
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* PowerRangersSPD ''PowerRangersSPD'' starts with one of these (though he gives Jack the plot device a bit before the MechaMooks catch up with him, leading them away.)
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* How the Green Lantern Corps recruit new members
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SubTrope of TakeUpMySword, itself a SubTrope of {{Herald}}.
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SubTrope of TakeUpMySword, itself a SubTrope of {{Herald}}.
{{Herald}}. Compare TheChooserOfTheOne.
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** ''Gateway Shuffle'' starts off with this, with Faye finding a fatally wounded police officer drifting through space. He tells her to take a briefcase to the I.S.S.P, and tells her not to open it. She does neither, and the object in the briefcase only comes back into play at the very end of the episode to ruin the antagonist's plans.
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** ''Gateway Shuffle'' starts off with this, with Faye finding a fatally wounded police officer drifting through space. He tells her to take a briefcase to the I.S.S.P, and tells her not to open it. She does neither, and the object in the briefcase is sought after by the antagonist of that episode. She manages to steal it back and pocket it, only comes for it to come back into play at the very end of the episode to ruin the antagonist's her plans.
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** ''Gateway Shuffle'' starts off with this, with Faye finding a fatally wounded police officer drifting through space. He tells her to take a briefcase to the I.S.S.P, and tells her not to open it. She does neither, and the object in the briefcase only comes back into play at the very end of the episode to ruin the antagonist's plans.
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Green Lantern\'s ring is not a Mac Guffin. A Mac Guffin is something that the characters want, but it servers no other purpose in the story. This is hardly the case with Green Lantern\'s ring, since it\'s the source of his superpowers and also what makes him become a superhero.
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Green Lantern\'s ring is not a Mac Guffin. A Mac Guffin is something that the characters want, but t
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* Part of Comicbook/GreenLantern's SilverAge origin; he was passed the ring by a dying space alien, Abin Sur.
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Fixed spoiler highlight.
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders ([[spoiler:which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird]]). Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding it. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed because of all of the people who get the bird die right afterward. Then [[spoiler:TheGhost]] suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police, [[spoiler:this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about]]. This plot is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, PirateBooty, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless), and a ClingyMacGuffin (since he can't let anyone know about the bird) all at the same time. [[spoiler:The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders ([[spoiler:which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird]]). Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding it. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed because of all of the people who get the bird die right afterward. Then [[spoiler:TheGhost]] suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police, [[spoiler:this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about]]. This plot is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, PirateBooty, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless), and a ClingyMacGuffin (since ([[spoiler:since he can't let anyone know about the bird) bird]]) all at the same time. [[spoiler:The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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Fixed spoiler highlight.
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird). Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding it. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed because of all of the people who get the bird die right afterward. Then TheGhost suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police, this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about.]] This plot is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, PirateBooty, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless), and a ClingyMacGuffin (since he can't let anyone know about the bird) all at the same time. [[spoiler:The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which ([[spoiler:which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird).bird]]). Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding it. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed because of all of the people who get the bird die right afterward. Then TheGhost [[spoiler:TheGhost]] suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police, this [[spoiler:this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about.]] about]]. This plot is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, PirateBooty, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless), and a ClingyMacGuffin (since he can't let anyone know about the bird) all at the same time. [[spoiler:The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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Fixed Maltese Falcon citation.
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird), thank you PlotHook. Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding the thing. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed because of all of the people dying right after they get the thing. Then TheGhost suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police, this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about. This is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, a ClingyMacGuffin, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, and a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless) all at the same time. The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird), thank you PlotHook. bird). Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding the thing. it. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed because of all of the people dying right after they who get the thing.bird die right afterward. Then TheGhost suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police, this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about. ]] This plot is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, a ClingyMacGuffin, PirateBooty, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, and a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless) worthless), and a ClingyMacGuffin (since he can't let anyone know about the bird) all at the same time. The [[spoiler:The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty) for the first half of the movie and the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird). Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding the thing. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed. Then SirNotAppearingInThisFilm suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police. This is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, a ClingyMacGuffin, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, and (since the bird looks worthless) a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction all at the same time. The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty) for PirateBooty but has been covered in lead to hide the value). For the first half of the movie and the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird).bird), thank you PlotHook. Then, about forty minutes into the film, the bird has only been discussed up until now and nobody knows where the thing actually is or who's hiding the thing. The body count is mounting and people start saying the bird might be cursed. cursed because of all of the people dying right after they get the thing. Then SirNotAppearingInThisFilm TheGhost suddenly bursts into the room, riddled with gunshots, carrying the bird, then dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain to the police. police, this time of a guy he's been going around town asking people about. This is a weird case of ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin, a ClingyMacGuffin, a possible ArtifactOfDoom, and a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction (since the bird looks worthless) a sort of ArtifactOfAttraction all at the same time. The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue.]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty) for the first half of the movie and the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird). This is an unusual case of a story where everyone '''except''' the protagonist wants the MacGuffin & the protagonist is just trying to keep them from ruining his life while he proves to them that he isn't involved. Then, about forty minutes into the film, while the protagonist has finally proven he isn't involved and gotten everyone out of his life, SirNotAppearingInThisFilm bursts into the room. He's riddled with gunshots and is carrying the bird (which up until now has only been discussed), then immediately dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain. The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue after all!]]
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* ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty) ''TheMalteseFalcon'', for the first half of the movie and the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird). This is an unusual case of a story where everyone '''except''' the protagonist wants the MacGuffin & the protagonist is just trying to keep them from ruining his life while he proves to them that he isn't involved. Then, about forty minutes into the film, while the protagonist has finally proven he isn't involved and gotten everyone out of his life, SirNotAppearingInThisFilm bursts into the room. He's riddled with gunshots and is carrying the bird (which up until now has only been discussed), then immediately dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain. The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue after all!]]same reason listed under ''Film''.
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** Another Humphrey Bogart example (among other adaptations): In ''TheMalteseFalcon'', the dying captain (Walter Huston) brings the Black Bird to Spade's office.
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* Captain Jacobi with [[spoiler:the fake Falcon]] in ''TheMalteseFalcon''.
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* Captain Jacobi ''TheMalteseFalcon'' hits the viewer hard with [[spoiler:the fake Falcon]] in ''TheMalteseFalcon''.this trope. [[spoiler:Everyone is after the titular bird (which is insanely valuable PirateBooty) for the first half of the movie and the police (who don't know about the bird) suspect the main character of unrelated murders (which were actually committed by the BigBad while looking for the bird). This is an unusual case of a story where everyone '''except''' the protagonist wants the MacGuffin & the protagonist is just trying to keep them from ruining his life while he proves to them that he isn't involved. Then, about forty minutes into the film, while the protagonist has finally proven he isn't involved and gotten everyone out of his life, SirNotAppearingInThisFilm bursts into the room. He's riddled with gunshots and is carrying the bird (which up until now has only been discussed), then immediately dies at the protagonist's feet without any explanation. Now the main character not only has the statue that a bunch of violent people are after but also has ''yet another dead body'' to explain. The rest of the movie involves him trying to exonerate himself without letting anyone (especially the police, who would just decide he'd killed everyone with the bird as his motive) find out he has the statue after all!]]
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hal_jordan_5192.jpg]]
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swapping ptitle and redirect
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[[caption-width-right:350:A hero dies, a hero is born.]]
A [[{{Herald}} minor character]] has a MacGuffin and [[PursuedProtagonist is being pursued]] by some {{Mook}}s. They fatally wound the minor character, who then hands the {{MacGuffin}} over to the main character(s) before dying. [[CallToAdventure The main character(s) continue the dead person's mission]] to get the {{MacGuffin}} to wherever it's supposed to get to before the bad guys get it.
A good way to keep the true story a mystery (and to keep the audience interested) is to have the main character be an {{Unlikely Hero}} that has NO idea what's going on or who to trust.
The old bearer of MacGuffin may double as a SacrificialLamb, and is quite often a PursuedProtagonist.
Compare TakeThis, PlotCoupon, and {{MacGuffin Escort Mission}}. See also AlmostDeadGuy, who passes on ''information'' instead of plot coupons. For when the transaction involves human beings, see TakeCareOfTheKids.
May be a HarbingerOfImpendingDoom. Contrast ComeWithMeIfYouWantToLive.
SubTrope of TakeUpMySword, itself a SubTrope of {{Herald}}.
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The man with the data card in the first episode of ''DirtyPair Flash''.
* In ''SaintSeiya'', a dying knight of Sagittarius handles baby Athena and the Golden Armor to Dr. Kido.
* Ralph Wednesday, the vanship courier with Alvis Hamilton in ''LastExile''.
* The vaccine file in ''GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex''. Notably, the offer was rejected. To give some more context the file in question was a list of people who had received a vaccine for an otherwise incurable illness (the vaccine was rejected due to pressure from certain individuals and organizations who wanted to prevent their products from being rendered useless). [[spoiler: The current owner of the file tries to give it to Togusa after the building's attacked by TheDragon and his {{Mooks}}. Togusa tries to get him to escape with it instead (he's caught and shot, meaning the protagonists have to make do with a video of what Togusa saw).]]
* Happens from time to time on ''RanmaOneHalf,'' and usually it's Happosai who gets the {{MacGuffin}}.
* Kakashi in ''{{Naruto}}'' gets his Sharingan this way.
* So begins the [[InNameOnly execrable]] anime adaptation of ''[[{{Lensman}} Gray Lensman]]''.
* In the manga ''NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'', after her ship crashes Nausicaa obtains [[spoiler:the control crystal for the God Soldier]] from a dying (important) passenger.
* The end of the first episode of GundamUnicorn.
* A terribly wounded Saki tries to give her heart (and power source) to ''SteelAngelKurumi'', but it ends up as a FusionDance somehow.
* In the ''CowboyBebop'' episode Sympathy for the Devil, a dying bounty head gives Spike a ring and tell him that he's the only one who can save "him" now. Cue the crew spending the rest of the episode figuring out what the guy meant and what they're supposed to do with the ring.
* ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds}}'': It's revealed that Yusei's dying father gave the 3 Signer Dragon cards he had to Rex Godwin (a fourth -- Ruka's -- got lost en route).
* In ''MetalArmorDragonar'', the PowerTrio comes across a badly wounded man carrying the discs needed to activate the titular HumongousMecha. In a subversion, he begs them to give the discs to [[TheEmpire Giganos]], obviously not realizing that the boys are [[TheFederation Federation]] trainees.
* OnePiece has a rather interesting variation of this. The former Pirate King Gold Roger, well aware of his impending death due to disease, turns himself in. He then challenges everyone to find his MacGuffin and proclaims that whoever finds it can have it. Made even more interesting by the fact that nobody knows for sure whether it really exists, much less what it actually might be.
** [[spoiler: Although Whitebeard claims that it's real...]]
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Part of Comicbook/GreenLantern's SilverAge origin; he was passed the ring by a dying space alien, Abin Sur.
* This tends to happen to [[UsagiYojimbo Usagi]] quite a bit. More often than not, it turns into a MacGuffinEscortMission.
* The somewhat-obscure MarvelComics hero The Torpedo (see RomSpaceKnight and NewWarriors) got his [[PowerArmor supercostume]] from the dying scientist who had made it for an evil organization but then changed his mind... while he was ''waiting for an elevator''. Then he just decided to [[TooDumbToLive *put it on*]] right then and there, which got him into a fight with {{Daredevil}}, who had been pursuing the scientist moments before!
* This is how John [=DiFool=] got [[MetabaronsUniverse The Incal]], via a dying Berg disguised as a mutant.
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[[folder:Film]]
* Parodied multiple times in ''{{Takeshi Kitano}}'''s ''Getting Any?'', where a dying gangster (it's the ''same gangster, dying multiple times'') comes up to the protagonist and gives him something (a gun, a car, etc.) and says "Guard this for me, will you?" HilarityEnsues.
* ''{{Innerspace}}'': After being shot, a scientist uses the last of his strength to inject nearby passer-by Jack with the syringe containing the miniaturized submersible.
* ''TheFifthElement'': Four of the Elements needed to save the galaxy are held by [[spoiler:Diva Plavalaguna (inside her body!) who hands them over to Dallas as she is dying]].
** The key that one of the aliens gives the monk in the pre-WWII prologue also serves as one.
* In the 1981 movie ''{{Diva}}'', a prostitute stashes a cassette implicating a high ranking official as a mob boss in a postman's bag just before being murdered.
* ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld: He doesn't quite give them a MacGuffin, but he tells them how to find it.
* Disney's TreasurePlanet. Billy Bones is not a long-term lodger, but instead crashes his ship on the inn's doorstep and dies almost immediately on setting foot inside, with the pirates right behind. Before he dies, he opens the chest and shoves the treasure map into Jim's hands.
* ''Film/FoulPlay'': A dying agent slips Goldie Hawn a microfilm cassette in a pack of cigarettes, unbeknownst to her. The bad guys try to kill her for the microfilm she doesn't know she has. The microfilm is eventually[[spoiler:destroyed in a fire before anyone can view it.]]
* All the adaptations (and most parodies) of John Buchan's ''{{The Thirty Nine Steps}}''. The best known (1935) version was directed by Hitchcock.
* ''{{Enemy Of The State}}'' involves a researcher with an incriminating videotape who dies soon after passing on the MacGuffin.
* This is kinda-sorta the plot of ''ShootEmUp'', with the baby as the McGuffin, handed off from the woman who's just given birth to it after she gets shot.
* In ''TheNet'', Dale sends Angela a disk and later flies down in his Cessna to meet her. The bad guys mess with the radar, causing Dale to the crash his plane.
* In "{{Casablanca}}", Ugarte entrusts the letters of transit to Rick, only to be taken into custody and killed later that night.
** Another Humphrey Bogart example (among other adaptations): In ''TheMalteseFalcon'', the dying captain (Walter Huston) brings the Black Bird to Spade's office.
* ''MenWithBrooms'' has Donald Foley arranging to have his ashes placed in the last of the [[MineralMacGuffin Magellan Stones]], and his will is basically him guilt-tripping his old curling team into reuniting and trying to win the Golden Broom.
* In [[PiratesOfTheCaribbean At World's End]], from Pirates of the Caribbean, while Elizabeth Swann is on Sao Feng's boat, they get attacked. Sao Feng gets stabbed by a giant piece of wood and [[TakeThis hands over a seemingly useless trinket]] which later turns out to be one of the Pieces of Eight needed for the meeting, and for [[spoiler: releasing Calypso from Tia Dalma]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* Captain Jacobi with [[spoiler:the fake Falcon]] in ''TheMalteseFalcon''.
* ''{{The Thirty-Nine Steps}}'' starts with a dead man leaving his little black notebook containing the cryptic title phrase to Richard Hannay.
** In the sequel, ''Greenmantle'', a dying man staggers into a Kashnir outpost carrying a bit of paper on which is scrawled, 'Kasredin', 'v1' and 'cancer'. Cue race against time to decipher same...
* ''[[{{Spelljammer}} The Cloakmaster Cycle]]'' started this way. Though the protagonist happened to be sensible enough and [[RefusalOfTheCall tried to get rid of the thing]] that brings overwhelming forces on his head, [[ClingyMacGuffin not that it was easy]].
* Parodied in ''South by Southeast'' by Anthony Horowitz, which itself is one big {{Shout Out}} to political conspiracy thrillers. The MacGuffin's name even is . . . well.
* This trope is basically how the ''{{Animorphs}}'' begins---Elfangor, an alien from the ([[AntiHero more-or-less]]) good Andalite species, crash-lands on Earth in front of five kids, warning them that the ([[AntiVillain more-or-less]]) evil alien Yeerks are invading and giving them the morphing power to fight them. In this case, though the MacGuffin is just information/a power rather than an object. [[spoiler:But then, they manage to ''retrieve'' an object---the device that gives the morphing power---from David later...]]
* In ''GreenRider'', Karigan comes upon a mortally wounded Rider in the forest and is given a two-part [=MacGuffin=]: the message he was supposed to deliver, and his Rider brooch (which, as she later finds out, comes with magical powers).
* ''HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' has a pretty revelatory one towards the end. [[spoiler:Snape, whose [[DoubleAgent loyalties]] were a matter of some debate, has his throat ripped out by [[BigBad Voldemort's]] pet snake Nagini, but lives just long enough to give Harry a jarful of memories that reveal Snape's back story, motive, status as TheAtoner, and also that [[TheChessmaster Dumbledore's]] plan hinges on Harry [[HeroicSacrifice willingly giving himself up to Voldemort]].]] Ack.
* One of MarionZimmerBradley's Lythande stories begins with Lythande comforting a dying woman, and getting stuck with the task of returning a magical artifact to the woman's people.
* At the beginning of {{Discworld/WyrdSisters}}, the crownprince and crown of the recently murdered king are given to the three witches by a royal servant who dies just as he stumbles in. The witches try to get both off their hands ASAP.
---> '''Magrat''' (shivering in the cold of the open moor): "What is there to be afraid of out here?"
---> '''Granny''' (with considerable satisfaction): "Us."
* At the beginning of [[TomHolt Tom Holt's]] ''Expecting Someone Taller'' Malcolm Fisher recieves the Tarnhelm and the Ring of the Nibelungs from Ingolf, the last of the Frost Giants, cleverly disguised as a badger who he's just run over with his car. Not being educated in Norse mythology or even having seen the opera poor Malcolm has no clue what he's getting himself into.
---> '''Ingolf''': "Cut my arm and lick some of the blood."
---> '''Malcolm''': "I'd rather not."
---> '''Ingolf''': "But you'll be able to understand the language of the birds."
---> '''Malcolm''': "I don't particularly want to be able to undstand the language of the birds."
---> '''Ingolf''': "You'll understand the language of the birds and like it, my lad!"
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Alpha Squad Seven: The New Tek Jansen Adventures'', the ShowWithinAShow on ''TheColbertReport'', had the better part of a whole episode with someone dying (with a massive crater in his torso, no less) but taking about three minutes talking with Tek Jansen about directions to get to the place that the MacGuffin needed to go, and only ''finally'' expired after plenty of fumbling, putzing around, and being interrupted.
* The Key in {{The Lost Room}} ends up in Joe's possession after it's previous owner enters his apartment and then dies from gunshot wounds.
* ''{{Chuck}}'' gets the Intersect in an e-mail from a dying Bryce Larkin.
** Though it turns out Bryce was NotQuiteDead. Oddly enough, though, Bryce passes off the Intersect (this time the 2.0) a '''second''' time to Chuck when he dies for real (or at least, dies slightly more permanently).
* PowerRangersSPD starts with one of these (though he gives Jack the plot device a bit before the MechaMooks catch up with him, leading them away.)
* The Colt in ''{{Supernatural}}'' is the focus of an entire season, and is handed to the main characters by its dying guardian.
* In ''Warehouse13,'' regent Jane (aka Pete's mom, [[HeyItsThatGuy aka]] [[StarTrekVoyager Captain Janeway]]) is given a bracelet by a fellow regent who was trapped by the rubble of the building they were trying to escape. It makes her "The Guardian" of Warehouse 13 and helps them "keep control" of it - details deliberately sketchy at this point.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* Oswald in ''[[WilliamShakespeare King Lear]]'', after being mortally wounded by Edgar:
-->Slave, thou hast slain me: villain, take my purse:
-->If ever thou wilt thrive, [[DueToTheDead bury my body]];
-->And give the letters which thou find'st about me
-->To Edmund earl of Gloucester; seek him out
-->Upon the British party: O, untimely death!
:: Of course Edgar doesn't give the letters to Edmund, his mortal enemy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''PanzerDragoon'' begins like this, only it's not a {{MacGuffin}}: it's a ''dragon'', and its rider is shot and killed while fighting the [[BigBad Dark Dragon]].
* This is how you get the kinesis module in ''DeadSpace''. A blinded, mortally-wounded woman manages to hang on long enough, alone in a monster infected GhostShip, to give Isaac a necessary tool for solving the various puzzles he'll be presented with later.
* Surviving a [[ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld Zeppelin]] crash in the intro cinematic of [[ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura Arcanum]], you are given a ring by a dying gnome, and told to "Find the boy".
* If you didn't pick up the Arm Cannon Power up in ''MegaManX'' when Zero Dies at the hands of Vile he gives X his Arm Cannon which then becomes the Arm Cannon Upgrade.
** A more fitting example would be at (nearly) the opposite end of the series, ''MegaManZX'' where the {{Mentor}} who had originally become [[MyHeroZero Zero]] is mortally wounded by the BigBad and his [[TheDragon Dragons]]. His last action is to give Vent or Aile his Model Z, and ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome things get awesome.]]''
* [[PursuedProtagonist Ted]] hands his [[ArtifactOfDoom Soul Eater True Rune]] to [[TheHero Tir]] in ''{{Suikoden}} I'', and the rest is history.
* Occurs in the tutorial of ''TheElderScrolls: [[TheElderScrollsFour Oblivion]]''.
* SpaceQuest starts out with one. Roger was napping on the job and avoided the brutal Sarien invasion of the Arcada. He ducks into a laboratory, where the dying head scientist gives him the code to a cartridge containing plans to self-destruct the Star Generator, and for Xenon to rebuild the device in order to save their dying sun.
* In ''[[JakAndDaxter Jak II]]'', [[spoiler: Baron Praxis]] gives you [[spoiler: the Precursor Stone]] after [[spoiler: Kor kills him]].
** [[spoiler: and by "give", we mean he revealed the bomb containing the stone which would have destroyed the entire world if exploded. Dumb guy.]]
* Done in ''{{EarthBound}}'' when Buzz Buzz is fatally wounded by Pokey's mother. Before he dies, he hands you the Sound Stone so you can record the Your Sanctuary melodies. He was going to give it to you in a bit, anyway.
** In the first game, ''{{Earthbound Zero}}'', after [[spoiler: R7038xx destroys EVE, your protector robot,]] the seventh Melody is [[spoiler: found in its body.]]
* In ''{{ZHP}}: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman'', you are given the Unlosing Ranger's belt by its previous holder, Pirohiko Ichimonji, as he lays dying after being hit by a car. [[spoiler:This is also how Pirohiko himself received the belt, [[LegacyImmortality as well as everyone to take on the "Unlosing Ranger" title before him]].]]
* If the dream of being a hero counts as a sort of [=McGuffin=], then Zack and Cloud play this out in the ''FinalFantasyVII'' prequel ''CrisisCore''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''TheNoob'', Ohforf (the titular “noob”) looks all set up for this as a high-level player reminisces about his achievements and how he is now in his final hours of his playing the game (the speech is a spoof of the FamousLastWords from ''BladeRunner''). [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope But haha, no, that would just be too easy on the poor newbie]]. Besides, the reality of it being in an MMO would make it quite unlikely he could be anyone ''important''.]]
* This is how the power of The Tiger got passed along to its current holder in {{Spinnerette}}.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''TransformersGeneration1'', the Matrix of Leadership is like the present in a Pass The Parcel game. The previous holder dies but just has time to pass it on to their most trusted friend. This happens multiple times, not just in the movie but in the third season too.
* Lampshaded in ''StrokerAndHoop''. A dying karate instructor entrusts the handle of a magic sword to Stroker's son Keith and warns that reuniting the handle with the pieces of the blade would be disastrous. Stroker asks why, if it's such a big deal, the sword wasn't destroyed completely, even suggesting flushing it down the toilet or something.
** When the sword is reassembled, it's nothing more than an over sized flashlight. Hoop, who was fighting with the villain using the sword, noted that when the sword was broken and separated centuries ago, that people in ancient China would've seen that as amazing or terrifying.
*** Of course, when you shine the light on the dead...
* A dying Race Bannon gives a sample of a deadly bioweapon to Brock Samson and the Venture boys in the Venture Bros episode "Ice Station- Impossible"
[[/folder]]
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