History Main / MacGuffinGuardian

* In the first ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book, the Philosopher's Stone is guarded by [[FluffyTheTerrible Fluffy]], a huge cerberus-like beast and by a Troll. [[spoiler:Which was already beaten by Quirrel.]]
** In the 4th Book each of the golden eggs in the First part of the Twiwizard Tournament is guarded by a Dragon.

* In Series/DoctorWho The Keys of Marinus one of the keys is in a block of ice and guarded by several warriors who come to life when it is thawed out.
** Dragonfire plays with this. There is a Treasure on Iceworld guarded by a Dragon but it turns out the treasure [[spoiler:is hidden inside the Dragon]].

* ''TabletopGame/Stormbringer'' supplement ''Demon Magic'', adventure "The Velvet Circle''. The box the adventurers are seeking is guarded by a demon named Tyik Tyva. Inside the box is a Melnibonean Wheel worth 500,000 large bronze pieces.

* Fafner in [[Theatre/DerRingDesNibelungen]] is a Giant turned Dragon who holds the treasure including the RingOfPower. He can only be slain by a free hero, the God Wotan cannot intervene due to [[GodsHandsAreTied his contract with the Giants]].

Don't confuse with ThresholdGuardians which usually is there to test the hero, while the Mac Guffin Guardian is here to ''eat'' the hero. It may though be the ''test'' of said ThresholdGuardians.

!!Examples:

* In ''{{Yaiba}}'', Onimaru's Fortress is guarded by the Four Evil Kings, four demonic monsters acting as keepers.
* ''GundamAGE'' has a mechanical variant in SID, an unmanned, AI-controlled mobile armor that guards the EXA-DB. And since it uses weapons taken from the EXA-DB, its weaponry and defenses are decades, if not centuries, ahead of anything anyone else possesses.

[[folder:Films]]
* The golden sword in ''TheManWhoSavesTheWorld'' is guarded by two golden living statues. Or, to be honest, two guys wearing golden suits.

* Plenty in the ''LoneWolf'' series, especially [[GottaCatchThemAll during the quest]] for [[MineralMacGuffin the Lorestones]]. They often act as FinalBoss for a given book.
** [[EvilOverlord Lord Haakon]] himself, and the monsters he summons, must be vanquished to retrieve the Book of the Magnakai at the end of book 5, ''Shadow on the Sand''.

* In ''ChroniclesOfTheEmergedWorld'', each elemental sanctuary has a sort of guardian. Subverted by some of them which aren't hostile at all and at least two which are guarded by a maze and enviromental hazards.
* Too many to count in ''ConanTheBarbarian'' including the [[TheUndead Thing in the Crypt]], several Giant Snakes and at least one GiantSpider.

* [[spoiler:Arachne]] in the third ''TheHeroesOfOlympus'' book, ''Mark of Athena.''

* ''Stormbringer'' supplement ''Demon Magic'', adventure "The Velvet Circle''. The box the adventurers are seeking is guarded by a demon named Tyik Tyva. Inside the box is a Melnibonean Wheel worth 500,000 large bronze pieces.

* Spoofed to no end in ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'' where the presence of a GiantSquid in a pool just outside the entrance of the Dwarven Kingdom is lampshaded. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny In a particular campaign said gag]] was brought UpToEleven.

* ''{{Onimusha}}'' has the huge hound Gertrude in the third game. The sequel features the gigantic, bug-looking keeper of Sawayama.
* Tobi from ''{{Okami}}''. Unlike other examples, however, he must be defeated in a race.
* The second ''{{Rayman}}'' game has its share, including the Guardian of the Cavern of Bad Dreams.
* The huge Kraken in ''Franchise/TombRaider[=:=] Underworld'' was probably left behind as a guardian.
* {{Mardek}}: Chapter 3 features guardians in each of the elemental temples you visit. Fire had a wise, flaming dragonlike guardian named Girru who tests you by combat and finds you worthy, Water had a giant lobster-seahorse thing with a human rider, and Earth had the Rock Mole. Darkness was guarded by a wolflike alien mage called Solaar, but she had already been taken out by a villain when you get there and in fact joins your party in hopes of catching the thief.

* In ''{{Earthbound}}'', each of the [[MacGuffin Sanctuaries]] is guarded by some sort of monster.

* The ''SpongebobSquarepants'' episode, "The Lost Mattress" had Mr. Krabs' prized money-filled mattress guarded by a ferocious worm at the junkyard, after it got thrown away.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' has [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Grougaloragan]]'s [[EggMacGuffin Dofus]] guarded by a giant Stone {{Golem}}, able to switch its head (and power) for another if beheaded.

* The huge Kraken in ''TombRaider[=:=] Underworld'' was probably left behind as a guardian.

Our [[TheHero brave hero]] has [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy outsmarted the guards]], sneaked into the ancient and mysterious crypt and now is about to lie his hands on the [[MacGuffin object of his long quest]] and/or about to open the [[HellGate grim-looking gate]] leading to said object.

* The Watcher in the Water from ''TheLordOfTheRings''.

* [[GreekMythology Cerberus]] may be the UrExample along with many other monsters like [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Ladon]], [[EyesDoNotBelongThere Argo]] and [[OurGiantsAreBigger Eruption]].
* NorseMythology: Garm, the bloody hound of Hell.
* In JapaneseMythology there are [[RedOniBlueOni Gozu and Mezu]], the hell keepers.
* In Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh there's a fire-breathing giant Kumbawa who guards a forest of precious trees. Unlike other examples however, Gilgamesh's objective is the guardian himself, as he wishes to kill him for fame.

* Smaug from ''Literature/TheHobbit''.

* ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}'' has the giant dragon guarding his hoard of gold inside a barrow.

** The GoldenFleece was guarded by a gigantic Dragon.

* Smaug from ''TheHobbit''.

* [[TheBrute Jidanbo]] from ''{{Bleach}}'' may count, if you wish to [[OurGiantsAreBigger include overgrown humans]].

* Too many to count in ''ConanTheBarbarian'' including the [[TheUndead Thing in the Crypt]], several [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Giant Snakes]] and at least one GiantSpider.

* Spoofed to no end in ''BattleForWesnoth'' where the presence of a GiantSquid in a pool just outside the entrance of the Dwarven Kingdom is lampshaded. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny In a particular campaign said gag]] was brought UpToEleven.

* [[ThatOneBoss Grand Jewel]], [[BonusBoss Polter Armor]] and [[KrakenAndLeviathan The Last Kraken]] from ''TheLegendOfDragoon''.

* The Watcher in the Water from ''TheLordOfTheRings''.
* Smaug from ''TheHobbit''.

* In the first ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book, the Philosopher's Stone is guarded by [[FluffyTheTerrible Fluffy]], a huge cerberus-like beast and by a Troll. [[spoiler:Which was already beaten by Quirrel.]]
* ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}'' has the giant dragon guarding his hoard of gold inside a barrow.

** The Barrier Trio would count too, from [[MOTHER3 the sequel]].

* ''Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick''

* The [[GeniusLoci Cave of Wonders]] itself in ''[[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Aladdin]]''.

* In TheEpicOfGilgamesh there's a fire-breathing giant Kumbawa who guards a forest of precious trees. Unlike other examples however, Gilgamesh's objective is the guardian himself, as he wishes to kill him for fame.

* In ''GodOfWar'', Kratos must fight several Guardians during the course of the three games, including [[ALoadOfBull Pandora's Guardian]], [[KingMook the Mole Cerberus]] and [[ScaryScorpions Skorpio]].

----

* The second ''{{Rayman}}'' game has its share, including the [[AccidentalNightmareFuel Guardian of the Cavern of Bad Dreams.]]

* The Guardians of [[EvilTowerOfOminousness Temen-Ni Gru]] in ''DevilMayCry 3'' may count. Most of them at least.
* In ''FinalFantasyII'', each MacGuffin necessary for the plot advancement was guarded by a fearsome [[DegradedBoss monster]], including the Sergeant, [[StoneWall Adamantoise]] and [[ThatOneBoss Shrieker]].

* In the first ''HarryPotter'' book, the Philosopher's Stone is guarded by [[FluffyTheTerrible Fluffy]], a huge cerberus-like beast and by a Troll. [[spoiler:Which was already beaten by Quirrel.]]
* ''{{Beowulf}}'' has the giant dragon guarding his hoard of gold inside a barrow.

* Played for laughs in one ''[[TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' episode where the secret exit from the Nuclear Power Plant is guarded by a GiantSpider with a taste for human flesh.
* ''{{Wakfu}}'' has [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Grougaloragan]]'s [[EggMacGuffin Dofus]] guarded by a giant Stone {{Golem}}, able to switch its head (and power) for another if beheaded.

But Wait! As he approaches, a sudden [[RoarBeforeBeating roar chills the blood in his veins]] and a [[EldritchAbomination towering, nameless creature]] suddenly appears to stop him. [[CaptainObvious Is the Guardian!]]