History Main / MistakenForGranite

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The [[Characters/DoctorWhoWeepingAngels Weeping Angels]] are "statues" that come to life when [[CantMoveWhileBeingWatched no one is looking]]. So whatever you do, '''don't [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink blink]]'''.

Obviously, guarding the {{Macguffin}} is a hard job, especially if you are a 4000 year old civilization. Booby traps can be dodged, guards require resources, written warnings can be misinterpreted or overlooked due to LanguageDrift, and [[CursedWithAwesome curses can be awesome]]. So why not just use the obligatory scary statues as guards?

* ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper2'': The final obstacle between the titular VillainProtagonist and the gateway out of [[BeneathTheEarth the underworld]] is a pair of eternal, immortal {{Gate Guardian}}s -- the Stone Knights. They're NighInvulnerable... but by the endgame, the Keeper can {{Summon|ingRitual}} up a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Horned Reaper]] that can easily reduce them to rubble.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper 2'': The final obstacle between the titular VillainProtagonist and the gateway out of [[BeneathTheEarth the underworld]] is a pair of eternal, immortal {{Gate Guardian}}s -- the Stone Knights. They're NighInvulnerable... but by the endgame, the Keeper can {{Summon|ingRitual}} up a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Horned Reaper]] that can easily reduce them to rubble.

* In ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Link mistakes a Rocklops for a statue. "Don't scare me like that!"

This trope refers to times when an important room has statues around it which seem like normal statues, if perhaps heavily armed. However, upon something important happening, the statues will come to life and start attacking. Whether or not the statues remain stone-like as belligerent {{Rock Monster}}s/{{golem}}s or turn into fleshier fighters (the latter usually involving the "outer casing" of stone flaking away) varies from work to work and frequently depends on the special effects budget.

* ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' has gargoyle statues that sometimes turn into live gargoyles. Much ParanoiaFuel ensues.
** Subverted in the expansion of the second game where every level and cutscene has at least one gargoyle statue hidden somewhere, but they're obvious props with low poly-count. It doesn't stop them from looking intimidating though, especially because most of the time they appear in places where they absolutely don't belong.
* Gargoyles in [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim TES 5: Dawnguard]] behave more or less the same as ones from ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}''.

** In addition, the Sentinels in the Mage starting quest could qualify as this.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has a rat in the Arris Dome that pulls off a surprisingly good deception, but drops the facade after the Guardian is defeated. You must then learn how to run efficiently in order to catch it as it will run away when you approach it, and you '''HAVE''' to catch it to proceed with the story. Just... don't [[InterfaceScrew reassign the button bindings]] until '''AFTER''' you catch it, okay? [[UnintentionallyUnwinnable The rat assumes the bindings are on their default buttons]], [[TrialAndErrorGameplay forcing you to]] FigureItOutYourself [[WhatAnIdiot if you messed with the bindings beforehand]].

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has a rat in the Arris Dome that pulls off a surprisingly good deception, but drops the facade after the Guardian is defeated. You must then learn how to run efficiently in order to catch it as it will run away when you approach it, and you '''HAVE''' to catch it to proceed with the story. Just... don't [[InterfaceScrew reassign the button bindings]] until '''AFTER''' you catch it, okay? [[UnwinnableByMistake The rat assumes the bindings are on their default buttons]], [[TrialAndErrorGameplay forcing you to]] FigureItOutYourself [[WhatAnIdiot if you messed with the bindings beforehand]].

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has a rat in the Arris Dome that pulls off a surprisingly good deception, but drops the facade after the Guardian is defeated. You must then learn how to run efficiently in order to catch it as it will run away when you approach it, and you HAVE to catch it to proceed with the story. Just... don't [[InterfaceScrew reassign the button bindings]] until AFTER you catch it, okay? [[UnwinnableByMistake The rat assumes the bindings are on their default buttons]], [[TrialAndErrorGameplay forcing you to figure it out on your own]].

* ''Disney/AliceInWonderland'' has Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum sing a song about Alice treating them like inanimate statues, "We're Not Waxworks", and scold her for not speaking with them like a civilized person.

** Also a favorite strategy for Gargoyles or Margoyles, monsters apparently made of stone and who can stay perfectly still in ambush. The smartest often hides amongst other more ordinary statues to better look un-conspicuous.

* A pretty stock scenario in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' (the iconic dungeon environments no doubt have something to do with it). The actual statues can range from "mere" fairly regular ones temporarily animated by a spell over "proper" {{golem}}s to more exotic cases like clockwork automata or one-of-a-kind constructs dreamt up by a particular scenario designer; at least one edition of the game (the "basic" one later compiled into the ''Rules Cyclopedia'') even featured several types of ''literal'' "living statue" monsters as essentially lower-powered golem expies to throw at less experienced groups of player characters.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film — Animated]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

See also RockMonster, TakenForGranite, {{Golem}}, OurGargoylesRock, NobodyHereButUsStatues, and MacGuffinGuardian.

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Obviously, guarding the {{Macguffin}} is a hard job, especially if you are a 4000 year old civilization. Booby traps can be dodged, guards require resources, and [[CursedWithAwesome curses can be awesome]]. So why not just use the obligatory scary statues as guards?

This trope refers to times when an important room has statues around it which seem like normal statues, if perhaps heavily armed. However, upon something important happening, the statues will come to life and start attacking. If the work in question is a video game, the statues will most likely respond to an attack. One way to gain these for your room is to [[TakenForGranite take people for granite]].

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'': A pair of such statues guard the doorway to the underworld. When approached they proclaim that no one living can pass, and then ask if the intruder wishes to pass. If you do, obviously they have to kill you. The one person allowed to pass without a fight is [[spoiler: Sesshoumaru, because he wields Tenseiga.]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/NightAtTheMuseum'' has the giant statues of Anubis that guard the pharaoh.
* ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'' have the statues that guard the Great Power.
* In ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger the Movie: Nei-Nei! Hou-Hou! The Decisive Battle in Hong Kong'', we see a giant statue when the heroes and villains are taken to the movie villain's pretty sweet-looking compound. In the end it turns into the bad guy's HumongousMecha, surprising ''absolutely none'' of the viewing audience.

* All of the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' films have the same examples as the literature entry below, but ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows: Part Two'' reveals that the statues [[ChekhovsGun seen throughout the entire series]] in the entrance to Hogwarts could be bewitched to defend Hogwarts in time of need - and they do, coming to life to guard the main bridge into Hogwarts.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* The Weeping Angels from ''Series/DoctorWho'' are "statues" that come to life when no one is looking. So whatever you do, '''don't blink.'''

[[folder: TabletopGames]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DaveTheBarbarian''. The particular model shown doesn't activate unless you touch it.
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[[caption-width-right:240:[[VideoGame/LuigisMansion Luigi's Poltergust]] make take out ghosts easily enough, but [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Medusa]] may prove to be a rockier challenge.]]