History Main / QuestToTheWest

* ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'': The heroes head west twice--once to Emerald City and again to defeat the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Wicked Witch of the West]].

* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians: The Lightning Thief'': The prophecy given before the quest starts with "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned".

Going west means our hero(es) will be coming from the east, which means the sun will rise behind them. It is widely accepted that the sun is a metaphor for light and all that is good and righteous. Similarly, dawn is a metaphor for new beginnings and hopes. So going west is a sort of VisualMetaphor, showing that our hero is bringing new hopes for better life with them. Furthermore, from a cinematic prospective, it makes for a very [[RuleOfCool heroic and awesome]] shot.

Another reason has to do with recent history. When the European nations entered their expansionist periods, they started going north, east, and south. To the west was a vast and dangerous ocean. When Europe was running out of room, they tried going west and found a continent that was entirely new. So "west" became the direction of exploration, challenge, and great rewards. As America became colonized and then independent, and the United States purchased the Louisiana territory, west was STILL waiting for European-descended explorers, and held challenge and land for anyone who could defend their territory. This concept was further promoted by the discovery of gold in the western and northwestern mountains, prompting [[GoldFever the Gold Rushes]] as people flocked successively further and further westward to seek riches and fortune on the frontier. These events are still recent in a sense to the human race, and so "west" has become associated with "frontier", "adventure" and "unknown" tropes, and the braving of great risks for great rewards.

'''Note:''' this trope is for when the journey west has symbolism and meaning beyond just "Character X happens to go west". For examples to count, they have to imply a new life, a quest or an adventure of some sort. If our heroes are heading west only at the end of the plot this is RidingIntoTheSunset.

* ''Anime/{{Mushrambo}}'': The heroes head west to Shinzo, where the last human city is, in order to save humanity. Also throughout the show Yakumo repeatedly says something along the lines of "always going west, to Shinzo".

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Inverts this as the heroes journey east and then south. Probably symbolic of the fact that they, in contrast to the vast majority of epic stories, set out to ''[[EastwardEndeavor get rid]]'' of something rather than to ''find'' something. At the very end of the book though [[spoiler:most of the characters do in fact travel all the way west--to either spend the rest of their eternal life there, or to die there]].

* In ''Series/{{Vikings}}'', Ragnar Lodbrok is an ambitious man of humble origins who is dissatisfied with the established Norse practices of tending poor homesteads and raiding bankrupt villages to the east. Instead he looks west, dreaming of the riches and glory that await anyone brave enough to sail the open sea.

* ''VideoGame/TheOregonTrail'': The game puts you in the shoes of a pioneer from the 1800s and has you pack your wagon with goods, weapons and provisions and set off with your family from Independence, Missouri, on a long, difficult journey following the westward trails across the Great Plains, the deserts and the mountains. The trek is absurdly dangerous, but those who survive to see its end will be rewarded with a new life and a homestead in the promised land of the fertile Willamette Valley, on the westernmost coast of the North American continent.

* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheLightningThief'': The prophecy given before the quest starts with "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned".

-->''Go West! Life is peaceful there...''
-->''Go West! In the open air...''
-->''Go West! Where the skies are blue...''
-->''Go West! This is what we're gonna do...''
-->--'''Go West''', ''Music/PetShopBoys''

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Inverts this as the heroes journey east and then south. Probably symbolic of the fact that they, in contrast to the vast majority of epic stories, set out to ''[[EastwardEndeavor get rid]]'' of something rather than to ''find'' something. At the very end of the book though [[spoiler:most of the characters do in fact travel all the way west - to either spend the rest of their eternal life there, or to die there]].

* At the start of the second series of ''Literature/WarriorCats'', the main characters receive a sign that they must head toward a place where the sun drowns in the water each night - i.e. journey to the west, toward the sea.
* ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'': The heroes head west twice - once to Emerald City and again to defeat the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Wicked Witch of the West]].

* ''VideoGame/TheOregonTrail'': The game puts you in the shoes of a pioneer from the 1800's and has you pack your wagon with goods, weapons and provisions and set off with your family from Independence, Missouri, on a long, difficult journey following the westward trails across the Great Plains, the deserts and the mountains. The trek is absurdly dangerous, but those who survive to see its end will be rewarded with a new life and a homestead in the promised land of the fertile Willamette Valley, on the westernmost coast of the North American continent.

This trope is frequently used to start a CowboyEpisode. A LeftJustifiedFantasyMap can lead to this if the characters are interested in crossing the sea. For the video game equivalent see WhenAllElseFailsGoRight.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Inverts this as the heroes journey east and then south. Probably symbolic of the fact that they, in contrast to the vast majority of epic stories, set out to ''get rid of'' something rather than to ''find'' something. At the very end of the book though [[spoiler:most of the characters do in fact travel all the way west - to either spend the rest of their eternal life there, or to die there]].

Another reason has to do with recent history. When the European nations entered their expansionist periods, they started going north, east, and south. To the west was a vast and dangerous ocean. When Europe was running out of room, they tried going west and found a continent that was entirely new. So "west" became the direction of exploration, challenge, and great rewards. As America became colonized and then independent, and the United States purchased the Louisiana territory, west was STILL waiting for European-descended explorers, and held challenge and land for anyone who could defend their territory. This concept was further promoted by the discovery of gold in the western and northwestern mountains, prompting the Gold Rushes as people flocked successively further and further westward to seek riches and fortune on the frontier. These events are still recent in a sense to the human race, and so "west" has become associated with "frontier", "adventure" and "unknown" tropes, and the braving of great risks for great rewards.

* ''VideoGame/TheOregonTrail'': The game puts you in the shoes of a pioneer from the 1800's and has you pack your wagon with goods, weapons and provisions and set off with your family from Independence, Missouri, on a long, difficult journey following the westward trails across the Great Plains, the deserts and the mountains. The trek is absurdly dangerous, but those who survive to see its end will be rewarded with a homestead in the promised land of the fertile Willamette Valley, on the westernmost coast of the North American continent.

Another reason has to do with recent history. When Europe was in an expansionist movement, they started going north, east, and south. To the west was a vast and dangerous ocean. When Europe was running out of room, they tried going west and found a continent that was entirely new. So "west" became the direction of exploration, challenge, and great rewards. As America became colonized and purchased the Louisiana territory, west was STILL waiting for European-descended explorers, and held challenge and land for anyone who could defend their territory. These events are still recent in a sense to the human race, and so "west" has become associated with "frontier", "adventure" and "unknown" tropes.

* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' is an ancient [[note]]published in the 16th century, but inspired by older events and legends dating back the the 7th[[/note]] Chinese story about Xuanzang and his mission to find the scrolls of Buddha and bring them back home. He and his protectors go far west, beyond the mountains, to find the scrolls. The reason for Xuanzang heading west is fundamentally geographical, as he traveled from China to Buddhism's place of origin in India. Given its age, it's most likely the TropeMaker of significant westward journeys.

* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' is an ancient [[note]]published in the 16th century, but inspired by older events and legends[[/note]] Chinese story about Xuanzang and his mission to find the scrolls of Buddha and bring them back home. He and his protectors go far west, beyond the mountains, to find the scrolls. Given its age, it's most likely the TropeMaker of significant westward journeys.
* ''[[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief]]'': The prophecy given before the quest starts with "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned".

* In ''Series/Vikings'', Ragnar Lodbrok is an ambitious man of humble origins who is dissatisfied with the established Norse practices of tending poor homesteads and raiding bankrupt villages to the east. Instead he looks west, dreaming of the riches and glory that await anyone brave enough to sail the open sea.

* ''Music/TheVillagePeople'' have a song, "Go West", where the "west" in the song is a paradise the singer is inviting people to join him in going to. It was later by covered the ''Music/PetShopBoys''

* ''Music/PetShopBoys'' have a song, "Go West", where the "west" in the song is a paradise the singer is inviting people to join him in going to.

* ''The Literature/{{Anabasis}} chronicles the March of the Ten Thousand from deep inside the Persian Empire to Greece.

* The ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Drive" has Agent Mulder drive stricken Patrick Crump due west at high speed. Crump and his wife lived near an antenna array that caused their inner ear pressure to escalate. Driving fast due west through the Earth's magnetic field was the only way to relieve the terrible pain.

* In the last episode of ''Series/WildBoys'', Jack Keenan and Dan Sinclair ride into the sunset heading for Western Australia to start a new life in a place where they are not wanted by the law.