History Main / WalkIntoMordor

Unlike in {{real life}}, the [[{{Mordor}} Evil Land]] or SupervillainLair or HiddenElfVillage will be impossible for the heroes to get into '''except on foot,''' (or some other similarly inconvenient method), due to impossibly high mountains that have no passes and no goat-trails, a completely militarized frontier, mist-like magical barriers, cyclopean battlements, stormy reefs, and gigantic Black Gates whose main purposes seems to be to obstruct commerce with the outside world. Both the good guys and the bad guys will maintain this policy despite the fact that the refuge's so protected, have no visible means of internal food production, no frontier-straddling populations (indeed the outskirts are always deserted and surrounded by wilderness) and no international trade. Despite the fact that these are usually the most important and/or legendary locales in the story, nobody but our hero seems to ''want'' to go there. And they are usually not [[JustifiedTrope war-torn]], since the rulers of these places are often well-provisioned despite the lack of contact with the outside world. As a result, the protagonist cannot simply hop a wagon train or fake a passport; they must climb [[CliffsOfInsanity impossibly sheer cliffs]], traverse enormous deserts, and, because of the sheer visitor-unfriendliness of these places:

* In ''FinalFantasyXII'', you have to walk/dungeon-crawl into Archadia (Not as bad as Mordor, not quite as nice as it sounds). The game does a fair-ish job of justifying this, but only if it is reasonable that you cannot just fly anywhere by passenger-airship until you slog there on foot first. Which it isn't.
** No, it is. Your party members are wanted, meaning you can't fly in by passenger airship to the city. The entire region is patrolled by fighter aircraft, meaning you can't take your own airship in. And the areas of the city - the ones you initially go into before reaching the city proper - that airship taxis don't go is the slums of the capital for reasons obvious.

Corollary: security is always more and more lax the further you go into the forbidden realm... to the point where one can sneak into the [[GoldilocksAndTheMinesOfMoria lavishly appointed ballroom and mooch food off the ruler's table]]. To be fair, assuming reasonably competent gatekeepers, guarding anything further is overkill.

* Subverted in ''FinalFantasyX'' - the only way into [[spoiler:Sin's interior]] is by airship, because it's about a mile off the ground.

** Also note that it is Ontologically Impossible to Fly An Eagle To Mount Doom, since [[StoryExistenceFailure There Would Be No Story Otherwise]]. This can be extrapolated to ''all'' "Road Trip" stories, see ScenicRoute, [[ShortCutsMakeLongDelays etc.]] (Yes, yes, orc archers, whatever: Please see [[JustBugsMe/TheLordOfTheRings Just Bugs Me/LOTR]] for more info on [[BerzerkButton eagles]] and such).

* One does not simply tank [[LOLCat cat]] into Mordor!!! Heck, EciclopediaDramatica has an article about it.

* One does not simply tank [[LOLCat cat]] into Mordor!!! Heck, EcyclopediaDramatica has an article about it.

* {{Mordor}} is the TropeNamer, but there are numerous other examples in JRRTolkien's books, such as Lorien, Valinor, and Doriath. Angband (stronghold of First Age BigBad Morgoth) is surprisingly easy to get into for the pair of heroes, however.

** In spite of being the TropeNamer, this trope is somewhat of a {{Flanderization}} of Mordor, which isn't totally an example of this trope. Mordor may have formidable natural barriers, but it's by no means completely isolated: for more information, see [[JustBugsMe/TheLordOfTheRings Just Bugs Me/LOTR]].

-->'''Aragorn:''' It's a country. You can't put a door on a country.

Cue an improbable conversation with the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Benevolent Ruler]], who may even have [[NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine a glass of wine]] and explain that the hero was [[XanatosSucker always]] expected to get this far. Instead of [[BringHimToMe shipping him back]] to a prison cell safely located on the outskirts, the hero [[IWantThemAlive will be deemed more useful alive]], or he will be held in a poorly guarded jail cell to [[DeathTrap await sentencing]].

->"''One does not simply walk into {{Mordor}}.''"

* Skynet Central in ''{{Terminator}} Salvation''. In the novelized version, a BIRD is blown to pieces for invading the place's airspace.

* In {{Shannara}}, the Skull Kingdom is surrounded by impassible barriers on four sides:to the east, a vast toxic swamp which drains into a river running, improbably, along the southern edge of impassible mountains, before evaporating in a desert wreathed in toxic vapors deadly enough to kill birds in mid air. By comparison, the northern boundary looks passable, a range of low mountains, but they are infested by poisonous spiders. The {{big bad}}'s armies get out through a single five mile wide gap in the natural defenses, very well guarded.

Contrast with {{River of Insanity}}, a.k.a. DoomedExpedition, which is the opposite sort of journey: wherein the voyage may be dramatic and increasingly perilous, but is also the most pragmatic means of getting there. ([[ShootTheShaggyDog you don't make it]]).

* The "travel guide" to ''TheWorldsMostDangerousPlaces'' by Robert Young Pelton features many entertaining story excerpts (the rest is a country-by-country guide). The author, an ex-Special Forces "travel writer", attempts to sneak into the most dangerous places he can and report on the accomodations, including Afghanistan in 2001. (Rating: Five skulls.)

-->''"One does not simply walk into {{Mordor}}."''\\
--'''Boromir''', ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (TheMovie & MemeticMutation)


Unlike in {{Real Life}}, the [[{{Mordor}} Evil Land]] or {{Supervillain Lair}} or {{Hidden Elf Village}} will be impossible for the heroes to get into '''except on foot,''' (or some other similarly inconvenient method), due to impossibly high mountains that have no passes and no goat-trails, a completely militarized frontier, mist-like magical barriers, cyclopean battlements, stormy reefs, and gigantic Black Gates whose main purposes seems to be to obstruct commerce with the outside world. Both the good guys and the bad guys will maintain this policy despite the fact that the refuge's so protected, have no visible means of internal food production, no frontier-straddling populations (indeed the outskirts are always deserted and surrounded by wilderness) and no international trade. Despite the fact that these are usually the most important and/or legendary locales in the story, nobody but our hero seems to ''want'' to go there. And they are usually not [[JustifiedTrope war-torn]], since the rulers of these places are often well-provisioned despite the lack of contact with the outside world. As a result, the protagonist cannot simply hop a wagon train or fake a passport; they must climb impossibly [[CliffsOfInsanity sheer cliffs]], traverse enormous deserts, and, because of the sheer visitor-unfriendliness of these places:

* take a [[ShortCutsMakeLongDelays questionably pragmatic]] [[BeneathTheEarth underground]] short-cut;
* inevitably must sneak in [[RightUnderTheirNoses Right Under The Enemy's Nose]], usually involving the biggest garrison fortress that is surrounded by miles of wilderness on both sides of the border,
* sometimes accompanied by {{Dressing As The Enemy}}.

The [[BorderPatrol seasoned marksmen]] who swarm the hills (despite the lack of people wanting to get in or out) are always much more likely to capture our heroes if they attempt to sensibly bushwhack ''away from the enemy camp'', whereas the ones back on base are too busy drinking to notice heroes Walking Past The Main Gate or possibly Scaling the Battlements. All ways in are guarded, so naturally the hero will try the one that seems most suicidal.

It is also to be noted that the incredulous hero, having crawled over thousands of miles of impassible terrain to get there, would have fairly expected to find a Cold War outpost on the verge of starvation. Instead, the isolated center of the stronghold turns out to be the most lavishly appointed place in the entire story, despite the lack of visible trade or people wanting to go there.

Cue an improbable conversation with the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Benevolent Ruler]], who may even have [[NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine a glass of wine]] and explain that the hero was [[XanatosSucker Always]] expected to get this far. Instead of [[BringHimToMe shipping him back]] to a prison cell safely located on the outskirts, the hero will be deemed more [[IWantThemAlive useful alive]], or he will be held in a poorly guarded jail cell to [[DeathTrap await sentencing]].

May contain CliffsOfInsanity.

Contrast with RiverOfInsanity, a.k.a. DoomedExpedition, which is the opposite sort of journey: wherein the voyage may be dramatic and increasingly perilous, but is also the most pragmatic means of getting there. ([[ShootTheShaggyDog you don't make it]]).

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:{{Film}}]]
* {{Indiana Jones}} If simply driving in to the Enemy Stronghold through a back road is ''absolutely'' necessary, at least do it with a motorcycle or something similarly stylish. ([[http://upload.moldova.org/movie/movies/i/indiana_jones_and_the_last_crusade/thumbnails/tn2_indiana_jones_and_the_last_crusade_4.jpg tanks]] will [[http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/onedoesnottankmordor.jpg draw unwanted attention]])...
* {{James Bond}} ...or one must resort to ''climbing, free climbing, skiing, or scuba-diving'' at some point.

* In ''{{The Wizard Of Oz}}'' you get a twofer! Not only do the heroes have to sneak into the Wicked Witches domain, but then, after Dorothy is captured, the Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and The Cowardly Lion employ {{Dressing As The Enemy}} to get into the castle. Especially fun is the Lion trying to hide his tail under his uniform.
* ''{{The Princess Bride}}'''s Fireswamp sequence. To escape Prince Humperdink, Wesley and Buttercup have to travel through the Fireswamp (from which none survive). Wesley has several good lines about the experience, but one very funny example is when they see the forbidding swamp for the first time. 'It's not that bad...I'm not saying that I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are really quite lovely.'

* Skynet Central in ''Terminator Salvation''. In the novelized version, a BIRD is blown to pieces for invading the place's airspace.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* {{Mordor}} is the Trope Namer, but there are numerous other examples in {{JRR Tolkien}}'s books, such as Lorien, Valinor, and Doriath. Angband (stronghold of First Age BigBad Morgoth) is surprisingly easy to get into for the pair of heroes, however.

** Also note that it is Ontologically Impossible to Fly An Eagle To Mount Doom, since [[StoryExistenceFailure There Would Be No Story Otherwise]]. This can be extrapolated to ''all'' "Road Trip" stories, see {{Scenic Route}}, [[ShortCutsMakeLongDelays etc.]] (Yes, yes, orc archers, whatever: Please see [[JustBugsMe/TheLordOfTheRings Just Bugs Me/LOTR]] for more info on [[BerzerkButton eagles]] and such).

** A parody summary of one of the LotR movies summed this up by saying that the Ring can only be destroyed by walking very slowly across all of New Zealand in real time.
* {{The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz}}, has a segment which the movie is based on where the travelers [[StormingTheCastle try to get to the Witches castle]] to destroy her.
* In {{Shannara}}, the Skull Kingdom is surrounded by impassible barriers on four sides:to the east, a vast toxic swamp which drains into a river running, improbably, along the southern edge of impassible mountains, before evaporating in a desert wreathed in toxic vapours deadly enough to kill birds in mid air. By comparison, the northern boundary looks passable, a range of low mountains, but they are infested by poisonous spiders. The {{big bad}}'s armies get out through a single five mile wide gap in the natural defences, very well guarded.
* In Stephen King's ''TheStand'' (which he wrote as an "American ''LordOfTheRings"''), the last remaining heroes must [[WalkIntoMordor Walk Into]] [[strike:[[WalkIntoMordor Mordor]]]] [[WalkIntoMordor Las Vegas]] BecauseDestinySaysSo.

[[folder:VideoGames]]

** Additionally, the summoner wants to take in as much as he/she can of Spira, [[spoiler: because this is the last trip they'll be making [[HeroicSacrifice EVER]].]]

[[folder:{{WesternAnimation}}]]
* In ''TheIncredibles'', owing to the fact that Syndrome's [[ElaborateUndergroundBase Base]] is on an [[UnderwaterBase island volcano]], the heroes end up having to ''dog paddle'' to get there. Vehicular access seems to be a big no-no, there is no ferry, and only monorails are allowed on the island. (Accessibility on foot is not necessary for this trope to apply, if more grueling methods of transportation are available.)

* One Youtuber has turned [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5rtT29AHTU "One Does Not Simply ROCK into Mordor"]] into an actual rock song.

--> '''Boromir:''' Maybe some ninjas... and wizards... [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Ninja Wizards!]] Maybe [[EverythingsWorseWithBears some bears]], too... bears that shoot FrickinLaserBeams out of their eyes! Oh, man, that would be so awesome.

--> ''What about a catapult? Why not'' hurl ''the Ring into Mordor?''
--> '''later:''' ''Something this small is really hard to trajectorize.''

[[folder:{{RealLife}}]]

* The "Turkish Republic of North Cyprus" is only recognised as a state by Turkey. As such, the only way to get there is to fly from Turkey. Until recently, this applied even if you lived 50 yards away in Cyprus proper (the border has become a little more permeable of late, although long-term entry would be... complicated).

* They are building [[InsurmountableWaistHighFence a wall]] on the US-Mexican border. To sneak in, illegal immigrants must walk across the desert. (They already do.)