History Main / WeNeedToGetProof

* ''Series/EerieIndiana''

'''Spock:''' And they would be correct. We have no evidence. Only a theory which happens to fit the facts.

-->'''Valeris:''' We must inform Starfleet Command--\\

Basically, the heroes discover that some bad guy is up to no good. The problem is that for whatever reason, the hero has trouble getting people to believe him. Maybe because [[JustAKid the hero is a kid]], because the bad guys are [[VillainWithGoodPublicity respected authority figures]], or because [[CassandraTruth their scheme sounds]] [[RefugeInAudacity outlandish]]. They may have tried to deliver a warning ''without'' getting evidence first and been [[YouHaveToBelieveMe dismissed out of hand]]. Or maybe [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the authorities]] do believe them, but can't act without evidence. Either way, the heroes need proof of what the bad guys are doing in order to get anyone to believe them, and the ensuing adventure becomes essentially about that. Of course, this plot isn't ''quite'' able to [[ScienceMarchesOn catch up in this day]] and age of hand-held phone recorders/cameras/camcorders in cell phones; because that would get in the way of the ''drama'' of trying to acquire evidence. Often they'll come up with [[ReinventingTheTelephone different ways of recording information]] that's complicated enough for the plot.

This can also affect the genre, and is the catalyst of many an AmateurSleuth and SnoopingLittleKid story. If the bad guy taunts the heroes that they can't prove anything, that's ProofDare.

* In the aftermath of the attack on the Klingon Chancellor's transport to Earth, subsequent masked Starfleet boarders assassinating him, curious external readings right before it all went down, and a suspicious discrepancy between magazine inventory and event logs concerning torpedo weapons fire, the crew of the ''Enterprise'' deduce that another ship must have fired on the Chancellor's ship; one of the Klingon's own with a new cloaking device that can enable torpedo fire while cloaked. All they have is circumstantial theories, as Scotty is quick to point out and Spock is quick to concur on. It sets them on the task to find the evidence: specifically, gravity boots that the assassins must have worn to board the crippled klingon diplomatic ship that was deprived of gravity.

Basically, the heroes discover that some bad guy is up to no good. The problem is that for whatever reason. the hero has trouble getting people to believe him. Maybe because [[JustAKid the hero is a kid]], because the bad guys are [[VillainWithGoodPublicity respected authority figures]], or because [[CassandraTruth their scheme sounds]] [[RefugeInAudacity outlandish]]. They may have tried to deliver a warning ''without'' getting evidence first and been [[YouHaveToBelieveMe dismissed out of hand]]. Or maybe [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the authorities]] do believe them, but can't act without evidence. Either way, the heroes need proof of what the bad guys are doing in order to get anyone to believe them, and the ensuing adventure becomes essentially about that. Of course, this plot isn't ''quite'' able to [[ScienceMarchesOn catch up in this day]] and age of hand-held phone recorders/cameras/camcorders in cell phones; because that would get in the way of the ''drama'' of trying to acquire evidence. Often they'll come up with [[ReinventingTheTelephone different ways of recording information]] that's complicated enough for the plot.

* What Tenma of ''{{Anime/Monster}}'' occasionally tries to do about Johann. The rest of the time he's attempting to kill him.
* A large part of ''Manga/AnatoliaStory'': Kail and his group know that Queen Nakia is behind about 90% of the bad things that happen in the story, but she is very good at covering her tracks, and you don't accuse the second-most-powerful person in the Empire of serious crimes without some serious proof to back it up.

* According to his introduction blurb, this is one of [[IntrepidReporter Kouji Tagawa's]] goals in investigation the mysteries of Shiokawa in ''VideoGame/WorldOfHorror'':
--> The government won't sweep this one under a rug.

* A large part of ''Manga/RedRiver'': Kail and his group know that Queen Nakia is behind about 90% of the bad things that happen in the story, but she is very good at covering her tracks, and you don't accuse the second-most-powerful person in the Empire of serious crimes without some serious proof to back it up.

* The Deputy Dawg cartoon "Diamonds In The Rough" has the deputy tasked with finding a diamond smuggler, but the sheriff tells him not to make an arrest without evidence. A haphazard golfer swings by, and Deputy Dawg deduces that the golfer is the smuggler and the diamonds are in the golf balls. After he accidentally swallows some golf balls, Deputy Dawg is at the doctor with the golfer, and the X-ray shows the diamond-laden golf balls in DD's stomach.

* In an episode of WesternAnimation/{{Stoked}} called "To Catch a Reef," Reef's accused of stealing various things from guests and staff from around the hotel after he starts having way more money than he usually does. Johnny's the only one to believe that Reef isn't the thief (mostly because he feels that Reef isn't smart enough to pull off something like this). After looking through some hotel security footage, Johnny and Reef discover that the thief is apparently [[ThievingMagpie just a seagull]]--later, while trying to catch the bird, Reef questions Johnny on why they can't just tell the others about it, and Johnny explains that they need to get more definitive proof since they all the evidence they have is circumstantial at best. In the end, Reef's proven innocent and it turns out that all the extra money he had was the result of someone in the hotel's accounting department accidentally adding Wipeout's pay to Reef's--Bummer (Reef, Johnny and Wipeout's boss) rectifies this by making Reef wear the Wipeout-costume for a week without pay to make up for all the money Reef got by mistake.

* ''KingdomHearts'': In Wonderland, Sora and company must clear Alice's name regarding an assassination attempt at the Queen and find evidence against the Heartless.

This can also affect the genre, and is the catalyst of many an AmateurSleuth and SnoopingLittleKid story. If the bad guy taunts the heroes that can't prove anything, that's ProofDare.

This can also affect the genre, and is the catalyst of many an AmateurSleuth and SnoopingLittleKid story.

** Not helping is that the same high-tech world they're relying on to break the news has some strict limits. Posting footage of a werewolf mauling someone on YouTube breaks its content guidelines.

* In an episode of WesternAnimation/{{Stoked}} called "To Catch a Reef," Reef's accused of stealing various things from guests and staff from around the hotel after he starts having way more money than he usually does (since Reef is normally broke). Johnny's the only one to believe that Reef isn't the thief (mostly because he feels that Reef isn't smart enough to pull enough something like this). After looking through some security footage, Johnny and Reef discover that the thief is apparently [[ThievingMagpie just a seagull]]--later, while trying to catch said seagull, Reef questions Johnny on why they can't simply tell the others about what they saw, and Johnny explains that they need to get more definitive proof since they all the evidence is circumstantial at beast. In the end, Reef's proven innocent and it turns out that all the extra he had was apparently the result of someone in the hotel's accounting department accidentally adding Wipeout's pay to Reef's--Bummer (Reef, Johnny and Wipeout's boss) rectifies this by making Reef wear the Wipeout-costume for a week without pay to make up for all the money Reef got by mistake.

* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', Dipper worries that his sister Mabel is dating a zombie. Soos tells Dipper that unless he gets solid evidence, no one will believe his claims, leading to a montage of Dipper following "Norman" and Mabel on their dates. Dipper apparently gets his proof when he catches Norman's hand falling off and reattaching, goes to warn Mabel�[[spoiler: And then it turns out that Norman is in fact a bunch of gnomes stacked up.]]

* In the series ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'', a series continuation of the movie ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', TheHero Hiccup knows the old man named Mildew not only destroyed the village's supply of weapons to defend the village and framed the dragons, he even saw the framing objects in Mildew's hut. But after Mildew destroys the evidence, Stoic tells Hiccup that while he believes his son, he cannot punish Mildew for treason without hard evidence.

This can also affect the genre, and is the catalyst of many a AmateurSleuth and SnoopingLittleKid story.

* This becomes the main challenge in ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'' once the heroes become convinced that [[spoiler:Leigh is the Zodiac]]. Despite mountains of evidence -- the windbreakers, the gloves, the wing-walker boots, the knives, the guns, ''Film/TheMostDangerousGame'', the watch - it could all be dismissed in court as circumstantial.

* A common occurance on ''Series/{{CSI}}'' and its spinoffs. Often occurs on cases where the evidence isn't yielding as many leads as the [=CSIs=] need to make the case.

* A common occurence for Candace in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', despite the guys not being evil (at least not to us). Their inventions are always in plain sight, but their sister goes through great ordeals to actually get their mom to see it, resulting in this trope several times by using cameras et.c.

* Your first mission in ''PhantasyStar 2'' is to recover a recorder from the Bio Systems laboratory in order to find out why the lab started making monsters. This is but the first step in proving that the [[InstantAIJustAddWater Mother Brain]] is not as benevolent as she appears to be...

* ''Hunter: The Vigil'''s Network Zero has proof of nearly goddamn anything. The problem is getting people to take it seriously.

* In ''Fanfic/FanFic/DelendaEst'', Harry might know what the dark lord is doing, but he can’t tell Orion and Cygnus about it until he’s got proof.

[[folder: Anime ]]

* A common occurence for Candace in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', despite the guys not being evil (at least not to us). Their inventions are always in plain sight, but their sister goes through gread ordeals to actually get their mom to see it, resulting in this trope several times by using cameras et.c.