History YouShallNotPass / Literature

*** Huan, the hound of Valinor, stands up against Carcharoth, the mightiest werewolf who has [[spoiler:a Silmaril]] in its body, in order to protect Beren. Huan manages to slay the crazed werewolf before succumbing to wounds [[spoiler:but Beren dies nonetheless.]] This only occurs because Beren was trying to protect Lúthien against Carcharoth. [[spoiler:Waving a Silmaril in a giant werewolf's face will cost you your hand, however.]]

* Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': This trope is named for Gandalf's big scene against the Balrog of Moria. Technically, in the novel [[BeamMeUpScotty Gandalf's line was "You cannot pass"]]. But in the movie it's that way, and PunctuatedForEmphasis ("You! Shall not! PASSSSSSS!").
** He does it thrice. The first time is just prior to the famous bridge scene where he had stayed behind briefly to magically seal a door. The Balrog broke the spell but collapsed the roof, forcing it to go the long way to catch up. The third time, he prevents the Witch-king from riding into Minas Tirith when the main gate is breached, with a completely still "You cannot enter here". This doesn't culminate in a duel since just at this moment, the Rohan reinforcements arrive. A similar scene is included in the extended version of the ''Return of the King'' film. Pity he loses this one.
*** Amusingly, in the first draft of Gandalf's confrontation with the Witch-king, he actually says "You cannot pass" (the same thing he said to the Balrog); but Tolkien changed it to "You cannot enter here", presumably to avoid being too obviously repetitive.
** Dernhelm's ([[spoiler: a.k.a. Éowyn]]'s) defense of Théoden against the Lord of the Nazgûl: "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may." [[spoiler:[[NoManOfWomanBorn She]] even '''laughs''' at him.]]
*** "For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him!"
** Boromir telling the hobbits to flee and then building himself a funeral mound of orcish corpses probably qualifies as well.
** During the War of the Rings, the townfolk of Dale retreat into the Lonely Mountain as Sauron's armies approach. King Brand of Dale is killed during the battle. The Dwarf-King Dain II Ironfoot stood astride his friend's body and held the enemy back until he also falls.
** Beregond leaves his post in order to pull one of these to stop Denethor from succeeding in lighting Faramir's pyre.
** Gondor as a whole does this. For thousands of years they were what was keeping Sauron's forces at bay.
** There are so many instances of this in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' that one can safely conclude Tolkien loved this trope.
*** Húrin, the father of Túrin Turambar, pulls this off against ''the entire army of Morgoth'' alone so his allies can escape. He fights to the point where his axe melts in his hands and even then does not give up. All the while shouting: "Day shall come again."
*** With his brother Huor, father of Tuor, although Huor gets to actually die, where Húrin gets taken prisoner before Morgoth and is [[FateWorseThanDeath made to watch everything bad that happens to his family by magic]] as revenge.

*** Huan, the hound of Valinor, stands up against Carcaroth, the mightiest werewolf who has [[spoiler:a Silmaril]] in its body, in order to protect Beren. Huan manages to slay the crazed werewolf before succumbing to wounds [[spoiler:but Beren dies nonetheless.]] This only occurs because Beren was trying to protect Lúthien against Carcharoth in ''yet another'' invocation of this trope. [[spoiler:Waving a Silmaril in a badass werewolf's face will cost you your hand, however.]]
*** During the sack of Gondolin, Ecthelion, a high-elf lord, defends a wounded Tuor against Morgoth's chief captain Gothmog. Ecthelion manages to take down the Balrog before he dies, ''after losing both his arms''[[note]]In case you're wondering, he kills it with [[UseYourHead the spike on his helmet]][[/note]]. Glorfindel also killed a Balrog (and was killed) while the survivors were fleeing in the mountains.
*** Subverted during the Flight of the Noldor when Fëanor is leading his people from Tirion. A messenger from Manwë appears and tries to oppose their departure (into [[StupidSacrifice certain death]] no less), but Fëanor is the more powerful in voice of the two and convinces them to depart all the same: "In that hour the voice of Fëanor grew so great and potent that even the herald of the Valar bowed before him as one full-answered, and departed; and the Noldor were over-ruled."
** Parodied in ''Literature/BoredOfTheRings'' when the Fellowship actively chop down the rope bridge with Goodgulf and the Ballhog on it.

* In the original ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' book, Duncan Idaho sacrifices himself to hold off a flood of Imperial Sardaukar elite troopers, while Paul Atreides makes good his escape. In the sequel, it's revealed that while he did, indeed, die, the surviving Sardaukar were so impressed with his MasterSwordsman skills that they preserved his body, later having it resurrected as a "Ghola"... and that, as it turns out, has some [[ForWantOfANail extremely far-reaching effects]] on the ''Dune'' universe.

* In John Barnes's ''Literature/OneForTheMorningGlory'', how the Twisted Man died.