History Main / CannotCrossRunningWater

* One ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' storyline features a group of vampires that have adapted to living underwater in a stagnant lake. John Constantine explains that the vampire virus is anaerobic; running water is aerated and damages vampires, but they can tolerate stagnant water -- and being underwater shields them from direct sunlight. Swamp Thing destroys them by agitating the lake and turning it into running water.

* One ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' storyline features a group of vampires that have adapted to living underwater in a stagnant lake; Swamp Thing destroys them by agitating the lake and turning it into running water.

* In ''WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon'', water - be it running or still - is the KryptoniteFactor of the malevolent [[MadeOfEvil Druun]]. Anyone in Kumandra who wants to avoid being TakenForGranite by them is forced to surround themselves by water in some way. The main city of Talon is built on stilts over open water, whereas the people of Fang turned their peninsula into an island by way of an artificial canal.

* In ''Film/NightOfTheDemons1988'', the demonic spirits residing in the Hull House are unable to leave the premises because it is surrounded by underground streams.

* In the ''Series/InsideNo9'' episode [[{{Recap/InsideNo9S5E6TheStakeout}} "The Stakeout"]], this is one of the clues that [[spoiler:Varney]] is a vampire, because he's insistent about not crossing the bridge even when it would be the fastest way to catch a criminal.
* Mocked in ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'', where {{Idiot Hero}}es Gauvain and Yvain believe that ordinary wolves cannot cross a stream of running water. The druid Merlin is prompt to call them on their idiocy.

* ''TabletopGames/LejendaryAdventures''. The Cunning Living Dead monster known as a peccant cannot cross running water except at a bridge.

* Ghosts in ''VideoGame/ChipsChallenge 2'' can phase through most solid tiles, but cannot move into water unless they have flippers. This is different from just not surviving in water - they actually turn away from it in contact as though it were solid, and they don't do this with any other lethal obstacles.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'', the vampire generals talk about this superstition in "Old Homes" when Carmilla brings up attacking a river town. Isaac and Hector are skeptical, while Godbrand, a Viking, denies it, prompting a very SeinfeldianConversation of what constitutes as "running water" to begin with (Godbrand claims to have taken baths, and the trio bickers over whether he has, or whether that counts). Later, they're seen crossing a bridge with no problem — at least not until [[spoiler:a zombie bishop ''blesses'' the river and floods the bridge]].
** Godbrand, a Viking vampire general who leads an army of fellow Vampires, of course would be the most knowledgeable about the unlikelihood of the water weakness. He quickly points out that the weakness was easily countered by having vampires ''move further inland''. We also see a flashback dream of him jumping into a boat from a cliff. And then there's the question of how he and the Japanese general Cho even got to Wallachia - clearly vampires have no actual problems crossing running water, and at most the issue is SuperDrowningSkills exaggerated by superstition.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' featured a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Chi Vampire]] with this weakness. Unfortunately, it's smart enough to destroy the bridge our heroes were about to use.

** Indeed, if you map out species diversity across the islands of the South Pacific, the variety of animal and plant life diminishes with each "hop" between archipelagos. By the time you reach the Solomon Islands, non-marine mammals (save bats) drop out completely, and Hawai'i didn't even have ''palm trees'' until seafaring humans introduced them.

* This applies to the vampires of ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'', but it's worded as them not being able to swim.

Folktales are inconsistent regarding on which creatures this works, but it's generally best against [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]], [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts]], nuckelavees, and [[WizardsAndWitches witches and wizards]]. For almost anything else, it's still worth a try. But beware of bridges: depending on the tale, they might be able to cross these or not.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', not only can Vampires not cross running water, but water in motion is deadly to them in general. Indeed, it is the only other weakness aside from sunlight that can kill a vampire outright.

* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'' exaggerates this trope while still [[PlayedForLaughs playing it for laughs]]. Vampires in this setting are bothered by ''any'' fair-sized body of water, running or not. As with all vampire weaknesses, [[{{Dhampyr}} half-vampire]] Youko Shiragami's reaction is lessened: she can cross the ocean or swim in a pool, but doing so freaks her out.[[note]]The RunningGag being that she makes cute nervous noises ("Uwow, uwow...") while doing so.[[/note]] Her full-blooded father Genjirou, however, can't even manage that; in one story he tried to cross the ocean to [[OverprotectiveDad keep Youko from messing around with boys]], but ended up crashing down after a few meters...while saying "Uwow, uwow..."

* In the ''Literature/OldKingdom'' trilogy, the Dead and most Free Magic creatures can't cross running water (unless it's bridged with boxes of grave dirt), and the books follow the logical conclusion that they can't pass ''under'' it either, so at least one city protects part of its districts by ringing them with aqueducts. This is implied to be related to the fact that the AfterlifeAntechamber the Dead escaped from is a big river. At least some of the Dead are also harmed by rain.

* Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheNight'' uses the same explanation, with the vampire dryly adding that one might as well say vampires can't cross major highways.

SubTrope of SupernaturalRepellent. If water is actually harmful to these creatures, you can KillItWithWater. See also HealingSpring, SuperDrowningSkills. For potential contrast, see WalkOnWater, SuperNotDrowningSkills.

* In the ''Literature/OldKingdom'' trilogy, the Dead and most Free Magic creatures can't cross running water (unless it's bridged with boxes of grave dirt), and the books follow the logical conclusion that they can't pass ''under'' it either, so at least one city protects part of its districts by ringing them with aqueducts. At least some of the Dead are also harmed by rain.

* Remilia and Flandre Scarlet from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' have this among their weaknesses. This was used as the trigger for the Extra Stage in ''VideoGame/TouhouKoumakyouTheEmbodimentOfScarletDevil'', when [[WitchSpecies Patchouli]] conjured a localized rainstorm to stop Flandre from leaving the mansion, which unfortunately also prevented Remilia from getting back home.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'', the vampire generals talk about this superstition in "Old Homes" when Carmilla brings up attacking a river town. Isaac and Hector are skeptical, while Godbrand, a Viking, denies it, prompting a very SeinfeldianConversation of what constitutes as "running water" to begin with (Godbrand claims to have taken baths, and the trio bickers over whether that counts). Later, they're seen crossing a bridge with no problem — at least not until [[spoiler:a bishop ''blesses'' the river]].

* ''VideoGame/PopulousTheBeginning'' uses this as a strategic element. While it's possible to make boats, contact with any body of water is instantly fatal for all beings because nobody knows how to swim. This includes the shaman, despite her near god-like, earth shattering powers. Players with quick reflexes and a good aim are thus able to use the weakest offensive spell (fireball) to launch the enemy shaman to a watery grave. The simple Bog spell has the same effect, turning a patch of land into an impassable deathground temporarily. These properties are part of what makes TerrainSculpting so important in the game.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Dominions}} 4'', vampires get this is an explicit weakness. They cannot directly cross rivers, even frozen ones that ordinary soldiers can, decreasing their mobility. They can cross bridges, however; only directly walking/flying over uncovered rivers is forbidden.
* Vampires in ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' have no trouble crossing bridges or leaping across running water, but the touch of water is like acid to them. The exceptions to this are the Rahabim, (who evolved to live in water at the cost of severe vunerability to sunlight) and Raziel after he consumes Rahab's soul.
* In ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', Saradomin blessed the River Salve to keep the Vampyres from entering Misthalin. It also works the other way, as Count Draynor is unable to make it back across. The vampyres and werewolves cannot just go around the river Salve. The entire country of Morytania is surrounded by an invisible barrier that keeps them from leaving. The River Salve is the just the source of the barrier. [[spoiler:And the river actually wasn't blessed by Saradomin. The Seven Priestly Warriors used some form of evil blood magic to enchant the river. It is not revealed what exactly they did, but it probably involved HumanSacrifice.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheSims2'', ghosts cannot cross water, so an easy way to make sure that ghosts don't enter your home is to surround their grave with water.

* In strategy game ''VideoGames/{{Leylines}}'', undead troops cannot cross rivers, except on a bridge. As one of the main factions (the Regency) relies primarily on undead units, this has strategic implications.

* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' has a variation on this. The Annan Waters (between [[TheMagicVersusTechnologyWar the Court and Gillitie Wood]]) are stated to be an impassable obstacle for magical creatures, but we eventually learn it's not the river itself that's impassable. [[spoiler:There's a ghost haunting the banks who attacks anything that tries to pass. Notably, this ghost has no difficulty crossing the river, but she is bound to its shores.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'', the vampire generals talk about this superstition in "Old Homes" when Carmilla brings up attacking a river town. Isaac and Hector are skeptical, while Godbrand, a Viking, denies it, prompting a very SeinfeldianConversation of what constitutes as "running water" to begin with (Godbrand claims to have taken baths, and the trio bickers over whether that counts). Later, they're seen crossing a bridge with no problem — at least not until [[spoiler:a bishop ''blesses'' the river]].
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' featured a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Chi Vampire]] with this weakness. Unfortunately, it's smart enough to destroy the bridge our heroes were about to use.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1594983517036744800
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_arwenriver.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:They just had their horseshoes manicured.]]

* In ''Manga/BlackBloodBrothers'', this is a weakness some vampires suffer. Jiro can cross water without a problem, but Kotaro is severely weakened and can die if he is submerged.
* Hazuki has this weakness in ''Manga/TsukuyomiMoonPhase'', though the only time it really becomes a problem is when she almost drowns in a hotel swimming pool with a whirlpool feature.
* ''Manga/MyMonsterSecret'' exaggerates this trope while still [[PlayedForLaughs playing it for laughs]]. Vampires in this setting are bothered by ''any'' fair-sized body of water, running or not. As with all vampire weaknesses, [[{{Dhampyr}} half-vampire]] Youko Shiragami's reaction is lessened: she can cross the ocean or swim in a pool, but doing so freaks her out.[[note]]The RunningGag being that she makes cute nervous noises ("Uwow, uwow...") while doing so.[[/note]] Her full-blooded father Genjirou, however, can't even manage that; in one story he tried to cross the ocean to [[OverprotectiveDad keep Youko from messing around with boys]], but ended up crashing down after a few meters...while saying "Uwow, uwow..."

* ''Manga/{{Dorohedoro}} has a variant- magic users are weakened by rain rather than normal water- and it's specifically mentioned it never rains in the magic-users's world. It's a plot point twice-hinting at a major character's identity and marking the beginning of the end of the manga.

* One ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' storyline features a group of vampires that have adapted to living underwater in a stagnant lake; Swamp Thing destroys them by agitating the lake and turning it into running water.

* Referenced but subverted in ''ComicBook/AlanFord'': this comic's version of [[ComicBook/{{Satanik}} Baron Wurdalak]] and his vampiric friends have a weakness based on this concept, though it's soon closer to KillItWithWater, as Vampires here die if submerged, and even being pelted with snowballs is harmful to them.

* In [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7387867/8/Harry-Potter-and-the-Vampire-s-Assistant Chapter 8]] of ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheVampiresAssistant'', Harry Potter and [[spoiler:Ron Weasley]] are turned into vampires. Harry tries to carry his friend and fly across a river, but Harry's new flight power fails and they both fall into the river. The vampire who turned them has to fish them out.

* ''Film/LandOfTheDead'': Subverted. Initially Pittsburgh is one of the last human cities defended from the zombie hordes because it's protected by rivers on two sides (the third being a fortified perimeter), which zombies are afraid to cross. Eventually an intelligent zombie named Big Daddy dares to take the plunge and leads the rest across the river by [[WalkDontSwim walking on the bottom]].
* In ''Film/HeadlessHorseman'', Headless cannot cross running water. As the town of Wormwood Ridge is surrounded by a deep gorge--accessible only by two bridges--this means he cannot leave the town, and the townsfolk have to lure in victims for him.

* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': Dracula, TropeCodifier for so many vampire traits, explicitly could not cross running water except "at the slack or flood of the tide". He could also only sleep upon the soil of his homeland of Transylvania, but [[LoopholeAbuse he got around that]]; apparently the soil in question doesn't have to be attached to the ''rest'' of Transylvania...
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', when Frodo escapes a pursuing Nazgûl by ferry early on, it won't enter the river to chase him. Later, when all the Ringwraiths attempt to pursue Frodo across the river Bruinen toward Rivendell, the waters rise up and overcome them, drowning their horses and slowing them down significantly. This is because they are under the command of Elrond, who wishes to bar the entrance to Rivendell. In the film adaptation, Arwen achieves the same effect by invoking Ulmo, the [[PhysicalGod Vala]] who rules over water.
** Moreover, in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', it is noted that the creatures of [[{{Satan}} Morgoth]] fear water, because of the presence of Ulmo, the one Vala who remains in Middle-earth.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
** Rain and rivers can deter [[TheWildHunt Darkhounds]], but not for long if they have your scent.
** The same is true for the Myrddraal: they will avoid crossing water if at all possible, but ''will'' find a way if their quarry is on the other side.

* In the original ''[[Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow Legend of Sleepy Hollow]]'', the Headless Horseman always vanishes while crossing a certain bridge. When Ichabod is chased by the spirit, he makes for the bridge in the hope that it cannot follow. [[spoiler: It does; it's implied this is because it was actually his rival Brom in disguise]]. Other variations have the Horseman not pursuing Ichabod over the bridge but instead throws his pumpkin head at him.

* In the ''Literature/OldKingdom'' trilogy, the Dead and most Free Magic creatures can't cross running water (unless it's bridged with boxes of grave dirt), and the books follow the logical conclusion that they can't pass ''under'' it either, so at least one city protects part of its districts by ringing them with aqueducts. At least some of the Dead are also harmed by rain.
* Averted but discussed in ''Literature/TheMerlinTrilogy''. Merlin frequently gets seasick, and it is completely mundane, the way lots of people get seasick. However, he considers it embarrassing, so when someone mentions it he tells them that wizards have difficulty crossing water.
* In one of Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/WitchWorld'' novels, a woman revealed to her brother what he had gotten into by showing him he could no longer cross running water.
* In ''Literature/TheWardstoneChronicles'' witches cannot cross running water. When the Spook suspects Alice, who has been straddling the line between good and evil, of being a witch he makes her walk across a small stream. She makes it, but barely.
* At one point in ''Literature/TheMalloreon'', the main characters are chased by a horde of flesh-eating creatures called [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier raveners]], which only flee when they reach the seaside, not daring to approach the open sea.
* In the ''Literature/ScholarlyMagics'' series, witches and wizards become ill on when travelling on water, oceans included.

* Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheNight'' uses the same explanation, with the vampire dryly adding that one might as well say vampires can't cross major highways.
* '''Darke Magyk''' in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' and its creatures don't cross saltwater -- especially flowing or tide-influenced one -- well.

* In Creator/MelanieRawn's ''Literature/DragonPrince'' series, Sunrunners (faradhi) cannot cross running water without becoming violently ill. [[spoiler: Though some can, and it's revealed later in the series that they are come from another race of light weavers called 'diarmadhi'.]]
* This is used as a plot-point in more than one of Creator/JohnBellairs' young-adult gothic-horror novels.

* Invoked in ''Most Secret'' by Creator/NevilShute; a French priest tells the protagonist that this is why the Nazi invaders can't cross the English Channel.
* The Voitusotar in ''Literature/TheFarsideTrilogy'' can't cross the ocean without becoming violently ill and dying. This changes when the Nazis trade them sea sickness pills for training in magic.
* This applies to the vampires of ''LightNovel/{{Bakemonogatari}}'', but it's worded as them not being able to swim.
* ''Literature/MyVampireOlderSisterAndZombieLittleSister'' vampires can't cross exposed water such as rivers or the ocean, but they have no trouble with plumbing or underground water veins (and being on a ship apparently isn't an issue). They lose consciousness if they attempt to cross. [[spoiler:This weakness is eventually revealed to be psychological: it only happens if an individual vampire perceives the water to be too much and/or too fast. This means that it's possible to trigger this weakness by making vampires merely think they're surrounded by water, such as by playing the sound of water in an enclosed space.]]

* In ''Series/NightGallery'', "Death on a Barge", the vampire's father keeps her on an island because she can't cross running water so she can't escape.

* In the ''Series/InsideNo9'' episode [[{{Recap/InsideNo9S5E6TheStakeout}} "The Stakeout"]], this is one of the clues that [[spoiler:Varney]] is a vampire, because he's insistent about not crossing the bridge even when it would be the fastest way to catch a criminal.
* Mocked in ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'', where {{Idiot Hero}}es Gauvain and Yvain believe that ordinary wolves cannot cross a stream of running water. The druid Merlin is prompt to call them on their idiocy.

* ''Atlantis: The Lost World'' generic RPG setting. Ghosts couldn't cross running water, but [[OurVampiresAreDifferent oddly enough vampires could]].
* Mayfair's ''TabletopGame/{{Chill}}''. If a barghest is tracking another creature that passes over running water, the barghest cannot cross the running water until 24 hours after its prey does.

* Creator/{{Chaosium}}'s supplement ''All the Worlds' Monsters''. The Daughter of Kali can only cross running water at night.

* The witches in ''Broom Service'' cannot cross water, even on their brooms.

* In ''WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon'', water - be it running or still - is the KryptoniteFactor of the malevolent [[MadeOfEvil Druun]]. Anyone in Kumandra who wants to avoid being TakenForGranite by them is forced to surround themselves by water in some way. The main city of Fang is built on stilts over open water, whereas the people of Fang turned their peninsula into an island by way of an artificial canal.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* One ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' storyline features a group of vampires that have adapted to living underwater in a stagnant lake; Swamp Thing destroys them by agitating the lake and turning it into running water.

* Remilia and Flandre Scarlet from ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'' have this among their weaknesses. This was used as the trigger for the Extra Stage in ''VideoGame/TouhouKoumakyouTheEmbodimentOfScarletDevil'', when [[WitchSpecies Patchouli]] conjured a localized rainstorm to stop Flandre from leaving the mansion, which unfortunately also prevented Remilia from getting back home.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'', the vampire generals talk about this superstition in "Old Homes" when Carmilla brings up attacking a river town. Isaac and Hector are skeptical, while Godbrand, a Viking, denies it. Later, they're seen crossing a bridge with no problem — at least not until [[spoiler:a bishop ''blesses'' the river]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cannot_cross_running_water.jpg]]