History Main / CitadelCity

In fantasy or medieval settings, such a city will always have high and thick walls, which usually enclose the entire city and watchtowers. The thick walls will constantly be patrolled by a sizable force of [[CityGuards guards]], who are very well-armed, -armored, and -trained. These guards will also frequently have ready access to [[SiegeEngines heavy artillery]] for defensive use, including catapults, ballistae, and/or even ([[FantasyGunControl if the setting allows it]]) cannons. A moat is usually present as well, usually filed with water or sharpened stakes, but which in more fantastical settings may also be filled with molten rock or [[MonsterInTheMoat home to large, hungry beasts]].

In fantasy or medieval settings, such a city will always have high and thick walls, which usually enclose the entire city and watchtowers. The thick walls will constantly be patrolled by a sizable force of [[CityGuards guards]], who are very well armed, armored, and trained. These guards will also frequently have ready access to [[SiegeEngines heavy artillery]] for defensive use, including catapults, ballistae, and/or even ([[FantasyGunControl if the setting allows it]]) cannons.

** The Cities of Sigmar faction is entirely based on the trope. Each City of Sigmar is massive a city and almost all have massive walls usually reinforced magic. These walls contain cannons, lasers, magical weather control machines, magical forcefields and many cities add moats of magical water, liquid metal, lava as well to the list of defences. There is also the Thanator's Manse which is literally an oversized castle.

* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', the city of Orario is protected by walls that tower over the thriving buildings inside. This is both to protect the city from invaders like Rakia, but also to protect the rest of the world should monsters escape from the Dungeon beneath Babel.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has both Stormwind and Orgrimmar, both of which are walled up and heavily fortified. (Not that it did much good for either one when it came to stopping [[DragonsAreDemonic Deathwing]]...)

In fantasy or medieval settings, such a city will always have high and thick walls, which usually enclose the entire city. The walls will constantly be patrolled by a sizable force of [[CityGuards guards]], who are very well armed, armored, and trained. These guards will also frequently have ready access to [[SiegeEngines heavy artillery]] for defensive use, including catapults, ballistae, and/or even ([[FantasyGunControl if the setting allows it]]) cannons.

Of course, the practicality and costs of creating and maintaining these defenses will never be brought up, as well as the original reasons for creating said defenses. This usually means that these defenses vaguely imply a CrapsackWorld; after all, there would have to be some justification for those preparations in the first place, even if it's never explicitly stated.

This is a subtrope of CrazyPrepared. See also TheSiege. If the defenses fall, the after effects may include WatchingTroyBurn.

* ''[[Literature/TheSwordOfShannaraTrilogy The Sword of Shannara]]'' had Tyrsis, the capital of Callahorn. The city had a heavy wall and thick gate plus was built into a mountain. On top of that you had the [[BadassArmy Border Legion of Callahorn]] guarding the city. [[spoiler: Ultimately, the defenses are not breached through strength but by treachery. Spies within Tyrsis jam the locking mechanism to the city gates, allowing easy breaching by the vast army of the Warlock Lord. Only Shea destroying the Warlock Lord stopped the [[KillEmAll obliteration of the Border Legion]] and the conquest of Tyrsis.]]

** Ankh-Morpork was once a walled city, but much like such cities in real life it eventually overran its borders, and the walls were picked apart over the years by citizens in need of building materials. The remains of this earlier wall are to be found at intervals inside the City, rendered redundant when it began to overspill from its original boundaries and thus necessitating a second wall to be built. The second set of walls and towers are more or less intact, although the castle and keep on the Tump which would have been the strategic lynchpin of the system have long since fallen into ruin. "Today" the city is again demonstrating why walls become redundant, as its seemingly unstoppable growth has created suburbs which stretch a long way outside the walls. There appear to be no plans to build an even longer and far more expensive third wall. Lord Vetinari abhors un-necessary effort and expense. On top of that, Ankh-Morpork actually has a unique way to deal with invaders, one that does not need walls: If a barbarian horde were to besiege the city, the citizens would welcome them with open arms, and before the barbarians would realize, they had become part of the city life.

* ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': The first novel has Armengar, which is a highly fortified city occupied by human settlers north of the kingdom, frequently attacked by goblins and moredhel (dark elves). The design is similar to that of Riva, with each building capable of acting as a fortified outpost on its own. As a last resort, the city is equipped with a SelfDestructMechanism to blow the entire place (invading army included), providing a distraction while the inhabitants escape through tunnels.

* The ''Literature/CoDominium'' novels offer a couple of science fiction examples:
** In ''Literature/FalkenbergsLegion'', the capital city of Harmony-Garrison. Originally settled by Christian farmers, the planet Arrarat was supposed to be a peaceful venture, so the city was not walled in. Then the Bureau of Corrections got involved, and began dumping convicts on the planet. To protect its interests, the [=CoDominium=] sent a Marines who fortified the city of Harmony, and made a fortress of Garrison attached to it.
** In ''Literature/KingDavidsSpaceship'', the city of Batav is a typical example of this, due to being on a low tech world. This is not without reason; due to local climate changes, barbarians migrated and besieged the city.
* In the ''Literature/DanielBlack'' series by E. William Brown, a protagonist from our world is transported to a magic-based world which is undergoing the "[[EndlessWinter Fimbulwinter]]" of Norse mythology - basically, it's going to be winter for ''thirty years.'' To help ensure the survival of humanity, he creates an {{Arcology}} with hundred-foot-thick solid granite walls (Not a hundred feet ''high,'' a hundred feet ''thick.'') and which has its own internal power sources and agricultural systems.

* In the ''Literature/TheElricSaga'', Imrryr the Dreaming City - capitol city of the fallen Melnibonean Empire, has been protected from invasion by an immense mind-boggling labyrinth and the Golden Barges of the Melnibonean navy. Imrryr only falls when its last emperor, Elric leads an invasion fleet through a hidden safe passage in the labyrinth.
* On ''Literature/{{Gor}}'', most city-states are built like this, with walls to keep out outsiders and gates to let people in.
* The titular city of ''Literature/IHadTroubleInGettingToSollaSollew'' is one of these. It's deconstructed, as well - a Key Slapping Slippard has taken residence in the keyhole of the ''only'' door leading in or out of the city, and slaps the doorman's key out of his hand every time he tries to open it, meaning the entire population of the city is ''trapped''.

* In the ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'', major U.S. cities located in territory that was deemed indefensible against the Posleen invasion were turned into fortresses that would be able to hold out on their own while surrounded by Posleen armies. New York City was one example.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Minas Tirith is one of the key [[TropeCodifier codifying]] examples: seven concentric tiers carved into a mountain, each with its own wall and gate. Unlike some, there's a clear justification for it; Sauron's forces are out there and the place was originally built as a military fortress, only becoming the capital city much later (after [[ShiningCity Osgiliath]] and Minas Ithil--now Minas Morgul--were overrun). Its [[labelnote:current]]Old name was Minas Anor, "The Sun Tower"[[/labelnote]] name means "The Watchtower"
** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' has Gondolin, which as well as being a HiddenElfVillage is practically a Citadel ''Country''. It's surrounded by impassable mountains with the only way through being a hidden ravine and tunnel, barred by seven gates[[note]]The in-universe inspiration for Minas Tirith's own layout[[/note]] each with its own company of full-time guards. Passing those gets you into the valley; the city itself sits on a hill in the middle of that and has walls and defences of its own.
* In ''Literature/TheNightLand'' and ''Literature/AwakeInTheNightLand'', The Last Redoubt is a massive pyramid protecting humanity from unspeakable horrors that roam the darkened Earth. To ensure their safety, the Last Redoubt is surrounded by the "Air-Clog," an electric circle that creates an invisible barrier prohibiting any monsters from entering the Redoubt. This may be the first fully realized version of a [[DeflectorShield force field]] in all of literature.
* The first of the ''[[Literature/TheRiftwarCycle Riftwar Saga]]'' has Armengar, which is a highly fortified city occupied by human settlers north of the kingdom, frequently attacked by goblins and moredhel (dark elves). The design is similar to that of Riva, with each building capable of acting as a fortified outpost on its own. As a last resort, the city is equipped with a SelfDestructMechanism to blow the entire place (invading army included), providing a distraction while the inhabitants escape through tunnels.

* The ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' novels enjoy {{deconstruct|edTrope}}ing this trope. After all, defenses such as stone walls are little good against attacks from the air, like those of dragons and flying citadels...
* The ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' setting has most of the cities set up like this. Phlan is the most prominent example in the novels, falling under attack several times, but holding them off each time.
* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', specifically the Shadowmoor block, the insanely paranoid Kithkin build all of their settlements this way.
** It's a common feature of Abzan settlements on Tarkir, too. In the present, the walls are the main defences; in the distant past of Fate Reforged, they mount ballistae on top to deal with marauding dragons; and in the alternate present created by Sarkhan's meddling, they've been taken over by the Dromoka dragon brood and the ballista platforms have been turned into landing pads.

** The Eldar Craftworld Ulthwé is a massive world ship with a population in the billions trapped orbiting the Eye of Terror. (the same warp storm which is so dangerous it requires a planet like Cadia to act as a BeefGate for the rest of real space.
** In ''[[Literature/GauntsGhosts Necropolis]]'', the city of Vervunhive is a formidable example. The "curtain wall" surrounding it is nearly a hundred meters tall and boasts colossal siege cannon as well as anti-air missiles, gun emplacements, and large garrisons. There are only a handful of gated entry points, each with its own highly reinforced guard houses. Topping it all off (literally) is a huge shield generator that can protect the entire interior space from artillery fire virtually indefinitely. [[{{Deconstruction}} Unfortunately]], the city's substantial suburbs (as much as half of its population either lives or works outside the walls) are not protected ''at all'' aside from a handful of bunkers, its design serves to prevent the defenders from launching counter-attacks with any real effectiveness, and cooping a few tens of millions of humans up together leads to panic and near rioting. In the end, the final Chaos assault destroys almost all of the fortifications before being repelled by, ironically, a counter-attack that the defenders never would have countenanced were their walls still standing.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'': Almost all cities are heavily defended with fortifications due to the massive free for all conflict going between(and within) the Grand Alliances and also the wild life and other magical situations in the Mortal Realms.
** Cities of Sigmar is entirely based on the trope. Each City of Sigmar is massive a city and almost all have massive walls usually reinforced magic. These walls contain cannons, lasers, magical weather control machines, magical forcefields and many cities add moats of magical water, liquid metal, lava as well to the list of defences. There is also the Thanator's Manse which is literally an oversized castle.
* ''TabletopGame/CthulhuTech'': Most major cities have been converted into hardened, self-contained MegaCity structures, and living outside one is a very bad idea.
* In ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' the Martian city of Kolpith was an unassailable city for many centuries. It fell the moment the French brought modern military technology to bare on its walls however.
* In ''TabletopGame/IronKingdoms'' Caspia the capital of Cygnar has so many walls its called the "City of Walls"
* ''Obsidian Age of Judgement'' from Apophis Consortium has the Zone, a massive fortified cityscape 1,280 stories high and 22 miles long and the last major habitat for humanity in North America after a massive [[TheLegionsOfHell demonic invasion]]. The Zone isn't just big, almost every metre of it is studded in artillery cannons that fire thermobaric shells and the Zone can unleash hordes of battle vehicles and bionic soldiers to counter-attack anything Hell can throw, including mountain-sized demons.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Ankh-Morpork was once a walled city, but much like such cities in real life it eventually overran its borders, and the walls were picked apart over the years by citizens in need of building materials. The remains of this earlier wall are to be found at intervals inside the City, rendered redundant when it began to overspill from its original boundaries and thus necessitating a second wall to be built. The second set of walls and towers are more or less intact, although the castle and keep on the Tump which would have been the strategic lynchpin of the system have long since fallen into ruin. "Today" the city is again demonstrating why walls become redundant, as its seemingly unstoppable growth has created suburbs which stretch a long way outside the walls. There appear to be no plans to build an even longer and far more expensive third wall. Lord Vetinari abhors un-necessary effort and expense. On top of that, Ankh-Morpork actually has a unique way to deal with invaders, one that does not need walls: If a barbarian horde were to besiege the city, the citizens would welcome them with open arms, and before the barbarians would realize, they had become part of the city life.

* Fort Tarsis in ''VideoGame/Anthem2019'' is this.
* One of the {{Hub Level}}s of ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' is the TropeNamer, and resembles a fortified medieval village.

* Insomnia, the capital city of Lucis, in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' is this. It has a wall, called The Wall powered by magic from the king. The building the king lives in is also called the Citadel.
* Many minor villages in the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' games tend to be walled. If the player finds one in their map, they can send a member of the army to check on it and tell them to close their gates, receiving items as thanks and occasionally recruiting new cast members.

* Haven City in the ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' series, the last known human holdout on the entire planet during ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade''. It's a essentially a self-sufficient fortress, surrounded by thick walls and an eco-powered energy shield that protects the city from the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Metal Heads]], in addition to constant patrols by the city's defense force, the Krimzon Guard. It's essentially impenetrable, and because crops and livestock are produced inside the walls, it can withstand a siege of any duration (and has, in fact, done so for centuries now). The only weak point is the fact that the city, and by extension the shield wall, is powered by eco, which is obtained from mines outside the city that the Metal Heads actually ''can'' {{attack|ItsWeakPoint}}. A looming eco shortage is a frequent concern raised during the game, as without the shield wall the city stands no chance against the Metal Heads.
* After Maleficent is slain in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', Hollow Bastion ([[spoiler:later regaining its original name Radiant Garden]]) in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' ends up replacing Traverse Town as the recurring hub world in which Sora, Donald and Goofy reconvene with their allies. While not exactly surrounded by literal walls, this world is populated mainly by the ''Final Fantasy'' cast and few other refugees who are more than willing to fight any threat that endangers their home and the people living there, Cid and Merlin installing an Anti-Heartless security system as extra security. Unfortunately, because this world contains knowledge collected by Ansem the Wise about the nature of the cosmos, possess enhanced {{Magitek}}, is ground-zero for the Heartless threat that kicked off the story and because many of the antagonists possess a personal affinity for the location (most of Organization XIII are from here, Maleficent used it as her main base when she rose to power, etc), this world is constantly a target, most notably with the [[TheWarSequence Battle of 1000 Heartless]].
* The Citadel in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' is an ancient space station that serves as the galaxy's capital. In addition to an ever-present defense fleet it can close its arms when attacked and render itself inaccessible. [[spoiler:And now the subversion: because it's so defensible, the Citadel makes perfect bait for advanced civilizations and allows the Reapers to decapitate the galaxy's leadership in one fell swoop during their 50,000 year harvesting cycle.]]
* Every player-built settlement in ''VideoGame/{{Rimworld}}'' eventually turns into one of these to some extent to defend against the repeated invasions by bandits and SpacePirates. In earlier versions it was possible to [[AIBreaker exploit the enemy AI]] by leaving a single gap in the walls and luring them into a huge ambush, but more recent updates have made them aware of the ranges and firing arcs of fixed turrets and added sappers who can tunnel through walls.
* Savannah Citadel in ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''. There is a huge, thick wall around the place, but the doors in are usually open as the inhabitants are peaceful and friendly to Sonic. Just not Dr. Eggman.

* ''VideoGame/EmpireEarthII'': The AI always builds turns its initial settlement into one, but rarely thinks to fortify other locations. As walls evolve with TechnologyLevels, building them remains a viable tactic even once aircraft are available.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' has Azure City, heavily fortified by an order of paladins and an army of guards. [[spoiler:Despite the aid of the Order, the city falls to Xykon and Redcloak's hobgoblin armies.]]
* Mechanicsburg in Webcomic/GirlGenius has made repelling invasions into the town sport.

* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'': Many of the remaining safe settlements are walled cities due to being surrounded by PlagueZombie territory.

* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': Vasselheim, the ancient city of faith, is extremely well fortified.

* Autobot City in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' transforms into one when the Decepticons launch a surprise attack on it. Unfortunately, due to having the element of surprise the Decepticons successfully trap and/or kill a number of Autobots before the conversion is even complete. The defenses hold long enough for the survivors to receive reinforcements.

* Tokyo-3 of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', which has a number of defensive systems surrounding the city (namely missile systems), the Evangelions, structures that hold EVA-scale weapons and buildings that can retract underground for safety. Beneath the ground are multiple layers of armored plating and bunkers for citizens to hide in. In fact, the city was built to fend off the coming Angels.

* ''Manga/GunkaNoBlazer'': The inner section of Baselland's capital city is arranged like a star fort.
* The station cities of ''Anime/KabaneriOfTheIronFortress'' are the only measure of safety for the remaining population of a steampunk alternate Japan. To hold back the tides of the undead Kabane, these cities have thick walls and cannon mounts as well as armies of bushi, while sending out armoured trains for trade and transportation. Sadly against their mighty foes, even these aren't enough.
* The city of Lyrias in ''Manga/SnowWhiteWithTheRedHair'' is protected by thick defensive walls and a series of well guarded gates though some residential buildings have sprawled to the outside of the walls. In addition to hosting an impressive [[GreatBigLibraryOfEverything series of libraries]] in the academy district the city is also a northern checkpoint for goods and people entering the kingdom of Clarines.
* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', the city of Orario is protected by walls that tower over the thriving buildings inside. This is both to protect the city from invaders like Rakia, but also to protect the rest of the world should monsters escape from the Dungeon beneath Babel.
* ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesFor300YearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'': Due to a past war with humankind, the demons built their capital Vanzeld to be heavily fortified both inside and out, with a mazelike interior to give them an advantage in UrbanWarfare and a massive central castle. Moreover, their entire country is enclosed in a vast wall. Then the two species forged a five hundred-year peace before the fighting reached those defenses, leaving it all a wasted effort.

* The Megacities of ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' have massive defenses against infiltration from the Cursed Earth, strategic and tactical air defense, and armed forces ranging from the Judges themselves to emergency Bloc militias. And entire megacities still get wiped out.
* Sogo from ''ComicBook/{{Barbarella}}'' is surrounded by an impassable Labyrinth.

* In the ancient background to the ''ComicBook/XOfSwords'' event, a [[TheLegionsOfHell demonic invasion by Amenth]] on the land of Arrako, the mutants beat them back and undertook a counterattack. This would lead to mutant engineers and alchemists to create ten towers that fired powerful energy bolts. They established a secure beachhead into the dimension of Amenth and in the safety of the towers, a city and new generations of mutants were born. Thousands of years later, this came to an end, with the rise of the demon/mutant hybrid "summoners".

* The Citadel from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', which is under the cruel dictatorship of [[BigBad Immortan Joe]]. [[spoiler: Once Imperator Furiosa kills Immortan Joe at the end of the movie, Furiosa becomes the leader.]]
* Goblin City from ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' is in the center of the titular Labyrinth.

* Minas Tirith from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' is one of the key [[TropeCodifier codifying]] examples: seven concentric tiers carved into a mountain, each with its own wall and gate. Unlike some, there's a clear justification for it; Sauron's forces are out there and the place was originally built as a military fortress, only becoming the capital city much later (after [[ShiningCity Osgiliath]] and Minas Ithil--now Minas Morgul--were overrun). Its [[labelnote:current]]Old name was Minas Anor, "The Sun Tower"[[/labelnote]] name means "The Watchtower"
** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' has Gondolin, which as well as being a HiddenElfVillage is practically a Citadel ''Country''. It's surrounded by impassable mountains with the only way through being a hidden ravine and tunnel, barred by seven gates[[note]]The in-universe inspiration for Minas Tirith's own layout[[/note]] each with its own company of full-time guards. Passing those gets you into the valley; the city itself sits on a hill in the middle of that and has walls and defences of its own.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' features several examples:
** King's Landing has large strong walls, a defensive fleet based on its harbor, and is utterly huge. There's also a massive castle, the Red Keep, situated at an elevated point in the city's center.
** Lannisport is in a similar boat, though slightly smaller. Also the Lannister seat of Casterly Rock, which is located a mile north of the city and is basically a hollowed-out mountain and practically a small city unto its own.
** Winterfell, officially just a castle, is one in all but name. The cluster of houses, workshops, markets, inns, and other buildings right outside the castle walls, the "wintertown", has a population of 15,000 (at least for half the year), with the castle itself adding another 1,000 or so (there are two hundred permanent guardsmen and presumably several times that number in other servants and retainers); combined this puts it around the low-end size of a real medieval European city. massive walls of grey granite[19] with a wide moat between them. The outer wall is eighty feet high, while the inner is one hundred feet high, with a wide moat between them. There are guard turrets on the outer wall and more than thirty watch turrets on the crenelated inner walls, defended by a full time household guard of two hundred men-at-arms, with the ability to quickly levy thousands of troops for defense from the outlying areas if need be. There are only two gates, one of which is a drawbridge opening directly to the market square of the wintertown. The city is also built on a natural set of hot springs, and the citadel/castle itself has greenhouses for growing food.
* The ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' novels enjoy {{deconstruct|edTrope}}ing this trope. After all, defenses such as stone walls are little good against attacks from the air, like those of dragons and flying citadels...
* The ''Literature/ForgottenRealms'' setting has most of the cities set up like this. Phlan is the most prominent example in the novels, falling under attack several times, but holding them off each time.
* On ''Literature/{{Gor}}'', most city-states are built like this, with walls to keep out outsiders and gates to let people in.

* Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/{{Belgariad}}'', being set in a classic 'High Fantasy' world, has no shortage of equally-classic Castle Towns. Several of them, however, goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to being stupidly defensive:
** The Citadel of the Algars is the only permanent structure in the Algarian grasslands - the Algars are otherwise nomadic. It's practically a man-made mountain which the Algars have been constructing nonstop for centuries - they have annual drag-boulders-to-the-Citadel competitions. Its sole purpose is to be a huge target for any invading army - there's basically nothing inside except for a huge labyrinth that anyone breaching the gate can get lost in while Algarian bowmen take potshots at them from atop the walls.
** The City of Riva is located on a desolate, rocky island in the middle of the western sea. It covers the ONLY sizable cove where an army could land, with a huge wall. Inside, the city is build in tiers, and every house is part of he fortification - all the walls that are turned 'outwards' are built extra-sturdy and windowless, so in case of a wall-breach, every tier can become a new wall as the defenders gradually fall back to the Rivan Castle itself - which, of course, has some pretty imposing walls and defenses. The entire reason the city was built, on a previously-uninhabited island, was to protect the [[MacGuffin the Orb of Aldur]]. No army has ever so much as breached the outer walls... but the defenses have, on many occasions, proved less than formidable against trickery and infiltration.
* Armengar from the first ''[[Literature/TheRiftwarCycle Riftwar Saga]]'', which is a highly fortified city occupied by human settlers north of the kingdom, frequently attacked by goblins and moredhel (dark elves). The design is similar to that of Riva, with each building capable of acting as a fortified outpost on its own. As a last resort, the city is equipped with a SelfDestructMechanism to blow the entire place (invading army included), providing a distraction while the inhabitants escape through tunnels.

* ''[[Literature/TheSwordOfShannaraTrilogy The Sword of Shannara]]'' had Tyrsis, the capital of Callahorn. The city had a heavy wall and thick gate plus was built into a mountain. On top of that you had the [[BadassArmy Border Legion of Callahorn]] guarding the city. [[spoiler: Ultimately, the defenses are not breached through strength but by treachery. Spies within Tyrsis jam the locking mechanism to the city gates, allowing easy breaching by the vast army of the Warlock Lord. Only Shea destroying the Warlock Lord stopped the [[KillEmAll obliteration of the Border Legion]] and the conquest of Tyrsis.]]
* E. R. Eddison's classic ''Literature/TheWormOuroboros'' has Carce, the heavily fortified capital of Witchland, wich is described both as a citadel and a city.
* The Last Redoubt in ''Literature/TheNightLand'' and ''Literature/AwakeInTheNightLand'', which is a massive pyramid protecting humanity from unspeakable horrors that roam the darkened Earth. To ensure their safety, the Last Redoubt is surrounded by the "Air-Clog," an electric circle that creates an invisible barrier prohibiting any monsters from entering the Redoubt. This may be the first fully realized version of a [[DeflectorShield force field]] in all of literature.
* Ankh-Morpork of the Literature/{{Discworld}} was once a walled city, but much like such cities in real life it eventually overran its borders, and the walls were picked apart over the years by citizens in need of building materials. The remains of this earlier wall are to be found at intervals inside the City, rendered redundant when it began to overspill from its original boundaries and thus necessitating a second wall to be built. The second set of walls and towers are more or less intact, although the castle and keep on the Tump which would have been the strategic lynchpin of the system have long since fallen into ruin. "Today" the city is again demonstrating why walls become redundant, as its seemingly unstoppable growth has created suburbs which stretch a long way outside the walls. There appear to be no plans to build an even longer and far more expensive third wall. Lord Vetinari abhors un-necessary effort and expense. On top of that, Ankh-Morpork actually has a unique way to deal with invaders, one that does not need walls: If a barbarian horde were to besiege the city, the citizens would welcome them with open arms, and before the barbarians would realize, they had become part of the city life.
* ''Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths'': Damaging Mélusine's massive, 700-year-old walls qualifies as treason, which is odd, since they don't seem to serve much purpose beyond looking cool. Assaults are much likelier to come through magic than a physical invasion.

* The city of Vervunhive in ''[[Literature/GauntsGhosts Necropolis]]'' is a formidable example. The "curtain wall" surrounding it is nearly a hundred meters tall and boasts colossal siege cannon as well as anti-air missiles, gun emplacements, and large garrisons. There are only a handful of gated entry points, each with its own highly reinforced guard houses. Topping it all off (literally) is a huge shield generator that can protect the entire interior space from artillery fire virtually indefinitely. [[{{Deconstruction}} Unfortunately]], the city's substantial suburbs (as much as half of its population either lives or works outside the walls) are not protected ''at all'' aside from a handful of bunkers, its design serves to prevent the defenders from launching counter-attacks with any real effectiveness, and cooping a few tens of millions of humans up together leads to panic and near rioting. In the end, the final Chaos assault destroys almost all of the fortifications before being repelled by, ironically, a counter-attack that the defenders never would have countenanced were their walls still standing.
** Their rival, Ferrozoica Hive, is implied to be equally impressively defended (both sets of defensive works date to a "Trade War" the two hives fought around a century before) -- which is why, when they arrive, the Imperial fleet [[CuttingTheKnot just lances it from orbit]].
* In ''Literature/WrongTimeForDragons'', three of the four [[ElementalNation Elemental Clan]] capitals are protected by walls. The Air Clan's fortress is located atop a mountain peak called the Fang of the Four Winds and is surrounded by stone walls, the only city in this world with them. The other two walled cities (the Water Clan's capital of [[ShiningCity Hundred Fields]] and the Earth Clan's capital of Feros) use wood. Averted with the Fire Clan's capital of Oros, which is located underground and has no defensive fortification. Why? Because any attacked would first have to go through the Fire Clan's battle mages, which are the best of all the Elemental Clans, especially on their home turf (the air is so hot and dry that it robs the Air and Water Clan mages of much of their power). To a lesser degree, the "capital" of the [[AnimalMotifs Cat Clan]] is a castle in the woods surrounded by a living wall of thick trees.
* Fittingly for a planet named after the god of war, Martian cities in the ''[[Literature/JohnCarterOfMars Barsoom]]'' novels are all fortresses; the relationship between most Red Martian nations at the best of times can fairly be described as "armistice", and the ''Green'' Martians would love nothing better than to sack any of them.
* In E. William Brown's ''Literature/DanielBlack'' series, a protagonist from our world is transported to a magic-based world which is undergoing the "[[EndlessWinter Fimbulwinter]]" of Norse mythology - basically, it's going to be winter for ''thirty years.'' To help ensure the survival of humanity, he creates an {{Arcology}} with hundred-foot-thick solid granite walls (Not a hundred feet ''high,'' a hundred feet ''thick.'') and which has its own internal power sources and agricultural systems.
* In the ''Literature/TheElricSaga'', Imrryr the Dreaming City - capitol city of the fallen Melnibonean Empire, has been protected from invasion by an immense mind-boggling labyrinth and the Golden Barges of the Melnibonean navy. Imrryr only falls when its last emperor, Elric leads an invasion fleet through a hidden safe passage in the labyrinth.
* The titular city of ''Literature/IHadTroubleInGettingToSollaSollew'' is one of these. It's deconstructed, as well - a Key Slapping Slippard has taken residence in the keyhole of the ''only'' door leading in or out of the city, and slaps the doorman's key out of his hand every time he tries to open it, meaning the entire population of the city is ''trapped''.

* In ''Literature/MagicTheGathering'', specifically the Shadowmoor block, the insanely paranoid Kithkin build all of their settlements this way.

* Ta-Koro from ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'' is basically a walled city inside a volcano with a sea of lava protecting it.

* Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It boasted a triple wall as well as a chain boom that protected its harbor. Many tried and failed to capture the city, even Attila the Hun.[[note]]He tried ''[[RuleOfThree three times]]'' before giving up. In a rather amusing note, he had actually gave up after the second, but then he heard the two walls the city had at the time had been destroyed by an earthquake, so he hurried up to attack... And saw that the inhabitants had not only rebuilt the old walls but built a third, at which point he returned home without even trying to attack.[[/note]] Yet, Sultan Mehmet II succeeded with a different approach in 1453... with a powerful cannon designed to destroy said walls in addition to people in the inside who opened a side gate for him.

In fantasy or medieval settings, such a city will always have high and thick walls, which usually (and impractically) enclose the entire city. The walls will constantly be patrolled by a sizable force of [[CityGuards guards]], who are very well armed, armored, and trained. These guards will also frequently have ready access to [[SiegeEngines heavy artillery]] for defensive use, including catapults, ballistae, and/or even ([[FantasyGunControl if the setting allows it]]) cannons.

* ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesForThreeHundredYearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'': Due to a past war with humankind, the demons built their capital Vanzeld to be heavily fortified both inside and out, with a mazelike interior to give them an advantage in UrbanWarfare and a massive central castle. Moreover, their entire country is enclosed in a vast wall. Then the two species forged a five hundred-year peace before the fighting reached those defenses, leaving it all a wasted effort.

* Ba Sing Se from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': it actually has two walls, an outer wall to protect the farmland, and an inner wall to protect the city itself.

** A later update allows you to apply a designation to planets, with one being "fortress world". With this the aforementioned Fortress build quicker, the whole world takes less damage from bombardments and defensive armies are much stronger, which makes these planets an absolute nightmare to try and fight past.

* The station cities of ''Anime/KabaneriOfTheIronFortress'' are the only measure of safety for the remaining population of a steampunk Japan-expy. To hold back the tides of the undead Kabane, these cities have thick walls and cannon mounts as well as armies of bushi, while sending out armoured trains for trade and transportation. Sadly against their mighty foes, even these aren't enough.

* The City of Atlantis from ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' might count, due to it's shield which was powerful enough to resist bombardment from the Wraith for years and then protect it against the pressure of the ocean for 10,000 more years once the Ancients decided to sink the city. Plus, at it's height, it had satellites and drone weapons to provide more defensive capabilities. Finally, when the Atlantis Expedition arrived, they reinforced the defences with railguns.

** Most notable is Tar Valon, which is triply defended by being built on an island in the middle of a large river, surrounded by [[AWizardDidIt Power-wrought]] walls, and home to the White Tower of the Aes Sedai WitchSpecies and their SuperSoldier MindlinkMates. It's well known to have ''never'' been successfully besieged -- though this is an InternalRetcon quite insistently maintained by the Aes Sedai, who prefer that people not know that an army once made it as far as the Tower grounds. However, by the time a siege actually becomes relevant in the latter few books, the advent of [[ThinkingUpPortals traveling]] has become so widespread that its walls are useless.

** Not to mention Thunder Bluff (built on top of a collection of mesas), Undercity (which looks very strange for a city, but quite natural for an underground fortress), Darnasus (built inside a hollow tree stump larger than most mountains), and The Exodar (a crashed and largely buried spaceship).

* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'': The Last City underneath the [[BigDumbObject Traveler]], which is encircled by truly massive walls and defended by [[TheChosenMany Guardians]] with guns and physics-defying magic. It’s been attacked directly at least three times and been conquered once, but it didn’t last.