History Main / RightUnderTheirNoses

* {{Inverted}} in ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': It is revealed that the Hellmouth is in fact located directly underneath the library where Buffy and the [[InUniverseNickname Scoobie Gang]] hang out and make their plans to stop the bad guys' plans. Given that [[BigBad The Master]] was trapped in the Hellmouth for all of the first season, it is thus inferred that the ''Big Bad'' had been hiding under the ''heroes''' noses the whole time, though it never seems like he's aware of the fact.

Corollary #1: security is always more and more lax the closer you get to the seat of power, until one can finally sneak into the ruler's [[GoldilocksAndTheMinesOfMoria lavishly appointed ballroom]] and mooch food off the table. Cue an [[NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine Improbably Polite]] conversation with whoever lives in said innermost retreat.

** Although the biggest one, in light of the prequel trilogy, still has to be the decision to hide Luke on his father's home planet under his own name with his only known relatives.

* Literally [[HiddenInPlainSight walking up]] to the Front Door, usually [[DressingAsTheEnemy disguised]] as [[TheDungAges filthy peasants]]. (''"these aren't the droids you are looking for."'')

Even when it would make more sense to avoid the enemy stronghold altogether, the seasoned marksmen who swarm the wilderness are always [[BorderPatrol much more likely]] to capture our heroes if they attempt to sensibly bushwhack away from the enemy camp, whereas the [[{{Mook}} soft green recruits]] at the main gate would never imagine someone walking up to the Front Door.

* Literally walking up to the Front Door, usually [[DressingAsTheEnemy disguised]] as [[TheDungAges filthy peasants]]. (''"these aren't the droids you are looking for."'')

* Geographic or logistical hurdles require the Hero to sneak past a checkpoint. The {{Mooks}} come perilously close to detecting the hero ({{Its Probably Nothing}}).

* Charging the fortress ({{One Man Army}}, {{Its Up To You}}) on trumped up reasons ({{Damsel In Distress}}) when observing from a safe distance might make more sense.

Sister trope of HiddenInPlainSight.

Compare HiddenInPlainSight.

--> '''Pippin''', Film/TheLordOfTheRings, ''The Two Towers (film)''

--> '''Pippin''', Film/TheLordOfTheRings, ''The Two Towers'' (film)

--> '''Pippin''', TheLordOfTheRings, ''The Two Towers''

* In [[TheFilmOfTheBook the movie]] version of ''[[LordOfTheRings The Two Towers]]'', Pippin suggests this as reason for Treebeard to take him and Merry back towards Isengard; of course, he had other reasons for wanting Treebeard to see Isengard close-up.

* Swimming through the enemy's moat/sewer system/[[AirVentEscape air vent]] and discovering something fascinating to move the plot along when could have avoided the place entirely.

--> '''Pippin:''' "If we go south, we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. '''The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm.'''"
--> '''Treebeard:''' "That... doesn't make any sense to me! Then again... you ''are'' very small. South it is!"
* ''StarWars'' does this on several occasions, most notably when Han hides by sticking the Falcon on the back of a Star Destroyer.

The safest way to avoid detection in stories is always [[RightUnderTheirNoses Right Under The Enemy's Nose. It's the Last Place they'll think to look.]]

See also WalkIntoMordor, SoMuchForStealth.

See also WalkIntoMordor

Corollary #1: security is always more and more lax the closer you get to the seat of power, until one can finally sneak into the ruler's lavishly appointed ballroom and mooch food off the table. Cue an Improbably Polite conversation with {{Villain}} (or whoever lives in said innermost retreat.)

* A Corollary Two example in Bob Defendi's podcast audiobook [[http://playtesting.net/?cat=3 ''Death By Cliche'']]. It's even [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] somewhat by the main character. Given that the entire thing is a deconstruction of bad GMing and poor storytelling, this isn't particularly suprising.