History Main / RingOfFire

JohnnyCash is considered the TropeNamer due to the song "Ring of Fire" being one of his best-known recordings. Although often mistakenly accused of being either about addiction to drugs or having a sexual connotation, the song was co-written by Cash's future wife, June Carter, during the time when she and Cash - while both still married to other people - were having an affair and the song expressed her fears regarding this.

* In ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', Kenshiro's final battle with Jagi takes place on a rooftop. Jagi eventually reveals he led Kenshiro there because there was a huge container of oil, which he breaks and then throws on a match on. Since [[IHaveTheHighGround he has the high ground]] Jagi will presumably be safe because of ConvectionSchmonvection, but it quickly devolves into Kenshiro being trapped in a ring of fire. Not that it matters though. [[{{Badass}} Ken just destroys the floor and falls down to the safety of the ground below.]]

* Subverted in a British advert for vindaloo-curry flavour Pot Noodles ([[UsefulNotes/RamenAsDehydratedNoodles Instant Ramen]] to Americans), in which the Ring which is on fire turns out to be a bodily part. Apparently Johnny Cash was amused by the idea, and happily allowed his song to be used in this way.

->I fell into a burning ring of fire\\

The ring of fire

* OlderThanPrint: The Valkyrie Brynhildr in NorseMythology was imprisoned in one of these after deciding the outcome of a battle against Odin, the King of the Gods.

While JohnnyCash is considered the TropeNamer, the song itself (which his wife, June, wrote) is actually about falling in love. Or addiction to morphine.

* Music/JohnnyCash's "Ring Of Fire" is the TropeNamer and describes a metaphorical "fire ring". Music/FrankZappa covered the song on his album ''Music/TheBestBandYouNeverHeardInYourLife''.

* Happens in [[Film/FreeWilly Free Willy 2]] after the oil slick catches fire and something blows up. Jesse is only able to escape by diving underwater holding onto Willy's dorsal fin.

* Happens in [[''Film/FreeWilly Free Willy 2'']] after the oil slick catches fire and something blows up. Jesse is only able to escape by diving underwater holding onto Willy's dorsal fin.

* Happens in ''Film/FreeWilly2'' after the oil slick catches fire and something blows up. Jesse is only able to escape by diving underwater holding onto Willy's dorsal fin.

* In perhaps the single biggest argument against {{garbage| wrestler}}, Tarzan Goto and Atsushi Onita had a [[GimmickMatches barbed wire match]](another gimmick WWC pioneered) Wrestling/{{Sabu}} and [[Wrestling/EdFarhat The Sheik]] where Sheik tried to burn Goto and Onita with a flaming stick and ended up setting the wire on fire. The wrestlers panicked and bailed under the bottom "ropes" when they realized the ring was starting to melt.

* As part of [[Wrestling/DavidHeath Gangrel]]'s entrance in the WWF, a ring of fire would appear on the stage, and he would rise up through a trapdoor in the center of it.

* [[GimmickMatches The Inferno match]] involves a ring of fire, with the object being to push your opponent into source till he (or his clothing) catches.

* In 2014-2015, there was a possibly unintentional detailing of WWC' history with fire, as the feud between Mighty Ursus and Wrestling/Carlito C|olon}}aribbean Cool started with lighter fluid and escalated to a full on ring of fire.

** Similarly, the Inferno {{Gimmick Match|es}} involves a ring of fire.

While JohnnyCash is considered the TropeNamer, the song itself (which his wife, June, wrote) is actually about falling in love.

* The battle with Sticky Fingaz in ''[[DefJamSeries Def Jam: Fight For NY]]'' takes place inside of a ring as the player tries to get their girlfriend back from him.

* The [[BashBrothers Axe and Sword twins]] in ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones'' fight you in one, and both you and them can take damage if you get too close to the fire.

* ''VideoGame/KingsQuestV''. [[spoiler:Mordack becomes a ring of fire in the final battle to burn Graham to ashes.]]

** In the episode "The Chase", Azula does this to Aang by setting a building on fire, though she can actually control the flames as she's doing it, somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justifying]] it.

* In the original ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games, the move Fire Spin would trap the opponent in a circle of fire for 2-5 turns, preventing them from attacking. This was later changed to just damaging them every turn.

While JohnnyCash is considered the TropeNamer, the song itself (which he wrote as a tribute to his wife June) is actually about falling in love.

[[quoteright:320:[[Anime/{{Mai-HiME}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mai_hime_ring_of_fire.jpg]]]]

* In ''Anime/{{Mai HiME}}'', one springs up around the main character as her full powers manifest for the first time. Naturally enough, [[PersonalityPowers she's pyrokinetic]].
** In the ElseWorld sequel ''Anime/{{Mai-Otome}}'', that continuity's Mai takes this to ridiculous extremes -- she creates a giant version of the floating rings around her arms and legs and ''flies through it'' like a trained seal to obliterate enemies on the other side.

-->-- '''JohnnyCash''', "Ring Of Fire"

* The use of the RingOfFire for climactic duels was called out in a car dealership commercial wherein the customer wanted a very special discount... after they defeated the dealership's champion to prove the quality of the cars. Scary-looking [=MMA=] fighter steps into the ring of stones and the customer strikes a match to light the ring of fire.

* Karen has one spring up around her in the ''{{X1999}}'' movie, though it is her major power to manipulate and create flames.
* In ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}'', one springs up around the main character as her full powers manifest for the first time. Naturally enough, [[PersonalityPowers she's pyrokinetic]].
** In the ElseWorld sequel ''{{Mai-Otome}}'', that continuity's Mai takes this to ridiculous extremes -- she creates a giant version of the floating rings around her arms and legs and ''flies through it'' like a trained seal to obliterate enemies on the other side.

* ''[[FateStayNight Fate/Stay Night's]]'' Archer does this as a part of his reality marble "Unlimited Blade Works"
* In ''FistOfTheNorthStar'', Kenshiro's final battle with Jagi takes place on a rooftop. Jagi eventually reveals he led Kenshiro there because there was a huge container of oil, which he breaks and then throws on a match on. Since [[IHaveTheHighGround he has the high ground]] Jagi will presumably be safe because of ConvectionSchmonvection, but it quickly devolves into Kenshiro being trapped in a ring of fire. Not that it matters though. [[{{Badass}} Ken just destroys the floor and falls down to the safety of the ground below.]]

* The Jet Li movies ''Film/RomeoMustDie'' and ''Cradle2TheGrave'' have climactic fights in a ring of fire.

* ''TheDresdenFiles'': In ''Changes'', Harry and Susan battle the Ick (and its [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Red Court]] handlers) in the Erlking's court. Said duel takes place in a RingOfFire with ''screaming faces'' floating in it.

* ''HighlanderTheSeries'': In "Homeland," Duncan [=MacLeod=] and Kanwulf face off within a ring of fire.
* When testing gasoline fire myths, the ''{{Mythbusters}}'' made a RingOfFire in the workshop. It soon turned up to be [[ConvectionSchmonvection really hot inside it]].

* In the finale of ''[[SpartacusBloodAndSand Spartacus Gods Of The Area]]'' the surviving gladiators are all brought into the arena, and a ring of fire is set about them. Likely as an in-universe invocation of RuleOfCool. The Romans overseeing it explain that anyone who falls/gets thrown outside the ring is disqualified, anyone who falls inside the ring dies. Gneaus later uses it to set his net on fire, and then throw it on someone. [[spoiler: Crixus, Ashur, and Gneaus are all thrown outside the ring, Ashur burning himself in the process]].

* As part of Gangrel's entrance in the WWF, a ring of fire would appear on the stage, and he would rise up through a trapdoor in the center of it.

* West End Games' ''TabletopGame/{{TORG}}'' had a mechanic that generated a RingOfFire that went up to 11. The game is based around variant realities, and when two "possibility-rated" characters (read: [=PCs=] and important villains) from different realities face off, they can invoke a 'reality storm' that separates them from any other interference so that they can get down to the business of forcefully shoving their realities down each other's throats.

* This is one stock [[KillItWithFire Fire]] attack in ''CityOfHeroes'', used by a number of powersets. The ring of fire actually has [[StandardStatusEffects effect of immobilising the target]], trapped in a circle of damage-inflicting flames.

* In the original ''{{Pokemon}}'' games, the move Fire Spin would trap the opponent in a circle of fire for 2-5 turns, preventing them from attacking. This was later changed to just damaging them every turn.
* VideoGame/BrutalLegend allows the player to create one. By Double Teaming with a Fire Baron, they can share a motorcycle, crack open a Molotov Cocktail, and burn a trail of fire. If the player completes a circle, it will enclose, burning enemies inside. It's meant to be a HerdHittingAttack.

* ''Literature/{{Sapphire}}'': Daisuke creates a green ring of fire during his duel with Michiru. [[spoiler:She defeats him by ''[[ScrewTheRulesIHavePlot teleporting out of the ring]]'', [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome then leaps back into it and skewers him]].]]

* A joke version occurs in ''DrawnTogether'' when Toot tries to protect her adopted Nicaraguan "baby" in one.

* Occurs in the climax of ''TheSmurfs ChristmasSpecial''.

** Also in ''Majora's Mask'', Odolwa, the boss of the Woodfall Temple, occasionally starts a large ring of fire around Link. Frustratingly enough though, he can go right through it without being harmed. Despite being ridiculously vulnerable to fire: you can kill him with two fire arrows.

* ''Anime/YuGiOh'' also has one leap up around the arena during the duel with Panik with the intent of turning Yugi into a cinder. The GagDub ''YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' plays Johnny Cash's song (quoted above) as it happens.

* [[WesternAnimation/MisterT Mister T]] is trapped in one of these in the episode "The Fortune Cookie Caper" by a villain called the Firebug. Hilariously, the bad guy set up the circle of flames so that there was ''a fire hydrant inside it.'' Cue MisterT [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Mister_T/Fortune_Cookie_Caper.aspx?Page=7 awesomeness]].