History Main / SaveBothWorlds

Protagonists who need to SaveTheWorld in AnotherDimension often find [[RisingComplications their original dimension endangered as well]].

** Also ''Literature/The Dark Tower'', although in this there are many worlds and Roland and his companions must actually save all of them (since they will all be destroyed if the Dark Tower falls). However, Roland's world and Earth are the main ones that the heroes focus on.

* The cornerstone of ''{{Fringe}}'' and its mythology is an AlternateUniverse, and the protagonists of the show (from the prime universe) are using MadScience in an attempt to SaveBothWorlds after the first attempt at crossing from one universe to another resulted in a parade of soft spots, cracks in the walls of reality, breakdowns of the laws of physics, [[SwirlyEnergyThingy swirly energy thingies]], [[NegativeSpaceWedgie negative earth wedgies]], [[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} dogs and cats living together]], etc. that threaten to destroy both universes. This is juxtaposed by the characters from the AlternateUniverse, who believe the only way to save their universe is to destroy the prime one first (and they may be right). [[spoiler: Or not, as it is revealed that the two worlds are permanently intertwined; therefore, the only way for any character to save their world is to SaveBothWorlds.]]

* Almost subverted in the third issue of the ComicBook/JLAAvengers crossover miniseries, both groups of heroes are unsure they want to restore their universes when they witness the {{Face Heel Turn}}s, {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s, {{Suspiciously Similar Substitute}}s, and WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity that they will experience in the "correct" universe. Out of everyone Hal Jordan, who has the furthest to fall. Argues they don't have the right to play God with the two universes, causing the heroes agree to restore reality.

* ''Manga/WatashiNoMessiahsama'' starts off with TrappedInAnotherWorld, with occasional visits back home. Then [[spoiler:monsters appear on Earth, and eventually Earth is threatened with destruction. Naturally, our heroes can't save just one of the worlds]].

* ''Manga/{{Watashi no Messiah-sama}}'' starts off with TrappedInAnotherWorld, with occasional visits back home. Then [[spoiler:monsters appear on Earth, and eventually Earth is threatened with destruction. Naturally, our heroes can't save just one of the worlds]].

* A key trope in the web fiction serial ''DimensionHeroes'', in which the Dimensional Guardians must find a way to stop two dimensions from colliding with one another.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheSecretDoor'', the heroines must save the magic of all realms, and thus, all the worlds.

%%* The heroes of ''TheDragonWarsSaga'' must save the magical world they're stuck in to save Earth.

%%* One episode of ''SuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' brings Mario and Luigi back to Brooklyn, but also Bowser and company as well.

* Most of ''[[YoungWizards So You Want To Be A Wizard]]'' by DianeDuane is spent in an alternate universe where the [[BigBad Lone Power]] has already put out the sun. At the climax, the protagonists make it back into their own universe, but the Lone Power follows them through the worldgate and they have to stop it...

* Sort of done in ''MirrorMask''. By saving the dreamworld, Helena also saves, symbolically, at the very least, her mother's life, and stops "her world" from being shattered. It's not as {{Narm}}y as it sounds.

* An episode of the ''[[WesternAnimatio/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'' cartoon had the kids finally get back to their own world, but Venger followed.

* In ''Manga/{{MAR}}'', Ginta's world and MÄR Heaven are connected largely by Snow's existence as a clone created from a fragment of Koyuki's soul. The Orb is also the manifestation of all the evil in Ginta's world as well. His plan was to use the connection between Snow and Koyuki to rip open a giant portal between the worlds to conquer Earth as well. In the end, Ginta ends up saving both worlds and Snow and Koyuki merge into a single person. Note this is only in the anime, in the manga the connection is different and the Orb's plan... does't make a whole lot of sense.

%%* In ''Series/MythQuest'', there is a god named Gorgos who lives to change and destroy myths, thereby removing them entirely from human consciousness. Alex and Cleo go into the myths and attempt to prevent him from doing so.

Contrast with UpTheRealRabbitHole, where both worlds are in jeopardy but the heroes don't see the one that isn't their own as real enough to merit saving.

* In MÄR, Ginta's world and MÄR Heaven are connected largely by Snow's existence as a clone created from a fragment of Koyuki's soul. The Orb is also the manifestation of all the evil in Ginta's world as well. His plan was to use the connection between Snow and Koyuki to rip open a giant portal between the worlds to conquer Earth as well. In the end, Ginta ends up saving both worlds and Snow and Koyuki merge into a single person. Note this is only in the anime, in the manga the connection is different and the Orb's plan... does't make a whole lot of sense.

The other world's still in danger, but now so is ''yours'', and the {{Muggles}} certainly can't do anything about it. What do you do? You grab your adventuring party and a couple of friends from your homeworld, and you go out to SaveBothWorlds. Pretty much the inverse of UpTheRealRabbitHole.

!!Examples of TrappedInAnotherWorld

* Roughly half the series of ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' fall under this.
** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' has the characters trapped in the Digital World in the first episode, return home for the Vamdemon arc, then go back to finish off the SortingAlgorithmOfEvil.
** Anime/DigimonTamers would've just been "save Earth", but the BigBad was directly tied into both worlds, and could only be defeated from Earth [[spoiler: with help from both sides]].

** ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' trapped Taiki in the Digital World in the first episode, returning home for a single episode halfway through, and the final episode/battle took place in the real world.
* ''FushigiYuugi''
* Several of the ''[[HackSign .hack//]]'' series; although ''technically'' they can go home (save for a few, like Tsukasa in ''//SIGN'' and any Vagrant AI character), the action doesn't take place there, and there's hardly an installment without players desperately pulling all-nighters to save the world/s.
* ''ParallelTroubleAdventureDual''

* 'DragonDrive' - A video game leads to an virtual world that acts as a stepping stone to an alternate world. With Dragons.

* In ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}} TOS'', an ion storm switches three crewman with their evil duplicates who happened to be in an identical spaceship, orbiting the exact same planet and were about to transport at the exact same moment. This is a common occurrence in alternate universes on TV and in movies. No matter what the people are doing they are usually in the same jobs in the same places at the same time. This alternate universe was used in both Star Trek DS:9 and Star Trek Enterprise, which had the genesis of the evil empire in the evil universe by changing what happened in ''{{Star Trek: First Contact}}''.
* This was spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' where characters from the "evil universe" come through (easily identified by their goatees and bad split screen) except the "evil Cartman" was a good guy and not a jerk.
* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', they found themselves the central point for dozens of versions of themselves coming through from a seemingly limitless number of alternate universes. The only real differences (as they all had the same people in the same jobs and mostly the same as each other) was a reunion with a duplicate of a character killed off in our universe.
* In ''Series/MythQuest'', there is a god named Gorgos who lives to change and destroy myths, thereby removing them entirely from human consciousness. Alex and Cleo go into the myths and attempt to prevent him from doing so.

* ''SonicTheHedgehog'' has this happen twice. Once in ''Sonic Rush'' Blaze is trapped on Sonic's world with the Sol Emeralds. If the Sol Emeralds arn't returned, both worlds will be destroyed. Again in ''Sonic Rush Adventure'', except [[spoiler:Sonic and Tails discover they are trapped in Blaze's world. Eggman and Eggman NEGA team up at the end of the game to steal the Jeweled Scepter, which keeps the two worlds separated.]]

* The heroes of ''TheDragonWarsSaga'' must save the magical world they're stuck in to save Earth.

* One episode of ''SuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' brings Mario and Luigi back to Brooklyn, but also Bowser and company as well.
* Similarly, an episode of the ''[[WesternAnimatio/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'' cartoon had the kids finally get back to their own world, but Venger followed.

!!Examples where the characters spend equal time in each world

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* If a ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' series doesn't play the TrappedInAnotherWorld variant of this trope, then they play this variant instead. ''Digimon'' is very big on this trope in general.
** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' has the characters able to freely jump between the worlds.
** ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' has them take a trip into the Digital World halfway through, and they spent around a third of the series overall there. Jumping between the worlds isn't as easy as it was in ''Adventure 02'', though.
** ''Anime/DigimonSavers'' is similar to ''Tamers'' in that getting to the Digital World is easy, but getting back can be substantially harder.
** ''Anime/DigimonXrosWarsTheYoungHuntersLeapingThroughTime'' appears to be set on following this course as well, with the addition of actively exploring places in Tokyo to find the portals into [=DigiQuartz=].
* ''MazeMegaburstSpace''
* ''Anime/CorrectorYui''
* ''KyouKaraMaou'': [[spoiler:When the "Mirror at the bottom of the ocean" is found to be in our world.]]
* ''{{Paprika}}'' has the protagonists trying to save both the real world and the DreamLand.
* Manga example: ''PlanetLadder'' features a girl who discovers that there are nine dimensional Earths engaged in war and are moving towards collision with each other. She is [[SelfFulfillingProphecy prophesied]] to be the "Girl of Anansi" who can save only one of these worlds, but journeys among all the worlds to search for a way to save them all.
* Occurs somewhat in ''SonicX'' where Sonic's world is rather casually revealed to have originally been part of earth, but one world split into two as the result of some vaugely described phenomenon. Towards the end of the second series, the two worlds are revealed to be merging into each other again, with the catastrophic effect of cancelling out each others timelines and causing time to come to a stand still... The only solution is to send the Sonic characters home. Yeah, okay.
* ''Anime/AuraBattlerDunbine''
* ''Manga/{{Watashi no Messiah-sama}}'' starts off with TrappedInAnotherWorld, with occasional visits back home. Then [[spoiler:monsters appear on Earth, and eventually Earth is threatened with destruction. Naturally, our heroes can't save just one of the worlds]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films]]
* Sort of done in ''MirrorMask''. By saving the dreamworld, Helena also saves, symbolically, at the very least, her mother's life, and stops "her world" from being shattered. It's not as {{Narm}}y as it sounds.
* In ''{{Thor}}'', the eponymous hero saves Asgard (his world) and Juntenheim (the Frost Giants' world) from danger in the climax. One could even argue that he saved Earth (Midgard) as well since Loki was making plans to visit that realm when he was finished subjugating Asgard and blowing up Juntenheim.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''[[{{Narnia}} The Magician's Nephew]]'', when Diggory lets Jadis loose in London and then in Narnia.
* ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory''
* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', not just worlds that Will and Lyra come from, but the entire multiverse.
* The ''Literature/ApprenticeAdept'' series; Stile is a native of science-based Photon, but is brought to magical Phaze as part of a GambitRoulette to correct an imbalance that would destroy both worlds.
* AaronAllston's ''DocSidhe'' and ''Sidhe-Devil'' both fight foes that could disturb both "the grim world" (ours) and "the fair world" (Faerie).
* In the ''{{Everworld}}'' books, it would be a bad thing if the gods crossed over into the world of our own, or if aggressive human men with guns crossed over into the world of Everworld. Both of these dangers threaten to happen over the course of the stories.
* ''KeysToTheKingdom'', particularly since if the House falls, so does the rest of the Universe.
* Mark Anthony's ''Literature/TheLastRune'' series, which features characters spending time in, and crossing between, Earth and the otherworld of Eldh. These include multiple villains and world-threatening dangers.
* Extremely weird example in ChinaMieville's novel ''Literature/TheCityAndTheCity''. Too good to be spoiled.
* ''Literature/{{Coraline}}'', where the titular heroine must beat the Other Mother [[spoiler: to save her parents and stop Other Mother from kidnapping children]].
* Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/TheTalisman'' sees Jack flipping between our world and the 'The Territories' in an attempt to save his Mother from dying, this also has the side affect of saving the Queen in The Territories as they share a magical link.
* Most of ''[[YoungWizards So You Want To Be A Wizard]]'' by DianeDuane is spent in an alternate universe where the [[BigBad Lone Power]] has already put out the sun. At the climax, the protagonists make it back into their own universe, but the Lone Power follows them through the worldgate and they have to stop it...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The cornerstone of ''{{Fringe}}'' and its mythology is an AlternateUniverse, and the protagonists of the show (from the prime universe) are using MadScience in an attempt to SaveBothWorlds after the first attempt at crossing from one universe to another resulted in a parade of soft spots, cracks in the walls of reality, breakdowns of the laws of physics, [[SwirlyEnergyThingy swirly energy thingies]], [[NegativeSpaceWedgie negative earth wedgies]], [[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} dogs and cats living together]], etc. that threaten to destroy both universes. This is juxtaposed by the characters from the AlternateUniverse, who believe the only way to save their universe is to destroy the prime one first (and they may be right). [[spoiler: Or not, as it is revealed that the two worlds are permanently intertwined; therefore, the only way for any character to save their world is to SaveBothWorlds.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''
* The ''KingdomHearts'' series, with a plethora of worlds.
** Played with, in this case. The universe/ multiverse of KingdomHearts is literally called The World, which our protagonists do have a place in. Every part of The World is equally threatened during their adventures, at about the same time that the world hopping begins.
** A better example would be the storybook Literature/WinnieThePooh, which magically houses a portal to Pooh's actual dimension, the Hundred Acre Wood. The Woods are a haven from the Heartless for both the player and Sora. However, as of VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII, it seems that outside interference has screwed with its occupants' memories.
* ''TheLongestJourney'' as well as its sequel ''Dreamfall''.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' has this with the light and shadow worlds. Most of the time spent in Twilight is actually the normal world just made over to ''look'' like the other one, but...[[spoiler:during the second-to-last dungeon you do set out to save the Twilight Realm.]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', although it's really more [[spoiler:combine both worlds and ''then'' save them.]]
* ''AnotherCenturysEpisode 3'' features a "save both worlds" plot, as some AppliedPhlebotinum that exists in both worlds creates a dimensional rift, pulling the two Earths together due to gravitational forces. Also connects to ''Eureka 7'' pretty significantly, since it's an IntercontinuityCrossover.
* ''Sudeki''. Much like the ''Final Fantasy V'' example, [[spoiler:both worlds get combined and you have to save them.]]
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' soon becomes this type. [[spoiler: The BigBad's EvilPlan alternates which world is in trouble but]] both ultimately have to be saved for either to have lasting peace.
** Also shows up in ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'', as an intended result of a YinYangBomb.
* This seems the backbone of ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (it's even there in the subtitle!), in which all characters fight in sceneries from both Marvel-Earth and Capcom-Earth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* A key trope in the web fiction serial ''DimensionHeroes'', in which the Dimensional Guardians must find a way to stop two dimensions from colliding with one another.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko''
* The GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom''.
** And the episode "Livin' Large". "Reign Storm" might count as well.
[[/folder]]

* ''HisDarkMaterials'', not just worlds that Will and Lyra come from, but PhilipPullman's entire multiverse.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'': An angel with a [[AGodAmI God complex]] is trying to break down the barrier between the real world and the Elemental world. She ''almost'' succeeds.
* ''SonicTheHedgehog'' has this happen twice. Once in ''Sonic Rush'' Blaze is trapped on Sonic's world with the Sol Emeralds. If the Sol Emeralds arn't returned, both worlds will be destroyed. Again in ''Sonic Rush Adventure'', except [[spoiler:Sonic and Tails discover they are trapped in Blaze's world. Eggman and Eggman NEGA team up at the end of the game to steal the Jeweled Scepter, which keeps the two worlds separated.]]
* ''Outcast'': Opening the portal between the two worlds creates a black hole which will swallow up the Earth... unless you enter the alternate universe to figure out how to stop it. It turns out the alternate universe needs to be saved as well.
[[/folder]]

** A better example would be the storybook WinnieThePooh, which magically houses a portal to Pooh's actual dimension, the Hundred Acre Wood. The Woods are a haven from the Heartless for both the player and Sora. However, as of VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII, it seems that outside interference has screwed with its occupants' memories.