History Main / TrojanPrisoner

* Done in an arc of ''GeneralProtectionFault'' involving an alternate dimension populated with EvilTwin (or sometimes Good Twin) counterparts of the cast. Fooker explains to the plan as "[[StarWars Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?]]"

* Used in "Bee in the City", a Transformers convention script-reading starring the cast of ''TransformersAnimated''. Flareup has to sneak Bumblebee and [[strike: BeastWars Megatron]] "Joe" into Shockwave's lab to rescue Sari and Optimus. She does so by claiming they're Primes, who aren't allowed in Axiom Nexus. There's even a "cell-block one-one-three-eight" reference, (which the guard doesn't get).

* The Dutch resistance freed 44 prisoners from Leeuwarden prison during the German occupation in 1944 by sending five men into the prison using this trope.

* In ''Film/TheATeam'', Murdock is disguised as the General by wearing a bag over his head, and [[spoiler: when Pike shoots him, it appears that he has died, when this was achieved with ketchup packets and explosive squibs.]]

* ''TreasureIsland'': Long John Silver pulls this.

* Londo attempts this with G'Kar against Cartagia in ''{{Babylon 5}}''. Starts to be subverted when Cartagia replaces G'Kar's chains with real ones on a whim, but G'Kar [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome breaks them anyway]].

* Happens in ''TearsToTiara'' with [[LadyOfWar Octavia]], a former imperial officer, with [[StraightArrow Morgan]] as the fake prisoner. It would have worked, if it weren't for the fact that the unit that Octavia associated herself with was known to have been destroyed a long time ago.

-- '''StarTrekNemesis'''

->'''Sawyer:''' "Don't get mad at me just 'cause you were dumb enough to fall for the old Wookiee Prisoner gag."\\
-- '''{{Lost}}'''

* In ''[[TopSecret Top Secret]]'', Resistance members Chocolate Mousse and Deja Vu wear German army uniforms and march Nick Rivers ahead of them at gunpoint in order to infiltrate Fleurgendorf prison. There are two jokes: Chocolate Mousse is black (and all of the German soldiers are white), and as they're goosestepping, their boots fly off. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dSHOnJ04Vc here, starting at 1:20]].

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[[AC:Machinima]]

* In the ''JusticeLeague'' episode "A Better World", Batman does this to save the Justice League from the police by making the police think he's the Justice Lord Batman. It turns out that he is, though; he's just changed sides.

In the simple version, some of the protagonists [[DressingAsTheEnemy pretend to be enemy mooks]], with the others as their prisoners or slaves. Quite often, the main hero gets to play the captive, being the most recognisable, but if the mooks have [[FacelessGoons face-concealing outfits]], it's the least recognisable member of the group who gets tied up.

* Attempted in "[[DoctorWho The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]". The Daleks was not amused, but it is more successful in "Planet of the Daleks".

* In ''[=~Face/Off~=]'', this kicks off the plot, where the good guy takes the bad guy's face to get some information. This would have worked out if the bad guy hadn't woken from his coma and taken the good guy's face.

If they are physically bound, this can lead to a ChainedHeat or fighting WithMyHandsTied. Compare ISurrenderSuckers, and cases where anyone should be able to see through overlap with TheGuardsMustBeCrazy. The PlayAlongPrisoner may allow themself to be tortured before breaking loose. Compare SheepInWolfsClothing, where this applies to TheVirus, and with TrojanHorse, which also gets the hero into an enemy base, but without them knowing anyone has crossed their lines. Contrast DisguisedHostageGambit, where real villains with real hostages dress the hostages up as villains to fool TheCavalry.

[[StarWars http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Motleycrew.jpg]]
[[caption-width:393:"Prisoner transfer from Block [[Film/THX1138 one-one-three-eight]]."]]

-->'''Data:''' ''[as B-4]'' "Move, puny human animal!"
-->'''Picard:''' ''[whispering]'' "A little less florid, Data..."
--> -- '''StarTrekNemesis'''

-->'''Sawyer:''' "Don't get mad at me just 'cause you were dumb enough to fall for the old Wookiee Prisoner gag."
--> -- '''{{Lost}}'''

If they are physically bound, this can lead to a ChainedHeat or fighting WithMyHandsTied. Compare ISurrenderSuckers, and cases where anyone should be able to see through overlap with TheGuardsMustBeCrazy. The PlayAlongPrisoner may allow themself to be tortured before breaking loose. See also the DisguisedHostageGambit. Compare SheepInWolfsClothing, where this applies to TheVirus, and with TrojanHorse, which also gets the hero into an enemy base, but without them knowing anyone has crossed their lines.

* In the DoctorWho comic "The Futurists" (from the collection ''The Betrothal of Sontar'') this is used to infiltrate an ancient Roman military camp. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when the Doctor remarks that it's a tired old trick, but there had to be a time when it was new enough to work.

* In ''[[TopSecret Top Secret]]'', Resistance members Chocolate Mousse and Déjà Vu wear German army uniforms and march Nick Rivers ahead of them at gunpoint in order to infiltrate Fleurgendorf prison. There are two jokes: Chocolate Mousse is black (and all of the German soldiers are white), and as they're goosestepping, their boots fly off. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dSHOnJ04Vc here, starting at 1:20]].

* In the XWingSeries novels, part of the plan to retake Coruscant from the Empire is to [[BoxedCrook take dangerous criminals]], a significant part of the intergalactic crime syndicate Black Sun, from the prison world Kessel, then smuggle them to Coruscant where they will cause havok and distract Imperial forces. Unfortunately, some of those criminals still have Imperial ties.

* ''MissionImpossible'' has done this several times, often to get their team into a prison, such as in "Old Man Out", "Trial By Fury" and "The Test Case".

* Attempted in [[DoctorWho The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]. The Daleks was not amused, but it is more successful in "Planet of the Daleks".
* This is how Michael Weston gets to a fugitive on the lam in the {{Burn Notice}} episode "Friendly Fire." Michael plays the prisoner.

* Londo attempts this with G'Kar against Cartagia. Starts to be subverted when Cartagia replaces G'Kar's chains with real ones on a whim, but G'Kar [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome breaks them anyway]].

* In the episode [[TeenTitans Titans Together]] Jericho takes possession of Cinderblock and pretends that Pantha, Mas and Herald are his captives. [[spoiler: He botches it when he speaks through Cinderblock, who up to this point would only grunt and roar]].

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* Used in Chapter 15 of ''RedVsBlue'': Reconstruction, where Church poses as Agent Washington's prisoner so they can get past they at the A.I storage facility. It fails when one guard gets suspicious and decides to report it to his superiors, leading to a shoot-out instead.