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Bridge Logic

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How convenient.
Milo: [examining an ancient pillar] Will you look at the size of this? It's gotta be half a mile high, at least. It must have taken hundred — no, thousands of years to carve this thing.
[Vinny blows the pillar up so it falls down over a chasm]
Vinny: Hey, look, I made a bridge. It only took me, like, what? Ten seconds? Eleven, tops.

A tall object, such as a pillar or a tree, is knocked over to make a bridge over a river or chasm.

Nobody ever wonders how remarkable it is that the object just happened to be longer than the chasm's width or placed right next to it, nor do our ersatz bridge builders make any special effort to make sure the object actually bridges the gap instead of just falling into it.

Not to be confused with Fridge Logic, though there may be overlap. See also Improvised Platform.


Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Anime & Manga 
  • In the second episode of Koihime†Musou, Chouhi cuts down a tree that ends up crossing a chasm in order to save some villagers from a group of bandits.

    Comic Books 
  • In Cavewoman: Raptorella, Meriem uses a fallen tree to span a chasm while trying to escape from Raptorella. She is halfway across when Raptorella catches up to her.

    Comic Strips 
  • In one Footrot Flats strip, the Dog attempts to avoid one of the Murphy's crocopigs by pushing over a tree to allow him to cross the river. However, the dead sapling he pushes over is both far too short to reach the over bank and far too spindly to support his weight.

    Film — Animation 

    Film — Live-Action 

    Gamebooks 
  • Castle Death: Early on, Lone Wolf has the option of using his telekinesis to move a pillar over a chasm (assuming he's picked up the Nexus Magnakai power by then, anyway).

    Literature 
  • The Lost World (1912): Used by the explorers to reach the mysterious plateau. The cliffs to the plateau itself prove to be apparently unscalable, but an adjacent pinnacle turns out to be climbable, and moreover, has a tall tree which can be cut down and used as a bridge, which allows the four explorers to cross to the plateau.
  • Redwall: In Mattimeo, the heroes have to follow a path to the old abandoned abbey of Loamhedge; along the way, they pass by a truly massive tree known as the Lord of Mossflower before crossing a nearby gorge via the remains of a rope bridge (the villain having severed the bridge behind him). In the later book Loamhedge (which aptly enough involves a return to said location), a second set of heroes finds the Lord of Mossflower serving as a replacement bridge, having fallen or been felled into the gorge at some point in the intervening seasons.
  • In The Underneath, the dying resident Wise Tree lets itself fall down at the necessary moment for Puck to be able to use it as a bridge to escape.
  • Warrior Cats: The cats are able to travel to the island where they hold their gatherings thanks to a tree that conveniently falls down in Starlight.
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Scarecrow has the Tin Woodman do this by chopping down a tree... and then has him chop it down again, with the pursuing Kalidahs still on it.

    Live-Action TV 

    Manhwa 
  • In Dorothy of Oz, Mara attempts to blast a tree to cross a river. She overdoes it and the tree turns to dust. She is bemoaning her lack of control when Abee points out that they can skip over the wreckage she created from destroying most of the surrounding landscape.

    Video Games 
  • Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood. While not necessarily bridges, architecture always fall off to make steps when in areas like the Romulus lairs to act as a checkpoint and Ezio ALWAYS reminds you how convenient it is to climb back up whenever he falls.
    • Throughout the series, the jumping action itself serves as Bridge Logic, because buildings and other objects are arranged precisely to match the assassin's maximum jumping distance. Although there are plenty of locations where a jump seems almost doable but really isn't, gameplay absolutely depends on you being able to easily find those routes where it's possible to continuously jump across from one place to the next during those long chases - often without slowing down at all.
  • Subob is allowed to bridge gaps for his sleepwalking master to pass through by using literal fish bridges in Back to Bed.
  • In Bloodborne, one of the tombstones in Nightmare Frontier can be kicked down and have it serve as a bridge.
  • In Blue Dragon, the player has to to push over a tree to make a bridge to reach a chest in the Lot Wilderness, and the Elder of Pachess Town uses the Green Device to destroy the base of a rock pillar to make a bridge over a fissure in the Giant Ice Fields.
  • The first time you visit Rhomu in Cosmic Star Heroine, Chahn gets a flamethrower which she uses to topple trees to use as bridges. Dave isn't enthusiastic about that idea, despite Chahn's reassurance.
  • In Dark Chronicle, Max and Monica traverse the sections of Rainbow Butterfly Forest by gathering Fairy Saws (the signature keys for that dungeon) to fell large trees (the "gates") so that they form bridges across the streams and rivers.
  • In darkSector to escape a sinking cruise ship the protagonist at one point has to blow up some crates that float and form a bride over the water.
  • In Dark Souls II, the player may occasionally come across woods you can kick down and have them serve as bridge.
  • In the Ashes of Ariandel DLC for Dark Souls III, at least one tree can be pushed over to create a shortcut.
  • One of the first playable quests in the web-based RPG DragonFable lampshades and double-subverts this. Your character sees a chasm in a cave and a conveniently-placed stalagmite and thinks to knock it over:
    Your character: This is my best idea ever!
    [Stalagmite leans toward you]
    Your character: This is my worst idea ever!
    [stalagmite leans the other way, falls, and bridges the chasm]
    Your character: BEST. IDEA. EVER!
  • In Drakan: Order of the Flame, after getting Arokh's Soul Crystal from Heron's crypt and returning outside, there's an old rotting tree that protagonist Rynn can push to make a makeshift bridge across a gap (and as a bonus, kill an unfortunate orc who's patrolling the other side).
  • In Epic Mickey, one of the ways you can get into Gremlin Village's Colosseum is by knocking over the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower to make a bridge.
  • The Howling Halls in Fable II have pillars that are conveniently the right height to bridge the spike filled pit blocking the players escape.
  • Final Fantasy:
    • Final Fantasy XI introduced an interesting example in its 5th expansion. When first arriving in a water-filled zone comprised of separate islands the only way to get between islands is to form tree bridges. To do so a powerful group of enemies must be killed at the base of the tree. The resulting bridge only stays for less than an hour before the same tree must be knocked down again.
    • Final Fantasy XII manages to avert this trope while still forming a bridge by felling trees at a river's edge in Giza Plains during "The Rains". An Elite Hunt called the Gil Snapper is located on an island that can only be reached by knocking several trees into a river. Rather than a single tree spanning the length currents carry several from various locations in the zone to form a dam of sorts.
  • In the GBA Fire Emblem games, old trees can be destroyed to make bridges over water.
  • Subverted in Gears of War 2. You DO use a tall, hollow thing to make a bridge, but it gives out half-way.
  • Ghost Hunter: Detective Lazarus Jones uses a sniper rifle to blow up a cabin high on a cliff face by a waterfall. The debris falls into the river, floats down and fetches up against rocks in the stream forming a bridge.
  • Golden Sun plays with this. There's no instances of actually making a bridge, but there is one tree you knock over to make a platform.
  • Accidentially averted in Gothic, with a pillar conviniently placed next to a gap, but the trigger to toss it over being set on the chasm side of it. With a some skill, you can make the jump without it and earn a bit of vendor trash.
  • Guild Wars: In the Nightfall campaign, there is an area in the Desolation where you have to shoot a boulder with your Junundu Wurm at a monolith to knock it down, making a bridge so you can progress. In Prophecies, there's an ancient statue that will topple when you get close, forming a bridge for you.
  • At one point in Half-Life, you have to call an aerial bombardment in order to break a hole in a wall and then to knock down a communications tower to make a makeshift bridge to said hole.
  • ICO has you blow up a large pillar to make a bridge.
  • Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is an odd example: the tree is long enough, but, to make it a bridge, Indy has to stand on top of the tree. It bends under his weight, working like a Tree Buchet (minus the launching him somewhere else), without the tree breaking.
  • In Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Jak can punch at some dinosaur ribs that are half buried on Misty Island to knock them over and make bridges over the rocks.
    • Similarly, in Jak 3: Wastelander, during the volcano climb, Daxter knocks down a tree by accident to create a bridge for Jak.
  • The first and last levels of Jedi Academy have objects destroyed to make bridges. On the first level the player has to cut down a couple of trees with their lightsaber. On the last level, the player has to bring down a carved pillar using Force Push. Interestingly, the pillar doesn't just fall down; the push is so powerful the BASE of the pillar becomes the far end of the bridge, while the top falls on the near side next to the original base.
  • Averted in The Last Guardian. Early on, you knock over a pillar, creating a bridge across the chasm in front of you. A moment later, the pillar slides free and tumbles into the chasm and you're forced to find another way across.
  • In The Last of Us, the player will often encounter gaps between building to building. Conveniently, there's always a ladder or board the exact size of the gap nearby to form a makeshift bridge with.
  • Double Subverted in The Legend of Dragoon, where the characters actively notice that a tree is an appropriate height, and embark on a miniquest to chop it down and get it to the river. Their attempt at this simply ends up dropping the tree into the river, forcing them to find another way... but when they go back to where they needed the bridge, that same log washes down the river and perfectly floats into place.
  • The second The Legend of Kyrandia game has a similar situation: if Zanthia tries walking across the Quicksand Bog, she'll get sucked in and die. However, there's a tree nearby that's just the right height ...
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • LEGO Jurassic World: Used to help a Triceratops cross a river.
  • LittleBigPlanet: Any tall object, be it a ruler, a pencil, a sword, or even dead fish, if not heavy or thick or glued, can be kicked down and serve as makeshift bridges for our Sackboy.
  • Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom provided an example at Hawme'a Falls, where there is an upright plank of wood besides the ravine. Not only is its height just right, but it will fall exactly into place after getting knocked down by Majin’s wind spell. Subverted in that it is not a true bridge but only there for a side path.
  • Metroid Prime: Hunters: In story mode, the scan visor actually suggests blasting a piece of ruined architecture, calculating it will make a bridge.
  • Happens with a tree trunk that Susano is rafting down the river with in Ōkami. Amusingly, this is the only such instance — with her reality-altering paintbrush, Amaterasu can 'fill' any other Broken Bridge in.
  • Ōkamiden: Cutting down stalagmites to make bridges is a gameplay mechanic in two areas.
  • Overlord does this a couple of times.
    • To be more precise, you kick down sections of wall from ruined houses. They always have exactly the needed length and never break anywhere except at foot level...
    • Even more surprising, they're exactly the right size to fit flush into the gap, so you walk across them like level ground.
  • In the Pokémon Ranger games, you are occasionally required to get a wild Pokémon to knock over a dead tree or similar object to create a bridge.
  • In Quest for Glory IV the player knocks down a statue of an Eldritch Abomination to cross a swamp.
  • Happened once or twice in Rayman Revolution.
  • In Resident Evil 5, Chris Redfield manages to do this using a boulder. By punching it several times.
  • Ristar: In the first level, you have to headbutt a tree so it falls over.
  • In Sonic Adventure 2, in Sand Ocean, you'll need to destroy the dynamite packs below the pillars to get the pillars to fall over and form bridges across the quicksand.
  • Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge, pictured above. Subverted, the part of the tree that breaks off would not be long enough to cover the chasm, on a modern display's aspect ratio.
  • In Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Amazing Spidey has to get Kraven the Hunter to do this as he's trying to snipe him in one part of his stage.
  • Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire has an unusual example of this. While shooting your way through an Imperial base, you come to a chasm with a destroyed bridge and are forced to improvise a way across... by shooting the supports of another bridge above you. This bridge falls perfectly into place, killing a couple stormtroopers in the process.
  • In Star Wars: Republic Commando, the commandos bomb a pillar to reach the unconnected opposite side of a gap.
  • Hermes, a sort-of-antagonist in The Suffering, launches a bus down a ravine that blocks your progress. It's uncertain whether he's deliberately creating a bridge for you, or trying to run you over.
  • Justified in Superhero League of Hoboken, where you have to use a size-amplifying superpower to make a tree grow to the right size before knocking it down and making a dam. (Later you have to return the tree to its original size to undo the dam.)
  • Tales Series
    • Many Sorcerer's Ring-related gimmicks in Tales of Hearts revolve around knocking down a pillar or tree over a chasm.
    • Tales of the Abyss does similar things with Mieu Fire.
    • It pops up a couple times in Tales of Vesperia as well.
    • In Tales of Phantasia, you use the sorceror's ring in a similar manner. Except you down pillars and walk across their widths, not lengths.
  • The gameplay in Tiny and Big relies fairly heavily upon these, as Tiny's entire arsenal is designed specifically for manipulation of the game's environment.
  • One of the standard Doodads (objects that are neither terrain nor player units, like... trees and bridges) in Warcraft III was one of these — a tree that became a bridge if you attacked it. It also splits down the middle when doing so, for some reason.
  • World of Warcraft has a variation in the Ulduar raid. One of the bosses, Kologarn, is a stone giant standing in the middle of a chasm that comes up to his waist. Killing him has his torso break off and form a convenient bridge to the other side.
  • The solution to a puzzle in Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire ... though rather than chopping the tree down, you throw a grenade made from hand-ground chemicals and mixed together by a museum creator in a partially destroyed laboratory. Amazingly, the blast is still so precisely directed that the tree falls exactly where you need it to.
  • In Wrath of the Gods you have to knock down a tree to cross a chasm.
  • People playing through Wynncraft's tutorial will be met with an impassable chasm, and must chop down a tree to provide a path across, by having the tree fall across the ravine.
  • The Legend Entertainment adaption of Frederik Pohl's Gateway has a puzzle that can be solved in this manner, if you don't want the good ending. (You're trying to impress an environmentalist, so he'll return with you. Chopping down a tree is the opposite of that, even if it is exactly the right length for crossing the chasm you're trying to cross.)

    Western Animation 
  • In an episode of Adventures of the Gummi Bears, when the Gummi Bears are trekking through underground caverns and a bridge over a boiling chasm is destroyed, they topple a nearby statue, which is just tall enough for a makeshift bridge.
  • Around the World with Willy Fog: While Fog and his companions are travelling through the Indian jungle, they find their path blocked by a raging river whose current is so swift that even Koa the elephant may not be strong enough to fight it. Luckily, there are three palm trees growing right next to the river, so the travellers have Koa knock them over in order to use them as a makeshift bridge. Fog, Brigadier Corn and Tico cross on foot, but then have to save Rigodon and Koa when the trees break under Koa's weight while Rigodon is guiding the elephant across.
  • Joked about on Invader Zim. Rather than using the conveniently-placed tree (even after it was pointed out), he decided to make a bridge out of his own teammates to cross the chasm.
  • ReBoot has Megabyte do this while in a Military/Dinosaur game when running away from a Tankasauourous Rex (It Makes Sense in Context). It doesn't help him escape.
  • In Rocky and Bullwinkle, Boris Badenov tries to finish off the title characters by chopping a tree down over a gorge that Rocky and Bullwinkle are traveling under in a makeshift boat. The tree is too long and hits the other side of the gorge.
  • The Secret Saturdays: Drew does this to provide an escape route in "Food of the Giants", although the trunk ultimately ends up sliding into the chasm.
  • Steven Universe: In "Cheeseburger Backpack", the Gems are exploring some ancient Gem ruins when they come across a flooded path. While Pearl tries to figure out a way over, Garnet simply knocks down a damaged pillar to make a bridge.
  • Taz-Mania: In "The Bushrats Must Be Crazy", a lightning bolt drops a conveniently placed tree across a chasm to allow the Bushrats to continue their search for the Great Duck. Subverted immediately afterwards as a second lightning bolt strikes the log while they are halfway across.
  • In World of Quest, while not over a chasm but a muddy river is used quite cleverly. Through a magic enchantment Quest is forced to obey every command Prince Nestor gives him, but he has freedom over how to do it. When Nestor orders him to make a bridge over the muddy river so the party can walk across, Quest throws Nestor face down in the muck as everyone walks over him.

    Real Life 

 
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Video Example(s):

Alternative Title(s): Lumberjack Bridge, I Made A Bridge

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Hotfoot Crater bridge

Mario knocks down a portion of the airship to create a bridge over the lava.

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