Basic Trope: The MacGuffin is separated into several different pieces and has to be reassembled.
- Straight: The hilt, the guard, and the blade of The Sword of Plot Advancement all reside in different hiding spots across the world.
- Exaggerated:
- The Sword of Plot Advancement has been divided into three hundred pieces, all of which are hidden somewhere within the Universe on several different planets.
- The three pieces of The Sword of Plot Advancement are hidden in three different universes within the Multiverse.
- Downplayed: The two pieces of Sword of Plot Advancement are found in the same room.
- Justified:
- The Powers That Be felt that The Sword of Plot Advancement could possibly be used for evil, so they separated the pieces to prevent any Villain from amassing too much power, but not completely destroying them just in case any Hero needed it in the future.
- Three ancient tribes who lived far apart agreed to craft a magical sword together. Due to the rare knowledge and materials required, each tribe was only able to craft one piece of the sword. The pieces could not be brought together without risking them falling into the hands of evil, so the tribes kept the pieces safe long enough for a hero to claim the pieces and put them together.
- The Sword of Plot Advancement hasn't had any maintenance since it was lost in 905. note
- Inverted: The MacGuffin won’t work unless it is disassembled.
- Subverted:
- The Heroes assemble the MacGuffin and then they accidentally break it.
- Someone already found all the pieces and put the sword together before the heroes.
- Double Subverted:
- Breaking the MacGuffin releases the demon that was withheld in each individual piece.
- ...However, they still need to find the three magic crystals needed to activate the sword's powers.
- Parodied: The geeks go on a long quest to find the individual Lego pieces in order to assemble the Lego Star Wars Death Star.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: There is only one intact MacGuffin.
- Enforced: The writers needed a few Plot Coupons for a some filler episodes.
- Lampshaded: “How powerful can a sword be if it can be disassembled?”
- Invoked: Someone breaks the Sword, believing it to be too powerful to use.
- Exploited: Emperor Evulz steals one of the pieces before the heroes can get to it, knowing that the sword is useless to the heroes unless all of the pieces are together.
- Defied:
- The heroes refuse to look for the MacGuffin.
- The Powers That Be refuse to split the MacGuffin up.
- Discussed: "If I had a weapon as powerful as that, I would take it apart and bury the pieces when I don't need it anymore. That way nobody else can get to it."
- Conversed: "I guess if you need your fantasy adventure to last a bit longer, then having them search for the hidden pieces of an important artifact is one way to do it."
- Deconstructed: The sword was an Ancient Artifact crafted using techniques long since forgotten. Even if you have all three pieces, there is no known way to put them back together.
- Reconstructed: The instructions on how to repair the sword still exist. They turn out to be the fourth piece needed to complete the sword.
- Played For Laughs: The previous hero accidentally broke the sword by tripping and falling on it, then hid the pieces away before anyone could find out.
- Played For Drama: The Chosen One was supposed to use the sword to destroy the Ancient Evil, but he was killed before he could be given the sword. Unable to protect his kingdom from the forces of evil, The Good King dismantles the sword to prevent it from falling into evil hands, then hides the pieces away to wait for another suitable wielder. The Good Kingdom is destroyed, but the King's deed ensures that the Ancient Evil can be defeated some time in the future.
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