History Main / BreakingOutTheBoss

* In ''[[TwentyFour 24]]'', Andrei Drazen breaks out [[spoiler:his supposedly dead father, Viktor Drazen]], in 10 PM of Day 1.
* On {{Leverage}}, This happens to Nate after he goes to prison at the end of season two to save the rest of his crew. Though, the actual escape is largely of his own making. For bonus points, [[WeHelpTheHelpless his crew also takes down the corrupt warden]] at the same time.

<<|{{Plots}}|>>

<<|{{Villains}}|>>

* On {{Leverage}}, This happens to Nate after he goes to prison at the end of season two to save the rest of his crew. Though, the actual escape is largely of his own making. For bonus points, [[WeHelpTheHelpless his crew also takes down the corrupt warden]] [[BeyondTheImpossible at the same time]].

* In ''ArtemisFowl: The Opal Deception'', Opal Koboi is broken out of her mental clinic-prison by the Brill Brothers. She is mentally cognizant, but extremely physically weak (even by pixie standards), and it takes several days in a muscle-massager to get her back into shape.

<<|AuthorityTropes|>>
<<|IndexOverdosed|>>
<<|DramaTropes|>>

<<|PrisonTropes|>>

* This happened sometime in one of the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' games.

* Dr. Wily [[CrazyPrepared planned for his capture]], and was broken out by 4 Robot Masters in ''VideoGame/MegaMan 7''.

* In the third game of ''MegaManBattleNetwork'', [[spoiler: Wily collects the four Tetra Codes so he can awaken Alpha, the prototype Internet to, well, destroy the internet. Alpha then proceeds to eat Wily and Bass.]]

<<|{{Villains}}|>>

* In ''KimPossible'', Dr. Drakken is left in prison for the first half of season 4, and he's constantly waiting for rescue from his henchmen. On two occasions, other villains show up to liberate his sidekick Shego, but they completely ignore him. In one case, the jailbreaker is Drakken's own cousin, Motor Ed, who takes the time to wave goodbye. When he does get busted out, it's by an alien suffering from mistaken identity.

* Part of the plot of ''[=~3:10 to Yuma~=]''.

* In the first ''[[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' anime, Greed is freed from several centuries captivity by virtue of Barry the Chopper hitting a fortuitously placed "self-destruct" button. He (Greed) then frees other captives, namely the chimeras who become his henchpeople, [[MadScientist Shou Tucker]], and [[PsychoForHire Zolf Kimblee]]. The latter would be an example of type 3 in respect to Greed.

* Partially applies to Lord Voldemort in ''HarryPotter''. While Wormtail never had to break him out, he ''did'' have to (a. find (b. feed and (c. nurse his master back to health. For almost a year.

* Dr. Wily [[CrazyPrepared planned for his capture]], and was broken out by 4 Robot Masters in ''Game/MegaMan 7''.

When a character, most often TheDragon or TheRenfield, breaks out the BigBad. Most commonly done either in the form of freeing the BigBad from an TailorMadePrison or breaking out the SealedEvilInACan. Sometimes, this will be part of either a general scheme or [[XanatosGambit some sort]] [[BatmanGambit of gambit]] by the sealed entity. Generally, one of three possible outcomes occurs:

* The parody and pastiche KungFuHustle does this for laughs, when the Axe Gang has an inept patsy with [[ChekhovsSkill a knack for picking locks]] break out the BigBad from his prison. Throughout the prison, the film sends up horror cliches, including [[BeyondTheImpossible the blood-flooded corridor]], before revealing the BigBad to be an old, unkempt, flabby-looking man. Naturally, it turns out his kung fu is virtually unstoppable and he winds up taking over the Axe Gang.

* One episode of ''TheNewBatmanAdventures'' has two goons driving the Ventriloquist insane so his criminal mastermind alternate personality Scarface can emerge. When he does come back, he sets up a grand heist. When getaway is imminent, he tries to kill the goons for forcing him out early.

* An episode of ''TheBatman'' has Black Mask's thugs organizing their boss's liberation from the GCPD. As soon as Black Mask is free, he electrocutes his right-hand man and hands the reins over to a random goon.

* Lilith [[spoiler: and Ruby]] of ''{{Supernatural}}'' plot to break Lucifer out into the world.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[/folder]]

* In ''[[Film/XMen X-Men 2]]'', Mystique plays a critical role in breaking Magneto out of his {{Oubliette}} plastic prison, by injecting iron into the bloodstream of one of the security guards so that he can kill the guard by extracting it from him and use it both as a weapon and a transportation method.

[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

When a character, most often TheDragon or TheRenfield, breaks out the BigBad. Most commonly done either in the form of freeing the BigBad from an {{Oubliette}} or breaking out the SealedEvilInACan. Sometimes, this will be part of either a general scheme or [[XanatosGambit some sort]] [[BatmanGambit of gambit]] by the sealed entity. Generally, one of three possible outcomes occurs:

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]
* Occurs to recurring baddie Jammerhead in the ''[[TMNT2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward]]'' episode "Enter the Jammerhead", after he had been imprisoned during his last appearance. The "partially cognizant" bit comes from the fact that he was suffering from a system crash (Jammerhead is at least partially cybernetic) that had left him catatonic.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]
* The villains of the first ''WildArms'' game spend most of the first act attempting to unleash the sealed Mother, who will ostensibly lead them in their conquest of the planet. [[spoiler: It's a bad enough Type 3 that the Dragon simply allows the heroes to kill Mother before resuming said conquest himself.]]

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]

<<|{{Villains}}|>>

* This happened sometime in one of the ''PaperMario'' games.

* The parody and pastiche KungFuHustle does this for laughs, when the Axe Gang has an inept patsy with [[ChekovsSkill a knack for picking locks]] break out the BigBad from his prison. Throughout the prison, the film sends up horror cliches, including [[BeyondTheImpossible the blood-flooded corridor]], before revealing the BigBad to be an old, unkempt, flabby-looking man. Naturally, it turns out his kung fu is virtually unstoppable and he winds up taking over the Axe Gang.

[[AC:The person or entity is fully cognizant]]
* In ''[[TwentyFour 24]]'', Andrei Drazen breaks out [[spoiler:his supposedly dead father, Viktor Drazen]], in 10 PM of Day 1.
* In ''[[Film/XMen X-Men 2]]'', Mystique plays a critical role in breaking Magneto out of his {{Oubliette}} plastic prison, by injecting iron into the bloodstream of one of the security guards so that he can kill the guard by extracting it from him and use it both as a weapon and a transportation method.

[[AC:The person or entity is only partially cognizant]]
* In ''ArtemisFowl: The Opal Deception'', Opal Koboi is broken out of her mental clinic-prison by the Brill Brothers. She is mentally cognizant, but extremely physically weak (even by pixie standards), and it takes several days in a muscle-massager to get her back into shape.

* Occurs to recurring baddie Jammerhead in the ''[[TMNT2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward]]'' episode "Enter the Jammerhead", after he had been imprisoned during his last appearance. The "partially cognizant" bit comes from the fact that he was suffering from a system crash (Jammerhead is at least partially cybernetic) that had left him catatonic.
* Partially applies to Lord Voldemort in HarryPotter. While Wormtail never had to break him out, he ''did'' have to (a. find (b. feed and (c. nurse his master back to health. For almost a year.

[[AC:The breakout backfires on the liberators]]
* This happened sometime in one of the PaperMario games.

* One episode of TheNewBatmanAdventures has two goons driving the Ventriloquist insane so his criminal mastermind alternate personality Scarface can emerge. When he does come back, he sets up a grand heist. When getaway is imminent, he tries to kill the goons for forcing him out early.
-->'''Scarface''': When the arms think they're smarter than the brains, it's time to amputate.

* In the third game of MegaManBattleNetwork, [[spoiler: Wily collects the four Tetra Codes so he can awaken Alpha, the prototype Internet to, well, destroy the internet. Alpha then proceeds to eat Wily and Bass.]]

[[AC:Examples for which revealing the nature would constitute a spoiler]]

[[AC:Parodies]]

* In the third game of MegaManBattleNetwork, [[spoiler: Wily collects the four Tetra Codes so he can awaken Alpha, the prototype Internet to, well, destroy the internet. Alpha then proceeds to eat Wily and Bass.]]