History Main / ChekhovsArmoury

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has a ton.

* ''Film/RedEye'' has many of these dropped into the plot within the first ten or fifteen minutes that become significant when [[spoiler: Cillian Murphy's character begins to blackmail Rachel McAdams's character.]]

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
** A ''lot'' of stuff, especially regarding [[spoiler:Asuna. Notably, all of the times the spells Negi cast on her fail is not due to him being an IneptMage, but rather due to her Magic Cancel ability. Her poor grades are implied to be caused by a large scale LaserGuidedAmnesia spell.]] Plus a bunch of other stuff.
** ''Negima!'''s Armoury was especially effective because much of the foreshadowing was disguised as comedy, once again especially with regards to [[spoiler:Asuna. Her superhuman speed, strength, and agility were mostly played for slapstick humor, her Magic Cancel was mostly played for fanservice (so that Negi's spells would blast her clothes off but leave her unharmed), and so forth.]]
** Also, while not necessarily an example of Chekhov's Armoury per se, it's also interesting to pay attention to how Akamatsu handled the fighters and supernatural characters in the earlier chapters. For example, the characters who were left out of the Dodgeball game[[note]]All of them, excepting the cheerleaders, are extreme badasses who could have won the match singlehanded[[/note]]. The most extreme of these foreshadows was the class roster in the first chapter.
%%* ''Manga/ItsNotMyFaultImNotPopular'' Uses this regularly. Only enough characters to count on one hand haven't become recurring characters, and even then they still reappear as background characters.

%%* ''Anime/{{Hyouka}}'' is nearly defined by this trope. With very few exceptions, every aside and piece of background chatter in an episode comes back, at some point or another, as a piece of whatever puzzle the club is trying to figure out.
%% Editor's note: Overly-gushy, and doesn't define how.
%% * ''Manga/BlackButler'' has one, but special mention goes to the murder mystery arc. True to the genre it parodies, it gets an entire ChekhovsArmoury of its own.
%% Editor's note: It gets an entire thing of its own. How?
%% * In ''Manga/FairyTail'', you can generally assume any attention-getting detail that's suddenly unmentioned will be ''critically'' important at some point in the future.

* In ''Film/ThePunisher2004'', Frank Castle puts together a very impressive armory including several hidden weapons for emergencies and a tricked-out car. Every single weapon gets used, even a butterfly knife he confiscates from some punk who was harassing his neighbor. Every weapon is shown beforehand either in a montage or as part of a scene.
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
** Everything from the now-infamous icing problem, the arc reactor's "Something Big For 15 Minutes Guarantee," right down to the flares plays a part in ''Film/IronMan1.''
** In ''Film/IronMan3'', Tony's enormous armory of suits is briefly seen (while shadowed) in one scene. In the FinalBattle, he summons it to help him fight the Extremis soldiers.
** {{Subverted|Trope}} with Odin's trophy room in the ''Film/{{Thor}}'' movies. The vault contains all kinds of treasures and keen-eyed fans noticed significant items from the Marvel comics that seemed to hint at the future of the MCU, including the Infinity Gauntlet and the Orb of Agamotto. However, it was later tossed out the window; in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', Hela shoves the supposed Infinity Gauntlet from its pedestal with an annoyed "Fake!", and then claims that most of the stuff in the vault is fake. In essence, they built the Armory to set up other movies then realized they had better places to put all those wonderful toys, so they had to write themselves out of that and did it with enough humor that the fans didn't call it an AssPull. Both the Infinity Gauntlet and the Orb of Agamotto would later appear in the possession of people who it makes more sense to have.
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' is one giant setup for ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and contains characters and plots that would get resolved in later movies. Most notably, the film introduces both Spider-Man and Black Panther in time for [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming their]] own [[Film/BlackPanther2018 movies]] that were released later the same year.

* ''Film/HotFuzz'' has a literal example: Early in the film, Police Sergeant Nicholas Angel confiscates a huge arsenal of unregistered weapons (including rifles, machine guns and a ''SeaMine'') from a local farmer. [[spoiler:All of these weapons are put to use during the film's climax, including the mine]].

* [[spoiler:Almost every single wish made]] in ''Shorts'' (and Helvetica's science project) is used in the final "short" in the fight against [[spoiler:GiantMecha Mr. Black, including the Bipedal Crocodile Army, the Super-Smart Baby, the germs, the aliens, the dung beetle...]]
* In ''Film/RichieRich'', every single invention introduced by lead staff scientist Professor Keenbean comes back to serve the plot in some way.
* In ''Film/EscapeFromLA,'' Snake is given a number of items, including an ordinary pack of matches. He uses everything given, [[spoiler:including the matches, to light his cigarette in the total darkness once all of the world's electricity has been eliminated]].

* James Cameron's ''Film/{{Avatar}}'': almost every creature seen throughout the film fights in the final fight. The Toruk, the viperwolves, the thanator, etc., everything is foreshadowed, in addition to Eytukan's bow and [[ChekhovsSkill falling from a great height]].

* ''Film/MyGirl'' has a whole bunch, including [[spoiler: the child-sized coffin, Vada's mood ring, Thomas J's allergies, and the fact that Vada lives in a funeral home.]]
* The weapons the brothers end up buying in ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'' all get used right down to the "stupid f--king rope" and "rambo" knife. A ''literal'' Chekhov's Armory.
* An extremely literal example in ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon''. Optimus Prime has taken to lugging around a trailer to match his trailer-truck vehicle form. The trailer transforms into a small armory of equipment he might need, such as jets, swords and shields, and more guns. Every one of these becomes important later on.
* In ''Film/JohnnyEnglishReborn'', anything that comes up in the first 10 minutes of the film is useful later on. e.g Taking a kick to the jewels without feeling pain, the mind-controlling the body, him having the experience that age brings as opposed to the energy of youth, etc.
* ''Film/{{Clue}}'': Even seeming throwaway gags are secretly plot-relevant.
* Andy's prison cell in ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'' is this as it contains the items that are relevant to [[spoiler:his escape]]. The film version adds a few that aren't in the book.
* ''Film/DodgeballATrueUnderdogStory'' contains a ChekhovsGun in every other line of dialogue, usually disguised as punchlines or throwaway gags.
* ''Film/RedEye'' has many of these dropped into the plot within the first ten or fifteen minutes that become significant when [[spoiler: Cillian Murphy's character begins to blackmail Rachel McAdams's character.]]
* ''Film/Constantine2005'': Almost every object that Constantine receives from Beeman turns out to be useful later. The dragonbreath weapon is used by John against [[spoiler:Balthazar]] twice, the two holy water ampoules are used to (a) return Constantine from Hell and (b) eat away [[spoiler:Balthazar]]'s face so John can beat him up with the gold knuckles, and the Amityville screech beetle is used to disrupt the demon that attacks Constantine on the street. Even the bottle of cough syrup is shown being drunk by Constantine later. The only thing that isn't used is the bullet shavings from the assassination attempt on the Pope.
* The first ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' is absolutely riddled with these, with [[ConservationOfDetail almost everything significant]] in 1985 coming back in 1955; the last day Doc puts in the time circuits,[[note]]It is the day he came up with the flux capacitor, which Marty uses to win Past!Doc over.[[/note]] Marty's band wanting to play at the dance,[[note]]His guitar playing comes into effect when he plays at the 1955 dance.[[/note]] Jennifer's phone number,[[note]]Written on the otherwise unwanted note about the exact time the clocktower was struck[[/note]] and Lorraine's love story[[note]]Explains how Marty nearly erases himself and tells him how to make them fall in love again.[[/note]] are just a few examples of very important (but seemingly minor) details.
* In ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'', all of the Kingsman gadgets shown come in useful at various times including the bulletproof umbrella, the 50,000-volt signet ring, the cigarette lighter hand grenade, the poison pen, the shoe blade, and the amnesia dart.
* ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009''--everything in the chemistry lab turns out to be important in some way. Details would be spoilerific. In fact, both films have a vast arsenal of guns, from the glaringly obvious to the subtle and seemingly one-shot ones. One of the most prominent examples in [[Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows the second movie]] is Mycroft's [[spoiler:[[ArtificialGill oxygen breather]]]] that Holmes handles before the climax.
* Hitchcock's classic ''Film/DialMForMurder''. Nearly ''everything'' either mentioned or shown to the audience in the first half of the movie becomes vital to the protagonists figuring out Tony Wendiss's plot to have his [[ThePerfectCrime wife killed by someone he was blackmailing.]]
* In ''Film/MothersDay'', the weapons used are all introduced long before they are actually used.
* ''Film/TheComedyOfTerrors'': Before he went senile, Amaryllis' father would spend his fortune collecting rare artifacts and curios, ranging from statues to ornate weapons to suits of armor. These would all be used later in the climax as weapons.
* In ''Film/TheAggressionScale'', every single item that TrapMaster Owen will use in constructing his traps to battle the home invaders is seen when the family is moving into the house; often only for a few seconds.
* In ''Film/{{Preservation}}'', every item Wit uses as a weapon against the hunters is established as either being in the truck on the drive to the park, or she purchased when they stopped at the gas station.
* Done very skillfully in ''Film/ElevenFourteen'', where almost every background element or trivial action--from the burning book to Duffy's bowling ball--turns out to have a role in the resolution.
* Pretty much everything in ''Film/{{Exam}}'' comes into play later on, even a pencil!
* Many comedy directors make a ChekhovsGag or two. Polish comedies ''[[Film/TeddyBear Miś]]'' and ''Film/{{Vabank}}'' (also its sequel) have loads of funny or weird scenes that turn out vital to the plot later on.

* ''Literature/APrayerForOwenMeany'': Owen's height, voice, and strange complexion are all necessary attributes for him to have in order [[spoiler: to save the Vietnamese children. ]]

* The ''Literature/CommonwealthSaga'' uses this trope. Anything introduced at all will have some factor later on. ''Anything''. If not in that saga, then in ''The Void Trilogy'' (set a few thousand years after).
* Creator/BrandonSanderson:
** ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}''. Sweet CrystalDragonJesus. By the end of the third book, so many seemingly insignificant conversations, objects, and so on wind up being absurdly important. The biggest is probably [[spoiler:Vin's earring]] but there are many.
** The [[spoiler: Epigraphs at the start of each chapter]] form a continuous narrative that reveals a great deal of significant information about what's going to happen at the end of each book, but a large portion of readers totally miss it.
** Both ''Literature/{{Elantris}}'' and ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}},'' have fully stocked armories of their own.
** ''Literature/{{The Way Of Kings|2010}}'' is the first book of a [[Literature/TheStormlightArchive ten book series]] and has already had a number of Chekhov's Guns that were fired, and many other things that are probably loaded Chekhov's Guns that will fire in future books.

* Creator/MatthewReilly's books. If it gets mentioned, it will be important later on. No exceptions. This includes things like weapons, tools, notes, furniture, dead bodies, building layout, machinery, debris, idle conversation... His books aren't compared to Film/DieHard for nothing.
* A usual for the ''Literature/AlexRider'' series, except subverted in ''Snakehead'' when [[spoiler:the jungle survival belt gets taken away by the book's villain without it being used.]]
* ''Literature/{{Holes}}'' is a masterpiece of Chekhovian gunmanship. Onions, spiced peaches, foot odor cures, yellow-spotted lizards, and more all come back in some form in the second half of the book.
* ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle'', to the extent that you really have to read it three times to catch all the little details that end up being important. At the point that the narrator glosses over a ''shipwreck'' as irrelevant to his story, you realize how important all those little children's rhymes are.

* Creator/TerryPratchett is good at sneaking plot-relevant details into apparent throw-away gags, where we won't notice them until it's too late. ''Literature/LordsAndLadies'' is especially full of this: [[spoiler:almost every goofy detail of the kingdom described in the first half of the book is weaponized against the elves in the second half]].
* In ''Literature/TheDivineCities'', several items from the list of impounded miraculous items stashed away in the Unmentionable Warehouse are mentioned in passing, but become vitally important to the story later. The villains are using [[spoiler: a magical door]] to access the vault that contains more of said items, and they use [[spoiler:threads from a flying carpet to create a fleet of nigh untouchable airships]].
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' overlaps this at times with a [[{{Mithril}} literal]] [[ICallItVera armory]], along with a few other gifts given to the Fellowship along the way. Often, Tolkien drops a few hints about [[ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest how they'll come in handy]], but the way they're used is often unexpected. Maybe the most epic example is a set of knives that the four hobbits pick up at the beginning of the first book. [[spoiler:Merry helps kill the Witch-King with one of those knives, which were forged specifically to harm him.]]

* ''Series/{{Spooks}}'': In the episode "Love and Death", Danny and Zoe are sent to intercept a scientist, with a briefcase full of documents [[spoiler:and a false bottom containing the kit to assassinate him if that doesn't work.]]

* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' has an amazing arsenal; everything from the Dark One's dagger and a crypt full of still-beating hearts to the TrademarkFavoriteDrink of Clan Charming gets used in a plot-relevant fashion. Then again, we ''are'' dealing with writers from ''Series/{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'' and ''Series/{{Lost}}''. Most of Chekhov's Guns can be found in Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin's shop, as he [[CrazyPrepared he collects]] items that he knows could be extremely useful someday.
* ''Series/FridayNightDinner loves'' using this trope. If something is mentioned, be it a throwaway piece of dialog, a quick joke, or someone being talked about, then said things '''''will appear again''''' in the episode, no matter how mundane they may seem when you first see or hear whatever it was.

* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': The first episode of the last season begins with a flash-forward showing authorities seizing all the property from Saul's opulent mansion. As the camera zooms through the house, many objects appear briefly which make appearances or foreshadow important events throughout the rest of the season, such as a copy of ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'', a Graduation Owl [[Toys/BeanieBabies Beanie Baby]], the little black book, a framed painting of rolling hills, a Zafiro Añejo tequila bottle topper, and a garbage dumpster with a Saul Goodman standee in it.

* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' may be the archetypal video game example. If you are prompted to pick up an item, either in dialogue or in the narration, keep that item. It will almost certainly become necessary to complete any quests days down the line.
** The most notable gun in the armory is [[spoiler: the Bronze Sphere you obtain for Pharod in the first story quest of the game]]. You are not prompted to get it back later, but if you do, it will only eat up one inventory space until the very last scene before the final boss. At that point, it becomes priceless, [[spoiler: since it's a sensory stone containing memories of your first incarnation, granting you a boatload of experience and the ability to invoke the Mark of Torment]].
** Another big one is the Blade of the Immortal, a relatively weak weapon that is forged [[spoiler: from a drop of the Nameless One's own blood by Coaxmetal.]] It's entirely possible to miss getting it, and it's not necessary to complete the game, but if you do get it, [[spoiler: you can defeat the Transcendent One by threatening suicide since it's the only weapon in existence capable of permanently killing the Nameless One.]]
** The Nameless One's previous incarnations have a habit of leaving behind tidbits that help him along on his quest, whether deliberately or not. In particular, without the efforts of [[spoiler: the Practical Incarnation and the Paranoid Incarnation,]] it's unlikely that the Nameless One would be able to achieve his goal at all.

* In the Telltale Games ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'', items from previous episodes will often still be in your inventory. The only time something doesn't carry over is if it would completely change the way to solve a puzzle.

* The LACK of this trope in adventure games can lead to an EmptyRoomPsych when the players go crazy trying to figure out what the useless inventory item is meant for.
* While not revealed at the start, it's worth noting that to complete ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' (at least, the way it's [[GameplayDerailment meant to]] [[MinimalistRun be played]]) you must get every item and every spell in the game, which means you must get every MP upgrade as well. Some of these appear to be unnecessary until you've spent a lot of effort only to find it's impossible to progress. The game itself is so minimalist that there exist no more [[OneUp Link Dolls]] than you can hold at once.
* ''VideoGame/UltimaIX'' subverts this with Britain's Avatar Museum. It holds every puzzle-solving PlotCoupon in the history of the series, not one of which becomes relevant to this game.
* ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'': There are tonnes of hints about the true nature of [[spoiler: the Suul'ka]] littered in the lore. It looks so obvious in hindsight.
* This guy named Adam Miller who's the author of several pretty good ''Neverwinter Nights'' mods does that from time to time. (For example, an amulet that lets you speak to the dead, which you can buy from a fortuneteller towards the beginning of ''Dreamcatcher'', is necessary for solving a side quest in ''Dreamcatcher 3''. Also notable is a three-part rod which you need to hunt for the pieces of in the first three ''Dreamcatcher'' mods.)
* In ''Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist'', ''every single item'' you picked up had a use. Not only that, but if you tried combining an item with another item it didn't belong with or using it on yourself, you'd ''always'' receive a humorous response (in addition to several NonstandardGameOver instances).

* In ''VideoGame/TheJourneymanProject'', the Wire Cutters found on Mars are used to open the fire sprinkler box in Australia and short-circuit Mercury; the Retinal biochip obtained from said robot is used to pass a retinal scanner in NORAD VI, where you also need the Oxygen Mask from Mars; the Access Card Bomb, also from Mars, is used to breach the Caldoria Heights rooftop door; and Mercury's stun gun is used to neutralize the BigBad. The one RedHerring is the Gas Canister in NORAD, which causes a GameOver if taken.
%% * Even for an adventure game, the fourth game in the ''VideoGame/{{Deponia}}'' series, ''Doomsday Deponia'', is particularly bad about this. There are many, many, many minor details whose full implications only become apparent later (sometimes much, much later) in the game.

* ''Webcomic/MSPaintAdventures''--both ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth'' and ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''. Nearly every single item introduced becomes relevant to the plot or at least pops up again later. Hussie admits that a lot of his foreshadowing is done by going back and looking for stuff to make references to. He has ''also'' admitted to having at least one plot detail in store for a year.

* Practically literal with the showdown between [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] [[spoiler: and his alternates]] and Mechakara. Almost every weapon [[spoiler:barring Pokeball-captured Pyramid Head, which Linkara felt would just be too much in an already complicated battle]] from previous reviews is brought out, along with [[spoiler: Black Lantern Spoony and the rarely-seen Pollo.]]
%% * ''Literature/MotherOfLearning'' contains innumerable details in the early chapters whose importance only come to light many, many chapters later.

* Every episode of ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' has a scene where Jerry gifts the girls with various ShoePhone-style gadgets for their upcoming mission. All of these gadgets proceed to get used at least once each throughout the episode.
%% * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is legendary for its extensive usage of Chekhov's Gun. For just a few examples, in the first season, Katara's necklace, inherited from her mother and grandmother, provides a major catalyst when they reach the Northern Water Tribe, two episodes from the Season 1 finale, and someone who knew Katara's grandmother recognizes it. The "Day Of Black Sun" episodes have a whole army of Chekov's Gunmen, who bring together techniques and ideas seeded throughout the series up to that point. And even Uncle Iroh's favorite white lotus tiles end up paying off in a big way.
%% Editor's note: Could use a rewrite, this entry is too gushy and the examples lack context.
* ''WesternAnimation/LeroyAndStitch'' had Lilo's departing gifts to Stitch, Pleakley and Jumba. Stitch's gift was a tiki necklace which [[spoiler:allowed Lilo to identify Leroy as an imposter because he wasn't wearing it]]. Next was a rock given to Pleakley that was used to [[spoiler:disrupt the event horizon of a black hole that he, Stitch, and Jumba were hurtling into and allow them to escape]]. Finally, there was the Aloha 'Oe record given to Jumba which he used to [[spoiler:create a secret mechanism in Leroy that made him shut down if he (or his clones) heard it. This ends up leading to both a [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Crowning Moment]] and a SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic the end where Stitch, Lilo, [[strike:625]] Reuben, and a bunch of Stitch's cousins put on a concert to defeat the Leroy clone army at the end]].

* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers''. One episode has Brock Sampson going through the standard OSI mission tool kit and throwing away everything in it because they are either "gay, stupid, or never use them." Much like in the ''Dresden Files'' example above, large group scenes tend to introduce characters and plot points that become very significant later on, so it may at first seem like the writers are using this trope. They aren't. They've admitted when they're stuck they just go back and look at old episodes to find something to write about.

* Literal, but averted, in ''Film/TheFifthElement''. Corben Dallas has a retractable ceiling rack full of weapons by his door. But he only uses it to store guns he picks off of desperate and inept robbers; it is never mentioned again.

** All of the pieces of evidence found over the course of ''VideoGame/PoliceQuest: Open Season'''s storyline comes into use on the final day.

* ''Fanfic/AThingOfVikings'' is so riddled with Chekhov's Guns that the story's writer, athingofvikings, once joked joked in his Tumblr page that the story has gone from "Chekhov's Armory" to "Chekhov's Military-Industrial Complex".

** Right from the start with our protagonist Monkey '''D.''' Luffy’s mysterious initial, which was never remarked upon until a reader sent a postcard asking the author what it stood for, only to be told [[HandWave don’t worry about it for now]]. Hundreds of chapters later we learn there *is* some significance to it, hinting toward some sort of connection between Luffy and [[spoiler:the Pirate King Gol '''D.''' Roger and others who bear the initial, even if unrelated by blood]], but even after another 800+ chapters we’ve received no further info except confirmation it’s directly linked to the central mystery of the entire plot.
** The second earliest is Luffy's hat; in the anime, its importance isn't explained until after Zoro joins the crew, as opposed to chapter one in the manga. But after the TimeSkip about six hundred chapters later, it's revealed that Shanks treasured it so much because [[spoiler:he got it from his former captain, Pirate King Gold Roger]]. And then during the Reverie arc (''another'' 300 chapters later), we see a[[spoiler:nother straw hat, possibly giant-sized, lying frozen]] beneath the World Government’s headquarters, the significance of which has yet to be explained.

* The FinalBattle in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' is full of references to earlier events. Po is hard to acupuncture because of his fur/fat? [[spoiler:He's also immune to nerve attacks.]] Playing a ShellGame with chopsticks? [[spoiler:Repeated with stilts and pans to hide the MacGuffin.]] Po becomes more acrobatic when he's looking for food? [[spoiler:Also works if he just imagines he's doing that.]]

* The first ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' is absolutely riddled with these, with [[ConservationOfDetail almost everything significant]] in 1985 coming back in 1955; the last day Doc puts in the time circuits,[[note]]It is the day he came up with the flux capacitor, which Marty uses to win Past!Doc over.[[/note]] Marty's band wanting to play at the dance,[[note]]His guitar playing comes into effect when he plays at the 1955 dance.[[/note]] Jennifer's phone number,[[note]]Written on the otherwise unwanted note about the exact time the clocktower was struck[[/note]] and Lorraine's love story[[note]]Explains how Marty nearly erases himself and tells him how to make them fall in love again.[[/note]] are just a few examples of very important (but seemingly minor) details.

* ''Film/HotFuzz'': may have more so than ''Film/DieHard'', including two actual armouries. And a SeaMine.

* Every episode of''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' has a scene where Jerry gifts the girls with various ShoePhone-style gadgets for their upcoming mission. All of these gadgets proceed to get used at least once each throughout the episode.

%% * ''Fanfic/{{Fractured}}'', a ''Franchise/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[[spoiler:[=/=]VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'']] [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover crossover]] and its sequel, ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'', are loaded to the gills with this trope. That character/planet/technology/side-comment you barely remember? Yeah, its relevance is being revealed now, fifteen chapters later. May cross into internal ContinuityPorn.