History Main / InevitableWaterfall

* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonsLooniversity'': In "Spring Break," Hampton and Swetty Bird get stranded in the [[CanadaEh Yukon]], and at one point attempt to use a raft to travel south. It isn't long before they find themselves going over a waterfall.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'': It was actually how [[BigBad McCleach]] [[DisneyVillainDeath met his end]]. Chances are, he actually survived the falls, but [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile what was waiting for him at the bottom]] did him in. The heroes would have met their end this way, too, if not for [[GiantFlyer Marahute's]] timely intervention.

%%* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''

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* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Super Mario World|1991}}'' cartoon had an inevitable LAVA waterfall. Kind of fits with the PlatformGame source.
* Happens in the ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'' episode "Float Trippers" in which Raj rows the canoe at a rapid pace at an attempt to retrieve his floating retainer in the river, only for him and the other two Bean Scouts to encounter a waterfall as Raj attempts to reach for his retainer while hanging from a branch. Eventually, Raj chooses his friends over his retainer and hoists the two on the branch with him, only for the branch to snap, causing the Bean Scouts to fall down the waterfall, in which they emerge unscathed from later on.
* Candace encounters one in the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Phineas and Ferb's Hawaiian Vacation". [[IFellForHours She falls for at least ten seconds.]]
* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' in the episode "Wish You Weren't There". While Lucius is on a cruise, the boat hits a waterfall...which is so small it just rocks the boat a little. Then there are two more just like it, so Lucius doesn't worry about the fourth one...which is a big one.
* The WesternAnimation/{{Classic Disney Short|s}} featuring WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck as ''Commando Duck''. Unlike most of the examples in fiction, the waterfall's relevance doesn't end when Don falls over it: [[spoiler: Donald's raft gets caught and starts filling with water, swelling so massively that when it finally bursts it causes a flash-flood that wipes out a Japanese air-force base hidden in the jungle.]]
* ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'': Occasionally subverted. In a few episodes where the class finds themselves drifting down a river and you're expecting them to go over the waterfall, they actually come across rapids. Of course, that's not a whole lot better.

* In the "It's a Wonderful Nine Lives" episode of ''WesternAnimation/EekTheCat'', Eek is in the water with his blonde-haired pig friend during one of his AmusingInjuries. They go over a waterfall (much to Eek's cowardice) and the pig somehow disappears. Then Eek gets trapped inside a sewer and fortunately swims out of it.
* ''WesternAnimation/TazMania'': "Doubting Dingo" contains a ludicrously tall example, with Taz's fall almost veering into OverlyLongGag territory.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends,'' this almost happened to Toby when a flood washed away the bridge he was on.
* Some Disney shorts, where a huge waterfall is just downstream of where a whole bunch of people are skating on a frozen river.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Pinkie Apple Pie", the Apple family's trip to Goldie Delicious' house ends up taking a detour down a river. Sure enough, one wrong turn sends their raft over a waterfall.
** In "Sleepless In Ponyville", Rainbow Dash saves Scootaloo from one of these.
* In the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'', our heroes are ice-skating when Dr. Claw uses unseen technology to cut a small circle around them and then [[ComplexityAddiction remove all the ice except for the circle]], sending them adrift, towards a (perhaps somehow recently unfrozen) waterfall.
* In ''WesternAnimation/AroundTheWorldWithWillyFog'', the villainous Transfer gets swept over Niagara Falls while trying to follow Fog and his party across. His last words before going over are: "No-one's ever survived Niagara Falls!" However, he turns up in the next episode, still very much alive.
* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'': Parodied in "Tubin'". The Bears go over a waterfall after escaping a tribe of technology-hating hippies, but the waterfall turns out to only be about two feet high.
* Used in ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' episode "Polka Palace Party". To make it to the titular party on time, the Backyardigans, who are playing instruments at the party, ride a raft down a river. When they come to a waterfall, they make it off the raft in time. The instruments don't; however, they are eventually found and retrieved by [[DeusExMachina the Wormans]] who bring them to the Polka Palace safely.
* ''WesternAnimation/SagwaTheChineseSiameseCat'': When Sagwa and Bei-Hu race each other, they fall into a river that leads to a waterfall.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}:'' While exploring through a primeval jungle, Lloyd and Princess Harumi are attacked by a giant lobster creature, which suddenly breaks off as the river they're on becomes much rougher. Soon enough, they find themselves going over a giant waterfall, at the bottom of which is the place they were looking for.

* In William King's ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' Literature/SpaceWolf novel ''Wolfblade'', when Ragnor and Haegr escape a {{Cult}} by swimming in an underground river, they go over a waterfall.
* The UsefulNotes/NiagaraFalls themselves show up in Creator/JulesVerne's novel ''Master Of The World''. Two torpedo ships chase a mysterious vehicle, called the ''Terror'', across Lake Erie, until they corner it before the falls. Instead of either letting the ships catch or sink the ''Terror'', or perishing by being dragged down the falls, the vehicle's inventor and captain [[TakeAThirdOption takes a third option]]: [[spoiler: The Terror spreads its wings and flies away.]]
* In ''Literature/TheBeyonders,'' Jason's first encounter in the world of Lyrian is with a band who are floating down a raft toward a waterfall... [[SuicidePact by their own choice.]] He attempts to save them anyway. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Things go downhill--in the most literal fashion--soon after.]]

* In ''[[Literature/{{Spellsinger}} The Hour of the Gate]]'', also by Foster, Jon-Tom's party only survive the Inevitable Waterfall because [[spoiler: the wizard Clothahump levitates their boat]] over the Helldrink. This was even more harrowing than most examples, as they were on a subterranean river with no way to change course or land, and were being pursued by an EldritchAbomination at the time.
* In ''Snakehead'', seventh installment in Anthony Horowitz's ''Literature/AlexRider'' series, Alex steals a float and oar from a seaplane, and uses them to form a kayak. He then navigates through treacherous rapids [[spoiler:and tries to avoid a marksman aiming at him from a helicopter,]] and only after getting through this does he tumble down the 50-yard high Bora Falls...and, being the protagonist, survives. This is not the first time that it is made blindingly obvious that the kid is BornLucky, nor is it the last.
* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' series, this happens in ''Moonrise''. The traveling Clan cats end up having trouble in bad weather, fall into a mountain stream, and go over a waterfall, landing in a pool of water at the bottom. Fortunately, there is a Tribe of cats that lives in a CaveBehindTheFalls, so even though the Clan cats are pretty battered, they are able to recover because the Tribe takes them in for a little while.
* Hera's Step, an enormous and well-known waterfall in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice''. [[NonActionGuy Jerin's]] kidnappers were planning to take the boat through a series of locks to go ''around'' said waterfall and continue downstream, but when he and [[ActionGirl Cira]] got loose and started wreaking havoc, well... Cira calculated that they couldn't swim to shore and it would be better to stay on the ship for the plunge. This would have killed him if there hadn't been people around to fish him out, though, and it does kill those of the kidnappers who hadn't died during the escape.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (both book and [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing movies]]), [[spoiler:Boromir]]'s funeral consists of putting him in a boat and letting it fall over the Falls of Rauros. "The River of Gondor will take care at least that no evil creature dishonors his bones."

* One pops up in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' novel ''Literature/{{IQ}}''. {{Lampshaded}}, of course, by the ever GenreSavvy Q, who has seen enough B-movies to know it's coming.
* Happens repeatedly in ''{{Literature/Redwall}}''. In one case, a hare asks the shrews how often they go through that, only to learn that was the first time they'd done it.
* In ''Literature/AspergerSunset'', Baldy throws Russ off a bridge just upriver of a dam. Russ fails to get to shore on time, but manages with difficulty to get through a sluice without dying.
* ''Literature/KattLovesDogg'': When Oscar decides to doggy paddle across the raging river between the katt and dogg zones, he gets washed away in the rapids and comes close to falling off a waterfall. Luckily Molly manages to pull him out.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* An episode of ''Series/{{Rentaghost}}'' had Mr. and Mrs. Meeker narrowly avoid going over UsefulNotes/NiagaraFalls. In ''[[ArtisticLicenseGeography England]]''.
* Seen in the opening credits of ''Series/LandOfTheLost1974''.

* In ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon'', when Flash, Dale, and Thun are swept away in an underground river. To be sure, that was just after escaping a monster's open maw.

* ''Pinball/CactusCanyon'' has DamselInDistress Miss Polly going over a waterfall while tied to a log.

* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar 2'' - While underground and headed towards Nexus, Marcus and Dom are riding a commandeered Locus Gunboat. Of course, there's a waterfall, which prompts Marcus to shout "You've got to be kidding me!"

* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' has an interactive challenge involving one of these on a log rushing towards a waterfall
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: VideoGame/ModernWarfare 2'' has one [[spoiler: at the finale, when you are chasing Gen Shepherd's helicopter in a Zodiac raft. Made doubly badass because you could have escaped going over, but you and Price deliberately stayed in order to take the killer shots.]]
* The second stage of ''VideoGame/TheCrystalOfKings'' have you crossing a river via a raft, and after fighting off the hostile LizardFolk and assorted wildlife that attacks, you then come across an incoming waterfall. You don't suffer any health loss despite the steep drop, however.
* ''VideoGame/{{Exile}}'': Warns you shortly before a '''long''' series of them. The final set is multiple in a row. You are pre-warned, but, by then, you've long since crossed the PointOfNoReturn. All they do is take away your food, though. The party remains unharmed.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Arcade Game'', this causes the unconsciousness that leads to level 6, Dreamland.
* Can potentially happen in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' if you decide to swim around in its rivers.
* In the ''VideoGame/SkyOdyssey'' level "Over the Falls" the player has to fly over a series waterfalls in order to find the hidden ruins at the source of the river. On the way back down the seaplanes engine catches on fire, forcing you to land on the river. Once there you get washed over the edge of all the waterfalls you just passed. The player has to pull up and glide over the rocks at the bottom of each fall. 
* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuest II'', after TheMaze, you end up in an underground river. One fork leads to a waterfall, which kills you, the other to a [[MegaMaelstrom whirlpool]], which is the proper exit.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Despite the entire world being rimmed by a waterfall as the ocean pours into... whatever's below Weyard, your boat treats waterfalls as impassible barriers, [[spoiler:even once it gets wings.]] The closest thing to a literally Inevitable Waterfall happens in the ice-floored levels, where your character tries running in place (then in midair) as they slide towards the drop.
* ''Videogame/TheBannerSaga2'' has one early on. Significant, because the waterfall wasn't there when they initially planned the route, but was a consequence of the world splitting apart, and thus preventing them from making easy sailing to the capital. You can get your boats to the bank just in time - a long as you aren't weighed down with refugees.
* ''VideoGame/{{Deadpool}}'' has a [[DoubleSubvertedTrope double subversion]]. Deadpool, floating in a small boat, sees one coming up and is ready for the inevitable... only for the boat to drop a couple of feet. Deadpool is immediately relieved that it was such a comically small drop... only to see the significantly larger waterfall he'll plummet down in a few moments.
* ''VideoGame/SpellingJungle'': Played with. Both games feature a waterfall, but it's at the ''head'' of the river, and Wali is starting from ''downriver''. Once he reaches the base of the waterfall, he then has to climb up the mountain that it's on to find the cause of the Mighty Spelling River's flooding.
* Discussed in ''VideoGame/Persona2'' when Lisa complains that the river boat ride is kind of boring, prompting Eikichi to ask her if she wants to see a huge waterfall "like in the movies". Unfortunately, the team is currently in an EldritchLocation where thoughts become true, so the waterfall ''actually shows up'' as soon as he says that.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** ''VideoGame/MarioParty6'': The minigame Daft Rafts starts with all four characters trying to cross a bridge over a river, then the bridge breaks and they fall onto a series of rafts that are being dragged by the river into a waterfall. The objective, thus, is to jump onto the incoming rafts (and other objects like trunks, sideway-moving wooden platforms and the like) to run against the direction of the river to avoid falling onto the abyss. Some of the objects have Spinies (if it's day) or Lava Bubbles (if it's night) boarding it, which must be avoided as well. When only one character remains, the minigame ends and that player wins; but if the last remaining characters fall down (or touch the enemies) at the same time, then the minigame ends in a tie.
** ''VideoGame/MarioParty9'': In Time Attack, the player character's canoe triumphantly jumps off a waterfall after clearing all ten minigames.
** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar'': In one of the jungle levels, aptly named ''Long Fall Falls'', Mario has to ride a raft on rapids while pursued by a giant [[FiendishFish Cheep Chomp]]... until the raft plummets down a waterfalls (the Cheep Chomp, somewhat, merely ''flies'' away during the fall). Thankfully, both Mario and his raft end up unharmed.

* In ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'', it's a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin pusfall.]]

%%* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "Mars University".
%%* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''
%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheWaterbendingScroll "The Waterbending Scroll"]]: Although Aang and Katara manage to stop the boat at the top of the falls with their new waterbending skills, pirates are giving chase in Zuko's boat and crash into it, sending both boats over. Luckily, Appa arrives in time to catch the Gaang as they fall. The boats in question had [[FridgeLogic somehow traveled up the same river from the sea earlier, with no mention of how they got up the waterfall in the first place]].

* Shana dealt with this trope in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'' episode, 'Last Resorts'.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop''
* From a short on ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'':
-->'''Jelly's Sister''': Hey big brother, what's that?
-->'''Jelly''': Oh, just a cliché waterfall that [[LampshadeHanging usually appears in these situations]].
* Shows up in the ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "Gimme Gimme Never Ed". The Eds get dumped in the creek after Ed eccidentally drops a [[TermiteTrouble jar of termites]], which devored the tree instantly. Afterwards, they almost immediately go over a waterfall.
* Shows up in ''WesternAnimation/RaceForYourLifeCharlieBrown''. Given that this is during a camp-sponsored raft race, the possibility of this happening to a bunch of young children who are rafting without adult supervision makes this an even more egregious example of AdultsAreUseless than is usually present in ''Peanuts'' cartoons.
* Occurs quite often on ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''. Usually, a character is in a motorboat that won't start until it goes over the falls. If it does and the character manages to escape, chances are there's ''another'' waterfall at the other end of the river.
* In the Hasty But Tasty episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheAntAndTheAardvark'' this was averted and then inverted when the aardvark, on a motorcycle, falls over a cliff into a river. He restarted the bike at the last possible moment to do a miracle 180... only to fall off the other waterfall behind him.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In the episode "Parent Hoods" Timmy and the fairies visit Niagara Falls, making it even more inevitable than normal.
* In one sketch on ''WesternAnimation/TheMrMenShow'', Mr. Stubborn goes over one, but he thinks he's going to a calm stream.
** In another sketch, Mr. Bump goes over one.

* ''Film/WithoutAPaddle'': The trio take off into the river but are unable to read the damaged map, causing them to go the wrong way. They go over a waterfall, and although they survive, their canoe is destroyed.
* ''Film/TheWrongGuys'': The scouts build a raft to escape downriver, but an attack from Duke separates Tim from the group. He ends up surfing part of the raft down a waterfall, fulfilling a prophecy made earlier by his psychic girlfriend about a "wave that never ends."

%%* The ''Film/MrMagoo'' movie.

* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'':
** Averted in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', probably because they'd already fallen off a ''mountain'' while in their raft moments before landing in the river.
** ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'' actually has ''three'' of them, one right after another. Verges on an OverlyLongGag.
* In ''Film/AceVentura: When Nature Calls'', Ace is tied, along with his Capuchin monkey Spike, to a log-raft that Ace deduces is going over said waterfall. The monkey escapes from the ropes and is about to free Ace, then changes his mind and jumps to shore while he still can, leaving Ace to go over the edge.
* In the first ''Film/HomewardBoundTheIncredibleJourney'', Sassy goes over the Inevitable Waterfall after the [[BridgeLogic log bridge]] she was trying to cross broke underneath her because she didn't want to cross further up the river where the currents are light because [[CatsHateWater she hates getting wet.]]
%%* ''Literature/TheOdyssey''.
* Used tragically in ''Film/TheMission''. With the DistantReactionShot of the denouement providing the art for the {{Film Poster|s}} and the cover art for the Music/EnnioMorricone [[CultSoundtrack soundtrack album]].
* ''Film/AnacondasTheHuntForTheBloodOrchid'', where the boat somehow manages to go over a waterfall while heading ''up'' the river.
* As Dutch escapes the alien hunter in ''Film/{{Predator}}'', he ends up on a river which takes him to a waterfall.
* ''Film/GiveMyRegardsToBroadStreet'', during the "Eleanor's Dream" sequence.
%%* ''Film/CatCity''
%%* Creator/BusterKeaton's ''Film/OurHospitality''.
* Subverted at the end of the Creator/BusterKeaton comedy ''Film/TheBalloonatic''. When the characters' canoe, newly outfitted with a simple canopy, reaches a waterfall's edge, it [[spoiler:continues moving in the same direction despite gravity. A long shot reveals that what looked like a canopy was just the bottom of a newly-repaired hot-air balloon]].
%%* ''Film/PoliceAcademy4CitizensOnPatrol''.
* ''Film/EvanAlmighty''. A real trick, considering it involves an ark and a flood. Oh, and {{God}}.
* Probably justified in ''Film/{{Apocalypto}}'', as Jaguar Paw knew it was there and could well have headed there intentionally.
%%* ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider''
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfMiloAndOtis'' is about a kitten who gets too curious for his own good and climbs in a box floating down the river, only to be washed away down into a waterfall and [[IWillFindYou the rest is history]].
* The ending of ''Film/PureLuck''. The missing heiress [[spoiler: and one of the guys sent to find her]] drift down river toward what looks like a ''huge'' waterfall.
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'' this scene appears to pop up, [[AvertedTrope but it's okay, they're just banking at The Gates of Argonath]].
** When [[spoiler:Frodo and Samwise]] paddle across the lake, there doesn't even seem to be a current moving toward the falls! (Ignoring the text of [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings the book]], which specifically says they're fighting the current all the way.)
* The climax of the 1953 film ''Film/{{Niagara}}'', in which the heroine is stuck on a boat moving inexorably toward the lip of the titular waterfall with the mentally unstable AntiVillain. [[spoiler:He pulls a RedemptionEqualsDeath by helping her climb out onto a rock before he plunges lethally over the edge.]]

* The heroes almost go over one in ''Film/JungleCruise'' because Frank gets distracted messing with Lily and misses the correct turn.

* A downplayed example in ''Film/ChristopherRobin'' comes when Christopher Robin (now a grownup) sees Eeyore floating in the river heading for the waterfall. He attempts to dive in to rescue him, only to find the water comes up to his shins and the "waterfall" is knee-high at best. He realizes that the river isn't as scary or dangerous as it was when he was a kid because, well, he's not a kid anymore.

* The main character in ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'' narrowly avoids going over one or two of these.
* Played with in ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'': As the Dalton brothers are about to fall into one, Jack ([[ThoseTwoGuys or is it William?]]) tells Joe not to worry, that in such situations the characters are always saved in the nick of time. In fact, nobody comes to the Daltons' rescue, and they fall over. Of course, they make it.

* ''ComicBook/XMen Unlimited'' #4 features an inevitable waterfall... [[TheMountainsOfIllinois on the lower Mississippi]].

* In ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'', the cover story of [[https://www.comics.org/issue/212772/cover/4/ LiFE with Archie v1 #135]] has Chuck about to sail over a waterfall.

* In ''Fanfic/OliviaGoesWest'', a crossover between ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' and ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'', the bad guys devise a plan to [[HeKnowsTooMuch get rid of]] the {{snooping little kid}}s Fievel Mousekewitz and Olivia Flaversham by trapping them on Fievel's secret raft, sending them down the dangerous currents of Green River without oars and [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident making it sound like they couldn't be saved in time]]. As the children go down the rapids, Fievel is too shocked to do anything because of his resurfaced [[ContinuityNod bad memories about being swept to the Atlantic Ocean]], forcing Olivia to keep the raft from hitting the rocks all by herself. Inevitably, they fall down a waterfall that's fifteen feet high (but for mice children like them, it might as well be fifty feet), but fortunately they survive. When [[GreatDetective Basil]] investigates the place and finds proof that the children survived, he concludes that their small size and light weight allowed them to avoid hitting the rocks below the water.
* When a bridge is blown up in chapter 9 of ''Fanfic/AnAstralDropInHeatherfield'', Susan, Peter and Hope wind up in the river. Inevitably there's a waterfall.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13887970/1/The-Brother-s-Grimm The Brother's Grimm]]'', [[OriginalCharacter Bernard]] saves a man trapped in a car from going over one of these.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* This trope turns up quite often in the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon:
** ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'' features this when Jafar reveals Iago's betrayal, just as an added GutPunch for Iago, who was genuinely warming up to Aladdin.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'', with [[CasualDangerDialogue massively deadpan]] LampshadeHanging as outlined in the page quote. They go over, and Kuzco screams "BOOOOO-YAAAAAA!" on the way [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhOrxkGlLDM down.]]
** ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'': It was actually how [[BigBad McCleach]] [[DisneyVillainDeath met his end]]. Chances are, he actually survived the falls, but [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile what was waiting for him at the bottom]] did him in. The heroes would have met their end this way, too, if not for [[GiantFlyer Marahute's]] timely intervention.
** In ''[[WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day]]'', Piglet and Owl end up heading toward one of these while [[ItMakesSenseInContext floating on a chair]]. Owl is so busy [[OldWindbag telling Piglet a story]] that he's oblivious to the latter's attempts to warn him. (''He'' can fly and therefore has nothing to worry about.) Fortunately, the chair ends up catching on a tree root.
** ''WesternAnimation/FunAndFancyFree'': Bongo and Lumpjaw go over one during their final confrontation. [[spoiler: Thankfully, Bongo survives.]]
** WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} willingly went over a cascading waterfall in her canoe during "[[IWantSong Just Around the Riverbend]]".
** In ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', the main characters are carried over an Inevitable Cliff by an avalanche. It's essentially identical to an Inevitable Waterfall scene.
*** ''WesternAnimation/MulanII'' plays it straight, resulting in the most obvious DisneyDeath of all time.
** Occurs in ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'' with Max and Goofy [[MoodWhiplash after a long father-son talk]].
--->'''Goofy:''' Ah-hyuck. A waterfall. ({{Beat}}.) '''[[OhCrap WATERFALL?!?!]]'''
** ''Franchise/DisneyFairies'' ''The Great Fairy Rescue'' has this while Vidia is leading the other fairies to rescue Tinker Bell.
---> '''Fawn:''' Guys, we're heading straight for a waterfall!
---> '''Bobble:''' Great pollywogs! We have to make a turn. Ease the sheets and get ready to jibe.
---> '''Vidia, Rosetta, Silvermist, Iridessa, Fawn:''' (Confused) What?

* After Jane falls in the river in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan 2013}}'', she is swept over one and Tarzan follows in an attempt to save her.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur'', [[spoiler: Arlo and Spot]] go over a waterfall [[spoiler: during the climax; [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt since this is a Disney/Pixar film]], they survive]].

%%* ''Film/WithoutAPaddle''. Also in the sequel.
%%* ''Film/{{Bushwhacked}}''
%%* ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle''
%%* ''Film/TheWrongGuys''

* ''Film/AceVenturaWhenNatureCalls''. Ace is tied, along with his Capuchin monkey Spike, to a log-raft that Ace deduces is going over said waterfall. The monkey escapes from the ropes and is about to free Ace, then changes his mind and jumps to shore while he still can, leaving Ace to go over the edge.

** ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'': Originally, there was going to be a scene involving one, but it was deleted. You can still see it on the DVD. Removed with good reason, as ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'' [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0035.html points out]].

* ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'': [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0035.html #35]] Qui-Gon, Obi-wan and Jar-jar, after traveling though the [[AlienGeometry underwater core of Naboo]], only to emerge right in front of one. It even links to this very page! The notes for the comic point out that this is actually based on a DeletedScene from the movie.
** [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0207.html Here]] it quotes the quote at the top.

* Seen in the opening credits of ''Series/LandOfTheLost''.

* Used in ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' episode "Polka Palace Party". To make it to the titular party on time, the Backyardigans, who are playing instruments at the party, ride a raft down a river. When they come to a waterfall, they make it off the raft in time. The instruments don't; however, they are eventually found and retrieved by the Wormans who bring them to the Polka Palace safely.

'''Kuzco:''' ''[[BringIt [beat] Bring it on.]]''

'''Kuzco:''' ''[beat] Bring it on.''

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', Mr. Incredible gets thrown over a waterfall.

* The ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'' cartoon had an inevitable LAVA waterfall. Kind of fits with the PlatformGame source.

* Used in ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' episode "Polka Palace Party". To make it to the titular party on time, the Backyardigans, who are playing instruments at the party, ride a raft down a river. When they come to a waterfall, they make it off the raft in time. The instruments don't.

* In ''Fanfic/ThisBites'', the Straw Hats encounter one in Chapter 9 as part of random Grand Line madness.
** The rescue team encounters one in Chapter 29 on the way to the Ordeal of Balls, as in canon. Cross sees it coming, of course.

'''Su:''' ''[whimpering]'' I hate you, Cross.\\

* Shows up in the ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' episode "Gimme Gimme Never Ed". The Eds get dumped in the creek after one of Eddy's thrill rides goes awry, and almost immediately go over a waterfall.

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' has an example in the episode "Selfless and Senseless! Pursuit Through the Labyrinth!" of Slayers TRY. In the river pursuit of Jillas's boat, the protagonists are forced down a waterfall on Gourry's makeshift raft, while Jillas escapes to a cave after descending the waterfall in a wooden barrel. A subtle nod is made by the protagonists about how typical the situation at hand has become.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Return of Jafar}}'' features this when Jafar reveals Iago's betrayal, just as an added GutPunch for Iago, who was genuinely warming up to Aladdin.

%%* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''

* ''ComicBook/XMen Unlimited'' #4 features an inevitable waterfall... [[CriticalResearchFailure on the lower Mississippi!]]

* An episode of ''Series/{{Rentaghost}}'' had Mr. and Mrs. Meeker narrowly avoid going over UsefulNotes/NiagaraFalls. In ''[[CriticalResearchFailure England]]''.

* In ''[[Literature/{{Spellsinger}} The Hour of the Gate]]'', also by Foster, Jon-Tom's party only survive the InevitableWaterfall because [[spoiler: the wizard Clothahump levitates their boat]] over the Helldrink. This was even more harrowing than most examples, as they were on a subterranean river with no way to change course or land, and were being pursued by an EldritchAbomination at the time.