History Main / LetsSplitUpGang

* In ''VideoGame/TheSandman'', PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo [[VideoGame/TheCrookedMan David]] keeps telling Sophie they should stick together. However, she insists on splitting up, such as saying he can't come check Loren Catholic with him because it's a [[OneGenderSchool all-girls academy]] or that they'll cover more ground if they're exploring different areas.

* The game ''VideoGame/SweetHome'' more or less enforces this as a game mechanic. You have five playable characters who can either work independently of one another or team up, but even then the largest team size is three. While it is usually possible (if a little tedious) to keep everyone together, there are going to be times when splitting up will be required to get through certain areas.

** Parodied in ''TheIntercontinentalUnionOfDisgustingCharacters'':
--->'''Wierd Dough:''' "Great, they've split up."\\
'''Everybody else:''' "Oh no! They can do more damage that way!"

* Played with in ''NecessaryMonsters'', when Gravehouse's team splits up to investigate the inside of a warehouse. Said team is made up of: a [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Vorhees]]-type SerialKiller, a [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]]-style dream killer, a Bloody Mary-like murderous revenant, and an EldritchAbomination in a human-shaped tux. They're the terrors here.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'' arcs, this happens from time to time when the Straw Hats are breaking into their destination. In the Alabasta arc, the crew splits up to act as decoys to engage the Baroque Works Officer Agents so that Vivi can stop the rebellion. In the Skypiea arc, they split into two groups- one to find the gold and one to get the Merry to a place where the gold team can meet it to escape, but as a result of a variety of happenings related to the Survival Game (like Eneru attacking the Merry and a snake causing the gold team to get separated), this doesn't work out as they expect and the crew ends up separated until the climax. In the Enies Lobby arc, the crew is forced to split up to fight the [=CP9=] agents who hold the keys to Robin's handcuffs. In the Sabaody Archipelago Arc, Luffy has his crew split up when the enemies that arrive prove too strong for them, but [[spoiler: after Kizaru cuts off their escape, Kuma appears and sends all the Straw Hats to separate islands]].

* The [[LaxiusForce Laxius Power/Laxius Force]] [=RPGs=] are very fond of this, under the pretext that some {{Applied Phlebotinum}}s must be activated at the same time.

* The [[LaxiusForce Laxius Power/Laxius Force]] [=RPGs=] are very fond of this, under the pretext that some {{Applied Phlebotinum}}s must be activated at the same time.

* In ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'', the two main characters split up: one goes to find the BigBad while the other hides the MacGuffin. This is lampshaded in the commentary section of the DVD where one of the writers jokes that they made a classic horror-movie mistake.

-->-- ''TheAngryBeavers''

* In ''{{Summoner}}'', there is a part of the plot which requires Flece to act alone. Then it's Flece and Joseph, then Flece, Joseph and Rosalind, then the whole party again. Later there's a point where Jekhar and Rosalind have to fight alone; they're typically the least leveled, so I suggest level grinding here.
** In ''{{Summoner 2}}'', there are a couple of plotlines which require you to split up the party. You need to split up into pairs to activate switches at one point, and in the final dungeon the party splits up into pre-ordained groups to follow different enemies.

* The trope is averted hard in schools that have young children. Children are typically never allowed to go anywhere by themselves except for the bathroom or if they have to give another teacher or faculty member something. Field trips make it more apparent since a child that goes missing can create a massive problem for the school, which is why some children are paired up with another child before the trip starts.

* Played absolutely straight in ''GhostStory'' by PeterStraub. Heroes enter evil house, decide they need to split up for very minor reasons, and things go badly. A tiny lampshade is hung, but it's still ''idiotic.''

* ''SepterraCore'' splits your 9 characters into 3 teams in the final dungeon, without letting you choose team members. Conveniently, the characters that hate each other are together. This editor has never played through the final area without doing the "make these people stop killing each other" {{sidequest}}s, so it may or may not be extremely annoying, depending on whether they still do that. This is also the only time in the game where you can have a party without the main character, Maya.

* In ''ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Him Diddle Riddle," one of Him's riddles requires the girls to head for Chinatown and answer a ringing pay phone in a three-minute timeframe. Blossom has the three split up and take the most convenient route to the phone with the first there to answer it. Blossom hitches a ride with an 18-wheeler, Bubbles takes a bus then a pony, and Buttercup takes the subway.

* Lampshaded by Daniel Jackson in the ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}'' episode [=The Tomb=]:
--> '''Maj. Vallarin''': wait here.\\
'''Jackson''': yes, you go down the dark hallway, alone, and I'll wait here in a dark room, alone.

** In fact, the first time this happens, Ramza is paired off against [[spoiler:Gafgarion]], who you will recall, has strong long range attacks. The only feasible way to beat him (barring excessive LevelGrinding before the battle) is to reunite with the party on the other end of the board by raising the portcullis on the city gate.

** "[[http://darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0436.html Wonderful. First session of a new adventure and we've already split the party into four groups.]]" [[hottip: : "More if I can't get this lift stopped"]] "[[SerialEscalation And we only have three players!]]"

** ''MassEffect'' would appear to be the exception. You're never limited in your choice of party [[spoiler: if they're still alive, and at least one will be dead by the end of the game]] and they stick to you like glue up to and including the final showdown with the BigBad.

** Also, earlier in the game, you are [[ButThouMust forced]] to load every crew member who can fight onto a shuttle to go on some ill-defined mission, leaving Joker to fend for himself as the rest of the crew are abducted by the Collectors.

* In ''RainbowSix'', the team is split up in the last four missions; one team goes to Sydney to prevent a bio-terrorism attack on the Olympics, while the other goes to Brazil to capture the people responsible.

* The Final Fantasy-style RPG ''LordOfTheRingsTheThirdAge'' has this. Late in the game, your party splits to defend a certain City. The division couldn't be worse: on one team you have the party leader with immunity to fear, huge combo attacks and tons of HitPoints; the devistating SquishyWizard and the blasty, buffing dwarf. On the other team you have the rogue with no armor and half as many HP as everyone else, the Ranger who does piercing damage which made him useful against goblins and no one else, and the guy with the spear who actually gives enemies Mana when he hits them and has a few permanent buffs that are usually dispelled by enemy casters in the first round. Also, since the latter three are so lame, you probably won't use them any longer that you have to, so they're a good five levels behind everyone else, too.

* The game ''SweetHome'' more or less enforces this as a game mechanic. You have five playable characters who can either work independently of one another or team up, but even then the largest team size is three. While it is usually possible (if a little tedious) to keep everyone together, there are going to be times when splitting up will be required to get through certain areas.