History Main / LetsSplitUpGang

* The original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' (and 2002's Remake) has a prime example of this in Jill's scenario; Not content with having Chris and Wesker disappear within the first 5 minutes, Jill and Barry decide it's a ''great'' idea to split up, despite being stuck in a mansion in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, just after having seen a zombie eating another team-mate.

* 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.
* ''VideoGame/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, which can make combats much more difficult due to in-fighting. This is also the only time in the game where you can have a party without the main character, Maya.

* In ''VideoGame/{{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.

** ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ'' gives a unique twist on this. After splitting up one half of your party winds up allying with a rogue faction and viewing the other half as enemies. As a result the next time they encounter each other they wind up battling them. The main character selected at the beginning of the game decides which side the player is on. The more rebellious Rand will go with the rogues, while the meeker and more obidient Setsuko will stay will the initial group.

* Happens multiple times in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. You, the player character, actually choose who goes with whom, and your decisions affect your RelationshipValues with your party members.
** In the Tower of Mana, the party leaves half the party on the switches in the lobby and takes the rest through a door. In the Palmacosta Ranch, the player forms two parties, as a result of needing to deactivate the security at the end of the ranch where the prisoners are being kept to reach Kvar. In the Iselia ranch, the player forms two groups- one to rescue the prisoners and one to stop the reactor, because they are short on time due to [[spoiler:the Great Seed going out of control]], and the player does not control the party that frees the prisoners.

* Depending on your decisions in ''VideoGame/TriangleStrategy'', [[spoiler:specifically if you're on the best ending route, your party (max. 30 characters) will need to split into 3 teams of up to 10 units each in order to deal with Aesfrost, decimate the Hyzante army, and liberate the Rosellan slaves at the same time]].

** After Sam and Mike find Josh, Sam decides to climb up a rocky outcrop while Mike and Josh decides to take the long way around back to the lodge due to Josh's injured leg and cannot climb.

* This is the core mechanic in ''VisualNovel/WeKnowTheDevil'': each hour you choose which two characters to pair off, and whoever is excluded the most [[spoiler:is possessed by the devil.]] In order to get the true ending you have to [[spoiler:make sure everyone is excluded equally.]]

** ''VideoGame/WildARMs3'' also had this happen at one point. It was because the rest of the group had left Clive behind to [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan get his shit together]] and then fell into a trap. Clive then plays the role of the [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Hero]] and rescues them. However, they remain split-up for pretty much the rest of the dungeon, swapping between Clive and the party to solve switch puzzles.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} Episode I'', The gang splits into two in the Encephalon. This comes as a major shock to players who have been neglecting certain characters.
* The people trapped by Zero in each of the ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' games are repeatedly forced to split up to go down separate paths. Justified and enforced - only 3-5 people can go through a door at any one time, and those who can go through a door are governed by Digital Roots and their numeric bracelets. Also, if anyone passes through a door they didn't help open with their bracelets, or leave those who helped them open behind (as [[spoiler:The 9th Man]] did), they ''will'' be killed [[WhyAmITicking by the detonators in their watches]]!
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'': After Cia brings forth the multiple areas from different eras to the main world, the Hyrulean Forces split up into three armies to deal with the problem on three separate fronts. Impa and Sheik head to the era of the Hero of Time, Lana heads to the era of Twilight, and Link heads to the era of the Sky.
* ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'' has a villainous example. Combined, the Intoners can easily fend off Mikhail's attacks. But they go and live in different regions so they can rule the continent more efficiently...and because they hate each other.
* Two examples of this of ''VideoGame/TokyoXanadu'':
** In the final dungeon of Chapter 7, the party splits into two groups of four, with Kou and [[spoiler:Gorou]] leading one group and Asuka or Mitsuki leading the other one.
** In TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, there are four paths that lead through the dungeon, leading the party to divide into four pairs. Kou and Asuka are the pair that go through the final leg of the area, but the rest can be paired up in any way.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyThe4HeroesOfLight'': the eponymous four heroes split into two groups after a staggering, ooh, one battle together, with half staying together to figure out the source of the curse on Horne, the others going to Liberte. Then they split ''further'', with heroes blundering off alone due to impatience, guilt, or good old-fashioned stupidity. One character gets left behind by someone skulking out of the inn early in the morning, two towns ''in a row''.

* ''VideoGame/MegaMari'' Has the two heroes split up before the third stage of Patchouli's castle/library. There's no apparent reason for this, however.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:'' In the first Vault Ryder finds, Peebee decides she's going to go off on her own. Should Liam be in the party, he'll quip "ten credits says she ends up in a pit full of spikes." She doesn't.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
*** There's a minor instance during the FinalBattle, when the Warden and three party members go after the Archdemon, the rest stay behind to HoldTheLine. When the Warden approaches Fort Drakon, the control [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent suddenly shifts to the party members you left behind]] and you have to repel a wave of Darkspawn at the city gates (it is also notable for being the last instance when you see [[spoiler:Morrigan]]).
*** There's another part were the protagonist is captured, and you're presented with two options: Break out yourself, or select two companions to control and break you out in TheInfiltration. Choosing the latter will lead to several of the funniest moments in the game, like Oghren and Sten's circus act, as well as ''every'' other bluffing attempt.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'', while exploring a massive underground structure on Eos, Peebee (who hasn't officially joined the party at that point) suggests that you split up to cover more ground. Ryder has the option of suggesting that she doesn't watch enough horror movies.
--->'''Liam''': Ten credits says she ends up in a pit of spikes.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' does it for the first half of the game. At first, the five original party members are split up. They come together for a while, just in time to receive their magic powers together. A short walk later, one stays back [[YouShallNotPass to protect his girlfriend]]. The other four manage one BossBattle together before going their separate ways over a difference in opinion over their [[BecauseDestinySaysSo Focus]]. The guy who staid back is then met by the [[SixthRanger sixth party member]], who meet up with one of the pairs, only to switch partners but remain split up. When they finally manage to get together, they then go to rescue the last pair who got captured. Control bounces around the groups so you get to play all of them. Basically, as a result of this, you can't actually pick your party members until roughly 3/4 of the way through chapter 9 (of 13).

** This happens very frequently, usually 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]].
** Happens especially repeatedly in the Dressrosa arc due to several circumstances. Originally Law, Robin and Usopp would go to Green Bit to give back Caesar Clown to Doflamingo. Nami, Chopper, Momonosuke and Brook would guard the ship. The Monster Trio, Franky and Kin'emon will destroy the Smile factory. Then Luffy joined the tournament, Robin and Usopp get separated from Law and end up meeting the dwarves and coincidentally Zoro and Franky wind up there too. Sanji reunites with Nami's group while Kin'emon gets ambushed by Doflamingo's men. Finally, Zoro and Kin'emon wait outside the Colosseum for Luffy. Franky, Usopp and Robin head out with the dwarves to destroy the factory. Law gets captured by Doflamingo and Luffy chases after him. Luffy orders the group on Sunny to head to the next island because [[spoiler: one of Big Mom's ships came after them.]]

* In ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith]]'', Yoda and Obi-Wan split up in order to kill the two evil Sith Lords. Ultimately, [[spoiler: neither is successful, but come within a hair's breadth of being so.]]

* Played with in ''Literature/TheGoodTheBadAndTheMediochre''. While searching a dragon's lair in order to return said dragon's egg, the protagonists encounter a fork. Mediochre has them split up, and even though Charlotte [[GenreSavvy remembers how this always went]] in WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo episodes, she goes along with the idea. It turns out that [[spoiler: Mediochre had worked out which tunnel was most likely to be the safest, and deliberately sent his friends down that one, [[HonourBeforeReason leaving himself to explore the more dangerous one alone]]]].It also turns out that [[spoiler: he was wrong]].

* Happens in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' during the volume 3 finale episode "Dual". Sylar locks Claire, Meredith, Angela, and HRG in with him at Primatech [[spoiler: because he's a bit pissed off about Angela lying to him and saying that she's his mother. Sylar also had some good reasons to be pissed at HRG too, such as HRG and Elle helping to make him into the monster that he is now.]] Everyone decided that the best way to deal with the over-powered serial killer is to split up. Needless to say, it didn't end well, at least not for [[spoiler: Meredith and those two Level Five guys.]]

** Happens once in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. When the party is [[spoiler: sentenced to death in the Via Purifico]], Tidus, Wakka, and Rikku end up in the water (rather conveniently, as they are the three party members that can fight underwater) which leads up to a hilariously easy redux of the game's ThatOneBoss, while the rest of your party has to navigate a land-based labyrinth.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' 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.

*** Lampshaded ''constantly'' in-game, with poor Leon growing more and more exasperated that Ada and Claire insist on ditching him when he thinks they should just be working together. This is understandable for Ada [[spoiler: who is a spy anyway]], but since Claire is constantly harping on Sherry to stay with her, it gets weird when she leaves Leon half-informed most of the time.

** In the Tower of Mana, the party leaves half the party on the switches in the lobby and takes the rest through a door. In the Palmacosta Ranch, the player forms two parties, as a result of needing to deactivate the security at the end fo the ranch where the prisoners are being kept to reach Kvar. In the Iselia ranch, the player forms two groups- one to rescue the prisoners and one to stop the reactor, because they are short on time due to [[spoiler:the Great Seed going out of control]], and the player does not control the party that frees the prisoners.

** In the beginning, the group splits off for certain reasons. Mike and Jess went off to check the guest cabin for private time. Matt and Emily went back to the cable car to retrieve Emily's missing bag. The rest stay at the main lodge doing various tasks. Notably, [[spoiler: once the group of 8 get separated, they never get back together, even if all of them survive.]]

** After the remaining survivors find out about [[spoiler: the Wendigos]], the Stranger and Chris leave to retrieve Josh while the others stay at the lodge. Later, after [[spoiler: the Stranger is killed]], Mike also leaves to find Josh who has the cable car keys and the only means to escape the mountain.
*** After Mike leaves, the others go after him to warn him about [[spoiler: the Wendigos trapped in the sanatorium]]. Sam goes ahead, too anxious to wait for the others. Potentially Ashley and Chris can get separated from the remaining group during this time with possible dire consequences.

* The people trapped by Zero in each of the ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' games are repeatedly forced to split up to go down separate paths. Justified and enforced - only 3-5 people can go through a door at any one time, and those who can go through a door are governed by Digital Roots and their numeric bracelets. Also, if anyone passes through a door they didn't help open with their bracelets, or leave those who helped them open behind (as [[spoiler: The 9th Man]] did), they ''will'' be killed [[WhyAmITicking by the detonators in their watches]]!

* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': After [[spoiler: Bam's apparent]] death, [[MagnificentBastard Khun]] decided that it would be best if he and [[IllGirl Rachel]] separated from the group, while the rest would climb faster under the leadership of [[TheSmartGuy Shibisu]]. [[spoiler: He does it because he realized that Rachel actually killed Bam, that it wasn't just her plan and that she was his only lead to the rest of the conspiracy. Splitting up also prevented the rest of the team from noticing that Rachel was faking her disability and disbanding.]]

* ''Webcomic/{{TREVOR}}'': After [[spoiler: Trevor]] kills [[spoiler: Dr. Clay]] and [[spoiler: Private Young]], Enid yells at the medical team to split up, since [[spoiler: Trevor]] can’t follow all of them separately.

** There is an episode of ''WesternAnimation/WhatsNewScoobyDoo'' where Shaggy once says it. Fred looks stunned, saying [[HeyThatsMyLine "He said the thing I always say"]]. And another episode has Fred deciding to "mix things up"; he goes with Shaggy and Scooby goes with the girls. One desultory conversation and several awkward silences later, Fred and Shaggy agree that from now on, they'll stick to the regular version. And then there's the episode where [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Fred decides everyone should stay together]], [[spoiler: though it turns out to just be a simulation]].

** In the second season finale, Aang had gone off to learn from a guru, Sokka went to meet the Water Tribe warriors, Toph went to meet her mother [[spoiler: and gets captured by the bounty hunters her parents sent to bring her home]] and Katara stays in Ba Sing Se to help plan and organize the invasion of the Fire Nation. Meaning none of them are around to realize that [[spoiler:Azula, Mai and Ty Lee]] have infiltrated the city, until Katara discovered it too late.

* In Episode 5 of ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'', while searching for a train at Grand Central Station, Okoye recommends the group split up to cover more ground. Spider-Man, being quite GenreSavvy, objects to this plan as he's seen enough horror films to know this is a bad idea. [[spoiler: Considering they lost Happy Hogan and barely escaped on the train in time, Okoye agrees that splitting up ''WAS'' a bad idea.]]

** Similarly, the final dungeon of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' requires two teams of three to act independently to solve many puzzles.
** Also happens at other points in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', where, for some, the main worry was having enough [=GFs=] to junction the entire team.

* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'': The Company are forced to split into two groups when being pusued by Smaug through the Lonely Mountain. {{Justified}}, since as big and powerful as Smaug is, there's only one or him and a dozen of the Company, so splitting up increases the odds that at least ''some'' of them might survive.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Sam and Dean do this several times when they're hunting something supernatural at an ominous location. A notable case was when they were pursuing a shapeshifter in the sewers in Season 1.

* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'': The Company are forced to split into two groups when being pusued by Smaug through the Lonely Mountain.{{Justified}}, since as big and powerful as Smaug is, there's only one or him and a dozen of the Company, so splitting up increases the odds that at least ''some'' of them might survive.

* A large part of the premise and conflict in the second act of the film ''Film/{{Clue}}''. Specifically they split into pairs. There's even a kind of logic to it, as Col. Mustard points out: if one half of a pair winds up dead, then the other half is probably the murderer.
* ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow''. While in Dr. Totenkopf's abandoned uranium mine, the title character says "We'll have to split up." Little does he know that Polly Perkins has already wandered off on her own.
* In ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith]]'', Yoda and Obi-Wan split up in order to kill the two evil Sith Lords. Ultimately, [[spoiler: neither is successful, but come within a hair's breadth of being so.]]
** The novelization expands on this. Yoda points out that since Darth Sidious earlier killed 4 of the best Jedi the order has, even the two of them together won't be enough to beat him. But if they target each Sith separately, Sidious will be aware that his apprentice is in danger and that ''might'' distract him enough to allow them to beat him. They aren't teaming up against Anakin because he isn't enough of a threat.
* ''Film/TankGirl''. After Tank Girl and Jet Girl enter the sex club Liquid Silver in order to find Sam, they split up.

* ''Film/StarshipTroopers'': Rico gets a feeling that Carmen is down a separate tunnel than the one his platoon has been ordered to explore. Knowing the severe penalties for disobeying orders during a battle (what he's doing could be considered desertion, not to mention abandoning his command), he places the platoon under a subordinate's command, takes a small handful of volunteers (coincidentally the entire surviving main cast) and goes off on his rescue mission after Carmen.
* Defied in Danny Boyles' ''Film/{{Sunshine}}''
-->'''Mace:''' We should split up.\\
'''Harvey:''' I'm not sure that's such a good idea...\\
'''Mace:''' You're probably right. [[SarcasmMode We might get picked off one at a time by aliens]].

* ''Film/FrightNight1985''. While Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent are looking for the vampire's coffin in the basement they hear a noise. Charley tells Peter to continue looking for the coffin while he checks out the noise. This results in Charley confronting a vampire by himself and almost being killed.
* In ''Film/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.
* In ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'', when the MainCharacters start being hunted by monsters, their first instinct is to stick together no matter what. However, thanks to subliminal messages and intelligence-dampening drugs, the puppeteers behind the situation get the characters thinking they need to split up. The OnlySaneMan in the group is completely befuddled by this.

* In ''Film/ALonelyPlaceToDie'', upon finding a kidnapped Serbian girl in the Scottish Highlands, a group decides to split up to get help quicker. Alas yet unsurprisingly, this doesn't quite work out as planned.
* In the sequel to ''Film/HouseOnHauntedHill1999'', Desmond orders this when they get to the house, on the usual "we'll cover more ground" excuse. Kyle ''immediately'' points out this is a terrible idea, but is ignored.
-->'''Kyle:''' Wait. Did you ''really'' just suggest that we ''split up''? In a ''haunted house?''
* In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', after meeting [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], the ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy go different ways: ComicBook/{{Rocket|Raccoon}} and Groot venture with Thor to Nidavellir to forge a new weapon for him, while the rest fly to Knowhere to check on the Collector and the Reality Stone in his possession.
* In ''Film/AHardDaysNight'', John, Paul and George do this to search for Ringo when the latter takes off in the middle of a TV gig.
* ''Film/RioLobo'': A (somewhat) justified example. [=McNally=] and his pursuit force have to split up as the confederates their chasing split up, and then when the confederates reach a river and travel through the water to hide their tracks, to the point where [=McNally=] is alone, and easy to capture, once he finally finds them.

* During ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' you can order your Pikmin to split into groups sorted by colour. A more fitting version of this trope is that they can, and will, split up to fight or perform tasks based on the proximity of said tasks and enemies, but only when idle and not following a captain.
** In ''Pikmin 2'' the two captains can also split up to beat certain obstacles/perform multiple tasks. With the number of captains upped to four in ''Pikmin 3'' it's shown that this is more-or-less the point of the game.

* In ''Fanfic/WhatTomorrowBrings'', the group splits up after the Ellimist's visit. Ax and Tobias look for Elfangor, Jake and Cassie spy on the EGS tower, and Marco and Tom contact a spy for the Yeerks.

Compare PartyScattering, when the party splits up involuntarily, and TheFellowshipHasEnded, when the team permanently splits up after fulfilling their mission. These splits tend to last longer and allow the writers to maintain [[TwoLinesNoWaiting multiple plotlines at once]]. When just one person suddenly leaves the party without warning, it's a SneakyDeparture.

* The trope is averted 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.

Named after an often-used CatchPhrase from Fred Jones in ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'', Let's Split Up, Gang is a common tactical maneuver.
In a {{RPG}} with more playable characters than there are allowable party members, there is usually a point in the game during which the party splits into groups in order to accomplish some goal. This is typically a test to make sure that you've been training all the characters, not just the few you always use. LeakedExperience and the BagOfSharing come in very handy at this point.

Usually accompanied by scrambling to find enough armor or other equipment to cover everybody.

In a horror movie, there is sometimes a point during which the party splits into individual members in order for each to investigate [[FineYouCanJustWaitHereAlone alone]]. Usually accompanied by dying horribly while ExploringTheEvilLair or getting [[DwindlingParty picked off one by one]]. [[DeadUnicornTrope This doesn't happen nearly as often as you likely think it does]], though.

When just one person suddenly leaves the party without warning, it's a SneakyDeparture. Compare TheFellowshipHasEnded, where the team permanently splits up after fulfilling their mission, and PartyScattering, where the team is involuntarily split up.

Like the opposite trope (see NeverSplitTheParty), this qualifies as a sign of both GenreSavvy and GenreBlindness. If TheMillstone falls, the opponent ''won't'' be able to say, "I only have to outrun you."

Splitting up the party can also allow the writers to keep [[TwoLinesNoWaiting two plotlines]] going at once.

* Done in ''VideoGame/GoldenLogres''; after reuniting the twelve [[KingArthur Knights of the Round Table,]] the player must divide them between Land's End and the kingdom of the Fisher King to complete their individual quests.

* In the original ''VisualNovel/CorpsePartyPC98'', the protagonists split up voluntarily in order to explore the EldritchLocation they've been transported to. The [[VisualNovel/CorpseParty remake]] changes it to them being split up against their will.

* In ''VisualNovel/CorpseParty'', the protagonists are split up against their will. They're cast into separate "closed spaces". Part of the plot is figuring out how to reach each other.

--->''"Let's split up!" Like they're always saying that! Well I, for one, have just about had it with splitting up! And I always get paired up with Velma! [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Why are Fred and Daphne always heading off together, anyway?]]''