History Main / MacGuffinLocation

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* ''Film/RatRace'': the train station in Silver City, New Mexico

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* California in ''Series/ZNation''.

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* Heaven for Christians.

* Atlantis, a powerful island nation destroyed by earthquake, was written about by Plato. Even though he [[WordOfGod starts the narration]] by pointing out that Atlantis is '''not''' a real place, but an hypothetical example of how governments ''should'' be run, to this day treasure-seekers continue to search for the location of the "real" Atlantis.
* Until the real thing was discovered near Istanbul, Turkey, many scholars thought that Troy was one of these as well. The same is true of many other locations in ancient lore (and sometimes even people).

* Shinzo in, well, ''Anime/{{Shinzo}}.'' It's the last human city several centuries into the future, and ChosenOne Yakumo must reach it. In the original Japanese version it's called "Mushrambo", after the main character's [[FusionDance fusion form]].

* ''Videogame/Yakuza0'' has the Empty Lot, a small piece of land that is potentially interfering with a renovation deal backed by the Dojima clan, with the primary goal of the various factions being finding the deed to the property so they can take control of the deal.

Alice wakes up one morning, only to hear screams. Rushing outside, she spots the love of her life, Bob, being stuffed into Charlie's car. Failing to catch them, Alice promptly [[LockAndLoadMontage suits and loads up]], and starts trekking. Her goal? [[DistressedDude Rescue Bob]] from the dark Castle Charlie, which is [[EiffelTowerEffect always looming errily on the horizon...]]

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* ''Film/FiveWeeksInABalloon''. The heroes and a band of slavers are trying to get to a piece of territory that no nation owns in order to claim it for their respective governments.
* ''Film/TheGoldenVoyageOfSinbad''. Sinbad and Prince Koura both try to reach the Fountain of Destiny first in order to gain its rewards.
* ''Film/TheGreatRace'': the title New York to Paris race.
* ''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold''. The title valley (and the city of gold therein), which both Tarzan and the BigBad are trying to reach.
* The Big W in ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld''. Parodied after a fashion by the Big Why (Y) in ''Series/TheNewAvengers''.

* ''Film/RatRace'': the train station in Silver City, New Mexico
* In both the ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit'' and ''Film/CannonballRun'', the destination of the cross country speeding isn't important other than that's where they need to be to get paid/win the race.

* The titular castle in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheDiamondCastle''.

* The Big W in ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld''. Parodied after a fashion by the Big Why (Y) in ''TheNewAvengers''.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': The titular location is said to be a source of ultimate knowledge and power, and is thus sought after by various villains who seek to rule the universe using it.

* The Vault in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}''

* In addition to the location of the titular treasure, the actual island of Raftel in ''OnePiece'' is also sought after, mainly due to the Rio Poneglyphs.

* Atlantis, a powerful island nation destroyed by earthquake, was written about by Plato. Even though he [[WordOfGod starts the narration]] by pointing out that Atlantis is '''not''' a real place, but an hypothetical example of how governments ''should'' be run, to this day treasure-seekerscontinue to search for the location of the "real" Atlantis.

** Zanarkand from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''.

* The Tower in the ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'' Series

* Atlantis, a powerful island nation destroyed by earthquake, was written about by Plato. To this day treasure-seekers wonder how much of Plato's story was inspired by a real place, and continue to search for the location of the "real" Atlantis.
** Even though he [[WordOfGod starts the narration]] by pointing out that Atlantis is '''not''' a real place, but an hypothetical example of how governments ''should'' be run.

* The races to reach the North and South Poles, being the first to climb Mount Everest, the Race to the Moon between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., and so on.
** To be fair, the Moon was supposed to be more than a MacGuffin Location, but then the sequel got cancelled.

->"THE TOWER DRAWS CLOSER..."

* ''CharlieTheUnicorn'': "Candy Mountain, Charlie!"

* In ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', the Federation and the Klingon Empire are disputing the right to colonize Sherman�s Planet. That�s why the Enterpise receives a Priority one distress call to protect grain storage.

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* In ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', the Federation and the Klingon Empire are disputing the right to colonize Sherman’s Planet. That’s why the Enterpise receives a Priority one distress call to protect grain storage.

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* ''TheMalloreon'', by Creator/DavidEddings, features a MineralMacGuffin (the 'Sardion', a rock) and a MacGuffinLocation, "The Place Which Is No More".

* Paradise in ''WolfsRain''.

A MacGuffin doesn't necessarily have to take the form of an object. This is the case where the MacGuffin is an actual location -- a place where everyone's trying to get to (or get there first), but the actual place doesn't have any impact on the plot.

This happens quite often in shows featuring races -- it often doesn't matter whether the finish line is in UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, or [[FlyoverCountry Omaha]].

* In both the ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit'' and '"Film/CannonballRun'', the destination of the cross country speeding isn't important other than that's where they need to be to get paid/win the race.

This happens quite often in shows featuring races -- it often doesn't matter whether the finish line is in UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}}, NewZealand, or [[FlyoverCountry Omaha]].

* The Spitsbergen island in the Svalbard archipelago, from ''HisDarkMaterials''.

* Similarly, the finish line of nearly every ''TopGear'' Car v. Something Else race challenge.

* In ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Star Trek]]'', the Federation and the Klingon Empire are disputing the right to colonize Sherman’s Planet. That’s why the Enterpise receives a Priority one distress call to protect grain storage.
* California in ''ZNation''.

* Ilos in ''Franchise/MassEffect'', a planet only accessible via a lost mass relay, only [[spoiler:the last Rachni Queen kept in captivity on Noveria]] knows the location of, and which [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] and [[BigBad Saren]] are racing to get to first.

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* The ''true'' Clair Bible in ''{{Slayers}} NEXT'' turns out to be this, as it was previously assumed that the bible was a book.

* Gaining access to the titular realm of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' is the primary goal of every villain in the series.

* ''TheGoldenVoyageOfSinbad''. Sinbad and Prince Koura both try to reach the Fountain of Destiny first in order to gain its rewards.

* El Dorado, a city supposedly made entirely of gold somewhere in South America, from films such as ''RoadToElDorado''.
* ''RatRace'': the train station in Silver City, New Mexico

* ''TreasureIsland'' has its titular island. So, too, does its RecycledInSpace counterpart ''Disney/TreasurePlanet''.

* ''OutlawStar'' has people searching for the location of the fabled Galactic Leyline, presumably a giant stash of valuable minerals or other treasure. Actually, [[spoiler:it's a repository of knowledge, and after it's found ''it runs away again'' so that the chase can start all over.]]

** King kind of lampshades this at the end. [[spoiler: He stops to say it should be enough to just get there, but since some of you will insist, he'll also provide the ending that actually tells what happens there... which when read makes it no less a MacGuffinLocation.]]

* ''FamiliarGround'': [[http://www.familiar-ground.com/2009/03/13/short-term-memory/ The cave]]. [[spoiler:because they do not, in fact, get any answers]]

* Candied Island in ''TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack''.
* Every single episode of ''WackyRaces'' features one of these.