History Main / NeverSplitTheParty

* In video games, where the reason to not split is because one or more members of the party need protection, this is the [[EscortMission]] or [[ProtectoratePlayer]] trope depending on who needs protecting.

* Subverted in ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'', after things have gone to shit Curt says they shouldn't split up under any circumstances. The controllers then release a stupidity-inducing gas, causing him to turn around and say they should [[LetsSplitUpGang all split up and go into their own rooms]]. Marty's response to all of this is a confused "Really?"

* Subverted in ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'', after things have gone to shit Curt says they shouldn't split up under any circumstances. The controllers then release a new gas, causing him to turn around and say they should [[LetsSplitUpGang all split up and go into their own rooms]]. Marty's response to all of this is a confused "Really?"

* ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'' has used this exact phrase occasionally, the most memorable being when they discussed ''TheLordOfTheRings'' movies.

* Surprisingly, this trope was totally averted during TheAmericanCivilWar at the Battle of Chancellorsville, wherein Robert E. Lee split his army in two versus a Union force that outnumbered his own two-to-one and gave the Union one of the most humiliating defeats of the war. Of course, the fact that Joe Hooker (the commander of the Union troops at that time) had a catastrophic crisis of confidence and started retreating before the battle even turned against him did a lot to aid Lee's victory, too.

-->-- '''Emerald Rose''', "Never Split the Party"

* The trope appears a joke amongst [[TabletopGames tabletop role-players]]:

* The trope gets its name from a joke amongst [[TabletopGames tabletop role-players]]:

** Sun Tzu mention this on the sixth chapter of his book ''Literature/TheArtOfWar''. In the moment of ignorance, the enemy force will likely split his army into several units in hopes that they'll cover more ground, but this will just bring the opportunity for the other side to use his whole army to crush these units one by one.
*** Being Sun Tzu, he also subverts this by explaining exactly when one should divide one's forces (baiting a trap, for instance).

** Or, alternatively, the Ruskies would have attacked from the flank that Germany hadn't, resulting in the entire German army being enveloped.

* The ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' comic published by Creator/{{IDW|Publishing}} states it word-for-word at one point.

* The book ''How to Survive a Horror Movie'' gives you this very advice -- never separate from the group.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', the heroes infiltrate Hueco Mundo to try to rescue Orihime. When they come across a series a corridors and have no idea where any of them lead to, ''[[LeeroyJenkins Ichigo]]'' of all people tells everybody to stick together to increase their chances of survival and success. Unfortunately, Renji and Rukia call him out on his "whining" and say "[[HonorBeforeReason A true warrior doesn't fear death.]]" The team splits up, and this blunder nearly gets them all killed.

* In one ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'' story, Colossus and Kitty Pryde are looking after the younger mutants at the Xavier school while Cyclops are in the field. Kitty tries to contact Cyclops at one point, but can't raise him on the mansion's communication system. When Colossus suggests that he should reconnoiter with Cyclops, Kitty answers, "You mean split up? [[GenreSavvy Someday I've got to sit you down in front of some good horror movies, babe.]]"

* Played with, together with [[LetsSplitUpGang its opposite number]], in ''TabletopGame/MarvelHeroicRoleplaying''. Here, how well a character does alone, with a single partner, or as part of a larger group respectively is part of the game's mechanics and listed on their character sheet -- which can make for interesting group dynamics between characters with a high rating in "Solo" and those with higher dice in "Buddy" and/or "Team" in particular[[hottip:*:[[FridgeLogic So that is why Cyclops and Wolverine butt heads all the time!]]. And one of the canonical uses for "doom dice" (the GM's all-purpose "trouble" dice pool) is in fact to split up or rejoin the party whether they like it or not...

* The exception is those running ''[[TabletopGame/TrinityUniverse Adventure!]]'' who ''love'' it when the party splits up, because dramatic editing rules assure that the split party will rejoin up at exactly the right moment. Chase scene? A car with the rest of the party comes flying out of a side street, sideswipes one of the pursuing cars, and open up tommy-guns on the others. Fight scene? They swing in on a chandelier with sabres! Shoot out? One of the masked gun-men ''is'' the absent member of the party, and the moment the major villain unmasks himself, so too will the "henchman".

* ''AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'': The kids in the horror stories always deliberately try to stick together, which is understandable since, while they might not be GenreSavvy, the Midnight Society member telling the story ''is''. A good example is when two movie theater employees find their boss collapsed in his office (from a vampire bite, as they'll find out shortly), and the phones are, naturally, dead.

* Surprisingly, this trope was totally averted during TheAmericanCivilWar at the Battle of Chancellorsville, wherein Robert E. Lee split his army in two facing a union force that outnumbered his own two to one and proceeded to give the Unionists one of their most humiliating defeats of the war. I guess if your as good a general as Lee, you can pull whatever stunts you want.

** [[ZergRush Not quite]].

* The ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' comic published by {{IDW}} states it word-for-word at one point.

The reverse of LetsSplitUpGang, this is when the whole party decides that they aren't going to split up under any circumstances. Sometimes it can be taken to indicate at least a minimal level of [[GenreSavvy genre savvyness]], for example, in situations where splitting up means that one group will later have to go find the other group. It may be achieved by telling CommanderContrarian or TheSoCalledCoward, "FineYouCanJustWaitHereAlone."