History Main / ObviousTrap

[[rediect:SchmuckBait]]

[[redirect:SchmuckBait]]

->'''Robin:''' Holy broken beaks! He must be kidding if he thinks we're gonna fall for that!
->'''Batman:''' It's an obvious trap all right, Robin. But we have to take the bait and see what the Penguin's up to.
-->-- ''The New Adventures of Batman''

Someone sets a trap. It's an obvious trap. It's a blatantly obvious trap. You'd need to be blind not to spot it.

Let's walk into it!

The reasons for this vary. Sometimes, it's because one of the hero's {{Nakama}} or a LoveInterest is being held hostage, and the hero can't turn his back on them. Sometimes it's because the heroes need a lead to the villain's plot and taking the bait is the only way. Sometimes it's just because the hero or villain enjoys a challenge. Or maybe it's because they really are stupid enough to fall for it. Of course, in VideoGames, StupidityIsTheOnlyOption.

Compare SchmuckBait. Has nothing to do with having [[DroppedABridgetOnHim Bridgets dropped on you]].
----
!!Examples:

[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* In the ''ReadOrDie'' OAV, one clear path into the I-Jin fortress suddenly becomes apparent. Joker instructs his team to take that path, stating that while it is obviously a trap, he has a few tricks of his own to play. (See the From Russia With Love quote below)
* Lampshaded in OnePiece movie 6; a lot of NightmareFuel could have been avoided if the crew listened to Usopp and just ignored the piece of paper telling them to go to the mysterious island. (that, yes, ''was'' indeed a trap.)
** Of course, it would have continued, just [[SomebodyElsesProblem to other people.]]
* In ''WhenTheyCry'', Satoko (the absolute queen of all things trap, including dropping a few bridgets on my friends) put a few painfully obvious traps, but her friends thought they were too obvious and just a fake distraction, thus they went right over it to catch her in a variation of team tag... they were real.
* One episode of {{Haruhi-chan}} has Achakura come upon a very obvious trap of the upturned basket with stick and string variety, which she lampshades. She then walks towards the closet where Yuki is hiding, only to get caught by the real trap.
* In episode 7 of ''CodeGeass'', Cornelia tries to lure out Zero by attacking the Saitama Ghetto; Lelouch immediately recognizes it's a trap since it's an almost perfect recreation of Clovis' attack on Shinjuku Ghetto in the first couple of episodes. He still goes anyway because of his overconfidence, but Cornelia is a ''much'' better commander than Clovis, and the Saitama rebels are quick to surrender and less competent than the ones he lead in Shinjuku, so he's almost captured and only escapes when C.C. lets him pull off an unsolicited DecoyGetaway.
* In an early chapter/episode of ''RanmaOneHalf'', a student who's madly in love with Akane finds out about Ranma's phobia of cats and decides to lure him into a cat-filled room to humiliate him. He does this by sending Ranma a letter telling him to show up at a particular location if he ever wants to see Akane again...while Akane's standing right next to Ranma and reading the letter too. He then does a hilariously poor impersonation of being the kidnapped Akane (once again, while Akane's ''right next to Ranma'') when Ranma shows up at the designated location. Ranma still goes along with it because he just wants to know what the hell this weirdo is up to. [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Bad choice.]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* The villain Black Mask's pathetic first appearance in ''{{Batman}}'' was marked by him walking into an obvious trap. He was obsessed with masks, and was killing people that had "wronged" him with them. Then one of the people he wanted dead, Bruce Wayne, held a Masquerade.
-->'''Batman:''' "Good job, Alfred - Black Mask won't be able to resist an invitation like this."\\
'''Robin:''' "But what makes you so sure, Batman? It's the most obvious trap imaginable."\\
'''Batman:''' "Which is why he'll come."\\
'''Narrator:''' The Crypt...\\
'''Tupeng:''' "It's obviously a trap, Black Mask."\\
'''Black Mask:''' "Of course, Tupeng - and moreover, it's obviously an obvious trap."\\
'''Thespis:''' "But you still plan to go?"\\
'''Black Mask:''' "Of course, Thespis. How could I resist?"
** Wow. Black Mask certainly [[TakeALevelInBadass took a level in]] being a CompleteMonster later on.
* [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Superboy]] falls for one in [[http://superdickery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=30%3Aframes-and-panels-index&id=793%3Asuperboy-is-a-colossal-dumbass&Itemid=24 this comic page.]]
** A wonderful line for LexLuthor, there.
---> I captured '''''Superboy''''' through his sheer dumbness!
** Although in the context this was found in it was AllJustADream.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''{{From Russia with Love}}'', the classic JamesBond movie.
-->'''Number one:''' "What makes you think the head of the British secret service will oblige you by falling in with your plan?"\\
'''Kronsteen:''' "For the simple reason that this is so obviously a trap. My reading of the British mentality is that they always treat a trap as a challenge".
* ''{{Film/Serenity}}'', after Inara sends a message inviting Mal to come see her at the Companion training house, Mal and Zoe recognize it instantly as a trap, but because the bait's a friend of theirs (and Mal's LoveInterest besides), Mal decides to go in anyway.
-->'''Wash:''' Yeah, but remember the part where it's a trap?
** The best part is, of course, the reason Mal knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it's a trap:
--->'''Mal:''' Y'all were watchin', I take it?
--->''Everyone squirms uncomfortably''
--->'''Kaylee:''' . . . Yes.
--->'''Mal:''' [[BelligerentSexualTension Did you see us fight]]?
--->'''Kaylee:''' No.
--->'''Mal:''' Trap.
*** No, the best part is the outtake on the DVD.
---->'''Mal:''' [[BelligerentSexualTension Did you see us fight]]?
---->'''Kaylee:''' No.
---->'''Mal:''' ''TRAAAAAAAAAAP!!!''
* ''StarWars: {{Revenge of the Sith}}''
-->'''Anakin:''' I sense Count Dooku.\\
'''Obi-Wan:''' I sense a trap.\\
'''Anakin:''' Next move?\\
'''Obi-Wan:''' ''(grins)'' Spring the trap.
* In ''TheReturnOfHanuman'', Maruti fell for a trap in the mango tree "forest" which consists of a basket of mangoes tied up with a rope and a wooden board which will be the base of the cage.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* {{Animorphs}} often used and Lampshaded this. Of course a few times they weren't actually traps, and one time [[spoiler: Jake walked into one, everyone got killed, but Jake was thrown back in time, offered the chance to walk into said trap and said "screw it, lets go home".]]
* At the end of the BlackJewels trilogy, the villains capture Lucivar's [[IHaveYourWife wife and child]]. He takes the bait, and then subsequently ''becomes'' new bait for his father. Who takes the bait, and subsequently becomes new bait for his other son. Who takes the bait. Unfortunately for the villains, he doesn't walk so much as ''saunter'' into the trap.
* In ''{{Dune}}'', when Paul Atreides tells his father Leto that their being given Arrakis was possibly a trap, Leto replies with the classic line "knowing there is a trap is the first step in evading it."
** [[FirstEpisodeSpoiler Leto got killed before the book was half-over]]. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice Job Evading It Hero]].
*** His successors weren't much better at evading obvious traps. That line should be changed to "Knowing there's a trap is the first step in looking really stupid when you get caught by it."
* In AgathaChristie's ''Partners In Crime'' stories, Tommy and Tuppence are posing as private detectives, because the detective agency is suspected of dealing with a supercriminal known as No. 16, and Tommy's government boss wants them to flush him out. When Tommy arranges a meeting with someone who is quite obviously an agent of No. 16 who suspects he isn't really Mr Blunt, Tuppence complains that he's walking into a trap with his eyes closed. Tommy replies that, on the contrary, he's walking into a trap with his eyes ''open''.
* In the {{Dragonlance}} novel 'Dragons of Spring Dawning' Kitiara's message to her rival in love and war Laurana, claiming that their mutual love Tanis Half-Elven is dying and offering to allow Laurana to see him if she will only come in person to the meeting site at night without bringing any guards or telling anyone is so obvious a trap that even {{Cloudcuckoolander}} Tasslehoff Burrfoot can tell. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, Laurana has just been passed the DistressBall, so she falls for it anyway.]]
* The WheelOfTime protagonists practically live this trope, especially Rand.
** From [[TheAbridgedSeries Isam's summary:]]
--->'''Rand:''' [[IdiotBall A trap's not a trap, if you know it's a trap.]]
--->'''Min:''' Like [[SarcasmMode a chair's not a chair, if you know it's a chair?]]
--->'''Rand:''' Exactly.
--->'''Min:''' So what are you sitting on right now?
--->'''Rand:''' Not a chair.
--->'''Min:''' Then you're [[StealthInsult not an idiot]].
* In the [[MagicTheGathering Magic Legends II Cycle]], the villain Nicol Bolas walks knowingly into Tetsuo Umezawa's trap. [[spoiler:And is utterly defeated.]]
* In RobertEHoward's ''The Hour of the Dragon'', ConanTheBarbarian speculates that he's about to walk into this, but it's better than sitting around.
** {{Kull}} is told, in "The Shadow Kingdom" to come to the feast alone.
* In the StarWarsExpandedUniverse novel ''[[NewJediOrder Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream]]'', pilot Voort [=SaBinring=] notices the enemy attack pattern indicates they're going to spring a trap on their squadron. Squadron leader Jaina Solo decides to weather the trap out; they couldn't run ''every'' time they were targeted by a seeming ObviousTrap. [[spoiler: It nearly proves fatal to her, and her LoveInterest Jagged Fel.]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* Over the years on ''DoctorWho'', the Doctor's walked into a few of these. It gets [[LampshadeHanging fitted with a lampshade]] in "The Androids of Tara":
-->'''The Doctor:''' I shall have to go alone of course. It's funny. They always want you to go alone when you're walking into a trap. Have you noticed that?
* On ''{{Lost}}'', Jack and co. know that Michael is leading them straight into a trap by taking them to the Others' camp. Jack's plan is to go along with it and pretend they don't know it's a trap. Somehow, [[IdiotBall they still manage to get caught]].
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''{{Angel}}'' are both pretty fond of playing with this. Probably done best in season 2, which is bookended with Buffy walking into two different traps for two different reasons, only to discover that ''both'' of them were just red herrings to distract her.
-->'''Angelus:''' And you fall for it ''every single time''!
* [[{{QI}} How many moons does the Earth have?]]
* Parodies in ''{{Batman}}'' TV series where in one of the episodes Robin trips on death bee beehive trip wire which is clearly marked.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* Several ''{{City of Heroes}}'' missions play out like this; you know that no matter what your contact tells you, your mission's going to involve beating up some bad guys. Lampshaded in at least one mission description text.
* Subject to sarcastic LampshadeHanging in ''{{Knights of the Old Republic}} II: The Sith Lords'', after a crime boss invites the [[PlayerCharacter Jedi Exile]] to a meeting and insists that she come alone:
-->'''Atton:''' [[SarcasmMode Well, good thing it's not a trap.]]
-->'''[[DoesNotUnderstandSarcasm Mical]]:''' No, Atton, I think it may ''be'' a trap!/'''[[DoesNotUnderstandSarcasm Handmaiden]]:''' What are you talking about? It's obviously a trap.
-->'''Atton:''' Could you lighten up for just one second?
** It gets even funnier when the Exile encounters Mira on the way to the obvious trap, who tells right away that she's a bounty hunter (there's a huge price on the Exile's head) and tells the Exile to follow her... Into a trap. Then Mira walks into the same trap she just prevented the Exile from falling into. And the Exile follows her afterwards, without any protection despite knowing that the place is full of extremely poisonous gas.
* In ''NewSuperMarioBrosWii'': If you fail to recognize toppings on a cake as hair, [[SunglassesAtNight sunglasses]], and a hair bow belonging to [[EnfantTerrible the Koopalings]] (and Bowser Jr.), you deserve to be kidnapped like [[DamselInDistress Princess Peach]].
** To be fair, Mario didn't catch it right away, either.
* In ''SupremeCommander: Forged Alliance'', it's patently obvious the mission is a trap as soon as you land, the target isn't there and things immediately start going to shit. Plus if you're playing as a Cybran, you already know there's a traitor sabotaging the coalition and ''he is almost definitely on this planet.'' But it's okay because your Cybran colleague is going to [[TooDumbToLive go off and meet with a shady sleeper agent in an isolated location to learn the traitor's identity]], and she's not worried because [[FamousLastWords a fellow Cybran would definitely not be]] TheMole. Cue obvious betrayal and LastStand. Somewhat justified inasmuch as the player needs to be ''extremely'' well entrenched to have any hope of surviving what comes next.
** ...which all leads to the AlternateCharacterInterpretation that Dostya saw it coming and pulled a HeroicSacrifice to prove it, as the second in command of the game's sneaky faction (and reasonably GenreSavvy in the first game) could not ''possibly'' be that stupid. But then again, when StupidityIsTheOnlyOption...
* ''DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'' is full of traps, both incredibly obvious (apparently unguarded treasure chests) and completely random (who booby traps an underwater pipe in a sewer?). One quest, in particular, is ''quite'' obvious. A Sorceress of the Twelfth asks you to retrieve a stolen tome from her rival by posing as a scholar. This would make sense if you were a robed spellcaster. But the heavily armored warforged with an INT Score of 8? You could roll a natural one on a sense motive check to see through that ruse. Fittingly enough, that particular dungeon is one of the most trap-filled of the level.
* In ''MassEffect2'', [[spoiler:the Illusive Man knows that the "derelict" Collector ship is a trap, but sends Shepard and crew to investigate anyway, not wishing to lose the chance to gain intel on the Collectors. He does neglect to tell Shepard it's a trap, so you have no idea until it's is sprung.]]
* In one of the featured missions of ''StarTrekOnline'', you're searching for a missing ship when you warp into a system and find a suspicious satellite surrounded by derelicts. What's your first mission objective? Why, fly over and [[strike:poke it with a stick]] scan it, of course!
* In one of the dungeons in ''UltimaIV'', there's a square room with a terrifying daemon in each corner, restrained by invulnerable force-fields, and thus not dangerous at all unless something turns off the fields. In the middle of the room, there is a treasure chest.
* A room in ''NeverwinterNights: Shadows of Undentride'' in the kobold lair. There's a big, empty room, with lots of doors leading to what is obviously cells filled with nasty goons on either side. In the centre of the room is... An open, empty cage. With a ''red arrow pointing into it''. [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption What's the most insulting is that the game won't let you progress until you've walked into it]].
* ''{{Portal 2}}'' makes this into a RunningGag. It starts with [=GLaDOS=] offering you entry into a room with a false door reading "[=GLaDOS=] Emergency Shutdown and [[TheCakeIsALie Cake Dispensary]] -- [[SchmuckBait Keep Unlocked]]." She then proceeds to mercilessly lampshade it when you fall for the trap ([[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption not that you have a choice]]).
--> '''[=GLaDOS=]:''' [[AC:"I truly, honestly didn't expect you to fall for that. In fact, I had a much better trap prepared later on for when you escaped this easy one. If I'd known capturing you would be this easy, I'd have just dangled a turkey leg on a rope from the ceiling."]]
** Other obvious traps in the game include [=GLaDOS=]' final test chamber and the bottomless pit that [[spoiler:Wheatley]] tries to get you to jump into. Both [[ViolationOfCommonSense earn you achievements]] for falling for them. [=GLaDOS=] calls out one of the traps and again lampshades it by acknowledging that it's the only way through, so "let's just do it". Later, the FinalBoss gives up even the pretense of trying to trick you and simply offers the option of [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled committing suicide]] rather than facing certain death in its lair. Lastly, during the final battle, it doesn't take a genius to see the BoobyTrap prepared for you when you attempt to press [[spoiler:the Stalemate Resolution Button]], but again StupidityIsTheOnlyOption.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* ''LastRes0rt'' [[http://www.lastres0rt.com/2010/08/have-you-hugged-your-idiot-today/ delivers]], with a door bearing something apparently written in blood.
-->'''Daisy:''' Come on, [[DontTouchItYouIdiot only an idiot would open this door.]] Then again, [[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption an idiot's going to order us to open it]] ''[[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption anyway...]]''
* ''BobAndGeorge'': [[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/030409c Mega Man walks into what he thinks is a trap. He's wrong.]]
* In ''{{Homestuck}}'', [[spoiler:Gamzee very poorly impersonates Vriska's and Terezi's typing quirks, with messages written in his own blood, in order to trick Terezi and Karkat respectively into coming to the roof. Terezi falls for it, because [[HangingJudge she's looking for evidence against Vriska]]; Karkat probably doesn't fall for it, but comes anyway.]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* AvatarAbridged Episode 1:
-->'''Aang:''' You know what would be more fun? Danger. Danger like exploring this ominous-looking and probably deadly Fire Nation ship.
-->'''Katara:''' Um, Aang, I don't think that's such a great idea...
-->'''Aang:''' Oh come on Katara, what's the worst that could happen?
-->''CUE THE TRAP RAP''

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In ''[=~Avatar: The Last Airbender~=]'', Aang and Zuko walk into a creepy chamber with a glowing gem on a pedestal in the middle of the room.
-->'''Zuko''': "It's some kind of mystical gem stone."
-->'''Aang''': "Well, don't touch it! ...I'm just very suspicious of giant glowing gems sitting on pedastals."
** So after this exchange, of course, they pick it up and get trapped in a room full of glue. Bravo.
** Which is then, of course, heavily lampshaded by Aang.
-->'''Aang:''' You just ''haaaaaad'' to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?
* Not uncommon in the Adam West version of ''{{Batman}}''... or its animated sequel, which provided the above quote.
* LooneyTunes - Elmer Fudd, in one cartoon, set a rabbit trap for Bugs Bunny. Bugs notes that he had never actually seen one in real life but recognized it from what his grandfather described to him. He decided to go along with it merely because he concluded Elmer must have gone through a lot of trouble to set it up.

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<<|NarrativeDevices|>>

* The villain BlackMask's pathetic first appearance in ''{{Batman}}'' was marked by him walking into an obvious trap. He was obsessed with masks, and was killing people that had "wronged" him with them. Then one of the people he wanted dead, Bruce Wayne, held a Masquerade.

--->'''Min:''' Then you're not an idiot.

* In the StarWarsExpandedUniverse novel ''[[NewJediOrderSeries Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream]]'', pilot Voort SaBinring notices the enemy attack pattern indicates they're going to spring a trap on their squadron. Squadron leader Jaina Solo decides to weather the trap out; they couldn't run ''every'' time they were targeted by a seeming ObviousTrap. [[spoiler: It nearly proves fatal to her, and her LoveInterest Jagged Fel.]]

* ''{{Portal 2}}'' makes this into a RunningGag. It starts with [=GLaDOS=] offering you entry into a room with a false door reading "[=GLaDOS=] Emergency Shutdown and [[TheCakeIsALie Cake Dispensary]] -- [[SchmuckBait Leave Unlocked]]." She then proceeds to mercilessly lampshade it when you fall for the trap ([[StupidityIsTheOnlyOption not that you have a choice]]).

** Other obvious traps in the game include [=GLaDOS=]' final test chamber and the bottomless pit that [[spoiler:Wheatley]] tries to get you to jump into. Both [[ViolationOfCommonSense earn you achievements]] for falling for them. [=GLaDOS=] calls out one of the traps and again lampshades it by acknowledging that it's the only way through, so "let's just do it". Later, the FinalBoss gives up even the pretense of trying to trick you and simply offers the option of [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled committing suicide]] rather than facing certain death in its lair. Lastly, during the final battle, it doesn't take a genius to see the BoobyTrap prepared for you when you attempt to press [[spoiler:the Stalemate Resolution Button]], but here StupidityIsTheOnlyOption.

* ''{{Portal 2}}'' makes this into a RunningGag. It starts with [=GLaDOS=] offering you entry into a room with a false door reading "[=GLaDOS=] Emergency Shutdown and [[TheCakeIsALie Cake Dispensary]] -- [[SchmuckBait Leave Unlocked]]." She then proceeds to mercilessly lampshade it when you fall for the trap.

** Other obvious traps in the game include [=GLaDOS=]' final test chamber and the bottomless pit that [[spoiler:Wheatley]] tries to get you to jump into. Both [[ViolationOfCommonSense earn you achievements]] for falling for them. Later, the FinalBoss gives up even the pretense of trying to trick you and simply offers the option of [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled committing suicide]] rather than facing certain death in its lair. Lastly, during the final battle, it doesn't take a genius to see the BoobyTrap prepared for you when you attempt to press [[spoiler:the Stalemate Resolution Button]], but here StupidityIsTheOnlyOption.

* ''{{Portal 2}}'' makes this into a RunningGag. It starts with [=GLaDOS=] offering you entry into a room with a false door reading "[=GLaDOS=] Emergency Shutdown and [[TheCakeIsALie Cake Dispensary]] -- Leave Unlocked." She then proceeds to mercilessly lampshade it when you fall for the trap.