History Main / ProtectorBehindBars

!!Examples

* In the "Tarnished Angel" arc of ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', Steeljack has been imprisoned by Honor Guard after they [[CassandraTruth refuse to believe his warnings]] about an impending citywide supervillain attack. Out of options, he breaks free and gets back to the city because he realizes that the [[CloseKnitCommunity small-time crooks of his neighborhood]] had no one else to protect them from a murderer.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'', Fergus locks Merida to keep her safe while he and his men chase down and slaughter a large black bear. However, [[spoiler: the bear they are chasing is Merida's mother Elinor. Merida already told her father but he did not believe her. With Merida locked away, she couldn't come to her mother's aid]].

* In ''Film/WendyAndLucy'', Wendy is apprehended for shoplifting, and worries about her dog who is tied up outside the shop, whilst she is taken into custody. The dog, Lucy, goes missing before Wendy is able to return.
* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}''

* In the movie ''Film/FaceOff'', this happens to FBI agent Archer briefly after his face transplant, when Castor (who stole Archer's face, after Archer had Castor's face transplanted to his to infiltrate Castor's gang in prison) taunts him and tells him he's going to take over his life and the role of husband and father to his family, while Archer is locked up and mistaken for Castor.

* Played straight and then subverted in the end of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''. Once they find his {{Room 101}} fear, [[spoiler:Winston would gladly betray Julia.]]

* In ''Videogame/{{Persona 4}}'', Yu is eventually arrested by [[spoiler:his own uncle, a detective, when there's clear evidence that Yu is withholding evidence about a high-profile serial murder case. Dojima drags him to the station and begins to interrogate him. The problem is, this leaves Dojima's daughter (and Yu's cousin) Nanako defenseless at home, and then it's revealed that she's the killer's next target...]]

* In the "Tarnished Angel" arc of ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', Steeljack, prisoner and believing that the Honor Guard did not believe him about the danger, breaks free and get back to the city because he realizes that the small-time crooks of the city had no one to protect them against a murderer but him.

From the Protectorate's POV, if that's shown, this may be DeusExitMachina followed by DeusExMachina, although the prisoner can be considerably less powerful than that, or even the character he's trying to aid.

* Lieutenant Olivia Benson, from ''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'', in Season 11's 9th episode, "Perverted", despite her colleagues' protests. [[ClearMyName She is framed for murdering]] Clyde Vandyne, a biker, [[ParanoiaFuel with her fabricated DNA found on him]]. [[spoiler:It is revealed that the real murderer is Brady Harrison, whom Benson had collared, and he was responsible for framing her via aforementioned fabricated DNA.]]

* In ''Wendy and Lucy'', Wendy is apprehended for shoplifting, and worries about her dog who is tied up outside the shop, whilst she is taken into custody. The dog, Lucy, goes missing before Wendy is able to return.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* In ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'', Flynn is anguished at the thought not so much of his impending execution as the danger that Rapunzel is in -- it is not until he realizes that Mother Gothel plotted the whole thing that he begins to struggle, and his pleas are about the terrible danger ''she'' is in.

* Lieutenant Olivia Benson in from''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'''s Season 11's 9th episode, "Perverted", despite her colleagues' protests. [[ClearMyName She is framed for murdering]] Clyde Vandyne, a biker, [[ParanoiaFuel with her fabricated DNA found on him]]. [[spoiler:It is revealed that the real murderer is Brady Harrison, whom Benson had collared, and he was responsible for framing her via aforementioned fabricated DNA.]]

* {{Defied|Trope}} in the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'' episode "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E53HeroForHire Hero For Hire]]"; Launchpad fakes a fatal crash so that he can avoid getting sent to prison and being unable to rescue Doofus.

* Lieutenant Olivia Benson in from''Series/LawAndOrderSVU'''s S11E9 "Perverted", despite her colleagues' protests. [[ClearMyName She is framed for murdering]] Clyde Vandyne, a biker, [[ParanoiaFuel with her fabricated DNA found on him]]. [[spoiler:It is revealed that the real murderer is Brady Harrison, whom Benson had collared, and he was responsible for framing her via aforementioned fabricated DNA.]]

* In ''ComicBook/SinCity'', John Hartigan is behind bars and unable to protect Nancy, a young girl who had previously survived a SerialKiller. His anguish over her possible anguish drives him to get parole and go rescue her.

[[quoteright:230:[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/OrderOfStickPrisonAnguish_3745.JPG]]]]

* ''TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'': Bard begs the guards to release him so he can shoot the remaining black arrow when he realizes that Smaug is approaching Laketown (and therefore, his children).

** ''Film/{{Terminator 2}}''. Sarah Connor is locked up in an insane asylum and desperately begs to be released so she can protect her son John from future attacks by Skynet.

[[quoteright:230:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/OrderOfStickPrisonAnguish_3745.JPG]]
%%[[caption-width-right:230:some caption text]]

[[AC:Comic Book]]
* In ''SinCity'', John Hartigan is behind bars and unable to protect Nancy, a young girl who had previously survived a SerialKiller. His anguish over her possible anguish drives him to get parole and go rescue her.
* In the "Tarnished Angel" arc of ''AstroCity'', Steeljack, prisoner and believing that the Honor Guard did not believe him about the danger, breaks free and get back to the city because he realizes that the small-time crooks of the city had no one to protect them against a murderer but him.

[[AC:Film]]

* In "Wendy and Lucy", Wendy is apprehended for shoplifting, and worries about her dog who is tied up outside the shop, whilst she is taken into custody. The dog, Lucy, goes missing before Wendy is able to return.
* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}''
** Kyle Reese in ''Film/{{Terminator}}'' is restrained inside a police station while the T-800 model 101 is in the middle of a killing spree, but Kyle manages to release himself in time to protect Sarah Connor once again.
** ''Film/{{Terminator 2}}''. Sarah Connor is locked up in an insane asylum and desperately begs to be released so she can protect her son John from future attacks by Skynet.
-->Sarah: Please. He's in great danger. He's naked without me.
* In the movie ''{{Film/Face Off}}'', this happens to FBI agent Archer briefly after his face transplant, when Castor (who stole Archer's face, after Archer had Castor's face transplanted to his to infiltrate Castor's gang in prison) taunts him and tells him he's going to take over his life and the role of husband and father to his family, while Archer is locked up and mistaken for Castor.

* A variation in ''TimeAfterTime'', where the hero is caught by the police with him being suspected of Jack the Ripper's latest murder spree. He begs them to send someone to protect his girlfriend.

[[AC:Literature]]
* Played straight and then subverted in the end of ''NineteenEightyFour''. Once they find his {{Room 101}} fear, [[spoiler:Winston would gladly betray Julia.]]
* Jean Valjean's reason in [[Main/LesMiserables Les Miserables]] for pleading with Javert to delay his imprisonment was due to him wanting to avoid being this for Cosette.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebComics]]
* In ''OrderOfTheStick'', Elan's worries in prison revolve as much about the danger that Nale's infiltration of the team puts Haley in as about his own innocence.

[[AC:Western Animation]]
* In a ShoutOut to ''FaceOff'', an episode of ''TheSimpsons'' had Sideshow Bob switch faces with another cellmate. When Marge and Bart visited "Bob", he tried to warn them of Bart being in danger, but the new mouth made him unintelligible and caused him go get locked in a padded cell.

** Kyle Reese in ''Film/{{Terminator}}'' is restrained inside a police station while the T-101 is in the middle of a killing spree, but Kyle manages to release himself in time to protect Sarah Connor once again.
** ''Film/{{Terminator 2}}''. Sarah Conner is locked up in an insane asylum and desperately begs to be released so she can protect her son John from future attacks by Skynet.