History Main / SealedGoodInACan

* ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons''

Occasionally used as a more subtle form of DeusExMachina; may qualify as HoldingBackThePhlebotinum, but on some occasions these can be the main hero. See SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan for when the Good is imprisoned inside a living being, SealedCastInAMultipack for when several characters (good or evil) are canned, or SealedBadassInACan for a neutral variant. See GirlInABox for the usual female version. Compare FlingALightIntoTheFuture. Contrast KingInTheMountain, who is usually ''not'' let out. See also AwakeningTheSleepingGiant, which is where the Good is less "sealed in a can" and more "lazy".

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': During the Sports Festival, the protagonist Izuku Midoriya glimpses mysterious silhouettes who seemingly save him from being brainwashed. All Might brushes them off as mere remnants of previous users of One For All with no will of their own. Much later into the story it is revealed that [[spoiler:the previous users of One For All are indeed alive as spirits within the Quirk and have regained their consciousness. Their first action upon fully awakening is to contact Midoriya and promise to guide him.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Camelot 3000}}'' is all about the Sealed Good of KingArthur being revived from a millennia-long hibernation to battle alien invaders.

* During the ending of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro: The Eternal Night'', [[spoiler:Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx get trapped in the Well of Souls, resulting in Spyro using his Dragon Time powers to seal them in a crystal to save themselves.]] In the sequel, ''Dawn of the Dragon'', taking place three years later, a group of Malefor's minions come and chisel them out, for a sacrifice days before Malefor's plan would have ultimately succeeded without their interference anyway.

* Elder Kai from ''[[Manga/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z]]'' was was sealed in the Z Sword a few billion years ago and when he comes out he provides lots of help in the effort against Buu.

-->--'''Jor-El''', ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''

** Franz Hopper, the BigGood of the series, although the heroes' interaction with him is very limited as he is more=securely sealed and has no body.

* The Four Main Characters Get Sucked into the game Jumanji in ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' and are trapped they until they finish the game.
** Alex Vreeke, someone who joins the main characters in escaping has been sucked into the game before them and stayed there for 20 Years!

* Insead of being a villain initially in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure2020'', Gatomon was sealed inside SkullKnightmon until Kari willingly went inside him to find her.

* In the end of the first arc of ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'', [[spoiler:the recently [[HeelFaceTurn reformed]] Gackto, Sara and the Dark Lovers are sealed under the ocean forever for their crimes. Although she's not going to go and [[RageAgainstTheHeavens turn on Aqua Regina]] for it, Lucia mourns them as if they were dead and is surprised to see them astral project in the Pure arc.]]

* HumanPopsicle Aang of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' was sealed in an iceberg by accident or fate for a hundred years, and is awakened to find that TheEmpire has [[LastOfHisKind caused the genocide of his people]] and is about half a year away from absolute victory. Katara unseals him in the [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBoyInTheIceberg first episode]].

-> ''"Wake me...when you need me."''
-->-- '''Master Chief''', ''VideoGame/Halo3''

* In ''FanFic/DiariesOfAMadman'', the elementals were sealed in one by Discord, and one of Navarone's goals is to free them.

* ''Fanfic/ANewChanceSeries'': [[spoiler: The Father Latios, who sacrificed himself to save Altomare and was sealed in the Soul Dew over a century]] before the events of Anime/PokemonHeroes, ends up freed due to the actions of Ash and the villains.
* In ''FanFic/TheBridge'', the Guardian Beasts [[note]]Anguirus, Raiga, Gamera, Yonggary, Baragon, Rodan, and Manda[[/note]] were Kaiju sealed away by BenevolentPrecursors 70,000 years ago to bolster the world's defenses against the BigBad. On the Equestrian side, the Tree of Harmony [[spoiler: is actually the sealed form of the BigGood.]]
* In ''I See The Stars'' Diana is a type 2 as the rightful leader and protector of Leisa. Of course she's only human (er... leisan) so when Ada frees her she proves to be severely traumatized and in desperate need of a therapist.

* ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': As in canon, the six Pillars of Old Equestria - Starswirl the Bearded, Rockhoof, Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula and Mage Meadowbrook - sacrificed themselves to imprison the Pony of Shadows in Limbo, and themselves with it. When Twilight and co. discover this, it kicks off a new story arc in which they release the six (and unwittingly their enemy as well) from the Can, and then have to take steps to rescue Stygian (the seventh Pillar) and deal with the Pony of Shadows and its fellow Umbrum once and for all.

* ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': As in canon, the six Pillars of Old Equestria - Starswirl the Bearded, Rockhoof, Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula and Mage Meadowbrook - sacrificed themselves to imprison the Pony of Shadows in Limbo, and themselves with it. When Twilight and co. discover Starswirl's journal in chapter 6 of the seventh chapter of the fourth story, ''The Diplomat's Life'', it kicks off a new story arc as they set out to free the six from their Can, with unintended consequences.

[[caption-width-right:200:'''[[AC:[[LargeHam Phenomenal, Cosmic Powers]]!]]''' [---...[[BlessedWithSuck itty-bitty]] [[AndIMustScream living space.]]---] ]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'': [[spoiler:Igor, the BigGood of the ''[[Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona Persona]]'' franchise, spends most of the game sealed away by the game's hidden BigBad, who's been [[IdentityImpersonator impersonating him]]. It's only after discovering the villain's deception that Igor is freed and lends you his full aid in the FinalBattle.]]

* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', the Genie is a kind and good spirit who wants to help his masters. In Disney's [[GenieInABottle version of the story, genies -- good and bad -- are naturally sealed.]] In the original Arabic folklore, sealed genies are, according to one of the stories in the Arabian Nights, the criminals of genie society. The lamps they are often found in are their prisons, and genies ''choose'' to grant wishes to show their gratitude for being released.

[[quoteright:200:[[Disney/{{Aladdin}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sealed-good-in-a-can_aladdin_1243.jpg]]]]

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the Genie is a kind and good spirit who wants to help his masters. In Disney's [[GenieInABottle version of the story, genies -- good and bad -- are naturally sealed.]] In the original Arabic folklore, sealed genies are, according to one of the stories in the Arabian Nights, the criminals of genie society. The lamps they are often found in are their prisons, and genies ''choose'' to grant wishes to show their gratitude for being released.

* ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'': According to his backstory, Mushu the dragon was actually turned into an incense burner inside the Fa family altar as punishment by the Fa family ancestors for failing to do his job as a guardian the last time he was called. When Mulan decides to run off disguised as a male soldier, the Fa family ancestors send him to… awaken another guardian to help her. He fails and accidentally destroys the statue, and has to go himself. Fortunately, he's far from incompetent this time.

* ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'' examples:

** Also, Franz Hopper, the BigGood of the series, although the heroes' interaction with him is very limited as he is more=securely sealed and has no body.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

** NiceJobFixingItVillain?

* In ''Jumanji'' Alan Parrish is sucked inside the boradgame itself for twenty-six years until Peter Shepherd let's him out when he rolls a five.
* The Four Main Characters Get Sucked into the game Jumanji in ''Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle'' and are trapped they until they finish the game.

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Discworld/MovingPictures'', there's a [[spoiler:guardian sealed away under the Holy Wood hill, that the heroes need to awaken in order to banish the Things that come to life from movies.]]
** ''Discworld/LordsAndLadies'' has a parody of the KingInTheMountain: the ancient king complains he hasn't had a wink of sleep for the last century, because some bugger keeps [[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/sleep.html#Warriors ringing the bell]].

-->-- ''VideoGame/Halo3''

* Type 2: '''Sealed by enemies.''' A straight inversion of SealedEvilInACan. There was a great foe that no one could defeat, so they sealed him away instead. Only difference is that the foe is the good guy, and the sealers evil. This, in turn, can overlap with BadassInDistress, especially in overlaps with SealedBadassInACan.