History Main / SoNearYetSoFar

* Princess Gwaelin of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' is in the Marsh Cave that you enter early on in the game. The reason you can't rescue her the first time you enter is because one, you do not have a key, which is required to open up the door to her cell; and two, there's a dragon guarding said door that [[BeefGate you won't be able to beat at your current level and equipment]].

The final goal of the game/plot happens to be somewhere the player can reach -- possibly even WhereItAllBegan -- but nothing can be done about it.

Often, when this occurs, the distressed person may double as MissionControl or otherwise assist the hero that's trying to save them. The antagonist, if they're feeling cheeky, can pull this role also under the justification of INeedYouStronger or CantKillYouStillNeedYou. This has the benefit of giving the protagonist the ability to interact and speak with the these characters and let the audience grow on them. In games, it sometimes provides a cozy hub to return to while acting as a constant reminder to the player what's at stake. At the other extreme, if the villainous MissionControl is ''not actually helping'' the player, you've got MissionControlIsOffItsMeds.

[[folder:Anime]]

* A recurring element in the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' series. The [[VideoGame/{{Metroid 1}} first game]] (and [[VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission its remake]]), ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', and ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'' all have the entrance to TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon very close to where you first land in the HubLevel, but you can't pass the threshold until you beat the main bosses and/or collect every PlotCoupon (though clever use of GoodBadBugs in the first game can enable some SequenceBreaking to let you jump to the entrance of Tourian). ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'' and [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns its remake]] have an unusual variant, in that progression through the game map goes in a clockwise direction that brings you back to your gunship right after beating the Queen Metroid, but there's no clear indication that this will be the case before the end, and it's completely impossible to go the opposite direction to even glimpse the climactic area instead of going the proper way.

* ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX'': Defeating Sin is the entire goal of the game, and if it were possible at the beginning of the game, your party would do it with no hesitation. Instead, though, they must go on a Pilgrimage for the Final Aeon, the only thing that can defeat Sin. [[spoiler:Then it turns out that they, themselves are potentially the Final Aeon. The point of the Pilgrimage was to create powerful emotional bonds that will allow the chosen sacrifice to become an exceptionally powerful Aeon upon their death. It also turns out that defeating Sin in this method doesn't really solve anything, so our heroes reject it and search for another means.]]

The final goal of the game/plot happens to be WhereItAllBegan, but nothing can be done about it.

* A game of ''Videogame/PitfallII'' typically ends when you rescue Quickclaw. You can see him shivering below you on the very first screen of the game, but if you try to double back and save him right away, you're blocked by an aggressive rat. You have to take the (very) long way around and approach him from underneath.

* Can happen in ''VideoGame/{{Pitfall}} 2''. You only need to pick up three things to finish the game: Quickclaw, Rhonda, and the diamond ring. The game automatically ends when you pick up the last one of these. Where's Quickclaw? Right below your starting position.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'': You can go to the outside of final dungeon, Ganon's Castle, as soon as you set foot in the BadFuture halfway through the game, though in order to get inside you need to rescue the sages who then build a magic bridge to allow you to enter the castle.

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal'' episode "Den". Den knows where Katherine Wells is - she's sleeping inside a glass case in Ard's palace. Unfortunately, Ard will only allow her to wake after Den has stolen the Loc-Nar from the Queen and returned it to him. Things don't turn out quite as planned.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Anime ]]
* In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'': During the Alfheim Online Arc, Kirito must rescue Asuna. However, she is in a hospital room in a coma pledged to be married to a much older, company worker unless Kirito can interfere. He has to enter the game and find Asuna to set her free from being locked within the game stuck in a coma but she never actually leaves her hospital bed the entire time.
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** In ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', after beating the DiscOneFinalBoss, Link is transported to the Dark World atop a large pyramid, with the landscape of the DarkWorld visible in the horizon. This trope is ''doubled'' because not only does the view of the Dark World show you Ganon's Castle, where the BigBad resides (and which Link can get close enough to ''spit on'' at that point in the quest), but the pyramid Link is standing on actually contains [[CosmicKeystone the Triforce]], which is the true goal of the entire game! ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' plays out similarly, except that your first foray into Lorule actually brings you to the chamber where the FinalBoss is fought and which you cannot revisit until you rescue all the Sages.

[[caption-width-right:256:That's right, Link! [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 Your princess IS in this castle!]] ...For all the good '''that''' does.]]

* ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''. Ojo the Unlucky has several problems. First, his uncle Nunkie and another person have been turned to stone by the Liquid of Petrifaction, so he must quest through the land of Oz to find the ingredients for an antidote. Second, one of the ingredients for the potion is a six-leafed clover, and it's illegal to pick them. Third, it's illegal to practice magic (like using magical antidotes to restore people to life) in the land of Oz.

Contrast YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle for the damsel version and OrcusOnHisThrone for the villain version. Sometimes the result of a BrokenBridge.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' has Zelda being trapped in a room next to the playable area for a part of the game.

* In ''Videogame/ShadowOfTheColossus'', Mono is dead as the game begins, and Wander's deal with the deity Darmin is that they will resurrect her in exchange for Wander destroying each of the Colossi. You return to the central temple where she rests every time you defeat one.

* ''TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' plays with this. The game starts with Guybrush [[NiceJobBreakingItHero accidentally]] turning [[DamselInDistress Elaine]] into a [[TakenForGranite golden statue]] with a cursed engagement ring and needing to find a cure for her. However, the statue-fied Elaine is stolen by pirates soon afterwards, making finding her the primary objective.

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': The entrance to the final area, Kiln of the First Flame, is a short way away from the staring area, Firelink Shrine, though naturally it doesn't open up until you've done everything else in the game.

*** Ganon's Tower, the final dungeon, is only a short walk away from Hyrule Castle, which you visit halfway through the game to obtain the aforementioned Master Sword. However, the way is blocked by a magic barrier set up by Ganondorf, which cannot be broken until the Master Sword has its power restored. Once you accomplish that, you ''still'' have to get one more set of PlotCoupons since the [[DiabolusExMachina gods won't reopen]] the portal to Hyrule for you (which is also in a readily accessible) location unless you have them.

[[caption-width-right:256:That's right, Link! Your princess IS in this castle! ...For all the good THAT does.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Videogame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tphoto_00004_5953.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:That's right, Link! Your princess IS in this castle! ...For all the good THAT does.]]

[[folder: Videogames ]]

** In ''[[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', Link's sister is in the first dungeon you visit, which is easy enough to traverse--but the BigBad's [[TheDragon drag--er, giant bird]], prevents her rescue because Link isn't strong enough. You have to attain the [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement Master Sword]] before she's finally rescued.

** In ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', after beating the DiscOneFinalBoss, Link is transported to the Dark World atop a large pyramid, with the landscape of the DarkWorld visible in the horizon. This trope is ''doubled'' because not only does the view of the Dark World show you Ganon's Castle, where the BigBad resides, but the pyramid Link is standing on actually contains [[CosmicKeystone the Triforce]], which is the true goal of the entire game! ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' plays out similarly, except that your first foray into Lorule actually brings you to the chamber where the FinalBoss is fought and which you cannot revisit until you rescue all the Sages.