History Main / UndefeatableLittleVillage

* The Italian city of Cremona ''started out'' as one: founded by the Romans as a ''colonia'' (a town in recently conquered territory, with a large civilian population to show the benefits of Roman civilization and a garrison for protection) in Gaul-inhabitated northern Italy shortly before the [[UsefulNotes/PunicWars Second Punic War]], the arrival of Hannibal and his army caused a general revolt of the local populations, leaving Cremona cut off and [[TheSiege besieged]] for years until the Romans turned the tide. Her twin ''colonia'' of Placentia barely missed qualifying, as the Hannibal-aligned Gauls ultimately managed to burn it down-after ''eighteen years'' and Hannibal leaving Italy and being defeated at Zama getting them to lower their guard.

* Brazil's Canudos village.

* The Italian city of Cremona ''started out'' as one: founded by the Romans as a ''colonia'' (a town in recently conquered territory, with a large civilian population to show the benefits of Roman civilization and a garrison for protection) in Gaul-inhabitated northern Italy shortly before the [[UsefulNotes/PunicWars Second Punic War]], the arrival of Hannibal and his army caused a general revolt of the local populations, leaving Cremona cut off and [[TheSiege besieged]] for years until the Romans turned the tide. Her twin ''colonia'' of Placentia barely missed qualifying, as the Hannibal-aligned Gauls ultimately managed to burn it down-after ''eighteen years''.

** Somewhat more justified than most other entries, while Redwall's inhabitants are mostly peaceful creatures the abbey itself is a fortified castle with it's own orchards, gardens, fields and a freshwater pond with edible fish living in it; their stores are usually well stocked with fresh and preserved food and a full wine cellar. Redwall Abbey was built to survive a siege.

While the "village" can be some other form of small civilian community (a block in a city, for example), it must still be small and civilian. Military outposts do NOT count, and neither do entire cities or full sized countries. So, no, ''[[ThreeHundred 300]]'' is not an example.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' is the TropeNamer. The Gaulish village is not the only case: there are similar undefeatable little villages in Britain and Spain (which is [[GenreSavvy lampshaded]] by Caesar, who is sure he had seen something like that somewhere else). Corsica is only nominally under Roman rule: yes, there are Romans there, but they are completely incapable of making the Corsicans do anything (be it accept a Roman registration of the house, or just load some boxes onto a ship).

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' series, Scuttle Town has proven impossible to pillage for Risky Boots, since it's protected by the title half-genie. Naturally, the town immediately gets imperiled any time Shantae is on exile or held up elsewhere.

* ''Felarya'' has Safe Harbor, which has weathered a series of attacks by man-eating predators, hostile humans, and other ills. It owes its continued survival to Jade, a [[BadAss badass]] giantess who [[CurbStompBattle absolutely destroys]] anything that threatens it.

->''The year is 50 B.C. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely... One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium . . .''

* The village of Felton tries to be this in the AlternateHistoryDotCom timeline "Protect and Survive: A Timeline". It fails. [[spoiler: Choose the fucking cowboys. Especially when they've got a fucking tank.]]

* Although ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' comics are one of the best-known examples of this trope, the video game adaptation for PlayStation strays away from this by having the player take back the Gaulish territories.

* At the beginning of ''ShadowHearts Covenant'', the village of Donremy, France fits this, because Yuri is there. Once Yuri is cursed and has to leave, it falls to the German advance.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' is the TropeNamer. The Gaulish village is not the only case: there are similar undefeatable little villages in Britain and Spain (which is [[GenreSavvy lampshaded]] by Caesar, who is sure he had seen something like that somewhere else). Corsica is only nominally under Roman rule: yes, there are Romans there, but are completely incapable of making the Corsicans do anything (be it accept a Roman registration of the house, or just load some boxes to a ship).
* From a cosmic perspective, planet Earth may be counted as this in the MarvelUniverse. A tiny planet which has not even colonized its moon, but has resisted time and again against the Kree Empire, the Skrull Empire, the Shi'Ar Empire, Ego, the Phoenix force, the Celestials... and even drove Galactus away, and even humbled him near to death.

* TheSmurfs' Village always facing terrible (for them) enemies like evil wizards, giants, predators, etc.

* In ''IpMan'', master Yip [[TrainingThePeacefulVillagers trains his entire local village in wing chun]] to fight off bandits.
* In ''StarWars'', the Ewoks are a sort of midget Teddy Bear take on this.

* The tiny Korean village of Sinanju is this in the ''{{Destroyer}}'' novels, despite being a dreary, squalid little place, full of dull, lazy, not-so-bright people. Being the home of the world's most dangerous line of Assassins counts for a ''lot''.

* Pretty much the entire premise of the ''{{Redwall}}'' series.

[[caption-width-right:350:All of Gaul is conquered? No. One small village still held out against the Roman invaders!]]

* For a time, Emond's Field in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' became this trope, fighting off ''way'' more [[{{TheUsualAdversaries}} Trollocs]] than it had any right to using little more than skilled archers and a sheer stubborn refusal to lose.

* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', Goodsprings is one of these, if you decide to help them drive away the [[BombThrowingAnarchists Powder Gangers]]. If Caesar's Legion wins, and provided you didn't help the Powder Gangers destroy the town, the Legion passes up on conquering the Goodsprings, despite going RapePillageAndBurn everywhere else in the Mojave[[note]] Though, this may be a case of NotWorthKilling, since they're a town of 20 ranchers in a tactically unimportant location[[/note]].

* The tiny Korean village of Sinanju is this in the {{Destroyer}} novels, despite being a dreary, squalid little place, full of dull, lazy, not-so-bright people. Being the home of the world's most dangerous line of Assassins counts for a ''lot''.

* Pretty much the entire premise of the {{Redwall}} series.

* In ''KungFuHustle'', Pig Sty Alley is this kind of village within a larger city dominated by criminal gangs.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' is the TropeNamer. The Gaul village is not the only case: there are similar undefeatable little villages in Britain and Spain (which is [[GenreSavvy lampshaded]] by Caesar, who is sure he had seen something like that somewhere else). Corsica is only nominally under Roman rule: yes, there are Romans there, but are completely incapable of making the Corsicans do anything (be it accept a Roman registration of the house, or just load some boxes to a ship).

* ''{{Asterix}}'' is the TropeNamer. The Gaul village is not the only case: there are similar undefeatable little villages in Britain and Spain (which is [[GenreSavvy lampshaded]] by Caesar, who is sure he had seen something like that somewhere else). Corsica is only nominally under Roman rule: yes, there are Romans there, but are completely incapable of making the Corsicans do anything (be it accept a Roman registration of the house, or just load some boxes to a ship).

* Although ''{{Asterix}}'' comics are one of the best-known examples of this trope, the video game adaptation for PlayStation strays away from this by having the player take back the Gaulish territories.

* In ''HeroesOfMightAndMagic III'', the town of Fair Feather fills this role in the campaign mission "Guardian Angels". As the name implies, the reason for the town's survival is because Angels are guarding the town, which the player can recruit and promptly turn the whole mission into a cakewalk.

* In the ''{{Fables}}'' album "The Good Prince", TheEmpire is severely shaken by such a village, having sent more troops against it than it could afford to lose.