History Main / UnsafeHaven

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Shepard Book stays in a place called Haven. During the movie it's attacked by the Alliance and its population killed.

* In the ElderScrolls game ''VideoGame/Skyrim'', you have the Dark Brotherhood's Sanctuary. It seems extremely secure, with the Black Door requiring a password to enter. When you reach it, the leader says "You won't find a safer place in all of Skyrim." That is true until [[spoiler:Astrid betrays you and the Penitus Oculatus kills nearly everyone in the Sanctuary]]

* In the ElderScrolls game Skyrim, you have the Dark Brotherhood's Sanctuary. When you reach it, the leader says "You won't find a safer place in all of Skyrim." That is true until [[spoiler:Astrid betrays you and the Penitus Oculatus kills nearly everyone in the Sanctuary]]

* ''Series/{{Hogan's Heroes}}''. Laughably, Stalag 13 is both easy to break out of and easy to break into and the series deals with Hogan and co. dealing with escapees from other prison camps and various important agents sneaking into the camp without any notice from the Germans.

* ''Series/{{HogansHeroes}}''. Laughably, Stalag 13 is both easy to break out of and easy to break into and the series deals with Hogan and co. dealing with escapees from other prison camps and various important agents sneaking into the camp without any notice from the Germans.

* In the Disney version of ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', one can [[SeekingSanctuary claim sanctuary in the church]] [[TruthInTelevision and not be harassed by the soldiers]]. [[GoodShepherd The Arch Deacon]] successfully forces [[BigBad Frollo]] to withdraw at the film's midpoint. later on in the film, it's only a paper-thin barrier.

The reasons for the failure of this "safe place" may or may not come up or be address but nevertheless it is an effective device to take advantage of to move the plot along. It's likely to be of greater effect in lulling the audience into a false sense of security if the work in question is electronic or live-action -- perhaps the heroes really have made it to safety -- but there's [[UndeadHorseTrope no accounting]] for the savvy fans who [[SpoiledByTheFormat look at their watch]] or [[InterfaceSpoiler the inventory screen]], or the 500 pages left to go!

[[caption-width-right:331:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker Told ya he's a jerk.]]]]
So you have this [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses princess]]/person/[[MacGuffin item]]/whatever of great importance that you totally need to keep hidden or protected from the bad guys (or maybe even the good guys). Or maybe you need to go into hiding for a while and bide your time before you kick your enemy's big, flabby tushy. Well, no problem! There's supposed to be this place down the street that's said to be very safe from outsiders. Granted, it ''is'' only [[RightUnderTheirNoses a few dozen meters]] from where enemy {{Mooks}} go on [[VillainsOutShopping coffee break]], but come on, [[HiddenInPlainSight no one will suspect a thing.]] [[BlatantLies Perfectly safe!]]

You can't argue with that, you say to yourself, so you put your undying trust into this safe haven of sorts, perfectly relieved to know that there isn't a snowball's chance in ''Hell'' that anything's gonna happen to [[NotSoFastBucko OHWAITNO]] the BigBad [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs broke in and ruined everything.]]

Unfortunately, this "safe haven" was really a... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unsafe haven]] -- a supposedly "safe place" that is either [[SwissCheeseSecurity glaringly penetrable]] or [[HiddenInPlainSight right in plain sight]] [[TooDumbToLive (or even both)]] that the BigBad or the hero wouldn't even have a problem finding it or breaking in if he were ''blind.'' Or had his hands tied. [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Or if he were blind and had his hands tied.]]

[[FridgeLogic One may wonder why]] anyone would bother using such terrible places for hiding/protection, but it is, nevertheless, quite an effective device to take advantage of to move the plot along, and it is also a commonly-used trope in fiction. It's likely to be of greater effect in lulling the audience into a false sense of security if the work in question is electronic or live-action -- perhaps the heroes really have made it to safety -- but, of course, there's [[UndeadHorseTrope no accounting]] for the savvy fans who [[SpoiledByTheFormat look at their watch]] or [[InterfaceSpoiler the inventory screen]], or the 500 pages left to go!

This is a ''very'' common trope in any PoliceProcedural involving a witness, to the point of enforcing NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished throughout TV-land and implying that [[RuleOfDrama no witness]] in police protective custody is safe.

** Invoked in the as a Tropey shortcut to explain to the uneducated viewer why ''"The Ring cannot stay in Rivendell!"'' Throughout the first part of the film we are led to believe that ''"the Ring will be safe in Rivendell!"'' -- until Elrond tells Gandalf otherwise. Oh snap! This is of course only in the film as a drama-preserving handicap for the sake of maintaining tension. In the books, and for the [[ForegoneConclusion attentive viewer]], Rivendell is obviously not the final destination.u
** Played with in the case of Helm's Deep; it's hard to ''defeat'' but it's attacked despite being thought of as a safe place. This is mostly because Aragorn did a NiceJobBreakingItHero and let a spy run to Saruman with the information about it.

* In the Disney version of ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', one can [[SeekingSanctuary claim sanctuary in the church]] [[TruthInTelevision and not be harassed by the soldiers]]. Of course, that's only a paper-thin barrier for [[BigBad Frollo]] later on in the film.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in the world despite the fact that there is apparently revolving door of evil. It's infiltrated every single year by the bad guys.

*** Considering the fact that Voldemort was able to easily and quickly take over any location he wanted, except Hogwarts, it might really be the safest place in the wizarding world. Let's not forget it was guarded by one of the few wizards powerful enough to fight Voldemort. It just wasn't 100% safe.

* In the Disney version of ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', one can [[TruthInTelevision claim sanctuary in the church and not be harassed by the soldiers]]. Of course, that's only a paper-thin barrier for [[BigBad Frollo]] later on in the film.

* ''Anime/WickedCity''. The hotel/safe house where Taki Renzaburou takes Giuseppe has triple strength resistance walls to keep out Black World assassins. Naturally one such assassin breaks in without any particular trouble.

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

[[folder:LiveActionTelevision]]
* This is a ''very'' common trope in any PoliceProcedural involving a witness, to the point of enforcing NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished throughout TV-land and implying that [[RuleOfDrama no witness]] in police protective custody is safe.
* ''{{Lost}}'' has the Temple. It's a mysterious location alluded to throughout the early seasons; Ben Linus tells his daughter to go there because it will act as a safe place, in S4. But when the time comes for [[spoiler: the Smoke Monster]] to get in, he manages this feat in less than an episode.

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', the owner of Kendo's Guns assures your character that he/she will be safe in his store, given that he's keeping a close eye on things. Unfortunately, the huge glass windows of his shop weren't part of those aforementioned things, and so zombies quickly crash through them while he's not looking (FridgeLogic: wouldn't a gun store have security shutters to keep that sort of thing from happening?) and munch him down like a baked chicken, at which point you can either haul ass from your now-compromised shelter or fight off the horde and claim poor Mr. Kendo's weapon for your own.
* In any EscortMission, if the idiot you have to protect doesn't [[LeeroyJenkins do something else]], it'll be this.

[[folder:WebComics]]

* ''Anime/WickedCity''. The hotel/safe house where Taki Renzaburou takes Giuseppe has triple strength resistance walls to keep out Black World assassins. Naturally said assassins break in without any particular trouble.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in the world despite the fact that there is apparently revolving door of evil. It's infiltrated every single year by the bad guys.
** Gringotts. It may be harder to break into than Hogwarts, but it's certainly not as infalliable as the goblins would have you believe.
** The Death Eaters' meeting in chapter 1 of ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'' basically consists of Voldemort saying "I think I'd like to infiltrate and take over the headquarters of the magical government." He succeeds almost immediately after, on his first attempt.
*** Considering the fact that Voldemort was able to easily and quickly take over any location he wanted, except Hogwarts, it might really be the safest place in the wizarding world. Let's not forget it was guarded by one of the few wizards powerful enough to fight Voldemort. It just wasn't 100% safe.
* In ''ChroniclesOfNarnia/PrinceCaspian'' this is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] when the main characters (the Pevensie kids and Trumpkin the dwarf) get right to their safe haven before even being challenged, and Trumpkin comments that their side sure doesn't keep good watch.
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* In Serenity, Shepard Book stays in a place called Haven.
* Invoked in the [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film]] version of ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' as a Tropey shortcut to explain to the uneducated viewer why ''"The Ring cannot stay in Rivendell!"'' Throughout the first part of the film we are led to believe that ''"the Ring will be safe in Rivendell!"'' -- until Elrond tells Gandalf otherwise. Oh snap! This is of course only in the film as a drama-preserving handicap for the sake of maintaining tension. In the books, and for the [[ForegoneConclusion attentive viewer]], Rivendell is obviously not the final destination.u

* ''28 Weeks Later'' has the military lock all the civilians in a large-ish room "for their own safety". They leave a door unguarded. A single infected simply uses himself as a club to break open the door, run in, and... {{Hilarity ensues}}.
* ''Shaun of the Dead'' has the Winchester, which really provides no protection from zombies other than a big door...surrounded by glass windows. Not to mention the zombie INSIDE THE PUB.
* CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs: Flint's lab ''looks'' secure, but the big electronic door is actually just a ConcealingCanvas with fake biometrics that Flint ''pretends'' is real. There is also a computer voice that ''seems'' to identify whoever enters, but really just says "Welcome, Flint" no matter who walks in. Midway through the movie the [[CorruptBureaucrat mayor]] gets in uninvited (despite being [[FatBastard morbidly obese]] and confined to a motorized scooter) and Flint asks [[LampshadeHanging how he did it]].

* {{Bones}}: A villain who took great please in needling Booth set up his sanctuary on land he'd purchased in Booth's name, taunting him that he can't come onto private land without a search warrant. The [[IdiotBall idiot]] forgot that Booth wouldn't ''need'' a warrant to enter ''his own property''.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', we have the aptly-called Sanctuary, where Princess Zelda takes refuge after Link saves her from confinement in Hyrule Castle. It's supposed to be a safe place, even though it's kind of in the open and that enemy knights are kind of ''on patrol'' outside. Why Ganon didn't find it and capture Zelda ''sooner'', like before Link got the Master Sword, is anybody's guess.

* ''GuildWars'': In the ''Nightfall'' campaign, two of the three Vabbian princes try to retreat to such a sanctuary. The players break in to get them involved in the war again, before the bad guys have a chance to reach it.
* Any time a game forces you, the hero, to give up a {{Macguffin}} or [[SaveThePrincess Princess]] you've rescued, they're as good as re-kidnapped. Such is the case of the [[AmplifierArtifact Divine Rods]] in ''{{Okami}}''. In this case you [[spoiler:gave them to TheDragon while she was in disguise.]]

* Princess Ariana's Castle in ''[[Videogame/HarmoKnight HarmoKnight]]''. There are literally OPENED WINDOWS EVERYWHERE, so it wouldn't be hard for [[{{BigBad}} Gargan]] to [[RightUnderTheirNoses break in and scoop up the princess]].
* ''CityOfHeroes'': The vault of the Modern Arcane Guild of Investigation (MAGI) is so prone to having supposedly safe [[MacGuffin macguffins]] recaptured after being locked in it that it has become a running gag among players.
* New players in ''EveOnline'' occasionally start with the impression that high security space is safe. They learn very fast that it isn't.
* The safe havens in ''AlanWake'' are generally, well, safe, being cones of light that drive off the Taken. Except that the havens are powered, and if the power goes out while you're standing there...

* A villainous example in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'': One of the Seven Sages thought it would be a laugh riot to put a Team Plasma hideout ''right across the street from the Castelia City Pokemon Gym'', and was surprised when Trainers led by the Gym Leader started storming the place looking for their friends' "liberated" Pokemon.
* In VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam, the bros hide Peach in the Dream World as a way to keep her safe from Bowser and Antasma. Turns out the place isn't so safe from Bowser's forces, with Piranha Plants, Lakitus and other Koopa Troop monsters having invaded somehow and her being in danger after all. [[spoiler:Because Peach isn't the real deal. She's actually Kamek in diguise and he's deliberately let Bowser's troops and the Elite Trio in to sabotage the 'mission'.]]
* In ''WorldOfWarcraft Mists of Pandaria'', the Golden Lotus find the three treasures of Lei Shen before the Mogu can, then they lock them up in the same place the last one was found and add a few guards. Considering it was the Mogu who hid them there in the first place, putting all three in a Mogu tomb was not the brightest idea.

[[folder:TabletopRPG]]
* ''DungeonsAndDragons'' adventure I12 ''Egg of the Phoenix''. After the Forces of Evil steal the Egg from Doc's Island, the {{PC}}s manage to retrieve it. The Council of Northending has them take the Egg back to Doc's Island, where it is put in exactly the same place and with the same security as it had before. Not surprisingly, the Forces of Evil manage to steal it again almost immediately.
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* In ''SkinHorse'', security guard Phillips is having a party at his checkpoint because, [[http://skin-horse.com/2012/skin-horse/ "Nothing ever happens in this sector".]] Seven strips later, [[http://skin-horse.com/2012/like-skin-horse/ guess what?]]

Contrast CardboardPrison, where instead of the place of detention being laughably easy to [[StormingTheCastle storm]] or find, it's laughably easy to ''escape''. Compare NeonSignHideout, when this trope is played for laughs and fails even more as a ''hide''-out. See also HiddenInPlainSight and RightUnderTheirNoses for when the heroes attempt to hide as close to the bad guys as possible, SwissCheeseSecurity for when it's laughably easy to enter the villain's lair, DitchTheBodyguards for when the haven is safe, but the protectee refuses to stay, and TrespassingToTalk when the bad guys break in and negogiate.

Contrast CardboardPrison, where instead of the place of detention being laughably easy to [[StormingTheCastle storm]] or find, it's laughably easy to ''escape''. Compare NeonSignHideout, when this trope is played for laughs and fails even more as a ''hide''-out. See also HiddenInPlainSight and RightUnderTheirNoses for when the heroes attempt to hide as close to the bad guys as possible, SwissCheeseSecurity for when it's laughably easy to enter the villain's lair, and DitchTheBodyguards for when the haven is safe, but the protectee refuses to stay.

* In ''ChroniclesOfNarnia/PrinceCaspian'' this is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] when the main characters (the Pevensie kids and Trumpkin the dwarf)get right to their safe haven before even being challenged, and Trumpkin comments that their side sure doesn't keep good watch.

Unfortunately, this "safe haven" was really a... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin unsafe haven]] -- a supposedly "safe place" that is either [[SwissCheeseSecurity glaringly penetrable]] or [[HiddenInPlainSight right in plain sight]] [[TooDumbToLive (or even both)]] that the BigBad or the hero wouldn't even have a problem finding it or breaking in if he were ''blind.'' Or had his hands tied. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Or if he were blind and had his hands tied.]]

* A villain who took great please in needling [[{{Bones}} Booth]] set up his sanctuary on land he'd purchased in Booth's name, taunting him that he can't come onto private land without a search warrant. The [[IdiotBall idiot]] forgot that Booth wouldn't ''need'' a warrant to enter ''his own property''.

* CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs: Flint's lab ''looks'' secure, but the big electronic door is actually just a ConcealingCanvas with fake biometrics that Flint ''pretends'' is real. There is also a computer voice that ''seems'' to identify whoever enters, but really just says "Welcome, Flint" no matter who walks in. Midway through the movie the [[CorruptBureaucrat mayor]] gets in uninvited and Flint asks [[LampshadeHanging how he did it]].

* ''Left4Dead'' is based on the group moving from one temporary safe haven to another in the hope that one location will be a permanent safe haven. And yes, the infected WILL break in if you stay in these temporary havens for too long.

* The ''HalfLife'' games are a series of getting yourself to these... the surface, Lambda Complex, Kleiner's Lab, Black Mesa East, and White Forest are all places you are striving to reach for their relative safety... until you get there.
** [[spoiler:Unlike everywhere else, White Forest is still in-tact when you're leaving it at the end of the ''Episode Two''.]]