Freeing the Hostages

In any great story, there comes a time when the hero or heroine leads a jailbreak, usually to rescue people imprisoned in a villain's cell. It is also common for the main protagonist to just simply go against overwhelming odds to sneak in and free people held hostage by the antagonist. On some occasions, the hero's friend could free them from a cell or the bad guy's clutches. But the freeing the hostages is not easy - Sometimes savior can be attacked by the antagonist and hero will have to face the enemy before he free the hostage.

As such, in order to ensure the plans to free the hostage/captives in a villain's lair/outposts, the hero would uses strategy that ranges from studying the place where hostages being held or spionage.

Examples

 * Robin Hood frees Friar Tuck and the imprisoned citizens of Nottingham from Prince John's dungeon.
 * Launchpad and Gosalyn make an attempt to free Preema Lott and Hamm Strings from Megavolt.
 * In many Scooby-Doo episodes, Daphne Blake gets kidnapped by villains and the Mystery, Inc. gang frees her.
 * Seaweed frees Penny Pingleton, who is tied to her bed by her mother as punishment.
 * Ringo Starr finds Jeremy tied to a tree by the Blue Meanies and cuts him down.
 * TJ Detweiler is locked in the storage room by Dr. Benedict's henchmen. He discovers Principal Prickly held captive and frees him.
 * Darkwing Duck frees the Justice Ducks from the clutches of the Fearsome Five.
 * Woody and the other toys pull off a jailbreak from Sunnyside Daycare.
 * Tom and Jerry manage to free Robin Hood and his Merry Men who are imprisoned in Prince John's dungeon by the Sheriff of Nottingham.
 * The pub thugs bust Flynn Rider out of jail so he can rescue Rapunzel from Mother Gothel's clutches.
 * Sally makes an attempt to free Santa Claus from Oogie Boogie's cell. Later, Jack Skellington frees Sally and Santa from Oogie's clutches.
 * The Blue Fairy frees Pinocchio from Stromboli's cage.
 * Tuffy, Tom and Jerry attempt to free Miss Red from Professor Moriarty.
 * Percy Jackson liberates Grover and Clarisse from Polyphemus's cave in The Sea of Monsters.
 * Chip breaks into the cellar to free Belle and Maurice so she can save the Beast from Gaston and the angry mob.
 * Bladebeak cuts down Kayley's bonds to free her from Ruber.
 * Wreck-It Ralph breaks into the Fungeon to save Vanellope Von Schweetz and Fix-it Felix Jr.
 * Olaf frees Anna from the library after Prince Hans traps her.
 * Louis stands up to Captain Gutt, demanding him to release Peaches. Gutt, amused hands Louis a knife. Louis tosses the knife into the air and it lands just as he burrows under the ground. Then Louis slams a heavy ice chunk on Gutt's foot, the pain making him release Peaches.
 * After Edwin Epps whips Patsey, Solomon Northup unties her and tends to her wounds.
 * The mice free Cinderella from the attic after Lady Tremaine traps her.
 * The Digidestined girls, Mimi and Sora, defeat Cockatorimon and free the captured Digidestined boys, Matt, Joe, T.K. Tai and Izzy.
 * Bulletproof Jackson guns down Grimm Jim, which leads Ashley to free herself.
 * Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca rescue Princess Leia from Darth Vader.
 * Flora, Fauna and Merryweather rescue Prince Phillip from Maleficent's dungeon.
 * Rose Dewitt Bukkater rescues Jack Dawson, after he's been handcuffed to the ship's lower decks by Cal Hockley.
 * Aladdin frees Genie as his third wish.
 * Indiana Jones discovers Marion Ravenwood tied up in Belloq's tent and begins to free her, but then leaves her there in a desperate attempt to keep her safe so she won't give away their hiding place.
 * Aslan's men rescue Edmund from the dreaded clutches of the White Witch.
 * Throughout the Pokémon anime series, Pikachu gets kidnapped by the mischievous Team Rocket trio and Ash Ketchum frees him.
 * Peter Pan frees the Darling children and the Lost Boys from Captain Hook.
 * Jane cuts the Lost Boys free and unlocks Peter Pan's handcuffs.
 * Gru rescues Margo, Edith and Agnes from Vector's clutches. Later, he rescues Lucy Wilde from El Macho and Balthazar Bratt.
 * Jared Grace frees his mother from Mulgarath's cell.
 * Joy and Sadness discover Bing Bong held prisoner by Jangles in a cage made of twist balloons and free him.
 * Flik, Princess Dot and the Circus Bugs free Princess Atta, the Ant Queen and the colony from Hopper's clutches.
 * Z frees Princess Bala from General Mandible's cell.
 * Trudy Chacon frees Jake Sully, Norm Spellman, and Grace Augustine from Quaritch's prison.
 * Ewan discovers the Thea Sisters tied up and locked in a cellar by Liam and Connor and free them.
 * John McClane frees the hostages from getting blown up by Hans Gruber.
 * Osmosis Jones frees Leah Estrogen from Thrax's clutches.
 * Gurgi rescues Taran, Eilonwy, and Fflewddur Fflam from the Horned King's clutches.
 * Dobby saves Harry Potter and his friends from Bellatrix Lestrange in the Malfoy manor.
 * Andrew Steyn, Mpudi, Xi, and Jack Hind rescues Kate Thompson and her students from Sam Boga and his gang.
 * Alvin uses his pocketknife to free Jeanette from Zoe's clutches.

Quotes
"(Gru is about to step out of his house with his suitcase when he hears a loud banging noise. He gasps and walks toward the sound. It's in the closet next to him, and he opens it and gasps, noticing Lucy's coat.) Lucy! (Gru rummages through the coats, pulling them apart. Sure enough, Lucy is behind them, struggling. A gag is tied around her mouth and she squeals, struggling to get free. Gru frees Lucy's mouth.) (Lucy: Bratt! He took the girls!) What?! (Gru spins around and notices Balthazar Bratt making off with the girls, so he and Lucy decide to spin into action.)"

- Gru freeing Lucy Wilde after noticing that Balthazar Bratt has taken her hostage.

"Bladebeak, at your service."

- Bladebeak to Kayley before slicing her bonds apart.

"(Mulan: Chien-Po, get the Emperor!) Sorry, Your Majesty."

- Chien-Po helping Mulan rescue the Emperor from Shan-Yu's clutches by zip-lining him to safety.

"I'll get you out of here."

- Sally to Santa Claus as she prepares to free him from Oogie Boogie's lair.

"(Shaggy dials Daphne's cell phone. He and Scooby-Doo follow the ring towards a huge mausoleum. Shaggy peeks through a crack in the door and his eyes grow wide.) Daphne! (Sure enough, Daphne is inside sitting on the floor, her mouth gagged and her arms tied behind her back.) Don't worry, Daph! Scoob and I are here. (Shaggy pries open the door and he and Scooby charge in. Suddenly, the door slams shut, trapping them, and Shaggy's flashlight goes out, leaving them in darkness. Daphne lets out muffled cries as the light goes on. Shaggy reaches out and pulls off her gag.) (Daphne: I was grabbed by those two slimy soldiers!) (Shaggy struggles to untie her hands.) I can't budge this knot. (Daphne: We gotta hurry! They could be back any second!) (It seems useless, but then, Shaggy has an idea.) Wait! I know. (He pulls out a bottle of hot sauce.) Five Skull Fire Sauce should burn through anything! (Shaggy puts a drop of the sauce on the rope around Daphne's wrists, freeing her. But as he begins to pull on the door...) Like...It's locked! (Thinking fast, Daphne pulls off Scooby's dog tag.) (Daphne: It's the old eyelash curler metal dog tag technique.) Of course, man! Why wouldn't I think of that? (Daphne picks the lock, setting all three of them free.) Sweet!"

- Shaggy Rogers freeing Daphne Blake in Big Scare in the Big Easy.

"(Dr. Benedict's thugs throw TJ into the school storage room, slamming the door shut and trapping him. Before he can make a move, he hears muffled shouting. TJ looks up and notices Principal Prickly, who is tied to a chair and gagged with a strip of duct tape.) Principal Prickly, sir! You're alive! (TJ runs over to the tied-up principal, pulling off his mouth gag.) (Principal Prickly: OW! Would you be careful?!) Boy, am I glad to see you! You won't believe what's happening up there! They got this big laser gun and - ! My, who took off your pants? (Principal Prickly: Never mind that, Detweiler. Just untie me.) (TJ begins untying Prickly's hands.) Man, these knots are tight! (Prickly: Of course they're tight! I've been pulling on them for the last day and a half. They've chaffed my wrists!)"

- TJ Detweiler freeing Principal Prickly.

"I'm gonna pop this cage open like a soda can!""

- Blu breaking open his cage, initiating the other birds' escape from the smuggler's plane

"Genie! You're Free!"

- Aladdin freeing the Genie as his third wish.

"Well, I think Dad has made some excellent progress today, but I think it's time we wind down now. (presses the green button on the console, setting everyone free.)"

- Violet Parr pressing the console to free the rest of the Incredibles.

"(Manny, Sid, Diego and Granny have finally arrived at the continent, but no one is there. Manny closes his eyes in despair) (Peaches: [in distance] Dad!) (Manny: Wait, did you hear that?) (Diego: Manny, I think--) (Manny: No, I heard something! I heard it!) (As they draw closer, a shadow is shown in the fog) (Diego: Is that--?) (Manny: Peaches? THERE SHE IS!) (Peaches: Dad!) (Manny: We're coming, sweetie! Don't move!) (Peaches: Daddy!) (Manny: Peaches!) (Suddenly, without warning, Captain Gutt emerges from the fog and grabs Peaches, holding a dagger to her throat!) (Captain Gutt: Welcome home, Daddy!) (Peaches: LET GO OF ME!) (Manny gasps in horror.) (Captain Gutt: What are the odds? We were just talking about you! You like the new ship? I call her Sweet Revenge!) (Silas: And look here! We've got the catch du jour!) (Ellie is tied up with vines to the mast of Gutt's ship.) (Manny: Ellie!) (Ellie: I'm alright! (glares at Gutt) Let my daughter go!) (Gutt laughs.) (Manny: It's OK. He wants me, and he's gonna get me.) (Diego: Huh?) (He notices a weak Shira struggling to her feet.) (Captain Gutt: Sacrificing yourself for your daughter! How touching! How predictable. Now come and get her!) (Flynn & Raz lay down a plank bridge for Manny to cross to the next ship.) (Raz: G'day, mate!) (Flynn: Remember us? We're the bad guys!) (Manny: Alright, let them go!) (Captain Gutt: [chuckles darkly] I don't think so. You destroyed everything I had! I'm just returning the favor.) (Manny: NO!) (Manny tries to charge at Gutt, but the crew rapidly lassoes him up.) (Captain Gutt: I warned you...) (Everything seems hopeless, when suddenly, a voice yells) STOP! (Crash & Eddie point at Louis. He stands boldly before the other animals.) Let the mammoth go! (Manny: Weiner?) (Gutt laughs.) (Captain Gutt: Uh-oh! Who brought the muscle to the party?) (Peaches: Louis, don't!) (Ethan: What's he doin'? He's gonna get himself killed!) It's okay, I can handle him. (Captain Gutt: How cute, a hero! Let's see what bravery gets you. Gupta, give the lad your weapon.) (Gupta: [drawing a knife] Nice knowin' ya, kid.) (Gupta tosses the knife in front of Louis. Louis tries to lift it up, but it doesn't budge; Gutt and his crew laugh until Louis finally manages to pull the knife out. He fearlessly points it towards Gutt.) (Captain Gutt: Let's dance, hero) Ugh... Whoa! (Louis flails with the knife and tosses into the air. When the knife lands, Louis is gone. Gutt, confused, looks around for the molehog, when Louis pops out of the ground beside him and slams a heavy ice chunk on the pirate's foot!) (Captain Gutt: YEOW!) (Gutt in pain releases Peaches; Manny breaks free of his bonds.) (Captain Gutt: Don't stand there like barnacles! GET HIM!)"

- Louis fearlessly standing up to Captain Gutt and slamming a heavy ice chunk on the pirate's foot to save Peaches.

"(Luke Skywalker walks through the Death Star detention block area and finds Princess Leia's cell and opens it to find the princess asleep, then she awakes to see the Stormtrooper uniform he's wearing) (Leia: Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?) Huh? Oh the uniform. (Luke removes his helmet to reveal his youthful face.) I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you! (Leia, confused: You're who?) I'm here to rescue to you. I've got your Artoo Unit and I'm here with Ben Kenobi. (Leia: Ben Kenobi? Where is he?) Come On!"

- Luke Skywalker rescuing Princess Leia from Darth Vader.

"(Zoe pulls Jeanette with treasure in her mouth, just as Alvin and Dave arrive) Zoe! (Zoe: No, no. Not another step! Don't come any closer!) (Dave Seville: Are you alright, Jeanette?) (Jeanette spits treasure from her mouth) (Jeanette: I'm pretty freaked out! And those earrings tasted awful!) Zoe, you don't have to do this!) (Zoe: Oh, I don't? I spent 10 years looking for this treasure! It's the whole reason why I came to this stinking island!) You-you mean you didn't crash land? (Zoe: They said that I was crazy, and they said that this map was a fake! [holds up wrinkled piece of paper with a map drawn in crayon] And now the treasure is MINE!) (The ground shakes and the cave starts to crumble) RUN! (Zoe falls and drops Jeanette.) (Dave Seville: Jeanette! C'mon, c'mon! Run!) (With the rope trailing behind, Jeanette runs after Alvin and Dave. As they cross the log bridge, Zoe stomps on the rope, pulling it taught and stopping Jeanette's escape!) (Zoe: No, you don't!) Jeanette! (Jeanette: Oh, no! No! [Zoe begins to reel Jeanette back toward her! On Dave and Alvin's side, rocks start to crumble from under the log!] Help! Help! Oh, no! Help!) (Zoe: You're going back in that cave and you are going to get me more treasure!) (As Zoe pulls Jeanette closer, a voice rings out) (Simon: Jeanette!) (Holding a vine, Simon swings off a cliff. He flips in the air then tumbles onto the log.) (Jeanette: Simone!) (Simon: It's Simon!) (Simon clutches Jeanette's waist as Zoe reels her closer. They barely resist. Alvin grabs the rope desperate to pull Jeannete away, but Zoe pulls them even closer. He tries to gnaw the rope, but it's too thick. Dave reaches into his pocket and pulls out the pocketknife he confiscated from Alvin earlier.) (Dave Seville: ALVIIIIIIIIN!) (Alvin turns around as Dave throws the knife. In slow motion, Alvin leaps up after it.) NOOOOOO! (He catches the knife in one paw, then slices the rope. Zoe topples backwards.) Hurry! (Dave Seville: C'mon, guys! Go!)"

- Alvin cutting the rope with his pocketknife to free Jeanette from Zoe's clutches.