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Central theme, the tie that binds together.''|'''[[Daniel Amos]]''', "Central Theme"}}
What the story is ''about''; a philosophy, a message, an idea at the heart of a story.
Stories were first told for two reasons: Entertainment and Education. [[The Epic of Gilgamesh|Gilgamesh]] was the story of a hero who kicked ass and took names, but it was also a celebration of the culture that produced it, one of the first. In essence this is what separates reality from fiction: [[Real Life]] has no central theme, no message or great meaning, save the ones that we transpose on it ourselves.<ref>This last sentence is, however, by no means a universal belief; just look at the vast array of religions in the world for that. [[Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment|And that's all we'll say on that subject.]]</ref>
On that note, be wary of [[Epileptic Trees|seeing messages where there are none]].
Different from [[An Aesop]] in that the [[Central Theme]] is often a question rather than a direct precept. For example, "[[The Power of Friendship]]" or (even better) "The struggles of sustaining [[The Power of Friendship]] in a cold, harsh world" are themes in that they are questions or issues that the author wants the reader to think about, whereas "[[The Power of Friendship]] will ultimately overcome all obstacles" is [[An Aesop]] in that it is a lesson or conclusion the author wants the reader to take away from the work. Of course, there can be a fine line between them, and the central theme can and often is used to develop and deliver the Aesop, but they are not strictly speaking the same; the reader may disagree with the author's Aesop, but the work will still be about the Central Theme whether they disagree or not.
A good place to start thinking about the theme of the work is the conflict it depicts; what is the overall conflict of the work, where is it stemming from, and what questions does this conflict give rise to?
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* ''[[Kino's Journey]]'' - Is there any underlying point to the stories, any unifying concept? Perhaps. It could be seen as an extended lesson in the law of unintended consequences.
** [[H. L. Mencken]] said, there is always an easy solution to every human problem: neat, plausible, and wrong. That is really the theme of this series. Each place that Kino visits, there was a problem which was solved by adoption of a solution which was neat and plausible and far too simplistic. And in each case we eventually learn why the chosen solution was wrong.
* ''[[Serial Experiments Lain]]'' is at is core, an exploration of the impact of the information age on the human soul. At a time when the internet was only just getting off, it foretold a future where Everything is Connected. It explores the concept of a Technological [[The Singularity|singularity]], "Close the World, Open the Next"
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' is a 26 episode critique of the Otaku lifestyle and deconstruction of the conventions of [[Humongous Mecha]] anime, ironically, it itself set new conventions to replace the old. One of the most analysed anime in existence, as the [[wikipedia:Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)#Fiction and philosophy|wikipedia page]] will attest, it is generally accepted today that the religious symbolism in the anime [[Faux Symbolism|are largely meaningless.]]
** Not completely meaningless per se, but it's not quite as deep as most people think it is. Unless the person thinks it does, then it will be, because the entire series was Walrus called Paul.
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** Responsibility and how people deal with it.
** Love is also a major theme; all the characters are motivated by a desire to love, and be loved in return.
* ''[[Voices of a Distant Star]]'' - Does physical distance matter for two people in love? What if she's in another city? Country? Continent? Star System? Einstein said "The great distances between the stars is nothing compared to the infinite distance between human hearts", and this movie tries to prove him dead wrong.
* ''[[Monster (manga)|Monster]]'' - Can any human being be considered a monster, totally beyond redemption? Is it wrong to take a life, even to save others? It explores these questions right to the logical conclusion, then leaves it to the viewer to figure it out.
* ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' - You can never outrun your past. Even the [[Spoof Aesop]] from episode 10 works into this concept. {{spoiler|'Don't leave things in the fridge', if you're curious.}}
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** Is it always a good idea to know the truth?
* ''[[Trigun]]'' is about the plausibility of [[Actual Pacifist|true pacifism]], especially in a very harsh and inhospitable world. This is best exemplified by the analogy in the anime of a butterfly caught in a spider's web: the Plants, a race of engineered [[Winged Humanoid|Winged Humanoids]] represent the butterflies, as they are enslaved by the humans in order to make the planet habitable. [[Big Bad|Knives']] plan is to wipe out the humans/spiders and save the Plants/butterflies, whereas Vash's hope is to come up with an alternative that allows everyone to coexist.
* ''[[Afro Samurai]]'' - Two in one:
** What is the real meaning of power?
** Can revenge ever be justified?
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* ''[[Detective Conan]]'': Everyone deserves justice, even [[Asshole Victim|someone who doesn't seem to deserve it]].
* ''[[Angel Densetsu]]'': Never judging a book by its cover.
* ''[[Ranma ½|[[Ranma
* ''[[Lyrical Nanoha]]'': As [http://okazu.blogspot.com/ Erica Friedman] notes, [http://okazu.blogspot.com/2012/03/concept-of-family-in-magical-girl.html the entire Nanoha-verse is the story of creating one's family for one's self]. Family is something beyond just the community one is born into; it is something one forms and gathers out of love as one moves through life.
* ''[[Wedding Peach]]'': The reconciliation of the good and evil that resides in everyone.
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== Comic Books ==
* ''[[Watchmen]]'': What kind of person would dress up in a costume and beat up bad guys?
** And what would the world be like if they did so?
** You don't need to be super to be a hero.
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* ''[[Scott Pilgrim]]'': Fighting for the one you love.
** On a more serious note, learning from the mistakes of your past, accepting your flaws and becoming a better person instead of repeating the same mistakes all over again.
* ''[[Batman]]'': How the traumas of the past affect the choices we make, and thus how they shape us into the people we are in the present.
** In particular, it has been noted that practically every member of Batman's Rogue's Gallery either reflects a part of Batman himself and / or like him as a over-arching trauma that has shaped their lives ever since -- except where he has used his trauma to make himself a better man and to defend the innocent to try and prevent what happened to him from happening to others, they have succumbed to despair and evil and use their traumas as an excuse to hurt others.
* ''[[Superman]]'': What it means to be a hero, a good person and an inspiration to others -- and how these three qualities are not necessarily the same.
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* ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'': The ugliness that can be found lurking under the skin of popular culture and, by extension, civilization itself.
* ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X Men]]'' - Choosing to do the right thing, even when faced with prejudice and injustice. More specifically, having to choose between using your abilities to help mankind and using them to rebel against an oppressive establishment.
* ''[[Kingdom Come]]'': What exactly ''are'' the differences between the [[The Cape (trope)]] and the [[Nineties Anti-Hero]]?
* ''[[Captain America (comics)]]'': Is truth, justice and the American way old-fashioned?
* ''[[Astro City]]'': The ordinariness of the extraordinary.
* ''[[300]]'': No one man is above anyone else.
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* ''[[Casabianca]]'': Innocence of youth and loyalty to authority (especially parental) even in the face of imminent death.
* The ''[[Belgariad]]'' and the ''Mallorean'' aim for two key points: friendship and faith. The former is exemplified when it's pointed out that the Light is always spread across many people while the Dark always works alone; the latter comes to the fore when it's made clear {{spoiler|that the primary job of the heroes is ultimately to replace a god}}.
* ''[[Brave New World (novel)|Brave New World]]'': The conflicts between 'happy' ignorance and 'unhappy' intellectual curiosity; can living a purely hedonistic and carefree existence truly be called living?
* ''[[Coraline (novel)|Coraline]]'': Don't expect your creations to obey you just because it was you that made them. (This applies especially if you're a parent.)
* ''[[Pet Sematary]]'': It is better to let go of departed loved ones than to try to bring them back. Or as King himself put it, "Sometimes, dead is better."
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** Angel lays it out explicitly a couple times, first in "Epiphany" when he talks about the existential reasons for being kind even if you know it won't change things, and again when Faith and Angel and Angelus are having a fight inside Angel's mind. Angel saves Faith and himself by admitting that he doesn't believe in redemption any more: the point is to do good for the sake of doing good, not to win some epic, endless battle. Evil triumphs not when good people do nothing but when people don't do good things. Not ''because'' they're good people. Just because it's right.
** To put it simply, in the words of the series itself: If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.
* ''[[Merlin]]'': Power (including magic) does not make a person good or evil, it is what a person chooses to do with it that defines them.
** Parents cast long shadows over their children.
** Secrets are destructive, especially when they exist between friends and family.
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** The effect of the drug trade and the resulting War on Drugs on society as a whole.
* ''[[Chuck]]'': [[I Just Want to Be Normal]] vs. [[I Just Want to Be Special]]
* ''[[The X-Files]]'': You can only trust very few wholeheartedly (and you should); everyone else shouldn't be trusted at all. Believe in something but question everything; regard authority in particular with absolute suspicion, for it will lie to and manipulate you if it thinks it is able to get away with it. The Truth will always remain out there but it's no reason to stop looking.
* ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' and ''[[Power Rangers Zeo]]'': Overlaping theme of tradition vs progress, showing that mindlessly climbing to either is bad.
* ''[[Early Edition]]'': How a single act can change the lives of others, [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|or make it worse]].
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* ''[[Without a Trace]]'': [[Hidden Depths|You don't really know someone until the day they disappear]].
* ''[[American Horror Story]]'': Everyone is haunted.
* ''[[Castle]]'': In the ongoing story-arc, what cost seeking justice for the wrongs of the past can have on the present and / or future. In general, the perils and opportunities of opening yourself and your heart up to someone else.
* ''[[Community]]'': [[The Power of Friendship]]; what brings together different people, forces them to bond together into a [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|community]], and ultimately holds them together?
** Accepting your friends, flaws and all.
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* ''[[Yes Minister]]'' and ''[[The West Wing]]'': The conflict between political idealism versus political realities, and how politicians and civil servants navigate and exploit this conflict in order to ensure the most favorable outcome for them. Interestingly, each series is set at opposite ends of the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]].
* ''[[The Office]]'' (Both UK and US): The demoralising and crushing tedium of white-collar work.
* ''[[Homicide: Life On the Street]]'': The effects that investigating murder and being surrounded by death can have on those who are charged to investigate them.
* ''[[Jericho]]'': What ordinary people are capable of when they are put in desperate situations.
* ''[[Peep Show]]'': The differences and conflicts between the appearances we present to the world and our secret inner thoughts.
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* ''[[Friends]]'': Friendship in all its forms (friendship among men and women, friendship that is broken and reforged, friendship that blossoms into romance).
* ''[[30 Rock|Thirty Rock]]'': Maintaining professional integrity.
* ''[[Nip Tuck]]'': hiding the ugliness of people
* ''[[Mad Men]]'': The contradictory roles men and women are ''supposed'' to play in society.
* ''[[Spaced]]'': What it means to be a young adult in the early twenty-first century, and how that means figuring out who you are and what you want to do.
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* ''[[Smash]]'': [[Technician Versus Performer]]
* ''[[Psych]]'': The power of keen observation.
* The BBC's ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]'': For the first two seasons: what's more important, the needs of the individual or the impersonal greater good?
** For the third season: fight the good fight, even if (or when) it costs you everything you hold dear.
** The relationship between an individual man, the people in his life, and the legend that builds up around him (as epitomized in the gang's [[Catch Phrase]]: "We are Robin Hood".) With that in mind...
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== Mythology and Folklore ==
* [[King Arthur|Arthurian Legend]]: Despite the lofty dreams and ideals of humanity, baser instincts (lust, greed, vengeance, distrust) will inevitably destroy Heaven-on-Earth.
* [[Norse Mythology]]: Heroism in the face of defeat.
* [[Classical Mythology]]: The folly of [[Pride]]. The eternal struggle between parent and child..
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== Video Games ==
* ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' - [[You Can't Fight Fate]]. The Nameless One may save and redeem his companions, entire civilizations and even his enemies, but in the end he simply can't save himself.
** Arguably the entire theme is classic existentialism: You can't change fate or your circumstances, but you can change the way you respond to these circumstances.
** Most themes in the game (including whether it errs on the side of [[Screw Destiny]] or [[You Can't Fight Fate]]) depends on how you play it and personal interpretation of the ending. However, one of the larger ones, one that links in with the [[Arc Words]] ("What can change the nature of a man?") is that of Change. What changes, what doesn't, and whether anything can't.
* ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' - [[The Power of Love]], any and all love. All the bosses represent some form of perverted love, and all the characters showing genuine love end up redeemed. Almost every NPC talks about or shows some form of love, whether it be romantic love, friendship, familial, even love for the environment.
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** ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' - An examination of love, in all its myriad forms: familial (Strago and Relm), parental (Terra), romantic (Locke, Celes), fraternal (Edgar and Sabin), both found and lost.
*** There's also taking responsibility for your past deeds and forgiving yourself, which is seen in Terra, Locke, Shadow, Setzer and Cyan.
** ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' - Life, Death, and Rebirth
** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'' - Isolating yourself from other people won't stop you from being hurt. It's better to love and be hurt than to not love at all.
** ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'' - Stop obsessing over what can't be changed and focus instead on what ''can'' be, because we don't have forever.
** ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' - Sometimes, tradition and staying the same is not necessarily the best thing.
** ''[[Final Fantasy X
** ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' - Is power the only way to fight against power?
** ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' - [[Fate vs. Free Will|Free will]], [[Beneath the Mask|facing yourself]], forgiveness and redemption
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* ''[[Prince of Persia]]'' (at least the ''Sands of Time'' sub-series): Every action has consequences. You can't evade them forever.
* ''[[Beyond Good & Evil (video game)|Beyond Good and Evil]]'': Question everything. Never take truth for granted.
* ''[[Command
* ''[[Command
* ''[[The Reconstruction]]'': Scope; the necessity to understand all sides of the story and the full truth before one can make the correct decision, and the danger of jumping to conclusions. However, you must acquire the necessary knowledge without also losing sight of what is truly important.
{{quote|"How far back must we stand before we can see everything ahead? And...does that mean we must lose sight of what was closest to begin with?"}}
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* ''[[Twisted Metal]]'': Pursuing your dream at any cost.
* ''[[MadWorld]]'': [[Humans Are the Real Monsters]], and this isn't about to change any time soon. All you can really do is is stiffen your spine and keep going.
* ''[[Dark Souls]]'': Fire, death, what beauty means in the Crapsack World of Dark Souls, and ultimately, [[Humans Are Good]].
== [[Web Comics]] ==
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** David Willis also likes exploring the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism]]. See the famous 'It's the rain' speech Walky gives in ''[[Its Walky]]''.
* ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'': Teamwork and trust are key to victory - the more people trust each other and are willing to cooperate, the more effective they are, even bad guys. People who cannot afford trust their allies {{spoiler|such as Lord Shojo}}, think they don't need others to solve their problems {{spoiler|like Miko or V in "Don't Split the Party" arc}} or just want to do what they want, not thinking about their teammates {{spoiler|like Belkar}} get in trouble. Also, [[Deconstruction]] of [[Dungeons and Dragons]] stereotypes by putting them in contrast with a realistic racial conflict.
** Also, the nature of power, and what it means to use this effectively and wisely; a recurring thread through the plot is characters who are supposedly more powerful being undone by their supposedly weaker opponents, through the application of creativity and intelligence and the exploitation of unforeseen flaws and weaknesses.
* ''[[Goblins]]'' - inversion/deconstruction of [[Dungeons and Dragons]] [[Fantastic Racism]] - just because some races are aligned as "evil" or "monsters" doesn't mean that humans and other player races are any better.
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* ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' is about failure, and failed expectations in particular. The setting is a failed [[Used Future]] take on the Space Age ideals, Rusty Venture and Billy Quizboy are failed child geniuses, and almost every episode is about how some experiment crashed and burned.
** The detail they go into is amazing - one character, Pete White, is a failed super-scientist. He lives in a trailer, the typical home of failures. The trailer itself is on bricks, meaning it can't move like trailers should. Near his home is a billboard informing the viewer that the trailer is the only house of a planned subdivision. The character is a failure, his home's a failure, and ''the ground his home is standing on for miles around'' is a failure.
* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': [[War Is Hell]], and forgiveness, love, friendship and compassion win out over spite, hatred and fear in the end. A friend may become an enemy, but an enemy may also become a friend. Destiny is choice - and choices must be made, not put off.
** ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'': Attaining balance, whether it be in an individual, a city, or the world. Recognising one's own strengths and weaknesses, and by doing so, adapting to your personal environment and situation.
* ''[[Moral Orel]]'': Just because kids are prone to mistakes doesn't mean grown ups are any better.
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'': Friendship is a powerful force that can connect all of us and lets us accomplish far more then we can achieve on our own.
** And the second season adds: But that doesn't mean it's easy.
* ''[[Invader Zim]]'': [[Humans Are Morons]]. Amazing that we have not been invaded.
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