Character Derailment: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 22:55, 5 February 2022

When an established character becomes largely different, exhibiting behavior contrary to what has been previously shown. This is not a matter of organic growth. Rather than gradually changing in response to events and experiences, a derailed character will exhibit shockingly unusual behavior that implies malfeasance or incompetence on the part of the writers.

Note that organic growth does not necessarily mean 'benign growth', and it is perfectly possible for a previously good-natured character to end up embittered or depressed without falling victim to this trope. This is rare however, and often unpopular.

In published fiction, derailment is usually caused by an author having a certain story idea and needing to stretch the characters' personality to fit. In the worst cases, the author may end up speaking for the character. In works with multiple authors, a new author may have a wildly different interpretation of a character, causing him to write his version of the character instead of the one established by canon.

Fans motivated by Die for Our Ship will use Character Derailment in their fanfics to remove the character from the Official Couple which is in the way of their OTP (or just because they dislike them).

It only counts as this trope if it happens in canon. Trope Decay is when this occurs for trope examples.

In the rarest of cases, this can be an example of how Tropes Are Not Bad. Previously boring or irritating characters may actually be improved if they're drastically changed. A classic example is Kelly Bundy from Married... with Children, whose transformation into The Brainless Beauty also coincided with the show's Growing the Beard.

Please check if examples fit better into subtropes before adding them here.

Specific types

Full list: Category:Character Derailment Tropes

Aesop Amnesia
Badass Decay
Chickification
Comedic Sociopathy (for characters who aren't supposed to act like this)
Conflict Ball (when characters are derailed just for the sake of drama)
Derailing Love Interests
Dork Age (often involves this trope as well as other bad writing tropes)
Faux Affably Evil (When the character wasn't that much of a jerkass to begin with)
Flanderization
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope
Love Makes You Dumb
Lowered Monster Difficulty
Moral Event Horizon (when unintentional)
Motive Decay
Not as You Know Them
Out-of-Character Moment
Possession Sue
Same Character but Different
Strangled by the Red String
Sympathetic Murder Backstory (when handled badly)
Took a Level In Dumbass
Took a Level in Jerkass
Villain Decay
Wimpification
Xenafication
You Don't Look Like You

If in Fanfics, it can involve Canon Defilement, Draco in Leather Pants and/or Ron the Death Eater. When the derailed character's characterization is fixed, it is Character Rerailment. Contrast Characterization Marches On, in which a character changes because their previous characterization was only a "work in progress".

No real life examples, please; this is a trope about how characters are depicted in media. How the trope can be applied to real life is anyone's guess...

Examples of Character Derailment are listed on these subpages:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{trope}}
 When an established character becomes largely different, exhibiting behavior contrary to what has been previously shown. This is not a matter of [[Character Development|organic growth]]. Rather than gradually changing in response to events and experiences, a derailed character will exhibit shockingly unusual behavior that implies [[Stealth Parody|malfeasance]] or [[They Just Didn't Care|incompetence]] on the part of the writers.
 Note that organic growth does not necessarily mean 'benign growth', and it is perfectly possible for a previously good-natured character to end up embittered or depressed without falling victim to this trope. This is [[Downer Ending|rare]] however, and often unpopular.
 In published fiction, derailment is usually caused by an author having a certain story idea and needing to stretch the characters' personality to fit. In the worst cases, the author [[Author Filibuster|may end up speaking]] ''for'' the character. In works with multiple authors, a new author may have a [[Alternate Character Interpretation|wildly different interpretation]] of a character, causing him to write his version of the character instead of the one established by canon.
-Fans motivated by [[Die for Our Ship]] will use [[Character Derailment]] in their [[Fanfic|fanfics]] to remove the character from the [[Official Couple]] which is in the way of their [[OTP]] (or just because they dislike them).
+Fans motivated by [[Die for Our Ship]] will use '''Character Derailment''' in their [[fanfic]]s to remove the character from the [[Official Couple]] which is in the way of their [[OTP]] (or just because they dislike them).
 '''It only counts as this trope if it happens in canon.''' [[Trope Decay]] is when this occurs for trope examples.
 In the rarest of cases, this can be an example of how [[Tropes Are Not Bad]]. Previously boring or irritating characters may actually be ''improved'' if they're drastically changed. A classic example is Kelly Bundy from ''[[Married... with Children]]'', whose transformation into [[The Brainless Beauty]] also coincided with the show's [[Growing the Beard]].
 Please check if examples fit better into subtropes before adding them here.
@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 * [[Wimpification]]
 * [[Xenafication]]
 * [[You Don't Look Like You]]
-If in [[Fanfic|Fan Fics]], it can involve [[Canon Defilement]], [[Draco in Leather Pants]] and/or [[Ron the Death Eater]]. When the derailed character's characterization is fixed, it is [[Character Rerailment]]. Contrast [[Characterization Marches On]], in which a character changes because their previous characterization was only a "work in progress".
+If in [[Fanfic]]s, it can involve [[Canon Defilement]], [[Draco in Leather Pants]] and/or [[Ron the Death Eater]]. When the derailed character's characterization is fixed, it is [[Character Rerailment]]. Contrast [[Characterization Marches On]], in which a character changes because their previous characterization was only a "work in progress".
-'''[[No Real Life Examples, Please]]'''. Though how the trope can be applied to real life is anyone's guess...
+{{noreallife|this is a trope about how characters are depicted in media. How the trope can be applied to real life is anyone's guess...}}
-{{examples}}
-* [[Character Derailment/Anime and Manga|Anime and Manga]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Comic Books|Comic Books]]
-** [[Character Derailment/X-Men|X-Men]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Fanfic|Fanfic]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Film|Film]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Literature|Literature]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Live Action TV|Live Action TV]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Newspaper Comics|Newspaper Comics]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Professional Wrestling|Professional Wrestling]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Tabletop Games|Tabletop Games]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Video Games|Video Games]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Web Animation|Web Animation]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Webcomics|Webcomics]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Web Original|Web Original]]
-* [[Character Derailment/Western Animation|Western Animation]]
+{{examples on subpages}}
 {{reflist}}
+[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
 [[Category:Improbable Behavior Tropes]]
 [[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
-[[Category:Heel Face Index]]
 [[Category:Bad Writing Index]]
 [[Category:Consistency]]
@@ Line 77: / Line 60: @@
 [[Category:The Plot Demanded This Index]]
 [[Category:Flame Bait]]
-[[Category:index]]
-[[Category:Character Derailment]]
-[[Category:No Real Life Examples, Please]]
 [[Category:Character Derailment Tropes]]
+[[Category:Corruption Tropes]]