Dead Herring: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (Mass update links)
No edit summary
 
(12 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{trope}}
{{trope}}{{page should be category}}
There are movers and shakers in stories, they're called [[Heroes]] and [[Villain|villains]]. Everyone else is more or less an [[Innocent Bystander]] to these two people or factions. They are characters whose sole plot-critical function is to have stuff happen to them; the plot would be no different had they never existed, except that the Hero's heroism, the Villain's villainy and the dangers facing the main character just wouldn't be as powerful without someone to use as a punching bag. Essentially, they are a [[Red Herring]] used to prove a point, by dying if necessary.
There are movers and shakers in stories, they're called [[Heroes]] and [[villain]]s. Everyone else is more or less an [[Innocent Bystander]] to these two people or factions. They are characters whose sole plot-critical function is to have stuff happen to them; the plot would be no different had they never existed, except that the Hero's heroism, the Villain's villainy and the dangers facing the main character just wouldn't be as powerful without someone to use as a punching bag. Essentially, they are a [[Red Herring]] used to prove a point, by dying if necessary.


As such they are storytelling tools, and this [[Super-Trope]] categorizes their use based on type: demonstrating danger; causing an emotional reaction in the hero, the viewer or ''both'', and even as a source of humor.
As such they are storytelling tools, and this [[Super-Trope]] categorizes their use based on type: demonstrating danger; causing an emotional reaction in the hero, the viewer or ''both'', and even as a source of humor.


{{deathtrope}}

=== Type I: Their death is not necessarily intended to evoke emotion, just demonstrate the danger. ===
== Type I: Their death is not necessarily intended to evoke emotion, just demonstrate the danger. ==
* [[Cannon Fodder]]
* [[Cannon Fodder]]
* [[Dead Serious]]
* [[Dead Serious]]
Line 16: Line 16:
* [[Sacrificial Lamb]]
* [[Sacrificial Lamb]]


=== Type II: Their death is intended to evoke great emotion in another character, usually a protagonist. ===
== Type II: Their death is intended to evoke great emotion in another character, usually the protagonist. ==
* [[Dead Little Sister]]
* [[Dead Little Sister]]
* [[Dead Partner]]
* [[Dead Partner]]
* [[Dead Sidekick]]
* [[Dead Sidekick]]
* [[Death By Newbery Medal]]
* [[Death by Newbery Medal]]
* [[Death By Origin Story]]
* [[Death by Origin Story]]
* [[Deceased Parents Are the Best]]
* [[Deceased Parents Are the Best]]
* [[Disposable Woman]]
* [[Disposable Woman]]
Line 32: Line 32:
* [[They Were Holding You Back]]
* [[They Were Holding You Back]]


=== Type III: Their death is intended to evoke emotion in the audience, but may mean little to the other characters. ===
== Type III: Their death is intended to evoke emotion in the audience, but may mean little to the other characters. ==
* [[Decoy Protagonist]]
* [[Decoy Protagonist]]
* [[Mauve Shirt]]
* [[Mauve Shirt]]
* [[Player Punch]]
* [[Player Punch]]


=== Type IV: Their suffering is intended to evoke humor. They are unlikely to die. ===
== Type IV: Their suffering is intended to evoke humor. They are unlikely to die. ==
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [[Butt Monkey]]
* [[The Chew Toy]]
* [[The Chew Toy]]
Line 43: Line 43:
* [[The Eeyore]]
* [[The Eeyore]]


=== Type V: Their suffering evokes sympathy from the audience. ===
== Type V: Their suffering evokes sympathy from the audience. ==
* [[The Woobie]]
* [[The Woobie]]
* [[Slave Mooks]]
* [[Slave Mooks]]


=== Related Tropes: ===
== Related Tropes ==
* [[Sorting Algorithm of Mortality]]
* [[Sorting Algorithm of Mortality]]
* [[We Have Reserves]]
* [[We Have Reserves]]
Line 54: Line 54:
[[Category:Death Tropes]]
[[Category:Death Tropes]]
[[Category:Characters As Device]]
[[Category:Characters As Device]]
[[Category:Index Index/Sandbox]]
[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
[[Category:Index Index]]
[[Category:Index]]
⚫
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Dead Herring]]
[[Category:Dead Herring]]
⚫
[[Category:One-Shot Character]]

Latest revision as of 15:19, 4 May 2020

There are movers and shakers in stories, they're called Heroes and villains. Everyone else is more or less an Innocent Bystander to these two people or factions. They are characters whose sole plot-critical function is to have stuff happen to them; the plot would be no different had they never existed, except that the Hero's heroism, the Villain's villainy and the dangers facing the main character just wouldn't be as powerful without someone to use as a punching bag. Essentially, they are a Red Herring used to prove a point, by dying if necessary.

As such they are storytelling tools, and this Super-Trope categorizes their use based on type: demonstrating danger; causing an emotional reaction in the hero, the viewer or both, and even as a source of humor.

As a Death Trope, Spoilers ahead may be unmarked. Beware.

Type I: Their death is not necessarily intended to evoke emotion, just demonstrate the danger.

Type II: Their death is intended to evoke great emotion in another character, usually the protagonist.

Type III: Their death is intended to evoke emotion in the audience, but may mean little to the other characters.

Type IV: Their suffering is intended to evoke humor. They are unlikely to die.

Type V: Their suffering evokes sympathy from the audience.

Related Tropes

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Dead_Herring?oldid=1775527"