Early Teen Hero: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''Ordinary Anne Boonchuy, 13, finds a music box that sends her to Amphibia, a world full of frogs, toads, and giant insects.''|[[Amphibia (TV series)|Amphibia]] summary|IMDB}}

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The hero is the single character that people will relate to the most. They get the most screen time, they are the most developed character if they are the protagonist, and, unless you've got an [[Anti-Hero]], they are the character the audience looks up to the most.

What if you want to appeal to children, or anyone who hasn't come of age? Enter the '''Middle-Aged Kiddo Hero''', where the hero is a young teenager or about to become one. This is a subtrope of [[Kid Hero]]. The ~~technical~~ difference is the age range. Whereas Kid Hero refers to ''any'' character who hasn't come of age, the difference here is that this trope only applies to twelve to fifteen year olds. Fourteen appears to be a popular compromise. Yes, twelve to fifteen is ''not'' a middle aged child, but we must compromise for the fact that three year olds cannot wield swords or go on epic adventures.

What if you want to appeal to children, or anyone who hasn't come of age? Enter the '''Middle-Aged Kiddo Hero''', where the hero is a young teenager or about to become one. This is a subtrope of [[Kid Hero]]. The difference between the tropes is the age range. Whereas Kid Hero refers to ''any'' character who hasn't come of age, the difference here is that this trope only applies to twelve to fifteen year olds, with some loose extentions into eleven year olds. Fourteen appears to be a popular compromise. <ref>Yes, twelve to fifteen is ''not'' a middle aged child, but we must compromise for the fact that three year olds cannot wield swords or go on epic adventures.</ref>

This age range is specific, and immensely helps any storyteller. The character is young enough to be relatable to every child, but not so young that the writer cannot make the work serious. Having a child too young to be a hero can turn off older teens from viewing the work, but having a teen too old can turn off younger children from a work. Thus, this trope serves as a compromise between the two age ranges. The close age gap to children themselves means they can insert themselves into the character far easier than they can insert themselves into an adult, yet the serious tones which is often presented allows grown-ups to be invested in a work.

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Because children prefer the bright and exaggerated scenes of animation over the dull reality presented in [[Live-Action TV]], this is mostly an animation trope <ref>Although some shows, such as ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', are distinctly ''not'' for kids.</ref>.

Note that sometimes the usage of this trope is only implied. If a character starts a [[Wizarding School]] or is a young high school student, it probably fits. If they are in primary school, or is about to graduate from said Wizarding School, it does not fit.

Note that sometimes the usage of this trope is only implied. If a character starts a [[Wizarding School]] or is a young high school student, it probably fits. If they are in primary school, or is about to graduate from said Wizarding School, it does not fit. A lot of times, the age of the hero is never explicitly stated. In that case, use common sense and ask yourself if the child is young enough to appeal to kids, yet old enough to appeal to adults. The things the hero does can also give a hint: no twelve year old will calculate interest on their car loan. Similarly, a seven year old probably won't go on a [[MacGuffin]] hunt.

If the trope is used, chances of [[Cerebus Syndrome]] are high. See also the parent trope [[Kid Hero]].

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* In ''[[Violet Evergarden (anime)|Violet Evergarden]]'', Violet estimates that her age is around fourteen.

* In the ''[[Little Witch Academia]]'' franchise, Atsuko "Akko" Kagari's age is implied to be in this range as she starts [[Wizarding School|Luna Nova]].

* Mary Smith in ''[[Mary and the Witch's Flower]]'' is around this age gap, mature enough to go on adventures in the nearby [[Wizarding School]], but not mature enough to excel at it or fit in.

== [[Art]] ==

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[[Category:Sublime Rhyme]]

[[Category:Youngsters]]

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