View source for Five-Man Band/Literature

{{trope}}
The [[Five-Man Band]] is a group of characters whose members fall into archetypes which all complement one another. They are a very specific team with skills that contribute to the group in a unique way.

Examples of [[{{TOPLEVELPAGE}}]]s in [[{{SUBPAGENAME}}]] include:

{{TOCright}}

== ''[[The Belgariad]]'' ==
The core crew
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||(Bel)Garion
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Durnik
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||See [[The Big Guy]] Band below
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Silk
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ce'Nedra
|-
|[[The Mentor]](s)||Belgarath and Polgara
|}

[[The Big Guy]] band
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Barak
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Hettar
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Mandorallen
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Relg
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lelldorin
|}

== ''[[Discworld]]'' ==
''[[The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]] / [[The Big Guy]]||Hamnpork (or Darktan, sometimes)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Darktan
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Dangerous Beans
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Peaches
|-
|[[The Sixth Ranger]] / [[Token Evil Teammate]]||Maurice
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||'The Stupid-Looking Kid'
|}

Ankh-Morpork Watch:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Carrot
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Vimes, Angua
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Detritus, Dorfl
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Smart Guy(s)]]||Cheri, Igor
|-
|[[The Chick|The Chick(s)]]||Colon
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Nobby
|}
Varies a lot: Despite the later novels being considerably more Vimes-centered than Carrot-centered, Vimes remains a classic [[The Lancer|Lancer]] in terms of character archetype.

Unseen University:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Archchancellor Ridcully
|-
|[[The Lancer]](s)||The Dean, in later books Ponder Stibbons
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||The Librarian
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ponder Stibbons
|-
|[[The Chick]]||The Bursar
|}

== ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' ==
''[[Dragonlance]]'' - The Chronicles trilogy
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Tanis Half-Elven
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sturm Brightblade
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Caramon Majere
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Raistlin Majere
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Goldmoon, later Laurana
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Riverwind
|-
|[[Team Dad]]||Flint Fireforge
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Tasslehoff Burrfoot
|}

''[[Dragonlance]]'' - War of the Twins
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Caramon Majere
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Tasslehoff Burrfoot
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Raistlin Majere
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Crysania of Tarinius
|}

''[[Forgotten Realms|The Forgotten Realms]]'' - The Companions of Mithral Hall
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Drizzt Do'Urden
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Bruenor Battlehammer
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Wulfgar
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Regis
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Catti-Brie
|}

''[[Forgotten Realms|The Forgotten Realms]]'' - ''Azure Bonds''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Alias (Alias has the personality of [[The Lancer]], but plays the role of [[The Hero]] in the plot.)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Dragonbait (Dragonbait, by contrast, has the personality of [[The Hero]], but plays the part of [[The Lancer]].)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Mistinarperadnacles Hai Draco (Very big, since she's a great wyrm red dragon.)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Akabar bel Akash
|-
|[[The Dark Chick]]||Olive Ruskettle (She does a [[Heel Face Turn]] by the end.)
|}

== ''[[Harry Potter]]'' ==
The Marauders
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||James Potter
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sirius Black
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Peter Pettigrew ([[Fat Bastard|He's the chubby one]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Remus Lupin
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lily Evans (later she befriends the Marauders, after she dates James Potter)
|}

''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (novel)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' (specifically on the rescue mission at the Ministry of Magic)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Harry Potter
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Ron Weasley
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Hermione Granger
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Neville Longbottom
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ginny Weasley
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Luna Lovegood
|}

== ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' ==
''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Arthur
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Ford
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Zaphod
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Marvin
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Trillian
|}

Things were changed a bit in ''Life, the Universe, and Everything'':
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Slartibartfast
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Ford
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Zaphod
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Trillian
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Arthur
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Marvin
|}

== ''[[Illuminatus]]!'' ==
The Legion of Dynamic Discord
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Hagbard Celine
|-
|[[The Lancer|The Lancer(s)]]||Mavis, Stella
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Howard
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||FUCKUP
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Miss Portinari
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Joe Malik
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||George Dorn
|}

Joe Malik & Co.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Joseph Malik
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Simon Moon
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||John Dillanger
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Hagbard Celine
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Miss Mao
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||George Dorn
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Malaclypse the Elder
|}

== ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' ==
The main group:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Arthur
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Lancelot
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Merlin
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Gawain (and very occasionally Kay)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Guinevere
|}

The Orkney brothers are a five-man band unto themselves, and their roles tend to switch:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Gawain
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Mordred
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Gaheris (in some versions)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Agrivain
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Gareth (even when he's playing [[The Hero]])
|}

== ''[[N.E.R.D.S.]]'' ==
First Book
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]] / [[Token Evil Teammate]]||Jackson Jones / Braceface
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Heathcliff Hodgins / Chompers {{spoiler|Turns out to have masterminded the entire plot at the end}}
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Julio Escala / Flinch
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Duncan Dewey / Gluestick
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ruby Peet / Pufferfish
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Matilda Choi / Wheezer
|}

Second Book
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Duncan Dewey / Gluestick
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Julio Escala / Flinch
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Jackson Jones / Braceface
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ruby Peet / Pufferfish
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Matilda Choi / Wheezer
|}

Third Book
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Matilda Choi / Wheezer
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Jackson Jones / Braceface
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Julio Escala / Flinch
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Duncan Dewey / Gluestick
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ruby Peet / Pufferfish
|}

== ''[[Percy Jackson and The Olympians]]'' ==
Book 2
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Percy Jackson
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tyson
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Annabeth Chase
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Grover Underwood
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Clarisse La Rue
|}

Book 3 (Very difficult to classify){{context|reason=It looks classified to me.}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Percy Jackson
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Thalia Grace
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Zoé Nightshade
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Grover Underwood
|-
|[[The Chick]](s)||Annabeth Chase, Bianca di Angelo
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Bessie (a.k.a Ophiotaurus)
|}

Book 4
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Percy Jackson
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Annabeth Chase (also [[The Smart Guy]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tyson
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The (other) Smart Guy]]||Rachel Elizabeth Dare
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Grover Underwood
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger(s)]]||Nico di Angelo, Rachel Elizabeth Dare
|}

The entire series
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Percy Jackson
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Thalia Grace
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tyson
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Annabeth Chase
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Grover Underwood
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Nico di Angelo
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Rachel Elizabeth Dare
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Chiron
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Mrs. O'Leary
|}

== ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' ==
Bran's gang:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Bran Stark
|-
|[[The Lancer]]=/=[[The Chick]]||Meera Reed
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Hodor
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jojen Reed
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Summer
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Coldhands
|}

Jon Snow's gang.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jon Snow
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Samwell Tarly
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Grenn
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Pypar, Samwell
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Dareon
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Ghost
|}

The Stark children, although they get separated very quickly.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Robb Stark
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Jon Snow
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Arya--a subversion, since she's actually quite small, but she's the brawler of the group.
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Brandon Stark
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Sansa Stark
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Rickon Stark
|}

== ''[[Twilight (novel)|Twilight]]'' ==
The Cullen Family
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Edward
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Alice (cheerful, friendly [[Genki Girl]] to Edward's Wangst and standoffish attitude) or Rosalie (dislikes Bella)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Emmett
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jasper (strategy) or Carlisle (everything else)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Esme
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Bella Swan
|}

A different interpretation:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Edward
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Rosalie (dislikes Bella)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Emmett
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jasper (the most knowledgeable next to Carlisle)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Alice
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Bella (becomes a vampire and officially joins the family midway through the final book)
|-
|[[The Mentor]]||Carlisle
|-
|[[Team Mom]]||Esme
|}

== ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' ==
[[Ciaphas Cain]] - 597th Valhallan Regiment
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Ciaphas Cain
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Regina Kasteen
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Anton Broklaw
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ferik Juergen (smart in terms of useful skills)
|-
|[[The Chick]] and [[The Lancer|The (alternate) Lancer]]||Amberly Vail
|}

[[Eisenhorn]] - Inquisitor Eisenhorn and company
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Gregor Eisenhorn
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Midas Betancore, later Lize Bequin (Also Mission Control)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Godwyn Fischig
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Autosavant Uber Aemos
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Warhammer 40000 (is really, really not big on Chicks, but Bequin might ''just'' qualify at her introduction. Medea Betancore in the later books.)
|}

[[Gaunt's Ghosts]] - The Ghosts
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Ibram Gaunt
|-
|[[The Lancer|The Lancer(s)]]||Rawne, Colm Corbec, Mkoll, later Gol Kolea
|-
|[[The Big Guy|The Big Guy(s)]]||"Try Again" Bragg, Colm Corbec, Brostin, Gol Kolea (until promoted to Lancer)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Lancer(s)]]||Agun Soric, Mkoll
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Possibly Docs Dorden and Curth (in general role, but both can and do hold their own in combat.)
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Commissar Viktor Hark
|}

''[[Ravenor]]'' - Inquisitor Ravenor and company
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Harlon Nayl
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Patience Kys
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Zeph Mathuin ( {{spoiler|until he dies, when the place is filled by Thonius}})
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Carl Thonius ([[Phrase Catcher|The things he knows]]) ( {{spoiler|until Mathuin's death, when Zael seems to be taking over}})
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Kara Swole
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Gideon Ravenor himself (though he can 'ware' any other member of the team.)
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Zael, and later Isobob
|-
|[[The Medic]]||Belknap
|-
|[[Kid Appeal Character]]||Sholto Unwerth ([[Plucky Comic Relief|to some degree]])
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Maud Plyton, Belknap (can also count), and later in the series, [[Hot Amazon|Angharad]] and Interrogator [[White-Haired Pretty Boy|Ballack]].  {{spoiler|The latter of which turns out to be the [[Token Evil Teammate]].}}
|-
|[[The Stoic]]||[[Non-Action Guy|Not having earned]] a particular role in the lineup, Wystan Frauka spends his time at the hideout [[Must Have Nicotine|chain-smoking]], [[Porn Stash|reading bad porn]], and [[Lethal Joke Character|generally being a blank]].
|}

== ''[[Warrior Cats]]'' ==
Fireheart's [[True Companions]] in ''The Original Series''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Fireheart
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Graystripe
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Sandstorm
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]/[[The Medic]]||Cinderpelt
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Cloudtail
|-
|[[The Sixth Ranger]]||Ravenpaw
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Bramblepaw
|}

[[The Chosen One]]s from the beginning of ''The New Prophecy'' Series
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Brambleclaw
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Stormfur
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Crowpaw (Not the strongest but most willing to fight)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Tawnypelt
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Feathertail
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Squirrelpaw
|}

Omen of the Stars Heroes
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Dovewing
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Ivypool
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Lionblaze
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jayfeather
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Cinderheart
|-
|[[Team Dad]]||Firestar
|-
|[[The Sixth Ranger]]||{{spoiler|Hollyleaf}}
|}

== ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' ==
''Book I''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Rand
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Mat
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Perrin
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Loial (appears later, but fits better) or Nynaeve
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Egwene al'Vere
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Nynaeve or Loial (see above note)
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor(s)]]||Moiraine, Lan, and Thom
|}

''Egwene's Conspiracy''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Egwene
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Siuan
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Nynaeve (in terms of raw Power)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Siuan, later Verin
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Leane, Elayne
|}

''Band of the Red Hand''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Mat
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Talmanes
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Nalesean
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]|| Vanin
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Olver
|}

== ''[[Xanth]]'' ==
''The Source of Magic''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Bink
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Crombie
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Chester Centaur
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Humphery
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Grundy Golem
|}

the Dor books
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Dor
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Irene
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Smash Ogre
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Chet Centaur
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Grundy
|}

== Other works ==
''[[Abandon Series]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||John
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Frank
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Mr. Liu
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Mr. Graves
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Pierce
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Henry
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Hope, Typhon
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Pierce, Alex, and Kayla
|}

''[[Against a Dark Background]]'' (by Iain M. Banks)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Sharrow
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Cernuij
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Dloan
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Miz
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Zefla
|}

''[[The Age of Misrule]]'' (has two):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jack Churchill
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Laura DuSantiago
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Ryan Veitch
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Shavi
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ruth Gallagher
|}

And in the second trilogy:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Mallory
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Caitlin Shepherd
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Hunter
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Hal
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Sophie Tallent
|}

''[[All of a Kind Family|All-Of-A-Kind Family]]'' (is a subversion with it's five-''girl'' band):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Ella
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Henny suits this to a T
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Charlotte (specifically her imagination)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Sarah
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Gertie
|}

''[[All the King's Men]]'' - Willie Talos' campaign team:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||The Boss
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sadie Burke
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tiny Duffy
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jack Burden and/or Sadie
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lucy Talos
|}

Fred Vargas' ''Adamsberg'' series
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Adrien Danglard (also [[The Smart Guy]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Violette Retancourt (also a [[Team Mom]] of sorts)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Louis Veyrenc (he started as a [[Sixth Ranger]] and [[The Rival]] to Adamsberg in ''This Night's Foul Work'' but became this as of ''An Uncertain Place'')
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||La Boule
|}

''[[Animorphs]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jake
|-
|[[The Lancer|The Lancer(s)]]||Marco ("go-to" guy, Jake's best friend who cares about staying safe and sane), <s>Tobias ("Air Force", "eye in the sky"), strike:Rachel (challenger, dirty work,  {{spoiler|died for the cause}})</s>
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Rachel (a rare case where this role is occupied by a female and the team isn't an [[Amazon Brigade]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Smart Guy(s)]]||Tobias ("behind the scenes scout"), <s>Marco (strategy), Cassie (animals), Ax (aliens & tech)</s>
|-
|[[The Chick|The Chick(s)]]||Cassie (moral center), <s>Marco (comedian & tension breaker), Tobias ([[Wangst]])</s>
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Ax
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger Traitor]]||David
|}

''[[Babysitters Club]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Kristy Thomas (founder and president of the BSC)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Claudia Kishi (vice-president of the BSC, her room is club headquarters)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Dawn Schafer (due to her outgoing and passionate nature)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Stacey McGill (ultra-sophisticated math whiz)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Mary Anne Spier (most emotional and sensitive member)
|}

''Bad News Ballet''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||[[Last-Name Basis|McGee]]
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||[[Hollywood Pudgy|Gwen]]
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||[[Known Only By Their Nickname|Rocky]]
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||[[Huge Schoolgirl|Zan]]
|-
|[[The Chick]]||[[Dojikko|Mary]] [[Southern Belle|Bubnik]]
|}

''[[Battle Royale]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Shuya Nanahara
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Shogo Kawada
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Hiroki Sugimura
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Shinji Mimura
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Noriko Nakagawa
|-
|[[Sacrificial Lamb]]||Yoshitoki Kuninobu
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Yutaka Seto
|}

''[[The Malloreon]]'' - the core crew
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Belgarion
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Durnik
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Toth
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Silk/Liselle/[[Evil Genius|Sadi]]
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ce'Nedra and Eriond
|-
|[[The Mentor]](s)||Belgarath and Polgara
|-
|[[The Sixth Ranger]]||[[Heel Face Turn|'Zakath]]
|}

''[[Black Dogs]]'' (before Sinai and Jacyl take off):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Lyra
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sadrao
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Sinai
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Trent
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Jacyl
|}

''[[Black Dogs]]'' (When Lyra and Sadrao are joined by Spite and Gunnar):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Lyra
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sadrao
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Gunnar
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Trent
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Spite
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Note: Gunnar is probably as qualified, if not moreso to be [[The Chick]] as Spite, despite him being male and physically the largest member of the band. He the extremely placid voice of reason throughout the second half of the series, and although spite is tiny and female, she's the most violent and aggressive character in the entire book. She single-handedly takes out a creature large enough to swallow whole elephants. These two are a complete inversion of whole [[Five-Man Band]] whereas Sinai and Jacyl play it completely straight.

''[[Blade of the Flame]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Diran
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Ghaji (sometimes [[The Big Guy]]), Asenka (when she shows up)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Solus (after he shows up)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Tresslar
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Yvka, Makala (when she shows up), Asenka (when she shows up)
|-
|[[Damsel in Distress]]||Makala (again)
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Whatever the halfling's name was
|}

''[[Chronicles of Narnia]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[Big Good]]/[[The Big Guy]]||Aslan
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Peter Pevensie
|-
|[[The Lancer]] (and the [[Anti-Hero]])||Edmund Pevensie
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Susan Pevensie
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lucy Pevensie
|}
or
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Lucy Pevensie
|-
|[[The Lancer]] (and the [[Anti-Hero]])||Edmund Pevensie
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Susan Pevensie
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Peter Pevensie
|-
|[[The Heart]]||Aslan / Lucy Pevensie
|}

''[[Chronicles of Thomas Covenant]]'' - Book One: Lord Foul's Bane
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Atiaran, but later Prothall
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Thomas Covenant (despite being the main character)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Saltheart Foamfollower, with Bannor (coming in a close second)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Lord Mhoram
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lena (at first), but later Llaura and then finally Lithe (who is also the [[Sixth Ranger]])
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Pietten
|}

''[[Chronicles of Thomas Covenant]]'' - Book Two: The Illearth War
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Troy, and later Elena
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Thomas Covenant, and later Mhoram
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Bannor, and briefly Trell
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Mhoram, and later Amok
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Elena
|}

''[[Codex Alera]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Tavi
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Kitai (although in earlier appearances sways more towards [[The Big Guy]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Maximus (with some elements of [[The Lancer]] -- generally switches out with Kitai, depending on who's in the scene)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ehren or Magnus
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Crassus (what with being the [[Only Sane Man]])
|-
|[[The Sixth Ranger]]||Valiar Marcus
|}

''[[Cryptonomicon]]'' (The present{{when}} storyline)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Randall Lawrence Waterhouse
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||America "Amy" Shaftoe (Randy's [[Action Girl]] [[Love Interest]] and foil)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Douglas MacAurthur Shaftoe (Amy's Father, an ex-Navy seal that Randy hires to salvage an old submarine, and later to provide security for the Crypt)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]] / [[The Chick]]||Avi (Technically the leader, but the focus is more on Randy. Acts both as mastermind to the data haven project, and as the group's moral center)
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Enoch Root ([[Cool Old Guy]] whom Randy has compared to [[The Lord of the Rings|Gandalf]] at least once)
|}

''[[Dark Heresy]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Mordechai
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Keira and Drake
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Vex
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Vos
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Elyra
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Carolus
|}

The ''ka-tet'' of ''[[The Dark Tower]]'' series
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]] / [[The Big Guy]]||Roland Deschain
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Eddie Dean
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jake Chambers
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Susannah Dean
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Father Callahan
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Oy
|}

''[[Dilbert|The Dilbert Principle]]'' - In the chapter about meetings, the author identifies meetings as a performance art with these character types:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||[[Captain Obvious|Master Of The Obvious]]
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||[[Knight Templar|Well-intentioned Sadist]]
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||[[The Munchausen|Rambling Man]]
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||[[The Woobie|Whining Martyr]]
|-
|[[The Chick]]||[[The Quiet One|Sleeper]]
|}

''[[Dracula (novel)|Dracula]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jonathan Harker
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Arthur Holmwood/Lord Godalming
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Quincey Morris
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||John Seward
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Mina Murray/Harker
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Abraham Van Helsing
|}

''[[Dragaera]]'' - The Khaavren trilogy
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Khaavren
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Aerich
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tazendra
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Pel
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Micah (?)
|}

''[[Eberron|TheDragonBelow]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Singe
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Geth
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Ashi, Geth
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Singe, Dandra
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Dandra
|}

''[[The Dreaming Dark]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Daine
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Lei
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Pierce
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||The Halfling ({{spoiler|before he dies}})
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Xu'sasar
|}

''[[The Dresden Files]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Harry Dresden
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Lieutenant Murphy
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Michael Carpenter (Originally), Sanya (in the more recent books)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Bob, Butters
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Molly Carpenter
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Thomas Raith
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Mouse (though he can also sub for a [[Big Guy]] in a pinch), Mister
|}

''[[Shannara|The Druid of Shannara]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Walker Boh
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Morgan Leah (although he thinks he's the hero)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Pe Ell [[Token Evil Teammate|(although he thinks he's the lancer)]]
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Horner Dees
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Quickening
|}

''[[Ender's Game]]'' - Ender's jeesh
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Ender
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Alai
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Dink (especially in ego)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Bean
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Petra
|}

''[[Everworld]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||David Levin
|-
|[[Plucky Comic Relief]]||Christopher Hitchcock
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Thorolf
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Jalil Sherman
|-
|[[The Chick]]||April O'Brien
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger Traitor]]||Senna Wales
|}

''[[The Cornersville Trace Mythos|Extraordinary*]]'' - Jen and her friends:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jen
|-
|[[The Lancer]] / [[The Smart Guy]]||Mutual
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Jason
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Amber
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||[[Defeat Equals Friendship|Cathy, by the end]]
|}

''[[The Famous Five]]'' - [[Enid Blyton]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Julian (As the Eldest, he doubles up as [[Team Dad]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Dick (also [[The Heart]])
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||George
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Anne ([[Team Mom]], [[Silk Hiding Steel]], and occasionally [[Beware the Nice Ones]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Timmy the Dog
|}

[[Robin Hobb|The Farseer Trilogy]] (specifically the second half of Assassin's Quest)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||[[Fitz Chivalry]] Farseer
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||The Fool or Kettricken
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Again, the Fool or Kettricken
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Kettle
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Starling
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Nighteyes
|}

''[[Garfield|Garfield's Pet Force]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Garzooka
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Arbnermal
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Odious
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Compooky
|-
|[[Action Girl]]||Starlena
|}

''[[Good Omens]]'' - The Them
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Adam Young
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Pepper (''Not'' [[The Chick]].)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Brian
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Wensleydale
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Dog
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Note: If anyone is to be shoehorned into being [[The Chick]], it's either Anathema or possibly Pepper's younger sister. Both are enough of a stretch that it's probably best just to consider the role to be left vacant.

''[[Guild Wars 2]] Edge of Destiny'' - Destiny's Edge
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Logan Thackeray/Eir Stegalkin
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Rytlock Brimstone (to Logan)/Logan (to Eir)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Eir/Rytlock
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Both Zojja and Snaff
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Caithe
|-
|[[Team Pet|Team Pets]]||Garm, the Golems (Big Snaff, Big Zojja, Sandy)
|}

''[[Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' - The SOS Brigade
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Haruhi Suzumiya
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Kyon
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Yuki Nagato (sometimes [[The Smart Guy]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Itsuki Koizumi
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Mikuru Asahina
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Tsuruya
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Shamisen
|}

''[[Heirs of Ash]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Sometimes Seren, sometimes Tristam
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Zed Arthen
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Onyx
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Dalan
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Erania
|-
|[[The Captain]]||That one gnome who runs the airship
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||The psycho halfling whose name starts with a 'g'
|-
|[[Cool Ship]]||''Mourning Dawn''
|}

''[[The Homeward Bounders]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Konstam
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Jamie (though he's the narrator
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Joris
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Adam (who'#s also [[Genre Savvy]])
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Vanessa
Plus Helen, who as Jamie notes, resists categorisation.
|}

''[[The Cornersville Trace Mythos|How To Get Suspended and Influence People]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Leon
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Anna
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Dustin
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Brian
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Edie
|-
|[[The Sixth Ranger]]||Jenny
|}

''[[The Hunger Games]]'' (during the latter half of the second book)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Katniss
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Finnick
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Johanna
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Beetee
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Peeta
|}

''[[Hyperion]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||The Consul
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Brawne Lamia (The Detective)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Fedmahn Kassad (The Soldier)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Sol Weintraub (The Scholar)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lenar Hoyt (The Priest)
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|Sixth Ranger(s)]]||Martin Silenus (The Poet), Het Masteen (The Templar)
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Rachel Weintraub
|}

''[[In Death]]'' -- Eve Dalla's [[True Companions]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Eve Dallas
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Roarke
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||David Baxter
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ian McNab, though Roarke and Feeney are no slouches themselves in that area
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Delia Peabody
|-
|[[Team Mom]]||Doctor Charlotte Mira
|-
|[[Team Dad]]||Ryan Feeney
|-
|[[The Mentor]]||Ryan Feeney
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Jamie Lingstrom
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Galahad, Eve's cat
|}

''[[IT]]'' -- The Losers Club.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Bill Denbrough
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Richie Tozier
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Ben Hanscom
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Smart Guy(s)]]||Stan Uris AND [[Badass Bookworm|Ben Hanscom]]
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Beverly Marsh
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Mike Hanlon
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Eddie Kaspbrak
|}

''[[John Dies at the End]]'' -- The Las Vegas Arc
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Dave Wong
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||John "Cheese"
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Big Jim Sullivan
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Fred Chan
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Jennifer Lopez
|}

''[[Journey to the West]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Sun Wukong
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Zhu Bajie
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Xuanzang
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Yulong
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Sha Wujing
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Note: It could be argued that ''Journey to the West'' effectively ''created'' this trope (literally; written in 1590, this is one of the earliest and ''best'' examples of a [[Five-Man Band]]), though this depends on the publication date of ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' (possibly 1485). However, none of the characters are any one archetype, either (except the horse, which subsequent authors have all but forgotten); in a strange twist of the trope, for example, the monk Xuangzang, while still being [[The Hero]] by default, also falls under the trope of [[The Chick]], because he's, well, the downright perfect example of it - down to his propensity to be captured or put into danger more often than Lois Lane and Mary-Jane Watson ''combined'' (seriously; what self-respecting hero needs to be saved from certain death by [[The Lancer]] in over 60 chapters of a 100 chapter epic!?)

''[[Jurassic Park]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Alan Grant
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Donald Gennaro (In the novel only; the film completely changes his characterization)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Robert Muldoon
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ian Malcolm
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Ellie Sattler
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Gerry Harding
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid|Tagalong Kids]]||Tim and Alexis Murphy
|}

''[[Tales of Kolmar]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Lanen Kaelar, sometimes Varien
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Jamie
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Varien Kantriakhor
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Rella
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Shared by Lanen and Varien
|}

[[Dennis Lehane]]'s [[Kenzie and Gennaro Series]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Patrick Kenzie
|-
|[[The Lancer]]/[[The Chick]]||Angie Gennaro
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Bubba Rugowski
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Smart Guys]]||Cheswick Hartman, Richie Colgan
|-
|[[Those Two Guys]]||Officers Devin Amronklin and Oscar Lee
|}


''[[The Kingdom Keepers]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Finn
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Maybeck
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Philiby
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Willia
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Charlene (said to be very athletic, so...)
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Amanda
|}

''[[The Last Days]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Moz (Lead Singer Minerva)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Zahler (Lead guitar Moz)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Alana Ray Jones (Also the Drummer)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Pearl (Also the Keyboarder)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Minerva
|}

''[[The Chronicles of Narnia|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Peter Pevensie
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Edmund Pevensie
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Lucy Pevensie
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Aslan (when he's not busy playing [[Crystal Dragon Jesus]])
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Susan Pevensie (in the films, she becomes an [[Action Girl]] as well)
|}

''[[Robin Hobb|Liveship Traders]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Althea
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Brashen
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Amber, Malta (post-[[Character Development]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Jek
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Malta, Ophelia
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Reyn
|-
|[[Cool Ship]]||Paragon, Vivacia, and the rest of the liveships
|}

''[[Looking for Alaska]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Alaska Young
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Miles "Pudge" Halter (subversion, since he's the main character)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Chip "The Colonel" Martin
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Takumi Hikohito
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Lara Buterskaya
|}

''[[The Lost World (novel)|The Lost World]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Challenger
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Roxton
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Zambo
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Summerlee
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Malone
|}

''The Lost World'' ([[Jurassic Park]])
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]] / [[The Smart Guy]]||Ian Malcolm
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Richard Levine
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Doc Thorne (but doubles as [[The Smart Guy|smart]].)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Sarah Harding
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Eddie Carr
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid|Tagalong Kids]]||Kelly and Arby
|}

''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'': Weatherlight story arc
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Gerrard
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sisay
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tahngarth
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Hanna
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Orim
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Ertai
|}

''[[Magic Kingdom of Landover]]'', Ben's Court
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||[[Reasonable Authority Figure|Ben Holiday]]
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||[[Inept Mage|Questor Thews]]
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||[[Everything's Better with Monkeys|Bunion]]
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Abernathy
|-
|[[The Chick]]||[[Love Freak|Willow]]
|}

''[[Maximum Ride]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Max
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Fang (also [[The Big Guy]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Smart Guy(s)]]||Iggy, Gazzy
|-
|[[The Chick|The Chick(s)]]||Nudge, Angel
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Total
|}

''[[Midnight World]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Andrey ("Aeneas") Viter
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Igor ("Tsume") Iskrennikov
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Konstantin ("Ken") Neverov
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Anton ("Raccoon") Kuzmitchov
|-
|[[The Chick]]||May Day
|}

''Midnighters''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Rex Greene
|-
|[[The Lancer|The Lancer(s)]]||Melissa the Mindcaster, Johnathan Martinez (sometimes [[The Big Guy]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Desdemona ("Dess") the Polymoth
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Jessica Day the Flame Bringer
|}

''[[The Moomins]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Moomintroll
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Sniff (usually), Snufkin (sometimes), Little My (in the cartoons)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy|The Smart Guy(s)]]||The Hemulens, Snork
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Moominpappa
|-
|[[The Chick|The Chick(s)]]||Moominmamma, Snork Maiden
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Little My (in the books)
|}

''[[The Mysterious Island]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Cyrus Smith
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Pencroff
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Neb
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Gideon Spilett
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Herbert Brown (really an embryonic Smart Guy)
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Ayrton
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Top
|}

''[[Neverwhere]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Door
|-
|[[The Lancer]] / [[The Smart Guy]]||The Marquise de Carabas
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Hunter
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Richard Mayhew (though he's the viewpoint character)
|}

''[[The New Heroes]] (Quantum Prophecy to some)''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Colin
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Danny
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Razor (pretends to be [[The Big Guy]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Renata
|-
|[[The Chick|The Chick(s)]]||Mina, Butler
|}

''[[The Outsiders]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Darry
|-
|[[The Lancer|The Lancer(s)]]||Dallas and Soda (sometimes [[The Chick]])
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Two-Bit
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Steve
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Johnny
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Ponyboy
|}

''[[The Princess Bride (novel)|The Princess Bride]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Westley
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Inigo
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Fezzik
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Buttercup
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Note: Vizzini ''would'' have been [[The Smart Guy]] if he had made the [[Heel Face Turn]] along with Fezzik and Inigo. He lost any possibility of being [[The Smart Guy]] when he said, "I accept." Brains are not worth dying over.

''[[The Railway Series]]'' ([[Thomas the Tank Engine]])

Thomas's Branch Line (Unfortunatley, this line up was never used in the TV series.)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Thomas
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Percy
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Toby
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Mavis (Diesel Shunter can move heavier loads.)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Daisy
|}

''[[Perry Rhodan]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Perry Rhodan
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Atlan (Mascaren "Arkonide" da Gonozal)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Reginald Bull
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Homer G. Adams
|-
|[[The Heart]]||Pucky (Cute Alien, also [[Superpower Lottery]])
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]s||Dao-Lin H'ay, Icho Tolot (Aliens)
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||IT ([[Sufficiently Advanced Alien]], [[Trickster Mentor]])
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Julien Tifflor
|}

''[[Remote Man]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Ned Spinner/Remote Man
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Rocky
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Kate Spokes/Kuza
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Cleverton Lee/Ja
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Yvette Claverloux/Salamandre
|}

''[[Robin Hood]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Robin Hood
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Little John
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Friar Tuck
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Alan a Dale
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Maid Marian
|}

''[[Rod Allbright Alien Adventures]]'' - The crew of the Ferkel:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Grakker
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Madame Pong or Snout, depending on the situation
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tar Gibbons
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Phil
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Usually Pong or Snout; occasionally Rod.
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]|| {{spoiler|Rod evolves into a rather effective one via [[Character Development]]}}
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Was Rod, became Elspeth
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Seymour and Edgar (call Seymour that at your own risk)
|}

''[[Safehold]]'' initially has the Charisian upper leadership. Starting from the second book, as characters learn the truth behind Safehold's history, an "inner circle" begins to form.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||King Haarahld, later Cayleb
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Earl Grey Harbor, later Sharleyan
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Baron Wave Thunder, later Nahrmahn
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Earl Lock Island, later Merlin
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Maikel Staynair
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Merlin Athrawes, later Ohlyvya Baytz
|}

''[[Sailor Nothing]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Himei
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Aki
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Shin
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Seiki
|-
|[[Non-Action Guy]] instead of [[The Chick]]||Kotashi
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Dusty
|}

''[[The Seventh Tower]]'' (Tal and Milla's group when  {{spoiler|storming the Violet tower}} in the last book.)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Tal
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Milla
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Jarek, later Crow
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ebbitt
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Malen
|}

''Sisterhood'' series by [[Fern Michaels]]: The Big Five or The Five Musketeers (as called in the book ''Deja Vu'')
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jack Emery
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Harry Wong and Bert Navarro
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Harry Wong
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ted Robinson
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Joe Espinosa
|}

''[[Someone Else's War]]'': The core group of children trying to rescue their fellow [[Child Soldiers]] from the LRA.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Matteo
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Asher
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Jeremiah
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ruth
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Otto
|-
|[[Sacrificial Lamb]]||Auley
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Eliza
|}

''[[The Swiss Family Robinson]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||The father
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Jack
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Fritz
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Ernest
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Elizabeth
|-
|[[Tagalong Kid]]||Franz
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Jenny
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Knips
|}

''[[The Sword of Truth]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Richard
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Kahlan
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Cara or Chase
|-
|[[Black Magician Girl]]||Nicci
|-
|[[Mentor Archetype|The Mentor]]||Zedd
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Nicci and Zedd (both step into this role whenever needed)
|}

Fred Vargas' Three Evangelist series
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Marc Vandoosler
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Armand Vandoosler
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Mathias Delamarre (he's by no means dumb, but he often does physical work and is kind of a [[Gentle Giant]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Lucien Devernois
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Louis Kehlweiler
|-
|[[Team Pet]]||Bufo
|}

''[[The Three Musketeers (novel)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (an early appearance of the team)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||d'Artagnan (a.k.a D'Artagnan)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Athos (Oliver d'Athos de la Fére)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Porthos (Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds)
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Aramis de Vannes (born: René d'Herblay)
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Constance Bonacieux (especially in the film)
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|The Sixth Ranger]]||Lord de Winter
|}

''[[Sarah Dessen|The Truth About Forever]]'' - The Wish Catering Crew
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Macy
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Wes
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Monica
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Bert
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Kristy
|-
|[[Team Mom]]||Delia
|}

''[[Uglies]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Tally
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Shay
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Zane
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||David
|-
|[[The Chick]] / [[Sixth Ranger|Fifth Ranger]]||Aya
|}

''[[Unreal Estate]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Meiko (Not the protagonist, but leads the group)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Kisei
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Eiko
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Lorelei
|-
|[[Non-Action Guy]] instead of [[The Chick]]||Mallory (The protagonist)
|}

''[[The Vorkosigan Saga]]'': Dendarii Mercenaries
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Miles Naismith
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Elli Quinn, Bel Thorne
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Sereant Taura
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Baz Jesek
|-
|[[The Chick]] ||Elena? Pretty badass for a Chick, though.
|-
|[[The Mentor]] ||Ky Tung
|}

The ''[[Legends of Laconia]]'' series: ''Waking Echoes''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]] / [[The Smart Guy]]||Ty
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Joy
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Art
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Riq, despite being the only male, is definitely this.
|}

''[[The War of the Flowers]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Theo
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Applecore
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Cumber
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Poppy
|}

''[[Watership Down]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Hazel
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Bigwig (also [[The Big Guy]])
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Blackberry
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Pipkin (or possibly Fiver)
|-
|[[The Big Guy|The (other) Big Guy]]||Silver
|}

''[[The Witcher|The Witcher saga]]'' (the posse from third book onwards)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Geralt
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Cahir
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Regis
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Dandilion
Ironically, this leaves us token female teammate as [[The Big Guy]] (unless we swap her with Cahir):
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Milva
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger]]||Zoltan Chivay (in the third book), Angouleme (in the fifth book)
|}
However, sometimes [[The Chick]] ''can'' be an [[Action Girl]]. Milva can be both [[The Chick]] and [[The Big Guy]], while Dandillion would be [[Kid Appeal Character]].

''[[World of Warcraft]]: Beyond the Dark Portal''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Turalyon
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Danath Trollbane
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Kurdran Wildhammer
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Khadgar
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Alleria Windrunner
|}

''[[Young Jedi Knights]]''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Jacen
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Jaina
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Tenel Ka
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Lowbacca
|-
|[[The Chick]]||M-TD
|-
|[[Sixth Ranger|Sith Ranger]]||Zekk
|-
|[[The Mentor]]||Luke
|}

''Spiran och staven (The Sceptre and the Quarterstaff)''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[The Hero]]||Räven (Fox)
|-
|[[The Lancer]]||Eldfågel (Firebird)
|-
|[[The Big Guy]]||Leontas
|-
|[[The Smart Guy]]||Umbra
|-
|[[The Chick]]||Stormfödd (Storm-born) -- well, he is no more mister Nice-Guy when Umbra gets threatened.
|}

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