Right Man in the Wrong Place: Difference between revisions

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Often these characters are either long lost ex-military or scientist working on the latest [[Phlebotinum]].

Related to [[Crouching Moron Hidden Badass]], but the character isn't bumbling or otherwise incompetent, they're just not ''specifically'' competent in the situation in question. Sometimes can also be a [[Badass Bookworm]] (see the first quote for this page). The Right Man is often [[The Only One]] who can save the day, for whatever reason. If not the protagonist, they may be a [[Badass Bystander]].

Related to [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]], but the character isn't bumbling or otherwise incompetent, they're just not ''specifically'' competent in the situation in question. Sometimes can also be a [[Badass Bookworm]] (see the first quote for this page). The Right Man is often [[The Only One]] who can save the day, for whatever reason. If not the protagonist, they may be a [[Badass Bystander]].

A type of [[Action Survivor]]. On the [[Super Weight|TV Tropes power scale]], these usually rate as Muggle Weight or Iron Weight. Compare [[Falling Into the Cockpit]], and compare/contrast [[Unlikely Hero]] and [[Heroic Bystander]].

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** Funny thing is, Harrison Ford also played Jack Ryan in the movie adaptations of ''Patriot Games'' and ''Clear and Present Danger''. Making the above comparison all the more fitting.

* [[Sigourney Weaver|Ellen Ripley]] from the ''[[Alien (Film)|Alien]]'' franchise, particularly the second movie (the closest to the classic action format). A cargo officer on an interstellar tug with no previous martial experience, she nonetheless manages to destroy alien menaces that claim the lives of fellow crewmen, superhuman cyborgs, and heavily armed [[Space Marine|space marines]] alike. Seems like the only ones she can't defeat are the [[Executive Meddling|producers]].

* The essential premise behind [[Bruce Willis|John McClane]] of ''[[Die Hard (Film)|Die Hard]]''. Except for the third movie, he always stumbled into a position to not only kick ass but save the day, but if not he would be okay with someone else doing it. He says so repeatedly. ''Die Hard 2'' had the tag line, "John McClane is back in the wrong place at the wrong time!" He is a policeman (though always off-duty when the actual excitement happens), but not a trained counter-terror expert or anything.

* The essential premise behind [[Bruce Willis (Creator)|John McClane]] of ''[[Die Hard (Film)|Die Hard]]''. Except for the third movie, he always stumbled into a position to not only kick ass but save the day, but if not he would be okay with someone else doing it. He says so repeatedly. ''Die Hard 2'' had the tag line, "John McClane is back in the wrong place at the wrong time!" He is a policeman (though always off-duty when the actual excitement happens), but not a trained counter-terror expert or anything.

* [[Kurt Russell|Dr. Phil Grant]], from the movie ''[[Executive Decision]]''

* Many [[Jackie Chan]] movies.

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== [[Video Games]] ==

* A common thread in the ''[[Fallout]]'' and and ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' games. The player character is usually a normal vault dweller or prisoner thrust into legend. The ''[[Fallout]] 3'' classes, in particular, tend to be especially harmless, like the uber deadly Marriage Counselor. Of course, you don't have to be [[Action Guy]] or [[Action Girl]] to save the world.

* Gordon Freeman from the ''[[Half Life]]'' franchise is the [[Trope Namer]], from the G-Man's quote about him above. Ordinary scientist of theoretical physics, forced to become a [[One Man Army]] against a horde of alien gribblies. And not only does he kill the aliens, he also kills most of the military force sent to contain the situation. Interestingly enough, in ''[[Half Life]] 2'' Gordon is actually a subversion; the G-Man himself has purposefully left Gordon at a specific place and time, rather than Gordon falling into it by accident or chance. The G-Man's quote is actually a reference to the previous game, where the trope was played straight.

* Gordon Freeman from the ''[[Half Life]]'' franchise is the [[Trope Namer]], from the G-Man's quote about him above. Ordinary scientist of theoretical physics, forced to become a [[One-Man Army]] against a horde of alien gribblies. And not only does he kill the aliens, he also kills most of the military force sent to contain the situation. Interestingly enough, in ''[[Half Life]] 2'' Gordon is actually a subversion; the G-Man himself has purposefully left Gordon at a specific place and time, rather than Gordon falling into it by accident or chance. The G-Man's quote is actually a reference to the previous game, where the trope was played straight.

* The origin stories in ''[[Dragon Age (Video Game)|Dragon Age]]'' all have the right person in the wrong place at the wrong time, although for [[Rule of Fun|gameplay reasons]] every character has at least some training in combat.

* Hawke of ''[[Dragon Age II (Video Game)|Dragon Age II]]'' rose to prominence and lead to one of the most important events in Thedas's history almost totally unintentionally. The plot of the game explains how s/he managed to find themselves in these situations.

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[[Category:Characters As Device]]

[[Category:Right Man In The Wrong Place]]

[[Category:Trope]]

[[Category:Trope]][[Category:Pages with comment tags]]