Nominal Importance: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

* Averted in ''[[Last Scenario (Video Game)|Last Scenario]]'' -- every single NPC has a name (characters of any importance have portraits, though).

* This editor figured out that Ms. Toriumi, your homeroom teacher in ''[[Persona 3]]'', {{spoiler|is actually Maya, the Hermit Social Link}} by virtue of the fact that she's the only female teacher with a character portrait.

** In ''[[Persona 4]]'', a rather strange looking kid hits on Yukiko rather early in the game, and judging from his character portrait, you get the distinct impression that he becomes important later (and he does; he's a {{spoiler|minor villain by the name of Mitsuo Kubo}}). The same could be said for {{spoiler|Taro Nametame}}, who is introduced early on and has nothing to do with the story until you find out {{spoiler|he's the one who's been throwing people into the Midnight Channel}}. On the other hand, {{spoiler|the gas station attendant}} lacks both a name and character portrait until after the big reveal in the {{spoiler|true}} ending.

* ''[[Planescape Torment]]'' partially averts this at early stages of the game, as several NPCs in the Hive with generic descriptive names have nongeneric dialogue. For example, one gives you a ring she promised you for killing her husband, while another gives you a minor quest. However, they still have no bearing on the plot, for understandable reasons. There are also a few named ones that still don't do anything - no quests, no information, can't get anything from them.

** And, of course, the most important character, i.e. the protagonist, does not have a name {{spoiler|at least, until the very end.}}

* All the ''[[Wild Arms]]'' games give names to every single NPC; some even let you change their names!

* Averted to some extent in ''[[Dragon Age]]: Origins''. The best example is with temporary party members - many people you can get in your party only for about ten minutes in one of the [[Backstory]]/tutorial quests have tons of unique dialogue, their own battlecries/snarky lines they say when killing things, and in some cases well-developed backstories and personalities, making it impossible for you to tell who is in line for a [[Plotline Death]]. Of particular note are the other trainee Grey Wardens - there really is nothing that will give away the fact that Daveth and Ser Jory are {{spoiler|[[Sacrificial Lamb|sacrificial lambs]]}} while Alistair will probably be around for the entire rest of the game, if you provoke him into leaving. Also Jowan, who you can very briefly have in your party, comes with not only his own battlecry, but several, many of which are funny. He's also one of the most three dimensional characters in the game. You can have him in your party for ten minutes, tops. There was an [[Aborted Arc]] in which he could join you, so that's probably why.

** However, ''[[Dragon Age]]'' still has generic NPCs -- 'Bandit', 'King's Guard' etc.

 

== Live Action TV ==

** There're a handful of Doctor Who characters who actually have names but they're never mentioned in the story itself for various reasons (short screen time, situation means it never comes up, etc.). They're named in the credits though.

* ''[[Burn Notice]]'' abuses this like crazy, though not the way you'd think. Most anyone with a line is given a name of some sort, generally because they're relevant to the plot of the episode. However, the show will occasionally bring back old characters as main characters.

* Somewhat subverted in ''[[Veronica Mars]]'' in which almost all major and minor characters have first and last names that may be known by greater fans of the show. However, given that the large arcs of the show tended to included a large number of characters, this may not be surprising.

* Played around with in ''[[Star Trek]]''. Many unimportant characters, even the [[Red Shirts]], are given names, while sometimes the [[Monster of the Week]] will kill unnamed ensigns and lieutenants throughout the ship or on the planet.

** Although, even when red shirts were given names, they were rarely given both first and last names.

[[Category:Laws and Formulas]]

[[Category:Nominal Importance]]