The Handler: Difference between revisions

A character type in [[Spy Fiction]], particularly in those which lean in the [[Government Conspiracy]] direction and/or those with [[Hired Guns|assassins]] as their protagonists. The heroes [[Mysterious Employer|don't have access to their bosses]], but instead have orders relayed to them through the "Handler" whose jobs include looking out for the hero's physical and emotional well-being and/or killing the hero should they act out of line. In cases with the hero and Handler being of different genders, it is somewhat common for the Handler to have [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]] with the hero as they are the "human face" of the secret organization to which the hero belongs.

* ''[[Darker Thanthan Black]]'' has the abrasive [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] Huang relaying orders to Hei, the [[Anti-Hero]] of the series

** Who in turn has another higher ranked Handler... who just so happens to be a Contractor. The Syndicate's cell structure is somewhat odd at times.

* All of the girls of ''[[Gunslinger Girl]]'' get one, and relationship dynamics vary with each one: they can be either the sweetest guys (like Giuseppe {{spoiler|until he [[Took a Level in Jerkass]]}}) or the biggest jerkasses (like Jean {{spoiler|who doing it to [[Jerkass Facade|toughen himself and detaches him from her]]}} and Lauro {{spoiler|who DIES for that}}).

* Weiss in ''[[Weiss Kreuz]]'' go through several of these: Manx, Birman, Botan, and Rex. Their [[High Turnover Rate|mortality rate]] isn't much better than that of anyone else who comes into contact with [[Doom Magnet|Weiss]].