All The Tropes

The Lancer: Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

The Lancer (view source)

Revision as of 19:07, 22 February 2015

318 bytes removed ,  9 years ago
m
clean up
VisualWikitext
m (update links)
m (clean up)
Line 1:
{{trope}}
[[File:the-lancer_starlancer star-wars_1263wars 1263.jpg|link=Star Wars|frame|Now, don't get cocky...]]
 
 
Line 7:
The [[Number Two|lieutenant]] and [[Foil]] for [[The Hero]].
 
[['''The Lancer]]''' is usually easier to intuit in older works, but in a more complex [[Five-Man Band]] Lancer's three main traits, (being [[Number Two]] to [[The Leader]], [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|Foil]] to [[The Hero]] or [[Grumpy Bear|Foil]] [[Anti-Hero|to]] [[Ineffectual Loner|the]] Team) may be divided amongst several members instead of combined into one character.
 
For example, in the event that [['''The Lancer]]''' is a foil:
* If [[The Hero]] is an [[Idiot Hero|idiot]], the Lancer will be [[The Spock]], [[The Stoic]], or [[The Quiet One]].
* If the hero is a carefree, irresponsible type, the Lancer is probably [[The Reliable One]].
* If [[The Hero]] is [[Chaste Hero|chaste]] or [[Celibate Hero|celibate]], [['''The Lancer]]''' will be a [[Handsome Lech]], [[Casanova]], [[Fille Fatale|Fille]] or [[Femme Fatale]] (depending on gender).
* The [[Ideal Hero]] or [[The Messiah]] will have a Lancer who is an [[Anti-Hero]], [[Ineffectual Loner]], [[The Cowl]], or even a [[Sociopathic Hero]].
* If [[The Hero]] has [[No Social Skills]], his Lancer is likely to be more levelheaded and a [[The Face|social person]], or even the [[Morality Pet]] in extreme cases.
* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]] are also a popular combination. They know each others' tactics, they know when something is wrong, and they know when the other is [[Not Himself]] or saying [[Something They Would Never Say]].
* If [[The Hero]] works more from a state of passion when resolving problems, or is inspiring to his team, his Lancer tends to work harder, and in some but not all cases tends to be less popular. [['''The Lancer]]''' in this context tends to think his way through challenges and through diligence eventually earns his team's respect for his obvious talents and successes.
* Sometimes a Lancer will be the executive officer of a starship captain, especially in SF that follow the Trek formula by having captains doing risky exciting action stuff that they really aren't supposed to be doing as captains. In this case, the XO may be a little older, wiser, and stuck doing all the boring stuff that most real captains do.
* If the hero is [[Surrounded by Idiots]], then [['''The Lancer]]''' will be [[Number Two for Brains]]
 
This is the member of the [[Five-Man Band]] who is most likely to [[Teeth-Clenched Teamwork|not be a team player]]. He's the one who sneaks off on his own to advance the team's goals independently. He might be [[Green-Eyed Monster|jealous]] of the leader, with [[Divided We Fall|an attitude]] of "Why can't I be the [[Leader]]?" When he does finally get his chance though, to his chagrin he may well find himself asking himself, "Now what would [[The Hero]] do?"
 
If [[The Complainer Is Always Wrong]] and there's a chronic complainer to act as the show's [[Butt Monkey]], it's likely this guy. He's also the one most likely on the team to go [[Turncoat]], and the last one [[The Hero]] will suspect. Conversely, if the rest of the Band members [[Breaking the Fellowship|turn their backs on]] [[The Hero]] [[What the Hell, Hero?|for some reason]], the Lancer may be the only one who [[Undying Loyalty|sticks by his side]]. [[The Hero]] and [['''The Lancer]]''' may also be [[Love Triangle|rivals for a love interest]], or one of them will have a cute sister whom the other crushes on, only to have the brother say "[[My Sister Is Off-Limits]]!"
 
In the event that [[The Hero]] of the team is unable to lead, or the team temporarily has no Hero, [['''The Lancer]]''' steps in. Sometimes, he's forced to take the position against his will. Either way, this plot is used to contrast the hero's leadership style against what the lancer's would be. A frequent ending for this plot is for [['''The Lancer]]''' to gladly give up the reins of power while [[The Hero]] often notes that the team will be in excellent hands the next time he is absent.
 
Powers and skills common to [['''The Lancer]]''' include:
 
* Just as [[Heroes Prefer Swords]], [['''The Lancer]]''' is often [[The Archer]], [[The Gunslinger]], or a literal [[Blade on a Stick|Lancer]], relying on firepower and distance. If everyone is a ranged fighter then expect [['''The Lancer]]''' to explicitly be the best shot, or an [[Ace Pilot]].
* If [[The Hero]] and [['''The Lancer]]''' have [[Elemental Powers]], they will be [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors|complementary]]. If [[The Hero]] uses [[Playing with Fire|flames]], [['''The Lancer]]''' will probably use [[An Ice Person|ice]], [[Shock and Awe|electricity]] or [[Making a Splash|water]].
* Since he's the hero's [[Foil|counterpoint]], he may be the one who is willing to [[Poisonous Friend|do dirty tricks]] or [[Shoot the Dog|enter moral gray areas.]] If there's only one [[Con Man]] on a team full of [[Straight Man|strait-laced]] heroes, it's usually this guy.
** Similarly, if there's only one stealthy guy on the team, [['''The Lancer]]''' is typically that guy. Sneaky Lancers may fill the [[Fragile Speedster]] (or, if lucky, [[Lightning Bruiser]]) role, relying on agility and guile rather than brute force.
** [['''The Lancer]]''' may be a [[Badass Normal]] in a superpowered Band. On the other hand, if most of the team is more specialised or [[Non-Action Guy|noncombatant]], [['''The Lancer]]''' will often be the most skilled and dangerous fighter on the team. (not necessarily the strongest, that's reserved for [[The Big Guy]])
* Conversely, [['''The Lancer]]''' on a [[Anti-Hero|less-than-scrupulous]] or [[Surrounded by Idiots|less-than-intelligent]] team may be its [[Only Sane Man]], trying (often futilely) to [[The Consigliere|keep the chaos under control]]. This Lancer may resemble a more traditional Hero (or the [[Team Mom]] version of [[The Chick]], if acting as a moral compass).
* Has a very high likelihood to become the [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], or if [[Badass]] enough, a [[Draco in Leather Pants]], especially when [[The Hero]] is the clean-cut type.
 
When [[It Got Worse|worst comes to worst]], [['''The Lancer]]''' is ''the'' one person on the team who is likely to [[Redemption Equals Death|die]] for [[Heroic Sacrifice|the cause]]. He's also the most likely member of the team to pull a [[Face Heel Turn]] and get turned to [[The Dark Side]] (though this usually [[Defeat Means Friendship|doesn't last]]), or end up [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] by the [[Big Bad]] or the [[Evil Genius]] (and if this happens, either [[The Chick]] or [[The Hero]] will [["I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight|talk him out of it]]).
 
It's becoming more and more common for this character to be female, either merged with, or contrasted with, [[The Chick]]. Having [['''The Lancer]]''' be the other side to [[The Hero]]'s coin is also fairly common. Having the character who is both most like and most unlike [[The Hero]] also being the strongest woman can create [[UST]]. If not multi-classed with [[The Chick]], she may be in a [[Love Triangle]], acting as the [[Betty and Veronica|Veronica]] to [[The Chick]]'s [[Betty and Veronica|Betty]] in pursuit of the object of her secret desire, [[The Hero]]. A female Lancer and [[The Chick]] may develop into an [[Odd Couple]], and even begin to work as a sub-team. A former [[Dark Magical Girl]] often becomes [['''The Lancer]]''' after her [[Heel Face Turn]].
 
This [[Trope]] is named for the man-at-arms of [[The Middle Ages]], the term for a professional soldier. While the term also encompasses the members of the knightly class, a man-at-arms was not necessarily a knight. They were also men of lesser financial and social status than knights, but were equally trained and equipped to fight on horseback in full armour and with sword and lance, just like their social superiors. In this regard, he is most [[Trope Codifier|recognizable]] as [[King Arthur]]'s right-hand man, Lancelot (portrayed as a better fighter than even the king in most versions of the myth).
Line 46:
== Anime and Manga ==
 
* ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'': Jet Black, although he's ostensibly the leader of the Bebop crew, is [[The Lancer]] to Spike Spiegel's Hero.
* ''[[Mazinger Z]]'': Sayaka was [[The Lancer]] and [[Love Interest]] from [[The Hero]] Kouji Kabuto. Given that Kouji was an carefree, impulsive, [[Hot-Blooded]] [[Idiot Hero]], she was [[The Reliable One]] type, and both of them formed a [[Battle Couple]].
** ''[[Great Mazinger]]'': Jun Hono was [[The Lancer]] from [[The Hero]] Tetsuya Tsurugi, and Kouji when he returned to the end of the series. Given that Tetsuya was a bad-tempered [[Broken Ace]] [[Inferiority Superiority Complex|hid a huge inferiority complex under tons of arrogance and pride and anger]], they had to be [[The Reliable One]] type he could depend on. Since [[Heroes Prefer Swords|Tetsuya indeed prefered swords]], Jun's [[Humongous Mecha]] mainly used laser beams and missiles.
** ''[[UFO Robo Grendizer]]'': Duke was [[The Hero]] and Kouji [[The Lancer]]. Since Duke was failry competent, Kouji played the role of bumbling sidekick and [[Genius Ditz]].
* ''[[Tower of God]]'': Koon Agero Agnis, the brains, and in a literal sense Rak Wraithraiser, the brawn (and [[The Heart]]), choose to climb the [[Place of Power|Tower]] with Baam, one to find his lost self, the other because Baam happens to own a really [[Cool Sword]] he wants to compete against.
* In ''[[Shaman King]]'' Ren Tao is the [[The Lancer|Lancer]] in every way to [[Brilliant but Lazy|Yoh Asakura's]] hero.
* ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman]]'': "Condor" Joe Asakura, a.k.a. G-2. In the beginning, he's a [[Heroic Sociopath]] constantly undermining [[The Hero|Ken's]] authority because he wouldn't let Joe go on the attack. But by the second half of the first series, Joe's the only one who's able to [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!|talk Ken down]] when he [[Freak-Out|MAJORLY Freaks Out]] after {{spoiler|Red Impulse, Ken's long-absent father, is killed}}, showing they have a [[Ryu and Ken|Ryu And Ken (the Capcom ones)]] style respect for each other. From the beginning, he has a serious vendetta against the antagonists of the series since [[Parental Abandonment|''his parents are Deeaaad!'']] thanks to them, which drives his [[Anti-Hero]] tendencies, {{spoiler|and true to his role, he's the member that ends up dramatically dying in sacrifice at the end.}} {{spoiler|of the first series at least, subverted in the sequels.}}
* In the ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' [[Anime]], Rei/Sailor Mars is [[The Lancer]] of the team. The English dub [[Character Exaggeration|exaggerated this]] into a running subplot of her trying to subvert Usagi's leadership. In the manga, however, the Lancer is Minako/Sailor Venus, the leader of the Senshi in the Silver Millenium and the most seasoned warrior of the group. In some ways, manga Minako is an example of [[The Hero]] unto herself, with Rei being ''her'' [[The Lancer|Lancer]] rather than Usagi's.
* ''[[Trigun]]'': Nicholas D. Wolfwood to Vash the Stampede. Wolfwood and Vash work incredibly well together and often appear to be two of a kind when goofing around or actively engaged in combat, but have deep philosophical differences. Wolfwood is dark: a killer and [[Knight in Sour Armor]] with a secret agdenda. Vash is a [[Technical Pacifist]] and [[The Messiah]]. They're keeping huge secrets from one another, and they know it. They're still the best friends either has ever had. Their color scheme contributes.<br /><br />They get extra bonuses in the manga, with [[Foil]] elements like the fact that, even though they look the same age, Vash is [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|Really Nearly Two Hundred]] and Wolfwood has accelerated aging from the experiments the Eye of Michael did on him, and based on his former orphanage-mates can't possibly be even eighteen. Also, he ''joined up with Vash because the [[Big Bad]] told him to.''
 
They get extra bonuses in the manga, with [[Foil]] elements like the fact that, even though they look the same age, Vash is [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|Really Nearly Two Hundred]] and Wolfwood has accelerated aging from the experiments the Eye of Michael did on him, and based on his former orphanage-mates can't possibly be even eighteen. Also, he ''joined up with Vash because the [[Big Bad]] told him to.''
* ''[[Magical Project S]]'': Pixy Misa becomes this in near the end of the series.
* ''[[Gantz]]'': Kei Kurono was undoubtedly [[The Lancer]] to [[The Hero]] Masaru Katou, his old friend. {{spoiler|Until Katou died and Kurono became [[The Hero]] instead, whereupon Izumi becomes his Lancer. Who (plural) at some point got killed off by alien vampires, around the time Katou got revived (the incredibly awesome Osaka arc followed). That lasted till Kei got revived AGAIN, TWICE, so now three heroes are running around, with one of the Kei's and Katou leading a (probably) suicide commando against an alien invasion and another leading humans being held captive by said aliens into freedom.}}
** In a story arc that focused on Katou action girl/the chick Reika got to spend time as his lancer
* Rina/Green Pearl Voice from ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]'' and Caren.
* Minto Aizawa/Mew Mint from ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew]]'' is [[The Lancer]] to Ichigo Momomiya/Mew Ichigo.
* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'': {{spoiler|Fate Testarossa, indeed an ex-[[Dark Magical Girl]]}}.
* In ''StrikerS'', {{spoiler|Vita and Signum become Lancers to Nanoha and Fate, respectively.}}
Line 73 ⟶ 75:
** [[Digimon Xros Wars|Kiriha]], like Ruki, embodies something of a reversal of tradition - Taiki is a brilliant strategist; Kiriha isn't a slouch in that department, but is certainly much more of a [[Blood Knight]]. Incidentally, this time Kiriha is the one with a Greymon.
** [[Digimon Xros Wars: The Young Hunters Leaping Through Time|Yuu]] is easily the lightest example - there is some rivalry between him and Tagiru, but it's barely given any attention whatsoever... [[Spotlight-Stealing Squad|much like Yuu himself]].
* Kai of ''[[Beyblade]]'' switched between [[The Lancer]] and [[The Rival]]. Rei/Ray also had his moments.
* [[Deuteragonist|Barnaby]] from ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' plays this role where his partner [[Hero Protagonist|Kotetsu]] is concerned. He is the [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|Blue Oni to Kotetsu's Red]], and the [[Ineffectual Loner]] to his partner's [[The Messiah|Messiah]] / [[The Cape (trope)|Cape]].
* Vegeta from ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' played both [[The Lancer]] and [[The Rival]] to Goku after [[Strange Bedfellows|joining forces with the heroes]] against Frieza on Namek. He's not the only Z Warrior who fits, either: Piccolo can make a good case. Previous to that, Yamcha, Krillin, and Tien (and Chi-Chi for about five seconds) all had a run as the Lancer.
* ''[[Bleach]]'' tends to share and switch around the role of [[The Lancer]] over the course of the series. Uryu Ishida fits the rivalry mold, hating [[The Hero|Ichigo Kurosaki]] based on his race and contrasting him in [[Used to Be a Sweet Kid|nearly]] [[The Archer|every]] [[Man in White|way]]. Yasutora "Chad" Sado acts as a good parallel with Ichigo's powers, since both have powers that stem from dark sources (read: Hollow-esque) that they use to protect people. Chad's power is akin to that of a Hollow, which is why - like Hollows - all his abilities have Spanish names; Ichigo actually ''has'' an inner hollow in his subconcious. However, Ichigo gained his inner hollow due to [[Training From Hell]] as a side effect, and he has to fight to keep his power from controlling him; Sado's always had his powers, and embraces it rather than fears it, since he's accepted that it's part of him. Both pull double duty, with Ishida also being [[The Smart Guy]] and Chad being [[The Big Guy]].
** Partway through the Soul Society arc, [[The Hero|Ichigo]] [[Defeat Means Friendship|adds]] a ''third'' Lancer to his group, [[Sixth Ranger|Renji Abarai]], who's similar to Ichigo in almost every way. If we use a [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]] scenario, Renji is red (more of an [[Idiot Hero]]) and Ichigo is blue (who [[Character Development|became]] a [[Combat Pragmatist]]).
** The original lancer to Ichigo was [[Action Girl|Rukia]], who is less of a foil and more like the other side to his coin. Every time she comes back in a non [[Damsel in Distress]] capacity, she's the Lancer.
** Fandom's version of [[The Lancer]] generally falls upon [[White-Haired Pretty Boy|Toshiro Hitsugaya]]'s shoulders, though.
* The title character of ''[[Soul Eater]]'' is Maka's Lancer.(As much as a scythe who can take human form can do so.)
** Almost all the characters in Soul Eater have a tendency to play off of eachother, switching from Hero to Lancer when the plot calls for it. The Weapons are also definitely people, just an unusual kind of shapeshifter.
* Sanosuke Sagara in ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]''. He starts out as Kenshin's rival before quickly becoming [[Heel Face Turn|his best friend]], spent the gap between the revolution and the start of the series as a glory-seeking street fighter rather than an atoning wanderer, and prefers hand-to-hand combat over disciplined sword fighting (although he was skilled with his [[BFS]], which he lamentably only used twice).
* Until his departure, Brock played [[The Lancer]] to Ash in the ''[[Pokémon]]'' anime, though not the games (which are a different universe entirely).
* ''[[GoLion]]'' did an interesting bit on this trope. While Isamu Kurogane was named LANCE by [[Voltron]] fans, he was not the original Lancer of the team. . . that job was temporarily held by Takashi Shirogane (Sven).
* Erza of ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' is a stoic, badass [[Magic Knight]] and one of the top four mages in the guild. Has become very popular among fans since joining the group and has a rivalry with [[The Hero]] Natsu. However, given Natsu's [[Boisterous Bruiser|tendency to challenge anyone and everyone more powerful than him]], this may be debatable.
Line 92 ⟶ 94:
** {{spoiler|In the current war, Killer Bee is definitely this as he specifically promised Iruka he'd watch Naruto's back.}}
* ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'' plays with this, in that the Lancer, Kyon, is in fact both the narrator and the main character... with a little dash of [[The Hero]], something that the flighty and childish Haruhi is definitely ''not''.
** Really, Haruhi got the [[Five-Man Band]] wrong; [[Emotionless Girl|Yuki Nagato]] is more [[The Lancer]] than Kyon, who is more of [[The Hero]].
* Jet Link aka 002 is Joe Shimamura aka 009's Lancer in ''[[Cyborg 009]]''. Albert Heinrich aka 004 and Francoise Arnoul aka 003 sometimes fits in, too.
* Guts filled this role for Griffith in ''[[Berserk]]'' when he was still part of the Band of the Hawk.
Line 119 ⟶ 121:
** Rossiu is certainly Simon's Lancer after the timeskip. At least until {{spoiler|Viral's [[Heel Face Turn]], at which point Rossiu gradually takes upon a more passive role}}.
* Natsu Tanimoto, a.k.a. Hermit, combines this with a bit of [[Sixth Ranger]] to ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]].'' One of the last to defect from Ragnarok to Shinpaku Alliance, and then unwillingly, Natsu and Kenichi have the same basic decency but are otherwise polar opposites.
* In sports manga/anime, the sub-captain of the team is likely to be [[The Lancer]] to the captain. Either that, or [[The Rival]] within the team plays this role for [[The Hero]] (who isn ''not'' necessarily the captain). Examples:
** ''[[The Prince of Tennis]]'':
*** Seigaku: Oishi and/or Fuji, to Tezuka. Momoshiro, to Echizen {{spoiler|and later, to Kaidoh}}
*** Fudomine: Kamio, to Tachibana.
*** Saint Rudolph: Kaneda, to Akazawa. Mizuki, to Yuuta (as a good example of a sneaky Lancer who uses less-than-ethic methods).
*** Hyoutei: Shishido, to Atobe; he actually [[Heroic Sacrifice|took one for the team]] during the yakiniku battle (sacrificing himself by drinking Inui juice so his team could go on). Ohtori, on the other hand, is Shishido's own Lancer (which makes them also a ''very'' popular [[Ho Yay]] subject, even lampshaded once or twice in the [[Dating Sim|Dating Sims]]s).
*** Isn't Oshitari more of a lancer to Atobe? Besides Kabaji, Atobe is probably closest with him, often leaving important duties with him. They are also both All-rounders, coincidentally.
*** Yamabuki: Sengoku and/or Dan, to [[Anti-Hero]] Akutsu.
Line 131 ⟶ 133:
*** Rikkaidai: Sanada, to Yukimura. Also, Renji to Sanada
*** Higa: Rin, to Kite.
*** Shitenhouji: Chitose (also [[Sixth Ranger]]), to Shiraishi. Koishikawa was ''supposed'' to be [[The Lancer]], but Chitose's appearance shot that to Hell.
*** If we count the [[Tagalong Kid|Tagalong Kids]]s, Tomoka is [[The Lancer]] to [[The Chick|chicky]] [[The Hero|heroine]] Sakuno.
** ''[[Captain Tsubasa]]'':
*** Depending on the team he's playing, Tsubasa can hace ''several'' Lancers. Up to date: Ishizaki, Misaki, Wakabayashi, Hyuga, Pepe and/or Rivaul.
Line 156 ⟶ 158:
* Kuwabara from ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]''. He's Yusuke's school rival-turned-best friend, frequently teams up with him for tag-team battles, and leads the Team Urameshi almost as often as Yusuke does in the Dark Tournament saga.
* Daisy from ''[[Dragon Quest]]: [[Dragon Quest: Legend of the Hero Abel|Legend of the Hero Abel]]'' (a.k.a. the ''Dragon Warrior'' anime broadcast in English in [[The Nineties]]) is a good example of a female Lancer: a mercenary adventurer who started out more skilled than [[The Hero]], and who seemed to [[UST|have a crush on him]] (which got sublimated into her helping rescue the [[Damsel in Distress]]).
* If you view the Allied Forces from ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' as a [[Five-Man Band]], then [[Team Dad|England]] is [[The Lancer]] to [[Love Freak|America's]] [[Idiot Hero]].
** Fandom tends to see the East Asian nations as a [[Five-Man Band]] as well, and in such an environment Japan plays Lancer to [[The Hero]] China.
*** They also apply these dynamics to the Nordic group, with Sweden as [[The Lancer]] to [[The Hero]] Finland. Back in the days of their commonwealth, Lithuania was [[The Lancer]] to [[The Hero]] Poland.
* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' has either Asuna or Setsuna acting as Negi's lancer for the earlier arcs. More recently [[The Rival|Kotaro]] has taken the position. {{spoiler|Nodoka ''might'' have a good chance after she takes a level in badass.}}
* [[Fullmetal Alchemist|Riza Hawkeye]] is the stern, cool-headed, and female Lancer serving under Roy Mustang. Maes Hughes could be considered [[Obfuscating Stupidity|an even lazier one]].
* Thanks to ''[[Yes! Pretty Cure 5]]'''s insistence on dual-classing everyone, [[The Hero|Nozo]][[The Chick|mi]] has both [[The Big Guy|Big]] [[The Lancer|Lancer]] Rin and [[The Smart Guy|Smart]] [[The Lancer|Lancer]] Karen to contend with. They manage to simultaneously act as foils for both Nozomi and each other.
* In ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'', Tamahome and Tasuki end up as a [[Blue Oni Red Oni]] patterned Hero and Lancer, respectively. Interestingly, they ''both'' have a [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] incident where one nearly murders the other.
* In ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'' Shadow King Kyouya is [[The Lancer]] to [[Idiot Hero]] Tamaki, and secretly runs the club behind his back. Everyone else is aware of it though.
* Chrono in ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'' serves as Rosette's lancer (particularly in the manga where Rosette is firmly the protagonist). While they usually seem eye-to-eye on moral issues, and they are in fact the [[Official Couple]], they often clash and get into arguments--Rosettearguments—Rosette is [[Hot-Blooded]] and determined, while Chrono ''appears'' to be calmer and also slips into despair much easier. Rosette is a nun, and Chrono is a demon. Rosette is very open with her emotions, while Chrono tends to try to hide when he's upset.
* ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'' has an interesting example in {{spoiler|Keiichi}}. He starts off as a [[Decoy Protagonist]], is a bit paranoid and actually steers into {{spoiler|[[Villain Protagonist]]}} territory. In later arcs, the spotlight switches to the actual [[The Hero|hero]], {{spoiler|Rika}}. Another interesting thing about it is the reversal of the usual optimistic-Hero and cynical-Lancer. {{spoiler|Rika}} behaves cheerfully, but is secretly very cynical and has all but resigned {{spoiler|her}}self to die. {{spoiler|Keiichi}}, after a number of screw-ups caused by not trusting his friends, is optimistic and tells {{spoiler|Rika}} that it ''is'' possible to [[Screw Destiny|beat the crap out of fate]]. He's arguably {{spoiler|Rika}}'s [[The Messiah|savior]].
** {{spoiler|Rika}} even says something to a similar effect:
Line 172 ⟶ 174:
* Rei is this to Kenshiro, in ''[[Hokuto no Ken]]''.
* Lancer, from ''[[Robotech]]'', despite sharing the trope name, is a curious case, as he's less of a traditional Lancer and more of a mix of [[The Chick]] (uses his girly, "softer" looks and crossdresses to get the upper hand) and [[The Smart Guy]] (is level-headed and sneaky, as well as an [[Ace Pilot]]). Arguably, Rand and Rook rake turns to fill in more as Scott's proper lancer.
* Judai of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'' has two Lancers in the earlier seasons -- Shoseasons—Sho, as the inseparable best friend, and Manjoume as [[The Rival]], always trying to outshine him or be [[The Hero]] himself.
** And from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' Katsuya Jonouchi (Joey Wheeler) fits. Also Jack Atlas from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]'' falls into [[The Lancer]] eventually.
* Rei Miyamoto is the lancer to Takashi Komuro in ''[[Highschool of the Dead]]''. Bonus points for being a member of the school's lancing club.
* Asuka from ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' likes to set up Shinji as her Lancer when in truth, she is the Lancer to him. While Asuka had formal training and has tons of self-confidence, Shinji has more natural talent and he eventually surpasses her in terms of synch ratio. Shinji always gets extra help from his mother's soul when he's in trouble. Asuka only gets the same once, right before her death. Jealousy towards the hero? '''Triple''' check.
Line 191 ⟶ 193:
** [[Nightwing]] is an example of how the Lancer's traits depend on who [[The Hero]] is: when he fills this role for Batman, his empathy, idealism, and approachability are played up as a contrast to Bruce.
** In a hilariously fitting [[Evil Counterpart]], [[The Joker]] tends to be the Lancer (or more apropriately, [[The Dragon]]) to [[Lex Luthor]] on the rare occasions they team up.
* [[Hawkeye]] of ''[[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]]''. He tends to chafe under [[Captain America (comics)]]'s leadership, but it's clear how much like Cap he is -- heis—he led both his own Avengers franchise and the [[Thunderbolts]] for several years.
** ''[[Iron Man]]'' has also acted as a Lancer to Captain America at times; this was used to add extra tension to their conflict in the [[Crisis Crossover]] ''[[Civil War (Comic Book)|Civil War]]''.
* As indicated by the page quote, Wolverine of the ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]''.
Line 225 ⟶ 227:
* Pictured above: Han Solo in ''[[Star Wars]]''. "[[Combat Pragmatist|Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid]]."
* Timon from [[The Lion King]]. To a quite hilarious extent.
* Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan in ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' seem to take turns playing [[The Hero]] and [[The Lancer]]. They switch sides and betray each other so frequently it can be hard to keep track of who's on which "team" and who's just out for their own ends. The only person who seems to ''consistently'' fulfill this role is Joshamee Gibbs, as the Lancer to Jack Sparrow.
* Rusty Ryan to Danny Ocean in the ''[[Ocean's Eleven]]'' movies.
* The WWII biopic ''Patton'' depicts a "lancer reversal" between American generals George S. Patton and Omar Bradley. At first Bradley is Patton's lancer when Patton is made commander of the II Corps in North Africa and Bradley his deputy. Then after the invasion of Sicily, Patton is reprimanded for slapping a shellshocked soldier and Bradley is promoted over him. Bradley commands the U.S. 1st Army during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Meanwhile Patton was used to decoy the Germans into thinking the invasion would be at Calais. Patton becomes Bradley's lancer when he gives Patton command of the Third Army to implement "Operation Cobra", the Allied plan to breakout of the Normandy beachhead.
Line 235 ⟶ 237:
* In the movie ''Mr. Saturday Night'' Stan had the makings and ambitions to be a comedian but his brother Buddy Young had the guts to go and perform, so Stan becomes the more grounded manager to egotistical Buddy.
* In ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'', Inigo Montoya fulfills this role rather well to the Man In Black/Westley. At first he is arrogant and apprehensive of Westley's skills, but eventually goes on to be a faithful right-hand man and gains a deep-set respect for his skills to the extent that he believes that Westley is capable of anything (which essentially turns out to be the case).
* Sam French is [[The Lancer]] to Jake Wyer, [[The Hero]], in ''Fifty/Fifty''.
* ''[[Toy Story]]'': Buzz Lightyear is Woody's Lancer in the second and third films, after their rivalry is settled in the first. He fits the definition so well it's almost scary. He begins as a rival to [[The Hero]], has a similar design (law enforcing hero of a [[Merchandise-Driven|television show's toyline]] with a voice clip feature), acts as the team leader when [[The Hero|Woody]] is away, {{spoiler|ends up [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] in the service of the [[Big Bad]] for a while}}, and as is made obvious during {{spoiler|said [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] time}} he's the most combat-skilled and dangerous of the cast.
* Subotai from the 1982 ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' film. He teaches Conan how to be a thief, saves him from the Tree of Woe, and stands by his side during the Battle of the Mounds.
Line 252 ⟶ 254:
** Tobias is the silent loner compared to Jake, the leader and center of the team.
** Rachel would be a perfect Lancer if she wasn't already [[The Big Guy]]. Jake says flat-out he'd rather have her at his back than anyone else and he trusts her both to protect his father and {{spoiler|kill his brother}}. She does the team's dirty work, and has the "challenger/thinks she'd be a better leader" aspects, and still can't quite shake that thought even after being smacked in the head with a [[Vetinari Job Security|Vetinari paradox]]. {{spoiler|And she was the "someone" in [[Tonight Someone Dies]] via [[Heroic Sacrifice]].}}
** Marco is Jake's best friend. He shares a distinctly different and darker view; in his more serious moments, he presents alternative -- evenalternative—even borderline ruthless -- optionsruthless—options. He thinks very differently than Jake, which can be useful for filling in blanks, and helps in formulating strategies when Jake has trouble doing so.
* Panther from the ''Genesis of Shannara'' books "Armageddon's Children" and "The Elves of Cintra".
** In ''[[Shannara]]'', anytime a Leah shows up, it's to play this role for the main Ohmsford.
Line 261 ⟶ 263:
* Patroclus of ''[[The Iliad]]'' fulfils this role to Achilles' [[The Hero]]: more thoughtful and level-headed than his best friend, his death is what snaps Achilles out of his [[Achilles in His Tent|proverbial tent]].
* The Wheel of Time gives us Mat and Perrin both serving as Lancers for Rand, the first contrasted because of his irresponsibility and refusal to accept destiny and the second because of his devotion to one person over the fate of the world.
* In [[Jim Butcher]]'s ''[[Codex Alera]]'' series, Antillus Maximus (Max) is [[The Lancer]] to {{spoiler|Gaius Octavian}} (Tavi). He is a foil to Tavi in that he is [[Book Dumb]], extremely strong with furycrafting and a hardened veteran of the legions, where Tavi none of the above, at least at first.
* Sadrao from ''[[Black Dogs]]'' is [[The Lancer]] of their [[Five-Man Band]]. He acts as the foil to [[The Hero|Lyra's]] bumbling, naive, bookishness by being a hardened and competent warrior. As the story progresses, Lyra loses these first two qualities and becomes more and more like Sadrao.
* Maybeck in ''[[Kingdom Keepers]]''. He is more cynical and grounded in contrast to Finn, which in a [[Disney]] work is a disadvantage. He also has trouble grasping the DHI's full potential because he's mentally blocked by his high expectations.
* ''[[Colt Regan]]'': Colt's partner Alex qualifies, as well as his friend Joseph to a certain extent.
Line 288 ⟶ 290:
** Wesley, true to the trope, was the ruthless member of the team, as well as the sorcerer of the bunch, also betrayed the gang to save Connor, stabbed Gunn and shot Knox during his [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]], and, being the less stable of the group due to Fred's death, was expected by Cyvus Vail to make a move for Angel's position. Aware of it, Wesley pretended to be planning to betray Angel in order to get close to Vail and kill him. As the trope goes, Wesley {{spoiler|was killed by Vail instead.}}
** Cordelia was Interim Lancer between Doyle's death and Wesley's integration into the main cast, and was always Angel's real foil, despite being [[The Chick]] throughout.
* Avon from ''[[Blake's 7|Blakes Seven]]'', even when Blake vanishes/dies and Avon slowly goes [[Ax Crazy]]. Avon is very unusual -- aunusual—a Lancer as leader as nightmare.
* Sam Axe on ''[[Burn Notice]]''.
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': Willow and Faith can act Lancer-y. Oh, and also Xander, despite also being the Buttmonkey.
Line 297 ⟶ 299:
* ''[[Top Gear]]'': Richard Hammond to [[The Captain|Jeremy Clarkson]]. Hammond is a head shorter, a decade younger, and physically tough but emotionally fragile compared to Clarkson, yet they are [[Heterosexual Life Partners|inseparably bonded]] by a mutual love of fast, powerful cars. The third presenter, James May, acts a bit like a Lancer to Clarkson but they are more of an [[Odd Couple]].
* ''[[Firefly]]'': Zoe plays the cool-headed Lancer to the often impulsive Mal, and Jayne plays the [[Heroic Sociopath]] Lancer.
* ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'': Drs. Wilson and Foreman are both lancers to Dr House in different respects. Wilson is House's best friend, [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|his opposite in almost every way]], and the one most likely to play the [[Only Sane Man]]--in—in fact, when Hugh Laurie first read for the part of [[Heroic Sociopath|House]], he was under the impression that Wilson was [[The Hero]], and that House was [[The Lancer]]--butLancer—but is not a member of House's team. Foreman, on the other hand, is the subordinate most likely to oppose House on any given matter, and in later seasons has become the ''de facto'' [[Number Two]] of the team (having stepped into the position of leadership on three separate occasions). Though his characterization has emphasized a fundamental similarity between himself and House, there are important (perhaps deliberate) differences--Foremandifferences—Foreman is stuffier than House, presenting an air of consummate professionalism in contrast to House's slip-shod and free-wheeling style of management.
* Leo of ''[[The West Wing]]'' is a dead-on Lancer of the [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|Blue Oni]] type to Bartlet's hero. Being [[The Lancer]] is also Josh's calling in life, according to Bartlet: "You know the difference between you and me? I want to be [[The Hero|the guy]]. You want to be the guy the guy counts on." In the later seasons other characters lampshade the fact that Santos, to Josh, is his opportunity to be what Leo was to Bartlet.
* ''[[Primeval]]'': Stephen Hart {{spoiler|later Abby Maitland}}.
* Patrick Harper in ''[[Sharpe]]''.
Line 305 ⟶ 307:
* ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'': Riker was intended to perform the action roles that Picard (as [[The Captain]]) really should not be doing. Especially in season 1, he was a Kirk clone. After [[Growing the Beard]], his role on the bridge was to anticipate Picard's orders and issue them so that the captain wouldn't have to.
** Contrasts with Picard in Riker being a womanizer (Picard is not very successful with women) and somewhat impulsive (Picard is fairly cautious). Riker also fits the role in easily being the more gregarious and social (he plays in the ship's jazz group and runs the senior officers' poker games) while Picard is the more private and prefers solitary pursuits such as reading and archeology. Oddly enough, while Riker is obviously supposed to be the more physical (being younger and larger) compared to Picard's more intellectual, Picard tends to be the one who ends up in the most physical confrontations over the span of the series and movies.
* ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek Deep Space Nine]]'': Kira is Sisko's lancer in every aspect of the trope. If it were up to her, there wouldn't be any Starfleet personel on the station and ''she'' would be in command. In early seasons, she's yelling at Sisko every other episode and often completely ignores his orders when she believes she can handle things better. She grows to trust him in later seasons, but she always remains the person who challenges the captain's orders the most--somewhatmost—somewhat unusually, considering that, as the Emissary of the Prophets, he's the equivalent of a saint or prophet of her religion.
* ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Star Trek Voyager]]'': While he's not the first officer, Tuvok fulfills this role for Captain Janeway. He's calm and rational while Captain Janeway is usually very emotional. In later years, Seven of Nine plays the role.
* Owen from ''[[Torchwood]]'' falls under this fairly well, at least in series 1. Owen is [[The Lancer]] to Gwen while Jack is away. When Jack returns, Gwen becomes his Lancer.
* Deputy Jo Lupo to Jack Carter in ''[[Eureka]]''.
* Common in ''[[Super Sentai]]'' due to its reliance on the [[Five-Man Band]] structure, but special mention goes to ''[[Choujin Sentai Jetman]]'''s Gai Yuuki (Black Condor) for being a [[Captain Ersatz]] of the [[Trope Codifier]], [[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman|Condor Joe]]. Indeed, the entire cast of ''Jetman'' are [[Captain Ersatz|Captain Ersatzes]]es of ''Gatchaman'''s [[Five-Man Band]] [[Trope Codifier|Trope Codifiers]]s.
** Other Sentai Lancers are well known for being either Boone Companion (Zyuranger's Mammoth Ranger), Rival (Hurricaneger's Kabuto Reiger, whom himself leads the main team's rival group), or the member who swipes [[The Hero]]'s chances at leadership (White Kakuranger, Black Megaranger and Pink Timeranger).
** A rather unique twist of [[The Lancer]] concept is given in ''[[Samurai Sentai Shinkenger]]''. Our hero Shiba Takeru (Shinken Red), is [[The Stoic]]. Then, we have the rebellious [[Sour Supporter]] Tani Chiaki (Shinken Green). Most people would call him [[The Lancer]] for being rebellious, but turns out he's [[The Smart Guy|The Smartass Kid]] instead. [[The Lancer]] turns out to the [[Large Ham|Extraordinarily Hammy]] [[Yes-Man]] Ikenami Ryuunosuke (Shinken Blue), not only because he's Takeru's second in command, but his personality is quite the contrast to Takeru. So, yeah, Ryuunosuke is definitely 'Hammy, hyperactive Lancer done right'.
* ''[[Power Rangers]]'', naturally, follows suit. [[Power Rangers Time Force|Wes and Jen]] were a slight twist on the concept - they were [[The Hero]] and [[The Lancer]] respectively, but Jen was still the official team leader, even after Wes came into his own as a Ranger. Then there's [[Power Rangers SPD|Sky]], [[Power Rangers RPM|Dillon]]...
* Tony Dinozzo in ''[[NCIS]]'' is The Lancer to Gibbs' leadership, though according to Ducky, Gibbs used to be much like Tony.
** In the rare episode where Tony is [[The Hero]], Timothy McGee is the lancer.
* ''[[Fraggle Rock]]'': Gobo, the reluctant leader of the [[Five-Man Band]], had two extremely opposite Lancers -- hisLancers—his best friend Wembley and Wembley's constant rival Red.
** Although they get considerably less screen time, the Minstrels are a clear cut [[Five-Man Band]], and it's obvious that [[Closer to Earth|Murray]] acts as the Lancer to [[Trickster Mentor|Cantus]].
* ''[[Noah's Arc]]'': Ricky, as a very clear foil to [[The Hero|Noah]]. While Noah is very moral, relationship-oriented, romantic, and holds the group together, Ricky is much more pragmatic, highly promiscuous, sexually detached, and more than willing to abandon the group over a one-night stand. The stark contrast between them is [[Lampshaded Trope|lampshaded]] by both of them at different points in the series. Also, Ricky, Noah and [[The Chick|Wade]] are {{spoiler|involved in a love triangle highlighted in the movie}}.
Line 342 ⟶ 344:
** Predictably, his [[Expy]] in [[Modern Warfare]] 2, Ghost, is this to Captain MacTavish.
* Manticore, a signature character in ''[[City of Heroes]]'', is [[Alternate Company Equivalent|their version of]] [[Batman]], especially among the Freedom Phalanx.
* Kain from ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'' is a good candidate for [[Trope Codifier]]: He's [[The Hero|Cecil's]] childhood friend, his most trusted comrade and right-hand ally, and also his greatest rival, primarily in his competition for [[The Chick|Rosa's]] affections. He's the dark and conflicted [[Anti-Hero]] to Cecil's noble and righteous [[The Cape (trope)|Cape]], and during a stint where he's [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] he acts as [[Big Bad|Golbez's]] [[The Dragon|Dragon]]. In ''The After Years'' {{spoiler|he gets appointed the Captain of Baron's airship fleet, and with Cecil as king, Kain is his general now}}. And here's the real kicker--notkicker—not only is Kain's weapon of choice spears and lances, but his job class is Dragoon. In other games in the series, the Dragoon job is called "Lancer," meaning not only is Kain ''the'' Lancer, he's ''a'' Lancer to boot.
* Barret Wallace from ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' is a unique mix of [[Big Guy]] and [[Lancer]], with bonus [[Token Minority]] points thrown in. He even <s>[[Retcon|founded]]</s> leads the [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] organization you start off as part of, and sometimes seems a little too ready to think of himself as [[The Hero]] early on. Ironically, when Cloud leaves the party {{spoiler|after being incapacitated by Mako poisoning}}, it is expected that Barret will lead the party. Instead, he tells Cid, who appropriately wields a lance, that he's the new leader.
* ''[[Final Fantasy IX]]'' rotates this role a bit during the game: it starts as Blank, but he doesn't last very long in the party. Then Steiner takes over the role, before Amarant firmly and truely takes on every trope associated with Lancerdom. Amarant is Zidane's psuedo-rival, and has a lot of [[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy]] issues that get solved during the course of the game. Oddly enough, the one character that actually uses lances, Freya, never actually takes on this role at any point in the game.
Line 351 ⟶ 353:
* ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' has Lightning backed by Sazh. Being older he may very well have ''more'' military experience, but he has less drive as a leader (stepping down from a more active piloting career in order to take care of his son).
* ''[[Fire Emblem]]''
** ''Fire Emblem 4'': Duke Cuan is both the best friend and [[The Lancer]] for Lord Sigurd in the first part of the game. He also has ''his'' Lancer in the form of his protege Finn. In the second part of the game, Ayra's son Skasha is [[The Lancer]] to Sigurd's son Celice. And so is Leaf.
** ''Fire Emblem 7'': [[Two Guys and a Girl|Hector and Lyn * both* fit as Lancers for Eliwood]]. Just like in ''Fire Emblem 6'', Wolt [[The Archer]] and [[Magical Girl]] Lilina are sort-of Lancers for [[The Hero]] Roy. Hector also has his own Lancer in the figure of [[Genius Bruiser|General Oswin]], and it can be said that [[Crutch Character|Marcus]] was Eliwood's Lancer before Hector and Lyn stepped in. [[Fragile Speedster|Matthew the Thief]] has a short run as Hector's Lancer at the beginning, until Oswin and Serra come in. In "Lyndis's Tale", Lyn had Kent as her Lancer since Sain was a bit more of [[The Big Guy]] of her Troupe.
** In ''[[Fire Emblem]] 8'': The Paladin Seth is [[The Lancer]] to either Eirika or Ephraim, depending on the route you take. Innes fits more as Ephraim's Rival than Lancer. Considering Gerik and his mercenaries, [[Emotionless Girl|Marisa the Crimson Flash]] fits as his Lancer since she's more of an [[Action Girl]] than Tethys, the [[Team Mom]]. In the case of Joshua, {{spoiler|either Gerik, Marisa or Natasha (in a more serious, [[White Magician Girl]]-y way) cane become his Lancers through supports as he rebuilds Jehanna}} ) Rennac is [[The Lancer]] in L'Arachel's Power Trio.
* In ''[[Gears of War]]'', Dominic Santiago serves as Marcus Fenix's Lancer. No, ''not'' [[Incredibly Lame Pun|as his assault rifle]]. The ''character trope''!
* In ''[[Halo]] 3'', the Arbiter plays the role of Lancer to the Master Chief. Johnson even more so
Line 360 ⟶ 362:
** Dex might actually be an inversion. He has ''nothing but'' leadership abilities. He's a fantastic leader and motivator, but lacks the competence to back it up, which is all Lan's. This would probably be why he ended up {{spoiler|mayor of ACDC Town}} in the series ending.
** Dex really functions more as a [[Big Guy]] of the charismatic [[Boisterous Bruiser]] mold. He started out as [[The Rival]], but by the end of the first game Chaud had moved from [[Sixth Ranger]] into the Lancer position.
** Interestingly enough Mega Man and Proto Man/Zero actual invert the weapon associations, with [[The Hero]] prefering guns and [[The Lancer]] using swords.
* ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' actually has quite a number by some interpretations. In the early games Tails filled this role, being the [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|Blue Oni to Sonic's Red Oni]] as well as his [[Heterosexual Life Partners|Same Gender Life Partner]]. Amy serves as a [[Foil|comic foil]] to Sonic in the more recent games, and was also the designated Lancer in [[Sonic the Comic]]. Knuckles has a long history of clashing with Sonic, which is played up in every single adaptation of the series to date. And in [[Shadow the Hedgehog]], some stages present the player with the option of having Sonic himself as ''Shadow's'' Lancer.
** And among the members of Team Dark Rouge functions mainly as the leader, with Shadow as her Lancer.
* An early CRPG example: Nazim in ''The Magic Candle''.
* Though they're technically on opposite sides, the prosecutors from the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series often become closer to [[The Lancer]] after a few cases against the main character.
** Miles Edgeworth serves as more of a permanent Lancer in the story, helping the protagonist out in every game they appear together.
* In ''[[Sly Cooper|Sly 3]]'', the titular character becomes that to Bentley.
Line 372 ⟶ 374:
* In ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'s'' initial [[Five-Man Band]], Genis, Lloyd's best friend, plays the role of the more smart and cynical Lancer to Lloyd's idealistic [[Idiot Hero]]. Zelos, who joins later, also takes up the lancer role.
* ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'' has a possibility of three different lancers in the party. Luke, the [[Idiot Hero]], has Guy ([[Heterosexual Life Partner|Childhood friend]], [[The Caretaker|Guardian]] and possible [[The Rival|Rival]]), Jade ([[Smart Guy]], [[Deadpan Snarker]] and [[The Spock]]) or Tear ([[Action Girl]] and another [[The Spock|Spock]]).
* ''[[Tales of Vesperia]]'' is what happens when you give [[The Lancer]] his own game. [[Anti-Hero|Yuri]] is [[Chaotic Good]] to the core, unafraid of breaking the law to do the right thing, and frequently gets into arguments with his best friend and [[The Rival|rival]]; [[Knight in Shining Armor|Flynn]], who takes on the role of a [[Supporting Leader]] for much of the game. Yuri himself gets his own, "proper" Lancer in the form of [[Idiot Hero|Karol]]; who is much more cautious and cowardly than Yuri is, but has a more [[Wide-Eyed Idealist|idealistic sense of right and wrong]] and ultimately develops into a brave leader while Yuri continues to fight in the shadows of other people. [[Ms. Fanservice|Judith]], being an ''extreme'' [[Blood Knight]], is more of [[The Big Girl]] with sprinklings of Lancer traits. She's too similar to Yuri in personality and moral outlook to qualify fully, however.
* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'': Though [[The Lancer]] and not [[The Hero]] of his [[Three Amigos]], Riku was the leader by virtue of being one year older and because of his natural drive. He had very clear and strong ideas about what he wanted, and Sora and [[The Chick|Kairi]] followed his lead. Sadly, he was [[Too Cool to Live]], and so fell to [[The Dark Side]]. He gets better only after Sora has become clearly much cooler than him.
* Junpei Iori, of ''[[Persona 3]]''. Eager to prove himself, bitter about the Protagonist being chosen to [[It's Up to You|lead the team]] over him, brash, loud, poor grades, and a girlchaser.
** And in [[Expansion Pack|FES]], where {{spoiler|Aegis is the Protagonist, Yukari acts as the Lancer to her.}}
Line 407 ⟶ 409:
** ''Luffia 3'' has Dei the thief, if not [[The Chick|Seena]]. The guy has his moments after his quests toward the end of the game, unlike other secondary characters.
** ''The Ruin of Lore'' has Torma.
** ''Lufia 2'''s remake, ''Curse of Sinistrals'', however, turns Guy into [[The Big Guy]] and Dakar into [[The Lancer]].
* In most fanworks, [[Touhou Project|Kirisame Marisa]] plays this role for [[Touhou Project|Hakurei Reimu]]. Marisa is the hard-working [[Badass Normal]] (or as normal you can be in a world of overpowered girls with magical powers) while Reimu is the lazy genius, and Marisa tends to have her own agenda for solving incidents, while Reimu just wants to get it over with since its her job. This isn't really played up in the games (except for perhaps Imperishable Night, where they face off against each other) because according to the storyline, the chosen character is the only one that actually goes out and solves the incident.
* ''[[The Orion Conspiracy]]'' has the engineer Meyer put in this role for [[The Hero]] Devlin McCormack. Meyer loves to cuss. He was a soldier in the Corporation War and is more cynical about it than Devlin. Meyer shows how [[Badass]] he is by {{spoiler|fighting and killing off Captain Shannon and fending off Lowe the xenomorph. Unfortunately, we do not get to see that fight with the xenomorph}}. He also has a big picture attitude to situations, in contrast to Devlin, who looks at the little details.
Line 431 ⟶ 433:
** On the side of the trolls, Terezi Pyrope plays this to [[The Hero|Karkat Vantas]], countering [[Hates Everyone Equally|his raving abuse of everyone and everything]] with... [[Troll|messing with him]].
* Theo from ''[http://www.goldcoincomics.com Gold Coin Comics]'', who is also [[The Spock]].
* Alexander Hamilton from ''[[The Dreamer]]'' is definitely [[The Lancer]].
* Susan of ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' is Tedd's foil.
* In ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]],'' Jean is Bob's lancer. Where Bob is absurdly mellow in most situations, Jean is a [[Mood Swinger]] with a host of [[Berserk Button|berserk buttons.]] She's also a good deal more educated and intellectual than he is.
Line 441 ⟶ 443:
 
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[Exo Squad]]'': Alec DeLeon more often than not was [[The Lancer]] to squad leader JT Marsh, though Marsala sometimes filled that role as well, depending on the mission at hand. Marsh himself could be considered the lancer to Admiral Winfield, who was the Captain.
* Ironically, although being the title character, ''[[Sonic Sat AM|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' was actually his team's [[The Lancer|Lancer]]. However, his deeds may also make him the Hero, next to Princess Sally.
* Brooklyn in ''[[Gargoyles]]'', especially when Goliath promoted him to be his [[Number Two]]. He differs that while Goliath is very physical and direct in his methods with a knack for inspiring his clan, Brooklyn is quieter and more calculating at work as a superb tactician who can organize assaults that seemingly can whup ''anybody''. His only major weakness is that he hates Demona with a fury strong enough to attack her on sight, to the frustration of the clan. Brooklyn is the second type of lancer in that he holds Goliath in high esteem and has no desire to challenge his authority, much less replace him. Still, during the extended time that Goliath was absent, Brooklyn was in charge and old veteran Hudson deferred to his authority and there is no question that he is really good at the job.
* In ''[[Transformers]]: [[Beast Wars]]'', when the Maximals find themselves short one [[The Captain|Optimus Primal]], it comes to a vote to determine which of the Lancers will lead in his absence - Dinobot, or Rattrap. Dinobot was the big, straightforward warrior type, and Rattrap was the [[The Smart Guy|small, underhanded saboteur type.]] On another occasion, [[Gentle Giant|Rhinox]] started to give the orders, as he was in a [[Beware the Nice Ones|Very Bad Mood.]]
* In the followup ''[[Beast Machines]]'', while Primal was absent Cheetor had stepped up to fill the leadership gap, causing him to become [[The Lancer]] when Primal returned. This time, it was more the "chafes under his authority, wants to usurp and lead" variety.
** No, he just realized that Optimus was slowly but surely turning into a fanatic, and was concerned about the future.
* Arcee in ''[[Transformers Prime]]'' (Bumblebee is [[The Chick]]).
Line 451 ⟶ 453:
** Most of all in the Eastman and Laird version. Not so much in the Saturday morning cartoons.
* In ''[[Thundercats]]'', Tygra doubled as Lion-O's Lancer and [[The Smart Guy]]. The latter is relative since the team's [[The Big Guy|Big Guy]], Panthro, was a [[Genius Bruiser]].
** In the 2011 remake, Tygra also gets a gun to contrast with Lion-o's Sword of Omens, and he overall plays [[The Lancer]] role much straighter than the original did.
* Katara of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' merges the roles of [[The Lancer]] and [[The Chick]], being both the romantic interest of [[The Hero]] and one of his most reliable combat partners.
** Come the series finale, Zuko seems to fit this role more and more as he bonded with the group and became less of [[The Sixth Ranger]]. By this point Katara has taken on the aspect of [[Team Mom]] as well.
* Kevin Levin of ''[[Ben 10: Alien Force|Ben 10 Alien Force]]''.
Line 459 ⟶ 461:
* Digeri Dingo from ''[[Taz-Mania]]'' could count as a lancer for Taz.
* Duke L'Orange in ''[[The Mighty Ducks (animation)|The Mighty Ducks]]'', a former [[Gentleman Thief]] [[Heel Face Turn|turned]] [[La Résistance|freedom fighter]], contrasts nicely to not only [[The Hero|Wildwing]] but the rest of the team, especially since he's the only one who regularly uses a melee weapon. (a [[Laser Blade|laser sword]])
* Shao Lin in ''[[Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys|Captain Simian and The Space Monkeys]]'' is both [[The Lancer]] and the [[Action Girl]]. She is as cautious as [[The Captain|Charlie Simian]] is not; her [[The Stoic]] attitude balances his boisterous, cheerful personality.
* Raven in ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' fits the trope closest, being a [[Dark Is Not Evil]] [[Anti-Hero]], and having very subdued emotions to contrast [[Hot-Blooded]] [[The Hero|Robin]]. However, Cyborg tends to be the one who leads the team when Robin is away, despite (or perhaps because of) being [[The Smart Guy]]. The show plays with team roles of the [[Five-Man Band]]. Cyborg and Beast Boy tend to switch off on which one is being [[The Big Guy]] or [[The Smart Guy]], and Cyborg has shades of [[The Lancer]] as well.
* Prowl of ''[[Transformers Animated]]''. A quiet, stoic [[Ninja]] who is [[Not Good with People]], he contrasts [[The Cape (trope)]], Optimus Prime.
* ''[[Transformers]]'': The Primes of the original G1 also had their lancers: Optimus had Ironhide and Rodimus had Ultra Magnus. Magnus then became Optimus Prime's lancer due to his previous lancer being sorta [[Killed Off for Real|dead]].
Line 469 ⟶ 471:
** Latter member Captain Flashback would fit this as well.
* While Longarm of ''[[COPS]]'', may have the many traits of the average American [[The Hero|hero]], he is no more then a lancer to team leader Bulletproof.
* Evangelyne of ''[[Wakfu]]'' is [[The Lancer]] to Yugo. Apart from being several years older and one of the more competent fighters, she's a calm, snarky [[Tsundere]], while he's a cheerful [[Kid Hero]], but with a sense of maturity and responsibility.
* ''[[Bionic Six]]'' has some sort of tossup between the wife (Helen), and the biological son (Eric).
* Speaking of Eric from above, the ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (animation)|Dungeons and Dragons]]'' cartoon has a cowardly caviler by that name.
Line 485 ⟶ 487:
 
== Real Life ==
* Kobe Bryant to Shaquille O'Neal from their generation of the LA Lakers. The seasoned Shaq was [[The Big Guy]] and the captain, while the rambunctious Kobe was the rookie. Their relationship was frequently punctuated by fueds played out in the press. Now that Shaq retired, Kobe's become the face of the Lakers, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum sharing the role of [[The Lancer]].
* When they were both on the Chicago Bulls, Scottie Pippen was seen as a lancer for [[Micheal Jordan]], who was practically [[The Messiah]] of basketball.
* Russell Westbrook, the cocky Red Oni, to Kevin Durant, the collected Blue Oni. Unlike Kobe and Shaq, Durant and Westbrook are [[Heterosexual Life Partners]].
Line 491 ⟶ 493:
* Jason Terry to Dirk Nowitzki in the Dallas Mavericks.
* Tim Duncan to Tony Parker in the San Antonio Spurs.
* In Irish [[Rugby Union]], Brian O'Driscoll was [[The Leader]] from 2003 to 2012, captaining the national team, with Paul O'Connell serving as the Lancer. [[Blue Oni]] O'Driscoll was the focal point of the team's backs, a smaller, skillful player who scored tries and lead by example, while vice-captain O'Connell was a [[Red Oni]], the [[Made of Iron]], [[Determinator]] leader of the forwards, and a frequent giver of [[Cluster F-Bomb]] [[Rousing Speech|Rousing Speeches]]es. In addition to their personal contrasts in playing and leadership styles, O'Driscoll played for eastern province of Leinster, while O'Connell played for their bitter rivals Munster in the south, with each being considered the central figure in their team.
* [[The Who]] is an interesting example. Pete Townsend was the band's artistic leader, but was also violent and dealt with depression. He wasn't the band's frontman, though. He left that up to "second-in-command", Roger Daltrey who was more reserved in comparison and often served as the more mature member of the group.
* [[The Beatles]] are another interesting variation: [[John Lennon]] started out as [[The Hero]], with [[Paul McCartney]] as [[The Lancer]].
* The [[Rolling Stones]] has Keith Richards as The Lancer to Mick Jagger.
* [[Ace Pilot]] Staff Sergeant Nils Katajainen (36 kills) to Captain Hans Wind (78 kills) in the Finnish Air Force in WWII. They usually flew as a pair. ''Both'' were awarded the Mannerheim Cross, roughly the Finnish equivalent of Victoria Cross or Congressional Medal of Honor.
Gethbot
Bots
10,856

edits

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/1245036"