Toyless Toyline Character: Difference between revisions

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In [[Merchandise Driven]] media it's typically pretty easy to set apart the characters whose toys are getting advertised. They're the ones that take the spotlight in any given story, save the day in the end, etc., or are otherwise just made to look cool by the narrative itself. They'll have more character development, more detail in their character model, more gadgets; everything about them ''screams'' toyetic in loud plastic-mould colors.

In [[Merchandise-Driven]] media it's typically pretty easy to set apart the characters whose toys are getting advertised. They're the ones that take the spotlight in any given story, save the day in the end, etc., or are otherwise just made to look cool by the narrative itself. They'll have more character development, more detail in their character model, more gadgets; everything about them ''screams'' toyetic in loud plastic-mould colors.

But not this character. This is the [[Ensemble Darkhorse]] of the toyline-driven media, that bursts into the scene like a [[Highly Visible Ninja]] with a rocket launcher and a banner reading, "[[Homestar Runner|Buy all our playsets and toys]]" only, after rushing to the toystore mouth drooling and brow sweaty you find out, he doesn't have his own toy. Often they'll be [[The Ace]], appearing for a brief storyline, showing up everyone else, and then never seen again--not in the story and ''never'' in the toy aisles.

But not this character. This is the [[Ensemble Darkhorse]] of the toyline-driven media, that bursts into the scene like a [[Highly-Visible Ninja]] with a rocket launcher and a banner reading, "[[Homestar Runner|Buy all our playsets and toys]]" only, after rushing to the toystore mouth drooling and brow sweaty you find out, he doesn't have his own toy. Often they'll be [[The Ace]], appearing for a brief storyline, showing up everyone else, and then never seen again--not in the story and ''never'' in the toy aisles.

Most of the time for a [[Merchandise Driven]] franchise the toys are either (a) designed first and the show/comic makers make a story around the characters, or (b) the toy makers and show makers work together, so everyone else is likely to be a [[Flat Character]], or even [[No Name Given]]. Often there are actual limits set to how much attention can be given to these characters; a non-toy character that's not just a [[Tagalong Kid]] being allowed to be prominent is next to unheard of.

Most of the time for a [[Merchandise-Driven]] franchise the toys are either (a) designed first and the show/comic makers make a story around the characters, or (b) the toy makers and show makers work together, so everyone else is likely to be a [[Flat Character]], or even [[No Name Given]]. Often there are actual limits set to how much attention can be given to these characters; a non-toy character that's not just a [[Tagalong Kid]] being allowed to be prominent is next to unheard of.

It seems bizarre and even out-of-place--which is not to say unwelcome--when an original character does become important. They're not always recurring characters but they sometimes get more development and attention than characters that actually had toys, because there's usually [[Loads and Loads of Characters]].

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This is not just any character who doesn't appear in his story's toyline. Also note that with many long-running franchises, sometimes toys will be made of these characters and marketed to collectors. The point isn't that no toy ''exists'', but that when the media was made, the character wasn't being used to advertise one.

If a major female character from a [[Merchandise Driven]] series ends up as a Toyless Toyline Character, it's probably because of [[The Smurfette Principle]].

If a major female character from a [[Merchandise-Driven]] series ends up as a Toyless Toyline Character, it's probably because of [[The Smurfette Principle]].

See also [[Sir Not Appearing in This Trailer]].

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Compare [[Canon Foreigner]].

== Anime & Manga ==

* Artemis, Navi, and Star Upper from ''[[Beast Wars II (Anime)|Beast Wars II]]'' and Rage from ''[[Beast Wars Neo (Anime)|Beast Wars Neo]].'' ''BWII'' and ''Neo'' actually invert this, being principally made up of characters [[Palette Swap|adapted]] from toys that had no representation in ''[[Beast Wars (Animation)|Beast Wars]]'' previously.

* In the beginning of ''[[Yes Pretty Cure 5 (Anime)|Yes Pretty Cure 5]]'', Nozomi, Rin and Urara were predicted to be the biggest hits because they were the youngest characters; therefore, they were introduced first and got their toys first, and Karen and Komachi got their toys either late or not at all. However, Rin proved to be unpopular and Karen somewhat of an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], so they switched places. This is most prominent with the second season's merchandise; Rin and Komachi got their dolls late, they were never given trading figures, and their articulated figures can only be bought as a set from Toei's own shop.

* In the beginning of ''[[Yes! Pretty Cure 5 (Anime)|Yes Pretty Cure 5]]'', Nozomi, Rin and Urara were predicted to be the biggest hits because they were the youngest characters; therefore, they were introduced first and got their toys first, and Karen and Komachi got their toys either late or not at all. However, Rin proved to be unpopular and Karen somewhat of an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], so they switched places. This is most prominent with the second season's merchandise; Rin and Komachi got their dolls late, they were never given trading figures, and their articulated figures can only be bought as a set from Toei's own shop.

* This phenomenon has appeared in the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' anime and card game, as well; there are a ''ton'' of cards shown in the anime (and mangas) that were never made. While some of the more obvious ones (such as the [[Urban Legend of Zelda|infamous Seal of Orichalcos]] won't ever be made due to being [[Game Breaker]] cards, some of them are legitimate themes that would have been a blast to play, like the Armor cards from [[Seasonal Rot|the DOMA arc]] that were sadly never developed.

** Game breaker cards would also be useless for another reason, they would dominate against almost anything, but usually the hero beats the card through a technicality, a technique that someone in the real world could also use.

** Another compelling reason not to make real-world version of some of those cards arises when they have card texts with conditions like "The soul of whoever loses this Duel is forfeit to the winner".

* ''[[Digimon Xros Wars]]'' posits a strange example: the series was always quite clearly [[Merchandise Driven]], with the main character's [[Combining Mecha]] forms clearly designed for the purposes of easily combining toys, and such toys accordingly ensued. Midway through the series came [[Chrome Champion|OmegaShoutmon and ZekeGreymon]], two Digimon who combined into Shoutmon DX. All three [[Mons]] were obviously designed in such a way that hypothetical toys of the former two could be easily combined into a Shoutmon DX figure, yet no such toys of the characters ever materialised despite all three characters being very important.

* ''[[Digimon Xros Wars]]'' posits a strange example: the series was always quite clearly [[Merchandise-Driven]], with the main character's [[Combining Mecha]] forms clearly designed for the purposes of easily combining toys, and such toys accordingly ensued. Midway through the series came [[Chrome Champion|OmegaShoutmon and ZekeGreymon]], two Digimon who combined into Shoutmon DX. All three [[Mons]] were obviously designed in such a way that hypothetical toys of the former two could be easily combined into a Shoutmon DX figure, yet no such toys of the characters ever materialised despite all three characters being very important.

== Comic books ==

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* Sparks, Big Lob and Pythona in ''[[G.I. Joe]]''. Sparks appeared in a couple of episodes during the first season as a communication officer for the Joes before retiring from duty, while Big Lob and Pythona were exclusive to ''[[G.I. Joe the Movie]]''.

** [http://www.yojoe.com/action/07/alexsparksverdi.shtml Sparks] and [http://www.yojoe.com/action/10/biglob.shtml Big Lob] were eventually made into collector's club exclusive figures in 2007 and 2010 respectively. We're still waiting for Pythona.

* Neither Sqeaky Cleen nor any of the female characters (Mainframe, Nightshade, Ms. Demeanor and Mirage) from ''[[COPS (Animation)|COPS]]'' were action figures to start with. And we do mean "start with"; like ''[[Transformers]]'' and ''[[G.I. Joe]]'', [[Merchandise Driven|the toys came first]].

* Neither Sqeaky Cleen nor any of the female characters (Mainframe, Nightshade, Ms. Demeanor and Mirage) from ''[[COPS (Animation)|COPS]]'' were action figures to start with. And we do mean "start with"; like ''[[Transformers]]'' and ''[[G.I. Joe]]'', [[Merchandise-Driven|the toys came first]].

* The Peculiar Purple Pieman Of Porcupine Peak from ''[[Strawberry Shortcake]]'' in the second generation line; though he seems not to fit, being a villain, back in the 1980s, he ''was'' represented. First-generation characters that appeared in the animated specials but not the toyline include T.N. Honey (''Big Apple City'') and four of the Berrykins (''Meets the Berrykins'' introduces ten of them, but only six became toys).

** Despite showing up in the first special in 1980, Plum Puddin' didn't get a toy until 1984, by which time he had become a she ([[Word of God|According to Hasbro]], this is because dolls of [[The One Guy|Huckleberry Pie]] didn't sell very well).

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** Diagnostic Drone.

* From ''[[Transformers Energon]]'' there was Padlock. Of course, he existed just long enough to get shot in the back by Shockwave, thus spurring Wing Saber to seek revenge. Debatably, there was also Wing Dagger, but he was quickly reformatted into Wing Saber, who did get a toy.

** Though for once the human companion [[~~Creators~~ Pet|Kicker]] ''did'' get a toy, as did non-Transformer villain Alpha Q.

** Though for once the human companion [[Creator's Pet|Kicker]] ''did'' get a toy, as did non-Transformer villain Alpha Q.

* The ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' version of ''Omega Supreme'' - very male, very [[Badass]], very important, with plenty of screentime, hasn't gotten a toy despite ''much'' fan begging. Especially astonishing given the Tigerhawk situation: The toy company has ''infinitely'' more control than the writers with every incarnation of TF, and saying "Screw the arc you had planned, ''vaporize'' your important character because we're only ''pretty'' sure we're making a toy" is in fact ''not'' the worst thing they've inflicted on a series or comic. A toyless character being allowed as much screentime as Omega got (for [[Affirmative Action Girl|non-social reasons]]) is perhaps unprecedented.

** Mixmaster and Scrapper.

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* [[The Smurfette Principle]] strikes again: Neither of the female knights from ''[[Visionaries (Animation)|Visionaries]]'' began as action figures. They weren't even planned to be adapted to the toy line's (canceled) second year.

** Also from ''[[Visionaries (Animation)|Visionaries]]'': Merklynn, the powerful wizard who sent the knights on their quests, wasn't powerful enough to become a figure. At least Hasbro planned to include a holographic image of him in the unproduced Iron Mountain playset, but he was not planned to be a posable figure.

* ''[[My Little Pony (Franchise)|My Little Pony]]'' occasionally dipped into this trope for background characters during the G1 and G3 eras. Then they fully embraced it for the G4 adaptation, ''[[My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]''. The only characters who appear (or will appear) in both the show and the toyline are the [[Fan Nickname|Mane Six]], Spike, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon, Princess Cadance, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applejack's Uncle Mosely Orange, Apple family members Golden Delicious, Crimson Gala and Peachy Sweet, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor's mom Twilight Velvet, Zecora, Cheerilee, Gilda the Griffon, Trixie Lulamoon, one of the Wonderbolts (who may be Breezie or Surprise), Sapphire Shores, Winona, and a selection of background characters (a very small selection, compared to the huge number of background characters that the show has).

* ''[[My Little Pony (Franchise)|My Little Pony]]'' occasionally dipped into this trope for background characters during the G1 and G3 eras. Then they fully embraced it for the G4 adaptation, ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]''. The only characters who appear (or will appear) in both the show and the toyline are the [[Fan Nickname|Mane Six]], Spike, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon, Princess Cadance, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Applejack's Uncle Mosely Orange, Apple family members Golden Delicious, Crimson Gala and Peachy Sweet, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor's mom Twilight Velvet, Zecora, Cheerilee, Gilda the Griffon, Trixie Lulamoon, one of the Wonderbolts (who may be Breezie or Surprise), Sapphire Shores, Winona, and a selection of background characters (a very small selection, compared to the huge number of background characters that the show has).

** It gets even stranger when you realize that there are over 50 [[God Created Canon Foreigner|characters who have toys but don't appear in the show]] (mostly [[Palette Swap|Palette Swaps]] of toy characters who do appear in the show).

** This even extends to accessories, like the 12 dresses introduced in an episode all about dresses, 6 of which make cameo appearances in other episodes and are featured again in the first [[Season Finale]]. You won't find those dresses on store shelves.

** Naturally, the show's large [[Periphery Demographic]] fandom, frustrated by the lack of official toys from Hasbro, have started making them themselves. A good plushie version can go for over a hundred dollars on eBay.

** This is slowly being remedied in 2012 as some of the supporting and background ponies are getting toys and one of the toyline ponies (Blossomforth) finally made the jump to the show.

* The main-trio of ''[[Star Wars the Clone Wars (Animation)|Star Wars the Clone Wars]]'' got their costumes a [[Mid Season Upgrade]] but so far only Anakin got his released as a LEGO figure with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka waiting until at least 2013. So far the Phase II style Clone Troopers are also absent and a figure based on {{spoiler|Darth Maul}} isn´t planned either.

* The main-trio of ''[[Star Wars the Clone Wars (Animation)|Star Wars the Clone Wars]]'' got their costumes a [[Mid-Season Upgrade]] but so far only Anakin got his released as a LEGO figure with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka waiting until at least 2013. So far the Phase II style Clone Troopers are also absent and a figure based on {{spoiler|Darth Maul}} isn´t planned either.