Characters As Device
Basic Information
Characters as devices are tropes that represent character archetypes which fulfill specific roles within the plot. See also Stock Characters.
Contrast Characterization Tropes, where the plot serves the establishment of the character.
List of Characters as Devices
- Abductor
- Agent Mulder
- Agent Scully
- The Aggressive Drug Dealer
- Al Bundy
- Alice And Bob
- Alien Scrappy
- Almighty Janitor
- Always Chaotic Evil
- Ancient Keeper
- Annoying Younger Sibling
- Anonymous Ringer
- Anti-Role Model
- The Aragorn
- Arthur Dent
- The Artifact
- Asshole Victim
- Back Alley Doctor
- Badass Grandpa
- Bad Boss
- Barbarian Tribe
- Barrier Maiden
- Barrier Warrior
- Battle Butler
- The Baxter
- The Beard
- Beleaguered Childhood Friend
- Benevolent Boss
- Beta Couple
- Big Bad Evil Guy
- Black Best Friend
- Blank Slate
- Blonde Republican Sex Kitten
- Body Double
- Book Dumb
- Born Lucky
- Bouncer
- Boxed Crook
- Braggart Boss
- The Brigadier
- Bungling Inventor
- Buttmonkey
- Canon Immigrant
- Captain Obvious
- The Caretaker
- The Cassandra
- Celibate Hero
- Chance The Gardener
- Character Overlap
- Character Witness
- Chaste Hero
- The Chazz
- Chekhovs Gunman
- Cheryl Blossom
- The Chew Toy
- College Widow
- Colonel Makepeace
- Combat Commentator
- Commissioner Gordon
- Companion Cube
- Compassionate Critic
- Compressed Vice
- Conspiracy Theorist
- Cool Loser
- Country Mouse
- Cousin Oliver
- Criminal Amnesiac
- Cross Player
- Cunning Linguist
- Da Chief
- Dead All Along
- Deep Cover Agent
- Designated Hero
- Designated Victim
- Disaster Scavengers
- Disposable Woman
- Distressed Damsel
- The Doctor Dolittle
- Dorian Gray
- Dragon Rider
- Drop In Character
- The Dutiful Son
- Ethnic Scrappy
- The Everyman
- Evil Minions
- Excited Kids Show Host (sorta)
- Extreme Doormat
- Faceman
- Fag Hag
- Fainting Seer
- Fairy Companion
- Fall Guy
- Fixer Sue
- Friendly Enemy
- Flying Dutchman
- Former Child Star
- Fortune Teller
- Fox News Liberal
- Funny Foreigner
- Future Loser
- Garfunkel
- Genie In A Bottle
- Genius Bruiser
- Genius Cripple
- Genius Loci
- Gentle Giant
- Gentleman Adventurer
- Ghost Extras
- The Gift
- Girl Of The Week
- Girl Posse
- Good With Numbers
- Gossipy Hens
- Goth Girl
- Grandparental Obliviousness
- Granola Girl
- Greek Chorus
- Green Skinned Space Babe
- Grumpy Bear
- Grumpy Old Man
- Gullible Lemmings
- God Save Us From The Queen
- Hanging Judge
- Heartwarming Orphan
- Hello Nurse
- Hermit Guru
- Heroic Bastard
- Heroic Wannabe
- Hero Secret Service
- Hero Worshipper
- He Who Fights Monsters
- He Who Must Not Be Heard
- He Who Must Not Be Seen
- Hidden Depths
- High School Rejects
- Hobbits
- Holier Than Thou
- Honey Trap
- The Hopeless Replacement
- Horny Scientist
- Hot As Hell
- Hot Librarian
- Hot Scientist
- Hyper Awareness
- The Hunter
- Idiot Of The Week
- I Just Want To Be Special
- The Illegal
- The Imp
- The Ingenue
- Innocent Bystander
- Innocent Fanservice Girl
- Innocent Flower Girl
- Inspector Javert
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged
- Insufferable Genius
- Invisible President
- Interrupted Suicide
- The Jailer
- Jean Grey Escalation
- The Jeeves
- Jerk Jock
- Jerk With A Heart Of Gold
- The Jester
- Jones The Cat
- The Jor El
- Judge Jury And Executioner
- Jungle Princess
- Jumped At The Call
- Kicked Upstairs
- Kavorka Man
- Kid From The Future
- The Kimberly
- King Incognito
- The King Of Town
- The Kirk
- Knight Templar Parent
- The Krillin
- The Lab Rat
- Lady Macbeth
- La Resistance
- Large And In Charge
- Large Ham
- The Last DJ
- Last Of His Kind
- Leisure Suit Larry
- Lesbian Vampire
- Lestrade
- Lethal Chef
- Littlest Cancer Patient
- Living Lie Detector
- Living Prop
- Liz Lemon Job
- The Load
- The Lois Lane
- Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places
- Loser Guy
- Lovable Coward
- Love Martyr
- Mad Artist
- Mad Bomber
- The Mad Hatter
- Mad Scientist
- Mafia Princess
- Magical Nanny
- Magical Native American
- Magical Negro
- Malaproper
- Mama Bear
- The Man They Couldn't Hang
- Manchurian Agent
- Marathon Man
- Marcellas Reynolds
- The Mark
- Master Of The Mixed Message
- Martin Guerre
- Martyr Without A Cause
- Master Of Delusion
- McDuck
- The McCoy
- Mean Boss
- Meddling Parents
- The Medic
- Messenger
- The Messiah
- Meta Guy
- MIB
- Milholland Relationship Moment
- Military Maverick
- The Millstone
- The Minnesota Fats
- Miser Advisor
- Missed The Call
- Mission Control
- Morality Chain
- Morality Pet
- Mouthy Kid
- Mr Imagination
- Mrs Robinson
- Muggle Foster Parents
- Muggles
- The Munchausen
- My Beloved Smother
- Mysterious Past
- Mysterious Watcher
- Naive Newcomer
- The Napoleon
- Narrator
- Nature Spirit
- Nerds Are Sexy
- Neuro Vault
- New Age Retro Hippie
- New Old Flame
- The Niles
- No Sense Of Direction
- No Respect Guy
- Noble Bigot With A Badge
- Noble Savage
- Non Action Guy
- Non Human Sidekick
- Nosy Neighbor
- Not Brainwashed
- Not Good With People
- Number Two
- Nuns Are Spooky
- Nurse Jenny
- Nurse With Good Intentions
- Obsolete Mentor
- Obstructive Bureaucrat
- The Obstructive Love Interest
- Obstructive Zealot
- Officer And A Gentleman
- Offstage Villainy
- The Old Con
- Older Sidekick
- Old Friend
- Old Master
- Old Superhero
- Omnidisciplinary Scientist
- One Hour Work Week
- Only Sane Man
- The Oscar
- Our Presidents Are Different
- Overprotective Dad
- Overt Operative
- The Paolo
- Parental Abandonment
- Parent Ex Machina
- Parents As People
- Parker Lewis Ferris Bueller
- The Patsy
- The Pawn
- Perky Goth
- Perpetual Frowner
- The Pesci
- The Philosopher
- Physical God
- Pinball Protagonist
- Ping Pong Naivete
- Picky Eater
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything
- Plot Sensitive Snooping Skills
- Plucky Comic Relief
- Plug N Play Friends
- Pointy Haired Boss
- Poisonous Friend
- Pollyanna
- Pretty Woman
- Pride Before A Fall
- Private Defective
- Properly Paranoid
- Proud Warrior Race Guy
- Pungeon Master
- Puss In Boots
- Quickly Demoted Woman
- The Quiet One
- The Radar
- The Rainman
- Raised By Wolves
- Ralph Wiggum
- Reasonable Authority Figure
- Red Shirt
- Redshirt Army
- The Red Sonja
- The Renfield
- Retired Badass
- Retirony
- Reverse Mole
- Rich Bitch
- Rich Idiot With No Day Job
- The Rick
- Ridiculously Cute Critter
- Right Man In The Wrong Place
- Robot Buddy
- Sacrificial Lamb
- Sad Clown
- Sadist Teacher
- Soul Brotha
- The Sandiego
- The Sarah Jane
- Sarcastic Devotee
- Sassy Secretary
- Satellite Character
- Scarily Competent Tracker
- Scary Black Man
- Scary Minority Suspect
- Schemer
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up
- Screaming Woman
- Screw The Money I Have Rules
- Secret Keeper
- Service Sector Stereotypes
- Shape Shifter
- Shell Shocked Senior
- The Short Guy With Glasses
- Shrinking Violet
- Shrouded In Myth
- Sibling Yin Yang
- Sidekick
- Silent Bob
- Silent Partner
- Simple Country Lawyer
- Sitcom Arch Nemesis
- Small Annoying Creature
- Smug Snake
- Soap Box Sadie
- Special Guest
- Squishy Wizard
- Stepford Smiler
- Stern Teacher
- Stock Character
- The Stoner
- Straw Critic
- Straw Fan
- Strawman Political
- The Strategist
- Stuffed Into The Fridge
- Stupid Boss
- Super Coach
- Super Strength
- Surfer Dude
- Sympathetic Murderer
- Tall Dark And Snarky
- Team Mom
- Teaser Only Character
- Techno Wizard
- Ted Baxter
- Teens Are Monsters
- Teen Genius
- Telepathic Spacemen
- Temporary Love Interest
- There Is Another
- Third Person Person
- Tin Man
- The Toblerone
- Token Minority
- Too Dumb To Live
- Tragic Monster
- Triple Shifter
- Troubled But Cute
- Turn Coat
- TV Genius
- Uncle Ned
- Uncle Pennybags
- Uncle Tomfoolery
- Unfunny
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist
- The Urkel
- Ultimate Job Security
- The Umbridge
- Vain Sorceress
- Vampire Refugee
- The Vicar
- Victim Of The Week
- Villain By Default
- Violent Glaswegian
- Wacky Guy
- Walking Techbane
- Wasteland Elder
- Weekend Inventor
- Weirdness Magnet
- Well Done Son Guy
- The Wesley
- Wide-Eyed Idealist
- While Rome Burns
- White Dwarf Starlet
- The White Prince
- Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs
- Wild Child
- Witch Species
- Woman Scorned
- The Woobie
- The Worf Effect
- The Worm Guy
- Worthless Foreign Degree
- Xanatos Gilligan
- Xanatos Sucker
- Yes Man
- Yuppie Couple
- Zombie Infectee
See Also
Sources
Bibliography
Game and Story Use
- Use these to create your NPCs.
page revision: 12, last edited: 11 Mar 2020 15:44