History Fanfic / SeventyTwoHours

The technical rules of the “Program” are usually the same or similar, including an accessory loaded with a microphone and explosives that’s used to ensure compliance, and a grid-like map with areas that cannot be entered without detonating the accessories (so called “Danger Zones”, used to prevent the students all hiding on opposite sides of the area). The reason for the Program’s existence can vary but generally will be either a top secret government research project, with the deaths of the students written off as an accident on a school trip, a regular example set to citizens of what a bad idea opposing the government is, or an naturalised part of a justice system that – along with the greater public - accepts the forced sacrifice of a few dozen innocents to ensure law and order are maintained. Everything else varies at the whim of the author, including characters, plots, weapons, themes and writing style. There are common character types and plots, with those of the original being seen as archetypal, but as with any other media, innovation is common. Lengths vary dramatically from short-story to {{Doorstopper}}, depending on the author.

* AlphaBitch: Brynn and Cheryl play it straight, fellow Brat-Packers Dora and Ayane subvert it
* AntiClimax: [[spoiler: The final demise of the SABRE leaders at the hands of Joel and Katie.]]
* AntiVillain: Ashley at first, before her HeelFaceTurn puts her in AntiHero territory instead.

* AsianAndNerdy: AJ.
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Katie, Joel and Mike V]]. Brian and Homer are the most obvious examples. Eventually [[spoiler: Damien]] also fits when he finally gets his comeuppance, though he’s arguably more sympathetic than the others. A very mild example is Josh, who is a really nice guy before the Program but unfortunately manages to try and kill Francisco, who has agreed to be a friend and ally to him.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Quite a few students in the programs such as Damien Myers, Gervase Rockwell, Homer Brannick, Geiger Anton, Shane Raynor, Sky Hawk, Lara Drake, and Serenity Powers.
* AxCrazy: A third of the class seemingly start off this way, most of the others eventually go down that path aside from a few diehard pacifists.
* BadassBookWorm: Katie.
* BattleCouple: Paul and Ashley and Carter and Katherine in the latter stages of the book, as are Joel and Katie.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: This is one of the traits that mark Katherine out as a MarySue – everyone else around her ends up near-death before she takes so much as a scratch. Subverted by Lori, who is burned with a flaregun but still manages to be somehow attractive.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: A few, but Carter killing Homer is one of the most notable incidents. Bonus points because he’s been hit with several tranquilizer darts, yet finds the strength to get up and fling Homer into a danger zone.
* BigBadDuumvirate: Joel and Katie and Marie and Damien. The latter is interesting because while Damien admires her for her brutality, she has nothing but contempt for him. Joel and Katie become a more conventional example.

* BigDamnHeroes: Paul, saving Lexie from Brian, and Francisco saving Jenny from AJ.
* BloodyHilarious: Doug experimenting on Brian’s body and accidentally detonating the belt somehow manages to be funny.
* BoisterousBruiser: Head-wrestler Joel Giovanello.
* BrainlessBeauty: Serenity and C.C., big time.

* BulletProofVest: Damien and Katie both get one in the end. Unfortunately it’s one of the less well done aspects of the book, with the vests seemingly conferring near total immunity to point-blank shotgun blasts, with dozens of pistol and machinegun bullets only managing to crack a single rib of Damien’s. Katie, despite being extremely fragile, apparently takes no damage whatsoever. Very literal PlotArmor, then.
* ButchLesbian: Karen.
* CallBack: [[{{Squick}} Circular saws really do go with testicles so well!]] Also lampshaded by Ashley by referring to “I am INVINCIBLE” – which a wise man once said (it’s Doug’s catchphrase).
* CampGay: Michael, though a much better developed version than normal.
* CaptainErsatz: Lampshaded – “Barney the Dinosaur on an acid trip” is how Ashley refers to Benny the Bunny. She’s deadly accurate.
* ChainsawGood: Paul, big time. Interestingly, despite some instances of Rule of Cool being used, the time required to get the blade going is recognised. Thus it’s also switched off, turned upside down and used as a weapon to hit someone just as they come through the door. It’s an unusual but quite reasonable use of a big heavy hunk of metal.
* ChekhovsGun: Francisco’s cross necklace. The blade on a bikechain makes a brief reappearance during Katie’s final fight with Damien, but far and away the best example is [[spoiler:the graphic calculator dropped on the ground very early on. It kills Damien, the final and most dangerous of the Four Big Bads.]] Anyone claiming to have seen this coming without having read ahead or been told about it is lying.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Damien clearly has it. In the original ''Literature/BattleRoyale'', Kazuo Kiriyama is a borderline example, but doesn't really count. Damien, on the other hand, is a skinny kid with one good arm who is the physically strongest guy on the island.
* ChurchMilitant: Religious zealot/sadist Katie.

* TheCracker: Doug, in a heroic example.
* CrapsackWorld: The Program is even accepted among the students now as a part of life. For the uninitiated, this means that people aren’t concerned by the fact that dozens of teenagers are forced to butcher each other every year. Indeed, more and more countries appear to be adopting the Program because of how successful it is (America is actually [[FollowTheLeader following the leader]], the Republic of Greater East Asia).

* CuteAndPsycho: Katie is very aware of her status as this, and completely tears apart the ''wrestlers'' by using it to full effect.

* DeadManWriting: Blake’s suicide note.
* DeadPersonConversation / TalkingInYourDreams: Katherine after she and Carter jump off the cliff.
* ADeathInTheLimelight: Blake, Jacob, Tammy. Nick and Tamyra are obvious examples – they’re the sacrificial lambs given all the attention before the Program actually starts.
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Nick]] and [[spoiler:Tamyra.]]
** [[spoiler:In the sequel, Issac Freemantle.]]
* DepravedKidsShowHost / SubvertedKidsShow: Benny, oh dear fucking GOD Benny.

* DiabolusExMachina: Joel and Katie being at the boat just when they needed to be. The fact that it’s written well doesn’t stop it being a ContrivedCoincidence.
* DiagonalCut: With a chainsaw, no less.
* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Karen]] falls off a house roof while playing golf.
** [[spoiler:Lara]] is thrown out a window by [[spoiler:Marie]].

* DumbMuscle: Shane, only kept around by his friends for this purpose.

** [[spoiler:Cheryl killing herself right after shooting Damien and AJ at the end of the Brat Pack’s destruction.]]
** [[spoiler:Francisco’s HeroicSacrifice to give Carter and Katherine time to get away from the wrestlers.]]

* EthicalSlut: Amanda Marquette and Kendal Fuchs in ''Uprising''.
* EvilRedHead: Katie Snyder.
* EvilVersusEvil: The final showdown between [[spoiler: Damien and Katie]]. Whoever lost that fight, everyone else won.
* EyeScream: Oh dear LORD Lara...Ashley also qualifies by the end, a scene described in [[NauseaFuel nauseating detail]].
* {{Expy}}: Lisa, to the original's Kyoichi Motobuchi.
** AJ, to the original's Yoshio Akamatsu.
** Benny the Bunny is obviously inspired by the cheerful girl instructor Oneesan in the ''Film/BattleRoyale'' movie.
** Damien, on the other hand, appears to be a combination of [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Gollum]] and ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}''. The latter is taken further, with the entire Brat Pack serving, in relation to him, as expies of the rest of Carrie's cast.
** Doug also counts as a heroic version of ''Film/GoldenEye''’s Boris Grishenko for some reason (right down to the catchphrase, “I am INVINCIBLE”).
** In the sequel, Cletus Charrington is an Expy of the movie version's Kazuo Kiriyama. A transfer student who signed up for fun, he is an insane mass murderer who never speaks.
** Also, Ashley Vasquez in her second Program is obviously inspired by Shogo Kawada.
* FamousLastWords:
** "NICK, PLEASE, SOMEBODY, NICK!" [[spoiler:Tamyra Carpenter]]
** "A calculator? A fucking calculator?" [[spoiler:Brian Pavell]]
** "Cocksucker!" [[spoiler:Homer Brannick]]
** "That the best you can do?" [[spoiler:Peter Larkin]]
** [[BigNo "No, please, no!"]] [[spoiler:Sky Hawk]]
** "Live long and prosper." [[spoiler:Geiger Anton]]
** [[SayMyName Ayane.]] [[spoiler:Maxine Summers]]
** "Wait! Wait!" [[spoiler:Luke Wesson]]
** "WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" [[spoiler:Tammy Ferrell]]
** "Francisco. Frankie, the big guy. He doesn't think he can kill anyone." [[spoiler:Josh Peters]]
** "I'll see you soon." [[spoiler:Jacob Escobar]]
** "Fuck, what's a guy gotta do to get killed around here?" [[spoiler:Gervase Rcokwell]]
** "Bitch!" [[spoiler:Naomi Jefferson]]
** "Saw this movie on TV once when I was little, this old black and white western entirely cast with midgets. It was fucked up man, short people with their tiny hands and tiny heads and high pitched voices, all riding these miniature horses and shooting guns at each other. It'd have been funny if they weren't so damn creepy." [[spoiler:Karen Peterson]]
** "Maxine! Maxine." [[spoiler:Ayane Fujikawa]]
** "What? [[OhCrap Oh god! Oh GOD!]]" [[spoiler:Serenity Powers]]
** [[KilledMidSentence "What the fu-"]] [[spoiler:Brynn Sanchez]]
** [[PrecisionFStrike "Fuck you, you fucking freak!"]] [[spoiler:Dora Janovec]]
** [[OhCrap "I thought she was dead!"]] [[spoiler:AJ Takagaki]]
** "Hey asshole!" [[spoiler:Cheryl Palmer]]
** [[{{AintTooProudToBeg}} Please, don't do this! I was stupid! Please! I just didn't want to die, please!]] [[spoiler:Gus Ryan]].

* FreudianExcuse: Marie’s reason for killing is the pressure exerted on her by her mother (who is essentially living through her due to her own lack of success) to get into Juilliard.
* GentleGiant: Shane actually; he’s very loyal and follows orders, not possessing the mental capacity to question them which leads to his involvement with Joel. Give him a choice in the matter, though, and he’s not a bad guy.
* GirlPosse: Subverted, all five of the Brat Pack get equal development.
* GoodAllAlong: Bo, once it turns out misplaced loyalty is the only reason he hangs around with the wrestlers.
* {{Gorn}}: Where to begin? Considering the original is known for a high bodycount/ketchup factor, 72 Hours really takes it to another level.
* GoryDiscretionShot: The vast majority of the gore is shown directly but most of the details of [[spoiler: J.J. Squalls’]] torture is left to the imagination. The weapons used are shown, and it clearly involves the removal of various small parts of the body in the process (the remains are pickled and kept as a souvenir) but what exactly the torture is isn’t shown. Considering that what ''is'' shown qualifies as NauseaFuel, this is a mercy.
* GroinAttack: Lori and Lara subject Luke to one, with a ''flare gun.''
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: Nick, Homer, Brian, and Tammy.

* HeroicBSOD: A few, understandably.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Francisco.]] See DyingMomentOfAwesome.

* IceQueen: Anna’s nickname, though she actually subverts it by being a SugarAndIceGirl.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Never stated word-for-word, but Doug certainly has this attitude towards [[spoiler:Gus’s execution]] which was, unfortunately, necessary. SABRE are divided on the matter, though pragmatism (he tried to kill them and seriously threatened their chances of success in the process) ultimately prevails.
** Joel certainly has an "IDidWhatIHadToDo" attitude towards killing his classmates.
* [[IHaveYourWife I Have Your Family]]: [[spoiler:Why Mr. Rhodes is working with the Program.]]
* ImprovisedWeapon: Blake's blade on a chain is one of the more notable of several examples.
* InsufferableGenius: Subverted by Doug, who is certainly arrogant but remains very likeable.
* InvincibleVillain: Damien, at least in the middle third of the story. He’s more interesting before and after.
* InterruptedSuicide: Jenny, Sky and Lexie
* JerkAss: Joel, Homer and Brian are the clearest examples.
* JerkJock: The wrestlers, Bo excepted.

* JumpingOnAGrenade: [[spoiler:Matt]] does this to save Ashley and Paul.

* KillEmAll: The prologue tells you only one student survives, so obviously.

* KillTheOnesYouLove: Sky and Lexie
* {{Ladette}}: Ashley
* LargeHam: Damien when his two personalities are talking to each other.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Let’s face it, was Luke ever fated for anything other than brutal slaughter at the hands of Lori and Lara? Lisa also qualifies, her racism against Hispanics being responded to with a [[YourHeadAsplode shotgun blast to the head]] from Ashley ''Vasquez''.

* LibationForTheDead: Ashley for Paul, Carter for Ashley, and Katherine for everyone who’s died. All do so in a ritualised fashion just before the final showdown.
* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Invoked by the author with Doug [[spoiler:performing a gangland-style execution upon Gus]] - did anyone actually believe he was going to do that? The fact that the narrative cuts away at the moment the trigger is pulled is a clear attempt to leave it open, and indeed it’s not actually explicitly stated that it really was exactly what it looked like until a couple of ''dozen'' chapters later. [[spoiler:Jacob’s]] death at the end of a chapter designed as if it were the start of a long plotline also qualifies, given Nick and Tamyra’s deaths in the same way much earlier.
* LipstickLesbian: Maxine and particularly Ayane.
* TheLoad: Tammy, and later Cheryl. Eventually subverted by Cheryl, who [[spoiler:kills A.J. and shoots Damien]] after her friends are killed by them.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: 50 students, the teacher, J.J. Squalls, numerous other students from the year/other years (Lenore being a major recurring one) and many extras.
* LockedInAFreezer: Happens to Jenny, Doug, and Michael by [[spoiler:Gus]].
* LonersAreFreaks: Damien, big time.
* LovableNerd: Doug. His arrogance notwithstanding, it's hard not to like him.

* MercyKill: Lexie to Sky, regrettably. Doubling with YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness, Joel bestows “mercy” upon [[spoiler:C.C. and Shane]] this way too.
* MurderTheHypotenuse: Naomi [[spoiler:unsuccessfully]] attempts this upon Lindsay.
* MutualKill: Joel and Paul, ultimately.
* MyBelovedSmother: Marie's mother is living through her, driving her to mass-murder in the Program. It is of no suprise that this fanfic provides such a disturbing take on the trope.
* NeckSnap: Ashley finishes off Peter this way.
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: Matt, poor thing!
* OneSteveLimit: Subverted; all the students in the first story have different names on the roster, but it's later revealed Katie's actual first name is Katherine. In the sequel, there are two Nicks.

* PlotArmor: See BulletProofVest – this is a literal case for Damien and later Katie.
* PosthumousCharacter: Geiger, who dies a RedShirt’s death, but about whom we learn more later.

* SacrificialLion: Jacob, who has an entire chapter dedicated to what looks to be a significant subplot. He’s then offed casually at the end without a second thought.
* ShovelStrike: Doug does this to [[spoiler:an unfortunate soldier.]]
* SingleTargetSexuality: [[spoiler:Jenny for Anna]], it’s eventually revealed.

* SixthRanger: Bo eventually becomes this to SABRE, being a defector from the wrestlers.
* SlashedThroat: How Blake commits suicide.

* SourSupporter: Michael becomes one among SABRE eventually.

* StarCrossedLovers / SecretRelationship: Ayane and Maxine.
* TheStarscream: Brynn, unsurprisingly, seeking to replace Anna.
* TheStoner: Jackson, and to a lesser extent Eliza.
* StrawmanPolitical: Katie, who is a Strawman Fundamentalist.
* SugarAndIceGirl: Anna, all the more interesting because her nickname is IceQueen.

* TeamMom: Franciso, strangely enough.
* TeenGenius: Doug.
* TechnicalPacifist: All of SABRE, basically, a bit of [[CombatPragmatist combat pragmatism notwithstanding]].

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Lori and Lara.
* ToAbsentFriends: Anna’s funeral.
* TogetherInDeath: Maxine and Ayane, Jackson and Eliza ([[DrivenToSuicide invoked by the latter after the death of the former]]), Rudy and Lindsay, Sky and Lexie, [[spoiler:Carter and Katherine]].
* TooDumbToLive: Karen. Squall said it best – getting shitfaced and hitting golf balls off a roof really is isn’t the best way to survive!
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: Dora and Katherine, borderline and actual [[PuritySue Purity Sues]] as they are respectively qualify.
* TookALevelInBadAss: Carter and Lexie are among the more notable examples, though Doug is the best one.
* ToThePain: [[spoiler:Ashley]] makes perfectly clear to [[spoiler:J. J. Squalls]] what’s coming to him, destroying the decapitated head of [[spoiler:Benny]] in front of him while lamenting the tortures she was too hasty in killing [[spoiler:Benny]] to give him first among other things.
* UnholyAlliance: Lampshaded by the narrative in relation to Katie and Joel teaming up.
* TheVamp: Lori Nicotero, although the guy was an AssholeVictim.
* VasquezAlwaysDies: [[spoiler: Not this time she doesn’t! Made even better by the fact that her last name is actually Vasquez.]]

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: The relationship between Lindsay and Rudy is a tragic example of this trope. Not only do their parents and fellow peers (especially Naomi) disapprove of their romance, [[FromBadToWorse they're among the students sent to Battle Royale,]] where [[YankTheDogsChain they are expected to kill one another.]]
* WhosLaughingNow: Damien in a nutshell.
* WomanScorned: Lori and Lara.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Damien doesn’t say it to AJ, but it does sum up his reaction to his death. Joel also doesn’t say it but in finishing off [[spoiler:Shane, Mike and abandoning a mortally wounded CC]] after others have mortally wounded them the effect is still seen.

* {{Gorn}}: Where to begin? Considering the original is known for a high bodycount/ketchup factor, 72 Hours really takes it UpToEleven.

* BuxomIsBetter: Most female characters described as being attractive have rather large chests.

* AntiClimax: [[spoiler: The final demise of the SABRE leaders at the hands of Joel and Katie.]] This is however attributable to RealityEnsues, considering who's involved.

* DumbassDJ: JJ Squalls is this UpToEleven.

* FiveManBand: The wrestlers fit the idea, though two of them are clearly not actually evil and a third doesn’t even have a personality at all to speak of.
** BigBad: Joel, who leaves no question as to who’s in charge.
** TheDragon: Mike V, well established as Joel’s second in command.
** DarkChick: The ExtremeDoormat C.C., who is utterly devoid of personality and only there to be a sexual plaything for Joel
** TheBrute: Shane. Effectively a living brick Joel throws at things that need beaten up, or killed in the case of the Program.
** EvilGenius / SixthColumn: Bo, who turns out to be GoodAllAlong and eventually joins SABRE.

** BigBadDuumvirate: Joel and Katie and Marie and Damien. The latter is interesting because while Damien admires her for her brutality, she has nothing but contempt for him. Joel and Katie become a more conventional example.

* BiggerBad: General Thornton, who heads the whole Battle Royale Program.

* BigDamnHeroes: Paul, saving Lexie from Brian.

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: [[spoiler:In ''Uprising,'' there is a heartbreaking scene that appears to be an homage to Kazushi's attempted rape of Chigusa in the original ''Literature/BattleRoyale'', except succeeding. However, much like Kazushi, the rapist in question gets lovely payback.]]

* ShoutOut: Far, far too many to list – it would require its own page. The number is impressive, nearing several hundred shoutouts. These range from subtle dialogue references to including the entire plot of Carrie as Damien's backstory (and everyone else's, by virtue of the Prom being ruined - albeit non-fatally - by the chaos resulting from Damien's humiliation there by the Brat Pack). The sheer gratuity of the references may grate however, such as classic rock songs frequently being quoted in their entirety.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Damien doesn’t say it to AJ, but it does sum up his reaction to his death. Joel also doesn’t say it but in finishing off [[spoiler:Shane and CC]] after others have mortally wounded them the effect is still seen.

%%* AlphaBitch: Brynn and Cheryl play it straight, fellow Brat-Packers Dora and Ayane subvert it

%%* AntiVillain: Ashley at first, before her HeelFaceTurn puts her in AntiHero territory instead.

%%* AsianAndNerdy: AJ.
%%* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Katie, Joel and Mike V]]. Brian and Homer are the most obvious examples. Eventually [[spoiler: Damien]] also fits when he finally gets his comeuppance, though he’s arguably more sympathetic than the others. A very mild example is Josh, who is a really nice guy before the Program but unfortunately manages to try and kill Francisco, who has agreed to be a friend and ally to him.

%%* BadassBookWorm: Katie.

%%* BoisterousBruiser: Head-wrestler Joel Giovanello.
%%* BrainlessBeauty: Serenity and C.C., big time.

%%* ButchLesbian: Karen.

%%* CampGay: Michael, though a much better developed version than normal.

%%* ChurchMilitant: Religious zealot/sadist Katie.

%%* TheCracker: Doug, in a heroic example.

%%* CuteAndPsycho: Katie is very aware of her status as this, and completely tears apart the ''wrestlers'' by using it to full effect.

%%* DeadManWriting: Blake’s suicide note.
%%* DeadPersonConversation / TalkingInYourDreams: Katherine after she and Carter jump off the cliff.

%%* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Nick]] and [[spoiler:Tamyra.]]
%%** [[spoiler:In the sequel, Issac Freemantle.]]
%%* DepravedKidsShowHost / SubvertedKidsShow: Benny, oh dear fucking GOD Benny.

%%* DiagonalCut: With a chainsaw, no less.

%%* DumbassDJ: JJ Squalls is this UpToEleven.
%%* DumbMuscle: Shane, only kept around by his friends for this purpose.

%%* EthicalSlut: Amanda Marquette and Kendal Fuchs in ''Uprising''.
%%* EvilRedHead: Katie Snyder.

%%* EyeScream: Oh dear LORD Lara...Ashley also qualifies by the end, a scene described in [[NauseaFuel nauseating detail]].

%%* GirlPosse: Subverted, all five of the Brat Pack get equal development.

%%* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: Nick, Homer, Brian, and Tammy.

%%* HeroicBSOD: A few, understandably.
%%* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Francisco.]] See DyingMomentOfAwesome.

%%* [[IHaveYourWife I Have Your Family]]: [[spoiler:Why Mr. Rhodes is working with the Program.]]

%%* InterruptedSuicide: Jenny, Sky and Lexie
%%* JerkAss: Joel, Homer and Brian are the clearest examples.
%%* JerkJock: The wrestlers, Bo excepted.

%%* KillTheOnesYouLove: Sky and Lexie
%%* {{Ladette}}: Ashley

%%* LibationForTheDead: Ashley for Paul, Carter for Ashley, and Katherine for everyone who’s died. All do so in a ritualised fashion just before the final showdown.

%%* LipstickLesbian: Maxine and particularly Ayane.
%%* TheLoad: Tammy, and later Cheryl. Eventually subverted by Cheryl, who [[spoiler:kills A.J. and shoots Damien]] after her friends are killed by them.

%%* LockedInAFreezer: Happens to Jenny, Doug, and Michael by [[spoiler:Gus]].
%%* LonersAreFreaks: Damien, big time.

%%* MercyKill: Lexie to Sky, regrettably. Doubling with YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness, Joel bestows “mercy” upon [[spoiler:C.C. and Shane]] this way too.
%%* MurderTheHypotenuse: Naomi [[spoiler:unsuccessfully]] attempts this upon Lindsay.
%%* MutualKill: Joel and Paul, ultimately.

%%* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: Matt, poor thing!

%%* RasputinianDeath: Poor Gervase! Josh also seemingly survives a lot of wounds that should have killed him instantly, though Joel does finish him off at the time of delivering them. [[spoiler: Damien]] too, though his being mentally incapable of suffering pain by that point explains very well how he can keep going.

%%* StarCrossedLovers / SecretRelationship: Ayane and Maxine.

%%* TheStoner: Jackson, and to a lesser extent Eliza.

%%* TeamMom: Franciso, strangely enough.
%%* TeenGenius: Doug.

%%* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Lori and Lara.
%%* ToAbsentFriends: Anna’s funeral.

%%* TheVamp: Lori Nicotero, although the guy was an AssholeVictim.

%%* WhosLaughingNow: Damien in a nutshell.
%%* WomanScorned: Lori and Lara.

Unlike the original, there's no singular protagonist or antagonist. For the most part however the heroes are those aligned with the [[LaResistance insurrectionist student politicians of SABRE]] and the antagonists are three AxCrazy sadists and the relentlessly brutal [[FiveBadBand wrestling club]], all of whom greatly enjoy torturing and killing anyone who gets in their way. A few important sub-plots notwithstanding, most of the others tend to be either {{Red Shirt}}s or else victims of one of the above groups.

* BigBadEnsemble: Joel as head of the [[FiveBadBand wrestlers]], SplitPersonality maniac Damien, religious zealot [[CuteAndPsycho Katie]] (who teams up with Joel) and ColdSniper Marie. Which is the biggest of the bads is up for debate, since each is prominent from the start and they terrorize different groups of students at different times. [[spoiler: That said, it's of note that Marie dies much earlier than the others, Damien kills Katie and dies last of the four himself, but Joel is a more direct antagonist to the main protagonists, [[LaResistance SABRE]].]]

* FiveBadBand: The wrestlers fit the idea, though two of them are clearly not actually evil and a third doesn’t even have a personality at all to speak of.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

** Damien, on the other hand, appears to be a combination of [[LordOfTheRings Gollum]] and {{Carrie}}. The latter is taken further, with the entire Brat Pack serving, in relation to him, as expies of the rest of Carrie's cast.

-> What do I think about [the Battle Royale Program]? It's fing perfection. I mean, I look at my generation and I just gotta cringe about how much of it is fake and so fed up, so doing this keeps things real. People become who they really are under situations like the Battle Royale. Also, I gotta say it's the best way to kill time outside of a monster truck rally. People killing people, just, really royally ripping each other to pieces and no one, no one doing anything to stop them.
-->-- PFC. Barry Charon, being interviewed while clearing up after the events of the book

* ADeathInTheLimelight: Blake, Jacob, Tammy. Nick and Tamyra are obvious examples – they’re the sacrificial lambs given all the attention before the Program actually starts.
* AHouseDivided: Damien creates this effect on the Brat Pack when he [[spoiler: kills Tammy and Ayane]]. It doesn't amount to much, since Damien kills most of them himself.
* AlphaBitch: Brynn and Cheryl play it straight, fellow Brat-Packers Dora and Ayane subvert it

* AntiVillain: Ashley at first, before her HeelFaceTurn puts her in AntiHero territory instead.

* AsianAndNerdy: AJ.
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Katie, Joel and Mike V]]. Brian and Homer are the most obvious examples. Eventually [[spoiler: Damien]] also fits when he finally gets his comeuppance, though he’s arguably more sympathetic than the others. A very mild example is Josh, who is a really nice guy before the Program but unfortunately manages to try and kill Francisco, who has agreed to be a friend and ally to him.

* BadassBookWorm: Katie.

* BoisterousBruiser: Head-wrestler Joel Giovanello.
* BrainlessBeauty: Serenity and C.C., big time.

* ButchLesbian: Karen.

* CampGay: Michael, though a much better developed version than normal.

* ChurchMilitant: Religious zealot/sadist Katie.

* TheCracker: Doug, in a heroic example.

* CuteAndPsycho: Katie is very aware of her status as this, and completely tears apart the ''wrestlers'' by using it to full effect.

* DeadManWriting: Blake’s suicide note.
* DeadPersonConversation / TalkingInYourDreams: Katherine after she and Carter jump off the cliff.
* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler:Nick]] and [[spoiler:Tamyra.]]
** [[spoiler:In the sequel, Issac Freemantle.]]
* DepravedKidsShowHost / SubvertedKidsShow: Benny, oh dear fucking GOD Benny.

* DiagonalCut: With a chainsaw, no less.

* DumbassDJ: JJ Squalls is this UpToEleven.
* DumbMuscle: Shane, only kept around by his friends for this purpose.

* EthicalSlut: Amanda Marquette and Kendal Fuchs in ''Uprising''.
* EvilRedHead: Katie Snyder.

* EyeScream: Oh dear LORD Lara...Ashley also qualifies by the end, a scene described in [[NauseaFuel nauseating detail]].

* GirlPosse: Subverted, all five of the Brat Pack get equal development.

* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: Nick, Homer, Brian, and Tammy.

* HeroicBSOD: A few, understandably.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Francisco.]] See DyingMomentOfAwesome.

* [[IHaveYourWife I Have Your Family]]: [[spoiler:Why Mr. Rhodes is working with the Program.]]

* InterruptedSuicide: Jenny, Sky and Lexie
* JerkAss: Joel, Homer and Brian are the clearest examples.
* JerkJock: The wrestlers, Bo excepted.

* KarmicDeath: Karen, arguably. She deserved a good kicking anyway.

* KillTheOnesYouLove: Sky and Lexie
* {{Ladette}}: Ashley

* LibationForTheDead: Ashley for Paul, Carter for Ashley, and Katherine for everyone who’s died. All do so in a ritualised fashion just before the final showdown.

* LipstickLesbian: Maxine and particularly Ayane.
* TheLoad: Tammy, and later Cheryl. Eventually subverted by Cheryl, who [[spoiler:kills A.J. and shoots Damien]] after her friends are killed by them.

* LockedInAFreezer: Happens to Jenny, Doug, and Michael by [[spoiler:Gus]].
* LonersAreFreaks: Damien, big time.

* MercyKill: Lexie to Sky, regrettably. Doubling with YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness, Joel bestows “mercy” upon [[spoiler:C.C. and Shane]] this way too.
* MurderTheHypotenuse: Naomi [[spoiler:unsuccessfully]] attempts this upon Lindsay.
* MutualKill: Joel and Paul, ultimately.

* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: Matt, poor thing!

* [[spoiler:RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: In ''Uprising,'' there is a heartbreaking scene that appears to be an homage to Kazushi's attempted rape of Chigusa in the original ''Literature/BattleRoyale'', except succeeding. However, much like Kazushi, the rapist in question gets lovely payback.]]
* RasputinianDeath: Poor Gervase! Josh also seemingly survives a lot of wounds that should have killed him instantly, though Joel does finish him off at the time of delivering them. [[spoiler: Damien]] too, though his being mentally incapable of suffering pain by that point explains very well how he can keep going.

* StarCrossedLovers / SecretRelationship: Ayane and Maxine.

* TheStoner: Jackson, and to a lesser extent Eliza.

* TeamMom: Franciso, strangely enough.
* TeenGenius: Doug.

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: Lori and Lara.
* ToAbsentFriends: Anna’s funeral.

* TheVamp: Lori Nicotero, although the guy was an AssholeVictim.

* WhosLaughingNow: Damien in a nutshell.
* WomanScorned: Lori and Lara.

It can be found [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1501019/1/72_Hours here]]. Be warned that it's not for the faint of heart ''at all''. It's also however a fascinating character study (like the original ''Literature/BattleRoyale'').

There is a sequel, known as ''72 Hours: Uprising'', but it has been a DeadFic for about a year now. Marston also started on an ExpandedUniverse, but only wrote two stories for it.

72 Hours is a FanFiction written by Anthony Marston and based on the cult Japanese novel, film and manga ''Literature/BattleRoyale.'' It's considered the best Battle Royale fanfiction ever written. It is a specific type of Battle Royale fanfiction that blurs the lines between original and fanfiction, called an Original Battle Royale (OBR). [=OBRs=] take the basic premise of the original – young people in an isolated location, given random weapons and forced to kill each other to a single survivor – and little more.

* GenreSavvy: Several characters, notably Gus, who is a fan of the Program itself and has studied past instances of it just in case he should ever be selected.

* HeelFaceTurn: Genuinely by Ashley when she gets to SABRE and realises the group means more to her than just a bunch of people to exploit, faked by Gus at the same time who pretends to be like Ashley in that respect while actually just being DangerouslyGenreSavvy.

* RedHeadedHero: Carter.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Katie, Joel and Mike V]]. Eventually [[spoiler: Damien]] also fits when he finally gets his comeuppance, though he’s arguably more sympathetic than the others. A very mild example is Josh, who is a really nice guy before the Program but unfortunately manages to try and kill Francisco, who has agreed to be a friend and ally to him.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Quite a few students in the programs such as Damien Myers, Joel Giovanello, Gervase Rockwell, Homer Brannick, Geiger Anton, Shane Raynor, Sky Hawk, Lara Drake, and Dora Janovec.