History Main / ClassicalElementsEnsemble

Thematically, because the classical elements were considered to be the root of creation and matter, having a group reflect it implies that this group is the most central, important, or most powerful out there. From a convenience standpoint, this trope sees a lot of usage because it also gives each member a distinct aesthetic, personality, and role, on top of having baked in interpersonal dynamics to explore. See FourTemperamentEnsemble, FireWaterJuxtaposition, and EarthWindJuxtaposition for more on that. Having the elemental association be to ElementalPowers specifically is one of the most common ways this trope is used. That said, non-powered characters who just have ElementalMotifs are also acceptable.

Expect each member to have ElementalPersonalities and be [[ColorCodedCharacters color-coded]] in line with [[ColorCodedElements their elements]], with ElementalEyeColors and ElementalHairColors. If the team is mixed gender, it is not unusual for [[FireIsMasculine fire to be a man]] and [[WaterIsWomanly water to be a woman]] (often the [[TheSmurfettePrinciple sole woman]]), though this is by no means a strict rule.

The second variation comes from the fact that though most takes on the classical elements have the usual suspects of fire, water, earth, and air, also include an '''ElementNumberFive'''. What this is ''exactly'' depends on which cultural interpretation you follow, but broadly speaking it was thought to be the substance that fills the space outside of the earth and from which the stars and other celestial bodies were created from. This has been translated into the following natural elements (with the most common interpretations of that element attached):

So a five person group in which 4 people align with water, fire, earth, and air, while the fifth has powers, personalities, and motifs (elemental or [[CosmicMotifs cosmic]]) linked to one of the above also counts. Because LightIsGood and an IdealHero is often an AllLovingHero, this fifth character is very likely to be the hero and TheLeader if the ensemble is a formal team and the work goes with the "heart", "life", "light", etc. interpretations of ElementNumberFive.

* ''VideoGame/SingularStone'': Five of the Guardians, with two shared an element, are associated with the elements. Meiko is the Guardian of Fire, Kaito is the Guardian of Earth, Luka is the Guardian of Water, and [[spoiler: Rin and Len]] are the Guardians of Wind. This doesn't really came to gameplay, except Luka whose attack summons fishes and starts from the depths in West Ocean, and [[spoiler: Rin]] who has flight ability.

* LetsPlay/PartyCrashers: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLwhDgEdIvw We became the Avatar in Smash]]" has the gang assigned specific elements corresponding to the four nations of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':