History Main / GameplayProtagonistStoryProtagonist

Overlaps with DecoyProtagonist, but said decoy is still more important from a gameplay view; and occasionally HeroicMime as well. Compare SupportingProtagonist, where the most important character in-universe is not the focal character narratively, while the Story Protagonist half is still more focal. See also NonEntityGeneral for when strategy games employ a cipher for the player, even when the story protagonist is playable.

Overlaps with DecoyProtagonist, but said decoy is still more important from a gameplay view. Sometimes overlaps with SilentProtagonist, but is not always the case. Compare SupportingProtagonist, where the most important character in-universe is not the focal character narratively, while the Story Protagonist half is still more focal. See also NonEntityGeneral for when strategy games employ a cipher for the player, even when the story protagonist is playable.

* ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'': The cast of ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and ''VideoGame/Persona4'' form the bulk of the playable characters and the first stories unlocked, the true protagonist of the story is Labrys, an anti-Shadow robot [[spoiler: whose Shadow Self is responsible for the return of the Midnight Channel and the tournament, representing Labrys' trauma from having to destroy her fellow robots as part of her training]].
* ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'': The story protagonist this time is [[VillainProtagonist Sho Minazuki]], an AxCrazy new enemy of the cast whose actions are causing the Dark Hour to return. [[spoiler: He's ultimately convinced to make a HeelFaceTurn in the true ending]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Vaan is considered the game's protagonist for marketing purposes, is the first full-time party member you get control of, and is the one you control while in cities. However, the story takes a more ensemble approach, with Princess Ashe generally controlling the party's overall actions once she joins. This is {{lampshaded}} by Vaan when the party is once asked why each of them is on their journey. This ends up making Vaan [[spoiler: the SpannerInTheWorks to the [[GreaterScopeVillain Occurias']] plan. By letting go of his desire for revenge earlier, he inspired Ashe to do so at a critical moment]]. By Vaan's own admittance:

* ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'': Joker is the character you control in the real world, but it becomes increasingly clear that the story's actual focus characters are Zenkichi Hasegawa, the police officer who ropes the Phantom Thieves into investigating the jails (while later [[FriendOnTheForce joining them]]) and Sophia, an AI "companion" who [[spoiler: is the not-so FlawedPrototype of the BigBad]].
* ''VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth'': While either [[VideoGame/Persona3 SEES]] or [[VideoGame/Persona4 the Investigation Team]] are the main playable characters depending on the route, the story focuses on Rei and her MysteriousProtector Zen. Their true roles are revealed after the penultimate dungeon: [[spoiler: Rei is actually the ghost of a girl who died of an unspecified disease, and the labyrinth was born from her denial of death and fears that her life was meaningless. Zen is actually a {{Psychopomp}} sent to collect her, but took pity and erased her memories instead. The BigBad is Zen's other half, who attempts to force Zen to return to his former role, at any cost.]]
* ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'': Hikari is the protagonist, while the player controls the above parties along with [[VideoGame/Persona5 the Phantom Thieves]]. Like above, the labyrinths are a PsychologicalTormentZone for Hikari, this time representing [[spoiler: being bullied for being "different" and being forced to conform to avoid standing out]].

** The first use of the avatar, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' is one of the most extreme examples. Technically, the player is not playing as any of the lords (Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector) that we see go through their struggles, technically the player is playing as a tactician commanding which units to attack and defend.

In some video games, the player is merely a supporter to someone who holds a much greater amount of plot relevance. Even so, as the character you control, you will still go through great lengths to help your friend save the day.

** Downplayed with ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity''. The story's main focus is on Princess Zelda, who is trying to [[spoiler:prevent the events of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' from taking place.]] In, cutscenes, Link barely has any impact other than the standard wielder of the Divine Blade business, as opposed to ''Breath of the Wild'' where he is still the focal character of the present. The downplayedness comes from the fact that Zelda is playable, but Link is the first playable character and has more weapons and costumes than any other character.

--->'''Vaan:''' I'm just along for the ride.

** The first use of the avatar, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' is one of the most extreme examples. Technically, the player is not playing as any of the lords (Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector) that we see go through their struggles, technically the player is playing as a tactition commanding which units to attack and defend.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'': The titular character is an entirely blank slate for the player. The main character is actually the Narrator, and he is very particular about his story going the way he intends. Unfortunately for him, you have free will to simply ignore his instructions and veer off the main path, with drastic consequences.
[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' zig-zags the trope. In the first part of the game, we see Chrom go through all the struggles of going from protector to ruler, while Robin is the one giving the orders to the army. However, the later parts of the story have more focus on Robin as he struggles [[spoiler:with being the vessel for the Fell Dragon Grima]]. Played most straight in the DLC story, ''Future Past'', where the story focuses on an alternate version of Lucina, but the characters from the save file and main universe have more prominence in game play.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Vaan is considered the game's protagonist for marketing purposes, is the first full-time party member you get control of, and is the one you control while in cities. However, the story takes a more ensemble approach, with Princess Ashe generally controlling the party's overall actions once she joins. This is {{lampshaded}} by Vaan when the party is once asked why each of them is on their journey. This ends up making Vaan [[spoiler: the SpannerInTheWorks to the [[GreaterScopeVillain Occurias' plan. By letting go of his desire for revenge earlier, he inspired Ashe to do so at a critical moment]]. By Vaan's own admittance:

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Vaan is considered the game's protagonist for marketing purposes, is the first full-time party member you get control of, and is the one you control while in cities. However, the story takes a more ensemble approach, with Princess Ashe generally controlling the party's overall actions once she joins. This is {{lampshaded}} by Vaan when the party is once asked why each of them is on thier journey. By Vaan's own admittance:

* ''VideoGame/{{Rigmor}}'': Unlike the vanilla '[['VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' and most of its mods, in which the Dragonborn player character is the hero, in this two-part story mod the Dragonborn serves as guardian and sidekick to Rigmor, a young, troubled girl who is nonetheless TheChosenOne of the story. The narrative is so detailed and so focused on Rigmor that although the player character does get to engage in combat and dialogue as per usual, they face only two choices of real import: whether to be Rigmor's lover or her platonic father-figure, and whether, in the conclusion to the first part, [[spoiler:to tell her she must fulfill her destiny as Countess of Bruma and go there without you, or to conceal the truth so you can retain her as a (now essentially generic) follower for your WideOpenSandbox gameplay]]. (The second part begins with the assumption that [[spoiler:you chose to send her to Bruma]].)

* ''VideoGame/{{Rigmor}}'': Unlike the vanilla ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' and most of its mods, in which the Dragonborn player character is the hero, in this two-part story mod the Dragonborn serves as guardian and sidekick to Rigmor, a young, troubled girl who is nonetheless TheChosenOne of the story. The narrative is so detailed and so focused on Rigmor that although the player character does get to engage in combat and dialogue as per usual, they face only two choices of real import: whether to be Rigmor's lover or her platonic father-figure, and whether, in the conclusion to the first part, [[spoiler:to tell her she must fulfill her destiny as Countess of Bruma and go there without you, or to conceal the truth so you can retain her as a (now essentially generic) follower for your WideOpenSandbox gameplay]]. (The second part begins with the assumption that [[spoiler:you chose to send her to Bruma]].)

* ''VideoGame/{{Rigmor}}'': Unlike the vanilla ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim'' and most of its mods, in which the Dragonborn player character is the hero, in this two-part story mod the Dragonborn serves as guardian and sidekick to Rigmor, a young, troubled girl who is nonetheless TheChosenOne of the story. The narrative is so detailed and so focused on Rigmor that although the player character does get to engage in combat and dialogue as per usual, they face only two choices of real import: whether to be Rigmor's lover or her platonic father-figure, and whether, in the conclusion to the first part, [[spoiler:to tell her she must fulfill her destiny as Countess of Bruma and go there without you, or to conceal the truth so you can retain her as a (now essentially generic) follower for your WideOpenSandbox gameplay]]. (The second part begins with the assumption that [[spoiler:you chose to send her to Bruma]].)

** Downplayed with ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity''. The story's main focus is on Princess Zelda, who is trying to [[spoiler: prevent the events of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' from taking place.]] In, cutscenes, Link barely has any impact other than the standard wielder of the Divine Blade business, as opposed to ''Breath of the Wild'' where he is still the focal character of the present. The downplayedness comes from the fact that Zelda is playable, but Link is the first playable character and has more weapons and costumes than any other character.

[[folder:First Person Shooters]]

* The Adventurer([[TheChosenMany s]]) of ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' may be the player characters and get to interact with a lot of the franchise's clue moments and scenes, but they're largely ignored in the broader story - the REAL protagonists that drive the various story arcs forward are the Faction leaders, such as Anduin, Thrall, Sylvanas, etc.

[[folder:Role Playing Games (Eastern)]]

--->'''Vaan''': I'm just along for the ride.

[[folder:Role Playing Games (Western)]]

[[folder:Strategy Games (Turn Based)]]

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' zig-zags the trope. In the first part of the game, we see Chrom go through all the struggles of going from protector to ruler, while Robin is the one giving the orders to the army. However, the later parts of the story have more focus on Robin as he struggles [[spoiler: with being the vessel for the Fell Dragon Grima]]. Played most straight in the DLC story, ''Future Past'', where the story focuses on an alternate version of Lucina, but the characters from the save file and main universe have more prominence in game play.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' features an avatar (default name [[CanonName Byleth]]) controlled by the player to move around the officer's academy, teach the army battle skills, and potentially recruit more members. As the game is played out on three out of four routes, it's clear the war that sets in halfway is focusing on the leaders of the houses Byleth is teaching. Depending on the route, the story will focus on [[spoiler: Edelgard's conquest to end corruption of the church and its supporters, Dimitri coping with his past trauma and helping defend said church]], or Claude's desire to find the truth. Averted in the Silver Snow route which focuses on Byleth (though Seteth will act as the [[SilentProtagonist former's mouthpiece]]).

** Many series newcomers who play of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' may wonder why the game is titled after a princess who is barely in the story. While the ''Zelda'' series has wavered who the protagonist is, the crux of this installment's story is about the Twilight Princess, Midna, as she develops from someone who only wants to save her own kingdom, to someone who also wants to save her friends' realm with Hyrule. While a plot of saving children and a childhood friend of playable character, Link, starts off, they are also concluded quickly with little fanfare, Link is now joining the fight for Midna's sake.