History Main / TheDragAlong

* While most DoctorWho companions are those who [[JumpedAtTheCall willingly]] went with the Doctor to go see the universe, there are a few who wish they didn't have to be in this bloody blue box.

* Luigi in the ''{{Mario and Luigi}}'' games, part of the general move toward cowardliness he's been going on since ''Luigi's Mansion'', as part of his DivergentCharacterEvolution. Also a LampshadeHanging explanation for his absence in ''[[SuperMarioBros Super Mario]] 64'' and ''Super Mario Sunshine''.

* As you can tell from the page quote, Iago, in the ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'' animated show, is the quintessential embodiment of this trope. He's more concerned with living in the lap of luxury and staying out of danger, and, as a CardCarryingCoward, is none too happy with being dragged along on some grand adventure every other day (which is understandable, since he's a bit of a [[TheChewToy pain magnet]]). True to form, he never stops complaining about it, also making him, as a parrot, a SnarkyNonHumanSidekick. Nearly half his quotes in the show could be page quotes for this, and he always had a bit of GenreSavvy about it. Case in point:

* In the Lethal Weapon movies, Murtauh (sp?) (Danny Glover) just wants to retire and collect his pension for his time with the police, but Riggs is willing to kill himself if it will help get the bad guys. You often find Murtah saying, "I'm too old for this <stuff>" eveytime Riggs eggs him into doing something crazy.

See also RefusalOfTheCall, for when the hero (as opposed to a member of the group) does this initially but eventually grows into the role, CowardlySidekick, and GrumpyBear. A variation on TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong and IDoNotLikeGreenEggsAndHam. Most Drag Alongs are also {{Butt Monkey}}s or {{Chew Toy}}s, which may justify their reluctance. For a more literal version, see DraggedByTheCollar.

* CiaphasCain definitely fits this trope. The {{Warhammer 40000}}'s least likely Commissar would rather spend his days somewhere far away from the fighting that pervades the galaxy (good luck on that one...). Yet time and time again he's dragged reluctantly into action against every single foe that the galaxy at large can throw at him (and then a few from a different reality altogether).

* As you can tell from the page quote, Iago, in the ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'' animated show, is the [[MostTriumphantExample quintessential embodiment]] of this trope. He's more concerned with living in the lap of luxury and staying out of danger, and, as a CardCarryingCoward, is none too happy with being dragged along on some grand adventure every other day (which is understandable, since he's a bit of a [[TheChewToy pain magnet]]). True to form, he never stops complaining about it, also making him, as a parrot, a SnarkyNonHumanSidekick. Nearly half his quotes in the show could be page quotes for this, and he always had a bit of GenreSavvy about it. Case in point:

* Luigi in the ''{{Mario and Luigi}}'' games, part of the [[{{Luigification}} general move toward cowardliness]] he's been going on since ''Luigi's Mansion'' - also a LampshadeHanging explanation for his absence in ''[[SuperMarioBros Super Mario]] 64'' and ''Super Mario Sunshine''.

-->''"I'd love it if this place were boring. But they're always dragging me off to some cockamamie adventure! [='=]''Hurry Iago, we have to find the razor-clawed ice giant!''[='=], or [='=]''Come on Iago, the natives of Nincompoop need saving from a blood beast with a '''taste for parrots!'''''[='=] And '''then''', when we '''do''' stay home, some '''mutant vegetable''' shows up, and they want '''me''' to be [[TheBait the]] '''[[TheBait bait!]]'''"''\\

See also RefusalOfTheCall, for when the hero (as opposed to a member of the group) does this initially but eventually grows into the role, CowardlySidekick, and GrumpyBear. A variation on TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong and IDoNotLikeGreenEggsAndHam. Most Drag Alongs are also {{Butt Monkey}}s or {{Chew Toy}}s, which may justify their reluctance.

* The three delinquents Juumonji, Toganu and Kuroki in {{Eyeshield 21}} are initially blackmailed into joining the American football team.

* Shinji Ikari in ''{{Neon Genesis Evangelion}}'' episodes 1-4 and in End of Evangelion in which Misato drags Shinji to pilot the EVA01.

* [[{{Naruto}} Nara Shikamaru]] fits this trope like a glove early in the series, most prominently during the Chunin exams when chasing Sasuke. He'd much rather simply sit around and watch the clouds than fight or go on missions. Subsequent CharacterDevelopment means that he takes a much more responsible role.

->"I'd love it if this place were boring. But they're always dragging me off to some cockamamie adventure! [='=]''Hurry Iago, we have to find the razor-clawed ice giant!''[='=], or [='=]''Come on Iago, the natives of Nincompoop need saving from a blood beast with a '''taste for parrots!'''''[='=] And '''then''', when we '''do''' stay home, some '''mutant vegetable''' shows up, and they want '''me''' to be [[TheBait the]] '''[[TheBait bait!]]'''"\\

See also RefusalOfTheCall, for when the hero (as opposed to a member of the group) does this initially but eventually grows into the role, CowardlySidekick, and GrumpyBear. A variation on TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong and GreenEggsAndHam. Most Drag Alongs are also {{Butt Monkey}}s or {{Chew Toy}}s, which may justify their reluctance.

* Likewise for [[ScoobyDoo Shaggy and Scooby]], who self-identify themselves as being chicken, and, as a result, always end up in the middle of a ghost story gone wrong (often being the main ones to find the [[strike:Guy In A Mask]] MonsterOfTheWeek while exploring), and have to be coerced with promises of ScoobySnacks.

* As you can tell from the page quote, Iago, in the ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'' animated show, is the quintessential embodiment of this trope. He's more concerned with living in the lap of luxury and staying out of danger, and, as a CardCarryingCoward, is none too happy with being dragged along on some grand adventure every other day (which is understandable, since he's a bit of a [[TheChewToy pain magnet]]). True to form, he never stops complaining about it, also making him, as a parrot, a SnarkyNonHumanSidekick. Nearly half his quotes in the show could be page quotes for this, and he always had a bit of GenreSavvy about it. Case in point:

* Goober in ''FraggleRock'' is perpetually TheDragAlong or a SourSupporter, or both. However, in an episode where he and Red [[spoiler: get trapped under a rock slide and believe they are going to die, he confesses that he secretly has enjoyed all of the Fraggles' adventures, despite having been a reluctant coward about them all when they were happening. Of course, after they are rescued, Goober denies ever having said this, and in exchange for Red's secrecy on the matter, he promises he won't tell anyone else what a coward the usually-heroic Red turned out to be once death was staring her in the face.]]