History Main / TheIshmael

* ''{{300}}'' has Herodotus as the narrator, despite the main character being Leonidas.

* This is probably what Milanor of ''YggdraUnion'' was intended to be, but because Yggdra winds up being the viewpoint character of most of the game (right down to our getting her internal monologues), he just winds up being a rather useless side character [[TheWesley who gets a disproportionate amount of lines]] for someone who's not all that important.

See also TheWatson, whose job it is to merely ''set up'' exposition.

* Gil Abad in the Spanish novel series ''Marijuli & Gil Abad''. Despite being one of the titular characters, he's a [[TheWatson Watson]] at best.

** [[YourMileageMayVary Some]] consider this an [[AvertedTrope aversion]] if you take into account DeathOfTheAuthor.

* [[LegacyCharacter The various]] Links from ''TheLegendOfZelda'' act as this, but especially in ''[[{{ptitle6ibfdbcv}} Majora's Mask]]'', where the {{NPC}}s are given an unusual amount of in depth characterization.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''FinalFantasyXII'' where Vaan himself admits he's "just along for the ride." (though he is the main character of the story in the SpinOff ''RevenantWings'') and his role is decent untill he joins Ashe.

** In a bit of a twist, when he says the words "This is ''our'' story." is the point in the story where he's managed to wrestle the spotlight back from Yuna.

** Subverted in ''The Rolling Bootlegs'': while it appears that Maiza relating the story about his friend and subordinate Firo to a Japanese tourist, [[spoiler:it's actually [[ActuallyIAmHim Firo himself]] telling the tale, and the tourist just assumed otherwise because Firo never properly introduced himself and was wearing glasses like Maiza's.

->''"Call me Ishmael."''

** Subverted in ''The Rolling Bootlegs'': while it appears that Maiza relating the story about his friend and subordinate Firo to a Japanese tourist, [[spoiler:it's actually [[ActuallyIAmHim Firo himself]] telling the tale, and the tourist just assumed otherwise because Firo never properly introduced himself and was [[BrainySpecs wearing glasses]] like Maiza's]].

* The Narrator (a pudgy snowman) in the famous Rankin/Bass animated adaptation of ''Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer''. Apparently, his only ''raison d'etre'' besides telling the audience the story is to sing and perform on the guitar songs that are only tangentially related to the plot. The story's ''real'' protagonist, of course, is Rudolph - but since we are viewing ''everything'' through the Narrator's perspective, Herbie the Elf and the Misfit Toys also are depicted as well-rounded characters, and arguably alternate protagonists themselves. (Of course, the FridgeLogic - no pun intended - of a snowman still being around many years later to tell the story when there have obviously been many summers as well as winters is never addressed.)
** A snowman...who lives in the North Pole.

* In LarryNiven's ''The Ringworld Throne'', Louis Wu (the protagonist of all of the other ''{{Ringworld}}'' novels) serves as TheIshmael. The actual protagonist is Tunesmith, the Night People Protector.
** You may be CompletelyMissingThePoint. [[spoiler:Louis Wu chose the king of Ringworld when he said (paraphrased). "You let Fist of God hit Ringworld. I deem you unworthy of the Ringworld Throne!]]
*** Note the TitleDrop.
*** Note that during the post fight reminiscing [[spoiler: Louis Wu commented that the Protector he defeated was fighting purely on instinct. Not thinking about what he was doing. For a Protector this is the equivalent of barely trying. i.e. committing suicide since Wu's judgment mattered that much.]]

* Although he's the title character, ''BeauGeste'' is told from the perspective of Michael's younger brother because he's [spoiler:the only of the three brothers to survive the entire story.]]

** Originally Carrot was going to be the viewpoint character, but then Pratchett decided it would be more interesting to leave his thoughts out of the narrative, and shifted the viewpoint to Vimes. This ended up having [[EnsembleDarkhorse very interesting results]]. In fact, in the entire series, there is exactly one page written from Carrot's point of view, even if the story is revolving around him. Sometimes the book spends some time on other character's thoughts on what Carrot is thinking, because he's like a well: both extremely simple, and extremely deep.

* Robert Graves's historical novel, ''Count Belisarius'' is narrated by a servant of Belisarius's wife.

* Just about all of H.G. Wells's books, including the above-mentioned ''Island of Dr. Moreau'' and ''The Time Machine,'' fall prey to this. Perhaps the only novel to avert this is ''TheWarOfTheWorlds,'' where the unnamed narrator is the protagonist by default because no other major characters last for more than a handful of chapters or have any real motives or character development.

* Used often in the ''DragonQuest'' series, especially in ''DragonQuestVIII'' [[spoiler: where King Trode and Princess Medea are the main characters and the The Hero barely get's any development until the post-game]] and DragonQuestV [[spoiler: where arguably your mother or your children are the main characters]].

** Then Yggdra gets kidnapped. [[AscendedExtra Who will be the one]] [[KnightinShiningArmor that lead the team to rescue her?]] That's probably the only time the player's playing Milanor's as a full time hero.

* {...} from Hanna is Not a Boy's Name, natch, especially considering Hanna's Dark and Troubling past, and Terrible Secret.

* The protagonist of ''TheLordOfTheRings'' is ostensibly [[TheEveryman Frodo Baggins]], although in fact most of the action is carried forward by other characters. [[spoiler: He's not even the one to destroy the Ring in the end.]]

* In GeneWolfe's Book Of The Long sun, Silk is the protagonist but two of his pupils, Horn and Nettle, turn out to be the narrators.

* The new series of ''{{Doctor Who}}'' starts with the episode "Rose", which has the title character as {{The Watson}} and {{The Ishmael}} to ease the audience into the series.

* The Narrator (a pudgy snowman) in the famous Rankin/Bass animated adaptation of ''Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer''. Apparently, his only ''raison d'etre'' besides telling the audience the story is to sing and perform on the guitar songs that are only tangentially related to the plot. The story's ''real'' protagonist, of course, is Rudolph - but since we are viewing ''everything'' through the Narrator's perspective, Herbie the Elf and the Misfit Toys also are depicted as well-rounded characters, and arguably alternate protagonists themselves. (Of course, the FridgeLogic - no pun intended - of a snowman still being around many years later to tell the story when there have obviously been many summers as well as winters is never addressed.)

** You may be CompletelyMissingThePoint. [[spoiler:Louis Wu chose the king of Ringworld when he said (paraphrased). "You let Fist of God hit Ringworld. I deem you unworthy of the RingworldThrone!]]

Enter The Ishmael, a character not that compelling in and of himself, but who is chosen as the {{narrator}} and protagonist because he has an excellent view of the action surrounding the real focal character.

** Well, minus ...[[spoiler:Vainly attempting to stop Lavos from killing all his friends and Magus and dying in a HeroicSacrifice]]. That scene alone basically gives him some kind of characterization even if he's Silent, not unlike the Persona MCs.