Muggle Best Friend

Created By: ParadiscaCorbasi on March 5, 2010

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Muggle Best Friend

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So your hero has a best friend that's not one of the Chosen folk, doesn't have superpowers or magic or something. But they're still a loyal best friend as ever.

Example -Most superhero shows have this.

-Magical girl shows have this

Launches tomorrow. uh help?

Examples!!

Might get the spelling wrong here but Iolas from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was like this. No powers, no semi-godhood, no nuttin. He got beat up by mooks alot.

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January 28, 2010
Chabal2
Static Shock's friend was this... then at some point he got superpowers.
January 28, 2010
Wacky Meets Practical
- Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen.
- Spud and Trixie to Jake from American Dragon Jake Long.
- Harper to Alex on Wizards Of Waverly Place.
- Chloe to Clark on Smallville (Until she develops her own powers). Before Chloe, it was Pete Ross.
- Tucker and Sam to Danny on Danny Phantom.
Almost always a Secret Keeper.
January 28, 2010
Vree
Usually a choldhood friend who doesn't become The Sidekick, The Lancer or similar but still retains their position as best friend. They will often be the Comic Relief and are a Secret Keeper by default. They represent the tie that the character still has to their former life. They will usually be interact with the main character's family, friends and Love Interest even when the hero is unable to. They are most common in shows where The Hero does not have a Five Man Band - if they do they will be overshadowed as the position of Best Friend tends to go to The Lancer, but might still serve a background function. At some point they will be held hostage by the villain and they are often in the risk of getting Killed Off For Real to provide The Hero with a reason for revenge.
Note that the key trait of the character is that they are a piece of the character's former life and so they do not exclusively appear supporting superheroes or magical beings, but simply shows when the hero moves into a different league after receiving the Call To Adventure.
January 28, 2010
animeg3282
Naru from Sailor Moon
January 28, 2010
Vree
Also, Love Interests can also be Muggle Best Friends, and will provide a good reason to be equally worried about your secret life and your normal life, especially if you are on a Wake Up Go To School Save The World schedule.
January 28, 2010
ralphmerridew1
The Wotch: Robin and Jason
January 28, 2010
ParadiscaCorbasi
- Sokka to Aang and the Gaang.
- Frida to El Tigre.
- Brad and Tucker to XJ-9
January 28, 2010
Evalana
I seem to recall that Rainbow Brite had a boy from Earth that she was friends with.
January 29, 2010
JewelyJ
I'm not very good at organizing these I'm just good at coming up with a concept
January 30, 2010
random surfer
The Scooby Gang in Buffy (until Willow develops magic powers of her own).
January 30, 2010
vp21ct
Might be the Arthur Dent, if not, it's related
January 30, 2010
OmarKarindu
- To add to the Buffy example, Xander retains this role all the way through the televised run of the series ecven as other characters grow beyodn it.
January 30, 2010
slvstrChung
You're also not very good at spelling.
In actual troping news, I can see this crossing over with Badass Normal a lot.
January 31, 2010
Vree
What I want is a trope for Best Friends who aren't Badass Normal s but sill keep their position (usually as comic relief/foil to the main character with the actual powers).
February 1, 2010
ParadiscaCorbasi
- Cherise is the Muggle Best Friend to Joanna Baldwin in the Weather Wardens series as of Windfall.
February 5, 2010
DonaldthePotholer
Read the part of this article that starts with "Imagine Cooper's plight". May be more of a Badass Normal than this proposed trope (as the friendship was made after the transfer), but it generates a possible quote for the trope:
"Sometimes a guy needs a pal out of the locker room." Cooper Manning, on his friendship with Saints QB Drew Brees
February 16, 2010
ParadiscaCorbasi
bump
February 16, 2010
duralict
I feel like The Chick often ends up also filling this role. April from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a good example.
February 17, 2010
JackButler
@Vree The Muggle love interest is covered under Understanding Boyfriend.
February 17, 2010
Hertzyscowicz
@Jack Butler: It doesn't have to cross to love interest. For the record, I agree with Vree, this trope should exclude best friends with superpower even of the Charles Atlas variety.
February 17, 2010
JackButler
All I was saying is that we already have something that covers the Love Interest angle. This trope would be for Jimmy Olsen, not Lois Lane.
February 17, 2010
CDJV
Card Captor Sakura has Madison Taylor.
February 21, 2010
ParadiscaCorbasi
- Laura is the Muggle Best Friend to Kate in the Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series, and she's the self-titled Sidekick as well. Even after reading the first book, I can see that Mindy will be the muggle best friend to Kate's daughter Allie when Allie ends up trained to follow in Mom's footsteps.
February 21, 2010
Ghilz
- Paco and Benda to the third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes.
- Doiby Dickles to the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott.
- April O'Neil and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- At the beginning, Harry Osborne was this to Spiderman.
  Mary Jane fills the role Ultimate Spiderman, hovering between this and Love Interest.
- James Rhodes to Ultimate Iron Man. This version of Ironman is a mutant of sorts.
- Of course, Bucky Barnes and Captain America.
- Naru Osaka (Molly in the dub) to Sailor Moon.
February 21, 2010
Unknown Troper
Gunslinger Girl has Claes.
February 21, 2010
Unknown Troper
- Smallville had Pete Ross as a friend of Clark Kent.
February 21, 2010
Ghilz
This trope would be related to A Boy And His X, obviously. Especially when the X is super powered somehow.
- Most of the human friends in various Transformers media.
  Subverted in Transformers Animated, Sari appears to be this. She is a cybertronian protoform in a human alt-form.
February 25, 2010
ParadiscaCorbasi
Just Launch It Already?
March 4, 2010
voodoochild
Virtually every companion ever on Doctor Who, the one exception being Jack Harkness. Most of them are young (the exceptions being New Who's Adelaide and Wilfred), human or humanoid, with no special powers. Even the aliens (Adric, Nyssa, Turlough) are fairly normal - they might be smart, but nothing beyond a Brainy Brunette or The Smart Guy.
March 4, 2010
Jisu
Overlaps with Those Two Guys.
March 5, 2010
mack
- Wizards Of Waverly Place: Harper to Alex. Zeke to Justin. Theresa to Jerry.

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