Three is a common number in ensembles.
The most common pattern for this is for two members of the group to be each other's
Foils, frequently coming into conflict with each other, with the third member of the group acting as the mediator, keeping the team together and balancing their respective personalities.
Power Trios can also be embedded in larger ensembles.
Three Plus Two is a Power Trio within a
Five-Man Band. The Five Temperament version of the
Four Temperament Ensemble sometimes manifests as two Power Trios with the same central member. A
Six Student Clique is often broken into two Power Trios and a
Magnificent Seven Samurai often has one, and sometimes two, Power Trios of its own.
Below, we list the many variations of a Power Trio.
Freudian Trio is one of the more frequently found versions and is often the basis of the other trios. They can overlap.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: The Chick, The Smart Guy and The Big Guy.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: One big, one thin, and one short.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Hair colors. Usually results in the Dumb Blonde, Brainy Brunette and Fiery Redhead.
- Chromatic Arrangement: Three characters Colour-Coded for Your Convenience as red, green and blue.
- Comic Trio: An idiot that comes up with stupid plans, another idiot who blindly follows instructions and a relatively normal person who can't do anything to stop them.
- Fire, Ice, Lightning: A Power Trio of elemental powers.
- Freudian Trio: The three characters represent the Ego, Superego and Id of Freudian psychology.
- The Hecate Sisters: Three female characters representing the maiden, the mother, and the crone.
- Knight, Knave and Squire: One idealistic fighter, one pragmatic fighter and one inexperienced fighter.
- Land Sea Sky: One of land, one of sea, and one of sky.
- Rock Trio: Three-man rock band containing guitar, bass and drums.
- Same Sex Triplets: Three siblings from the same pregnancy who are all the same gender.
- Terrible Trio: A villain with two henchmen.
- Three Amigos: The Hero, a friend of the same gender and a friend of the opposite gender.
- The Three Faces of Adam: Three male characters representing the hunter, the lord and the prophet.
- The Three Faces of Eve: Three female characters representing the child, the mother and the seductress.
- Token Trio: White male, white female and a male of a visible minority.
- Town Girls: Where one is butch, one who is femme and one who is neither.
- Two Girls and a Guy: The Hero and her Red Oni (or Blue Oni) complete with a guy who may or not be just a friend.
- Two Guys and a Girl: The Hero and The Lancer, mediated by The Chick.
- With a Friend and a Stranger: Male center, joined by a childhood friend and a girl from out of nowhere.
