History Main / SpotlightStealingTitle

* From issue 135 to 145, Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel G.I. Joe]]'' comic series was retitled ''G.I. Joe: Starring Snake-Eyes'', with the "Snake-Eyes" portion consuming most of the cover.

* ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' spun off ''My Friends Tigger & Pooh''

* In Brazil, ''O Pato Donald'' (WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck) #434 introduced Zé Carioca. The stories became popular enough that Issue #479 Was titled ''O Pato Donald apresenta Zé Carioca'' (Or ''Donald Duck presents Joe Carioca''), and the series continued to take that title every other issue (So even numbers were Donald Duck and odd numbers were Joe Carioca). Donald[='=]s face was removed from the ''Zé Carioca'' title logo after issue #527, the words "O Pato Donald apresenta" were shrunk down after issue #539, and removed completely from the title after issue #981 until eventually, this trope was reversed when ''Zé Carioca'' split off from ''Donald Duck'', becoming its own individual series after issue #1751. This treatment was quite generous to the character, because even for a while after the split, an issue of ''Zé Carioca'' wasn't necessarily entirely Zé Carioca stories.

* ''[[UsefulNotes/GameBoy GB]] VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' was retitled ''[[DolledUpInstallment Wario Blast: featuring Bomberman]]'' outside Japan, even though it was VideoGame/{{Wario}} being shoehorned into a Bomberman game rather than the other way around.
* The [=MSX2=] sequel to the original ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' was titled ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'', with the "Solid Snake" portion spelled in bigger letters (some official sources even go as far to call the game ''Solid Snake: Metal Gear 2'', much like the ''Rambo'' example above). However, the series subverted this with the third game, ''Metal Gear Solid'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation. While "Solid" is indeed part of Solid Snake's codename, the word also has some significance besides the main character (mainly that it's the third ''Metal Gear'' and [[VideoGame3DLeap the first one in 3D]]).

Compare BillingDisplacement. ProtagonistAndFriends is a form of this. See also FaceOfTheBand and ArtistAndTheBand. When the ''creator'' is the main draw, a related title trope is InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt. Can also be a MarketBasedTitle if it appeals to the popularity of a character or actor in a particular market.

* During TheEighties, radio [=DJs=] would often announce Music/{{Genesis|Band}} songs as "[[FaceOfTheBand Phil Collins and Genesis]]", as though Genesis were merely Collins's backing band.

* Rainbow's 1975 debut album was titled ''Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow'', even though Music/RonnieJamesDio was clearly the FaceOfTheBand.
* [[FaceOfTheBand Selena Gomez's band]] was (at Gomez's own request) originally just "The Scene" , but to capitalize on Selena's fanbase and name-recognition, it became Creator/SelenaGomez & The Scene.

* The 360/[=PS3=] "sequel" to the ''Sega Genesis Collection'' is entitled ''Francchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'s Ultimate Genesis Collection'' in America but ''Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection'' in Europe.

* The 360/[=PS3=] "sequel" to the ''Sega Genesis Collection'' is entitled ''Francchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog Sonic}}'s Ultimate Genesis Collection'' in America but ''Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection'' in Europe.

* ''Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-Tachi no Banka'' was given the MarketBasedTitle ''VideoGame/RiverCityGirlsZero'' when translated. While this is meant to indicate that this is the game Misako and Kyoko's ''VideoGame/RiverCityGirls'' incarnations are based on, the main characters were Kunio and Riki; the girls, whilr playable, were along for the ride.

* The 360/[=PS3=] "sequel" to the ''Sega Genesis Collection'' is entitled ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]'s Ultimate Genesis Collection'' in America but ''Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection'' in Europe.

* ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]''. To be fair, over a third of the characters are from the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}: Spyro's Adventure'', VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon is only one character out of 32, and within the game itself has no more prominence than any of the others, other than being one of the three packaged with the game.[[note]]Not only that, it has no connection whatsoever to the Franchise/SpyroTheDragon series that was originally created by Creator/InsomniacGames (better known these days for Franchise/RatchetAndClank).[[/note]] Furthermore, the sequel is titled ''Skylanders: Giants'', taking Spyro out of the spotlight completely.

* While the Franchise/MarvelUniverse VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame is appropriately titled ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'', the [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] equivalent remains to be [[{{Pun}} under the wing]] of the ''VideoGame/LEGOBatman'' label, even in its third installment, which is primarily about Superman's villain Brainiac and the various Lantern corps. Eventually subverted with the fourth game, which is titled ''VideoGame/LegoDCSuperVillains'' and thus no longer has Batman's name in the title.

* ''[[UsefulNotes/GameBoy GB]] VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' was retitled ''[[DolledUpInstallment Wario Blast: featuring Bomberman]]'' outside Japan, even though it was Wario being shoehorned into a Bomberman game rather than the other way around.

* Star Ron Howard and creator Gary Marshall threatening to walk stopped ABC from their "brilliant" idea of renaming their hit show to ''Fonzie's Series/HappyDays''. But it didn't stop Creator/HenryWinkler's [[BreakoutCharacter ascension from credited at the end of the episode to top-billing star]] and the animated series ended up being called ''WesternAnimation/TheFonzAndTheHappyDaysGang''.

* During TheEighties, radio [=DJs=] would often announce Music/{{Genesis}} songs as "[[FaceOfTheBand Phil Collins and Genesis]]", as though Genesis were merely Collins's backing band.

* While the Franchise/MarvelUniverse VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame is appropriately titled ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'', the [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] equivalent remains to be [[{{Pun}} under the wing]] of the ''VideoGame/LEGOBatman'' label, even in its third installment, which is primarily about Superman's villain Brainiac and the various Lantern corps.
** Averted with the fourth game, which is titled ''VideoGame/LegoDCSuperVillains'' and thus no longer has Batman's name in the title.

Compare BillingDisplacement. ProtagonistAndFriends is a form of this. See also FaceOfTheBand. When the ''creator'' is the main draw, a related title trope is InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt. Can also be a MarketBasedTitle if it appeals to the popularity of a character or actor in a particular market.

So you've got a TV series, cartoon, comic book or other publication in the works, and of course you want it to succeed. What do you do to get it to catch the reader/viewers' attention? Make use of the character who has the most PopularityPower or is played by the most popular star by promoting them to the series title, kind of like WolverinePublicity but for the team he's already a part of.

* The song "Careless Whisper" was credited as a George Michael solo effort initially in the UK but became Wham! featuring George Michael internationally.

* Marc Bolan AND T-Rex

* ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' spun off ''My Friends Tigger And Pooh''

[[quoteright:259:[[WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/WolverineAndTheXmen.jpg]]]]

* The latest ''ComicBook/XMen'' AnimatedAdaptation was ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen''

* In Brazil, ''O Pato Donald'' (DonaldDuck) #434 introduced Zé Carioca. The stories became popular enough that Issue #479 Was titled ''O Pato Donald apresenta Zé Carioca'' (Or ''Donald Duck presents Joe Carioca''), and the series continued to take that title every other issue (So even numbers were Donald Duck and odd numbers were Joe Carioca). Donald[='=]s face was removed from the ''Zé Carioca'' title logo after issue #527, the words "O Pato Donald apresenta" were shrunk down after issue #539, and removed completely from the title after issue #981 until eventually, this trope was reversed when ''Zé Carioca'' split off from ''Donald Duck'', becoming its own individual series after issue #1751. This treatment was quite generous to the character, because even for a while after the split, an issue of ''Zé Carioca'' wasn't necessarily entirely Zé Carioca stories.

* The ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' ongoing spinoff ''Knuckles the Echidna'' had its title changed to ''Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: Knuckles the Echidna'' late in its run, despite Sonic having no role in the comic.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Comic/JimmyTornado'': When the comic went from magazine to album, it was rechristened from ''Jimmy & Lupe Tornado'' to just ''Jimmy Tornado''. [[https://www.actuabd.com/Frederic-Antoine-et-Jean-Francois-Vachon-Jimmy-Tornado-La-serie-Harry-Potter According to the creators]], this was out of a need for a punchier title and not wanting to drop the impact of "Tornado".

* ''[[Film/BirdsOfPrey2020]]'', whose full title was originally ''Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn,'' had its marketing changed to ''Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey'' once it hit theaters. Somewhat justified in that the Birds of Prey don't appear as such until the very end of the movie; the plot follows how Harley's actions bring the members of what will become the Birds of Prey together for the first time.