Terrible name. I guessed that it was from Frasier, but I wouldn't even have got close to deducing the meaning without reading the page.
I see the Awesomeness.
Damn, I guessed the dude from Buffy followed by Bujolds work.
Fight smart, not fair.
Yup, terrible name.
Yup. Character-named almost never works, except when it does. This one didn't.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
So basically it's a new geeky character who replaces a formerly geeky character?
Replacement Geek would be a better name
Might not be restricted to geekiness. The Lost example has a replacement Jerkass. The Pokemon example has a replacement naive newcomer. Archie's example has a replacement Rich Bitch. Homestar Runner has replacement losers.
Looking at the examples, seems like the trope includes any instance where an initially flat/archetypal character gets Character Development, and a new character is introduced to fill the archetype-shaped hole they left behind.
Rhymes with "Protracted."
Loser
New character is more geeky/stilted (10)
- British Stuffiness
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer Recurring And Minor Characters
- Characterization Marches On
- Frasier
- Frasier
- Harold And Kumar
- Live-Action TV
- Sitcom Character Archetypes
- The Niles
- Zoey 101
Potholed for Frasier character (5)
Another character is added similar to a preexisting character prior to character development (8)
- All Creatures Great And Small (another character is brought in to make up for a lack of wackiness)
- Archie Comics (another character brought in is more attractive, snobbier etc. after a character's character development)
- Archie Comics (same as the above example)
- Artemis Fowl (A new character seems similar to how another character used to be)
- Artemis Fowl (same as the above example)
- Ninja High School (Replacement bully character after someone undergoes character development)
- Pokémon: Advanced Generation (Replaces the main character as the clueness newbie)
- Tropes K-Q (New character fulls Butt-Monkey role)
Miscellaneous (1)
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (A main character's best friend is a ditzy sitcom housewife to break with a trend)
Index/Other (4)
Little Context (2)
Based on this wick check, I have to agree with Troacctid about this trope being used in a broader way than its description would suggest. That being said, would anyone be opposed to making a single proposition crowner with a "rename and expand" option or would another type of crowner fit this situation better?
Either way, given the 26.7% misuse rate (or 43.3% if you count the wicks that just mentioned the Frasier character), it seems like there is definitely good ground for a rename here.
edited 24th Feb '12 8:50:08 PM by LouieW
"irhgT nm0w tehre might b ea lotof th1nmgs i dont udarstannd, ubt oim ujst goinjg to keepfollowing this pazth i belieove iN !!!!!1 d
Rename and expand. More Stock Less Character? More Stock For The Stew?
edited 24th Feb '12 9:54:21 PM by pawsplay
Looks like a lot of misuse from that sample.
Replacement Flat Character is the best name I can think of.
Replacement Flat Character isn't that bad actually.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
I support that too.
The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.
Loser
There is now a single proposition crowner for this trope here
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Since January 1, 2011 this article has brought 22 people to the wiki from non-search engine links.
Trope Character Fortification, where "Trope Character" is replaced by the name of the trope for annoying side characters like Steve Urkel
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
I don't like Stock Character Decay because "decay" sounds negative (yes, I know that presumption has been discussed a lot in TRS), while most people would agree that Character Development is a positive thing. Also, it only really covers the "Stock Character gets Character Development" part of the trope, not the "new Stock Character is introduced" part.
someone
Yeah, supporting rename here. I keep thinking of Niles from The Nanny.
something
I'm trying to come up with a play on the phrase "empty nest syndrome," where the nest is something that would suggest a cardboard character or a caricaturish comic relief character.
FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!
Crowner called.
Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.
Given the support for a rename, I have created an alt-titles crowner here, picking up some suggestions from this thread.
Ravenous Sophovore
Crowner cemented to thread.
Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
Upvoted Replacement Flat Character since it's concise as it gets and downvoted Replacement Flawed Character since "flawed" means something else.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard FeynmanReplacement Flat Character has a pretty solid lead. Looking decisive.
Rhymes with "Protracted."
It's currently at 13:0.
Calling Crowner.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Crown Description:
"Niles" is an obscure character that doesn't make people think of this trope. Trope has 31 wicks, 22 inbounds Wick check shows that the trope's being used to refer to all character types, not just "geeky/stilted/figure-of-fun" ones.
Time to Guess The Trope! Who or what is a "niles"? Or is it the plural of "nile"?
According to That Other Wiki, it refers to nine different cities in the US; a 19th-century travel writer; a radio announcer for the Bob Hope show; as well as four different fictional characters from The Nanny, Frasier, Crank Yankers, and Doom Patrol. Which of them is this trope, and why?
And, once you've figured out which one is meant (the fifth in the list above), which of his character traits does the trope refer to? The guy has a five-page article on Wikipedia, he's a pretty well-rounded character but the trope only refers to one detail of his personality.
At 31 wicks, 22 inbounds, this trope clearly isn't thriving. Surely we can think of a better name than "niles"?
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!