Pretty broad name for a trope about characters you don't expect to see a particular work. Unexpected Character would work better. Lots of other things are unexpected.

Isn't it supposed to be about an character that coming back an a sequal that you didn't expect to come back?

So maybe Unexpected Recurring Character? That doesn't sound quite right, but something along those lines.

Nope, and it doesn't even need to be in a sequel. It happens frequently in crossover works as well. In the original Super Smash Bros., Ness from EarthBound qualified. It also covers adaptations that manage to dust off characters that may not have been at the top of various people's lists. And they don't necessarily have to be recurring. Unexpected Character makes sense for a new name to me.

Also, this should be YMMV and Audience Reaction: who the watchers/players do or do not suspect in an installment is clearly a reaction.

Crowner (outer) joined to thread.

Why an outer join? Are there any entries that return null-values in the join that we need?

Crowner's called in favor of renaming the trope.

SWAP

"Unexpected Character" doesn't sound too bad... The problem is, there's a few exemples that AREN'T about characters, such as the Monty Python exemple.

Bumping for votes.

^^Remove them, since they're misuse?

The Monty Python sketch is not listed in the examples, but it needs to be removed as page image, it's unrelated to the trope and could lead to misuse, it's so misleading.

Why is the Monty Python sketch there? ''That has nothing to do with this yrope. Can I just get rid of it?

Rule of Funny. Image Pickin' Discussion here.

If you want it removed, open a new Image Pickin' Discussion about it - although it'll help to have a good image suggestion in mind that actively, unambiguously displays the trope (or at any rate, does a good enough job of it).

edited 19th Oct '12 12:00:43 PM by ShadowHog

Crowner called.

And it looks like we're done.