Needs Help: Stronger Sibling

Well, not unclear description as much as "inexplicably specific."

It's specifically about the Big Bad having a sibling who is even stronger than them. Also seems to be video-game specific, based on the description.

Now, I see it used for non-game examples all the time. I also see it used for "a strong character's brother is even stronger."

• Absurdly Spacious Sewer: Correct
• Action Pack: Incorrect. They're teammates and one happens to be stronger.
• SmugSnake.Anime And Manga: Technically misuse; the Frost brothers are villainous, but they're presented as a pair. They're not presented as "The Big Bad... and then the Stronger Sibling comes later."
• Characters.Animorphs Yeerk Empire: Technically misuse, it's about how the civilization decided one sibling was going to be better. Plus in this case the Big Bad IS the stronger one, so it's actually the exact opposite of this trope.
• Beyblade C-Square: Again, they're not the Big Bad, they're just a pair of brothers and one is stronger.
• Cain and Abel: Correct.
• Characters/Carnivale: Once again, a pair of villainous siblings and one of them happens to be stronger.
• Clock Tower: Not the Big Bad, but close enough. Calling it correct.
• Combat Lesser Gods And Demigods: Correct
• Deepgate Codex: Correct in its usage (although it's not a video game so it's technically incorrect).
• Digimon D-Cyber: No context other than "this character has a stronger brother"
• Digimon Fusion Kai: Well, it's not even talking about a sibling but a father. Other than that it presumably fits, as it's an expy of a classic Stronger Sibling (although again, not a video game).
• Characters.Dm C Devil May Cry: Misuse. The player character is stronger one. More of a Always Someone Better resentment thing than what's described on this page.
• Funny.Dm C Devil May Cry: Same example.
• Dragon's Winter: Misuse almost exactly like the Dm C example.

So... yeah. At the very, very least the description needs to be rewritten to not be game-centric. On top of that, the name does nothing to indicate it's about a Big Bad or villain. Really, the name is incredibly broad, but the definition is oddly specific.

And it's passing up perfectly good alliteration by not being called Big Bad's Big Brother.

Although that really sounds like "the Big Bad has an older sibling" which doesn't sound like a trope to me.

Well, it's closer to the current definition at least. And the alliteration is a bit majestic, I must admit. Maybe Big Bads Badder Brother or Big Bads Better Brother (though that sounds like the brother is Abel).

edited 7th Feb '14 7:59:12 PM by Larkmarn

Big Bads Big Brother sounds excellent to me.

Big Bad's Bigger Brother would work too if we want the comparative.

edited 8th Feb '14 2:29:14 PM by troacctid

I agree with OP. I don't see a reason for this to be game specific, and it needs a rename.

I am not familiar enough with this trope to judge whether it exists outside of games as well, but yeah rename it.

A lot of the misuse that I see this as is when there's a Brains and Brawn pair that that are siblings, the brawn gets labelled as Stronger Sibling regardless of their role in the story.

Clock is set.

So, no one is objecting to at least expanding it to non-video game examples. We've got a fair amount of decent name suggestions. Anyone disagree with a renaming? It's definitely misused, and I don't blame people... the current name is comically vague.

We have one example outside of video games and there's no technical reason it couldn't show up in serial works. Being a video game only trope is just silly.

I like Big Bads Bigger Brother for the comparison quality.

That said, does it really need to be a villain only trope? I mean the classic example is the Three Billy Goats Gruff and they're the protagonists of the story.

Re-clocking; this is going away if something doesn't come of it.

Alright, so expanding to non-video game examples is unopposed.

Single Action Crowner to decide whether to rename?

yup

Apparently not, since it's been another month. Locking up.