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Maidloid
Since: Mar, 2017
22nd May, 2018 05:19:12 PM
The Voiceless sounds like it might fit.
We Hardly Knew Ye -Maidloid 2018 Buck Dich -Maidloid 2023
PPPSSC
Since: Nov, 2009
Chabal2
Since: Jan, 2010
22nd May, 2018 11:08:38 PM
It might be a type of Straw Character, the kind used in Classical and Renaissance texts so the Author Avatar isn't speaking into thin air and whose sole purpose is to go "uh-huh", "good point" and "you're right".
Edited by Chabal2
MetaFour
MOD
Since: Jan, 2001
24th May, 2018 06:09:47 AM
The Watson (character whose role in the story is to facilitate someone else's exposition) meets Flat Character.
I'm wondering if there is a trope for a character who doesn't have any other purpose in the story aside from "being the guy/girl listening to the other (much more important) characters" as they talk about... Pretty much anything the author feels like dumping into the audience, but can't find a way to work it into the plot.
Thus, the writer chooses to create a character (or to assign a pre-existing one to this role) who will be in a scene in which the Hero/Villain/Major Character goes on a rant about something of importance to the plot or that serves to help flash out the character's personality . It's basically a soliloguy being watched by one person.
Here is an example: Amber is an unpopular girl who is the butt of many jokes and one day feels like getting things off her chest. The writer knows this is an important moment for character development, but thinks that having Amber recite all of her troubles into the wind would be... weird. Well, no worries! For Amber calls her best friend Marie who immediately sits down to listen to all that Amber has to say. Once the discourse is over, Amber thanks her friend for being a good listener and Marie disappears into thin air until the next time Amber needs someone to hear her out.
Edited by SKBengalTiger