I'm trying to look for more information on a trope that I think is related/sub-trope to this, but wasn't able to, not sure if I should create it...
But it's a very common trope both in mythology as in current fictional works to have a group of (exactly) 12, where you later find out there's a 13th missing element that people don't talk about, which is often very relevant later on.
Some examples: (inevitable spoilers given the nature of the trope)
Mythology:
- There are twelve gods of the Olympus (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus), with Hades or Persephone often being considered the 13th
- There are twelve main gods in Norse mythology (Odin, Thor, Balder, Vidar, Vale, Brage, Heimdall, Ty, Njord, Froy, Ull and Forsete), with Loki often being considered the 13th
TV:
- Battlestar Galactica's twelve colonies, with the missing thirteenth one which went in search of Earth.
- The 100's twelve stations that formed The Arc, after the 13th one was destroyed. (the 13th one is actually Polaris, which becomes important for the plot later on)
Books
- In Hunger Games the world(/country) is made of 12 districts, with the 13th one being destroyed during a rebellion (it's later shown that the 13th district still exists). (same thing happens in the movies)
- The Wicked + The Divine is about a world where every 90 years twelve gods reincarnate and die within two year. One elder character that serves as a guide for the gods says she was a former (implied thirteenth) god. Also, another thirteenth god later shows up
Tabletop games
- Eberron uses this repeatedly as a general recurring theme across the setting - sets of 13 things with one missing, leaving 12 behind, sometimes with an imperfect substitute.
I'm trying to look for more information on a trope that I think is related/sub-trope to this, but wasn't able to, not sure if I should create it...
But it's a very common trope both in mythology as in current fictional works to have a group of (exactly) 12, where you later find out there's a 13th missing element that people don't talk about, which is often very relevant later on.
Some examples: (inevitable spoilers given the nature of the trope) Mythology:
- There are twelve gods of the Olympus (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus), with Hades or Persephone often being considered the 13th
- There are twelve main gods in Norse mythology (Odin, Thor, Balder, Vidar, Vale, Brage, Heimdall, Ty, Njord, Froy, Ull and Forsete), with Loki often being considered the 13th
TV:
- Battlestar Galactica's twelve colonies, with the missing thirteenth one which went in search of Earth.
- The 100's twelve stations that formed The Arc, after the 13th one was destroyed. (the 13th one is actually Polaris, which becomes important for the plot later on)
Books
- In Hunger Games the world(/country) is made of 12 districts, with the 13th one being destroyed during a rebellion (it's later shown that the 13th district still exists). (same thing happens in the movies)
- In the Gentleman Bastard series, there are 12 gods, with some believing there is a 13th nameless god (http://camorr.wikia.com/wiki/The_Twelve)
Comics:
- The Wicked + The Divine is about a world where every 90 years twelve gods reincarnate and die within two year. One elder character that serves as a guide for the gods says she was a former (implied thirteenth) god. Also, another thirteenth god later shows up
Tabletop games
- Eberron uses this repeatedly as a general recurring theme across the setting - sets of 13 things with one missing, leaving 12 behind, sometimes with an imperfect substitute.
Edited by ChemicalWaddling