Markup View

Author: Vree

Jan 28th 2010 at 10:51:20 AM

Usually a choldhood friend who doesn't become TheSidekick, TheLancer or similar but still retains their position as best friend. They will often be the ComicRelief and are a SecretKeeper by default. They represent the tie that the character still has to their former life. They will usually be interact with the main character's family, friends and LoveInterest even when the hero is unable to. They are most common in shows where TheHero does not have a FiveManBand - if they do they will be overshadowed as the position of Best Friend tends to go to TheLancer, but might still serve a background function. At some point they will be held hostage by the villain and they are often in the risk of getting KilledOffForReal to provide TheHero with a reason for revenge.

Note that the key trait of the character is that they are a piece of the character's former life and so they do not exclusively appear supporting superheroes or magical beings, but simply shows when the hero moves into a different league after receiving the CallToAdventure.