History Characters / Equilibrium

[[folder:John Preston]]

* TheKingslayer: [[spoiler:He ends up killing [=DuPont=], the real leader of Libria]].
* OffhandBackhand: Pretty much any shot Preston makes falls under this trope, since GunKata eliminates the need to actually aim.
* TheOnlyBeliever: Events of the film show that [[spoiler:no other characters in the film who are involved with the regime (with the possible exception of the mooks) actually believe in the propaganda. Partridge has come to reject the philosophy of Libria and quietly rebels against it, Brandt and [=DuPont=] are hypocrites who don't take Prozium themselves and have selfish motivations for running the state, and others like Preston's son aren't truly taking Prozium or killing their emotions, they're just pretending to so that they are left alone by the state.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: He goes on a rampage after [[spoiler:[=DuPont=] reveals his deceit]], slaughtering dozens of minions in the hallways. Minus the "[[TranquilFury roaring]]" part, as gunkata requires emotional control.

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:For [=DuPont=] and Brandt, who manipulated Preston into delivering the Resistance and himself to them after becoming a sense offender.]]

[[folder:Mary O'Brien]]

* MurderByCremation: [[spoiler:She's killed as a sense offender by being burned alive in the Hall of Justice's cremation chambers.]]

* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Witnessing her death provides Preston with the impetus to take down the government. Could also be read as StuffedInTheFridge since she's basically the only female character in the movie...this movie does ''not'' pass UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest.]]

[[folder:Andrew Brandt]]

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Brandt has no problem in ordering to the soldiers [[spoiler: to exterminate that dogs in that fence]].
* BaldOfEvil: His skull is clean shaven.
* BodyguardingABadass: In the final fight, he guards [=DuPont=] even though [[spoiler:it is clear after Preston cuts off his face]] that [=DuPont=] is a master at GunKata.
* DiagonalCut: [[spoiler:How he died, with the front of his skull sliced off by Preston's katana]].
* TheDragon: [[spoiler:He's in fact Vice Council [=DuPont=]'s most trusted lieutenant and like his master, is also not using Prozium.]]

* StrawHypocrite: [[spoiler:Both [=DuPont=] and Brandt are off prozium, but they advocate the prosecution and execution of all sense offenders with fanatic zeal]].
* TearOffYourFace: [[spoiler:Preston kills him by slicing his face off with a katana.]]

[[folder:Errol Partridge]]

* CulturedBadass: Reads and quotes from William Butler Yeats' Poem 'Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven'.
* DecoyProtagonist: At first it seems like he would be the hero of the story. This not an unusual role for Sean Bean, so his casting could be seen as foreshadowing this trope.

[[folder:DuPont]]

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He's one of the greatest masters of gun kata. [[spoiler:He puts up much more of a fight in the climax than his Dragon, Brandt, does.]]
* BigBad: [[spoiler:He's the real leader of the Libria police state, with Father's image being nothing more than a political tool after he died.]]
* DragonInChief: The de facto decision maker as Father is too old for much of the work required in running their dictatorship. [[spoiler:In actuality, he's the real leader as Father is long dead]].

* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: [[spoiler:He's the real leader of Libria, acting under the nominal authority of the long-dead Father.]]
--> Don't look so surprised, Preston. Why [[spoiler:should Father be more real than any other political puppet?]]
* MouthOfSauron: Described as "Father's Voice". Turns out [[spoiler:to be a subversion: the real Father died years before, and [=DuPont=] is actually running things while ''pretending'' to be the Mouth of Sauron]].
* OhCrap: [[spoiler:Gets progressively more unnerved as he watches Preston [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge defeat]] each layer of his defenses.]]
* StrawHypocrite: [[spoiler:Both he and Brandt are off prozium. While Father sincerely believed he was creating a utopia, [=DuPont=], when confronted, doesn't even hide that he's simply running an oligarchy.]]
* TheStoic: He's always calm because he doesn't feel any emotions. He's just a lot eerier than the trope is usually played since the topics he usually discusses is brutal repression and mass murder. [[spoiler:Subverted, as he isn't on prozium.]]
* SuddenlyShouting: When he confronts Preston that a sense offender has infiltrated the Grammaton clerics' ranks, he suddenly shouts "'''''ARE YOU PLAYING WITH ME, CLERIC?!'''''" [[spoiler:This is foreshadowing that [=DuPont=] himself is no longer using Prozium.]]

[[folder:Father]]

* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:He died years ago. [=DuPont=] has since taken on his authority while maintaining the fiction that Father is still in charge.]]

[[folder:Jurgen]]

* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:He's one of the speech attendants at the beginning of the movie]].

[[folder:Seamus]]

* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:He's the real leader of Libria, acting under the nominal authority of the long-dead Father.]]

* ManInWhite: In the climax he's clad in a completely white cleric's ceremonial uniform.

!!Andrew Brandt (Taye Diggs)

!!Father (Sean Pertwee)

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* DecoyProtagonist: At first it seems like he would be the hero of the story.

* BaldOfEvil: He's skull is clean shaven.

* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Witnessing her death provides Preston with the impetus to take down the government. Could also be read as StuffedInTheFridge since she's basically the only female character in the movie...this movie does ''not'' pass the BechdelTest.]]

* TranquilFury: Four words: [[spoiler:"No. Not without incident."]]

* DragonInChief: The de facto decision maker as Father is too old for much of the work required in running their dictatorship. [[spoiler:In actuality, he's the real leader as Father is long daed]].

!!Seamus (Dominic Purcell)

%%* CulturedBadass

!!Seamus (Dominic Purrell)

* StrawHypocrite: [[spoiler:Both he and Brandt aren't on prozium. While Father sincerely believed he was creating a utopia, [=DuPont=], when confronted, doesn't even hide that he's simply running an oligarchy.]]

* StrawHypocrite: [[spoiler:Both [=DuPont=] and Brandt aren't on prozium, but they advocate the prosecution and execution of all sense offenders with fanatic zeal]].

!!Mary O' Brien (Emily Watson)

%%* KilledOffForReal

%%* KilledOffForReal

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Of course, look who's playing him.]]

%%* KilledOffForReal

%%* KilledOffForReal

!!Jurgen (William Fichtner)

* MurderByCremation: [[spoiler:She's killed as a sense offender by being burned alive in the hall of justice's cremation chambers.]]

* StrawHypocrite: [[spoiler:Both [=DuPont=] and him aren't on prozium, while advocating the prosecution and execution of all sense offenders]].

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He's one of the greatest masters of gun kata. [[spoiler:He puts up much more of a fight in the climax than his Dragon Brandt does.]]

* LargeHam: When he confronts Preston that a sense offender has infiltrated the Grammaton clerics' ranks, he suddenly shouts "'''''ARE YOU PLAYING WITH ME, CLERIC?!'''''" [[spoiler:This is foreshadowing that [=DuPont=] himself is no longer using Prozium.]]

* TheManBehindTheMan: He's the real leader of Libria, acting under the nominal authority of the long-dead Father.
--> Don't look so surprised, Preston. Why should Father be more real than any other political puppet?
* MouthOfSauron: Described as "Father's Voice". Turns out [[spoiler:to be a subversion: the real Father died years before, and [=DuPont=] is actually running things while ''pretending'' to be the MouthOfSauron]].

* TheStoic: [[spoiler:Subverted; [[NotSoStoic he isn't]] [[StrawHypocrite on prozium]].]]

* TheAce: Considered this amongst clerics in combat as well as his ability to find hidden cache's of content. Not so much in his ability to actually realise people are feeling though.

* TheAce: Considered this amongst clerics.

* BadassLongcoat

* GunsAkimbo
* TheGunslinger
* TheHero
* ManInWhite: In the climax.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Minus the [[spoiler:"[[TranquilFury roaring]]"]] part.

* UnwittingPawn

* MurderByCremation
* InnocentBlueEyes
* KilledOffForReal

* BadassLongcoat
* BaldOfEvil

* DiagonalCut: [[spoiler:How he died, with the front of his skill sliced off by Preston's katana]].
* TheDragon

* LargeHam: Slips into this right after he catches Preston.
* KilledOffForReal
* SlasherSmile: Sort of. This is used to [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadow]] that [[spoiler:he's off his meds]].

* CulturedBadass

* NotSoBadassLongcoat

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking
* BigBad

* KilledOffForReal
* LargeHam: "'''''ARE YOU PLAYING WITH ME, CLERIC?!'''''"

* StrawHypocrite: [[spoiler:Both he and Brandt aren't on prozium]].

* BigBrotherIsWatching
* DeadAllAlong

* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans

* LaResistance

* AwesomeMcCoolname
* BadassBeard
* KilledOffForReal
* LaResistance

* [[spoiler:RoaringRampageOfRevenge]]: Minus the [[spoiler:"[[TranquilFury roaring]]"]] part.

* [[spoiler:UnwittingPawn]]

* [[spoiler:MurderByCremation]]

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]]

* [[spoiler:DiagonalCut: How he died]].

* [[spoiler:{{Hypocrite}}: Both [=DuPont=] and him aren't on prozium]].

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]]

* [[spoiler:TearOffYourFace: Preston kills him by slicing his face off with a katana.]]

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal: Of course, look who's playing him.]]

* [[spoiler:BigBad]]

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]]

* [[spoiler:TheManBehindTheMan]]
--> Don't look so surprised, Preston. Why should [[spoiler:Father]] be more [[spoiler:real than any other political puppet]]?

* [[spoiler:OhCrap: Gets progressively more unnerved as he watches Preston [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge defeat]] each layer of his defenses.]]
* [[spoiler:StrawHypocrite: Both he and Brandt aren't on prozium]].

* [[spoiler:DeadAllAlong]]

* [[spoiler:ChekhovsGunman]]: [[spoiler:He's one of the speech attendants at the beginning of the movie]].

* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal]]