History Main / MemeticBystander

* ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has an [[EnsembleDarkhorse/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic unbelievable amount of these]]:

[[caption-width-right:350: And more pics, custom toys, {{shipping}}, costumes, [[OverlyLongGag characterisations...]]]]

** While several NPCs in ''KaneAndLynch 2: Dog Days'' just kind of stand and stare blankly at the protagonists (despite how many guns they're packing and/or how many bullet wounds they're covered in), one middle-aged man in the chapter "Laying Low" has received some attention for getting up off of his stoop and staring fearlessly at Lynch when he's walked past.

* In ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', as Rossiu [[spoiler:Announces Simon's execution]], a man can be seen in the crowd giving a BicepPolishingGesture. However, due to cultural differences the Western audience interpreted as the man giving an "up-yours" gesture. Dubbed Bruce Ironstaunch, this man became the vent of viewer's hate to [[TheScrappy Rossiu]].

* In Music/RebeccaBlack's ''Music/{{Friday}}'' video, a girl in pink dancing awkwardly next to Black in one scene exploded in popularity from an already [[MemeticMutation notable]] song.

* ''{{Homestuck}}'' has Ms. Paint, a Prospitian woman who carries a bucket of paint and seems to be a part of the White Queen's retinue. Fan reaction lead to a cameo in one of the comic's many fourth wall breaking segments, during which she became the author's love interest.
** And in an out-of-universe example: Lemy Telya (short for Let Me Tell You About Homestuck), a nameless security guard who can be seen in the background of [[http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/160625 this]] photograph scowling at a group of cosplayers at a convention. It goes deeper, he's inspired fanart, cosplay, fanart OF the cosplay. It's safe to say, knowing Homestuck, it's only a matter of time before it hits full recursion and appears in the comic itself

* [[TwoWordsObviousTrope Two Words]]: [[MeanGirls Glen Coco]].

* Figwit, from ''TheLordOfTheRings'' films. As a result of the "Frodo Is Great, WHO IS THAT?!" meme, this originally nameless background elf played by Bret [=McKenzie=] of [[{{Music/FlightOfTheConchords}} Flight of the Concords]] fame, who was given a name and backstory, courtesy of the fans, and Peter Jackson brought him back with dialogue and a proper name for the following movies.

* Figwit, from ''TheLordOfTheRings'' films. As a result of the "Frodo Is Great, WHO IS THAT?!" meme, this originally nameless background extra was given a name and backstory, courtesy of the fans, and Peter Jackson brought him back with dialogue for the following movie.

* ''MortalKombat9'' features the "Lady in Purple", a random slave girl in a purple skirt who appears in a story mode cutscene briefly and never comes up again. She was raised to this status after a topic sprung up on a fansite message board written by someone who wanted her to be playable because they liked her design. To a lesser extent, there's also "Steam", a grey PaletteSwap of the ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' female ninja model who appears in a lineup of fighters entering the tournament who fans have declared to be the DistaffCounterpart of Smoke and the "Lady in Green", a mysterious goddess who possesses Jade in her ending.

[[caption-width-right:350:There's a lot more where that came from.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/M_Bystander_DerpyHooves_V4_5843.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:There's a lot more where that came from.]]

* ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob:'' [[CastOfSnowflakes does not believe in]] FacelessMasses, and these background extras tend to reappear later with actual personalities. Floyd Fitznewski, Heywood J. Lookathat, Ms. Hatbrim, and Herb Gardner all first appeared as background extras in crowd shots. The strip's [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/CharAll.html character page]] even lists "Random Woman From Crowd Scene on Aug. 14, 2007: The only figure in that scene who has never reappeared."

* ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob:'' Floyd Fitznewski, Heywood J. Lookathat, Ms. Hatbrim, and Herb Gardner all first appeared as background extras in crowd shots. The strip's [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/CharAll.html character page]] even lists "Random Woman From Crowd Scene on Aug. 14, 2007: The only figure in that scene who has never reappeared."

** And in an out-of-universe example: Lemy Telya (short for Let Me Tell You About Homestuck), a nameless security guard who can be seen in the background of [[http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/160625 this]] photograph scowling at a group of cosplayers at a convention.

** Octavia, a cello/double bass playing pony with an incredible resemblance to Pinkie Pie's sister, who generally [[PerverseSexualLust smolders gracefully]] whenever she's on screen.

* Balding Asian Guy from ''StargateUniverse'' had some popularity from appearing in crowd scenes in one episode.

* In ''StreetFighterII'', there's a background character in the Las Vegas stage (Balrog's) that always loses a bet no matter who wins. He sobs on his forearm once a round is over.

** In Ken's stage from ''II'' (a yacht docked at what is believed to be the San Francisco bay), [[http://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters3/q-screenshot.jpg there's a mysterious man on the boat]] who ''heavily'' resembles Q from ''StreetFighterIII''. [[EpilepticTrees Cue fan rumors.]] Notably, the guy thought to be Q is absent in ''[[VideoGameRemake HD Remix]]'', which raised more than a few eyebrows from fans.

* In ''StreetFighterII'', there's a background character in the Las Vegas stage that always loses a bet no matter who wins. He sobs on his forearm once a round is over.

** Before him, there was the shorts kid.
--> "Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!"

* IigerAndBunny gives us a young girl with a pink scarf who shows up every single episode, and has been nicknamed "Scarf-tan".

* ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has Poorfag-chan, a girl in the protagonists' class taking notes in a notebook. This was only picked up because everyone else in this particularly fancy school was using laptops. After many threads on a certain ImageBoard, she became an incredibly [[ThePollyana optimistic young girl]] despite her horrendous living circumstances. She is somewhat [[TheDitz ditzy]] and takes [[ButtMonkey whatever the world throws at her]] with good grace.
** A lesser example is Clip Girl, another random student that some fans picked up on because she was looking at Homura. Fans decided that Clip Girl [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer had a crush]].

* ''MortalKombat9'' features the "Lady in Purple", a random slave girl in a purple skirt who appears in a story mode cutscene briefly and never comes up again. She was raised to this status after a topic sprung up on a fansite message board written by someone who wanted her to be playable because they liked her design. To a lesser extent, there's also "Steam", a grey PaletteSwap of the ''MortalKombat3'' female ninja model who appears in a lineup of fighters entering the tournament who fans have declared to be the DistaffCounterpart of Smoke and the "Lady in Green", a mysterious goddess who possesses Jade in her ending.

* The Turian Groundskeeper's [[DummiedOut cut lines]] and the Alliance Drill Instructor's [[MemeticBadass awesome speech]] in MassEffect2 both have been elevated to this state.