History Main / NonProtagonistResolver

Compare SupportingProtagonist, the counterpart for said "resolver", as well as BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork, when a villain plays the "resolver" role. SelfDisposingVillian is an aversion, where the villain plays his own "resolver" in cases where the protagonist would be reluctant to do so.

Compare SupportingProtagonist, the counterpart for said "resolver", as well as BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork, when a villain plays the "resolver" role.

** Played with in the third book, which has a BigBadTriumvirate. Carter only kills one member of the group, Salensus Oll, before the final confrontation, while the other two - Thurid and Matai Shang - turn on each other during the climax. Thurid wins, but is then killed by Shang's [[AvengingTheVillain vengeful]] daughter, [[DarkChick Phaidor]].

* ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'': ''Series/{{Supergirl|2015}}'''s first crossover with ''Series/TheFlash2014'' has the two heroes go up against a VillainTeamUp of [[PsychoElectro Livewire]] and [[MakeMeWannaShout Silver Banshee]]. However, the villains are actually winning until some firefighters whom Kara saved in a previous episode show up and blast them with water; this causes Livewire to accidentally defeat herself and Silver Banshee with her electrical powers. This ''does'' tie into Kara's arc about people learning to trust her again after the [[NotHimself Red Kryptonite incident]], but it's odd when, during the show's first superhero team-up of all times, the {{Muggle}}s wind up saving the day.

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/IronMan'', since Tony partially disassembled his armor (he attempts a HandBlast before forgetting he removed his glove) and had no power to use his weapons thanks to working with an inferior arc reactor, Pepper is the one who winds up taking out the BigBad via overloading the reactor so he gets electrocuted and suffers a DisneyVillainDeath.

* The Future Trunks Saga of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' marks the first arc where the villain, aka Zamasu isn't defeated by the Z-Fighters. Instead, he is defeated by [[spoiler:Future Zen'O as a last ditch effort after Zamasu turns into a bodiless EldritchAbomination that the heroes seemingly couldn't touch at all]]. The Universe Survival Saga is a second, where [[spoiler: Goku and Frieza sacrifice themselves to ring out Jiren, leaving Android 17 to win the tournament for Universe 7.]]

* The GoldenEnding of ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' has the protagonists stop the BigBad and his meddling with the flow of time, but the overarching desertification problem is beyond their capacity to solve. Instead, two scientists they helped during a sidequest are hinted to eventually make a breakthrough and stop the problem.
** The ''Perfect Chronology'' UpdatedRerelease defies the trope as the heroes confront the monster at the source of the desertification and kill it, ending the problem on their own.
* In ''VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII'', you're supposed to resolve the Fawn storyline by investigating the Oracle during the trial recess, finding that the villains have co-opted it for their benefit, and resetting it so your companion is acquitted. You can instead completely ignore this and return to the trial, whereupon your companion is found guilty and sentenced to death... and then a group of rebel NPCs barge in, reveal that the trial is corrupt, and make the Oracle give a true verdict instead, resulting in the acquittal. It's hardly heroic, but you [[WinsByDoingAbsolutelyNothing don't have to do anything at all.]]

* ''Series/Jeremiah}}'': Jeremiah (whose name is the title), Kurdy, and eventually Mr. Smith are the wandering heroes the show focuses on and Markus is the BigGood, but none of them are primarily responsible for defeating either major villainous force.

* ''Film/TheBookOfHenry'': [[spoiler:School principal Janice started the showcase of how AdultsAreUseless by refusing to do something about Christina's abuse by her father because she lacked evidence, which is what started Henry down the path of deciding killing Hank (the aforementioned abusive father) was the only solution. At the climax, at the very same time that Henry's mother decides not to carry out Henry's murder plan (because Henry is dead and can't do it himself) and tells Hank that she knows, Janice sees Christina's immense sorrow as she's doing a ballet routine for the school halfway across town, finally gets a MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction, and calls the police with her complaint, JustInTime because Hank had already called the cops to come arrest Henry's mother for the conspiracy to commit murder and thus they just decide to change targets. Hank, knowing an investigation will inevitably expose his abuse and he will be arrested, blows his brains out.]]

** The eighth season not only takes [[TheHero Jack]] out of action early on in the finale but builds up Chole and Core Ortiz as the ones who are going to expose the conspiracy and coverup of [[spoiler:the current President (having fallen under Logan's sway)]], which includes protecting terrorists who were involved in the day's events. Only [[spoiler:Chloe and Cole both end up getting arrested]] and the one to expose the crooked wrongdoings is... [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn the President herself]], who hits a major HeelRealization and out of guilt confesses everything that's happened.]]

** TheHero duo Woody and Buzz, along with the rest of the toys are facing their DarkestHour, everyone has lost hope and are just waiting for their death from the [[spoiler:incinerator]]. Cue a literal DeusExMachina in the form of [[spoiler: [[CallBack THE CLAW]]]], controlled by none other than [[spoiler: The Little Green Men trio, whom Mr Potatohead "rescued" (and ignored for repeatedly saying [[BrokenRecord "You have saved our lives, we are eternally grateful!"]]) back in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2''. Which prompts him to [[MeaningfulEcho echo their words]] to them after their rescue.

** A particularly touching one: TheHero duo Woody and Buzz, along with the rest of the toys are facing their DarkestHour, the show has already ShooOutTheClowns (i.e. The LittleGreenMen Trio, who were also TheLoad, and everyone had lost hope and given up and were just waiting for their death from the [[spoiler:Incinerator Pit]] they got themselves trapped into. Cue a literal DeusExMachina from out of nowhere (it was never in the shots!) in the form of [[spoiler: [[CallBack THE CLAW]]]], controlled by none other than [[spoiler: The Little Green Men trio, whom Mr Potatohead "rescued" (and ignored for repeatedly saying [[BrokenRecord "You have saved our lives, we are eternally grateful!"]]) back in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2''. Which prompts him to [[MeaningfulEcho echo their words]] to them after their rescue. As for the relevance of The Claw; The LGM were toys obtainable only through a Claw Crane Game in Pizza Planet. They consider The Claw there as [[CrystalDragonJesus sort of savior]] that will "[[TheChooserOfTheOne take the chosen to a better place]]". Making The Claw scene in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' a Foreshadowing]].

** A core gameplay mechanic in ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRogue''. Whenever you have a neutralize or destroy mission it doesn't matter who or what does the neutralizing and destroying, and [[ImmersiveSim there are a lot of common scenarios where NPCs will start murdering each other without needing you to instigate it first.]] It's not uncommon to start a level and almost immediately be told that you've completed one or more of your missions. While rarer this can even extend to [[FinalBoss The Mayor]], where if someone else kills them first you'll just need to go pick the hat up off the ground [[spoiler: or if they happened to knock it into a pit then it will immediately trigger the final cutscene with zero input from the player.]]

* ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'': Near the end of the 3-part "More the Meets the Eye" pilot series, [[TheHero Optimus]] [[TheCaptain Prime]] literally gets shot down while trying to pursue the Decepticon space cruiser. When the other Autobots regroup with him, he notices that [[{{ninja}} Mirage]] [[ChekhovsGun is missing.]] The scene then shifts back to the Decepticons [[spoiler: right as Mirage de-cloaks and guns down the ship's controls. Then bails as the ship plummets into the ocean, taking the Decepticons with it]].

* In ''Film/TheJackal'', the terrorist released from prison and hired to help stop the feared assassin (who he worked with in the past) from killing a politician, doesn't kill him in the end, as the Jackal gets the best of him. Instead, he is killed by the terrorist past love interest. Becomes DeathByIrony, because the Jackal kept taunting him about how he can't protect his women. But clearly, his women can protect him.
* Creator/DenisVilleneuve likes this trope. Mary, Adam's girlfriend, accidentally getting herself and Anthony killed allowing Adam to take his identity in ''Film/{{Enemy}}'', and Alejandro killing BigBad Alarcon while Kate is sidelined in ''Film/{{Sicario}}''.
* In ''Film/StarshipTroopers'', Rico seems set to lead the team that captures the Brain Bug. After being diverted from his primary goal to find his desperately endangered ex-girlfriend, however, he has to abandon this objective. He finds the bug anyway, but is unable to capture it because of the hordes of warrior-caste arachnids surrounding it. After escaping, he and the others who survive from his group find that the Brain Bug was eventually captured [[spoiler:by a minor character from much earlier in the series who left off being a drill sergeant to fight again, and whose character arc was never followed much beyond that]].

* While ''Literature/Island1962'''s hero Will has the authorization to negotiate on behalf of one of the oil companies that threaten Pala, he never does and his presence on the island doesn't change squat, at least not in terms of international situation. He himself learns a lot, but that's it.
* ''Literature/GhostInTheNoondaySun:'' Oliver is the narrator, but Jack o' Lantern is the one [[spoiler:who figures out a way to trick Captain Scratch into thinking he's died and turned into a ghost so he won't resist being marooned.]] He also saves Oliver's life when the pirate ship sinks soon afterward.
* Literature/HarryPotter only destroys one of Voldemort’s [[SoulJar horcuxes]] himself, the diary. Dumbledore destroys the ring, Ron the locket (although Harry does play a supporting role in that one), and Hermione the goblet. Crabbe uses a powerful fire spell he can’t control in the Room of Requirement and takes the tiara with it. Voldemort [[HoistByHisOwnPetard inadvertently destroys one himself when he “kills” Harry]]. Neville then kills Nagini after Harry’s “death”, making him mortal once and for all. Harry also doesn’t technically kill Voldemort. Voldemort uses the killing curse on him and since Harry is the master of the Elder Wand, it backfires on Voldemort and kills him.

* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' is a recurrent PlayedForLaughs example. The opening titles and narrative generally play off Gadget as the one going after Doctor Claw and his MAD agents. In reality, Gadget is more often than not a UselessProtagonist, with his niece Penny and dog Brain being the ones to do the actual competent sleuthing behind the scenes with no one the wiser. It's pretty much a role reversal whenever Penny fails and Gadget ends up stopping MAD himself (usually by accidental buffoonery).

** A particularly touching one: TheHero duo Woody and Buzz, along with the rest of the toys are facing their DarkestHour, the show has already ShooOutTheClowns (i.e. The LittleGreenMen Trio, who were also TheLoad, and everyone had lost hope and given up and were just waiting for their death from the [[spoiler:Incinerator Pit]] they got themselves trapped into. Cue a literal DeusExMachina from out of nowhere (it was never in the shots!) in the form of [[spoiler: [[CallBack THE CLAW]]]], controlled by none other than [[spoiler: The Little Green Men trio, whom Mr Potatohead "rescued" (and ignored for repeatedly saying [[BrokenRecord "You have saved our lives, we are eternally grateful!"]]) back in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2''. Which prompts him to [[MeaningfulEcho echo their words]] to them after their rescue. As for the relevance of The Claw; The LGM were toys obtainable only through a Claw Crane Game in Pizza Planet. They consider The Claw there as [[CrystalDragonJesus sort of savior]] that will "[[TheChooserOfTheOne take the chosen to a better place]]". Making The Claw scene in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' a Foreshadowing]].

* ''WesternAnimation/EgoTrip'' starts when some killer robots walk out of Dexter's time machine into his lab, announcing they have come to destroy "the one who saved the future." Dexter defeats the robots, and travels forward in time to find out how he saves the future. In the final battle, while the four Dexters from different times are struggling against four versions of Mandark as they try to reach the button to re-set the corrupted Neurotomic Protocore, [[spoiler:Dexter's ditzy sister Dee Dee pops out of the time machine on the Dexters' ruined mecha, having accidentally travelled forward in time. She presses the button on the Protocore, unwittingly saving humanity and stealing the glory from Dexter. The Dexters are so angry that they send four killer robots through the time machine to kill "the one who saved the future", which creates a StableTimeLoop when Dexter's past self mistakenly assumes the robots came to kill him instead of Dee Dee]].

* ''WesternAnimation/EgoTrip'' starts when some killer robots walk out of Dexter's time machine into his lab, announcing they have come to destroy "the one who saved the future." Dexter defeats the robots, and travels forward in time to find out how he saves the future. In the final battle, while the four Dexters from different times are struggling against four versions of Mandark as they try to reach the switch to re-set the corrupted Neurotomic Protocore, [[spoiler:Dexter's ditzy sister Dee Dee pops out of the time machine on the Dexters' ruined mecha, having accidentally travelled forward in time. She presses the button on the Protocore, unwittingly saving humanity and stealing the glory from Dexter. The Dexters are so angry that they send four killer robots through the time machine to kill "the one who saved the future", which creates a StableTimeLoop when Dexter's past self mistakenly assumes the robots came to kill him instead of Dee Dee]].

* ''WesternAnimation/EgoTrip'' starts when some killer robots come out of a time portal and into Dexter’s Lab, announcing they have come to destroy "the one who saved the future." Dexter defeats the robots, and travels forward in time to find out how he saves the future. In the final battle, where the four Dexters are struggling against the four Mandarks as they try to reach the switch to re-set the corrupted Neurotomic Protocore, [[spoiler:Dexter's ditzy sister Dee Dee comes out of the past and hits the switch, unwittingly saving humanity and stealing the glory from Dexter. The Dexters are so angry that they construct the killer robots to go back and kill "the one who saved the future", which creates a StableTimeLoop when Dexter in the past mistakenly assumes the robots came to kill him instead of Dee Dee]].