History Main / SlidingScaleOfPlotVersusCharacters

** The sequel trilogy is a mixed bag. ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' is rather like the originals, with equal focus on both the plot of getting the map to Luke Skywalker to the Resistance before the First Order, and individual character arcs (Finn's journey from a defected Stormtrooper running away to a hero, Rey learning to let go of the parents who are never coming back and setting out on her Jedi journey, Han confronting his past, Kylo Ren's struggle with the Light and Dark). ''Film/TheLastJedi'' is largely character-driven, at least with the A and B plots; Rey, Luke and Kylo spend a lot of the movie just talking with each other and uncovering more about their characters, while Poe is stuck in a SternChase and butts heads with Admiral Holdo. The exception is the C plot; while Finn and Rose's relationship plays a part in this, it's more focused on their wacky adventures trying to find a codebreaker. ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' is almost entirely plot-driven; there is some focus on Rey discovering the truth about her past and angsting about it, but it's mostly concerned with the plot to find Exegol and stop the enemy fleet.

* ''StarWars'':

** [[Film/ThePhantomMenace The]] [[Film/AttackOfTheClones prequel]] [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith trilogy]] lies mostly in the middle, but a bit more skewed towards character, seeing as its an OrginStory for Anakin Skywalker and how he became Darth Vader. Anakin's growing darkness, and his relationships with Obi-Wan, Padmé and Palpatine etc. all contribute directly to the main plot about the fall of the Jedi and Republic, and the rise of the Empire.
** The sequel trilogy is a mixed bag. ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' is rather like the originals, with equal focus on both the plot of getting the map to Luke Skywalker to the Resistance before the First Order, and individual character arcs (Finn's journey from a defected Stormtrooper running away to a hero, Rey learning to let go of the parents who are never coming back and setting on her Jedi journey, Han confronting his past, Kylo Ren's struggle with the Light and Dark). ''Film/TheLastJedi'' is largely character-driven, at least with the A and B plots; Rey, Luke and Kylo spend a lot of the movie just talking with each other and uncovering more about their characters, while Poe is stuck in a SternChase and butts heads with Admiral Holdo. The exception is the C plot; while Finn and Rose's relationship plays a part in this, it's more focused on their wacky adventures trying to find a codebreaker. ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' is almost entirely plot-driven; there is some focus on Rey discovering the truth about her past and angsting about it, but it's mostly concerned with the plot to find Exegol and stop the enemy fleet.

* The original ''StarWars'' trilogy falls in the middle of the scale, being about more than just about a small group of rebels doing battle against the Galactic Empire, a force several times larger and more powerful than them. It was also about several issues that were smaller than the rebellion itself, two of them being the most vital of them all (Luke's quest to become a full-fledged Jedi, and Han and Leia's relationship).

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* ''Fanfic/{{Team 8}}'' is somewhere in the middle, with characters' personal conflicts getting a fair amount of development, but also being tied to the plot. Franchise/{{Naruto}} is ostracized in Konoha, as a result of a GovernmentConspiracy against him. Hinata suffers [[AbusiveParents abuse from her father]], who is also part of that conspiracy. Kurenai, while mentoring a team of genin, often thinks back to the fate of her old team, and the belief that someone in the village, quite possibly the aforementioned conspiracy, was responsible. Even Shino, who has less at stake, finds himself learning more about his teammates' problems and getting involved in them, such as by learning that Naruto is host of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

* ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'' is heavy on the plot side, although the rewrite does add more characterization to everyone to help explain the plot.

* ''{{Film/Interstellar}}'' falls into the plot end of the scale. While some characters like Cooper and Murphy do have their moments, the movie's main focus is both their respective plots - finding life on other planets and solving the unsolvable equation.
* ''{{Film/Sunshine}}'' is on the character side of the scale. The journey to restore the sun isn't focused on too much, and more emphasis is on the characters' reactions to certain situations.

* The ''{{Franchise/Alien}}'' franchise shows that multiple films can fall on either end of the scale:
** ''{{Film/Alien}}'' is plot-focused - with the crew trying to get rid of the alien before it kills them all.
** ''{{Film/Aliens}}'' is in the middle. The story balances the marines trying to stop the aliens with Ripley's surrogate mother relationship towards Newt.
** ''{{Film/Alien3}}'' is character-focused - as Ripley is forced to contemplate her position in the world as another alien runs wild.

* ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}'' zigzagged through this. Earlier seasons - particularly the second - followed more character-driven plots, and the supernatural stuff was only a bit of flavouring. Season 5 in particular was more plot-based, with various MonsterOfTheWeek storylines. Seasons 6-8 were a mix - featuring arc-based plots that still helped the characters grow.

* The two major HBO blockbusters, as of 2019, sit mostly on opposite sides. ''Series/{{Westworld}}'' focuses more on plot, being more akin to a mystery story which the viewer has to unpick (the show is ''very'' fond of flash-forwards and flashbacks, scatters [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowing]] in background props and music choices, and any of the characters [[RoboticReveal could be replaced by a ridiculously human robot]] at any point). Meanwhile, ''Series/GameOfThrones'' tends to take its time building up to setpiece battles and plots which affect the whole realm, instead focusing on [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters the lives and interpersonal relationships of its very, very large cast.]] Of course, this isn't to say that ''Westworld'' is devoid of compelling characters, or that ''Game of Thrones'' isn't afraid to [[WhamEpisode/GameOfThrones surprise the viewer with sudden plot shifts.]]

* Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog: The series tends vary depending on the form of media, [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog the]] [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW various]] [[ComicBook/SonicTheComic comics]] tend to favor the plot over the characters, while the video games are the inverse. Starting with VideoGame/SonicAdventure however, the games began to lean towards the plot, which continued until VideoGame/SonicUnleashed where the scale started to lean back towards the cast again.

* ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' has the interesting distinction of being almost entirely plot-driven, despite having a wide and interesting cast of characters. The characters are trapped a [[YouCantFightFate fate-driven]] video game and if they don't perform a series of very specific tasks in the right order, they die. end of story. The characters all have very unique personalities, but they have no choice about their actions, so the plot leads the story.

* The original ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' leaned heavily towards the characters, specifically focusing on Alex the lion as he comes to terms with the fact that his best friends are supposed to be his prey.
** The second was even more character-focused.
*** Alex reunites with his parents and has to deal with the high expectations they have of him.
*** Marty the zebra finds a herd to run with, but is unnerved to find all the other zebras are identical to him in every way.
*** Melman the giraffe thinks he is dying and has to deal with his own mortality, along with his long unspoken love for Gloria the hippo.
*** And Gloria must choose between Moto Moto, the handsome hippo who is attracted to her primarily for her looks, and Melman, who has been her friend for most of her life.
** The third movie, however, is heavily focused on plot. The four stars are now on the run from an insanely dedicated animal control officer, and the majority of the movie focuses on their attempts to evade her, while trying to revive a struggling circus, which is their best ticket back to New York.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' falls in the middle. There is an overarching plot of the quest to reach Mount Doom, but it is also driven by the characters' internal conflicts. For example, Frodo doesn't just have to reach Mount Doom so that he can destroy the One Ring, but do so while resisting its temptation.
* The Literature/{{Deryni}} works are equally plot and character-driven, largely because many of the protagonists have to deal with the powers and the persecution that come with being Deryni, as well as the strife between the rival kingdoms of Gwynedd and Torenth. In particular, Denis Arilan and Duncan [=McLain=] have to resolve a basic personal conflict between their arcane abilities and their vocations; they both choose to be priests, but Denis chooses to keep his secret as far as possible, while Duncan eventually chooses to live openly as a Deryni priest. Alaric Morgan has spent years cultivating an ominous reputation, yet he has to adjust when a new king (Kelson, himself half Deryni) takes the throne and works to end the persecutions and regain lost knowledge. Kelson has to grow into his own as a man and a king, cope with his heritage on a personal level and cope with rebellions, church schism, and the rival kingdom to the east.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games initially focused on plot (though it was ''very'' minimal back then) and characters had nothing beyond their defined roles. Starting with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', the shift tilted slightly towards characters where they had their defined traits, quirks, and problems to overcome, but the games still leaned more towards the plot. ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' buckled the trend by shifting the balance in the other direction; the plot doesn't evolve beyond "stop the moon from falling", but a ''lot'' of the side characters that have no relevance to the plot have their own backstories and problems to overcome and you get to see how their lives are affected by said problems.

* ''LitFic'' as a whole tends to be more character driven then other kinds of fiction. The average literary story is driven by the internal life of a point of character, with the plot usually being a relatively simply vehicle for the characters or almost non existent. This helps preserve the ScifiGhetto because English professors and other literary readers and writers tend to see this kind of storytelling as deeper and having more artistic substance.

* ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' is mainly about two sisters, Elsa and Anna, reconnecting after many years apart, and about Elsa's struggles with her magical powers, making it somewhat heavily on the characters side.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' is very much on the character side of the spectrum. While there is a [[JigsawPuzzlePlot surprisingly dense plot]], it's directly tied to the characters' actions, specifically resident [[MagicalGirlWarrior Magical Girl Warrior]]s the Crystal Gems. While there were subtle clues easily missed amongst the background scenery, it isn't until the 17th episode where the viewer sees there's a bit more going on beyond [[AllLovingHero Steven]]'s adventures and character growth. By the time the first major WhamEpisode of "Mirror Gem" starts, half of the first season has passed, subtly developing the main and secondary cast. TropesAreNotBad as the slow pace and strong character focus amplifies the tension greatly when [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Homeworld Gems]] do show up. As the series goes on, the plot is revealed to be almost entirely shaped by [[DefectorFromDecadence the Crystal Gems]]. The SliceOfLife themes stay grounded even while the plot majorly picks up. Whereas most cartoons would increase the drama according to how serious the storyline becomes, SU will happily dedicate an episode to a seemingly minor character. Long story short, this provides a massive MoodWhiplash as the SpaceOpera themes collide with a sleepy beach town grounded in SliceOfLife.

* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is initially heavily character-oriented, the earlier parts' plots could be considered [[ExcusePlot Excuse Plots]] to provide a context for the awesome characters to fight each others, and the story focuses more on how the characters drive the events than the events themselves. The latest part ''[=JoJolion=]'' is however a QuestForIdentity where the plot and the characters take an equal part in the overall story.

* The Literature/{{Deryni}} works are equally plot and character driven, largely because many of the protagonists have to deal with the powers and the persecution that come with being Deryni, as well as the strife between the rival kingdoms of Gwynedd and Torenth. In particular, Denis Arilan and Duncan [=McLain=] have to resolve a basic personal conflict between their arcane abilities and their vocations; they both choose to be priests, but Denis chooses to keep his secret as far as possible, while Duncan eventually chooses to live openly as a Deryni priest. Alaric Morgan has spent years cultivating an ominous reputation, yet he has to adjust when a new king (Kelson, himself half Deryni) takes the throne and works to end the persecutions and regain lost knowledge. Kelson has to grow into his own as a man and a king, cope with his heritage on a personal level and cope with rebellions, church schism, and the rival kingdom to the east.

* ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}'' zigzagged through this. Earlier seasons - particularly the second - followed more character driven plots, and the supernatural stuff was only a bit of flavouring. Season 5 in particular was more plot-based, with various MonsterOfTheWeek storylines. Seasons 6-8 were a mix - featuring arc-based plots that still helped the characters grow.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' is somewhat character driven, with many of the characters' personal struggles against their own pasts and weaknesses driving the plot.

* ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'': Its a series that goes through the entire scale, that started off more character driven given that the plot hadn't really kicked in yet, but slowly became more plot focused as the series went on. Its generally divided as followed:

* The comics of the ''Webcomic/{{Buildingverse}}'' (''Webcomic/GirlsNextDoor'', ''Webcomic/DownTheStreet'', ''Webcomic/{{Superintendent}}'', ''Webcomic/MeanwhileUpstairs'') firmly fall on the character driven side, which isn't as surprising as most fit under RomanticComedy / FantasticComedy (outside of being MetaFic and whatnot). Even ''Webcomic/{{Roommates}}'' which {{Continuity Creep}}s in the direction of SupernaturalSoapOpera or maybe even UrbanFantasy and so gets more and more serious in the plot department but to date is still more about the characters.
** For added weirdness despite being a small scale character driven story ''Roommates'' is also pretty far on the fate side of the SlidingScaleOfFreeWillVsFate and the whole verse has the TheoryOfNarrativeCausality (and {{Fanservice}}) as SentientCosmicForce. You could word it that the Plot is a character too and is kind of a {{jerkass}} and as of the ''Kings War'' arc we mean this literally.
* ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'' has the interesting distinction of being almost entirely plot driven, despite having a wide and interesting cast of characters; the characters are trapped a [[YouCantFightFate fate-driven]] video game and if they don't perform a series of very specific tasks in the right order, they die. end of story. The characters all have very unique personalities, but they have no choice about their actions, so the plot leads the story

* The two major HBO blockbusters, as of 2019, sit mostly on opposite sides. ''Series/{{Westworld}}'' focuses more on plot, being more akin to a mystery story which the viewer has to unpick (the show is ''very'' fond of flash-forwards and flashbacks, and any of the characters [[RoboticReveal could be replaced by a ridiculously human robot]] at any point. Meanwhile, ''Series/GameOfThrones'' tends to take its time building up to setpiece battles and plots which affect the whole realm, instead focusing on [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters the lives and interpersonal relationships of its very, very large cast.]] Of course, this isn't to say that ''Westworld'' is devoid of compelling characters, or that ''Game of Thrones'' isn't afraid to [[WhamEpisode/GameOfThrones surprise the viewer with sudden plot shifts.]]

* ''Fanfic/{{Team 8}}'' is somewhere in the middle, with characters' personal conflicts getting a fair amount of development, but also being tied to the plot. {{Naruto}} is ostracized in Konoha, as a result of a GovernmentConspiracy against him. Hinata suffers [[AbusiveParents abuse from her father]], who is also part of that conspiracy. Kurenai, while mentoring a team of genin, often thinks back to the fate of her old team, and the belief that someone in the village, quite possibly the aforementioned conspiracy, was responsible. Even Shino, who has less at stake, finds himself learning more about his teammates' problems and getting involved in them, such as by learning that Naruto is host of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

* ''{{Series/Charmed}}'' zig zagged through this. Earlier seasons - particularly the second - followed more character driven plots, and the supernatural stuff was only a bit of flavouring. Season 5 in particular was more plot-based, with various MonsterOfTheWeek storylines. Seasons 6-8 were a mix - featuring arc-based plots that still helped the characters grow.

* The ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series gradually progressed from the character-focused to the plot-focused end of the spectrum: the original ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'' and ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' were very character-focused, with a bunch of named Saints and just as many rival gang lieutenants who had numerous, if somewhat flat interactions with each other. The overall narrative was also very nonlinear, thanks to focusing on different [[CastHerd sets of characters]]. From ''VideoGame/SaintsRow3'', the series became a more tightly scripted and linear affair, focusing primarily on the over-the-top power trip fantasy of being the Boss, while reducing named enemies to one (at most, two) per faction. This culminated in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' and ''VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell'', where the devs had to pull (dead) characters from previous games into episodic roles, just to pad out the straightforward and linear antihero vs. villain plot.