History Main / SmallRoleBigImpact

This can occasionally overlap with OneSceneWonder, PosthumousCharacter, TheGhost, SpearCarrier. Also see PlotIncitingDeath, where everything is set off because they are gone. An UnknownCharacter takes this trope to its logical conclusion by not having them appear at all.

This can occasionally overlap with OneSceneWonder, PosthumousCharacter, TheGhost, SpearCarrier. An UnknownCharacter takes this trope to its logical conclusion by not having them appear at all.

** [[spoiler: Cass, in the "[[Recap/DoctorWho50thPrequelTheNightOfTheDoctor Night of the Doctor''" minisode. She appears in ''Doctor Who'' for all of six minutes, most of which is after her death. But her death is what pushes the Doctor over the Despair Event Horizon and into participating in the Time War, which had a HUGE impact on the rest of the series.]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The undeniably heroic Harriet Jones, Prime Minister (yes, [[RunningGag we know who she is]]), played by the inimitable Penelope Wilton, appears in a grand total of four episodes. In the third of those, the Doctor's reaction to something she does changes the entire course of history and has serious consequences for the next three seasons of that show and all of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}''. Then, despite having been thoroughly screwed over by said Doctor, she proceeds to help save the world with a [[TearJerker tear-jerking]] HeroicSacrifice. She's also a [[OneSceneWonder Four-episode Wonder]], as she's one of the most iconic supporting characters of the new series and a fan favourite.
** [[spoiler: Cass, in the "Night of the Doctor" minisode. She appears in Doctor Who for all of 6 minutes, most of which is after her death. But her death is what pushes the Doctor over the Despair Event Horizon and into participating in the Time War, which had a HUGE impact on the rest of the series.]]

* [[spoiler: Rin]] in ''{{Naruto}}''. [[spoiler: Her death caused a major villain's StartOfDarkness, and by extention ''nearly every significant event in the plot.'']]

* John Colicos played Kor, the first ever Klingon, only once on ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' before reprising the role on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' decades later, yet his Genghis Khan-influenced performance set the standard for all Klingons throughout the whole franchise.

** Also occurs in TheHobbit with characters like Bard, and elsewhere as well - Tolkien was obviously very fond of the idea that ''everyone,'' not just the protagonists or the most powerful beings, can have a major influence on the world.

* The Little Green Men in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', [[spoiler:upon rescuing the toys from the incinerator]].

* Dying Breed rarely appear in ''Manga/{{Beck}}'', but they inspire both Ryuusuke and Koyuki to push the band to great heights, and [[spoiler: Eddie Lee's death]] causes a HeroicBSOD from almost the entire music world. Not only that, but rumors of an unreleased song of theirs drive a huge portion of the plot.

* The Wicked Witch of the West appears onscreen for only about nine minutes of the 101-minute runtime of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (with Margaret Hamilton's other character, Miss Gulch, appearing for about three minutes). And yet she is without question the character in the film who has had the greatest impact on popular culture, being remembered as one of the most frightening villains in movie history, and is the TropeCodifier for the WickedWitch. Both Theater/{{Wicked}} and Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful are plainly inspired by her portrayal.

* The Wicked Witch of the West appears onscreen for only about nine minutes of the 101-minute runtime of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (with Margaret Hamilton's other character, Miss Gulch, appearing for about three minutes). And yet she is without question the character in the film who has had the greatest impact on popular culture, being remembered as one of the most frightening villains in movie history, and is the TropeCodifier for the WickedWitch.

** As an interesting bit of trivia, for this reason Joss Wheedon cut down the role of the Operative as Mr Exposition, because he thought it was just far, far scarier for him to to be the Implacable man, and he isn't being implacable when making speeches about Mal as the worthy advesary.

* [[SteveBuscemi Mink]] in ''MillersCrossing'' only has two short scenes(one of those over the phone), and dies less than halfway in, and yet his "[[LoveTriangle relationship]]" with both [[JohnTurturro Bernie]] and Eddie Dane sets off a large part of the plot.

** Lord Walder Frey appears in only ''three'' chapters of the series (or episodes of the show). He is still able to orchestrate a WhamEpisode in which several important characters are killed and the trajectory of the story is changed forever.

* Darth Vader has only ''nine minutes'' of screentime in ''Film/ANewHope'', yet became not only ''the'' most iconic ''Franchise/StarWars'' character and the central piece of the Saga's story, but also one of the most iconic movie villains of all time.

* Hannibal Lector from ''SilenceOfTheLambs''. He's a minor character in the novel (and in the film he's on screen for only fifteen minutes or so), and yet he drives the plot forward on several occasions all by himself.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' books are full of this. You have characters like Erkenbrand, a Marshall of Rohan leading the troops that Gandalf collects to save everyone at Helms Depp, or Ghan-buri-Ghan, a NobleSavage tribesman who leads the Rohirrim around an ambush so they can arrive at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in time and at full strength.

* Clarisse [=McClellan=] from ''[[{{Fahrenheit451}} Fahrenheit 451]]'' [[NeverFoundTheBody is obscurely written out of the story]] ''very'' early on; however, her influence on Guy Montag instigates the entire plot and every event that happens therein.

* Jessie Taylor in ''Series/DancingOnTheEdge'', whose role is to sing and get murdered, but remains one of the most memorable aspects of the miniseries.

* Dr. Henry Killinger has only two major appearances (with bit roles in few others) in ''TheVentureBrothers'', but in each of those appearances, plays a significant role in shaping the Venture universe.

* Watson's friend Stamford has about two lines, doesn't make it past the first chapter of ''A Study in Scarlet'', and is promptly [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome never seen again]]. But he introduced [[TheWatson John Watson]] and [[GreatDetective Sherlock Holmes]] to each other, resulting in their forming a [[HeterosexualLifePartners life-long]][[HoYay friendship]], and kicking off one of the most well-known and enjoyable [[Literature/SherlockHolmes mystery series]] of modern literature.

* Watson's friend Stamford doesn't make it past the first chapter of ''A Study in Scarlet'' and is promptly [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome never seen again]]. But he introduced [[TheWatson John Watson]] and [[TheGreatDetective Sherlock Holmes]] to each other, resulting in their forming [[HeterosexualLifePartners life-long]][[HoYay friendship]], and kicking off one of the most well-known and enjoyable [[Literature/SherlockHolmes mystery series]] of modern literature.