History Main / VanillaProtagonist

The vanilla protagonist will typically be an easily-relatable "average person," giving the audience the opportunity to step into the world through them. They will usually not be characterized by any particular interest; be decently skilled in many areas but not exceptional. The VP acts as {{Foil}} for the more colorful figures in their world. In other words, the VP is the vehicle by which the audience enters the story. They may even be TheVoiceless or a HeroicMime.

* ''Literature/SecretSanta2007'': Noelle is the main protagonist of the first book, but several people consider her to be the least interesting or relatable character in the story due to her immature actions earlier in the LoveDodecahedron of the first book. Her subplot has some fans but is generally seen to be less colorful, engaging, and original than the other three main romantic subplots.

The vanilla protagonist will typically be an easily-relatable "average person," giving the audience the opportunity to step into the world through them. They will usually have many interests but not be characterized by any of them; be decently skilled in many areas but not exceptional. The VP acts as {{Foil}} for the more colorful figures in their world. In other words, the VP is the vehicle by which the audience enters the story. They may even be TheVoiceless or a HeroicMime.

The vanilla protagonist will typically be an easily-relatable "average person," giving the audience the opportunity to step into the world through them. They will usually have many interests but not be characterized by any of them; be decently skilled in many areas but not exceptional. The VP acts as {{Foil}} for the more colorful figures the audience will encounter through them. In other words, the VP is simply the vehicle. They may even be TheVoiceless or a HeroicMime.

''This trope is not about whether the protagonist is "likable", "popular", or "interesting".'' Therefore, this page is not for complaining about protagonists one may dislike. A show with a Vanilla Protagonist is not inherently a "problem," even if the character has a significant number of detractors. Please keep this in mind when making edits.

The vanilla protagonist will typically be an easily-relatable "average person," giving the audience the opportunity to step into the world through them. They will usually have many interests but not be characterized by any of them; be decently skilled in many areas but not exceptional. The VP acts as {{Foil}} for the more colorful figures the audience will encounter through them. In other words, the VP is simply the vehicle. They may even be TheVoiceless or a SilentProtagonist.

The vanilla protagonist will typically be familiar and easily relatable, giving the audience the opportunity to step into their shoes. They will usually not be too much of anything, or vanilla so to speak. The VP acts as {{Foil}} for other more unique characters the audience will encounter through them. In other words, the other characters drive the story, and the VP is simply the vehicle. The VP may have no voice for this reason.

Since these characters need to be relatively flat by their own merit, they may be unpopular with the fanbase but simply being unpopular does not make them this trope. It makes them TheScrappy. Administrivia/TropesAreTools and having a lead who is a flat or static character isn't necessarily a bad thing if done well. In video games, for example, it can give a player freedom to shape their character, or to think outside the box.

Compare LeadYouCanRelateTo where The Protagonist is modeled after the target audience to better engage them in the story, and AudienceSurrogate, where the protagonist is intentionally left as a blank slate, so that the audience can easily project themselves into the character. Also compare StraightMan who is normally TheStoic to better interact with the PluckyComicRelief but not necessarily a protagonist at all, and the PinballProtagonist, in which the protagonist lacks significant impact to the overall plot and is merely reacting to the other characters' actions.

''This is not for complaining about protagonists one may dislike.''

Therefore, this trope is not about being "likable", "popular", or "interesting". If a show has one of these, it is not inherently a "problem". Please keep this in mind when making edits.

** While Gregory, the KidHero protagonist of ''Security Breach'', has his fans who love him for his surprising resourcefulness, his [[MouthyKid mouthiness]], [[ParentalSubstitute dynamic with Freddy]], and implicitly having a DarkAndTroubledPast of his own, there are also a few who feel he's less interesting than the other characters. Of note is that the cast includes a [[TokenHeroicOrc good guy animatronic]] {{Deuteragonist}}, a [[DysfunctionJunction highly dysfunctional]] cast of enemy animatronics, and a BrainwashedAndCrazy RogueProtagonist. In contrast, Gregory's MysteriousPast is never fully elaborated on despite the game frequently hinting there's more to him than meets the eye, leaving some people more interested in Freddy, the enemy Glamrocks, or Vanny/Vanessa.

** The night guards in the earlier games were only given names, and not much outside of that. While justified by them being mostly [[AudienceSurrogate audience stand-ins]], they're still (probably) not directly involved in the backstory, which features child murder and corporate cover-ups. Of particular note is Michael Afton, the closest thing the series has to an overarching protagonist, who zigzags and downplays this trope. Despite being the son of the BigBad, having a DarkAndTroubledPast, becoming a [[spoiler:RevenantZombie]] in ''Sister Location'', and possibly [[spoiler:being some of the past protagonists all along]], he still doesn't get as much established characterization until [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary material]] was released, showing that he has [[DeadpanSnarker quite the snarky wit]].

* ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'': In a story that features Myth/RobinHood, ServileSnarker Wamba, dog-loving and surprisingly resilient livestock herder Gurth, an intriguing BettyAndVeronica pair, a moneylender who somewhat subverts the GreedyJew stereotype, and two villains who get some interesting CharacterDevelopment and (Bois more than De Bracey) treatment, Wilfred's PinballProtagonist status stands out to many readers.

* ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' has Henry Townshend, who -- unlike virtually every other protagonist in the franchise --he has no [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal baggage]] tying him to the horrors of the titular town, and is genuinely [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy an honest everyman]] who got into the situation from bad luck (i.e., his apartment turning out to be haunted). His unremarkability has proven rather controversial among fans: critics consider him [[FlatCharacter bland and obnoxiously flat]], not helped by having [[DullSurprise some of the most understated and monotone acting in the franchise]]. Meanwhile, some fans like him because his BlankSlate nature allows the narrative to tread into unfamiliar ground (compare to past and future games [[StrictlyFormula whose narratives are almost entirely defined by the protagonist's dark backstory]]), and that making him just some rando [[SupportingProtagonist involved in a much more interesting surrounding plot]] is a breath of fresh air from the formula.

Although vanilla ice cream, our protagonist, is delicious all on its own, it is the base of many other great flavors. It plays well with toppings and fixings, i.e. the supporting cast, without being overwhelmed completely or disallowing the other ingredients from shining through. Thus, a Vanilla Protagonist is a protagonist whose characteristics and background are plainer or simpler compared to the rest of the cast. This type of protagonist serves as a window by which the audience may experience more varied and colorful supporting characters.

* Lampshaded out the wazoo and ultimately deconstructed by the title character of ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' Described as the world's most average man, prior to the start of his adventures, Bob's life was "uneventful almost to the point of noteworthiness," and his "[[ArtificialFamilyMember niece]]'' Galatea once said he lived his "life as a veritable anthem sung in praise of conventionality." Over time, we see that he's considerably deeper and more capable than he initially seems.

* ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'' features Piper Chapman, a 30-something white yuppie from a privileged background who has her life turned upside down when she is sentenced to jail over a crime she committed nearly 10 years ago. However, her past background is fairly bland when compared to those of the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters loads and loads of other quirky inmates]] that she meets in prison. The writers seem to have picked up on the fans' preferences in Season 2 as they increasingly put Piper OutOfFocus in favor of further development for the supporting cast members, all the while giving Piper a more pragmatic personality through CharacterDevelopment.

** John was the first character introduced out of the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters stupendously large cast]] and acts as the AudienceSurrogate through much of the series, being the kid to whom all the bizarre and improbable game mechanics have to be explained, so he wasn't nearly as well-developed as some of the other characters at first. He's gotten a bit more CharacterDevelopment now that we can see his actions from other points of view.

* ''Film/MidnightMadness:'' The Yellow Team does have some good emotional depth and nuances (such as Michael forgetting his brother's birthday). Still, they come across as slightly less colorful than the four less-prominent teams (the respect-craving sorority, the hilariously stupid JerkJock crew, Harold's ButtMonkey group, and the HollywoodNerd team). It doesn't help that the Yellow Team is just participating for fun, while several of the other teams have more interesting motives (the Red Team and the White Team want to show up the Green Team to get revenge for years of bullying and humiliation, while the Blue Team is ordered to participate by Harold's demanding father).

* ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'': In a story that features Myth/RobinHood, ServileSnarker Wamba, dog-loving and surprisingly resilient livestock herder Gurth, an intriguing BettyAndVeronica pair, a moneylender who somewhat subverts the GreedyJew stereotype, and two villains who get some interesting CharacterDevelopment and (Bois more than De Bracey) treatment, Wilfred's PinballProtagonist status embarrassingly stands out to many readers.

* ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'': In a story that features Myth/RobinHood, ServileSnarker Wamba, dog-loving and surprisingly resilient livestock herder Gurth, an intriguing BettyAndVeronica pair, a moneylender who somewhat subverts the GreedyJew stereotype, and two villains who get some interesting CharacterDevelopment and (Bois more than De Bracey) DracoInLeatherPants treatment, Wilfred's PinballProtagonist status embarrassingly stands out to many readers.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Lincoln Loud can be seen as one. While certainly not a one-note character, much of the show's content comes from his reactions to being surrounded by and living with a large cast of varying female characters with such stark personalities. As a result, he comes across as the average and rather generic preteen protagonist through which the audience lives through the adventures.

* ''Manga/ThouShaltNotDie'' plays around with this, the reader is introduced to the main character Usuki who is portrayed as the typical ace, a charismatic leader of the group, lacks any of the more bizarre quirks of those that surrounds him, has a very basic but useful telekinetic power and... [[DecoyProtagonist is dead by the end of the first chapter]]. Thus the reader is bluntly reminded that this is a Creator/TaroYoko work and is introduced to the real main character, Kuroi, who is anything but vanilla.

* ''Film/DaylightsEnd'': Nomadic CrusadingWidower Rourk has been criticized for his lack of depth and planning ability and is considered by some to be a ''Film/MadMax'' {{Expy}}, while some people think that various people in the group he's helping (the WastelandElder, his son, Sam TheHeart, BattleCouple Earnesta and Burton, concerned father Chris, and Russian commando Vlad) had some untapped potential and could have carried the movie better.

* ''Film/FourWedingsAndAFuneral'': Charles and Carrie, the main couple, aren't quite as endearing as a lot of the supporting cast, such as DisabledSnarker David, the bumbling but gentle Tom, former punk girl Scarlet, Fiona (with her DefrostingTheIceQueen moments and unrequited feelings for Charles), Henrietta (given her on-off relationship with Charles), Bernard and Lydia with their FriendshipAsCourtship relationship, and LifeOfTheParty gay man Gareth.

* The ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' series went through a long tenure of this as it [[GrowingTheBeard slowly gained its trademark slapstick]]. The series originally utilized Mickey Mouse-alike characters such as Bosko and Buddy, who missed this trope and hit the GenericGuy instead. Beans the Cat was then billed as a new more colorful star, but his sidekick WesternAnimation/PorkyPig outshone him in that regard. Porky then turned into this trope for more abrasive stars such as WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck and WesternAnimation/BugsBunny with his [[TheEveryman Everyman]] persona making him better fit as TheStraightMan or TheComicallySerious.
* WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse became a pretty iconic case for the ''WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts''. Mickey started off a more mischievous scrappy protagonist, though as new additions such as WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} and WesternAnimation/{{Pluto}} were introduced and took over the more abrasive roles, Mickey ended up toned down into TheEveryman to foil them and by the forties was DemotedToExtra. Modern works have tried to give Mickey star power again, with varying degrees of success.
* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''. While the first season had some palpable focus on his own dilemmas and personal conflicts, as episodes passed, his shortcomings and foibles faded and he ended up a messianic OnlySaneMan to the far more flawed and eccentric universe around him. A high number of episodes (particularly in the last two seasons) barely even featured Arnold or had him appear at all, in favor of playing a borderline EnsembleCast setup. The movies and the final two episodes put him back in the spotlight and he retains some of his old quirks.
* For ''WesternAnimation/TheDreamstone'', the protagonists, Rufus and Amberley, end up looking fairly unremarkable against the majority of the cast, lacking the quirks and humour value of the villains, and being overshadowed and made redundant by their more powerful and surreal comrades. They take the part well as newcomers encountering the show's different worlds and processes, but the focus otherwise usually sways in the Urpneys' favor due to their more colorful personalities and providing most of the show's slapstick.
* Its sister show, ''WesternAnimation/BimblesBucket'' follows a very similar formula for Bimble, who gets less screen time than the villains and largely exists as a naive newcomer for [[MrExposition Teeny Weeny]] to explain [[TheWatson all the details of the plot towards]].

* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' falls squarely into this. There isn't anything that truly stands out about her personality-wise other than her interactions with the various characters of Orchid Bay, and her fighting style doesn't help her win fans. In fact, there was an episode that focused on this: at a big supernatural social event, everyone was more interested in her CoolOldLady grandmother than herself specifically for this reason.

** Twilight Sparkle was this in season 1, being an AudienceSurrogate by which the distinct personalities and antics of her friends could be observed without bringing much herself. Season 2 onward averted this by giving her distinct [[SuperOCD character]] [[TheFinickyOne flaws]], episodes focusing on her story arc as a student to Celestia, and also demoting her slightly for more an EnsembleCast setup.

* Rocko in ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' is the OnlySaneMan of the show in comparison to the more eccentric and idiosyncratic cast surrounding him.
* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Hank Hill is a straight-laced, hardworking, upstanding Texan suburbanite with strong morals and a comically mundane work life ([[CatchPhrase "I sell propane and propane accessories!"]]). Practically all of the show's comedy comes from his failure to relate to his wacky neighbors and family. When the supporting cast includes a ConspiracyTheorist exterminator, a sad sack Army barber, a mush-mouthed womanizing [[spoiler: Texas Ranger]], a pudgy aspiring comedian, and a ditzy former trailer trash girl, the mild-mannered family man underscores the insanity.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Lincoln Loud can be seen as one. While certainly not a one-note character, much of the show's content comes from his reactions to being surrounded by and living with a large cast of varying female characters with such stark personalities. As a result, he comes across as the average and rather generic preteen protagonist through which the audience lives through the adventures.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' has an in-universe example of this. In the earlier episodes, Steven himself is a newcomer to the [[MagicalGirlWarrior Crystal Gems]]. When not busy being generally awesome, they had a ComicTrio dynamic and so he felt left out. This serves as the contrast that the trope dictates. As the series progresses, he embraces to the max his status as an AllLovingHero, steps into the legacy left by his mother/past incarnation Rose Quartz, and becomes more part of the group instead of its foil.