Line #9 DemotedToExtra/Webcomics


1	* By season four of ''Webcomic/AnsemRetort'', Marluxia is demoted so much he's left behind with [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Maul]] while the rest of the cast members take Red XIII with them to Hawaii. This is one of the reasons he's so keen on fighting Xemnas in season six: he gets more screen time that way. In a later season, though, he's one of four people traveling through time to stop Xemnas. (Apparently, Axel and Zex need him to drink the time-traveling gay drinks. Because he's gay. ItMakesSenseInContext.)
2	* Rowby from Webcomic/TheBugPond was featured in some of the earlier comics and was even given a bio on the character page but hasn't done anything of significance since.
3	* Justin from ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' eventually sank in the background, seemingly existing only to be a gay male. He was at least a major focus in the "New and Old Flames" arc.
4	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Ralph and Bimbo, the original main characters of ''Webcomic/ExploitationNow''.
5	* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', this happens to several characters mostly to ones that got killed.
6	** Sollux, Nepeta, Feferi, Eridan, and Equius all move further to the back with the conclusion of Act 5 [[spoiler:because of their deaths]], and while they do appear later on for some character moments [[spoiler:or to end up fused to some sort of sprite]], they're considerably less important now that the cast has increased. The same has happened to Aradia post Act 5 as well; while [[spoiler:she isn't dead and]] she does serve more of a story importance than the other five, she's content to stay out of the spotlight.
7	** Post Act 5 has also done this to Jade. Of the original 4 main kids, she's had the least to do, and when the story checks in on them during the Act 6 intermissions, Rose and Dave get into shenanigans with the trolls, and John gets the story focus, while Jade ends sidelined (its notable that of the main 4, Jade wasn't given a talksprite and was absent from the walk around sections). When they all finally arrive at the Null session Jade is turned evil [[spoiler:and later killed]], and while she does get a major story role [[spoiler:and post death gets to narrate what happened to her]] it just means she's absent from all the major character interactions and big family reunions. Her having a StoryBreakerPower that could potentially make victory too easy has probably contributed.
8	** Initially, the Exiles of the kids were given heavy prominence and had their own plotline running alongside the main kids. Then [[WhamEpisode Cascade]] happened. [[spoiler:Three of them died, a barely-alive WV was transported to the Meteor and PM put on the Queen's ring to avenge her friends and kill Jack.]] While WV still appears with the Meteor Crew, we never get to see from his perspective again and he's mostly a background character. PM, meanwhile, spends much of Act 6 chasing [[spoiler:Jack Noir]] around, with the narrative very sparsely cutting back to her. It's only when she gets to the Post Scratch session that she begins to become important again, but by that point she's sharing screen time with all the Jacks.
9	%%Needs context about her previous role* In ''[[http://www.jaydenandcrusader.com Jayden and Crusader]]'' the character Hannah has often slipped into the background and mostly only exists to give Smic another character to bounce ideas off of, a role that could be accomplished by a lamppost.
10	* In ''Webcomic/LeastICouldDo'', Rayne's best friend John was given a rather strong demotion as writers switched over, being replaced with a long lost best friend. He began to see a resurgence in later times, though. Supposedly, this is because he was based on the writer's real best friend, who he had a falling out with.
11	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Happened to the human children in ''Webcomic/{{Noblesse}}'' some time after the Parachute Trio of enhanced humans formed. This is not the case in the Noblesse S lite novels.
12	* Stephan used to be a much bigger part of ''WebComic/OzyAndMillie''. The cartoonist explains that he was created to represent the overly confident geeks of the dotcom era; when the dotcom bubble burst, there simply wasn't as much of a place for Stephan.
13	* Several characters in ''WebComic/QuestionableContent''. Of course, none of them have had the indignity of being [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome eaten by an Allosaurus.]]:
14	** Most notably Steve (Marten's best friend, now rarely shown). Steve was demoted to extra very early on - the joke about him being locked in the hall closet for months was as early as comic 155 (of 1750+). Steve seems to have returned, and [[InvertedTrope appears far more frequently than before]], although still very much a secondary character.
15	** Pintsize and Winslow seem to be slipping towards this with their ever decreasing appearances.
16	** Raven was demoted to extra when Penelope arrived, and has now definitely been PutOnABus. But TheBusCameBack. Apparently Jeph was doing an ArchiveBinge for a book release and realized that Raven was hilarious. She [[spoiler: [[AuthorAppeal showed up to ask for her job back that day.]]]]
17	%%Needs context to differentiate from ChuckCunninghamSyndrome ** When Penelope and Cosette weren't seen for awhile, the author [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2477 lampshaded]] it by saying they were "just to the right" and off camera.
18	%%Needs context to differentiate from PutOnABus** Raven (who's apparently off getting her degree)
19	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Seems like Penelope is sliding into that abyss as well.
20	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* It's happened a few times in ''Webcomic/RealLifeComics''. [[http://www.reallifecomics.com/characters/ Officially]], this list includes Danny, Crystal, and the first Liz.
21	%%Needs context about their previous roles** However, anyone but Pal and Alan Extra under the Supporting Characters section get precious little panel exposure.
22	%%Needs context to differentiate from ChuckCunninghamSyndrome and PutOnABus** This is actually lampshaded in [[http://www.reallifecomics.com/archive/100604.html this strip]] where it's questioned if anyone remembers Ben at all
23	%%Needs context to differentiate from ChuckCunninghamSyndrome** In fact, it doesn't appear that Debbie or Cliff have appeared in the comic for years. Debbie returned... revealing that she had been stuck in a terrible limbo between life and death for the proceeding decade.
24	* Endemic to ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy''. The comic is based into arcs separated by month- if not year-long {{Time Skip}}s, bringing with them a severe disruption of the status quo. Characters like Lance, Alexa, Ackerman, Carlyle, Malcolm, Earl and Sidney, who were frequently appearing characters in the arcs that introduce them, later move on and away and appear sparingly if at all.
25	* Rachel and Tessa start off ''Webcomic/ScaryGoRound'' as the main protagonists, but after the first chapter they're demoted to the supporting cast. The comic would often spend time focusing on some characters [[OutOfFocus at the expense of others]] before rotating back, but they never really recover: it's another six chapters and nearly a year later before they get the limelight back. After that, they make another few appearances, but they're inexorably sliding towards a FaceHeelTurn and finally being PutOnABusToHell.
26	%%Needs context about his previous role* Robotnik himself has yet to make a full appearance in ''Webcomic/{{Sea3on}}'', only being mentioned by other characters and seen in {{flashback}}s.
27	* ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'': The Dragon has been out of focus ever since the Sisterhood appeared. [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-05-12 Eventually meets up with them.]]
28	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Criminy after the Patriarchy arc. Some fans see this as suspicious due to him being the most likely character to be able to successfully debunk Glossy's views on men.
29	%%Needs context to differentiate from PutOnABus or ChuckCunninghamSyndrome** Ever since Xanthe and the Sisterhood showed up, Buddha hasn't been seen in a while. A very long while.
30	%%Needs context to differentiate from TheBusCameBack*** [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2013-08-02 He's back.]]
31	* Dr. Lorna hasn't had more than the (very) occasional reference in ''WebComic/SluggyFreelance'' for years, despite being [[spoiler:Riff's mom]] and still living in the same town by all accounts. She's essentially been PutOnABus, having [[spoiler:disowned Riff]] and fired Gwynn and Zoe, leaving her with no connections to the cast (and satirizing Dr. Laura no longer being in style).
32	* Happens to several characters in ''WebComic/SomethingPositive,'' but the most notable example is probably Monette. After years of being a major focus in the Texas storylines, she's PutOnABus to California and has shown up sparingly since. Arguably significant to her CharacterDevelopment, but her drop in panel-time is very noticeable.
33	%%Needs context about their previous roles** Randy specifically sets aside time at the beginning of every year to show characters that are out of focus -- calling it "Old Familiar Faces." So these characters are more properly CommutingOnABus. But yes, if you aren't interacting regularly with Davan, Aubrey, [=PeeJee=], Jason, or to a lesser extent, Mike, you just aren't in the comic. Especially odd is the absence of Davan's disabled sister Dahlia, who lives close to the Texas cast and would seem to need her brother's help and support.
34	* Take Sonichu, the titular character of ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}''. He's ostensibly the main protagonist, appearing in some capacity on many of the front covers, but he, along with a good proportion of the rest of the cast, largely took a backseat after the first few issues, as a SpotlightStealingSquad made up of Christine Weston Chandler's AuthorAvatar and a successive slew of sweethearts and internet trolls take centre stage. Sonichu gets a bit more attention from Episode #8 onwards, but it's nothing to really write home about.
35	* Emmit hasn't had much to do in later years of ''Webcomic/StationV3'', though he's probably not complaining too hard about it.
36	* ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'': Amber (a secondary character in the parent comic, ''Webcomic/MenageA3'') starts the comic's run sharing an apartment with the title character, and appears in most of the early strips, with a potentially complex SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan plot hook and some other issues attached — and she is always part of the set-up for her sister Ruby's story, which could have brought her into a full-scale [[TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry]]. However, she finds the answer to her romantic problem at the first attempt ([[spoiler:Ray]] is literally standing around the apartment when she comes home one evening), she never does address many of those other issues, and so far as Ruby is concerned, she mostly serves simply as someone to be rude to and finally reconcile with.
37	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' StylisticSuck fancomic ''Webcomic/SweetJadeAndHellaJohn'':
38	** Pretty much every troll except Nepeta. WordOfGod stated that he even hates writing for them because he can't come up with anything for them that isn't walls of comparing the hemospectrum to race relations, romance discussions, and plot exposition. Notably, Vriska, opposite of Nepeta, turns from one of the most important characters in ''Homestuck'' who deliberately tries to force herself into the plot into an [[Series/MyNameIsEarl Earl]] expy early on in the comic that becomes obsessed with karma. [[RuleOfFunny This was intentional.]] Lampshaded in the Shipping Intermission when Tavros asks Vriska what the last big plan she had was. She answers with a long pause, followed by a "fuck you."
39	** Rose, Roxy, Dave, and Dirk were all fairly background characters in the Intermission, and while Dave always has a hold on the plot, he only showed up very sporadically. In fact, the "==>" command arrows now represent John, Jade, ''Jane, and Jake'', in addition to the number of their alternate selves that they get over the course of the story. This is averted early into Act 2, [[spoiler:as they play the role of major antagonists]].
40	** Within the fan fic, Elitaa and Puerco. Elitaa was at first ''quite'' the spotlight taker and her introduction and surrounding initial mysteries heavily took up most of the ''Sweet TROLLS and Hella MORE TROLLS'' portion early into the story. There was even a segment where she wandered around the yellow ship and looked at what all of the trolls there were doing. Unfortunately, nobody suggested, so that didn't go anywhere. She's now a LivingProp who went over several hundred pages without a physical, non-cameo appearance, and never really contributed to the plot. (Everything she did was tied directly with another character, such as destroying the T-800s with Eridan.) Puerco also may have had similar build up, except she was even less relevant to the point where she may be one of the few characters who contributed absolutely nothing to the story.
41	** Meenah Peixes. She's overall less relevant and gets less screentime than her ''Homestuck'' counterpart, but at least in the Intermission and Act Two Act One she gets some roles in tampering with Dave's stuff. [[spoiler:She's soon equated with many of the other pre-scratch trolls (or, as they're called in this world, "good twin trolls") and some of the post-scratch/evil twin trolls when Slender-Aranea assimilates her offscreen, and she's technically dead for good when Aranea herself dies]].
42	%%Needs context about their previous role** The Troll Ancestors have even less relevance and their actual story arc was covered in fewer words by Aranea, though they themselves get a bit of dialogue. Aranea's description on Summoner best sums up what to expect from their arc:
43	%%--->"Summoner was a 8adass. And on team "Yes Mutants." He flys. The end."
44	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** The Millennium Members. Compared to both ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' and its spiritual predecessor ''FanFic/HecksingUlumateCrconikals'', everyone aside from Rip suffers from this. The Doctor especially, as he dies one page after his first appearance and does not come back.
45	%%Needs context about their previous role** The Hecksing organization, compared to both ''Hellsing'' itself and HUC. They only get a few appearances and were already dead around the time the story began.
46	* Mr. Birdbeak from ''Webcomic/TragicDeaths''. In the first three comics that that Petalklunk made, he was the main focus, but now he's only made one appearance after it switched focus to the war between Petalklunk and Mr. Bignose.
47	* ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'':
48	** In the slice-of-life years, Tina was a moving prop, Katherine was just a weird DropInCharacter, and Tep was such a joke that he wasn't added to the cast page at the time until after the Heather arc, when ''she'd'' been there for months already; essentially, Monica and Shelly are the only two left of the original cast. Even Shelly hadn't been very prominent among Monica's friends until [[GirlOnGirlIsHot the Heather arc]] and her ImportantHaircut boosted her popularity.
49	** Tepoz rarely shows up anymore.
50	** Jacqui was much more important before the paranormal elements of the strip showed up. However, she does have the most appearances of any character who is not in on the paranormal.
51	** After the situation between him and Shelly was resolved, Owen stopped appearing. In March 2012, Shelly got a postcard announcing that Owen and Lakshmi had eloped.
52	** Darren isn't quite as important as he used to be.
53	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Miyoko and Eizo as the strips have gone on in ''Webcomic/TheWayToYourHeart''.
54	* Kendall in ''Webcomic/TRULifeAdventures'', after receiving multiple story arcs exploring her backstory and developing her beyond the MeanBoss archetype, found herself unceremoniously fired by new store director and BadBoss Simon. Now shows up once a year or so in relation to [[spoiler: her new job as one of the higher-ups at theme park Wonderworld.]]
55	* ''Webcomic/ReBootCodeOfHonor'': Despite being the main threat at the end of Season Four of ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', Megabyte is largely irrelevant in the story.

Context DemotedToExtra / Webcomics