Line #64 EnsembleDarkHorse/TotalDrama


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9	Due to the number of characters that have appeared throughout the ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' series, it is only to be expected for there to be many {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s being spawned.
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12	%% Before adding an EnsembleDarkhorse example, please note that the trope is about unimportant characters who are unexpectedly popular. Fan-favorite main characters are not Ensemble Darkhorses.
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16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Island]]
19	* Cody was a relatively unimportant character in ''Island'', with his only notable role being his crush on Gwen and subsequent [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy backing-off]] upon being rejected. Despite his lack of screentime, he quickly developed quite the fanbase due to many seeing him as a very {{adorkable}} character and admiring his IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy decision. In fact, he was popular enough to earn a spot in ''World Tour'', where he went on to become an AscendedExtra and [[spoiler:a member of the final three.]] Unfortunately, his time on ''World Tour'' caused his popularity to take a hit, and he went from a fan favorite to a BaseBreakingCharacter due to his controversial handling in the season.
20	* Noah is incredibly popular with the fandom for his hilarious DeadpanSnarker demeanour, despite being introduced as one of the most minor contestants in the series (he was booted off third in the first season, wasn't even a contestant in the second, and got kicked out half-way in the third). His status is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Chris, who introduces him and Cody as "returning favorites" in the first episode of ''World Tour''. He later goes on to become a BreakoutCharacter as of ''The Ridonculous Race'', where he returns with Owen, and was given [[AscendedExtra extended screentime]] and a lot more character focus, including the main romantic plot of the season.
21	* Harold has been a fan favorite since ''Island'', where he had a great blend of being hilarious comic relief, showing off [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass hidden badass]], and a fair amount of CharacterDevelopment. While he wasn't expected to make it far, he was out earlier than most would have liked and many vouched for his return. Come ''Action'' he became [[AscendedExtra a far more prominent character]] which was very well received, with many rooting for him to win the season. However ''World Tour'' sought to make him an early elimination once more, being out second, despite being one of the most loved members of Team Victory. However, he does go on to have heavy focus in the Aftermaths.
22	* Justin. Before his time on ''Action'' where he divided the fanbase with his [[HarmlessVillain failure as a villain]], he was reasonably popular as an early elimination in ''Island''. Despite [[TheQuietOne never saying a word after his debut episode]], his "[[ChickMagnet powers]]" of making females fall for him and being [[TheBeastMaster capable of controlling animals]] was received very well and considered some of the best humor in the show.
23	* Izzy is an undisputed fan favorite. Never a main character in a season, but continuously steals the show. Her CrazyIsCool comic relief style is the one thing that everyone can agree on is funny. Her moments are typically among the most memorable and she quite often ends up as the spotlight in a dull episode. She's actually a good contender for most universally loved character on the show, as it's near impossible to find someone who hates Izzy, with even immensely popular characters like Heather having detractors somewhere.
24	* Geoff, who is at best a supporting character, remains one of the most beloved characters in ''Island'' due to his incredibly fun party animal and NiceGuy characterization making him very easy to like. ''Action'' however dampened his reputation due to his constant makeout sessions with Bridgette annoying fans and his hosting of the Aftermath causing him to [[TookALevelInJerkass take levels in jerkass]]. ''World Tour'' and especially ''Ridonculous Race'' however did see him go through CharacterRerailment and return him to his more likeable and less hormonal personality.
25	* DJ had no focus or plotline of his own in the first season (despite making it pretty far), and was eliminated before the halfway point in the second and third seasons, but he does have a pretty good-sized fanbase on account of being one of the nicest characters in the series, being downright hilarious with his {{Freak Out}}s, and his occasional moments of genuine badassery in the first two seasons (like overcoming his fear of water to win a challenge for his team or standing up to Chef for forcing him into an illegal alliance).
26	* Katie is surprisingly popular despite being the fifth contestant out and [[ThoseTwoGuys not getting any focus outside of her friendship with Sadie]]. This is probably due to her being [[TheCutie very kind and attractive]], which makes her more popular than Sadie (who had a few {{Jerkass}} moments despite being very kind overall) even though they are more or less [[TheDividual the same character]]. Sadly, this was not enough to ever get her back as a contestant, although she did get multiple [[TheCameo cameos]] in ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaRama'' most likely because of this.
27	[[/folder]]
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29	[[folder:World Tour]]
30	* Tyler. He was largely ignored by fans during ''Island'' (which is lampshaded by him in one episode of ''World Tour''), but his time on ''World Tour'' transformed him into a major fan-favorite. His {{adorkable}}ness in trying to woo Lindsay, hilarious [[IronButtMonkey pain magnet]] status, and [[LovableJock lovable]] DumbJock stereotype endeared him to the fandom. Like with Noah, many were very mad when he got the boot halfway through the season as a result of the return of BaseBreakingCharacter and SpotlightStealingSquad member Duncan and the Gwen x Duncan x Courtney love triangle.
31	* Eva. While she was divisive in ''Island'' at best and completely ignored at worst (except in the special, where she developed a well-received OddFriendship with the immensely popular Izzy and Noah), she got made into a OneSceneWonder in the Aftermaths of ''World Tour'' with her “Agh, forget this!” RunningGag. Because of these loved scenes, she became one of the most heavily requested contestants to be brought back during the season.
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33	[[/folder]]
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35	[[folder:Revenge of the Island]]
36	* Dawn's design made her popular before ''Revenge of the Island'' even aired. Her [[MysteriousPast mysterious background]], the hints of her having supernatural powers, [[TheCutie her kind personality, her adorable appearance and voice]], and her tendency to [[CreepyChild freak out]] other characters, allowed her to easily become the most beloved second generation cast member (only rivaled by Brick). Many pitched her for making it far that season, and were very disappointed to find out she was an early elimination. She's one of the most heavily used characters for [[FanficFuel fanfiction]] and FanArt.
37	* Dakota was considered by many to be a very interesting character, with her AttentionWhore DaddysGirl characterization being due to [[IJustWantToHaveFriends a desire to be loved]]. She also received a substantial amount of CharacterDevelopment when forced to be Chris' intern and getting into a relationship with [[GiveGeeksAChance Sam]]. Her [[BodyHorror horrendous mutation]] in "The Treasure Island of Dr. [=McLean=]" garnered her a lot of sympathy and requests for her to be restored to normal.
38	* Brick is very well-liked by the fanbase, with reasons ranging from being a [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass clumsy but badass cadet]], having UndyingLoyalty to his friends, his socially {{adorkable}} personality, his [[BullyAndWimpPairing dynamic]] with Jo, and inheriting Tyler's [[IronButtMonkey pain magnet]] status. Despite only competing for half a season, he remains one of the most popular second generation characters. In fact, as Dawn's popularity has waned over time, Brick is currently the most popular second generation character of all and him getting replaced by Sam for the All-Stars cast is widely considered to be one of the season's biggest mistakes.
39	* Anne Maria is also incredibly popular, often considered one of the most entertaining characters in the season due to her sass and her over-the-top ''Series/JerseyShore'' parody stereotype as well as putting much-needed tension in the otherwise milquetoast relationship between Mike and Zoey. While she does have her detractors, there still remains a huge amount of loyal fans who are begging for her return.
40	* Several of Mike’s [[SplitPersonality alternate personalities]] are extremely popular, even among those who don’t like Mike himself. With [[AdventurerArchaeologist Manitoba]] [[AwesomeAussie Smith]] and [[{{Joisey}} Vito]] seem to be among the most beloved both due to their interesting characters and the fact they are parodies of pop culture icons.
41	* B was the third eliminated in the season and never talks, but still has a decent-sized fanbase. His GadgeteerGenius status and ability to wordlessly come up with some very creative strategies made for some of the coolest moments in the early part of the season, and many also liked his confident attitude and the aura of mystery that his muteness gave him. He's a pretty popular contestant for [[FandomSpecificPlot competition fics]] and often makes it far in those stories. His friendship, and potential ShipTease with fan-favorite Dawn, only amplifies his popularity.
42	* Although his time on ''All-Stars'' was poorly received, Sam definitely gained a lot of fans in his debut season despite being a relatively early elimination. Many found his love of video games and NiceGuy personality appealing, found his ButtMonkey moments and self-deprecative humour very funny, and admired the sweetness of his OddFriendship and eventual RelationshipUpgrade with Dakota.
43	* Among the first generation contestant cameos
44	** Heather was probably the best received. Unlike many other cameos where the contestant was just there for the sake of it, Heather played a crucial role to the plot of the episode, even serving as the antagonist.
45	** Lindsay's cameo, for similar reason. Not only did it bring back another fan-favorite, but also it was possibly the second most important cameo for its episode's plot, only after Heather's.
46	** Izzy's cameo is also pretty well-liked by fans, due to her previously stated EnsembleDarkhorse status and the fact that it was pretty much the only cameo that season in which the contestant was not further tortured and humiliated. The unexpectedness of it and the mere fact that she was playing a GiantSpider [[ItMakesSenseInContext for the episode]] certainly helps as well.
47	** Duncan's cameo is pretty well liked, because he actually ''refuses'' to go along with Chris's nonsense (Chris brought him back because he "owed camera time" from skipping out on ''World Tour''). He also isn't involved in a romantic plot, keeping him likeable. Duncan also ends his time on the episode by blowing up Mount Chrismore, giving Chris a much-needed kick to the pants.
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50	[[folder:All-Stars]]
51	* While the season was mainly composed of [[SpotlightStealingSquad major characters]] from previous seasons, several of them were DemotedToExtra this time round while maintaining a high level of popularity.
52	** Lindsay. The fan-favorite didn't fail to deliver her classic DumbBlonde humor and gave many memorable lines in her single episode of the season. She was also one of the few who wasn't ruined by ''All-Stars'' as many other characters were. Many were also disappointed that she got the boot first after her very well-received performances in ''Island'' and ''Action'' and a more mixed performance in ''World Tour'' that were all ended in very unfair manners in the eyes of her fans.
53	** Lightning. He had a [[BaseBreakingCharacter/TotalDrama mixed reception]] back in ''Revenge of the Island'', due to his lack of relevance in the season prior to the merge. However his performance in ''All-Stars'' [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap redeemed him]] in the eyes of many detractors. Not only did Lightning heavily interact with the rest of the cast, he also lost the [[TemporarilyAVillain brief period of villainy]] he gained at the end of the season, and was back to his original arrogant DumbJock personality. The fact that he's [[TookALevelInDumbass even dumber]] now just made for even more hilarious moments.
54	** Jo. The only ''All-Stars'' contestant who was completely in-character and true to her original self. She continued to show off her strategic smarts of establishing leadership, while forming the start of a rivalry with Heather, and orchestrated Lightning's elimination within two episodes. Plus, [[TheNicknamer her zingers]] this season are even more loved, with "Alehandwalker" gaining [[MemeticMutation memetic status]].
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56
57	[[folder:Pahkitew Island]]
58	* [[WackySoundEffect Beardo]], [[WeHardlyKnewYe of all characters]], has a decent-sized fanbase. The one episode he appeared in was highly entertaining due to the silly sound effects he made at inopportune times. His audition tape, which shows some HiddenDepths in that he uses his sound effects because he's shy, further endeared him to the fanbase. It's pretty common for fanfiction to promote him to an AscendedExtra and flesh out his character.
59	* Ella has had a similar reception to Dawn. She's a blessing to music lovers with her incessant singing, showing off [[TheCastShowoff the talent of Sunday Muse]] and leading to many funny moments. There's also the fact she is probably ''the'' nicest character in the entire franchise, with a complete avoidance of [[ActualPacifist violence and aggressiveness]]. Her elimination is considered one of the best (and [[TearJerker saddest]]) in the series, where she departs on a song.
60	* [[EvilGenius Scarlett]], while allegedly the BigBad, was [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter severely underused]]. She's one of the more loved 'nerd' characters, both design wise and due to her SesquipedalianLoquaciousness character shtick. Her [[BitchInSheepsClothing hidden]] psychotic antagonistic side was also a pretty refreshing take for some fans, even if it only lasted [[OneSceneWonder one episode]]. [[KnightOfCerebus She proved to be one of, if not the darkest, villain in the series]]. There are some still vouching for her return despite the difficult circumstances given her likely arrest (although the creators have hinted it's still possible for her to come back).
61	[[/folder]]
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63	[[folder:Island (2023) Part 1]]
64	* Lauren, better known as Scary Girl, is the prime example. She gained a large fanbase and has had a huge number of fan art dedicated to her from the very moment of her character design being revealed. It helps that she reminds a lot of fans of other popular characters, such as Harley Quinn from the Batman series or another EnsembleDarkHorse mentioned on this page - Izzy.
65	* Axel for being a useful survivalist on par with Shawn. Many fans were upset when she was cut in favor of [[JerkAss Ripper]] and she would ultimately play a fairly decent role in the second season of the reboot, even getting a romance plot with, ironically enough, Ripper.
66	* Damien is also quite popular for his reactions to the hostility of the show leading to lots of funny moments, being a chill NiceGuy, his subtle ShipTease with Priya, his hilarious interactions with Scary Girl, and his [[DeathByIrony ironic elimination]]. Again, much like Axel, he would go on to become a major character in the reboot's second season with many fans pegging him as the winner and his elimination was widely regarded as one of the biggest cop outs in a season full of them.
67	* There's also Raj and Wayne, for being easily the [[NiceGuy friendliest]] competitors of the season and their charming friendship. Individually, Raj gets love for his well-received romance with [[CampGay Bowie]], while Wayne gets love for his strong leadership and full-on supporting Raj coming out. Again, the second season had them go much further in the season with Wayne ultimately becoming the season's winner.
68	* Zee is well-loved by the fanbase because of his chill personality, with many finding the wacky antics he gets himself into very funny, as well as representing amputees in a positive light.
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71	[[folder:Non-contestants]]
72	* [[MemeticMutation Mr. Coconut]]. While not strictly a character, he is still immensely beloved by the fandom, and the [[FountainOfMemes biggest source of memes for a long time]]. His [[RecurringExtra random cameos]] are one of the few things that was liked in ''All-Stars''.
73	* Gwen's goth friends, Marilyn, Pixie Corpse, and Reaper, only appeared very briefly in photos during the ''Island'' reunion special. They appear surprisingly often in fanfics, especially ones about Gwen's life back home.
74	* [[OverlyLongName The Escaped Psycho Killer with a Chainsaw and Hook]]. He's a ShoutOut to [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]], and had one of the most acclaimed episodes from ''Island''.
75	* DJ's Mother is quite liked for her cooking skills, relationship with DJ, and somewhat sassy attitude. It also helps that out of all the casts' families she gets the most mentions and appearances.
76	* Leshaniqua, Leshawna's cousin who appeared in ''Action''. She's just as sassy as Leshawna, but without her unlikable qualities of betraying friends that Leshawna received criticism for. It's been quite popular to suggest her and Leshawna as a team for ''The Ridonculous Race''.
77	* [[FanNickname "Billy"]] the intern, a blonde-haired character who appears frequently in Aftermath episodes, speaks only once, and doesn't even have a confirmed name.
78	* The currently unnamed, purple-haired female intern debuting in ''Island (2023)'' has managed to amass a notable fanbase despite her rather short screentime, mainly thanks to her cute and unique design that wouldn't look out of place as a contestant and subtle ShipTease with Caleb and, in the second season, Wayne.
79	* [[FanNickname "Emily,"]] the flight attendant from the fourth aftermath of ''Action'' is quite popular. She reappears in ''World Tour'' and ''The Ridonculous Race''.
80	* Scruffy, Duncan's pet tarantula, also has this going for him.
81	* The alien Cody from "The EX-Files", he even gained a [[FanNickname nickname]]: Evil Alien Cody Clone, EACC for short.
82	* Speaking of "The EX-Files", the [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Facehugger]] aliens are also quite loved by the fandom.
83	* Cody 1 and 2, mainly for continuing the RunningGag of Sierra adopting pets and naming them Cody.
84	* Scuba Bear was considered one of the more interesting gimmicks in ''Pahkitew Island''.
85	* The cat-bot from ''Pahkitew Island'' that shoots lasers/flames from its mouth.
86	* Larry's baby that resembles Chris gets its share of fanart due to the shocking implications of its existence.
87	[[/folder]]
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Context EnsembleDarkHorse / TotalDrama