Line #32 JustForFun/TheSidekickTheoryOfHeroicWar


1	An observation on the nature of the typical layout of Good Vs Evil wars. Comments and examples welcome.
2
3	----
4	!'''The symmetry of the battle.'''
5	Whenever good and evil come to blows their forces tend to line up along the same basic pattern as each other. For every Champion of Justice there is an Equal and opposite Spawn of Darkness. This is most apparent when the enemy is [[EvilTwin from a mirror universe]] but we even see shades of this when TheEmpire is hunting LaResistance. Observe this archetypal fantasy example:
6	\|\|border=1
7	\|\| \|\| '''Force of Light''' \|\| '''Army of Darkness''' \|\|
8	\|\| Is ruled by \|\| a [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Good King]] \|\| an EvilOverlord \|\|
9	\|\| Has an army of \|\| [[RedShirtArmy Stalwart men]] \|\| [[{{Mooks}} Bloodthirsty monsters]] \|\|
10	\|\| With squads of \|\| [[EliteMooks Elite Guards]] \|\| EliteMooks \|\|
11	\|\| Who are led by \|\| a [[TheHero Hero of Legend]] \|\| a [[GeneralRipper Heartless Monster]] \|\|
12	\|\| Backed up by \|\| [[TheLancer His second-in-command]] \|\| [[TheDragon His second-in-command]] \|\|
13	\|\| With advice from \|\| [[TheSmartGuy Sage advisers]] \|\| [[EvilGenius Crackpots and Madmen]] \|\|
14	\|\| And a little help from \|\| TheBigGuy \|\| TheBrute \|\|
15	\|\| With a bit of help from \|\| a [[TheMentor Mystic Sage]] \|\| an EvilSorcerer \|\|
16	\|\| And \|\| the blessings of the [[SaintlyChurch High Priest]] \|\| the preaching of a [[ReligionOfEvil Sinister Demagogue]] \|\|
17	You get the general idea.
18	----
19	!'''The single difference.'''
20	There is only the one unbalancing factor in this war. There is but one factor that unsettles it. ThePowerOfFriendship. No I am not kidding, come back, I am being serious here.
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22	You back?
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24	Good.
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26	Someone, more often than not TheHero, has a plucky sidekick. A chirpy, happy, nice and optimistic character who may be [[TheScrappy a little irritating]] or [[PluckyComicRelief more than a touch silly.]] Even if there is a [[TheIgor toadying sycophant]] or [[BattleButler loyal attache]] he lacks the loyalty of a true Friendship originated {{Sidekick}}. But at some point or another you will have a situation where the Sidekick will be able to save the hero, throw him his weapon at the last minute or, at a pinch, die to show the hero that he has fallen from grace.
27	----
28	!'''Examination.'''
29	Let us do the math here. The InverseNinjaLaw ensures that the armies and the elite minions will have equal sum total power. So we can cancel them out.
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31	The EvilOverlord has skills that are in a different area to [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Good King]] but ultimately they increase their side's power to an equal degree. The FiveManBand and ThePsychoRangers are able to stand against each other and the magic and religion is only ever a buff to the base line in any case. So the sidekick is [[KingmakerScenario the unbalancing element.]]
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33	Here is another proof:
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35	Let Ruler = R.
36	Let Army = A.
37	Let Elites = E.
38	Let 5 Man/Bad Band = B.
39	Let Magic = M.
40	Let Preaching = P.
41	Let Sidekick = S.
42
43	M(P(RAEB))+S > M(P(RAEB))
44
45	Therefore the good guys win.
46	----
47	!'''Conclusion.'''
48	Any advantage, no matter how small, is worth taking and that any possible ally is vital. The instances where the villains win are often catalyzed by betrayal or the incomplete assembly of the good side. The Sidekick does not guarantee victory, but it does allow the heroes to gain advantage when both sides are fully formed.
49	----
50	!'''Further research.'''
51	It might be interesting to isolate a potential villain with a close, genuine friend, and drive them both to evil together. The fact that LoveMakesYouEvil may help. Examining this effect in AntiHero or AntiVillain driven situations may also make for valuable research.

Context JustForFun / TheSidekickTheoryOfHeroicWar