Line #49 Main/PartyOfRepresentatives


1	A trope most commonly seen in [[PlayerParty party-based]] RolePlayingGames but also FantasyLiterature, wherein the RagtagBunchOfMisfits represents most of the spectrum of [[MultinationalTeam cultures]], factions, social classes, species, and even ideologies found in the setting. Such setup has multiple purposes:
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3	* {{Exposition}}. Party members [[MrExposition bring with them tons of exposition]] about the parts of the world or society that they come from.
4	* SympatheticPOV. The representatives provide an inside view on their respective backgrounds, which is especially relevant if some of them [[DefectorFromDecadence come from the enemy faction]].
5	* AnAesop of tolerance and ThePowerOfFriendship, once the party members become TrueCompanions towards the end.
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7	SubTrope of RagtagBunchOfMisfits. SuperTrope to FiveTokenBand, MixedAnimalSpeciesTeam and MultinationalTeam. Compare also AlikeAndAntitheticalAdversaries. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] a political party consisting entirely of elected representatives.
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9	!!Examples:
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11	[[foldercontrol]]
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13	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
14	* The RPG-inspired series ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'' has that sort of party as the main cast of the story. High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest represent the tribes of the elves, dwarves and lizardmen, who allied with each other to fight the army of the Demon King and they have to take care of the goblins first. Since the operations are in human territory and they don't want to accidentally be misunderstood for plotting against the humans, they need a human representative to join their party. They ask the famous Goblin Slayer to join them because of his expertise in fighting goblins, and he only agrees because goblins are involved. Since Goblin Slayer already has a party partner, Priestess joins them as well, being the second human of the party.
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17	[[folder:Comic Books]]
18	* ''ComicBook/DeCapeEtDeCrocs'': Lampshaded by Armand (a French fox) on landing on the moon, when Don Lope (a Spanish wolf) wants to plant a flag and a cross, but is stopped by Armand who notes that they also have a French rabbit, a Turkish janissary, an Italian noblewoman, her brother and his servant, and a HotGypsyWoman (and almost had a German scientist), and thus the question of whose flag/religious symbol should go up is best left unanswered. Said German scientist arrives later in the company of a Spanish capitàn and an Italian merchant, all three of which end up working alongside English pirates for the EvilPrince.
19	* ''ComicBook/NewWarriors'', especially the 2014 series, has a team which is not only racially diverse, but also contains a representative of most of the different types of heroes and human types (i.e. Mutants, Inhumans, demigods, Atlanteans, clones). This becomes a plot point in the 2014 series as the High Evolutionary tries to use the genetic makeup of each member as a template to help his superweapon target and eliminate all non-pure humans on Earth.
20	* In Marvel Comics, the [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheIlluminati Illuminati]] represent each of the major groups within their universe: Tony Stark for the BadassNormal and pro-government side of things; Professor X for the mutants; Namor for the Atlanteans; Black Bolt for the Inhumans; Dr. Strange for the magic users; and Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic) for the scientific community. The representation fails to get much accomplished, though, because it ultimately means that each member is largely interested in their own group's agenda and thus can't agree on what to do.
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23	[[folder:Fan Works]]
24	* ''Fanfic/TheEquestrianWindMage'': The Changeling Queen Chrysalis, Rover the diamond dog, Zecora the zebra, and Gilda the griffon all join up with Vaati and the pony characters over the course of their quest.
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27	[[folder:Literature]]
28	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The Ankh-Morpork City Watch becomes this starting with ''Literature/MenAtArms'', when they recruit their first troll, their first dwarf, and their first werewolf, onwards. Later books add more dwarfs and trolls, plus at least one each of a zombie, a gnome, a gargoyle, a pictsie, a golem, an Igor, a medusa and -- under protest from Vimes -- a vampire. It's considered notable in ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'' that Mr Nutt, believed to be the city's first goblin, ''didn't'' join the Watch.
29	* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': The Fellowship of the Ring consists of representatives of each of the free peoples of Middle-Earth: four hobbits, two humans (a ranger from the north and a prince from the south, respectively), [[ElvesVersusDwarves one elf, one dwarf]], and one [[AngelUnaware angelic being in human guise]].%%Such composition was [[InvokedTrope very much intentional]].%%How?
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32	[[folder:Music]]
33	* ''Music/ClamaviDeProfundis'': In "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKyEqeNIjug The Battle At World Stone Keep]]", the warriors who brave the titular fortress to defeat the evil within it are a dwarf, a minotaur, a faerie, an elf, an orc, and a human.
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36	[[folder:Pinballs]]
37	* ''Pinball/DungeonsAndDragons1987'': The adventuring party consists of a barbarian Warrior, a female Valkyrie, an elderly Wizard, and a Dwarf.
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40	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
41	* ''TabletopGame/PrometheanTheCreated'' incentivizes this through game mechanics, since the titular {{Artificial Human}}s have a WalkingWasteland effect that's lessened by having prometheans of diverse [[{{Splat}} Lineages]] traveling together.
42	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': This tends to happen in the Deathwatch, the elite alien-hunting division of the Inquisition, which is made up of squads of individual Space Marines from different Chapters (which are pretty much all {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s).
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45	[[folder:Video Games]]
46	* Creator/BioWare: A staple in the games. The ''Franchise/DragonAge'' chief writer David Gaider stated in an interview that they do it specifically to give exposition of their worlds' various aspects (such as factions and ideologies) a face the players can associate them with.
47	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has a Fereldan ex-[[MageKiller Templar]] [[TheOrder Grey Warden]], an amoral HotWitch from the swamps, an Orlesian bard-turned-[[TheChurch lay sister]], a ProudWarriorRaceGuy from overseas, an elderly [[MagicalSociety Circle]] spirit summoner, an Elven [[ProfessionalKiller assassin]] from Antiva, a dwarven {{berserker}}, a golem (DLC only), and a [[AmplifiedAnimalAptitude mabari war hound]]. [[OptionalPartyMember There is also]] [[spoiler:the paranoid lesser BigBad of the game, if you so desire]].
48	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' had this on a different level: the party members represented not cultures but views on the central conflict of the game (mages vs. Templars). The three mages are an [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters anti-Circle extremist]], a moderate sorceress who dislikes but tolerates the Circle, and an Elven blood mage who puts a personal agenda above the conflict. Similarly, the three warriors are a trained Templar ([[FutureBadass eventually]]), a city guard captain who just wants people to stop killing each other, and a MagicKnight who hates all mages on principle for [[SexSlave personal reasons.]] The three rogues are a free-spirited PirateGirl, a dwarven [[TheSpymaster spymaster]], and a member of the [[TheChurch Chantry]]; of the three, only the latter is partial to the conflict, since the Chantry endorses the Circle system and the Templars.
49	** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' continues the trend. Party members include the aforementioned dwarf spymaster, a chivalrous [[ChurchMilitant Chantry warrior]] from Nevarra, a high-ranking Orlesian Circle Loyalist Mage, a [[ShellShockedVeteran burned-out]] yet [[BoisterousBruiser boisterous]] Qunari spy, a Myth/RobinHood-esque elf looking out for the little people, a [[DefectorFromDecadence rebellious Tevinter Magister]], an elven apostate expert on the Fade, an [[OldSoldier aging]] idealistic Grey Warden who JumpedAtTheCall, and a Fade spirit in human form whose nature is anyone's guess. This is also much less of a ContrivedCoincidence than in most games that feature this trope. Most of the party members specifically seek you out and offer you their services and the goodwill of their faction.
50	** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' can't include more than a fraction of the species in the Franchise/StarWars universe, but takes care to hit the highlights. Your party notably includes [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy a Mandalorian]], [[OldSoldier one of the soldiers who fought them]], a refugee from their invasion, and two Jedi. ([[AndZoidberg And a Wookiee]]. He doesn't represent anyone, [[RuleOfCool he's just cool]].)
51	** ''VideoGame/MassEffect'': Your entire party in one way or another, especially your alien party members. Ashley lets you know how humans (their military in particular) are dealing with the first contact war, Kaiden and the training human biotics. Garrus lets you in on the rigidity of C-Sec and the military focus of the Turians. Wrex brings up the issues of the genophage, Liara is an asari and Tali lets you know of the Quarians and their involvement with the geth. ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' adds more races with a salarian, a drell, and [[spoiler:a geth (an AI race formely believed to be AlwaysChaoticEvil)]]; and ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' adds a [[RobotGirl human-made AI]] and a [[{{Precursors}} prothean]]. All of them represent a rather wide spectrum of all known sapient galactic races.
52	* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': You get one party member from each time period you visit if you're able to recruit the bonus SixthRanger.
53	* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': By the end of the game, the main party contains one full demon, one half-demon, one angel, two humans, a robot, and a Prinny.
54	* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'': Each of your companions represents a certain group of people, allowing you insight into their beliefs and flaws. Veronica is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, Arcade is part of the Followers of the Apocalypse [[spoiler: and comes from the Enclave]], Lily lets you witness the effects of schizophrenia present in all nightkin, Raul is from Arizona and is passably alright with Legion control. Boone and Cass are both NCR, but Boone represents the military side while Cass is a civilian business owner.
55	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': The final party contains the WhiteMage daughter of a famed summoner, the former bodyguard of said father, her GadgeteerGenius cousin from the barely-tolerated technological faction, a sports star and a BlackMage from her village, a ProudWarriorRaceGuy lion man, and a guy from a technologically advanced world. Or so it seems at first, it gets complicated.
56	* All of your companions in ''VideoGame/GreedFall'' are from different factions. Kurt is a captain of the Coin Guard, Vasco is a Naut captain, Siora is a Yecht Fradí princess, Petrus is a Thélème missionary, and Aphra is a Bridge Alliance scholar. [[PlayerCharacter De Sardet]] represents the Congregation of Merchants.
57	* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': From the first two games, you had the hero, his best friend, his girlfriend and her brother from the (not-quite) DoomedHometown, an orphan brought up by the leader of a merchant town, a healer who failed her one duty to keep a CosmicKeystone where it was, an orphan implied to be of the Precursors, and a native of the {{Atlantis}} equivalent. The third game gives us the children of the original heroes, plus the heir to a HiddenElfVillage, a {{Miko}}, and a {{Pirate}}. In both games, your party is accompanied by the same CoolOldGuy.
58	* ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'': You have a vagabond mercenary, a priestess of TheChurch, a demon, a [[spoiler:prince]] from a human kingdom, a guy from the ProudWarriorRace, and an [[spoiler:an ancient humanoid robot servant]] of the {{Precursors}}.
59	* ''VideoGame/KingsRaid'' features collectable characters that are gathered from all across the world, ranging from standard humans to dwarves, elves, demons, and {{Beast M\|an}}en.
60	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': The recurring "Sage" characters and their {{Suspiciously Similar Substitute}}s from across the series typically consist of one person from each race depicted in a particular game, although [[HumansAreSpecial Hylians]] tend to have more than one representative.
61	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'': The ensemble of Sages tasked to seal the Evil King (Ganondorf) and protect Hyrule consists of Rauru (Hylian), Saria (Kokiri), Darunia (Goron), Ruto (Zora), Impa (Sheikah), Nabooru (Gerudo) and Zelda (Hylian again).
62	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Princess Zelda's Champions serve this role, representing nearly every major species/ethnicity of the game world: Link of the Hylians, Daruk of the Gorons, Mipha of the Zora, Revali of the Rito, and Urbosa of the Gerudo. The races that aren't represented directly are the Sheikah and the Korok, but the former race helps Link in other ways (and were the ones who built the Divine Beasts that are piloted by the Champions even in death), while the latter is entrusted the task to guard the Master Sword until Link reclaims it.
63	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': Each of the modern sages represent a different race (and they're also revealed to descend from the ancient Sages who helped Rauru in sealing Ganondorf in the past times): Tulin (Rito), Yunobo (Goron), Sidon (Zora), Riju (Gerudo). Later in the game, [[spoiler:Link finds a fifth sage, Mineru, who stands in for the Zonai; however, because she's been dead for a long time, Link had to build a Construct body for her to possess]].
64	* ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'': The party was [[WordOfGod apparently]] specially designed to give a broad representation of the various cultures, religions and factions in the setting. Your companions are: an elven wizard nobleman [[spoiler:with a SplitPersonality]]; a snarky but kind-hearted war veteran who follows a religion dedicated to a dead god; a [[{{Jerkass}} rather unpleasant]] old priest [[spoiler:who's responsible for ''killing'' said god]]; an Orlan druid with a very dirty sense of humour; a naive young [[FishPeople Aumauan]] adventurer; a [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette creepy midwife]] who's also a [[PsychicPowers cipher]]; an avian Godlike paladin who's driven to bitter cynicism by her nation's politics; and a dwarf ranger who's searching for the reincarnation of her village's previous elder. The expansion also adds a ruthless convicted criminal's soul inhabiting a bronze golem, an old monk who's CoveredInScars, and an older, experienced Aumauan pirate and explorer turned follower of a religious order.
65	* ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'': You get four members from your home country of Alistel, with one later turning out to actually be from the southern country of Cygnus, someone from the "evil" country of Granorg [[spoiler:(and the main hero is also from Granorg)]], one member of the satyr tribe, and one of the ape tribe.
66	* ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'': As you progress through the game, the number of people who join your cause against the Ruin will consist of the former Grand Protector Esther Bright (a human), the Floran hunter Nuru, the young Hylotl scholar Koichi, the Avian priest Tonauac, the Apex rebel Lana Blake and the Glitch nobleman The Baron. Played with though, in that they don't actually fight alongside you (barring one instance in [[spoiler: the Baron's Keep mission]]), instead spending their time hanging out in the Ark and serving as MissionControl. The bounty hunter update would also add in the Novakid chief of the [[SpacePolice Terrene Peacekeepers]], Captain Noble. This can also be invoked when recruiting crew members for your ship, meaning that you can have members from each race on your crew. Doing so will even net you an achievement for it.
67	* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'': Each of the four Gatekeepers who protect the lands where the Spellstones were forged represents a major race of the dinosaur society in Sauria: Garunda Te is a [=SnowHorn=] (mammoth) and is the Gatekeeper who opens the way to [=DarkIce=] Mines, the Queen [=CloudRunner=] (pterodactyl) is the Gatekeeper who opens the way to [=CloudRunner=] Fortress, The King [=EarthWalker=] (triceratops) is the Gatekeeper who opens the way to Walled City, and the silent [=ThornTail=] (Nodosaurus) whom you can see isolated from his fellows in [=ThornTail=] Hollow is the Gatekeeper who opens the way to Dragon Rock.
68	* ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'': This is a core aspect of every game in the series, which always has the protagonist recruit the 108 Stars of Destiny. By the end of each game, their army literally consists of volunteer soldiers, mercenaries, and key political figures from all cities throughout the continent.
69	* ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'': Verse and Barik (the earliest companions you can befriend) represent opposing the Scarlet Chorus and the Disfavored. As a result of their different cultures, their loyalties often contradict each other, teaching the player early on that at least one side will be pissed off no matter what you do. The other companions are the Sage Lantry, the Tierswoman Eb who abandoned the Vendrien guard when it was clear they would lose, the beastwoman Kills-in-Shadow that follows your strength, and Sirin, who worked under both Kyros and the Voices of Nerat.
70	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'':
71	** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' has a final team composed by a group of {{H\|umanAliens}}oms, a [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Nopon]], a High Entia, and [[spoiler:a Homs-turned-Mechon]]; thus covering all living sentient races in the game's world [[spoiler:save for the Machina, although the last member covers them indirectly]].
72	** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' has a party consisting of Leftherian human Rex, Titan Azurda/"Gramps", Aegis Blade Pyra, [[CatFolk Gormotti]] girl Nia, Nopon Tora, artificial Blade Poppi, Ardanian human Mòrag, Tantalese human Zeke, and the numerous mundane Blades they travel with. Furthermore, the Urayan mercenary Vandham is a GuestStarPartyMember, and [[spoiler:Nia is revealed to be a part Gormotti, part Blade "Flesh Eater" late in the story]], meaning that the only race in Alrest not represented in the team at some point are the Indoline.
73	** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'''s main party consists of a representative of each race from the nations of Keves (Homs Noah, High Entia Eunie, and Machina Lanz) and Agnus (Flesh Eater Gormotti Mio, Blade Eater Human Taion, and Blade Sena). The Heroes they ally with run the gamut of nearly every other races, factions, and cultures, including the people of the City and an Artificial Blade. However, this trope is PlayedWith as, due to the Flame Clocks and Moebius intentionally suppressing knowledge of the two worlds, the party never realize the significance of their different heritages until their becoming Ouroboros and being freed from the war.
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76	[[folder:Western Animation]]
77	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Aang is supposed to go to each nation to find a master to learn their respective element. However, because he only has a year to do it, he instead recruits a master to follow him and train him on his way to the next place. Because of this, the so-called Gaang consists of Aang from the Air Nation, Katara (and non-bender Sokka) from the Water Tribes, Toph from the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko from the Fire Nation.
78	* ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'' does it as well, with Korra from the Water Tribes and master of all four elements, Mako and Bolin with mixed Fire Nation/Earth Kingdom heritage and respectively a Firebender and Earthbender, Tenzin the Airbender from the Air Nation, and Asami the non-bender with a mixed heritage as well.
79	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
80	** The six main characters count two of every primary type of pony -- two earth ponies, two pegasi, and two unicorns, alongside a young dragon. After the third season, one of the unicorns becomes [[WingedUnicorn an alicorn]] instead.
81	** The six primary students at the School of Friendship in later seasons are all of different species -- a pony, a dragon, a changeling, a hippogriff, a griffon and a yak.
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84	[[folder:Real Life]]
85	* During the UsefulNotes/{{Haiti}}an revolution, a commission called the Tricolor Commission was sent to France, so named because it included two of each of the three racial groups in Haiti -- a white person, a "colored" person, and a black person.
86	* For some time after the end of the Second World War, Allied-occupied Berlin was divided into four districts controlled by the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Security patrols were carried out by military police personnel working in four-man teams, one from each nation.
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Context Main / PartyOfRepresentatives