Line #10 Main/SoulBrotha


1	%% Trope was declared Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease via crowner by the Real Life Maintenance thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php?crowner_id=2ujsc3s5
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3	[[quoteright:341:[[ComicBook/LastManStanding https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soulbrotha33_7006.jpg]]]]
4
5	->"''Who is the man that'll risk his neck for his brother man? '''Shaft!''' Right on.''"
6	-->-- '''Music/IsaacHayes''', "{{Theme\|Song}} from ''Film/{{Shaft}}''"
7
8	All right! You've gotten your EnsembleCast but something's missing. Something... funky. A character to provide kickass quotes to be tossed around the Internet. Apparently Creator/SamuelLJackson is interested in the project. ''Yes.''
9
10	Enter Soul Brotha. This man is a badass. He is [[RuleOfCool pure coolness]]. He speaks in a [[JiveTurkey slang at once incomprehensible and utterly groovy]], and he ''sho'' can groove. He usually is calm and laid back but he is nothing to play with; he doesn't tolerate disrespect and he never backs down from a fight, he can defend himself pretty well whether he has to defend himself physically or with weapons, most of the time he comes out the one winning the fight. If he dies (and he [[BlackDudeDiesFirst probably will]]) it will be in [[DyingMomentOfAwesome the coolest way imaginable]]. He may or may not have an [[AfroAsskicker afro]], but he will certainly be Black. You can also expect this character to be TheCasanova. It's rare the creators make this character faithful to one woman. [[WhereDaWhiteWomenAt Expect him to ask where all the white women are.]]
11
12	Most of the time this character is not the protagonist. He is usually the TheLancer and if not, you can expect him to be in part of a duo with a white guy who is not as nearly as cool as him. Sometimes this character is just a TokenBlackFriend to the protagonist, or a cool guy version of UncleTomfoolery. If he is the protagonist it's usually in a film or series which the cast is mostly black. These characters were most popular in TheSeventies, during the height of {{Blaxploitation}}. This character would also usually be American, or occasionally UsefulNotes/{{Jamaica}}n.
13
14	According to this trope, Black men are somehow inherently cooler than their non Black neighbors. Part of this is the fact that most American music genres developed in the 20th Century has roots in the African-American community: {{Jazz}}, {{Blues}}, {{Soul}}, HipHop, {{Funk}}, RockAndRoll, and yes, even CountryMusic. Additionally, Black Americans have often introduced new forms of popular slang and fashion into the mainstream, and have historically acted as 'cultural innovators'. The same phenomenon can be seen in other countries like the United Kingdom, where a lot of slang and fashion finds its roots in Black British culture. In the Caribbean, {{Ska}}, {{Reggae}}, Dancehall, and Rocksteady originated from Afro-Jamaicans and have spread a similar image of Cool Caribbeans around the world. Plus, while the aesthetic and the idea of cool itself has had a long history worldwide, the term "cool" itself was coined by Black Americans.
15
16	See also TokenBlackFriend. One of the few roles where there isn't really a such thing as "[[ButNotTooBlack too black]]".
17	----
18	!!Examples
19
20	[[foldercontrol]]
21
22	[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]
23	* Parodied in the extreme by ''Anime/ExcelSaga'''s Nabeshin, who was described to his English dub actor as "like Shaft, but white".
24	* From ''Anime/CoyoteRagtimeShow'', we have the silly version (the radio pirate Super-Soul) and the badass version (space-pirate-turned-James-Brown-dancing-priest Brother Swamp).
25	* ''Anime/AfroSamurai'' has Creator/SamuelLJackson voicing [[ActingForTwo two of them]]: [[CharacterTitle Afro]], a samurai who's calm, stern, and [[OneManArmy an unstoppable killing machine]]; the other is Ninja Ninja, Afro's companion and the guy who doesn't do much more run his mouth to [[GreekChorus deliver exposition]]. Guess which one falls under the trope.
26	* TK from ''Anime/AngelBeats'' fits every single one of these traits apart from being black, but still a FunnyForeigner in a Japanese high school.
27	* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' brings us [[Music/{{WuTangClan}} Killer Bee]], the Rapping Ninja.
28	* Masa-san from ''Manga/MyBrideIsAMermaid''.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder:Comic Books]]
32	* Subverted in ''Why I Hate Saturn'' with TokenBlackFriend Ricky:
33	-->'''Anne:''' Yeah, Mike, why is Ricky doing the Black column?\
34	'''Mike:''' We wanted an outsider's perspective.\
35	'''Anne:''' Non-music?\
36	'''Mike:''' Non-Black.\
37	'''Anne:''' I don't know how to tell you this, Mike, but Ricky's Black.\
38	'''Ricky:''' I know what he means. [[ButNotTooBlack Any black man who's educated and speaks articulately is not considered "really" black]].
39	* ''ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire'': Luke Cage during his Heroes for Hire days, though what started as being characterized as a flamboyant hustler has since changed to a more stern nature in modern comics. He's often part of a duo with Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, with distaff counterparts in the Daughters of the Dragon (Misty Knight and Colleen Wing)
40	* When Marvel wanted to reinvent ComicBook/NickFury for the 21st century in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line, they went to Creator/SamuelLJackson and asked for likeness rights.
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
44	* Br'er Rabbit in ''WesternAnimation/{{Coonskin}}''. Being voiced by Philip Michael Thomas, the same actor who would later play Rico in ''Series/MiamiVice'' sure helps.
45	* Morkupine Porcupine in ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle''.
46	* [=MotoMoto=] in ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa''.
47	* If you ignore the fact he's a [[SeekerWhiteBloodCells White Blood Cell]], Film/OsmosisJones, voiced by Creator/ChrisRock.
48	* Frozone in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. When he makes his first appearance in his street clothes when he enters the Parr family residence, "cool" is the first thing that comes to your mind, which is appropriate, given his [[AnIcePerson ice powers]]. Being voiced by Creator/SamuelLJackson may have something to do with that. And he has 'Fro in his name. All together now: "Where is my super-suit?"
49	* Scat Cat in ''WesternAnimation/TheAristocats''. Voiced by the above-mentioned Scatman Crothers.
50	* Creator/EddieMurphy in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', despite being set in ''imperial China.''
51	* In ''Literature/StuartLittle 3: Call of the Wild'', the character of Reeko the skunk (voiced by Wayne Brady).
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
55	* As noted before, Creator/SamuelLJackson can pull this role off with his eyes closed. See Jules Winnfield in ''Film/PulpFiction''. He was even able to pull it off when he voiced the white [[WhiteGangBangers Gin Rummy]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks''. Him playing ComicBook/NickFury in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse has an interesting story behind it; see "Comics" above.
56	* ''Film/UndercoverBrother'' in the film of that name, which is basically this trope exploded into two hours of ethnic-related hilarity.
57	* Creator/WillSmith in ''Film/MenInBlack'', ''Film/WildWildWest'' (where his modern black slang was the spice in the AnachronismStew), and ''Film/IndependenceDay'', ''Film/BadBoys1995'' although he eased off this in ''Film/IRobot'', ''Film/IAmLegend'' and ''Film/{{Hancock}}''.
58	* Creator/ChrisTucker in most of the movies he is in but the most notable one is the first ''Film/RushHour''.
59	* The title character of the movie ''Film/{{Shaft}}''. Right On.
60	* Detective Rico Tubbs of the ''Series/MiamiVice'' Squad.
61	* Parodied in ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'', which has [[strike: a]] the black character pop up with unrelated phrases like "bling bling!" ([[TotallyRadical Yeah!?]]) out of nowhere, then disappear again.
62	* Inverted/parodied in ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', which features a parody commercial for a charity to help black people born without soul. Another commercial parody advertises an album by Don "No Soul" Simmons, a character played by David Alan Grier who's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly what he sounds like]].
63	* Cooper from ''Film/EventHorizon''. Referred to as the "[[RecycledInSpace funky spaceman]]".
64	* ''Film/BlackDynamite'', the eponymous hero, both parodies and personifies this trope.
65	* In ''Film/TrainingDay'', Creator/DenzelWashington plays Alonzo Harris, an evil version of this trope.
66	* ''Film/SoulPlane'' features Music/SnoopDogg, who is a Soul Brotha himself, playing a funky pilot by the name of Antoine Mack.
67	* Jazz fulfills the role in ''Film/Transformers2007'' once again, although the only thing left of the JiveTurkey is a more of a MythologyGag. He introduces himself with a friendly "What's crackin', little bitches?" and a breakdancing move.
68	* Nino Brown in the movie ''Film/NewJackCity'' portrayed by Creator/WesleySnipes is another evil version of this character.
69	* Lando Calrissian in ''Franchise/StarWars'' fits this trope really well with him being very smooth and good with the ladies.
70	* Willie Beamen the cocky NFL player who is played by Creator/JamieFoxx in the ''Film/AnyGivenSunday''.
71	* The protagonist in the movie ''Film/{{SuperFly}}'' named Youngblood Priest who is a drug dealer.
72	* Django, another Soul brotha played by Creator/JamieFoxx, in ''Film/DjangoUnchained'' is an unusual example of one since he's a slave in pre-[[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar Civil War]] America.
73	* Wesley Snipes does it again as the title character of the ''Film/BladeTrilogy''.
74	* Creator/EddieMurphy as Slide in the movie ''Film/TowerHeist''.
75	* Creator/PamGrier, which is what you would expect when Hollywood's first ActionGirl is an African-American woman.
76	* Special mention in Film/TheWarriors goes to the [[TheDreaded Riffs]], an ''[[GangOfHats entire gang]]'' of Soul Brothas.
77	* ''Film/DeathProof'':
78	** Kim is a female example; a badass stunt driver and ActionGirl, who's also a BoisterousBruiser. Unsurprisingly, Quentin Tarantino wrote her to be a female Samuel L Jackson.
79	** Downplayed with Jungle Julia, who's the charismatic radio DJ and MsFanservice of the group. She's however portrayed as something of an annoyance to her friends, and it's hinted she's not as cool as she thinks she is.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Literature]]
83	* Spider in ''Literature/AnansiBoys''. He's the {{Deuteragonist}} and son of Anansi (an African trickster deity), making Spider a minor deity in his own right. He makes a pretty good living using his divine powers and his charisma alone.
84	* Hawk in ''Literature/{{Spenser}}'', but adopted or set aside at will according to his own whims.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
88	* Gunn in ''Series/{{Angel}}'' is a streetwise, badass monster hunter who's popular and well known in the LA black community. He's definitely cooler than his white coworkers at Angel Investigations.
89	%%* Detective Rico Tubbs of the ''Series/MiamiVice'' Squad.
90	%%* Lead in ''Series/SapphireAndSteel''.
91	%%* Linc Hayes in ''Series/TheModSquad''.
92	%%* Lampshaded and subverted with Turk in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''.
93	%%* Creator/MrT in ''Series/TheATeam''. Because, well, DUH.
94	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' uses it occasionally, including Zack in the original ''Mighty Morphin''' team and Will in ''Operation Overdrive''.
95	* Det. Neal Washington in ''Series/HillStreetBlues'', [[DownplayedTrope kind of]]; he's definitely got the mannerisms down but his accent and slang don't really stand out enough to qualify as this trope.
96	* Huggy Bear from Series/StarskyAndHutch.
97	* ''Series/GarthMarenghisDarkplace'' pokes fun at the racism inherent in this trope via copious amounts of StylisticSuck - one main character is (from the dialogue) clearly supposed to be written as one of these and even gets a rap verse in someone's song, but Garth Marenghi cast his own publisher in the role, apparently assuming that because he is black he'd be able to pull it off. The fact that he is extremely uncool in appearance, voice and mannerisms, and is easily the worst actor in the entire cast, significantly diminishes the effect.
98	* ''Series/{{Blackish}}'': The Grandfather (real name Earl Johnson but the main characters call him Pops), who is played by Creator/LaurenceFishburne. He acts more like a stereotypical Black male in a cool manner (despite being elderly) compared to most of the male main characters in the series.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
102	* Back in the '70s,"The Soulman" Wrestling/RockyJohnson was the very embodiment of this trope. He passed along a generous quantity of his coolness to his son -- a guy you might know as [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]].
103	* Indy wrestler Human Tornado [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD1zyaFE800 is]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnVxwHMpDnI this]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmWZ27FDJb0 trope.]] He can step dance and break dance. He can shoot threes and dunk. He's a pimp! And he's so manly he's immune to [[BallsOfSteel nut shots]].
104	* The Wrestling/JunkyardDog, who was the first black wrestler to be the top star in a promotion when he worked for "Cowboy" Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling in the early 1980s.
105	* Wrestling/RonSimmons one-upped JYD when he defeated [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]] [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]] to become the first African-American World Heavyweight Champion.
106	* As Miss Texas in 1993, Wrestling/{{Jacqueline}} was the first woman to be ranked in the ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' "PWI 500" rankings. She was the inaugural [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/uswa/uswa-wm.html USWA Women's Champion]] and held the title '''14''' times. Under her own name, she was also the first African-American [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-wm.html WWE Women's Champion]], the first African-American wrestler of either gender to win the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-c.html WCW/WWE World Cruiserweight Title]][[note]]Back in Wrestling/{{WCW}} in 2000, Wrestling/LanceStorm awarded the title to [[Wrestling/ElixSkipper "Primetime" Elix Skipper]], having renamed it the 100 Kg and Under Title, as part of the formation of Team Canada.[[/note]] and the first African-American woman to be inducted to the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame. She has a [[IKnowKarate black belt in [=Taekwondo=]]], and, early in her career, once finished a match after ''separating her shoulder''.
107	* Wrestling/DaSoulTouchaz, best known for their appearances in Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}, are a whole '''PowerStable''' of these, five brothas ("The Urban Sensation" C-Red, "Hot Chocolate" Acid Jaz, "M-80" Marshe Rockett, "The Urban-American Dream" Willie "Da Bomb" Richardson and "The Ghetto Gladiator" Trauma) and a sista ("The Urban Jewel" Dymond).
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
111	* ''TabletopGame/SpiritOfSeventySeven'': Characters can choose the story type "One Bad Mother" to become one. No points for guessing [[Film/{{Shaft}} who it's supposed to evoke]].
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Theater]]
115	* In the musical ''Theatre/PassingStrange'', there actually is a song named "Soul Brother", in which the young, middle-class [[NoNameGiven Youth]] starts a punk rock band with his friends. They sing lines such as "My mother stands in doorways beggin' me to conform/Be a good, football playin' snazzy-dressing brother/so the sisters can be able/ to tell you to from the others" and "So ''Literature/{{Roots}}'' blew your MIND?! I learned that shit in third grade... [[AsideComment in Ms Madeira's class]]".
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Video Game]]
119	%%(ZCE)* Tyler Mills in ''Farenheit''.
120	%%(ZCE)* Seth from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''.
121	* Drebin in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' fits this trope to a T. Somewhat made weird though in that he still monologues to you just as much as anyone else, often with an insane level of detail.
122	%%(ZCE)* Superfly Johnson in ''VideoGame/{{Daikatana}}''.
123	* ''VideoGame/StarcraftII''
124	** Marauders, Black PowerArmor-wearing infantry that launch grenades, and talk like a stereotypical player.
125	-->[[SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound KABOOM, BABY!]]
126	** There's also Gabriel Tosh, the Spectre (read: [[PsychoSerum unstable]] Ghost) with witch doctor vibes.
127	* [[MrExposition DJ Professor K]], host of the titular pirate radio station in ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio''. For bonus points one of the songs is called "Sweet Soul Brother", it's rather funky.
128	%%(ZCE)* Tony Umeda is the purest form of the trope in ''Bushido Blade II''.
129	* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': While the way he dresses is up to the player, there is no denying that Carl Johnson is very much badass, almost single-handedly turning the Grove Street families from laughingstock to top gang in Los Santos, all while purging the city of crack dealers.
130	* Lúcio in ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' is a Brazilian NiceGuy who happens to be a world-touring DJ and still find the time to support his local community, have a ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' inspiration, and strives to make the world a better place.
131	%%(ZCE)* ''[[VideoGame/ToeJamAndEarl ToeJam and Earl]]'', except they're aliens.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	%%[[folder:Web Comics]]
135	%%(ZCE)* Most of the dwarves in ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'' have a touch of this.
136	%%[[/folder]]
137
138	[[folder:Web Original]]
139	* For reasons known probably only to the creators, ''[[Franchise/{{Halo}} Master Chief]]'' of all people is turned into one in the webseries ''WebVideo/LifeInAGame''.
140	* ''WebVideo/ThugNotes'': A gang member with a PHD in classical literature summarizes and explains the greatest books and plays humanity has produced.
141	[[/folder]]
142
143	[[folder:Western Animation]]
144	* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
145	** Jazz and Blaster in the original ''[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Transformers]]'' cartoon were the two Autobots most into Earth music and culture. Naturally, they both were voiced by black actors (trivia: in Jazz's case, by awesome character actor Scatman Crothers). In [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW the IDW comic series]], where the Autobots are shown using holographic avatars, that used by Jazz is, naturally, a black man.
146	** The version in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot also a ninja and uses nunchucks]]. A ''[[DualWielding pair]]'' of nunchucks.
147	* Spoofed with URL, the robot cop occasionally seen on ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' along with his Fry-soundalike partner Smitty, who talks like one.
148	* Frylock, of ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', has aspects of this. In other ways, however, he is a huge nerd.
149	** Boxy Brown is this trope combined with ScaryBlackMan. Of course, he's just a box.
150	--->'''Boxy Brown:''' I'm just a ''what'', bitch?!\
151	'''Troper:''' Y-You are [[Film/EscapeFromNewYork the Duke of New York, you are A-Number-One!]]\
152	'''Boxy Brown:''' Hahahaha, yeeeaaaah!
153	** Shake briefly becomes this after being bitten by a radioactive black man.
154	* Bobby Proud on ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' is a cross between this and DiscoDan.
155	* Barry the Bear from ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers''. He even tells a story in "Pass it On" that's a BlaxploitationParody.
156	%%* Jerome the bartender in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''.
157	%%* Gerald in ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''.
158	* Garnet from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' can be seen as a (literal) {{Deconstruction}} of this trope.
159	[[/folder]]
160
161	----

Context Main / SoulBrotha