Basic Trope: Two powerful entities are in a stalemate. A third entity cannot hope to compete with either of them, but it can tip the balance towards the one it chooses to ally with.
- Straight: Princess Alice and Archduke Bob both want to be the ruler of Troperia, and each have equal claims on the throne. General Charlie has no claim whatsoever, but he can use his influence and troops to place whichever candidate he chooses on the throne.
- Exaggerated: Alice and Bob are immortal, nigh-omnipotent beings competing for the title of God. Charlie is an ordinary human, but he was chosen to judge their claims. Whichever one he chooses gets the prize.
- Downplayed: Charlie's influence won't ensure that whoever he allies with wins, but it will significantly help their chances.
- Justified: Charlie cannot take the throne of Troperia himself because he is not of Royal Blood, but he is still a prominent noble (or the head of Troperian military) and thus wields a lot of clout.
- Inverted: Rather than fighting for the realm, Alice and Bob both want to give the throne of Troperia to Charlie.
- Subverted:
- Charlie looks like he's taking an interest in one side... and then Dana convinces him to stay neutral.
- Charlie kills them both and uses military force to take the throne for himself.
- Charlie convinces the two to marry and take the throne together.
- Double Subverted: Publicly, he's neutral, but he's actually working behind the scenes to hand the throne to Alice.
- Parodied: Both Alice and Bob try desperately to bribe Charlie onto their side, only for Charlie to take Bob's side because he liked Bob's taste in cookies.
- Zig Zagged: Charlie throws in on Alice's side, but once she starts winning he realizes she's The Caligula and switches sides to Bob, but Bob doesn't trust him and doesn't accept his help. Bob does, on the other hand, accept the help of Joe the janitor (who's Charlie's friend), who gives him crucial information for the fight against Alice.
- Averted: Charlie plays no part in Alice and Bob's power struggle, whether because he has hard time taking decisions, suffers from Bystander Syndrome ("What can I do if they are the candidates to the throne? Shouldn't they decide it between themselves?"), or genuinely tries to keep an impartial position.
- Enforced: The writers need to put in some suspense about who will win Troperia's throne, so they make Alice and Bob's power equal and then throw in a Wild Card in the form of Charlie, who has enough power to tip the balance.
- Lampshaded: "Alice and Bob may be the choices, but Charlie is the one making the choice."
- Invoked:
- Charlie cannot rule Troperia because he has no Royal Blood, so he works his way into a position (such as the chancellor or the army commander) where he can control those who do.
- King Bob is dying, and is unwilling to decide between his two children: Princess Alice and Prince Charlie. So he instead declares that his chancellor, Lord Devin, shall choose the next ruler of Troperia.
- Exploited: Dana doesn't attempt to directly influence Alice or Bob. She instead goes after Charlie, who is both a non-royal, and thus easier to approach, and has extreme influence over who will eventually win.
- Defied:
- Charlie is very careful to remain neutral.
- Charlie is ordered to stay out of the conflict, so as not to escalate it.
- Charlie is killed, because whoever pulls the trigger wanted to enforce Mutually Assured Destruction between Alice and Bob.
- Charlie has made his choice the moment he discovered the situation: he kills Alice, Bob, all other contestants to the throne, and maybe himself.
- Discussed: "We need to keep an eye on Charlie — he's in a very good position to help someone become king."
- Played For Laughs: All the kings of the world seek good relations with Charlie, a Ridiculously Average Guy who happens to be the one grain necessary to outweigh everyone else.
- Played For Drama: Charlie finds himself obliged to make the choice between Alice and Bob as a Succession Crisis winds up in Troperia. Cue Conflicting Loyalty between his old-time close friend, the most competent and caring candidate, and his unwillingness to harm anyone.
Back to Kingmaker Scenario.
