Basic Trope: A trio consisting of a nice character, a mean character, and a character who is caught between the other two.
- Straight: Max is a Nice Guy, Brian is an obnoxious Jerkass, and Paul is not as polite as Max, but isn't as rude as Brian.
- Exaggerated:
- Max is the All-Loving Hero, Brian is a Token Evil Teammate while Paul balances between the two, being a Knight in Sour Armor.
- Pair example: Max and Jenny are the nicest characters of the series; Brian and Taylor are the most unpleasant characters of the series; Paul and Daniella are balanced in-between.
- Villain Example: Max is the Token Good Teammate, Brian is a Complete Monster and Paul is the one the balances in-between both, being an example of Even Evil Has Standards.
- Downplayed:
- Max and Paul are both nice characters, but the former is a lot nicer than the latter; Brian is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
- While all three aren't completely nice, Max appears to be nicer than Brian and Paul, although Brian is meaner than Paul.
- All three are very nice people, however Max is an All-Loving Hero, Brian is a Deadpan Snarker who often teases his friends, and Paul is usually friendly and polite, except to people who don't deserve it.
- All three are unpleasant Jerkasses, however Max has a few Pet the Dog moments, Brian is pure evil, and Paul is a selfish asshole, but not to the point of doing evil things like Brian.
- All three are a part of the good guys that won't hold back against their enemies, but Max is an All-Loving Hero or The Fettered, Brian being an example of either a Kleptomaniac Hero or Mr. Vice Guy, or even a heroic example of The Unfettered, and Paul is either a Knight in Sour Armor or a Pragmatic Hero.
- Brian, while a Jerkass, he does have a hidden soft-side that he only shows to the people he cares about, like his friends Max, who isn't really mean and rather aloof but nice and Paul, who is more of a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
- Justified: Max and Brian would never get anything done by themselves thanks to their opposing personalities, so they need Paul as a buffer.
- Inverted: While Paul can be either nice or mean, the seemingly nice Max is a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing and the seemingly mean Brian is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
- Subverted: In later episodes, Paul either becomes nicer or meaner; Max takes a level in jerkass while Brian takes a level in kindness.
- Double Subverted:
- The trio later return to their original personalities.
- Brian is now the nice one and Max is now the mean one.
- The trio's roles have been switched. Max is now the Mean/In-Between, Brian is now the Nice/In-Between while Paul is now the Nice or the Mean.
- Parodied: Max is dressed as an angel while Brian is dressed as a demon. Paul is just an average guy balancing between the two.
- Zig Zagged: The three characters can switch places from time to time depending on the circumstances - Max will sometimes become the mean one, Brian will become the nice one, or Paul can be either nice or mean.
- Averted: The trio have the same personality.
- Enforced: ???
- Lampshaded: "So Max is the cheerful one, Brian is rough around the edges, and Paul is a rather serious guy. That sums up those three."
- Invoked:
- Brian searches for some more pleasant friends to do the talking for him.
- Paul insists on adding Brian to his friend group to toughen up Max.
- Exploited: An enemy of the trio favors the morality of one member over the others, causing the three to argue about which moral approach is best, harming their ability to cooperate.
- Defied: Brian is such a jerk that Paul and Max kick him out.
- Discussed: "Why are these three still hanging out with each other despite their different mannerisms and attitudes?"
- Conversed: "Who are those three, Bob?" "The nice one's Max, The asshole's Brian and Paul's the guy who balances the other two in terms of politeness. Why ask Alice?" "Nothing man, just wondering why the three are still a trio."
- Deconstructed: Max, Brian, and Paul have trouble getting along due to their different personalities - Max's peaceful and naive attitude irks Brian and Paul, Brian bullies Max and constantly argues with Paul, and Paul's well-meaning, yet bossy leadership puts off Max and Brian. The three split up on bad terms.
- Reconstructed: They all quickly find they can't function without each other. Brian is too abrasive for most people to stand, Max's naivete gets him in trouble, and Paul is incredibly lonely without his annoying friends. They reconnect with a greater appreciation of what they bring to the table.
- Implied: The three friends aren't really characterized, but Brian is a Perpetual Frowner, Max is a Perpetual Smiler, and Paul seems normal.
Back to Nice, Mean, and In-Between.
