How sweet it is
#2: Aug 2nd 2020 at 9:00:00 PM
~Marshy_Mellow, we're going to need more substantial evidence before a thread can be considered.
she/her | TRS needs your help! | Contributor of Trope Report
Total posts: 2
The Small Role, Big Impact trope seems like it is two tropes in one based on the examples. Based on the Laconic description, this trope is for characters whose role in the story is minor, but does something to change the course of the entire piece. Mirri Maz Duur from A Song of Ice and Fire is a good example. The saga is in no way about her - she was just someone who was caught in the crossfire of Daenerys's quest to reclaim the Iron Throne. Her actions change the course of Daenerys's life, but she herself is not someone around who the story revolves.
However, many of the examples concern characters who may have limited screentime, but whose "role" in the story is anything but minor. It's hard to argue that Khan's role in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is small when a) his name is in the title, and b) the majority of the action revolves around his desire for vengeance against Kirk. The actor even noted that regardless of the raw minutes Khan was on screen, Khan was present in every moment of the story.
I realize the line can get blurry, especially for Long-Runners. To use A Song of Ice and Fire as an example, it would be hard to argue Ned Stark's role is small, even though he is killed in Book 1. Likewise, Balon Greyjoy and Mirri Maz Duur are unquestionably minor characters whose effect on the story is disproportionate to their roles in the story. But what about significant one book supporting characters who may not be minor in their book, but have relatively small roles in the overall saga, like Oberyn Martell or Khal Drogo. Or a character can have a very minor but impactful role for the first part of the story, but become more prominent later, such as Amy Madison in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But if the likes of Khan and Mirri Maz Duur can both be called "small role, big impact" then the term has lost its meaning.
If there isn't trope already for characters with small amounts of screen time, but whose role in the story (such as main antagonist) is proportionate to their effect on the story, then perhaps one can be created and the relevant examples can be spun off.