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eroock
Since: Sep, 2012
KTera
Since: Oct, 2010
videogameboymichael
Since: Jan, 2014
17th Apr, 2021 05:21:07 PM
Thanks, it seems what I'm thinking of is a combination of A Million Is a Statistic and Protagonist-Centered Morality.
Florestan
Since: May, 2015
17th Apr, 2021 08:54:07 PM
Also related to What Measure Is a Mook?, if killing unnamed enemy grunts, foot soldiers etc. is presented as no problem (in contrast to the conflict between the main characters).
I've noticed a trend in media where the value of a character's life is proportional to that character's proximity to the main cast.
A good example is in the first Spiderman movie when the Green Goblin tries to make Spiderman choose between saving Mary Jane, or saving a tram full of complete strangers. One option would lead to a lot more death than the other, but because MJ is Spiderman's girlfriend, they are both treated with the same emotional weight.
Another more extreme example would be Alderaan from Star Wars. No one is ever shown mourning the destruction of an entire (presumably well-populated) planet because we, the audience, never knew anyone on it. Obviously the same could not be said for main characters such as Obi-Wan or Darth Vader.
Is this a trope?
Edited by videogameboymichael