Discussion Main / PromotedToScapegoat

Does Kefka from Final Fantasy VI really count? He held the rank of General from the before the beginning of the game at least until the peace talks, probably until the attack on the Floating Continent, so he was never actually promoted, and he was directly responsible for most of the atrocities committed on-screen in the name of the Empire, so unless Gestahl already knew which of his generals he could safely order to commit war crimes, he wasn't actually blamed for anything that wasn't his fault. He probably wasn't responsible for declaring the Empire's war of conquest, but he's never officially blamed for it either.

Removed:

• In District Nine, Wikus gets assigned to lead a team into the eponymous alien district to deliver eviction notices despite being obviously not fit for the job in question. His father in law assures us that he didn't promote him just because he was married to his daughter. In fact, one gets the suspicion that he was trying to get him killed.
  • My interpretation is Wikus knows right where he stands. It's not that he doesn't fit the trope it's somehow more unconfortable to realise he knows he's the sap but willing to play along to keep his job, his lovely wife and keep things all nice with the boss man, boy. Now turn the camera off, eh?

There's really nothing to suggest that Wikus was expected to fail. Also, he's a goofball who probably got the top spot from nepotism, but he's not totally incompetent. He obviously knows a lot about his job, just not quite as much as he thinks he does.