The Resenter/Playing With

Basic Trope: A character, usually with the good guys, resents his successes and the fact that he is not the hero.
Played Straight: Andy is The Hero and Brad is his sidekick, Brad resents Andy's success.
Exaggerated: Brad resents Andy's every success, even if it has nothing to do with the hero's mission.
Justified: Andy was simply born into his power while Brad worked his block off., and yet Andy is still the hero.
- Brad respects the rules of society, while Andy often causes as many problems as the bad guys.
Inverted: Andy resents Brad for not being the hero.
Subverted: Brad's seems to resent Andy's success, but it turns out to be just how their relationship is. He's cool with it.
Double Subverted: Until Andy's teacher plants the idea in his head that he should be the hero, and it sticks.
Parodied: The rest of the team has a lottery to see how long after the battle it takes for Brad to start grumbling.
Deconstructed: Brad gets so fed up with Andy's successes he strikes out on his own.
- Brad gets so frustrated he just can't function at a critical moment.
- Brad's resentments isolate him from the rest of the team, who don't seem to feel the same way, leaving him vulnerable to Rebecca.
Reconstructed: Brad's time alone gives him perspective, and he returns, although he still can't get over Andy's behavior.
- When Brad hears Claire screaming in pain, he snaps to his senses. Andy or no, he can't have her hurt.
- Brad resists temptation, preferring to be with the heroes, no matter how much Andy pisses him off.
Zig Zagged: Brad gets so frustrated seeing Andy succeed and get all the credit for the team's endeavors he strikes out on his own. Claire is kidnapped as a result, which brings him back to help save the day. But Claire thanks Andy and only Andy, giving him a kiss, making Brad upset and vulnerable to Rebecca's corrupting words. He resists and comes back to the team, but then Greg teases him about it.
Averted: Andy and Brad are both heroes.
- Or they both are working for the hero in an equal capacity.
Enforced: The writers believe this kind of tension between the heroes is interesting and generates readers.
Lampshaded: "Hey look, the townsfolk are chanting Andy's name over and over again. Brad is gonna be pissed."
Invoked: Knowing how Brad reacts to other people's successes, General Lysander let's him live, believing it will hurt the heroes in the end.
Exploited: After noticing how Brad reacts to Andy's success, General Lysander has his agents spread fantastic stories about Andy among the population, hoping it will push Brad over the edge.
Defied: The rest of the team notices how Brad pushes himself and make it a point to include him so it doesn't become a problem.
Discussed: "Brad's been brooding since the last battle, that happens a lot."
Conversed:

"Look at all the people praising Andy."
"Look at Brad muttering under his breath."

Played For Laughs: Andy resents Brad for looking better in a suit and having all the right dance moves.
Played For Drama: Andy's a real asshole who never lets Brad live down that he's not special, no matter how hard he tries. Brad tries and tries, but can't cut it and takes his own life.
- Andy is the hero in the first place because he has strong personality traits like perseverance. Brad resents Andy because these traits serve as a mocking reminder of the traits Brad lacks. Brad, having given up on self improvement, decides to tear Andy down to his level.

Back to The Resenter