The Unexpected: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
m (update links)
m (clean up)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[File:python_inq_1992.jpg|link=Monty Python's Flying Circus|frame|Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency! Our ''three'' weapons... I'll come in again.]]
[[File:python inq 1992.jpg|link=Monty Python's Flying Circus|frame|Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency! Our ''three'' weapons... I'll come in again.]]


Your favorite franchise is getting a new game! All of your favorite characters are returning again to kick each other's asses!
Your favorite franchise is getting a new game! All of your favorite characters are returning again to kick each other's asses!
Line 6: Line 6:
But wait a second, we all knew that Hero Guy was going to be in the game, but, One Episode Comic Relief Squid Guy!?! That's just crazy!
But wait a second, we all knew that Hero Guy was going to be in the game, but, One Episode Comic Relief Squid Guy!?! That's just crazy!


Welcome to [[The Unexpected]], where a character that seems so strange, or not that well known will make an appearance in an installment, that it was not to be expected by anyone. Even the most diehard fans didn't expect these guys.
Welcome to '''The Unexpected''', where a character that seems so strange, or not that well known will make an appearance in an installment, that it was not to be expected by anyone. Even the most diehard fans didn't expect these guys.


Sometimes these character choices are praised, bringing in a previously unknown character to recent audiences, others, somewhat controversial...
Sometimes these character choices are praised, bringing in a previously unknown character to recent audiences, others, somewhat controversial...
Line 65: Line 65:
*** Banpresto did it again for ''[[Endless Frontier|Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED]]'' with Mark Hunter, from a more obscure Banpresto [[Action RPG]] called ''Gaia Saver''. At this point, anyone from any Banpresto-developed game has a possibility to appear in ''Original Generation'', be it the main series or its [[Spin-Off|Spinoffs]].
*** Banpresto did it again for ''[[Endless Frontier|Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED]]'' with Mark Hunter, from a more obscure Banpresto [[Action RPG]] called ''Gaia Saver''. At this point, anyone from any Banpresto-developed game has a possibility to appear in ''Original Generation'', be it the main series or its [[Spin-Off|Spinoffs]].
** Few people expected [[Super Robot Wars Z]] 2 would add [[Dai-Guard]] to the roster.
** Few people expected [[Super Robot Wars Z]] 2 would add [[Dai-Guard]] to the roster.
* The ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' games do this a lot. The ''Budokai Tenkaichi'' games have, among others, ''Grandpa Gohan'', [[Doctor Slump|Arale Norimaki]], [[Invisible to Gaydar|General]] [[Putting on the Reich|Blue]], [[Mooks|Frieza Soldier]] (No, seriously, that ''is'' a character), [[Mooks|Appule]]<ref>his appearance was used for a quick joke in [[Dragon Ball Abridged]] in which he's playing the game as himself, beating up Bardock</ref>, Spopovich, [[Squishy Wizard|Babidi]], [[Fusion Dance|Gok]][[Imagine Spot|ule]], and possibly Nail. The [[Ensemble Darkhorse|more popular characters]] are usually expected or asked for, but some of these are just unexpected.
* The ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' games do this a lot. The ''Budokai Tenkaichi'' games have, among others, ''Grandpa Gohan'', [[Doctor Slump|Arale Norimaki]], [[Invisible to Gaydar|General]] [[Putting on the Reich|Blue]], [[Mooks|Frieza Soldier]] (No, seriously, that ''is'' a character), [[Mooks|Appule]],<ref>his appearance was used for a quick joke in [[Dragon Ball Abridged]] in which he's playing the game as himself, beating up Bardock</ref> Spopovich, [[Squishy Wizard|Babidi]], [[Fusion Dance|Gok]][[Imagine Spot|ule]], and possibly Nail. The [[Ensemble Darkhorse|more popular characters]] are usually expected or asked for, but some of these are just unexpected.
* ''[[Melty Blood]]'', a fighting game based on ''[[Tsukihime]]'', had Miyako Arima, a character barely mentioned to have existed, and even then not by name. Not to mention Neko-Arc, Mecha-Hisui, and Neko-Arc-Chaos.
* ''[[Melty Blood]]'', a fighting game based on ''[[Tsukihime]]'', had Miyako Arima, a character barely mentioned to have existed, and even then not by name. Not to mention Neko-Arc, Mecha-Hisui, and Neko-Arc-Chaos.
* While both [[Star Wars|Yoda and Darth Vader]] were constantly advertised as playable characters in ''[[Soul Series|Soulcalibur IV]]'', having Vader's apprentice from ''[[The Force Unleashed]]'' was not expected by many, particularly since [[Early-Bird Cameo|his game had yet to be released at the time]].
* While both [[Star Wars|Yoda and Darth Vader]] were constantly advertised as playable characters in ''[[Soul Series|Soulcalibur IV]]'', having Vader's apprentice from ''[[The Force Unleashed]]'' was not expected by many, particularly since [[Early-Bird Cameo|his game had yet to be released at the time]].
** And [[Keroro Gunso|Angol Moa]]- sorry, [[Expy|Angol Fear]] as a bonus character? Even more unexpected...
** And [[Keroro Gunso|Angol Moa]]- sorry, [[Expy|Angol Fear]] as a bonus character? Even more unexpected...
* In ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' people assumed early on Seymour would be in as the villain of ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'', but instead Tidus' father Jecht, who was more an [[Anti-Hero]]/[[Anti-Villain]] than a real antagonist, got in over Seymour. [[Memetic Badass|Not]] [[Memetic Sex God|that]] [[Difficult but Awesome|people]] [[Rated "M" for Manly|mind]]... Square actually [[Word of God|decided to explain this one]]--Seymour had more of a rivalry/connection with Yuna, so having him in the game as the representative villain would have meant there was little going on between Tidus and Seymour story-wise, whereas Jecht provided a deeper father-son/rivalry dynamic.<ref>Though, in a strange case of an character playing the role of ''his own [[Expy]]'', [[Final Fantasy II|Emperor Palamecia]], to whom Seymour bears a very strong resemblance, was placed in the role of Yuna's main opponent in ''Duodecim''.</ref>
* In ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' people assumed early on Seymour would be in as the villain of ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'', but instead Tidus' father Jecht, who was more an [[Anti-Hero]]/[[Anti-Villain]] than a real antagonist, got in over Seymour. [[Memetic Badass|Not]] [[Memetic Sex God|that]] [[Difficult but Awesome|people]] [[Rated "M" for Manly|mind]]... Square actually [[Word of God|decided to explain this one]]—Seymour had more of a rivalry/connection with Yuna, so having him in the game as the representative villain would have meant there was little going on between Tidus and Seymour story-wise, whereas Jecht provided a deeper father-son/rivalry dynamic.<ref>Though, in a strange case of an character playing the role of ''his own [[Expy]]'', [[Final Fantasy II|Emperor Palamecia]], to whom Seymour bears a very strong resemblance, was placed in the role of Yuna's main opponent in ''Duodecim''.</ref>
** Then in the prequel ''Dissidia 012'', who did we get new from ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]''? Not [[The Rival|Seifer]], or [[The Chick|Rinoa]], or even [[Brainwashed and Crazy|Edea]]. No, we get [[Badass Normal|Lag]][[The Gunslinger|una]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|Loire]].
** Then in the prequel ''Dissidia 012'', who did we get new from ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]''? Not [[The Rival|Seifer]], or [[The Chick|Rinoa]], or even [[Brainwashed and Crazy|Edea]]. No, we get [[Badass Normal|Lag]][[The Gunslinger|una]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|Loire]].
* [[Nippon Ichi]] games often have a number of characters from other games appear as [[The Cameo|cameos]], which may fall under this trope. For example, the character Aramis from ''[[Disgaea: Hour of Darkness]]'' appears for all of one chapter and isn't even playable in any version of the game. [[Ascended Extra|He becomes]] a [[Downloadable Content]] [[Optional Party Member]] in [[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice]]. Another example is in ''[[Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku|Zettai Hero Project]]'', whose strongest [[Bonus Boss]] is actually Valvoga from ''[[Makai Kingdom]]''. His only other appearance outside those two games were as part of a ''spell animation'' in [[Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories]].
* [[Nippon Ichi]] games often have a number of characters from other games appear as [[The Cameo|cameos]], which may fall under this trope. For example, the character Aramis from ''[[Disgaea: Hour of Darkness]]'' appears for all of one chapter and isn't even playable in any version of the game. [[Ascended Extra|He becomes]] a [[Downloadable Content]] [[Optional Party Member]] in [[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice]]. Another example is in ''[[Zettai Hero Kaizou Keikaku|Zettai Hero Project]]'', whose strongest [[Bonus Boss]] is actually Valvoga from ''[[Makai Kingdom]]''. His only other appearance outside those two games were as part of a ''spell animation'' in [[Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories]].

Revision as of 16:38, 14 June 2015

Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency! Our three weapons... I'll come in again.

Your favorite franchise is getting a new game! All of your favorite characters are returning again to kick each other's asses!

But wait a second, we all knew that Hero Guy was going to be in the game, but, One Episode Comic Relief Squid Guy!?! That's just crazy!

Welcome to The Unexpected, where a character that seems so strange, or not that well known will make an appearance in an installment, that it was not to be expected by anyone. Even the most diehard fans didn't expect these guys.

Sometimes these character choices are praised, bringing in a previously unknown character to recent audiences, others, somewhat controversial...

Expect most of these to be fighting game examples. Guest Fighter can be considered a subtrope.

Examples of The Unexpected include:


Comic Books

  • The revival of Justice League International has Godiva, a very minor DC superheroine mostly remembered for being in the Global Guardians, a really minor DC superteam.


Film


Literature

  • Lots of unexpected characters pop up in the Warrior Cats novel The Last Hope, such as Redtail, Raggedstar and Mosskit. But almost nobody was expecting Brambleberry's cameo appearance at the beginning where she is one of the first cats to ever successfully give Jayfeather a lecture.


Music

  • Large-scale tours and festivals are bound to have this. Obviously everyone will know the headlining act, but when an unsigned band makes the line-up, people tend to scratch their heads (especially if they play the main-stage). For instance, Download Fest 2011, main stage with the likes of Def Leppard, System of a Down, Linkin Park and... The Pretty Reckless?
  • Mass-artist compilations fall into this from time to time.
  • In a media crossover-example, Rhythm Games probably get this sort of reaction when they announce the new setlist for their next title, such as with Rock Band 3 ("The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elton John and... Phoenix?"[1]).


Video Games

  1. The band's logo was used on the back of the case alongside names like Queen, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and the Ramones
  2. well, okay...
  3. who appeared in Pocket Fighter
  4. Cyber Woo
  5. his appearance was used for a quick joke in Dragon Ball Abridged in which he's playing the game as himself, beating up Bardock
  6. Though, in a strange case of an character playing the role of his own Expy, Emperor Palamecia, to whom Seymour bears a very strong resemblance, was placed in the role of Yuna's main opponent in Duodecim.