False protagonist

Aladdin and the sorcerer, in the story Aladdin. The story starts by following the sorcerer as he seeks a magic lamp, but Aladdin is later revealed as the story's protagonist.

In fiction, a false protagonist is a literary technique, often used to make the plot more jarring or more memorable by fooling the audience's preconceptions and constructing a character who they assume is the protagonist but is later revealed not to be.

A false protagonist is presented at the start of the fictional work as the main character, but then is eradicated, often by killing them, usually for shock value or as a plot twist, or changed in terms of their role in the story, such as by making them a lesser character, a character who leaves the story, or revealing them to actually be the antagonist.

Overview

In film, a character can be made to seem like the main protagonist through several techniques beyond focusing the plot on their role. Star power is one such method, as the audience generally assumes that the biggest "name" in a film will have a significant role. An abundance of close-ups can also be used as a subliminal method, as generally the star of a film will get longer-lasting and more frequent close-ups than other characters, but this is rarely immediately apparent to viewers watching the film. Alternatively, the false protagonist can serve as a narrator to the film, encouraging the audience to assume that they survive to tell their story later.

Many of the same techniques used in film can apply to television, but the episodic nature adds an additional possibility. By ending one or more episodes with the false protagonist still in place, the show can reinforce the viewers' belief in the character's protagonist status. As well, because TV shows often have changes in cast between seasons, some series can have unintentional false protagonists: characters who begin the series as the main character, but are replaced early on in the show's run by another character. When the series is viewed as a whole, this can lead to the appearance of a false protagonist.

In video games, a false protagonist may initially be a playable character, only to be killed or revealed to be the antagonist. One key way in which video games employ the method that differs from uses in non-interactive fiction is by granting the player direct control over the false protagonist. Since most video games allow a player to control only the main characters and their success or failure is based on playing skill, not a pre-determined story, the sudden demise of the character that is being controlled serves to surprise the player.

Examples

Literature

• The Book of Samuel begins with Samuel's birth and God's call to him as a boy. At this point, readers are led to believe that Samuel is the central figure of the book. However, by the sixteenth chapter, the book begins to primarily focus on David.
• The story of Aladdin in the Arabian Nights begins with a wizard undertaking a quest from Morocco to China to recover a powerful magical lamp. Gradually, it becomes clear that the boy Aladdin, whom the Wizard meets in China, is the true protagonist, while the Wizard is the story's villain.
• Robert A. Heinlein's 1940 science fiction short story The Roads Must Roll begins with an orator inciting rebellion among the workers of the story's "roadtowns" by enumerating their grievances, gaining their and the reader's sympathy. However, the rebelling workers then callously cause mass death and injuries among commuters, and the true protagonist is revealed to be the director, who is working to suppress the rebellion. By the end, the original orator is depicted as a cowardly and contemptible villain.
• George R. R. Martin's novel A Game of Thrones, the first entry in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, features chapters told from the point of view of various characters, most prominently Ned Stark. In the television adaptation, Game of Thrones, he is portrayed by Sean Bean, who received top billing among the cast for the first season. Stark is generally assumed to be the series' main protagonist until the final chapters of the novel, corresponding to "Baelor", the penultimate episode of the first season, where he is unexpectedly executed.
• The light novel Goblin Slayer introduces a Warrior, Mage, and Monk, who recruit a Priestess and embark on a quest to kill goblins, only to be eaten, poisoned to death, and humiliated to the point of ending up in a vegetative state. The Priestess is rescued by the legendary Goblin Slayer, who replaces her escorts as the protagonist. The escorts were featured in promotional marketing material for the novel and its anime adaptation until the first episode was released.
• Juan Rulfo's novel Pedro Paramo initially features Juan Preciado, who is searching for his father as a final wish made to his dying mother, as the main protagonist of the story. Halfway through the novel, Preciado unexpectedly dies in the abandoned town of Comala, with the latter half of the novel focusing on the life of Pedro Paramo, his rise to power, and how his ambition and ruthlessness leads to Comala's demise.

Comics

• The webcomic Sleepless Domain introduces a team of five magical girl characters, initially presenting Tessa, the team leader, as the main protagonist. However, in the second chapter, three of Tessa's teammates are killed in a battle with a powerful monster, and the fourth, Undine, is severely injured. Tessa sacrifices her powers to heal Undine, and the story shifts to focus on Undine as she struggles to cope with the loss of her friends. Tessa, now powerless, becomes a supporting character.

Film

• In Denis Villeneuve's 2015 film Sicario, the story is told from the point of view of FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) who is enlisted for a government task force overseen by CIA officer Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and the mysterious Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) to take down the leader of a Mexican drug cartel. Although most of the story is told from Kate's perspective, she is kept in the dark about the purpose of the task force as she comes to learn that she is merely an observer who has no agency in the events unfolding around her. In the final act of the film, it is revealed that it is Alejandro's story, and the perspective switches to follow him as he seeks revenge on the cartel leader who murdered his family.
• Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho opens with Marion Crane as the main character. However, she is killed partway through the film, making the murder far more unexpected and shocking. Hitchcock felt that the opening scenes with Marion as the false protagonist were so important to the film that when it was released in theaters, he compelled theater owners to enforce a "no late admission" policy.
• In the action film Executive Decision, Austin Travis, portrayed by Steven Seagal, is introduced as a major protagonist only to be killed at the end of the first act, leaving David Grant, portrayed by Kurt Russell, as the film's true hero.
• Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode is the false protagonist of Halloween: Resurrection after the ending of Halloween H20 was retconned to suggest Michael swapped places with a paramedic. Fans expressed displeasure and outrage at this event, as Strode is killed in the opening scene, but the events that follow are completely unrelated.
• In Mindhunters, J.D. (Christian Slater) was one of the central characters in the film's opening, alongside Sara (Kathryn Morris). However, he is the first character to be killed, being killed early on in the film. Val Kilmer's character, Jack Harris, is ubiquitous at the beginning of the film as a leader, but disappears from the plot until the other characters learn that he was killed.
• Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! had several notable actors, including Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, and Michael J. Fox, who portrayed false protagonists, who either end up dying or being captured by the aliens. The characters who survived were portrayed by actors who were less known at the time, such as Natalie Portman.
• In Arachnophobia, nature photographer Jerry Manley (Mark L. Taylor) is initially portrayed as the protagonist. However, early on in the film, Manley is bitten and killed by a poisonous spider, and the focus shifts to Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels).
• In No Country for Old Men, Llewllyn Moss (Josh Brolin) appears to be the story's central character until he is killed offscreen near the end of the film and the narrative switches focus to the sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones).
• In A Perfect Getaway, a mild-mannered couple (portrayed by Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich), who are the main protagonists, discover that there are psychopaths stalking and murdering tourists in the Hawaiian islands. The ending reveals that they are the actual killers.
• In the 2002 horror film The Ring, Samara (Daveigh Chase) is introduced as a tragic protagonist during flashbacks where viewers are meant to sympathize with her, only for the film's ending to reveal that she is a malevolent entity.
• The 2020 film The Hunt introduces a string of false protagonists beginning with Emma Roberts, and continuing through Justin Hartley and Ike Barinholtz, before revealing Betty Gilpin's character Crystal to be the true protagonist.
• In Wes Craven's 1996 slasher film Scream, Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) is introduced as the main character in the opening scene of the film before she is killed by Ghostface. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is then introduced as the film's actual protagonist. Barrymore was originally attached to play Sydney, but decided to play Casey, suggesting to the producers that her character be killed because "You kind of always have this tension, but you kind of know that your hero is going to make it. And I thought 'What if I die?', and then it'll be like all bets are off, anybody could get killed in this movie and would take away that cliché safety net of 'the girl always gets away.'"

Video games

• In Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the player takes control of Richter Belmont throughout the prologue, which retells the epilogue of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and his fight and subsequent victory against Dracula. Following a five-year time skip, the story is told from the perspective of Alucard, Dracula's son, who was initially introduced in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Richter subsequently appears as a non-playable character and as a boss.
  • In an alternate playthrough of the game, players can take control of Richter throughout the majority of the game up until Richter fights Shaft.
• In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the player assumes the roles of alternating player characters SAS operative Sgt. John MacTavish and U.S. Marine Paul Jackson during the game's first act. At the end of the first act, Jackson is killed in an explosion, after which MacTavish is the sole player character.
• In Fatal Frame, the player assumes the role of Mafuyu in the prologue, after which her sibling Miku becomes the main protagonist.
• In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the player initially plays as Solid Snake, protagonist of the original Metal Gear games. However, the majority of the game after that follows Raiden, with Snake becoming a deuteragonist.
• In Final Fantasy XII, the player starts the game playing as the young soldier Reks; after he is killed, the player switches control to Vaan, his younger brother.
• In Kingdom Hearts II, Roxas is initially portrayed as the protagonist in the first few hours of gameplay, but ceases to exist after learning of his nature as Sora's Nobody and merging with him, with Sora resuming his role as protagonist. Roxas returns in the interquel Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, where he remains a protagonist, and the sequel Kingdom Hearts III, where he is resurrected and becomes a supporting character.
• In The Godfather: The Game, players initially control a gangster working for the Corleone family, who saves his son from a fire before being killed by thugs. Afterwards, players take control of his son, who seeks revenge for his death.
• In Star Fox Adventures, players initially control Krystal before she is captured by Andross, after which Fox McCloud regains his position as protagonist.
• In Xenoblade Chronicles, Dunban is portrayed as protagonist during the prologue. After Dunban's right arm is severely injured, leaving him unable to wield the Monado sword, Shulk becomes protagonist and the Monado's new wielder, with Dunban later joining as a party member.
• In Assassin's Creed III, the player character during the prologue is Haytham Kenway, who is later revealed to be a member of the Templar Order, the game's main antagonists. Following the revelation of Haytham's true allegiance, the perspective shifts to his son Connor, the main protagonist, while Haytham assumes the role of main antagonist.
• In the prologue of Silent Hill 4: The Room, Joseph Schreiber is portrayed as the protagonist before being killed by Walter Sullivan. After the prologue, the game follows Henry Townsend, who comes to live in Joseph's apartment.
• In Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, Kaede Akamatsu is initially portrayed as the protagonist of the game. However, she is killed at the end of chapter 1, and her role as protagonist is replaced by Shuichi Saihara.
• The indie game Melody of Moominvalley involves the disappearance of Moomintroll, after which his best friend Snufkin takes over as protagonist.
• In The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the player initially controls Link, who rescues Princess Zelda from Ganon before being sucked into a rift. However, he frees Zelda from her crystal prison beforehand, allowing her to assume the role of protagonist as she sets out to save Hyrule.

See also

• Antihero
• False hero
• Plot twist
• Red herring (narrative)