The Ensemble Dark Horse is a secondary, minor, or otherwise one-note character that had unexpectedly become popular amongst audiences.
Overview
- The character, whether it be a hero or villain, must be relatively minor compared to all of the other characters in the work they appear in, but are significantly more popular compared to the rest of the cast in that tier.
- Avoid breakout characters, ascended extras, or other minor characters that were promoted to become an important character. Also avoid adding characters just because they happen to be fan-favorites, but otherwise are main characters. There are exceptions to this however, as will be discussed later.
- If the character is base-breaking, then they cannot count.
- Depending on how late into the series they were promoted, an Ensemble Dark Horse can still be an Ensemble Dark Horse if they are added to the main cast later on in the franchise or they are only a part of the main cast for one installment or series and go back to being a supporting character.
- Additionally, characters that were written to be hated, but had developed a large fanbase, can also get a page if they are minor enough.
- To avoid going overboard with knee-jerk reactions, wait until a month after the character's introduction.
Possible Reasons a Character Can Be An Ensemble Dark Horse:
- The character stands out from many of the other characters in the work they appear in, despite their limited screen-time.
- The scene(s) that the character does appear in is/are very memorable amongst audiences, either because they are humorous, dark, or causes them to invest in the character.
- The character belongs to a work that appeals to a periphery demographic, or is popular to a specific region in the world.
- The character may be relatively flat compared to the others, which allows others to project a set personality onto them.