Sliding Scale of Proactiveness - TV Tropes
- ️Mon Sep 07 2009
A sorting method for how a character relates to the plot. Note that to fit on this scale, a character must be a lead of some form (most Protagonists, Antagonists, and some Sidekicks fall somewhere on the list, but never an Innocent Bystander, a Red Shirt, or a Mook.)
Note that it's quite possible to shift within this scale; a character may react to something by coming up with a plan to take advantage of the situation. Alternately, a character may have a problem in front of them for several episodes before deciding to be proactive and doing something about it.
Mostly orthogonal to morality, but note that villains frequently score higher on this scale than heroes, for reasons of threat (if the villains aren't proactive, it's probably a case of Orcus on His Throne.)
See also Character Calculus.
Most Proactive:
- The Chaotic: Acts as he will, regardless of the circumstances. Almost always a villain, or in some way insane.
- The Man or Woman With The Plan: The Chessmaster and all his friends. Usually a villain, although it's quite possible to have a Heroic Man With The Plan. Big Bads are generally here before they Take Over the World or otherwise accomplish their Evil Plan, Heroes are here much more often if the Villain has already done so.
- The Reactionary: Does things in reaction to the plot, rather than being directly proactive. Can be Heroic or Villainous. This is the typical level for most heroes.
Least Proactive.
- A Pinball Protagonist who doesn't affect the plot very much, despite being constantly present.
- Arbitrary Skeptic: Refuses to do anything about the plot even though they should and if they were at all logical would, because they don't believe anything needs doing. If presented with absolutely irrefutable evidence something needs to be done they may become the Reactionary, if they don't they are holding the Idiot Ball.
- Do-Nothings: Least proactive relevant item available: continues on as if nothing had happened. Frequently a form of Idiot Ball. In older works, the character is usually female. Different from muggles because they actually have a function in the story.
- Muggles: These guys don't do anything because they simply aren't important to the plot.
Examples:
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Advertising
- Hada Futbolera: The soccer fairy actively patrols the streets when there's an important national team match, so she can give the discouraged fans a second wind with a Coca-Cola bottle. As far as heroes go, he's very proactive.
Anime & Manga
- Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches: Pretty much every character in-the-know is almost ridiculously proactive, and much of the plot happens because one's actions quickly end up crossing with another's plans.
Fan Works
Crossovers
- Aimhrialtacht: Most of the protagonists (Roxy, Daphne, and Homura, in particular) take quick action on noticing the magical anomalies popping up in their respective universes. They investigate the situation and do their best to not only gather intel but also find a way to fix it. They are Reactionary, as the anomaly has to present itself first for the plot to start. Similarly, Kyubey seeks to exploit the problem to create more magical girls; like always, he's sort of The Chessmaster in that regard. By contrast, there are other magical girls who don't concern themselves with the anomaly and keep minding their business. The other six Winx, due to being older and busy with other matters, occupy a support role.
- Delenda Est: Bellatrix was a very reactionary villain in the original timeline—she took her orders from Voldemort and, while enjoying wreaking havoc, didn't actively hamper the good guy's plan nor did she hunt them down on her own. This time around, she’s following Harry’s lead and being more proactive at taking down Death Eaters and working the politics in the Black family.
- A Wizard's Guide to 'Banking': The fic's protagonist is The Chessmaster, having come up with a plan to turn the tides on the blood purists in the long term and implementing most of it thanks to his intimate knowledge of both muggle and magical medicine practices. While his allies are not his pawns, he picks them based on how likely it is they'll be sympathetic to his house and what kind of resources they can offer him—e.g., Lily Potter for her expertise on Potions and Charms. Graham is the reason why there's a plot to speak of in the first place.
- Any Port in a Storm: As counterintuitive as it might sound, Minato places on both ends of the scale at the same time. On the one hand, he knows that The Powers That Be (both the ones that made him reincarnate in the universe of Naruto and Konoha's own militarized government) demand him to become a ninja, so that's what he does. He does what's asked of him and goes through the motions, vaguely following the canon as much as he can remember. On the other hand, his traumatic death in his previous life fuels him with a powerful desire to become a capable ninja so he won't feel helpless again, so he puts an earnest effort into his training.
Literature
- Broad and Alien Is the World: Once Amenábar's threat to steal their lands comes, the Indigenous community (led by Mayor Rosendo Maqui) does its best to prove to the authorities that the town of Rumi and the surrounding agricultural parcels belong to them. When they inevitably lose, they disband, and most renounce the fight, departing elsewhere to seek a better life. Others, however, move to Yanañahui to try and keep their community alive despite adversity. When the late Mayor's adoptive son Benito returns, he's seen injustice enough against the Indigenous peoples throughout the country, so he exhorts them to take back their land by force. By contrast, the villain had an Evil Plan from the beginning to not only unethically acquire more land but also, hopefully, free up cheap labor for his mines and coca fields.