Stock Characters - TV Tropes
- ️Sat Jun 28 2008
A Stock Character is a character who is instantly recognizable to us from other stories: the gruff grandpa, the snooty cheerleader, the bratty younger sibling. You can sum up their role in the story in a sentence or less and people will know exactly what you're talking about. Such characters are frequently one-dimensional in nature. Sometimes that's okay, because it's a storytelling shortcut. Of course, just because you use a stock character as a starting point, this doesn't mean you can't flesh them out. Indeed, Major, and Rounded characters will likely embody more than one of these Tropes, depending on the story.
Sometimes using a stock character opens the door to Playing With Tropes as well. Sometimes two or more character types get combined as well. For example, a traveling bard (medieval singer) may also be a joke-cracking Court Jester.
A stock character can be an Archetype, an example of Characters as Device, or just very recognizable.
See also Archetypal Character, as well as the Other Wiki's article and list
on the subject.
Tropes:
Related indexes:
See also:
- Always Female
- Always Male
- Antagonist Tropes
- Comedic Relief Characters
- Cops and Detectives
- Criminals
- Elders
- Fountain of Expies
- Hero Tropes
- Hired Guns
- Historical Domain Character
- Index of Pupils and Protégés
- Loser Archetype
- Love Interests
- Mentor Index
- Normal People
- Occupation Tropes
- Protagonist Tropes
- Public Domain Character
- Seekers
- Seers
- Sidekicks
- Stereotypes
- Stock British Characters
- Stock Japanese Characters
- The Stoic
- The Trickster
- Villains
- The Wannabe Index
- Western Characters
- Witches and Wizards
- Youngsters
- Absent-Minded Professor: Weird but intelligent.
- Accidental Pervert: Always ends up in situations where the average bystander may mistake him for a pervert.
- Action Genre Hero Guy: The grizzled male action hero.
- Agent Mulder: The believer.
- Agent Scully: The skeptic.
- All Asians Know Martial Arts: The stereotype that all Asians are martial arts masters.
- All Chinese People Know Kung-Fu: Same as the above, but Chinese and with Kung Fu.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: The belief that all woman want men who are on the wrong side of the law.
- Alpha Bitch: The popular, mean girl in school.
- Ambulance Chaser: Did you get hurt? You know you can sue somebody.
- Amoral Attorney: A sleazy lawyer who only cares about being paid, not defending the innocent.
- Amoral Talent Agent: A talent agent who is sleazy, unpleasant, or outright evil.
- "Angry Black Man" Stereotype: An angry black man who resents racism and the government.
- Angry Chef: A temperamental cook with high standards.
- Animal Stereotypes: How various species of animals are commonly seen in media.
- Annoying Younger Sibling
- Antagonistic Governor: A governor (or the universe's equivalent) who serves as an antagonist in the story.
- Apathetic Clerk: Bored cashier who cares little for his job and even less for his customers.
- Apron Matron: Tough and leaderly mother figure.
- Arab Oil Sheikh: Stereotypical Arabian aristocrat who got rich by selling oil.
- Asian Storeowner: "Thank you, come again!"
- Ax-Crazy: Crazy and violent.
- Badass Normal: Unpowered character in superpowered settings who can keep up with the big boys.
- Bad Boss: Boss who treats his employees badly.
- Barbarian Tribe: A tribe that is primitive and uncivilized.
- The Bard: Wandering poet, singer and storyteller who serves as a source of morale for the people around him.
- Bartender Confidant: A bartender whose customers confide in them.
- Battle Butler: A butler who is also a bodyguard.
- Benevolent Precursors: The shadowy civilization that came before us was actually pretty nice.
- The Berserker: Fights in an unstoppable rage.
- Best Served Cold: He will get his revenge no matter how long he has to wait.
- The Big Bad Wolf: The cunning, predatory wolf of fairy tale fame.
- Big Eater: Character likes to eat a Lot!
- Blood Knight: Someone who enjoys fighting.
- Bounty Hunter: A man or woman who tracks down criminals for money.
- Brainless Beauty: They're not very bright, but they're insanely good looking.
- Bratty Half-Pint
- Bridezilla: A bitchy bride who treats other wedding goers badly and insists on getting her way.
- Brotherhood of Funny Hats: A goofy, possibly incompetent, secret society.
- Bruce Lee Clone: Martial artist inspired by Bruce Lee. Shirtlessness, bowl cut, and goofy sounding kiai not optional.
- Bumbling Dad: The classic dumb fathers of many sitcoms.
- Bumbling Sidekick: A sidekick who contrasts with the hero by being incompetent.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Quirky, but excellent at his chosen profession
- The Caligula: Insane ruler whose bizarre edicts the people are forced to carry out.
- The Caretaker: A character who takes care of another character incapable of taking care of themselves.
- The Casanova: The resident pretty boy/lady killer.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: Unpowered character who can do superhuman things after extreme training.
- The Charmer: Has the charm and seductive instinct of The Casanova, but does not take advantage of his charms.
- Chatty Hairdresser: A hair stylist who talks a lot.
- Chick Magnet: Women are attracted to him without him even trying.
- Childhood Friends: Usually double as the Best Friend and potential love interest.
- Chivalrous Pervert: A character (usually a man) who seems sex-crazed on the surface but who is always respectful of the wishes and feelings of those they persue.
- Church Militant: A group or person who kicks ass for their religion.
- City Mouse: A city-dweller thrust into rural life (willingly or otherwise) who struggles to adjust to hard work.
- Class Clown: A student who says stupid things intended to be funny to seek attention.
- Classically-Trained Extra: "What is this utter drivel? I played Lear, you know! Seriously, I am firing that agent."
- Cloudcuckoolander: Their head's in the clouds 24/7.
- The Confidant: A character who serves as the outlet for another character to discuss their problems.
- Control Freak: "No, no, no! Don't you dare click that link! Keep reading, you must follow the schedule I gave you last week to the letter, understood?"
- The Coroner: Middle-aged, dryly sardonic male whose daily handling of corpses has left him thoroughly desensitized to even the most horrible of deaths
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: An amoral, ruthless and greedy businessperson.
- Cosmic Plaything: The universe actually is conspiring against them.
- Court Jester: A clown on a royal court who is often in some way more than they seem.
- Covert Pervert: A character who seems quiet, reserved, cute, and/or innocent, but who is more pervy than they let on
- Cowboy Cop: The stereotypical loose cannon seen in many cop films.
- Cranky Landlord: A landlord or lady who hates their tenants.
- Cranky Neighbor: "Get out of my roses! And keep that mangy mutt out of my yard!"
- Crazy Survivalist: Has prepared for the worst. Is also completely bonkers and/or a total Jerkass
- Creepy Crossdresser: This is shown as weird or disturbing and the character is often unattractive.
- Creepy Gas-Station Attendant: The keeper of a gas-station (bonus points if it's run down and/or the only one around for miles) who looks and acts in an unsettling way.
- Creepy Mortician: Working closely with corpses gives you an... odd perspective on death (if you didn't already have one to begin with).
- Creepy Twins: Identical (or occasionally half-identical) twins who move, act, and talk in very similar ways, sometimes in unison.
- Crooked Contractor: A repairman who is at best incredibly lazy and at worst a flat out con artist.
- Crossdresser: A person who wears clothing associated with another gender.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: An idiot (not someone Obfuscating Stupidity, but an honest-to-God dumbass) who, in the right circumstances, is suddenly ready to kick some ass.
- Cruel Cheerleader: "I'm popular! I'm hot! I'm everything you're not!"
- Crusty Caretaker: A cranky janitor, groundskeeper, or gravekeeper.
- Cute Bruiser: A cute character who fights with a bruiser style.
- Cute Mute: A cute character who doesn't or can't talk.
- Cute Sports Club Manager: She manages a sports team at school. Pretty, kind-hearted, and beloved by the team.
- Cutesy Dwarf
- Da Chief: The boss at the station. Strict and by the book. Often serves as a Reasonable Authority Figure.
- Dad the Veteran: He fought in the war. Now he's a father.
- Da Editor: "I want those pictures on my desk yesterday, damnit!"
- Damsel Errant: A woman who walks the earth and gives quests to wandering knights (and may accompany them).
- Danger Deadpan: A pilot who keeps a level head even when things go horribly wrong.
- Dark Messiah: A ruthless figure who gains power or a fanatical following by presenting themself as a Messiah.
- Dashing Hispanic: Flamboyant, flashy, and dangerous, with a sexy Spanish accent.
- Dastardly Whiplash: The villain with the twirling mustache, top hat, black cape, and evil laugh. "Curses! Foiled again!"
- Deadpan Snarker: "Oh, great. Another stock character. What a shock."
- Death Seeker: A character who actively tries to die but doesn't want to commit suicide.
- Deceptive Disciple: Following the teachings of an instructor for some ulterior motive and will inevitably betray both the teacher and the teachings themselves.
- Defector from Decadence: A character switches sides not because they support the views of the new side but because they have become opposed to those of the old side.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: A (usually female) character who starts out cold and haughty, but warms up through Character Development.
- Depraved Dentist: This dentist loves to cause pain!
- Deranged Taxi Driver: Cabbies range from weird to downright psychopathic.
- Determinator: A character who absolutely will not give up. Ever.
- Directionless Driver: "We're not lost, dammit! No, I won't stop to ask for directions, the GPS told me we're going the right way!"
- Dirty Coward: An unsympathetic cowardly character who throws other people under the bus to save his hide.
- The Ditz: They're not very bright, but...
- Dogged Nice Guy: Persistent friendliness used in the hopes of making the object of a character's affections fall in love with them.
- Doting Parent: Constantly express immense pride for their child(ren).
- Double Agent: Claims to work for one side but actually works for another.
- Dream People: Exist only in some sort of dream world.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: "I WILL TURN YOU INTO REAL SOLDIERS EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU, MAGGOTS!"
- Dr. Jerk
- Drop-In Landlord: The protagonists have a friendly landlord who's always around for some reason.
- Dublin Skanger: A working-class hooligan from the Dublin area in Ireland.
- Dumb Muscle: They're not very bright, but they're very strong and probably dangerous.
- Education Mama: A mother who forces their kids to hit the books.
- The Eeyore
- Elegant Classical Musician
- Enigmatic Empowering Entity
- Erudite Stoner
- Ethnic Magician
- The Everyman
- Evil Matriarch: A woman who rules her family with an iron fist and very little kindness.
- Executive Excess: An important business figure who prefers partying to actually working.
- Face of a Thug
- Fake Ultimate Hero: Takes the credit when someone else saves the day.
- False Prophet
- Farmer's Daughter
- Fat, Sweaty Southerner in a White Suit
- Faux Manchu
- Femme Fatale: An alluring woman with a hidden, or checkered past.
- The Fighting Narcissist
- Fille Fatale
- The Flapper
- Foreign Fanservice
- Forest Ranger
- Gadgeteer Genius
- Genius Ditz: They're not very bright, but they're outstanding in a particular field.
- Girl Next Door: She's down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and even easier on the eyes.
- Glory Hound
- Glory Seeker
- Gold Digger: Usually a woman, out to marry for money.
- Gonk: Comically and exaggeratedly ugly character.
- Gorgeous Gaijin: The tall, sexy token white foreigner in a Japanese work.
- Grande Dame
- Groupie: A musician's fangirl
- Guile Hero
- Half-Human Hybrid
- Half-Identical Twins
- Half-Witted Hillbilly
- Handsome Lech
- Hardboiled Detective
- Head-Turning Beauty
- Heaven Seeker
- Heavy Sleeper: Nothing will wake them from their slumber.
- Hell Seeker
- The Hermit: Old man who lives alone and away from society.
- High-Powered Career Woman
- Honest John's Dealership
- Horny Bard
- Househusband
- Housewife
- Human Weapon
- Idiot Savant: They're not very bright, but they have an intuitive gift.
- Ignorant of Their Own Ignorance
- The Igor: I've got a hunch he helps out the Mad Scientist, or "marthter" as he calls him affectionately.
- The Informant
- Intrepid Merchant
- Jerkass: They're mean to everyone.
- Jerk Jock: A popular, athletic, bully.
- Jewish American Princess
- Jewish Mother
- Kid Hero
- Kindly Housekeeper
- The Klutz: A clumsy person.
- Knight in Shining Armor
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All
- Lethal Chef
- Literal-Minded
- Little Jimmy
- Living Legend
- Long John Shout-Out
- Loony Fan
- Lovable Sex Maniac
- Lower-Class Lout
- Lust Object
- Luvvies
- Mad Scientist: Labcoat? Check. Wild hair? Check. Long gloves? Check. IT'S ALIIIVE!
- Masked Luchador
- Master Swordsman
- Matron Chaperone
- Mayor Pain
- Miles Gloriosus: Boasts about being a badass, but shows himself as a coward when faced with a real threat.
- The Most Wanted
- Mysterious Waif
- Narcissist
- Nice Guy: They're kind to everyone.
- The Nicknamer
- Non-Powered Costumed Hero
- Not with Them for the Money
- One-Note Cook
- One of the Boys: A girl who hangs out with the guys.
- Open-Minded Parent
- Outside Man, Inside Man
- Overly Polite Pals
- Peerless Love Interest
- Person of Mass Destruction
- Pervert Dad
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse
- Plucky Comic Relief
- Plucky Office Girl
- Pointy-Haired Boss: An incompetent leader.
- Pom-Pom Girl: A cheerleader who isn't a bitch.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy
- Psycho Supporter
- The Quarterback
- Quirky Hawaiian Shirt Wearer: The laid-back, comedic or oddball character is seen wearing this.
- The Reliable One
- Renaissance Man
- Replacement Goldfish
- The Rival
- The Roadie
- The Rock Star
- Romantic Runner-Up
- Sadist
- School Nurse
- The Scrooge
- Self-Made Man
- Serial Romeo
- Sexbot
- Shady Scalper
- The Shrink
- Shrinking Violet: A shy, timid and/or socially awkward person.
- Sickly Neurotic Geek
- Single-Issue Landlord
- Sleazy Politician
- Smart Jerk and Nice Moron
- Smooth-Talking Talent Agent
- The Snark Knight
- The Sociopath
- Southern Belle: A nice girl from the Southern US.
- Speed Demon
- Spirited Competitor
- Stage Magician
- Standard '50s Father
- Starving Artist
- Starving Student
- Stereotypical Nerd
- Stock Light-Novel Calamity Princess: A plucky, beautiful-looking love interest with destructive magic.
- Stock Light-Novel Everyman: A non-action everyman.
- Stock Light-Novel Hero: An everyman with supernatural abilities who is either stoic and/or snarky and has lots of admirers. Often gets transported into another world.
- Stock Shōnen Hero: A hot-blooded and friendly hero.
- Stock Shōnen Rival: A cold and aloof rival who often acts as a foil to the above.
- Stock Shoujo Heroine: A kindhearted and awkward heroine.
- Stunt Performer: People who perform death-defying stunts for the entertainment of the masses.
- Superhero: A hero with supernatural abilities.
- Supervillain: A villain with supernatural abilities.
- Supreme Chef: A chef known for their high-tier cooking.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: A tall, dark-haired, and good-looking guy.
- Third-Person Person
- Token Houseguest
- Tomboy
- True Craftsman
- Tsundere
- Ugly Cute
- Unsatisfiable Customer
- Unstoppable Mailman
- Upper-Class Twit: They're not very bright, but they've got money.
- Vampire Lolita Archetype
- Very Punchable Man: A Jerkass who exists to be punched.
- Wandering Minstrel
- Wet Blanket Wife
- White Collar Worker
- White Magician Girl
- Wholesome Crossdresser: This is shown as perfectly normal or even positive and the character is often physically attractive.
- Wicked Witch: Hooked nose, pointy hat, and a mean cackle? Check, check, and double check.
- Willing Channeler
- Winged Humanoid
- World's Best Warrior
- World's Most Beautiful Woman
- World's Smartest Man
- World's Strongest Man
- Young Future Famous People