About: Doomed Protagonist   Sponge Permalink

An Entity of Type : owl:Thing, within Data Space : 134.155.108.49:8890 associated with source dataset(s)

Let's say a character comes across something that Was Once a Man and, after discovering the source of The Virus that made it that way, looks in the mirror to find that he shows all the signs of being infected with it. Cue "Oh Crap." Roll credits. Either way, we know he's screwed. And unless he can Find the Cure, fight off his fate or have some miraculous Deus Ex Machina save him, all he can do is sit back and wait to die. In most cases, he's not going to find the cure or get rescued. (Except maybe in Fanfic. By aliens.) Since this is a form of foreshadowing and an Ending Trope, spoilers abound.

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  • Doomed Protagonist
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  • Let's say a character comes across something that Was Once a Man and, after discovering the source of The Virus that made it that way, looks in the mirror to find that he shows all the signs of being infected with it. Cue "Oh Crap." Roll credits. Either way, we know he's screwed. And unless he can Find the Cure, fight off his fate or have some miraculous Deus Ex Machina save him, all he can do is sit back and wait to die. In most cases, he's not going to find the cure or get rescued. (Except maybe in Fanfic. By aliens.) Since this is a form of foreshadowing and an Ending Trope, spoilers abound.
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  • Let's say a character comes across something that Was Once a Man and, after discovering the source of The Virus that made it that way, looks in the mirror to find that he shows all the signs of being infected with it. Cue "Oh Crap." Roll credits. Or the character learns that everyone who has come before him to a certain place, looked at a particular Brown Note, or performed a certain action has suffered a horrible and irreversible fate. Alternately, their death may be assured by getting lost at sea, locked in an airtight coffin, seriously injured or catching/developing an incredibly deadly illness or disease. Either way, we know he's screwed. And unless he can Find the Cure, fight off his fate or have some miraculous Deus Ex Machina save him, all he can do is sit back and wait to die. In most cases, he's not going to find the cure or get rescued. (Except maybe in Fanfic. By aliens.) The story almost always ends just short of his final transformation or death, and sometimes begins with a later scene that shows him doomed. It is also almost always told from the first person. These stories are usually Apocalyptic Logs. This may happen because of a Viral Transformation, The Virus or The Corruption. Compare Tomato in the Mirror, when the character was that way all along. Contrast And Then John Was a Zombie, when this is used as an ending twist. Also compare Heroic Willpower, which particularly special heroes can use to resist their fate. Not related to Doomed by Canon or Foregone Conclusion, although they can cover protagonists who are doomed. May lead to acting like a Sheep in Wolf's Clothing. Since this is a form of foreshadowing and an Ending Trope, spoilers abound. Examples of Doomed Protagonist include:
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