In fiction, a false protagonist is a

literary technique A narrative technique (also, in fiction, a fictional device) is any of several storytelling methods the creator of a narrative, story uses, thus effectively relaying information to the audience or making the story more complete, complex, or engag ...

, 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 A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

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 Shock value (or shock factor) is the potential of an image, text, action, or other form of communication, such as a public execution, to provoke a reaction of sharp disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions. In advertising Sho ...

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 An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.

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-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, s ...

s 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 Episodes may refer to: * Episode, a part of a dramatic work * Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011 * Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal ...

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 Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", but mo ...

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 The Book of Samuel () is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) that constitute a theological ...

begins with

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

's birth and

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

'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 David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

. * The story of

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

in the ''

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' (, ), is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights'', from the first English-language edition () ...

'' begins with a wizard undertaking a

quest A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. It serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of every nat ...

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. *

Juan Rulfo Juan Nepomuceno Carlos Pérez Rulfo Vizcaíno, best known as Juan Rulfo (; 16 May 1917 – 7 January 1986), was a Mexican writer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is best known for two literary works, the 1955 novel ''Pedro Páramo'', and the ...

's novel ''

Pedro Páramo ''Pedro Páramo'' is a novel by Mexican writer Juan Rulfo, first published in 1955. This novel showcases the roots of Mexican culture and its beliefs on afterlife through deeply complex characters, spirituality, and a constant transition betwee ...

'' 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. *

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...

's novel series ''

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the first volume, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and published it in 1996. Martin, who originally envisioned the ser ...

'' features chapters told from the point of view of various characters. Each novel begins with a

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Ancient Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier st ...

chapter in which the point-of-view character dies. The most prominent point-of-view character in the first novel, '' A Game of Thrones'', is Ned Stark, who in combination with his heroic characteristics is thus generally assumed to be the series' main protagonist until the final chapters of the novel, where he is unexpectedly executed. ** In the television adaptation, ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

'', Ned Stark is portrayed by

Sean Bean Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean; 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in a production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983 at The Watermill Theatre. Retaining his ...

, who received top billing among the cast for the first season, but following the character's execution in the episode " Baelor", the penultimate episode of the first season, he appears again only in flashback, portrayed by Sebastian Croft as a child and Robert Aramayo as a young man. *The light novel ''

Goblin Slayer (stylized as GOBLIN SLAYER! in Latin script) is a Japanese dark fantasy light novel series written by Kumo Kagyu and illustrated by Noboru Kannatsuki. A manga adaptation by Kōsuke Kurose is serialized in the ''Monthly Big Gangan' ...

'' 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 raped 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.

Comics

The webcomic '' Sleepless Domain'' introduces a team of five

magical girl is a Genre#Subgenre, subgenre of primarily Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into wh ...

characters, initially presenting Tessa, the team leader, as the main protagonist. 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

*'' Psycho'' opens with

Marion Crane Marion Crane (originally known as Mary Crane, also by the alias Marie Samuels) is a fictional character of Robert Bloch's 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho'' and portrayed by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film adaptation. She was later pl ...

as the main character. She is killed partway through the film, making the murder far more unexpected and shocking. Director

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

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.Leigh, Janet. ''Psycho : Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller''. Harmony Press, 1995. . * In ''

Arachnophobia Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions and ticks. The word "arachnophobia" comes from the Greek words arachne and phobia. Signs and symptoms People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they b ...

'', nature photographer Jerry Manley ( Mark L. Taylor) is initially portrayed as the protagonist. Early on in the film, Manley is bitten and killed by a poisonous spider, and the focus shifts to Ross Jennings (

Jeff Daniels Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime ...

). * In ''

Executive Decision ''Executive Decision'' is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Stuart Baird (in his directorial debut) and written by Jim Thomas and John Thomas, who also produced the film with Joel Silver. It stars Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, ...

'', Austin Travis, portrayed by

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal ( ; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-Dan (rank), dan Black belt (martial arts), black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instru ...

, is introduced as a major protagonist only to be killed at the end of the first act, leaving David Grant as the film's true hero. * In ''Sicario'', the story is told from the point of view of FBI agent Kate Macer who is enlisted for a government task force overseen by CIA officer Matt Graver and the mysterious Alejandro Gillick 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. * Laurie Strode (portrayed by

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Known for List of Jamie Lee Curtis performances, her performances in the horror and slasher film, slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream qu ...

) is the false protagonist of '' Halloween: Resurrection'', being killed in the film's first act. *In ''

Mindhunters ''Mindhunters'' is a 2004 crime slasher film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Kathryn Morris, LL Cool J, Jonny Lee Miller, Patricia Velásquez, Clifton Collins Jr., Christian Slater, and Val Kilmer. It was written by Wayne Kramer and ...

'', J.D. (

Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. He made his film debut with a leading role in '' The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakout role as Jason "J.D." Dean, a sociopath ...

) is one of the central characters in the film's opening, alongside Sara ( Kathryn Morris). He is the first character to be killed, being killed early on in the film.

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (December 31, 1959 – April 1, 2025) was an American actor. Initially a stage actor, he later found fame as a Leading actor, leading man in films in a wide variety of genres, including Comedy film, comedies, dramas, action fi ...

'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. *''

Mars Attacks! ''Mars Attacks!'' is a 1996 American science fiction film, science fiction black comedy, black comedy film directed by Tim Burton, who also co-produced it with Larry J. Franco. The screenplay by Jonathan Gems was based on the Topps trading ca ...

'' had several notable actors, including

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He was the fifth actor to play the fictional secret agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bond in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film series, starri ...

, and

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...

, who portrayed false protagonists, who either end up dying or being captured by aliens. The characters who survived were portrayed by actors who were less known at the time, such as

Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...

. *In '' Scream'', Casey Becker (

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, talk show host, and businesswoman. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she has received multiple List of awards and nominations received by Drew Barrymore, awards a ...

) 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.'" *In '' 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. *In ''

No Country for Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin ...

'', Llewllyn Moss (

Josh Brolin Josh James Brolin (; born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. A son of actor James Brolin, he gained fame in his youth for his role in the adventure film ''The Goonies'' (1985). After years of decline, Brolin had a resurgence with his starr ...

) 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 Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Tommy Lee Jones, various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Scre ...

). *In '' A Perfect Getaway'', a mild-mannered couple (portrayed by

Steve Zahn Steven James Zahn ( ; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor. In film, Zahn is best known for his lead roles in '' That Thing You Do!'' (1996), '' Happy, Texas'' (1999), '' Joy Ride'' (2001), ''National Security'' (2003), '' A Perfect Geta ...

and

Milla Jovovich Milica Bogdanovna Jovović; ; ( ; born December 17, 1975), known professionally as Milla Jovovich (), is an American actress and former fashion model. Her starring roles in numerous science fiction film, science-fiction and action films led th ...

), 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. * ''The Hunt'' introduces a string of false protagonists beginning with

Emma Roberts Emma Rose Roberts (born February 10, 1991) Additional on October 9, 2016 is an American actress, singer and producer. Known for her performances spanning multiple genres of film and television, her work in the horror film, horror and thriller ...

, and continuing through

Justin Hartley Justin Scott Hartley (born January 29, 1977) is an American actor, television producer, and director. He has played Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera '' Passions'' (2002–2006), Oliver Queen on the WB/ CW television series ''Smallvill ...

and

Ike Barinholtz Ike Barinholtz (born February 18, 1977) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his starring roles in the comedy series '' MADtv'' (2002–2007), '' Eastbound & Down'' (2012), '' The Mindy Project'' (2012–2017), '' Bless the Hart ...

, before revealing Betty Gilpin's character Crystal to be the true protagonist.

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 ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

. Following a five-year time skip, the story is told from the perspective of Alucard, Dracula's son. Richter subsequently appears as a non-playable character and as a boss. ** In an alternate playthrough of the game, players control Richter for the majority of the game up until he fights Shaft. *In '' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'', the player initially plays as

Solid Snake , real name David, is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of Konami's ''Metal Gear'' series, created by Hideo Kojima. He is depicted as a former United States Army Special Forces, Green Beret and highly skilled special operations so ...

, protagonist of the original ''

Metal Gear is a Media franchise, franchise of stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear (video game), Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX, MSX home computers. The player often takes con ...

'' games. However, the majority of the game afterward follows Raiden, with Snake becoming a deuteragonist. *In ''Fatal Frame'', the player assumes the role of Mafuyu in the prologue, after which her sibling Miku becomes the main protagonist. *In '' Star Fox Adventures'', players initially control Krystal before she is captured by

Andross ''Star Fox'' is a series of spaceship shooter games published by Nintendo. The main protagonist and player character of the series is Fox McCloud, the leader of Star Fox, a team of anthropomorphic animals in video games, animals in the Lylat plan ...

, after which

Fox McCloud is a fictional character and the chief protagonist of Nintendo's ''Star Fox'' series. He is an anthropomorphic red fox created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. He was introduced as the sole playable character in the original ...

regains his position as protagonist. *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 Schreiber's apartment. *In ''

Kingdom Hearts II ''Kingdom Hearts II'' is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hear ...

'', 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 several subsequent games, being the focus of the interquel '' Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days''. In ''

Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. It is the third main installment in the '' Kingdom Hearts'' series and the twelfth game overall, and ser ...

'', he is resurrected and becomes a supporting character. *In ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...

'', players initially control a gangster working for the

Corleone family The Corleone family are fictional characters in both the novels and the films created by Mario Puzo, first appearing in his 1969 novel, ''The Godfather''. They are an organized crime family originating from the Sicilian town of Corleone, and ...

, 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 '' Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'', the player assumes the roles of alternating player characters: SAS operative Sgt. John MacTavish and

U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

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 ''

Final Fantasy XII is a 2006 role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The twelfth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was first released for the PlayStation 2 in March 2006. It introduced several innovations to the series ...

'', 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 ''

Xenoblade Chronicles ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. The series began with the original '' Xenoblade Chronicles'' game, published for the Wii in 2010 in Japan, and released in ...

'', 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 is a character and protagonist of Monolith Soft's 2010 role-playing video game ''Xenoblade Chronicles'', part of the ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' series of video games. Shulk gained an increase in attention and popularity upon his inclusion in Ninte ...

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 Bureau: XCOM Declassified'', the player initially controls William Carter, but it is eventually revealed that he is being controlled by the Ethereal Asaru. After Carter rejects him, Aasru has a choice to take control of three other characters in the final mission that determines the ending. Carter can be killed in the final mission as well. * 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 is a Character (arts), character in Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game ''The Legend of Zelda (video game), The Legend of Zelda''. As one of the central characters ...

from

Ganon is a character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' video game series and franchise, as well as the final Boss (video games), boss in many ''Zelda'' titles. In his humanoid Gerudo form, he is known as A massive and male ...

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. * In '' Clair Obscur: Expedition 33'', Gustave is the protagonist for the first act, but he is killed by a painted version of Renoir at the end of the act, and Verso takes his place in the party and becomes the protagonist of the second act. It is Maelle, however, who is the protagonist of the third act and the story as a whole. Verso opposes Maelle in a duel at the end for the fate of the canvas and Maelle's future, with the player selecting who to fight as.

References

{{Fiction writing Heroes