Status: Ascended

Welcome to another edition of Trope Tuesday, where we dive headfirst into the land of wasted productivity and tab explosions: TV Tropes. This week, we’re investigated a trope called The Ascended Extra.

A minor character who is given a greatly expanded role in the later part of the series, a new adaptation of a story, or in the Expanded Universe. It is usually safer to do this with an otherwise obscure character without much depth, since the likelihood of creating plot contradictions is lower. On the other hand, the character may or may not be allowed to have a huge effect on the plot depending on how much the writer is trying to follow source material. Can lead to some bizarre incongruities in planning (e.g. Overtook the Manga, Restricted Expanded Universe). Sometimes the minor character becomes an Ascended Extra just so the writers can immediately turn them into a Sacrificial Lion.

This naturally occurs as a series goes on for long periods of time and useful for filler, technically not requiring you invent someone whole cloth. Be warned however that this character might be more liked by the fandom than the writers, who may have no compunction with getting rid of them when convenient.

This also happens somewhat regularly in Fan Fiction. Stories about a minor character who is given his own subplot (or prequel, sequel, or AU) seem to be ‘training wheels’ for writers who don’t quite trust themselves with original fiction yet and are re-using the setting, but basically making up new characters.

Happens a lot in fan fiction, eh? Let me tell you about the 600 pages of writing I’ve devoted to this character …

But yes, the Ascended Extra is a trope that is absolutely vital to things like the Expanded Universe. Occasionally you need a familiar tie-in to the source material in the films, but squeezing Luke, Han, and Leia into yet another novel doesn’t quite fit the story. This is where authors might look for a minor character from the movies that they can bring to the forefront. You’ll see varying degrees of success. Sometimes the guy who says “stand by” when the Death Star is about to fire gets the Ascended Extra status, leading fans to scratch their heads in confusion and ask “Why?” Other times, however, the minor character becomes a key component of the Expanded Universe.

You’re probably aware that we’re doing a summer retrospective of the X-Wing books. This trope was practically built for it, folks. Take Wedge Antilles (you know, fighter pilot, survived three movies) and put him at the forefront of a nine-book series. Sounds like a terrible idea, right? Wrong. When the Ascended Extra trope is executed well and with the right character, an author can craft something that truly resonates with readers. There’s a reason Wedge Antilles, Hobbie Klivian, and Wes Janson are fan favorites in the Expanded Universe. It’s a combination of the familiar and new, characters that tie into established material but have enough room to be fleshed out they almost feel new to the universe.