| abstract | - There are movers and shakers in stories, they're called Heroes and villains. Everyone else is more or less an Innocent Bystander to these two people or factions. They are characters whose sole plot-critical function is to have stuff happen to them; the plot would be no different had they never existed, except that the Hero's heroism, the Villain's villainy and the dangers facing the main character just wouldn't be as powerful without someone to use as a punching bag. Essentially, they are a Red Herring used to prove a point, by dying if necessary. As such they are storytelling tools, and this Super-Trope categorizes their use based on type: demonstrating danger; causing an emotional reaction in the hero, the viewer or both, and even as a source of humor.
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