| rdfs:comment | - A looser adaptation of the Five-Man Band. Generally speaking, it's bad form to have two major crew members on the show who essentially perform the same job (unless you have a multi-team Heroes Unlimited situation). That would lead to inevitable comparisons between the two, and probably lots of flame wars. Does not apply to Evil Minions who sometimes come in faceless dozens, but does for, say, Battle Butlers or Dragons. Not So Similar is the super trope. Compare Divergent Character Evolution, which happens gradually and isn't as deliberate. Examples of Cast Speciation include:
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| abstract | - A looser adaptation of the Five-Man Band. Generally speaking, it's bad form to have two major crew members on the show who essentially perform the same job (unless you have a multi-team Heroes Unlimited situation). That would lead to inevitable comparisons between the two, and probably lots of flame wars. So any character who starts mirroring another too closely will have a different personality which affects the outcome of their work, or will be given a noticeably different job. One way to do this is to make the two rivals, competing to be the best at what they do. In this case, usually one is more friendly and laid-back and the other is more serious and stoic. Does not apply to Evil Minions who sometimes come in faceless dozens, but does for, say, Battle Butlers or Dragons. Occasionally, executive pressure or plain bad writing will force a character to not ever evolve past their original role, or instead force a new character into it. In the latter case, the original's days are numbered. Can be avoided from the get-go by an Economy Cast or lampshaded by an Evasive Fight Thread Episode. This trope falls purely within the Rule of Drama. In real life, some degree of redundancy is generally considered a good thing, so that a group isn't crippled if one member with a specialized skill is taken out the picture. Not So Similar is the super trope. Compare Divergent Character Evolution, which happens gradually and isn't as deliberate. Examples of Cast Speciation include:
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