| rdfs:comment | - Since all fiction essentially narrows down to Conflict between two or more opposing forces, it is typical to represent these forces in the story's characters, with one faction, called the protagonists or main characters, usually (but not always) being the "good guys" (from the perspective of the work, at least), and another in opposition to the protagonists called the antagonists, who are usually (but not always) the "bad guys" (again, from the perspective of the work, at least). Compare Good Versus Good. Contrast Big Bad.
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| abstract | - Since all fiction essentially narrows down to Conflict between two or more opposing forces, it is typical to represent these forces in the story's characters, with one faction, called the protagonists or main characters, usually (but not always) being the "good guys" (from the perspective of the work, at least), and another in opposition to the protagonists called the antagonists, who are usually (but not always) the "bad guys" (again, from the perspective of the work, at least). Some stories, however, are cut from a different thread. Rather than representing the conflict as the "good guys" against the "bad guys", the central conflict is caused by other forces and does not feature characters in direct opposition to the protagonists. There is no evil villain hiding in his lair with a plot to destroy the world, no tyrannical ruler bent on mayhem and destruction, and no rival waiting to foil our heroes at every turn. Instead, the forces at work are more intangible and not bound to a set of characters. This obviously doesn't mean that there is no conflict or tension. It simply means that the central conflict of the work has no characters that are the source of friction. This could mean that the conflict comes from an internal struggle, such as with addiction, or it could mean that the conflict arises from sort of natural/scientific disaster. As long as there are no "bad guys" directly opposing the main characters, this trope applies. It's possible that one of the characters will be the Hate Sink: not actually a villain, but someone who makes the characters' lives more difficult to give the audience an outlet for the bad-guy hating. For example, if Bob is seriously addicted to heroin and the work focuses around his battling of his addiction, then a drug dealer that constantly supplies Bob would not count as the antagonist, even though he is certainly not nice, unless there is conflict generated between Bob and the dealer. In the case where it is not, the work would have No Antagonist. The trope does, however, require an actual conflict taking place within the story-- works with no real conflict, such as sandbox games, would not apply. Most Slice of Life works have No Antagonist, due to the conflict being life itself, but that doesn't apply to all series where the antagonist can easily be someone damaging the life of the protagonist. This trope is often found in Slice of Life programming, particularly modern ones that target preschoolers or younger viewers. Compare Good Versus Good. Contrast Big Bad. Note: "No Antagonist" means just that. If one or more sentient beings get in the way of the protagonists, however well-intentioned they are and however justified their actions, it's not an example.
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