http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheMainCharactersDoEverything

He analyzes crime scenes!

He caps bad guys!

He interrogates!

He writes parking tickets!

He does weddings!

He spays and neuters your pets!



"Ramirez! Use the Laser Designator!"

"Ramirez! Use the Grenade Launcher!"

"Ramirez! Get on the Minigun!"

"Ramirez! Get on that Sniper Rifle!"

"Ramirez! Take out the Enemy Vehicles!" Sergeant Foley to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to Private James Ramirez "Ramirez! Use the Predator Drones!""Ramirez! Use the Laser Designator!""Ramirez! Use the Grenade Launcher!""Ramirez! Get on the Minigun!""Ramirez! Get on that Sniper Rifle!""Ramirez! Take out the Enemy Vehicles!"

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In Real Life, the various members of an organization have very well-defined jobs, which include a specific set of responsibilities and a limited amount of authority. Each member is restricted to performing only a specific set of activities. This system, called "departmentalization", allows the organization to train each member in one set of tasks, allows each member to focus on those tasks, and prevents members from stepping on each other's toes while doing their jobs. Departmentalization is a key aspect of many organizations (particularly large ones), including police, military, medical, governmental, educational and even commercial organizations.

In fiction, however, organizations are rarely depicted in this fashion, particularly when it comes to main characters who are members of said organization. Instead of having a restricted set of responsibilities and authority, The Main Characters Do Everything. They will often be seen doing whatever tasks are important to the story or interesting to watch, regardless of whether they would logically have the clearance, ability, or even the need to do those things themselves. Furthermore, any figures of authority in the organization will rarely show an interest in maintaining any departmentalized structure, often ordering our main characters to act outside conventional boundaries. In many cases, we'll see a lot of people milling about in the background doing nothing, because the Main Characters are already doing their job.

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Whether the main characters have the skills necessary for the task is irrelevant. The point is that an organization described or even depicted as being departmentalized is showing no concern to maintain its own departments or hierarchy — allowing some of its members to do virtually anything they deem necessary — or even orders them to do so.

On some shows, the situation will be even more skewed: A main character is actually a figure of authority, but is frequently seen performing the jobs of his underlings — particularly putting himself into dangerous situations. Real-world Departmentalized organizations often go to extreme lengths to keep the higher-ups out of danger, letting expendables do the dirty work. In fact, superiors are often explicitly discouraged from taking a "hands-on" approach entirely (even when they are more qualified for a task than their underlings), whereas in fiction this notion seems to be almost non-existent.

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This trope usually happens because writers are faced with a tough dilemma: If our main characters were realistically limited to the scope of their own jobs, things could get very boring very quickly. How interesting would it be to watch The Captain pushing papers and managing his crew all day? How many interesting stories can revolve around watching the doctor diagnosing patients in his little office? note There are also Real Life reasons for a TV show to do this — you're already paying your main cast top-dollar per episode. They also want to be on screen — they did boring roles for years before landing this gig. The audience notices if these characters aren't around. Other shows would like to woo your actors away for their own casts. You have to put them on when you can to make sure you are getting your money's worth and your actors and fans are happy. The easiest way to do it is by using this trope. As for hiring lesser-known actors to do those roles, they need to be paid, too... and if they're on the show every week they'll want better pay and higher billing.

Of course, one solution would be to add Loads and Loads of Characters to follow around, each with his own little job. Some writers prefer this, and some even pull it off rather well — but the multitude of characters can still potentially confuse the audience (and it can also get expensive hiring more and more actors for bit roles). Another solution is to focus only on the most interesting jobs in the organization, and have everything else be done off-screen (as seen in the many Police Procedural aversions listed below) — but again requires very good writing skills and/or very interesting stories to fit this specific format.

Instead, most writers prefer increasing the scope of the Main Character's job far beyond realistic limits, or even impose no limits whatsoever. So now, the Captain goes out on dangerous away-missions, the general practitioner goes into surgery, and the forensic analyst does interrogations and arrests — whatever serves the drama. The break from realism is brushed under the carpet, in the hope that the resulting drama will be gripping enough to keep the viewers engaged.

It is important to note that this trope is only a tool, often being considered one of the many Acceptable Breaks from Reality. It helps reduce the introduction of Flat Characters that carry out the menial tasks, and keeps the main characters in focus throughout the episode.

A show can be said to use this trope if it fits one or more of the following definitions:

In a realistic world, one or more of the main characters would not be allowed to do what they're doing, given the stated or implied definitions of their jobs. Example : A police detective performs an official autopsy.

The main characters are repeatedly seen performing a task that does not fit any of their stated job descriptions, when there is no reason that they couldn't (or shouldn't) acquire an additional team-member specifically to handle that task. Example : A SWAT team keeps getting called for bomb-threat missions, but no one ever thinks of hiring a bomb specialist.

The main characters perform tasks that should've been the job of other characters who are also present and able to perform those jobs. Example : A SWAT team's sniper disarms a bomb, while the teammate known to be a bomb specialist watches him work.

There are many secondary characters or Ghost Extras around who seem to have absolutely no job, since the main characters are doing everything on their own. Example : We see the bomb squad arrive at the scene, but the hero detective is still the one who goes to disarm the bomb.

None of the figures of authority on the show seem to have any problems with the lack of departmentalization, or repeatedly order the main characters to act outside that departmentalized structure. Example : The police commissioner sees the bomb squad arriving, but : The police commissioner sees the bomb squad arriving, but still lets the hero detective disarm the bomb himself

One or more of the main characters is a figure of authority, but has no regards for departmentalization — often involving themselves in heavy micromanagement of every little detail. Example : The bomb squad is disarming a bomb, but the police commissioner is giving them instructions on how to do so over the radio.

One or more of the main characters is a figure of authority, but constantly places him/herself into dangerous situations, despite there being plenty of "expendables" around who should be doing so in his/her stead. Example: The police commissioner dismantles a bomb while the entire police department watches (with fingers crossed).

Note that the trope can be (and sometimes is) justified simply by providing a logical reason why any of the above should occur. Several such examples are listed below. Unfortunately, many shows offer no such explanation.

Finally, note that this trope is rarely confined to a single main character. It's usually a group of characters who, between them, seem to carry out every possible task in the show. You'll never see the extras doing anything important, it's always one of the Main Characters who gets the task. Some shows make this even more complicated by having one main character doing the job of another main character, because that other main character is off doing some other job that isn't within their remit. In the worst case scenario, this cascades on and on until all of the main characters are doing something they aren't supposed to do.

It's Up to You is a specialized form of this trope, where the player character in a video game Does Everything.

This trope is closely related to Ghost Extras, since the two tropes are almost always played together. Expect the main character(s) to be an Omnidisciplinary Scientist, Super Doc, or Do-Anything Soldier (it's usually an excuse to let him Do Everything). One Riot, One Ranger is an extreme application of the trope. Command Roster practically guarantees the trope. Also connected to Red Shirt; if you're in a series where The Main Characters Do Everything, and suddenly you see someone else participating in the main action, they might be there only for purposes of a sudden death.

Somewhat related to Composite Character, where after adaptation a single character has to carry out tasks that were originally carried out by two or more separate characters.

Compare with Einstein Sue and The Only One, where our main characters do everything because all other characters are either incompetent, or just never happen to be around when they're needed. Also compare Always on Duty and Economy Cast, where the main characters actually do stick to their specialties, but it seems that they're the only ones who do anything when there really should be others available.

Contrast Minimalist Cast, which is when the main characters do everything because there isn't anyone else. Contrast with The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, where characters explicitly don't do anything that is related to their job description. Also contrast with Lower-Deck Episode, where a normally-TMCDE show suddenly focuses on the people in the background, and typically has to temporarily suspend TMCDE to make it work.

Examples:

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Anime and Manga

Comics

In Scott Pilgrim, a disproportionate number of events of worldwide importance seem to involve the core cast of characters in some way. For example, apparently the reason why there's holes in the moon is because Todd Ingram punched them into it with his bare fits to impress Envy.

In the Nick Fury: Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. stories, it is often forgotten that SHIELD is an organization of thousands of agents and operatives. Yet it is always Colonel Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, Val, and a handful of other high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D agents who do most or all of the infiltrating, shooting, fighting, spying, and interacting with all of the superheroes. Even despite the fact that these characters should be too aged for active field frontline duties. Also, these characters always operate under their real names, oddly enough. These agents are high ranking intelligence officers whose faces are also well known to longtime enemies like AIM and HYDRA as well as to the various circles of costumed superheroes, many of whom have secret identities. Wouldn't their espionage functions be better carried out by nobody characters? After all, a famous spy is a useless one. In any real spy organization Nick Fury, being the man at the top, would be a reclusive, shadowy character whom even his senior officers might only occasionally see in person. And those senior officers would be spymasters in their own right, presenting a similarly shadowy presence to their own subordinates. The activities and operatives of this organization would remain mostly a mystery even to (especially to) the superheroes. Most of the interactions with superheroes or notables like Tony Stark would be through plainclothes middlemen who would probably not immediately bring up S.H.I.E.L.D's name. The iconic Helicarrier would be a foolish expenditure; its intelligence functions would be carried out by a smaller, less conspicuous conventional aircraft. It wouldn't even need to be a carrier. Anyway, it would be foolish to have all of your senior intelligence officers together in the same place all the time. Instead, S.H.I.E.L.D would be a mostly invisible organization with no discernible headquarters. It would manipulate the more visible and publicly known conventional military or intelligence forces into supplying the hardware and doing most of the spying, fighting and dying.

DMZ has the main character Matty Roth, a photojournalist, in the center of every single event concerning the DMZ. He eventually helps elect the new leader of the DMZ and becomes his right-hand man. Then he gets sent to acquire a nuke for the new government. Then he single-handedly brokers an end to the war and negotiates a peace deal with all of the factions of the DMZ .

. Batman: Sort of kind of justified with the Gotham Police Department, which any casual reader would think consisted of about five people (one commissioner, a few detectives and the odd nervous rookie) doing all the jobs of a major metropolitan police force. Of course, the GPD is usually depicted as massively corrupt and/or incompetent, so the members of the Major Crimes Unit (the commissioner's pet project), being the few non-corrupt officers, are usually the ones who have to deal with Batman and the supervillains.

Incredible Hulk: Really, Bruce Banner's troubles with his Hulk condition could have been avoided from the beginning if he simply sent guards at the base to get Rick Jones out of the Gamma Bomb blast zone in the first place instead of going himself. That way, Banner could have kept an eye on the detonation process and held it until the guards and trespasser was clear.

Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Galactus Trilogy: Discussed, during Ultimate Nightmare. The small Ultimate force would need a science guy, but Fury cites many reasons for not calling Tony Stark this time. Fortunately, he has other science guys in the payroll, such as Sam Wilson. The Ultimates: Subverted. Unlike his return in The Avengers, Captain America was not found in the ocean by the Ultimates themselves, but by a unit of unnamed SHIELD scientists.



Fan Works

Film

Literature

Podcasts

Lampshaded in The Adventure Zone: Balance. There are seven ancient artifacts that must be collected and destroyed for the safety of the world. Secret magical society with limitless resources and a moon base: zero. Three horny boys: six. The Director of the Bureau of Balance notes this in-universe after the Petals to the Metal arc and decides to reassign all other reclaimers and put the Bureau's full resources behind supporting the party. Later justified: according to the Director, because they made them , the main party are the only people who can resist the thrall of the Grand Relics. Anyone else gets tempted to use them and inevitably corrupted by their power if they do.

The Director of the Bureau of Balance notes this in-universe after the Petals to the Metal arc and

Puppet Shows

In Stingray, the title craft is supposedly the fastest, deadliest, most advanced submarine in the world, crewed by the two most elite aquanauts. Despite the many hostile underwater races and other threats from the world's oceans, Stingray is nevertheless always available to go on treasure hunts, to investigate wild rumours and to patrol oyster beds.

Thunderbirds: Officially, International Rescue has agents all over the world, and Lady Penelope is strictly the London Agent. Yet, she's the only agent shown to have a direct video connection to IR headquarters, and whenever IR needs something investigated, no matter where in the world, she and her butler Parker are always the ones they call upon.

Radio

The Men from the Ministry, Yes, Minister's spiritual predecessor (though it featured only civil servants), was set at the even less realistic General Assistance Department, with the remit that they were there to 'just help out' any other department which was overloaded (in fact it had only 3 civil servants working there, two of whom would get involved with absurdly small detail of the tasks in hand.)

Roleplay

Destroy the Godmodder: Literally everything that happens happens because of entities and players mentioned in the main plot. Despite there being billions of other beings on the field, everything has to be done by the players.

Tabletop Games

Space 1889 mostly justified. Most adventures take place far away from human civilization and the player characters find themselves needing to do a bit of everything. Also even in the most advanced, urban, human civilizations of 1889 people are a lot less specialized and trained in a speciality than they are today. It is not too difficult for an amateur detective to have useful knowledge a professional police investigator does not, not to mention a regular beat cop. Furthermore social status is greatly respected and can allow you to push professionals around. If Lord X wants to demonstrate to a professional teacher how teaching should be done, the teacher is very likely to put up with it and keep his groaning silent.

Rogue Trader takes this trope and runs with it- the smallest ship available has a crew of 7500, while average crew size is around 30-45 thousand. Whether it's negotiating trade deals, exploring alien ruins, commanding landing parties or picking up the mail, generally the only people who typically get their hands dirty and get stuff done? The Player Characters...

GURPS After the End offers a way to justify it in Zombie Apocalypse settings: every Player Character has to be The Immune to the zombie plague, thus giving them a reason to be the ones doing the adventuring.

Video Games

Web Animation

Parodied in the Attack of the Clones episode of How It Should Have Ended, when Obi-Wan is unsuccessfully trying to apprehend Jango Fett. Obi-Wan : Could you guys just maybe send a larger ship?

Mace Windu : No! No, we cannot.

Yoda : Important Jedi business we have.

Obi-Wan : All of the Jedi are busy?

Yoda : Yes. Sit here on cushions, we must.

Obi-Wan : I'm really doing all of the work, aren't I?

Gordon Freeman of Freeman's Mind. Everyone else is busy dying to aliens, making Freeman's life harder, or just standing places doing nothing at all, so Freeman has to do a lot of legwork on his quest to get the hell out of Black Mesa. He's not happy about it, complaining that when people talk about being an One-Man Army, they mean that they're a badass, not that they're doing all the work one would expect from an entire army.

Web Original

Parodied/justified on Agents of Cracked. Their boss doesn't remember the phone extensions for any of the other employees.

I Was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space. Spoofed when the characters are having a Mission Briefing, and someone points out that if everyone's here, who's flying the ship?! They promptly crash.

Western Animation