So I’ve decided to propose a Trope concept that is distinct from The Worf Effect though I suspect many at TVTropes might be seeing it as the same when it occurs.
This post will contain Spoilers for both The Godfather Trilogy and the Anime School-Live!, aka Gakkō Gurashi!
The story began when I was listening to the Audio Commentary for The Godfather on its old DVD release and Francis Ford Coppola talks about the character of Luca Brasi but more particularly when Luca Brasi is killed. Saying that after establishing Luca Brasi as this tough, reliable bodyguard for Vito Colreone his suddenly being taken out is meant to be a sign of impending danger for the Don.
And then in the Audio Commentaries for Part II and Part III he talked about other characters in those films repeating the same role.
So while the Worf Effect is about a seemingly tough character losing a fight to make the new villain look dangerous, this is about a Protector of the protagonist(s) being removed from the scenario entirely to create a sense of vulnerability.
That’s what Coppola intended, but in execution Luca Brasi does seem more a Worf Effect by virtue of us never seeing him successfully protect the Corleones from anything on screen and what we’re told about him is more stories of him being an offensive muscle. And then his analogues in the sequels were never even named on screen that I can remember.
However there is an Anime that I feel did what Coppola talked about here far better, and that’s my long time favorite Zombie Anime School-Live!
Kurumi Ebisuzawa is established throughout the show as the casts’ Muscle both offensively and defensively, her skill in taking Zombies with her Shovel is a vital piece of why the characters have mostly lived blissfully peaceful lives during this Zombie Apocalypse.
So when Kurumi gets bitten by a Zombie and incapacitated in Episode 10, it does very effectively signify the impending end of their Eden.
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