History Main / EnsembleCast

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' arguably qualifies as one, with each episode focusing on a specific character. While primarily focusing on seven core characters[[note]]Arthur, D.W., Buster, Francine, Muffy, Brain, and Binky[[/note]], there is also a large supporting cast who get their episodes in the spotlight[[note]]Sue Ellen, Prunella, Fern, George, the Tibbles, etc.[[/note]] and even a few minor characters who get the occasional episode, like former LivingProp Maria. Arthur’s parents and Mr. Ratburn are also very important characters, although rarely are they the focus of individual episodes.

* In keeping with its TabletopGaming roots, the original ''Literature/Dragonlance'' Chronicles featured a large ensemble cast with the Heroes of the Lance. That said, authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman definitely gave some characters more screen time than others, such that some of the Heroes are DemotedToExtra. The latter characters have, however, gotten some more screentime in more recent novels, whether by Weis and Hickman or by other authors.

* In ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'', initially, Laios seems like the obvious main character, having the closest and most personal connection to the quest as well as being one of the two characters that drive the food angle, but in truth he gets no more of the spotlight than the other team members. Most chapters feature the entire team with similar screentime and the ones more focused on a singular one are very even. That being said, Senshi tends to have less of a role overall since he isn't as prominent unless food is around.

* ''WebVideo/HardlyWorking'' stars all of the members of the Website/CollegeHumor editorial staff.

* ''Series/{{Matador}}'' is mainly about two families, but other characters (like servants, friends of the families) get a lot of screentime too.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' also did well with balancing its ensemble of five protagonists, each of whom got several episodes focusing on them individually. And each of them (aside from {{ComicBook/Starfire}}) was the focus of a seasonal story arc; {{ComicBook/Robin}} in Season 1, Beast Boy in Season 2, {{ComicBook/Cyborg}} in Season 3, and {{ComicBook/Raven}} in Season 4. However, Season 5 instead had a story arc about [[HeroesUnlimited expanding the Teen Titans to include dozens of new heroes around the world]].

* While ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' formerly had Kazuma Kiryu as the main lead of the series, ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'' and ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' (as well as the non-canon ''VideoGame/YakuzaDeadSouls'') used other protagonists to convey stories about the people of Kamurocho and the Japanese criminal underworld. While Kiryu features in each ensemble, he is joined in these games by other characters, including (but not limited to) a [[FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster Friendly Neighborhood]] LoanShark, a CowboyCop, a PrisonEscapeArtist, and even Kiryu's own adopted daughter Haruka.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': While the show originally began with Lincoln as the main character, it has shifted towards this format starting with season 2, giving the other characters their DayInTheLimelight episodes.

* ''Manga/GohanNoOtomo'' follows the lives of a group of loosely-connected individuals who occasionally frequents Nobu's cafe or Kuma's bar. However, none of them can be considered the central protagonist, and most of the time, the series seems to focus on the ambience rather than the characters.

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' tends to focus on groups of two or more more of the main 8 characters and a few supporting characters at a time.

* ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'' There's no single protagonist. Although [[spoiler: Vanya's ]]storyline is the most immediately plot-relevant, the surviving siblings all get their own focal plots and character arcs.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': While Rosamond Pike as Moiraine could be considered the central character, her, Lan, and the five from the Two Rivers are all equally considered the main characters as all of them get plenty equal of screen time.

* ''LightNovel/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' doesn't really have a protagonist per se, the degree of who is the most protagonist differs in each book.

* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'' Has eight playable characters each with their own plot, you choose who to start with and pick up the other characters by starting their plots, no character is more important than any others and each of the character's plot is a piece in the overarching plot of the game.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' shows this with the Adventure modes, ''The Subspace Emissary'' in ''Brawl'' and ''World of Light'' in ''Ultimate'': Ultimately, the "star characters" are whoever you prefer to play as, since there's no real arc or characterization.
* While ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' formerly had Kazuma Kiryu as the main lead of the series, ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'' and ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' (as well as the non-canon ''VideoGame/YakuzaDeadSouls'') used other protagonists to convey stories about the people of Kamurocho and the Japanese criminal underworld. While Kiryu features in each ensemble, he is joined in these games by other characters, including (but not limited to) a [[FriendlyNeighborhoodGangster Friendly Neighborhood]] LoanShark, a CowboyCop, a PrisonEscapeArtist, and even Kiryu's own adopted daughter Haruka.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': After Volume 4 transitions away from the CastHerd set-up of Volumes 1-3, the show focusses on the main cast of heroes and villains, with secondary antagonists and allies appearing as the plot demands. The heroes consist of the protagonist Team RWBY, the deuteragonist Team JNPR, [[TokenAdult Qrow Branwen]] and [[LegacyOfTheChosen Oscar Pine]]; the villains of [[BigBad Salem]], her subordinates and [[TheHeavy Cinder's]] subordinates. Although [[TheUnchosenOne Ruby Rose]] is technically the main character, all the heroes and villains get similar story time, and any allies that become part of story arcs are also given air time as if they're a main character.

* ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'' gives equal importance to all the members the guild had during the two first seasons of the webseries, the first novel and four fist comics. Once recruited, Ivy becomes a fifth member of the ensemble. The Justice guild main roster eventually became a {{Deuteragonist}} ensemble.

* ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'' features a cast of stereotypical, callous, and/or dimwitted characters and often follows their ridiculous antics. However, this ensemble is often split up into smaller groups, those generally being [[ButtMonkey Mario's]] idiotic housemates, a PowerTrio of Junior, Joseph, Cody, and [[OnlySaneMan Brooklyn Guy's]] own quirky cast of friends and family.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', despite the boost to title character for Thomas, narrated the stories from ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'' rather accurately and thus several engines got near or equal spotlight as him. As the show separated itself from the novels however, more demand was made for Thomas focused stories (for both the show and the books), making him more the central character, though the other engines tend to still get lead roles on a frequent basis. There were even a few episodes where Thomas himself has little more than a cameo, sometimes not even appearing at all.

* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' has a large cast but no main character in a similar vein to ''Baccano!'', as both series are written by the same author. Although some readers mistake Mikado for the protagonist, since his arrival is what kickstarts the plot and he is the first one to narrate the story and receive plot focus, the author has since stated that, if anyone is the protagonist, it's Celty.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Fanfic/RoyalHeights'' with a main cast of seven characters, the perspective and focus alternates constantly. There are some plots and characters that receive more development than others in specific arcs though they always manage to intertwine with the main conflict or someone else's subplot.

* ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as should be evident by the title]]. That said, it takes time to get there; the first chapter starts with Rentarou, Hakari, and Karane, and by chapter 115, there are 22 girlfriends.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': some members of the ensemble (Terra and Celes in particular) do get more screen time and Character Development than others but it's a minor thing.

-->-- '''Gustav St. Germain''', ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', "The Vice President Doesn't Say Anything about the Possibility of Him Being the Main Character"

* ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'': There's no main character. {{Discussed}} in the beginning with Carol and the newspaper vice president in their debate about which of the characters is the main character.

* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' in the same way as ''Baccano''. They're based on books written by the same author. Although some readers mistake Mikado for the protagonist, since his arrival is what kickstarts the plot and he is the first one to narrate the story and receive plot focus, the author has since stated that, if anyone is the protagonist, it's Celty.

* ''LightNovel/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' doesn't really have a protagonist per se, the degree of who is the most protagonist differs in each book.
** In ''Unmarked'', Snow White, Ripple, and Swim Swim can be considered the main characters as these three gets the most development.
** By ''Restart'', who one might consider the protagonist is a bit blurrier. One can consider Pechika as the protagonist of Restart, as she feels similar to Snow White. Some can also argue that Pfle and Nokko-chan can be considered as the protagonist of Restart.
** When ''Limited'' kicks in, nobody really feels like the protagonist. Even Unmarked survivor [[spoiler: Ripple]] comes across more as a BigGood than a protagonist. If desperate enough, one may interpret [[spoiler: Pythie]] as a VillainProtagonist.
** ''JOKERS'' also has the same vibe as ''Limited'', where nobody is a stand out protagonist. This is lampshaded by Prism Cherry, who wants to be the protagonist in her story; however is just another normal person.
** In [[AllStarCast ACES]], the amount of previous book survivors in the story is at an all time high, which causes this trope to play straight; since everybody was to some extent a protagonist.
** Since ''QUEENS'' technically [[spoiler: has the same cast as ACES, minus the ones who died]], this trope is played pretty straight.
** ''Snow White Raising Project'' ambiguously had [[spoiler: Pythie Frederica]] as a VillainProtagonist who oversees the events of the short story.
** The short stories in ''Episodes'' focuses on specific characters in each chapter, such as Alice in "Zombie Western", Top Speed in "Playing with Top Speed", or Clantail in "Clantail and Friends".

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' had ''43'' names in the credits over the course of 8 seasons, divided between ThreeLinesSomeWaiting. (Of course, AnyoneCanDie, so only 12 of them were in Season 1... and three were PromotedToOpeningTitles in Season 2.) Notably, the show only received ''two'' Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor / Actress (both in Season 8), with every single nomination up until then (including Creator/PeterDinklage's OnceASeason nomination) being for Supporting. You could make the argument that the showrunners did this deliberately to obscure who TheProtagonist was; you could also argue that [[RotatingProtagonist they weren't sure themselves]].

* ''WebOriginal/SuperMarioLogan'' features a cast of stereotypical, callous, and/or dimwitted characters and often follows their ridiculous antics. However, this ensemble is often split up into smaller groups, those generally being [[ButtMonkey Mario's]] idiotic housemates, a PowerTrio of Junior, Joseph, Cody, and [[OnlySaneMan Brooklyn Guy's]] own quirky cast of friends and family.