History Main / EstablishingCharacterMusic

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': "The Man in the Cairo Overcoat" reveals the GreaterScopeVillain Lord English while an incredibly distorting and constantly looping to reinforce his role as the Lord of Time.

** Renton spots Diane to Sleeper's cover of Music/{{Blondie}}'s "Atomic".

** Mettaton is first introduced [[https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/track/its-showtime a game show music]] to define his AffablyEvil personality. Then, when you're stuck in a fight with him, [[https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/track/metal-crusher a more sinister theme]] plays to show he really is a KillerRobot.

** Toriel saves you from Flowey and is accompanied by a calm, soothing melody, helping establish her motherly, caring nature.
** Sans plays a prank on you and is accompanied by music that is smooth and chill, establishing his fun, laid-back personality.
** Papyrus is first seen berating his brother for being so lazy while bemoaning his own inability to catch humans. His leitmotif [[https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/track/nyeh-heh-heh-2 "Nyeh Heh Heh!"]] plays while he is on screen. It's an upbeat, yet outlandish melody that helps define Papyrus as an incompetent but well-meaning guy.
** Undyne is first introduced to the player with a low, ominous theme to suit her reputation as the ruthlessly efficient captain of the Royal Guard, out to kill all humans. However, when you meet her properly, everything is dead silent as she starts giving her speech... only to immediately forget what she was going to say, causing the game to cut to an ''extremely'' [[https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/track/ngahhh bombastic song named after her shouting when she wants to fight you]], showing off her intensely HotBlooded nature and her total inability to hide it.

[[folder:Film]]

[[folder:Live-Action Television ]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie2TheSecondPart'', Rex Dangervest is introduced saving Emmet from a Glassteroid and helping him navigate through the Stairgate to Music/MotleyCrue's "Kickstart my Heart", establishing him as a hardcore dude that Emmet wishes to be like.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'', Miles Morales is introduced listening and half-singing along to Music/PostMalone's "Sunflower", establishing him as your normal urban teenager.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', the tracks "Turning Red" and "Meilin Lee" serve as this for Mei establishing her dual nature as both a free spirit outside of her home and a dutiful daughter within it.
[[/folder]]

* The first time we see Marty [=McFly=] in ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', he walks into Doc Brown's laboratory, plugs in his guitar, and begins shredding. This quickly establishes him as a laid back, average teenager.

[[AC:Anime]]

[[AC:Film]]

[[AC:Live-Action Television ]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

** ''Film/ANewHope'': Darth Vader is first seen on the ''Tantive IV'' accompanied by an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MftSEu4vgg0 ominous trumpet chord]] which, combined with his black, skull-like mask and helmet, marks him as the villain. Later when we first see Luke the main theme is heard briefly, marking him as TheHero.

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' features an unknown soldier in full armor as a BonusBoss, who murmurs about his friends before fighting. All there really is to establish his character is his theme, "Rage Awakened," which captures his sense of injustice and establishes a connection to BigBad Xehanort by reprising one of his {{Leitmotif}}s.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' features a fully cloaked BonusBoss who's theme combines nearly all of Xehanort's {{Leitmotif}}s with no other context to identify him. He reappears in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' with the same theme working for Xehanort. [[spoiler: Turns out he's a younger Xehanort who's time traveling to unite his many incarnations, hence the reuse of all their themes.]]

** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', Peter Quill is introduced listening to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone on his walkman, merrily dancing away and kicking lizards about.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* ''WebComic/{{Homestuck}}'': "The Man in the Cairo Overcoat" reveals the GreaterScopeVillain Lord English while an incredibly distorting and constantly looping to reinforce his role as the Lord of Time.

* ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'': Every Amanda Becker's arrival scenes are always accompanied by the opening of "Can't Fight This Feeling" by Music/REOSpeedwagon

* ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie: Every Amanda Becker's arrival scenes are always accompanied by the opening of "Can't Fight This Feeling" by Music/REOSpeedwagon

When working in a visual medium (film, television, or video games), a creator must use every tool at his disposal, to tell his story. And when introducing a new character, there is often little time to establish who they are and what they are like, so music is often used to quickly flesh out their personality. Someone introduced with HeavyMetal is likely to seen as angry, even violent, while someone introduced with triumphant brass will be seen as heroic and mighty. If it's BadToTheBone, then the character's an all-out badass.

[[AC:Live-Action ]]

** Undyne is first introduced to the player with a low, ominous theme to suit her reputation as the ruthlessly efficient captain of the Royal Guard, out to kill all humans. However, when you meet her properly, everything is dead silent as she starts giving her speech... only to immediately forget what she was going to say while the BGMs cuts to an ''extremely'' bombastic song as she turns to fight you directly, showing off her intensely HotBlooded nature and her total inability to hide it.