Basic Trope: A character's backstory is changed (whether by fleshing out or entirely altering facts) in an adaptation.
- Straight: In Tales of Troperia, Bob is an orphan and finds his mentor by total accident. In the movie version, Bob gets adopted by the man who becomes his mentor.
- Exaggerated:
- In Tales of Troperia, Bob is an orphan who stumbles upon his mentor after growing up in bad places and becoming hardened and aggressive in response. In the movie, Bob had a happy childhood and has never picked up a weapon. He seeks out his mentor so he can learn to fight the dragon threatening his home.
- In Tales of Troperia, Bob's entire backstory is rewritten. He is not only adopted by his mentor, but it turns out he is actually the long-lost heir to the kingdom and has magical powers that make him the Chosen One destined to save the world.
- Downplayed: In Tales of Troperia, Bob is an orphan for the first half of the story and is only adopted halfway through. In the movie, he's adopted as the story begins.
- Justified:
- The movie is in its own continuity, so the events that happened in the original work didn't happen or happened differently then they had before in the movie's timeline.
- The movie is supposed to be Lighter and Softer, so Bob is already with his mentor instead of being an orphan wandering the streets.
- On the inverse, the movie is Darker and Edgier, so Bob's parents are brutally killed and he is basically kidnapped by the man who becomes his mentor.
- Bob's backstory is changed due to time cuts; the filmmakers just want to get to the story instead of making a whole scene of Bob encountering his mentor.
- Bob's backstory in the book had Values Dissonance that didn't fit the Setting Update of the movie.
- Inverted: Bob's backstory is the same in the adaptation, but everything else is so different that he might as well be a new character.
- Subverted: The man who adopted Bob is not his mentor and Bob later finds his true mentor the same way he did in the original series.
- Double Subverted: Then his true mentor passes away much earlier than he did in the source material, leading to somebody else picking Bob up under his wing.
- Parodied: In the adaptation, the change in Bob's backstory is exaggerated and mocked for comedic effect. The alteration is taken to absurd levels, with the characters openly acknowledging the ridiculousness of the new elements introduced. For example, Bob's adoption by his mentor is depicted as a comically over-the-top event with exaggerated reactions and humorous misunderstandings. The parody highlights the trope of altering backstories in adaptations, poking fun at the conventions and clichés associated with such changes.
- Zig-Zagged: In Tales of Troperia, Bob's backstory goes through multiple iterations and changes throughout different adaptations. In one version, he is an orphan, in another, he is already with his mentor, and in yet another, he is a prince with a tragic past.
- Averted: The movie doesn't change any circumstance of how Bob met his mentor.
- Enforced: The executives think Bob's backstory as it is would be too sad/too happy/too edgy/not edgy enough/too complicated/etc and change it to something that suits their purposes better.
- Lampshaded: Bob comments on his Multiple-Choice Past; each of the backstories presented there were used in a different adaptation.
- Invoked:
- The change to the backstory is meant to show fans of the original work that this movie is not like its source material.
- In the adaptation, one of the characters travels through time with the express goal to prevent something happening to Bob in the past.
- Exploited: Bob intentionally alters his own backstory in the adaptation to manipulate others and gain an advantage. By presenting himself as an orphan seeking a mentor, he elicits sympathy and support from people who are willing to help him on his quest.
- Defied: In the adaptation, the characters are aware of the typical trope of changing a character's backstory and actively attempt to subvert it. They refuse to alter Bob's backstory, emphasizing the importance of staying true to the original material and the integrity of the character.
- Discussed: Within the context of the adaptation, the characters engage in a conversation or dialogue specifically addressing the change in Bob's backstory. They may express their opinions, debate the merits of the alteration, or discuss the potential implications it has on the character's development or the overall narrative.
- Conversed:Viewer: "What is it with movies and changing the characters' backstories?"
- Implied: In the adaptation, there are hints and subtle references that suggest Bob's backstory might have been changed, but it is never explicitly revealed or explored in detail.
- Played For Laughs: The change in the backstory is part of a joke; Bob encounters a man who looks like his mentor in the original series, only for the man to be a crazy homeless man. Bob then meets his mentor in a tavern, who looks completely different from how he looked in the source material.
- Played for Drama: The movie's version of how Bob met his mentor is more intense and violent to show viewers that this is a darker take on the source material.
- Played for Horror: The change in Bob's backstory in the adaptation takes a dark turn. Instead of being adopted by his mentor, Bob is kidnapped by a twisted individual who manipulates him into becoming a weapon for their own nefarious purposes.
- Untwisted: The adaptation sets up an expectation that Bob's backstory will be subverted or altered, but ultimately, it remains unchanged from the original source material. The twist that the audience anticipates never materializes.
- Deconstructed: The adaptation delves into the consequences and implications of altering Bob's backstory. It explores the psychological impact and challenges he faces as a result of the changes, highlighting the complexities and hardships he encounters.
- Reconstructed: The adaptation initially deconstructs Bob's altered backstory but then reconstructs it by finding new and meaningful ways to integrate the changes into the narrative. The altered backstory becomes a catalyst for character growth and adds depth to Bob's journey.
Back to Adaptational Backstory Change.
