Basic Trope: A human (or human-like entity) leads an army of monsters.
- Straight: Bob, a normal human, leads an army of monsters.
- Exaggerated: The monsters are all Eldritch Abominations while Bob is an average-looking human being.
- Downplayed: The monsters are led by a Humanoid Abomination.
- Justified:
- Bob is a normal human who just happens to be in possession of a Macguffin that allows him to control monsters.
- Being human, Bob has human intelligence and planning skills, while the monsters have the brains of animals.
- Inverted: The human Mooks are led by a monstrous Eldritch Abomination.
- Subverted: The monsters are led by an even more monstrous looking entity.
- Double Subverted: ...Who turns out to actually be a robot piloted by a human.
- Parodied: The monsters are led by an average Joe who doesn't seem capable of leading a herd of sheep, much less an army of monsters.
- Zig Zagged: Bob leads the monsters, though it's unclear whether it's his true form or an illusion.
- Averted: The monsters are led by another monster.
- Enforced:
- The costuming department didn't have the budget left for the kind of costume a monstrous monster leader would require.
- To show/teach that Humans Are the Real Monsters.
- Lampshaded: "So a normal human is the one leading these monsters."
- Invoked: The Greater-Scope Villain deliberately arranges for the monster-controlling Macguffin to fall into Bob's hand.
- Exploited: ???
- Defied: Bob starts off leading the monsters, but one of his monster subordinates betrays him and usurps his command of the monster army.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: "Monsters usually have a human directing them."
- Implied: The leader of the monsters has a vaguely humanoid shape, but is always shown hidden in the shadows.
Back to The Man Behind the Monsters
