History Main / CharacterMagneticTeam

* The Morioh gang in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Part 4''. They're the switcharoo type. The same two or three characters are usually always involved, but they're helped each time by different companions.

* The Tanith First-And-Only Regiment of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: GauntsGhosts'' has twice taken on a great deal of new blood to replace losses they've suffered.

* In Literature/TheBelgariad, this happens twice. The first time, it was done intentionally by Belgarath to "fulfill the prophecy". In The Mallorean the trope is followed correctly, even if [[DeadpanSnarker Prophecy]] itself [[YouCantFightFate has to intervene]] at times.

* In Literature/TheBelgariad, this happens twice. The first time, it was done intentionally by Belgarath to "fulfill the prophecy". In The Mallorean the trope if followed correctly, even if [[DeadpanSnarker Prophecy]] itself [[YouCantFightFate has to intervene]] at times.

* In ''GetBackers'', the protagonists' villains also often return as allies. As a result, the one arc to feature a large cast is an almost all-villain team.

* The ComicBook/{{X-Men}} and their affiliates. The sole criteria for being affiliated with the team is that you have to either be a {{Mutant}}, or involved in mutant politics in some way or other (a sympathetic human, an [[DePower ex-mutant]], a genetic experiment from another dimension who happened to get saved by mutants, etc). Since about 10% of the MarvelUniverse's population used to be mutants at one point, this meant [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a great deal of snowballing]], and even after the [[ComicBook/HouseOfM "Decimation"]] event had over 90% of ''that'' population BroughtDownToNormal, the X-Books' cast is still larger than almost all of Marvel's other properties, ''put together.''

* ''RaveMaster'' starts adding new members in the second volume, and finishes up it accumilation of team mates in volume 28. Characters range anywhere from having been met on the street to being parts of a QuirkyMinibossSquad.

* ''{{ER}}'' it is always gaining new members, if only to replace old ones. It had 100% turnover over 10 seasons--done gradually.

* ''TheOC'' has this thing going on where nearly every new character, even when they start out as antagonists, gets assimilated into the Cohen clan sooner or later.

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'' is perhaps the crowned king of this trope. At the beginning of the story, it's only Negi. Asuna and Konoka are added to his group fairly quickly. The Kyoto arc adds Setsuna, Nodoka, and Asakura to the main group, while also introducing Yue, Paru, Ku Fei and Kaede. In the festival arc, Yue, Paru, Ku Fei and Kaede, along with Chisame and Kotaro. The Magic World arc adds Chachamaru as well as five ostensibly "normal" girls - Natsumi, Akira, Ako, Makie, and Yuuna.

* ''{{Dragonball}}'' is a frequent flyer of this trope, bringing in characters in this manner all throughout the first series and through ''DragonballZ''.

* ''RurouniKenshin'' does this profusely (even if the characters aren't immediately allies afterwards).

* The majority of the cast of ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' came on like this. Especially the shonen trope of being enemies first.

* ''Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo'' is inexplicably able to call upon [[DefeatMeansFriendship former foes]] (the crazier ones, at least) to aid him in battle, or at least act as cannon fodder.

* ''CodeBreaker'': Similar to the ToAru example, Sakura and Ogami are unique, as one is a "Rare-Kind", while the other has the most powerful Code ability.

* Ditto for ''LyricalNanoha''. This was more or less the ''only'' way they added cast members up until ''[[MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS StrikerS]]'', and they were still doing it then, also. They don't call it "[[DefeatMeansFriendship befriending]]" for nothing.

* The Morioh gang in JojosBizarreAdventure Part 4. They're the switcharoo type. The same two or three characters are usually always involved, but they're helped each time by different companions.

* ToaruMajutsuNoIndex: Touma and Index. Justified in that one has an unusual power, and the other is sought after for her information (and thus protected) by a large part of the world.

* Deconstructed in both ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' and ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords''. The player character's magnetism is revealed to not be just a NecessaryWeasel, but an actual ability to influence others to join him. In [=KotOR 2=], it's a one-of-a-kind force power that the protagonist unconsciously uses. In Planescape [[spoiler:the Symbol of Torment tattooed on the Nameless One's left shoulder is a magical rune that draws tormented individuals to him. That's how he always manages to assemble a group of companions for his journeys - if you have a DarkAndTroubledPast, you'll feel ''compelled'' to help him, even if it leads to your death.]]

* Team Kimba is still doing this in the WhateleyUniverse. First it was Chaka, Fey, Tennyo, Generator and Shroud, Phase, and Lancer. Then they pulled in Carmilla, then Bladedancer. Then Carmilla and Bladedancer pulled in more, to the point that both have been split off with their own teams. Now there's Vamp and the Crimson Comet.

* This occurs gradually over the course of the first half of ''CowboyBebop'', much to the main character's chagrin.

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'' is perhaps the crowned king of this trope. At the beginning of the story, it's only Negi. Asuna and Konoka are added to his group fairly quickly. The Kyoto arc adds Setsuna, Nodoka, and Asakura to the main group, while also introducing Yue, Paru, Ku Fei and Kaede. In the festival arc, Yue, Paru, Ku Fei and Kaede, along with Chisame and Kotaro. The Magic World arc adds Chachamaru as well as five ostensibly "normal" girls - Natsumi, Akira, Ako, Makie, and Yuuna. Am I forgetting anyone?
** Sayo, Anya, Chamo.
*** Also Evangeline, after the Kyoto arc. Kind of.
*** Most recently, Jack Rakan has been tagging along with them.
*** During [[StormingTheCastle the attack on Gravekeeper's Palace]], Mana, Takane, Mei, Collet, Beatrix and Shiori join the fray.
*** It's funny that [[spoiler:Negi chose shadow, the way of fighting alone]], but still has a growing group.
*** It's even more ironic given how[[spoiler: Negi's artifact draws its strength from his partners.]]

* The Morioh gang in JojosBizarreAdventures Part 4. They're the switcharoo type. The same two or three characters are usually always involved, but they're helped each time by different companions.

* In TheBelgariad, this happens twice. The first time, it was done intentionally by Belgarath to "fulfill the prophecy". In The Mallorean the trope if followed correctly, even if [[DeadpanSnarker Prophecy]] itself [[YouCantFightFate has to intervene]] at times.

* The rabbits in Richard Adams' ''WatershipDown'' start out as a small group and add several other characters to their number over the course of the book.
* In JRR Tolkien's ''[[LordOfTheRings The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' Frodo and Sam set out from the Shire alone, but collect Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, Boromir and Legolas in the formation of the titular fellowship before they part ways at the end of the book.

* Rogue and Wraith squadrons in the ''StarWars: [[XWingSeries X-Wing]]'' novels both function this way, with pilots from lesser squadrons jockeying for positions in the group. Rogue is officially the "top gun" fighter squadron of the entire New Republic fleet, so this makes plenty of sense. Wraith... [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Not so much]], but they do at least have a famous commander and a rep for getting stuff done (and [[StuffBlowingUp blowing stuff up]]). [[AnyoneCanDie Plenty of turnover]] in both groups, too.

** Heroes in ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'' can just about always run into somebody willing to join them for little reason than their own boredom. But really, being that the multiverse has a population of about 100, it's a nice thought that an actual statistically significant number of people are willing to get off their duffs and help save the world. Not quite the usual "5 plucky youths vs. the world while everyone else is busy DyingLikeAnimals".

* The ComicBook/{{X-Men}} and their affiliates. The sole criteria for being affiliated with the team is that you have to either be a {{Mutant}}, or involved in mutant politics in some way or other (a sympathetic human, an [[DePower ex-mutant]], a genetic experiment from another dimension who happened to get saved by mutants, etc). Since about 10% of the MarvelUniverse's population used to be mutants at one point, this meant [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters a great deal of snowballing]], and even after the [[HouseOfM "Decimation"]] event had over 90% of ''that'' population BroughtDownToNormal, the X-Books' cast is still larger than almost all of Marvel's other properties, ''put together.''

* One of the common criticisms of Creator/BrianMichaelBendis's ''[[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'' run is the frequency with which characters join the team only to proceed to stand around in the background with nothing to do except interject an occassional one-liner or get punched in one panel of a team fight while the lead characters do all the heavy lifting - if they even appear in the book at all (Daredevil at one point joined the team then didn't appear again for several issues).

* The player character in ''MassEffect'' could be considered an almost literal interpretation of this trope, seeing as, in the space between [[spoiler: Shepard's death]] and subsequent return, the group you had collected in your first adventure are scattered to the four winds, [[MagneticHero no longer held together by their magnet.]]

** The sequel pretty much plays it straight. Two of the characters join without hesitation once cleared of other duties, and everyone else runs that gamut from shady figure to wanted fugitives that actively despise the organisation you're working for and they'll still sign up with no hesitation.

** Probably two of the most striking examples of this in {{RPG}}s are ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', which has 45 characters total, and the {{Suikoden}} series, which has OneHundredAndEight (although, to be fair, the vast majority of the 108 are minor characters). Also notable are the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series, while having a reasonably small amount of characters, have dozens upon dozens of {{Mons}} that may be convinced to ally with the player.

* Robert Asprin's ''MythAdventures'' series frequently features a villain from the preceding book as an ally, resulting in the cast growing in almost all of its earlier books. Most of Skeeve's allies have wanted him dead at some point...
** Which is subverted in ''[[spoiler:Little Myth Marker]],'' when Skeeve refuses to let the BigBad of the book join the group because [[spoiler: he won't associate with someone who thinks being TheMole for hire is an acceptable way to make a living]].