Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement

 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
type
FeatureClass
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
label
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
page
SlidingScaleOfMuggleInvolvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
comment
The sliding scale of muggle involvement measures how much impact ordinary people have on the plot of an urban fantasy story.
The lowest level of muggle involvement is when there are no muggles in an important role at all, or just one or two token muggles. Instead, every character with a large impact upon the plot is part of the supernatural underworld. However, more important muggles may show up in the first few chapters before the protagonist's Call to Adventure.
The middle ground for muggle involvement is when the plot is clearly about the supernatural but muggles and muggle institutions clearly impact the plot. The police might be unaware of magic and thus be unable to solve the murder of a high-profile wizard, but their investigation still has an important effect on the plot. An attempt to gather a set of McGuffins might be hindered by the fact that several have already found their way into museums or private collections.
At the high level, muggles drive the plot. They frequently cause plot-significant events for reasons entirely unrelated to the supernatural, and even supernatural beings spend a lot of time worrying about purely mundane things.
For the purposes of this trope, Occult Detectives, Monster Hunters and other characters who have no supernatural abilities but are considered unusual because they have seen through The Masquerade are considered to be honorary supernaturals.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
fetched
2024-02-27T22:31:20Z
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
parsed
2024-02-27T22:31:20Z
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_3aeb1c75
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_3aeb1c75
comment
Dragon Ball and later Z had this happen in conjunction with Can't Catch Up. In the early storylines, Goku's human companions were very relevant, but by the later arcs of Z, your impact to the plot became radically lower if you weren't: an alien, part alien, a god, an alien god, or a robot.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_3aeb1c75
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_3aeb1c75
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dragon Ball (Franchise)
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_3aeb1c75
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_41b0198a
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_41b0198a
comment
The Dresden Files varies by book but has at times gone entire books without including a single character not in the know.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_41b0198a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_41b0198a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Dresden Files
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_41b0198a
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6572f71e
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6572f71e
comment
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is firmly rooted in muggledom. The first two books revolves around the magicians interaction with high society and the Napoleonic War. Even when the plot shifts to focus on Strange's conflict with The Gentleman With Thistledown Hair the vast majority of characters are still ordinary people.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6572f71e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6572f71e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6572f71e
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6cb2d709
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6cb2d709
comment
The Harry Potter series has very low muggle involvement, with the only ones regularly appearing are Harry's Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6cb2d709
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6cb2d709
featureConfidence
1.0
 Harry Potter (Franchise)
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_6cb2d709
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_7832b74c
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_7832b74c
comment
Steven Universe has most of its important characters as Gems, and after season 2 the majority of screentime is shifted to the increasingly complex backstory with Homeworld society, in contrast with season 1 which tended to split the difference between Beach City humans and the Crystal Gems. Even so, there's still the occasional episode that focuses on the side cast, and whenever something threatens Earth, the safety of Beach City's characters comes first.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_7832b74c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_7832b74c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Steven Universe
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_7832b74c
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_8a9dceb
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_8a9dceb
comment
Paul Cornell's novel London Falling manages to include a high level of muggle involvement in a world with a strong Extra-Strength Masquerade. While the villain is a witch and the protagonists possess The Sight the vast majority of the characters are regular people. The protagonists' job as police officers is given as much importance as their modest supernatural abilities and their motivation is simply to arrest a criminal, supernatural or not.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_8a9dceb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_8a9dceb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Shadow Police
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_8a9dceb
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_9989595b
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_9989595b
comment
W.I.T.C.H. has little muggle involvement in the first season, at least from Earth's muggles. In the second season we start to see a lot more plots and plot complications started by the Guardian's muggle friends, family and teachers.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_9989595b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_9989595b
featureConfidence
1.0
 WITCH
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_9989595b
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_b31b332f
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_b31b332f
comment
The Transformers Film Series has the human military actively taking part in taking down Decepticons.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_b31b332f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_b31b332f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Transformers Film Series
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_b31b332f
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_c3b1fe07
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_c3b1fe07
comment
Lost Girl - Bo's sidekick, Kenzi, is the only human with a real impact on the plot.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_c3b1fe07
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_c3b1fe07
featureConfidence
1.0
 Lost Girl
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_c3b1fe07
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_cf9a3635
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_cf9a3635
comment
Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. would be medium. Normal humans are quite aware of "unnaturals", such as zombies, ghosts, vampires, etc., but the novels and stories revolve around the adventures of the unnaturals, with support from recurring humans.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_cf9a3635
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_cf9a3635
featureConfidence
1.0
 Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I.
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_cf9a3635
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_d14c3aa1
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_d14c3aa1
comment
Ghostbusters (1984) features high muggle involvement. While the Ghostbusters themselves are defined by their interest in the paranormal the majority of characters are regular humans and an investigation of the firehouse by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is a major plot event.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_d14c3aa1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_d14c3aa1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ghostbusters (1984)
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_d14c3aa1
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da52a723
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da52a723
comment
In Rivers of London the protagonists are all police-employed magicians investigating supernatural crimes but the cast consists of many ordinary people such as police officers, jazz musicians or Peter's family. When they are aware of the supernatural it is never portrayed as character defining trait, or rarely a trait at all.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da52a723
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da52a723
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rivers of London
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da52a723
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da82c908
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da82c908
comment
Ugly Americans has high muggle involvement. Zombies, wizards, demons and such are treated as ethnic minorities, and the main characters work for an agency charged with integrating them into mainstream society.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da82c908
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da82c908
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ugly Americans
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_da82c908
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_e293455a
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_e293455a
comment
On Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, we have the middle ground. While the main characters all have supernatural knowledge, they often have to deal with people who are oblivious. Often they are obstructive, but sometimes the characters gain key information from them, despite the muggles not knowing what the information is actually about. Note also though that a lot of episodes do not feature muggles at all.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_e293455a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_e293455a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_e293455a
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_f2041376
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_f2041376
comment
Charmed (1998) falls in the middle ground, with only a few Muggles being aware of The Masquerade, but the Charmed Ones constantly having to work around the ones who aren't. The first season heavily featured the sisters being investigated by the police, and that subplot showed back up periodically throughout the series.
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_f2041376
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_f2041376
featureConfidence
1.0
 Charmed (1998)
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement / int_f2041376

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
processingCategory2
Speculative Fiction Tropes
 Little Witch Academia (2017) / int_8ed3dfe2
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 Tweeny Witches / int_8ed3dfe2
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement
 W.I.T.C.H. (2004) / int_8ed3dfe2
type
Sliding Scale of Muggle Involvement