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Squat's in a Name

147 statements
27 feature instances
15 referencing feature instances

Squat's in a Name	type	FeatureClass
Squat's in a Name	label	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name	page	SquatsInAName
Squat's in a Name	comment	Someone or something is given a fancy name taken from mythology, religious lore or history, laden with implications for the educated audience — but never turns out to actually have a Meaningful Name. Maybe the writer just needed an Awesome McCoolname for their plucky protagonist or a name to run away from really fast for their Big Bad and didn't bother about any specific connotations, or they hoped their MacGuffin would seem more important with a sufficiently cabbalistic name — in any case, it turns out that no one's Jesus in Purgatory. A subtrope of Faux Symbolism (applied to names). Can overlap with Religious and Mythological Theme Naming. Contrast Nonindicative Name, Ironic Name (both of which are inaccurate about what the person/thing is like, not just meaningless.) Be warned that the below examples may contain spoilers in the form of The Unreveal!
Squat's in a Name	fetched	2024-04-06T09:30:45Z
Squat's in a Name	parsed	2024-04-06T09:30:45Z
Squat's in a Name	processingComment	Dropped link to DestroyerDeity: Not an Item - FEATURE
Squat's in a Name	processingComment	Dropped link to MinionWithAnFInEvil: Not an Item - FEATURE
Squat's in a Name	processingComment	Dropped link to QuirkyMinibossSquad: Not an Item - FEATURE
Squat's in a Name	processingComment	Dropped link to ThemeNaming: Not an Item - FEATURE
Squat's in a Name	processingComment	Dropped link to spiritualsuccessor: Not an Item - FEATURE
Squat's in a Name	isPartOf	DBTropes
Squat's in a Name / int_1bdeba5a	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_1bdeba5a	comment	X-Men: The series went through a phase in the Dark Age when a lot of new characters had Biblical or religious names, sometimes appropriately (Apocalypse, Nimrod), vaguely appropriately (Babel spires), or for no particular reason at all (Bishop, Gideon). Ahab would count, except that he's an obvious reference to Moby-Dick.
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Squat's in a Name / int_1bdeba5a	featureConfidence	1.0
X-Men (Comic Book)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_1bdeba5a
Squat's in a Name / int_22d74b2e	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_22d74b2e	comment	In the first Redwall book, the abbey is under attack by a large rat named Cluny. There is a Cluny Abbey in France, although the author said he was unaware of the fact at the time.
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Squat's in a Name / int_22d74b2e	featureConfidence	1.0
Redwall	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_22d74b2e
Squat's in a Name / int_2ffcbd43	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_2ffcbd43	comment	In any given Fire Emblem game, there's often a few people with names taken from Mythology (e.g. Cain and Abel, Minerva, Percieval, etc.), who seem to have been named at random without much consideration.
Squat's in a Name / int_2ffcbd43	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_2ffcbd43	featureConfidence	1.0
FireEmblem	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_2ffcbd43
Squat's in a Name / int_34df8b64	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_34df8b64	comment	In Godmothered, Eleanor thinks Hugh Prince's name means that Mackenzie will fall in love with him. However, she never ends up in a relationship with him.
Squat's in a Name / int_34df8b64	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_34df8b64	featureConfidence	1.0
Godmothered	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_34df8b64
Squat's in a Name / int_367f632a	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_367f632a	comment	Dawn of War: The Blood Ravens don't have as well-defined a theme as other Space Marine chapters (who are space Vikings/Mongols/Romans/Renaissance Italians...), so their names can go from Greek myth (Endymion, Apollo Diomedes) to referencing the North (Davian Thule, Indrick Boreale), Abrahamic religion (Gabriel Angelos, Thaddeus), both (Jonah Orion) and sometimes, High Gothic (Martellus, Avitus).
Squat's in a Name / int_367f632a	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_367f632a	featureConfidence	1.0
Dawn of War (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_367f632a
Squat's in a Name / int_44fe781e	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_44fe781e	comment	Everything biblical in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Word of God states that it was used because there are almost no Christians in Japan, so the imagery would seem exotic and foreign, like how westerners view ninjas, samurai, etc., etc.
Squat's in a Name / int_44fe781e	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_44fe781e	featureConfidence	1.0
Neon Genesis Evangelion	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_44fe781e
Squat's in a Name / int_59267e0f	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_59267e0f	comment	The protagonist of Inverloch is named Acheron not after the river of death in Greek Mythology, but a town in Australia near the author's home.
Squat's in a Name / int_59267e0f	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_59267e0f	featureConfidence	1.0
Inverloch (Webcomic)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_59267e0f
Squat's in a Name / int_5e3832b5	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_5e3832b5	comment	Cave Story has minor NPCs named Cthulhu and Santa. The latter is an ordinary Mimiga who looks almost entirely unlike Santa Claus. Funnily enough though, when Cave Story+ added Holiday Modes, Santa is dressed like Santa Claus on Christmas and the Cthulhu actually look like their namesake on Halloween.
Squat's in a Name / int_5e3832b5	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_5e3832b5	featureConfidence	1.0
Cave Story (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_5e3832b5
Squat's in a Name / int_6bef8832	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_6bef8832	comment	In Baldur's Gate III, a Gith character (usual names are eg. Lae'zel, Vlaakith, Voss) named Orpheus is introduced to the lore. The character's story bears no similarities to the Greek myth of Orpheus.
Squat's in a Name / int_6bef8832	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_6bef8832	featureConfidence	1.0
Baldur's Gate III (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_6bef8832
Squat's in a Name / int_792239e5	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_792239e5	comment	This is because Tales of Symphonia is a distant prequel to Tales of Phantasia, which was far more directly inspired by Norse mythology.
Squat's in a Name / int_792239e5	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_792239e5	featureConfidence	1.0
Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_792239e5
Squat's in a Name / int_86814e56	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_86814e56	comment	The writers of Final Fantasy VI actually got asked a lot by nerds why they used the name Orthros, a Greek dog monster, for a purple octopus character. It was eventually revealed to have been inspired by a purple octopus toy called Orthros that Hironobu Sakaguchi had as a child. (The English localisation changed his name to Ultros, avoiding the embarrassment.)
Squat's in a Name / int_86814e56	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_86814e56	featureConfidence	1.0
Final Fantasy VI (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_86814e56
Squat's in a Name / int_8deb62ad	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_8deb62ad	comment	"Scylla" from Prison Break has neither a "Charybdis" counterpart nor does it share any other characteristics with the sea monster of the same name (aside from having six "heads"). The fifth season went nuts with Odyssey Theme Naming, calling the Big Bad "Poseidon" and having Michael and company face off against a one-eyed terrorist who they called "Cyclops". And Michael was held in a Yemeni prison called "Ogygia" under the name "Kaniel Outis", in case there were still people who felt the writers might still have a shred of subtlety left.
Squat's in a Name / int_8deb62ad	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_8deb62ad	featureConfidence	1.0
Prison Break	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_8deb62ad
Squat's in a Name / int_9b9fe785	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_9b9fe785	comment	Earth Maiden Arjuna has an archer heroine named after the Hindu hero of the Baghavad Gita, but the series is a Taoist tract and the heroine's journey is completely different to that of her mythical namesake.
Squat's in a Name / int_9b9fe785	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_9b9fe785	featureConfidence	1.0
Earth Maiden Arjuna	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_9b9fe785
Squat's in a Name / int_a34863aa	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_a34863aa	comment	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo. Some continuities say that pre-mutated Splinter was an ordinary pet rat owned by an art lover, which is where he got the names when he and the four young turtles were exposed to the mutagenic goop.
Squat's in a Name / int_a34863aa	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_a34863aa	featureConfidence	1.0
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Franchise)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_a34863aa
Squat's in a Name / int_a49a890c	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_a49a890c	comment	Preacher: The trope is parodied when someone pointed out that Jesse Custer's name has "J.C." for initials and Jesse says it's a ridiculous idea. He insists on it even after he heals the sick, or rather, uses the Word of God to order a mentally-tortured man to forget about his ordeal (which Jesse was responsible for in the first place).
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Preacher (Comic Book)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_a49a890c
Squat's in a Name / int_a599305d	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_a599305d	comment	Nor was this the first time it happened - predecessor series Mega Man Zero had its Four Guardians named after mythological beasts - Harpuia from harpies (despite being male), Leviathan from the biblical monster of the same name, Fefnir from the norse dragon/dwarf Fafnir and Phantom from... phantoms. They have virtually nothing in common with their namesakes aside from elemental associations and the fact that Harpuia flies and Leviathan swims, though Phantom's name becomes very appropriate after he is Killed Off for Real and becomes a ghost inhabiting cyberspace.
Squat's in a Name / int_a599305d	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_a599305d	featureConfidence	1.0
Mega Man Zero (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_a599305d
Squat's in a Name / int_a6939652	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_a6939652	comment	Metal Gear Ac!d 2 names the Test Subjects (Golab, Harab Serap, Chagadiel) after four of the ten Kabbalist Qliphoth for no good reason.
Squat's in a Name / int_a6939652	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_a6939652	featureConfidence	1.0
Metal Gear Ac!d 2 (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_a6939652
Squat's in a Name / int_a81325d3	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_a81325d3	comment	A lot of the monsters in the Final Fantasy series are given names of creatures and heroes from various different myths, but many seem like an excuse to give mooks an awesome name. Gilgamesh, in Sumerian mythology, was a great hero and king. The recurring Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy is a silly Minion with an F in Evil with a kabuki/classical Japanese aesthetic. Shiva. In Hindu mythology, a male god of destruction. In FF, a sexy female 'ice queen'. Some theorise that this was punning off 'shiver'. The writers of Final Fantasy VI actually got asked a lot by nerds why they used the name Orthros, a Greek dog monster, for a purple octopus character. It was eventually revealed to have been inspired by a purple octopus toy called Orthros that Hironobu Sakaguchi had as a child. (The English localisation changed his name to Ultros, avoiding the embarrassment.)
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Squat's in a Name / int_a81325d3	featureConfidence	1.0
Final Fantasy (Franchise)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_a81325d3
Squat's in a Name / int_ab515a31	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_ab515a31	comment	All the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named after the Major Arcana of the standard Tarot deck. Sometimes, the names very vaguely describe the enemy (e.g. the multi-headed hydra dubbed "Tower" is pretty tall and the batlike "Hanged Man" is suspended in the air), but they're mostly just there to be cool.
Squat's in a Name / int_ab515a31	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_ab515a31	featureConfidence	1.0
House of the Dead (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_ab515a31
Squat's in a Name / int_b36dc97b	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_b36dc97b	comment	In Moon, the four harvesters are named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — the names of the four gospels. Screenwriter Nathan Parker insists that these were simply the first set of four names that came to mind, and that he could have just as easily named them John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
Squat's in a Name / int_b36dc97b	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_b36dc97b	featureConfidence	1.0
Moon	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_b36dc97b
Squat's in a Name / int_b4996199	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_b4996199	comment	Spider-Man: Kaine seems to have been given this name simply to allow him to have a power called "the Mark of Kaine" (burning the his hand print on to his victim's faces) rather than for any Biblical connotations.
Squat's in a Name / int_b4996199	featureApplicability	1.0
Squat's in a Name / int_b4996199	featureConfidence	1.0
Spider-Man (Comic Book)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_b4996199
Squat's in a Name / int_bd310eaa	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_bd310eaa	comment	El Goonish Shive has Immortals (who regularly wipe most of their memory anyway) randomly taking grand names from some or other mythology. As one of them said, there's nothing as funny as a hissy fit happening whenever two "Zeus"-es meet. Which is one of reasons why he prefers "Jerry". This makes his next incarnation's choice for a name something of a Ironic Brick Joke.
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El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_bd310eaa
Squat's in a Name / int_c1b7d57	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_c1b7d57	comment	Lampshaded in Accel World, where many powerful Enemies are based on religious or mythological figures. After the protagonists defeat Inti (an Incan sun god), only for it to be replaced by Tezcatlipoca, a Super-Class Enemy Deity of Demise from Aztec mythology, the following exchange occurs.
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Accel World	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_c1b7d57
Squat's in a Name / int_c43ed6f1	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_c43ed6f1	comment	A lot of characters in the Boktai series are named after figures from Norse mythology, yet have absolutely nothing to do with said mythology and are in a Gunslingers... IN SPACE type setting that features vampires. Makes sense. The closest one to its namesake is Boktai 2's final boss Jormungand, who is a nightmarish Beast of the Apocalypse in the shape of an eldritch-looking serpent. There are a few exceptions to the Theme Naming but they generally end up fitting this trope as well (compare Django and Sabata to their Spaghetti Western namesakes, for instance, or the banshee Carmilla to the literary Carmilla.) Its Spiritual Successor, Lunar Knights, replaces the norse motif with one based on old victorian writers, with similar results, though they usually refer to a book they wrote that fits the character themselves - for instance, Bram Stoker becomes the vampiric Baron Stoker, while Charles Perrault, writer of The Puss in Boots, lends his name to an anthropomorphic cat. Why Lord Byron is now a Doomsday Device, though, is anyone's guess.
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Boktai (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_c43ed6f1
Squat's in a Name / int_ccc74c7e	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_ccc74c7e	comment	Many of the characters in Sacrifice have names from mythology, but none of them seem to have any meaningful connection with the relevant myth.
Squat's in a Name / int_ccc74c7e	featureApplicability	1.0
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Sacrifice (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_ccc74c7e
Squat's in a Name / int_cd9ec312	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_cd9ec312	comment	Tam Lin in House of the Scorpion. Why is he named "Tam Lin"? Well, because he's Scottish... and because the author named him that.
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Squat's in a Name / int_f10619d8	type	Squat's in a Name
Squat's in a Name / int_f10619d8	comment	Tales of the Abyss carries it to a whole new extreme. Nearly all the towns' names, the "Qlipoth" underworld, and even the title — all drawn directly from the Qabalah in ways that make it clear there was absolutely no understanding of the original material.
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Tales of the Abyss (Video Game)	hasFeature	Squat's in a Name / int_f10619d8

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

Squat's in a Name	processingCategory2	Naming Conventions
Neon Genesis Evangelion / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
In The Brilliant Light Of Day (Fanfic) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Godmothered / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
The Shape of Water / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
House of the Scorpion / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Arca (Music) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Prison Break / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Video Game) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Mega Man ZX (Video Game) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Sacrifice (Video Game) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Yandere Simulator (Video Game) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Joueur du Grenier (Web Video) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Earth Maiden Arjuna / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name
Inverloch (Webcomic) / int_da76f8f9	type	Squat's in a Name

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