r/TopCharacterTropes • u/dream_monkey • 11h ago

Lore (Loved Trope) Aptronyms

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Aptronyms are characters whose name is heavily symbolic or represent them as a character. Sometimes it is a subtle play on words, sometimes it’s just a clunky transliteration. Either way, it can help characterize a character and provide more allegorical depth. Authors must be careful not to delve into the realm of cliche, though.

  1. Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter series) His name means Evil Dragon, and he tries really hard to live up to his name.

[Many commenters have pointed out that Darth Vader is not a true aptronym. I stand corrected .]

  1. Darth Vader (Star Wars series) His name means Dark Father, which cleverly conceals one of the biggest reveals in cinema history.

  2. Cthulhu (Lovecraft mythos) Cthulhu may just sound like a nonsense syllable, unpronounceable by a human mouth. The name is derived from the word “cthonic” which means a being that lives under the earth or in the underworld, so an ancient and terrible god that lies dreaming in death at the bottom of the ocean would definitely fit the description.

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u/Scrags2Scritches 11h ago

Ace themed Attorneys
particular shout out to the GOAT Luke Atmey Look At Me, for those unaware

25

u/FuelSpecial8722 10h ago

Alot of Ace Attorney characters follow this scheme

Winston Payne, Frank Sawhit, Will powers, Jack Hammer, Sal Mannella, Dee Vasquez, Lotta Hart, Angel Starr, April May the list goes on

24

u/Cliff_Chai 10h ago

Can't forget Deid Mann as well

5

u/The_Doolinator 8h ago

One day we’ll get to investigate the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Ima Korpz