(Loved Trope) Aptronyms

[u/dream_monkey]

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.

[u/RoseRedRhapsody]

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon is chock full of them.

月野うさぎ = Moon Field Rabbit = pun on the term rabbit of the moon, for one.

https://giphy.com/gifs/TCzhA2n5sBY5y

[u/TristanaRiggle → u/RoseRedRhapsody]

Tsuki no Usagi (月のうさぎ) would LITERALLY be rabbit of the moon. I assume Takeuchi used kanji for the second part of the name name both because I don't think you usually (ever?) have hiragana in a family name, and to make it SLIGHTLY less on the nose.

[u/JLazarillo → u/RoseRedRhapsody]

Most of the girls' names in that one have the kanji of the element that is associated with their planet, IIRC.