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It seems to me that this has become a new cliche of many works of fiction, unless it's been around longer then I've realized it: you have the trusted companion of the hero, whether it's a mentor, sidekick, friend, what-have-you, that about 3/4 of the way through reveals himself as a backstabber or the main antagonist themselves.

Now I remember the first time I came across this idea, it really 'blew my mind' and I thought it was a great twist. The next couple of times, it still surprised the hell out of me and made the story interesting. By the twentifth time I was starting to wonder, can you really trust anyone anymore?

Does anyone else think this way, is it a new cliche or have I just been naive to how long treachery has been apart of fiction?

Ever since stories existed, long before using writing to jot them down with occurred to people, there was the trusted betrayer.

See Iago from Othello.

E tu, brutus?

My latin sucks.

Plenty of historical examples, like Benedict Arnold. The archetype goes at least as far back as Judas Iscariot.

Treachery is almost universally common in all genres of story. I wouldn't say it's exactly a cliched idea, either, because it really does happen in real life. I remember my uncle told me about his best friend from high school and most of his adult life for twenty years, who basically stole $2,000 from their combined business and disappeared.

Name 'Lando Calrissian' should ring a few bells...and maybe 'Admiral Cartwright' will too.

Dan Brown fellates this idea. Every single book he has written (as far as I remember) contains the same basic plot in different wrappings.

As long as these people have reasons for betraying their friends, besides the same old I wanna be on the winning side, then I don't mind it.

Knife wrote:E tu, brutus?

My latin sucks.

Et tu, Brute, is what you're looking for

Tessio was one that did it for reasons that weren't personal, just business.

It's so cliche it's almost novel to do it! What a shock, he actually used that tired plotline?!

The trusted betrayer is old as plottwists. It's not really a new thing.

Kuja wrote:Name 'Lando Calrissian' should ring a few bells...and maybe 'Admiral Cartwright' will too.

Severus Snape was the first one that jumped to my mind.

Iago wins.

And we're not that sure that Snape killing D wasn't planned, or at least a contigency...

Pezzoni wrote:Dan Brown fellates this idea. Every single book he has written (as far as I remember) contains the same basic plot in different wrappings.

James Michener and Michael Crichton had huge careers writing the same book over and over.

Fleet Admiral JD wrote:

Knife wrote:E tu, brutus?

My latin sucks.

Et tu, Brute, is what you're looking for

Caesar: Et tu, Brute?

Brutus: No man, I ain't et nuttin' and boy am I hungry!



What did Caesar actually say when Brutus stabbed him?


Ouch!