Brother vs. Brother

       When I get into a fandom (as opposed to casually watching something) it is because I hold a deep affection and connection to the characters in whatever piece of media the fandom is based around. To quote Charlie Bradbury: "I'm a bit obsessive...if by 'a bit' you mean completely."

       So, yes, I can rather obsessive compulsive about these sorts of thing and so, because I know myself, I know better than to leap head-first into a fandom whenever I have not yet surrendered myself heart and soul to the characters involved in the show. Because (before the actors or props or lighting or anything else) characters are the life-blood of the shows. Characters and the writing of said characters have also always been a huge interest of mine. It's fascinating! And because I spend probably more time thinking about it than I should, I've noticed something interesting.

       A lot of the big, popular fandoms thrive on bromance - a relationship between two guys that is a little bit more than friends, but presented more as a brotherly bond than a romantic interest. (Yes, yes, be quiet about shipping...I don't get into that.) In these fandoms the two characters in the relationships tend to fall into one of two categories: The Big Brother Figure and The Little Brother Figure.

Disclaimer: This is a post about personality types, trends, and tropes in the duos and BroTP's of the fandoms. This has nothing to do with shipping and everything to do with what is presented on screen. Nothing but pure, untainted CANON discussion here...which means that shipping is out of the question. This is not meant to trod on anyone's toes, but if you're here looking for an article on how John and Sherlock are MEANT to be together it would probably be best for both our sakes if you just move along. I also apologize if I have neglected to mention any duos. I am trying to stick to fandoms I actually know well, as it is hard to analyze someone if you don't know them.


The Big Brother Figure (Arthur, John, Dean, Donna, Samwise, Peter)

         This is the person who takes the visible front in the relationship. They tend to be larger than life and always have (what they think is) a witty comeback to everything. They consider themselves the more mature member of the duo, even if they really aren't, and more often than not mock the Little Brother for being too 'uptight' or 'girly'. Often they have an aversion to talking about 'feelings'  Is very stand-offish, dismissive, sarcastic, and takes the leadership role of the duo. They tend to eschew emotional display ('chick-flick moments') and generally make fun of the other for being a 'girl'. That being said...usually whenever it comes time to confess fears or worries and to 'hug and make up', they're the one to go for it. It may take a bit of coaxing from their partner, as they will always put up a show of protesting, but ultimately they will give in and utterly spill their guts. Though often categorized as the less-emotional member of the duo, they're really the most open. It just may not be in a normal way.


The Little Brother Figure (Merlin, Sherlock, Sam, The Doctor, Frodo, Edmund)

     This individual tends to be less visibly flashy than the other and, in fanon, is always interpreted as younger or seen as younger. Often they are accomplished liars and/or hold deep secrets that they hide from the other. They also normally take the 'follower' position in the relationship and usually tend to be the butt of many jokes. Usually these jokes include the dominant personality (as those dratted cop dramas put it) taking pot-shots at their emotional side, calling them 'girly' and 'emo' and everything in-between. Their senses of humor tend to be less obvious than the Big Brother and they often rely on sarcasm and being the straight, reactionary man in a comedy equation. They may empathize with others better and are always shown to be the 'little brother' in the equation. Sometimes literally. Despite the fact that they are known for being 'sensitive', they are also the culprits of the 'bottle it up, swallow it down' principle where they are always hounding their partners for never sharing feelings but always internalize things themselves.

          Now of course not all of these characteristics show up all the time and sometimes a few of the traits are a bit flip-flopped...but for the most part that is the pattern for the way these popular relationships work.

Merlin & Arthur - Merlin

      This unlikely duo of friends are practically the embodiment of the archetypes listed above. Arthur is the older brother in that he is usually the leader to tries to take charge of a situation while Merlin works quietly in the background (or trips over his own two feet). Arthur is very dismissive of emotions, having been brought up as a prince and a knight, and often makes fun of Merlin for the younger boy's sensitivity and dislike of hunting/killing. Merlin, on the other hand, is often exasperated with Arthur being 'prattish', has magic that makes him feel like a monster, and keeps his cards emotionally very close to his chest, never really talking about what is bothering him and always badgering Arthur to offload whatever emotional angst the Prince is carrying (preferably in a more healthy manner than throwing goblets, too).

Sherlock & John - Sherlock

       At first glance this duo almost seems to be flip-flopped as far as the archetypes go. John is definitely the older 'brother' in the relationship in that he is always looking after Sherlock and is often portrayed as almost parent-like in his care and worry for his friend, yet he also carries the trope of not being the more emotionally open one. As much as we like to call Sherlock 'cold' and 'emotionless', it's really John that we don't know very much about. At this point in the show we have met Sherlock's parents, brother, seen him as a child, met his childhood pet, seen him possibly fall in love (with whom is debatable), 'die', fight to come back home, and then discover that everything has changed. Sherlock is FAR from emotionless...if anything he is more emotional than ordinary people, he just has a tendency to exhibit the wrong ones at the wrong times. John is the one we don't know very much about yet. It's been mentioned that he has a sister (we have yet to meet her) and while his past in Afghanistan has been hinted at, really we don't know anything about it. Yet the fandom seems to be very confident of the dynamic: Sherlock is the Little Brother and John is the Big Brother...and I have to agree that I perceive it in that way also. Some of it, I think, comes down to the chemistry between the two actors and the way they play their characters.


Sam & Dean - Supernatural

      In this partnership the two of them really are brothers and, true to form, they fall into their roles just about perfectly. Dean is the cocky, smart-mouthed bad boy of the family who has a hidden soft, protective streak and who may not hate those 'chick-flick moments' as much as he claims to. Though he is just as smart as Sam is, he's content to play the grunt more often and regularly makes fun of his younger brother for being a 'girly geek'. Despite this fact, Dean is the one who usually ends up discussing those dreaded things called 'feelings' and offloading his worries and concerns on Sam whenever pressured about them. By contrast Sam, despite being a hunter in his own right, is perpetually seen as the more innocent younger brother of the duo. He's not the ladies' man his brother is and seems to prefer a night at the library over booze and barmaids. Sam also struggles a lot with feeling like a monster and regularly keep secrets from Dean in an effort to protect him, rarely ever giving Dean or the audience a clue into what he is thinking or feeling.


The Doctor & Donna - Doctor Who

        Okay, okay...so they're technically Big Sister, Little Brother...but as I was watching back through Donna's run (and, as luck would have it, thinking about this post) it suddenly struck me that Donna and The Doctor slot into the roles of the two archetypes just about perfectly. Donna is loud and brash and extremely vocal about what she thinks is right or just what she thinks in general. She is also always there for The Doctor either to slap him to his senses or to just offer a comforting hug after he's had a bad day. She takes up the job of being somewhere who is there for his just as a concerned friend and, in the process, becomes basically like a big sister to him. The Doctor, on the other hand, actually for once takes the part of the follower in the relationship. Donna keeps him in line and he's perfectly content to not always appear perfect in front of her. He confides in her about how much he misses Rose and Donna is there to provide support for him whenever he has his 'feeling like a monster' days.

Frodo & Sam - The Lord of the Rings

       Hmmm. To be honest, I'm not sure these two even warrant analysis. There's not a whole lot I can say that hasn't already been said, but let's give it a try anyway. Sam is Frodo's servant, as his father was before him, and he is actually a good twenty years younger than his employer. At least. Yet he seems to take the role of the Big Brother because he considers it his job to take care of Mr. Frodo and make sure that the Ringbearer makes it to Mordor and back in one piece. This means that he is definitely the caretaker of the two and is also the one more open with his emotions as he tries to understand and encourage Frodo. Frodo, on the other hand, becomes more and more dependent on Sam as their journey goes on and the power of the Rings weighs him down more and more, clouding his judgement. He rarely speaks about what he feels (except when pressed by Sam) and he sees himself in the pathetic creature of Gollum, fearing that he will one day look at his reflection and see the same thing looking back.

Edmund & Peter - The Chronicles of Narnia

         I have enjoyed these two brothers ever since I first started going through the books with my mother around age six, a love that was only re-kindled with the arrival of the first reboot film and the absolute perfect casting of William Moseley and Skandar Keynes. Peter is the oldest brother of the Pevensie family (as well as the High King of Narnia) and has a very strong protective instinct over his family. He leads them, he supports them, he keeps them in line, and he is the one that their mother gives special instructions to 'look after his brother and sisters'. Edmund, on the other hand, starts the series out as a discontented little brat with a witty but malicious streak. He regularly torments his younger sister and makes trouble for his older siblings, culminating in the moment when he somewhat-unwittingly betrays them to the White Witch. Because of this Edmund's character arc is kind of reversed from what we typically see in the Little Brother figure. He doesn't fear that he is a freak or worry about becoming a monster...because he has already been there and come back. He does, however, fit the tropes of being slightly more emotionally broody and prone to sarcastic humor.

Other duos this principle may apply to:
Sean & Gus (Psyche)
Kirk & Spock (Star Trek)
J.D. & Turk (Scrubs)
House & Wilson (House, M.D.)
Jack & Will (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Etc.