What Is Redshirt?
5.5BRAINROT SCORERedshirt A minor character introduced mainly to be killed, signalling danger to the main cast. The term is used for any expendable extra in film, television, games and tabletop adventures, and as a joke for someone who seems certain not to survive.
Origin:Wikipedia describes the redshirt as a stock character who dies soon after being introduced and says it derives from Star Trek; its article on the original series notes that security personnel in red uniforms were often killed or injured soon after introduction, which inspired the term. Wiktionary gives the same sense and cites a 2017 episode of 12 Monkeys; the date of the term's first use is not documented. John Scalzi published a novel titled Redshirts in 2012 built on the idea.
First Seen:Unknown (derives from Star Trek: The Original Series; no dated first use of the term is documented)
Peak Era:1990s-2020s (science fiction fandom, gaming)
Aura Impact:+2 Aura (Using It Correctly In Context)
EXAMPLE USAGE
""The new guy in the red jacket joined the away team, and the whole group chat agreed he was a redshirt.""
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