What Does This Mean?
A minor or secondary cast member who becomes far more popular with fans than their screen time or role would suggest.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
"He had three lines in the first season and now he's the ensemble dark horse of the whole fandom."
LORE & ORIGIN
A TV Tropes term, also listed there as Boba Fett Syndrome. TV Tropes applies it to any member of a work's cast, from a secondary character to a one-scene appearance, who unexpectedly wins a large following. The phrase borrows "dark horse" from horse racing, where it means a little-known contender whose chances are hard to judge. TV Tropes notes that producers sometimes try to promote such a character to a lead, which is hard to do well. The page title is spelled "Ensemble Darkhorse" in its web address. The date of the first use of the term is not documented.
MENTIONS OVER TIME
Radar observation data not yet available for this term.
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TOP PLATFORMS
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