The Ace

No matter how good you are, there's always someone better.

The one whose every action is free of flaw. They never fail (hard), are always a few steps ahead of their enemies, and never happen to be the Hero because that wouldn't be any fun. They might look down upon the Hero, but they mostly stay by their side unless they give their "You Suck" Speech to the Hero and leave soon after. The Ace can come in alternate forms. Their familiar counterpart, the Main's Bane, is the Rival of the Main who often doesn't think of themselves as such, but has the better version of whatever the Main has: better home, better family, better business (if the Main's Bane runs one), and maybe even a better heritage just to Throw Salt On The Wound for the Main. Two other familiar Aces are the Buddy and Luckster. Neither role has the rival aspect that the Main's Bane has as the Buddy is the Main's friend while the Luckster neutrally lives their life, not seeking any competition with anybody else. However, both the Buddy and Luckster likely Roll A 6 on many more things they do than the Main does, such as Winning The Lotto, make new friends, or succeed in their personal lives.

Having the Ace as a part of the Main Cast is something of a gamble for the writers. The audience knows that the Ace is among the best, if not the best, at what they do. Thanks to the principles of this UnTrash, the Ace can be poison to any potential element of suspense or surprise in a story. Their best-in-the-game skills mean there are hardly any real challenges or dangers they'll face. The awareness of the Ace using these specialties can Bore The Audience the moment they show up in the scene. What's worse is how the audience can't put as much emotional investment in the Ace due to their Perfection Flaw. Seeing someone make mistakes like a real human being evokes emotions far deeper than whatever a near-perfect life professional ever will. It can also be comforting to the viewers to see a flawed individual still manage things in the end. Though fiction isn't real, the message of negative happenings in life not being the end certainly is. However, those too good at life won't deliver this lesson. The Ace gracefully gliding through life is unrelatable and uninteresting to the ones watching them. Rolling A 6 too much will rot at the Entertainment Value of the franchise they star in. There isn't any point in staying tuned if the Ace will always excel and drag their teammates out of any trouble. This lack of realism will insult the audience for thinking they can finally see the one who's great at everything slip up.

An antagonistic Ace is starkly different from a protagonistic one. An underling to the Villain who doesn't mess around can pose a massive threat to the Good Guys. Black Knights are the total opposite of Goofball Bad Guys in terms of usefulness to their master. Tensions between the two parties can rise when the Black Knight gets fed up with their lesser counterparts never achieving even the simplest task. They're often also highly loyal to the Villain and will do everything in their power to destroy the Good Guys. The name of the Black Knight can rattle the greatest opposition to the Villain, and if they're effective enough, the audience may also share in the dread. The Black Knight can and will manage a kill on the Good Guys the moment they have a clear shot, so the Hero and their company must always stay on their toes. This level of expertise in their field impresses the Villain and might even earn their genuine respect. Another type of Ace on the other side of the story is the Stalker Cloud. This is what you get when you multiply the Black Knight until they become an entire legion of skilled and competent henchmen. The Stalker Cloud moves through the lands and is viewed as a persistent terror to the people who inhabit the towns and cities they occupy. Because their numbers far outweigh a lone Black Knight, the Stalker Cloud is a vastly more serious danger to the Good Guys and their continued lives.

UnStats
Strength ●●●●●●○○○○

Skill ●●●●●●○○○○

Intelligence ●●●●●●○○○○

Influence ●●●●●○○○○○

Reputation ●●●●●●●○○○

Repeat ●●○○○

UnStat Avg. 5.1 (A)

''The Ace is what an upgraded Hero is expected to be: stronger, smarter, and more masterful, along with other improvements. The only downside to being an Ace is that the character is less likely to be a leader, which is what causes the slight drop in Influence. Aside from that, the Ace is an overall greater form of the main protagonist whose incredible stats alone show how well-built they are. The Ace is given an UnStat Average of 5.1, rightfully earning them a spot on bottom A tier.''