Commentary: ‘Tron: Ares’ Separates Its Hero From Its Protagonist
by Frank Martin
Most stories take for granted that the hero and the protagonist are the same character. The strong champion of the story who fights against the bad guys is also the character meant to be the stand-in for the audience and the character whose arc sits at the center of the narrative. But this isn’t always the case. Often, the protagonist won’t be a strong champion. Instead, they will partner with the champion, who uses their strength and skill to push the protagonist forward in their arc. That’s exactly the approach that Tron: Ares takes.
The story centers on Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) — head of Dillinger Systems — who develops Ares (Jared Leto), a computer program said to be the ultimate warrior. Dillinger can essentially 3D-print Ares in the real world along with any number of vehicles. Unfortunately, the process only lasts a short while. In order to satisfy his military benefactors, Dillinger needs a key that allows his devices to exist in the real world indefinitely. This key is found by his competitor, Eve Kim (Greta Lee) of Encom. Dillinger sends Ares after Eve, but the program has a change of heart.
Ares is undoubtedly the hero of the story. He’s a proficient warrior who the audience can root for. But he’s not the protagonist. Ares is just a computer program, and although he goes through a character arc of his own, he’s not a human the audience can relate to. That job falls on Eve. She is the protagonist of the story and the person whose arc progresses along with the narrative. This is evident when she ventures into the Dillinger Grid, Ares’s home city in the virtual world, and experiences it for the first time. Her wonder of the place is meant to mirror that of the audience’s. And it is Ares’s job to protect her so that she can make it to the climax.
Tron: Ares is now streaming on Disney+.
