The decoy protagonist trope is commonly used in cinema to trick audience members into falling in love with a character before removing them from the story. Some characters will die, others may become villains, while a select few may be pushed to the side in favor of shining the spotlight on someone else.

RELATED: Rom-Com Movie Protagonists Who Are In The Wrong

Decoy protagonists are most commonly used in horror movies, but that doesn't mean the trope is restricted to that genre alone. If anything, it means the reveal of a decoy protagonist will come as more of a shock in a different genre. Countless movies have implemented the decoy protagonist trope into their stories, but some have utilized it much better than others.

10 A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place (Image)

Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place documents a family's struggle to survive the aftermath of an alien invasion. To avoid being discovered by Earth's new inhabitants, the Abbott family is forced to adapt to their new environment.

Lee Abbott is presented as the primary protagonist for the majority of the movie, but his role ends when he sacrifices himself to save his two children. In doing so, Evelyn is forced to take his place as the film's main hero, which proves to be an especially effective move given her role in the sequel.

9 Chronicle (2012)

Andrew in Chronicle

Josh Trank's Chronicle starts off on a relatively simple note, but everything changes when its three leading protagonists stumble upon an otherworldly crater in the woods. Delving inside the crater gives the trio an array of bizarre abilities, and though they each agree to use their powers for good, Andrew (played by Daan DeHaan) has other ideas.

Andrew is introduced as the main protagonist of Chronicle, but his actions lead him to become the movie's main antagonist. He loses control toward the story's climax, which forces his friend, Alex, to stop him. Though Andrew started off as a likable protagonist, Alex was the real hero all along.

8 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Rey walking across the Jakku desert with BB-8 in The Force Awakens

The original Star Wars trilogy introduced R2-D2 and C-3PO as the main protagonist. It's not until the droids touch down on Tattooine that the true hero, Luke Skywalker, is revealed. J.J. Abrams employs a similar approach in Star Wars: The Force Awakens by using Finn and Poe as decoys before revealing Rey to be the story's hero.

While Finn and Poe remain at the center of the story for most of The Force Awakens, Rey is constantly pushing the plot forward. Though the movie is bursting with likable characters, Rey earns her place as the main character before her story's conclusion.

7 Psycho (1960)

Psycho movie

Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, introduces Marion Crane as the movie's primary protagonist. She wishes to marry her boyfriend, Sam, but sadly, is unable to due to a lack of money. To remedy this, she elects to steal 40 thousand dollars from her workplace to settle Sam's debts.

Marion eventually has a change of heart, but she never gets the chance to return the stolen money. Instead, she is murdered by a shadowy figure while taking a shower. The rest of Psycho follows Norman Bates as he tries to deal with the aftermath of Marion's death.

6 Scream (1996)

Ghostface in Scream

Scream, directed by Wes Craven, follows the life of Sidney Prescott one year after the death of her mother. She finds it hard to cope with her mother's anniversary, and things get even worse when her mother's suspected killer returns to wreak havoc across the town.

Before being introduced to Sidney; however, audience members must familiarize themselves with Casey Becker, Scream's decoy protagonist. Casey's introduction makes her out as an endearing character, but viewers only get a brief glimpse into her life before Ghostface ruthlessly murders her.

5 My Cousin Vinny (1992)

My Cousin Vinny screenshot from the courtroom

My Cousin Vinny, directed by Jonathan Lynn, kicks off with Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein acting as the main protagonists. Having just received scholarships to attend UCLA, the pair feel like their lives are finally about to begin, but things change when they are wrongfully convicted of murder.

With no other options, Bill opts to employ his cousin, Vinny Gambini, as his lawyer. Vinny quickly proves to be an inexperienced lawyer, but he manages to convince the judge he can handle the case. Both he and his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito, become the main protagonists of the movie, which in turn reveals Bill and Stan to be decoys.

4 Fargo (1996)

Frances McDormand in Fargo

Fargo, directed by Ethan Coen, documents the life of Jerry Lundegaard, a car salesman who devises a plan to obtain some much-needed money. He arranges for two convicts to kidnap his wife, Jean. In exchange, he promises to reward the kidnappers with half the ransom money while he pockets the rest.

Much of Fargo follows Jerry on his journey to make a quick buck, but he slowly ends up becoming a sort of antagonist through the questionable choices he makes. In the end, police chief Marge Gunderson becomes the movie's main protagonist, revealing Jerry to be nothing more than a decoy.

3 The Place Beyond The Pines (2012)

The Place Beyond The Pines is Ryan Gosling at his stoic best

David Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines sets Luke Glanton (played by Ryan Gosling) as the movie's main protagonist. The opening of the movie follows his journey to reunite with his wife, Romina Gutierrez, by spending more time with her and their son.

Though he plans to turn over a new leaf, his bank-robbing lifestyle eventually catches up to him. He gets pursued by the police and killed by Avery Cross, who then goes on to become the main protagonist of the movie. What's shocking about this twist is how unexpected it is; Luke had his whole life ahead of him, but he never got to live it.

2 Dead Poets Society (1989)

Robin Williams facing a class in Dead Poets Society

Directed by Peter Weir, Dead Poets Society documents the lives of a group of high school students in attendance at Welton Academy. Thanks to John Keating's unconventional teaching methods, the students begin to re-examine how they read poetry, while also reevaluating how they approach their lives.

Neil Perry, the main protagonist of Dead Poets Society, is touched by Keating's words of encouragement and decides to perform in a school play. When his father finds out about his involvement; however, he takes Neil home and enrolls him in a military school. With no other options, Neil takes his own life, leaving Todd Anderson to become the main protagonist.

1 No Country For Old Men (2007)

Josh-Brolin-in-No-Country-For-Old-Men

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men follows the life of Llewelyn Moss after he stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal in the desert. Though Moss finds a fatally wounded victim at the scene, he decides not to assist him in favor of returning home with a briefcase containing 2 million dollars.

Sadly for Moss, an experienced hitman named Anton Chigurh is hot on his trail. Llewelyn dies off-screen before the movie's climax, leaving Detective Ed Tom Bell to fill the protagonist's unoccupied shoes. Bell suited the role of protagonist far better than Moss, but the Coen Brothers insisted on placing Moss in the center of the story, only for viewers to later learn he was a decoy.

MORE: Movie Protagonists Who Are Kind Of Creepy