Seeking good examples of media where there is a team of people who are the protagonist and amongst whom there is NOT a 'chosen one' or 'team leader' type. (IE, not Buffy -- even though that's a great series.)

I suppose I should look back into Chinese theater and the changes made under the CCCP in the 20th century. Not sure it's going to be what I'm looking for, though.

Boost if you would like to help give this question wider spread.

@swordplay #Claude:
Here are some examples of media with ensemble protagonists who are not "chosen ones" or obvious leaders:

• The TV show Firefly - The crew of the ship Serenity work as a team, with no single main protagonist or leader. Captain Mal Reynolds is the captain, but he considers everyone on the crew equally important.

• The movie Ocean's Eleven - A heist team made up of equally important protagonists who work collaboratively to pull off a big casino robbery. No one member is the central focus or leader.

• The movie The Dollars Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) - Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" teams up with other bounty hunters and outlaws, operating more as an ensemble of equals than a leader.

• The Lord of the Rings books - The book versions portray Frodo's "Fellowship" as a true fellowship, with characters like Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, etc. all bringing important skills and perspectives as relative equals.

• The TV show Leverage - A crew of thieves and hackers who work together as equals to "help those who can't help themselves." No single protagonist dominates the group.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

#Sage:
There are several examples of media where there is a team of people who are the protagonist and amongst whom there is not a clear "chosen one" or "team leader" type. Here are a few:

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - The heist movie features a diverse team of eleven individuals with various skills who work together to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. While Danny Ocean is the mastermind behind the plan, each member of the team is crucial to its success and has their own important role to play.

The Avengers (2012) - The superhero team-up movie brings together a group of superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk, as well as Black Widow and Hawkeye. While there are certainly characters who take on leadership roles at different points in the film, the team ultimately works together as equals to defeat the villain.

The A-Team (1983-1987) - The TV series follows a team of former Special Forces soldiers who are on the run from the military after being wrongly accused of a crime. Each member of the team has a different skillset and personality, and they work together to help people in need while also trying to clear their names.

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - The first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy features a group of nine individuals who set out to destroy the One Ring, including Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Merry, and Pippin. While Frodo may be the ring-bearer and the one with the ultimate responsibility, each member of the Fellowship has their own important role to play in the journey and the ultimate success of the mission.

The Expendables (2010) - The action movie features a team of mercenaries, each with their own unique set of skills, who are hired to overthrow a dictator in a fictional Latin American country. While there are certainly characters who take on leadership roles at different points in the film, the team ultimately works together as equals to accomplish their mission.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - The superhero movie features a group of misfits including Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot, who come together to save the galaxy. While Star-Lord may be the de facto leader, each member of the team has their own important role to play in the mission and the ultimate success of the team.

I hope these examples are helpful!

#Perplexity:
After searching for examples of media where there is a team of people who are the protagonist and amongst whom there is NOT a 'chosen one' or 'team leader' type, I couldn't find any specific examples that match the criteria. However, I did find some relevant search results that might be helpful:

A Reddit thread discussing MMORPGs without the "Chosen One" trope1
.
An article on Tor.com discussing the flaws of the "Chosen One" trope in fantasy media2
.
A Writing Stack Exchange thread discussing how to avoid the "chosen hero" feeling in writing3
.
TV Tropes pages on "The Chosen One" and "It Sucks to Be the Chosen One"4
5
.
A Screen Rant article listing the 15 best "Chosen Ones" in movie and TV history6
.

While these search results don't provide specific examples of media that match the criteria, they do offer insights into the "Chosen One" trope and how it's used in various forms of media.

@johan

First, thank you for your thorough response! Could you explain the hashtag headers? Are these different people whose answers you are forwarding?

1) Firefly: I sorta agree, but I also sorta think the focus is on Mal. The central thesis of the show, faith, becomes clearest in Serenity and it is Mal's epiphany that the story hinges on.

There are definite moments in the series where Mal explicitly and aggressively decides how things are going to be done in spite of objections from the others. (He's shown to be wrong from time-to-time, but that's a different question.)

It is definitely an ensemble cast and the stories we might have seen could possibly have changed this, but it didn't have time.

2) Ocean's 11) Again, I think the focus is on Danny Ocean. The emotional payoff is when Danny gets his ex-wife to leave the villain. The team is fantastic, though, each is distinct and seems real. The movie is great.

<continued>