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So... um... is the show about Batman?
The Character Title is one of the easiest ways to name a work of fiction. Just take the name of a character and use it for the name of the series. The eponymous character is usually, but not always, the protagonist. A possible downfall of this trope is that if the show is a live-action, should the actor playing the title character decides to quit, it could spell the end of the show.
See also Antagonist Title, Secondary Character Title, and Role Called, which takes it further, inserting the character's title too. Another variation is Character Name and the Noun Phrase. If two people are in there, see Name and Name. If the eponymous character doesn't appear until the end, this character is The Namesake. Biopics are especially prone to this for obvious reasons, often in the form of Mononymous Biopic Title.
Compare Job Title, which is where the work is named after a character's occupation; and The Place, in which it is named after a location. It may change over time due to Spotlight-Stealing Title. Contrast I Am Not Shazam, where people assume the series' name is the character's name. See the Protagonist Title Fallacy for the false assumption that only protagonists' names are used in Character Titles. In literary circles this is called an eponym, a term also used to refer to The Namesake. Also note that you won't see Media Research Failure.
Examples (by original medium):
Anime and Manga[]
- Akira
- This one might be more I Am Not Shazam. While many people *do* seem to think that one of the main characters is called Akira, that name belongs to another character who is the (theoretical) source of the "empowered" kids' special abilities. The primary protagonists are Tetsuo and Kaneda.
- Akagi
- Akumetsu
- Anpanman
- Astro Boy
- Baki the Grappler
- Beelzebub
- Black Jack
- Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo
- Candy Candy
- Canaan
- Cutey Honey
- Combattler V
- Daimos
- Daitarn 3
- Devilman
- Doraemon
- Flint the Time Detective
- Getter Robo
- Gigantor
- Gokudo
- Great Mazinger
- Himawari!
- Inuyasha
- Isaku
- Kaiji
- Karin
- Keroro Gunso
- Kimba the White Lion
- Kinnikuman
- Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
- Kobato.
- Kotetsu Jeeg
- Kuroko no Basuke
- Lupin III
- Madlax
- Mazinger Z
- Nana
- Naruto
- Niea Under 7
- Noein
- Ookami-san
- Paprika
- Papuwa
- Princess Tutu
- Project A-ko
- Ranma ½
- Reborn!: But while he's an important character, he's not the protagonist.
- Saki
- Samurai Deeper Kyo
- Sankarea
- Sonic X
- Soul Eater
- This one works on several levels, since it is not only a character's name, but also an accurate description of many of the cast members.
- Super Milk-chan
- Toriko
- Unico
- UFO Robo Grendizer
- Voltes V
- Yotsuba&!
- Yu-Gi-Oh!, partially.
- Zambot 3
- Zatch Bell
Comic Books[]
99% of all comic book superheroes fall into this trope. Notable exception, however, is Shazam, which of course leads to a different trope...
Nonetheless, Gotta Catch Em All, so...
- Aquaman
- Batman
- Daredevil
- Empowered
- The Flash
- Flash Gordon
- Green Lantern
- Lenore
- Nikolai Dante
- Quantum and Woody
- Scott Pilgrim
- Superman
- Spider-Man
- The Savage Dragon
- Madman
- Darkhawk
Supervillains[]
- Joker (Not a comic series so much as a Graphic Novel; not to be confused with The Joker, which was a short-lived series from the Seventies. Three guesses who it features...)
- Venom (Although his miniseries titles often had sub-titles such as "Lethal Protector" or "The Hunger".)
- Harley Quinn (Not many issues of this series; it's become Harley-based stories in the main series now as far as I'm aware...)
Non-superhero characters[]
Fan Works[]
- Kira Is Justice. Justice is the protagonist's real name and he is Kira.
Film[]
- 9
- Aeon Flux
- Alfie
- Amelie
- Angie
- Beethoven
- Beetlejuice
- Billy Madison
- Bobby
- Conan the Barbarian (as well as the sequels and remake)
- Dirty Harry (but not the sequels)
- Donnie Darko
- Edward Scissorhands
- Ed Wood
- Elizabeth
- Fritz the Cat
- Fletch
- Forrest Gump
- Gerry
- Hanuman
- Happy Gilmore
- Hudson Hawk
- Indiana Jones
- Ink
- Ip Man
- Izo
- Jack
- Jackie Brown
- John Carter
- Ken Park
- Larry Crowne
- Laura
- Léon (in the French release)
- Lolita
- MacGruber
- Malcolm X
- Marnie
- Marty
- Megamind
- Mikey
- Nadine
- Napoleon Dynamite
- Norma Jean And Marilyn
- Norma Rae
- Patton
- Paul
- Rambo (though in the US, the succession of titles is confusing)
- Rango
- Roberta
- RoboCop
- Rocky (even further in Rocky Balboa)
- Sabrina
- Seabiscuit
- Shane
- Sherlock Holmes
- Tron
- Vera Drake
- WALL-E
- Willow
- Salt
- As noted in the comic book section, superhero movies also tend to feature the character names' in their titles. The exception being The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Also, Captain America: The First Avenger was simply retitled The First Avenger in South Korea and Russia.
- There is also Man of Steel, the latest Superman movie.
Literature[]
- Agnes Grey
- Allan Quatermain
- Aimee: A Secondary Character Title, the main character isn't named until the last chapter.
- Artemis Fowl
- Arthur
- Baudolino
- Billy Bathgate
- Boris Godunov
- Carrie
- Cerberon
- Cinderella
- Clarissa
- Colas Breugnon
- Coraline
- Daisy Miller
- Dolores Claiborne
- Don Quixote
- Dracula
- Emma
- Eragon
- Erast Fandorin
- Ethan Frome
- Eugene Onegin
- "Ezekiel", the 2011 short story by Desmond Warzel.
- Frankenstein
- Franklin
- Gadsby
- Hardy Boys
- Harry Potter
- Haruhi Suzumiya
- Heidi
- The much parodied I, Claudius
- Jane Eyre
- Jennifer Government
- Lolita
- The Lord of the Rings — Antagonist title. The Lord of the Rings is Sauron.
- Also from JRR Tolkien, Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith Of Wootton Major and Mr. Bliss.
- Mary Poppins
- The Monk
- Mort in the Discworld series.
- Nancy Drew
- Nicholas Nickleby
- Rebecca
- A number of Redwall books.
- Robin Hood
- Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen (although Abhorsen, being a cross between a last name and a job title, applies to multiple characters, including the two the first two books are named after).
- Septimus Heap
- Sherlock Holmes
- Silas Marner
- Stargirl
- Most of the Tales from Dimwood Forest books: Poppy, Poppy And Rye, Ragweed.
- Taltos
- Tehanu
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Live Action TV[]
- Angel
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Barney Miller
- Becker
- Benson
- Blakes Seven
- This series actually fits into both this trope and Artifact Title, as the titular character (Blake) disappears at the end of the second season, is absent for the third, and only reappears in the very last episode of the fourth (and final) season—thus only appearing in just over half of the series.
- Bones Well, sort of.
- Cake
- Castle
- Columbo
- Conan
- Chuck
- Dexter
- Doctor Who (debatably)
- Dona Barbara
- Dong Yi
- Ed
- Eli Stone
- Felicity
- Fish
- Flipper
- Frasier
- Hancock (no, not that one — last TV season of Hancock's Half Hour)
- Hannah Montana
- House
- iCarly
- Isis (at least at first)
- Jerry Springer
- Joan of Arcadia
- John Adams
- John Doe
- Kings
- Kojak
- Kolchak the Night Stalker
- Kyle XY
- Lassie
- Lou Grant
- Louie
- MacGyver
- Malcolm in the Middle
- Martin
- Matlock
- Maverick
- Maude
- Maury
- Merlin
- Moesha
- Monk
- Mr. Bean
- Mr. Belvedere
- Mrs. Columbo
- My Name Is Earl
- Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
- The New Adventures of Old Christine
- The New Adventures of Robin Hood
- New Amsterdam
- Newhart
- Nikita
- Nurse Jackie
- The Osbornes
- The Parkers
- Phyllis
- Poirot
- Profit
- Quincy
- Reba
- Rhoda
- Robin Hood
- Roseanne
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- Seinfeld
- Sharpe
- Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
- Sledge Hammer!!
- Sykes
- The Sopranos
- Sort-of example: Stargate SG-1 refers to the main characters collectively.
- Sue Thomas FB Eye
- Ugly Betty
- Valerie: a strange case, as the eponymous character left early in the show's run. It was later retitled to Valerie's Family and then The Hogan Family.
- Veronica Mars: Also prominently features the Mars family as opposed to putting the father in the background.
- Wishbone
- Near-miss: Rising Damp was originally going to be called Rigsby.
Music[]
When bands do this with their albums, it's a Self-Titled Album.
Songs titled after the person they are about:
- Alex Chilton
- Andy Warhol
- Angie
- Aqualung
- Billie Jean
- Charlie Brown
- Delilah
- Della Brown
- Eleanor Rigby
- Jack and Diane
- James Dean
- Jesus of Suburbia
- Jimmy
- Jolene
- Layla
- Lola
- Lump
- Mr. Crowley
- Mary Long (a No Celebrities Were Harmed Deep Purple stab at Mary Whitehouse)
- Tom Sawyer
- Ziggy Stardust
Newspaper Comics[]
- Andy Capp
- Axa
- Beetle Bailey
- Blondie
- Brenda Starr
- Buckles
- Cathy
- Crankshaft
- Dick Tracy
- Dilbert
- Ernie at first. Then it was renamed to Piranha Club.
- Garfield
- Garth
- Heathcliff
- Li'l Abner
- Marmaduke
- Marvin
- Mary Worth
- Modesty Blaise
- Sally Forth
- Sally Forth
- Slylock Fox
- Ziggy
Theater[]
- Alcestis
- Coriolanus
- Cymbeline
- Deirdre of the Sorrows
- Hamlet
- Henry IV parts 1 and 2
- Henry V
- Henry VI
- Henry VIII
- Julius Caesar
- Kordian
- Macbeth
- Medea
- Othello
- Peter Pan
- Richard II
- Richard III
- Romeo and Juliet
- Titus Andronicus
Video Games[]
- Alan Wake
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Bayonetta
- Bubsy
- Bug!! (both the name of the character, and the film he stars in)
- Catherine
- Crash Bandicoot
- Donkey Kong
- Duke Nukem
- Earthworm Jim
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Enemy 585 by Nitrome
- Gabriel Knight
- Gish
- Gitaroo Man
- Gore Screaming Show (Yes, that's the name of a mayor character in it.)
- Gubble
- Iji
- Isaku
- Jak and Daxter
- Joe & Mac the home version.
- Karnov
- Kirby
- Klonoa
- Koudelka
- Mappy
- Max Payne
- Mister Mosquito
- Mr. Do
- Mr. Driller
- Mr Nutz
- Nie R, although you are prompted to rename the main character.
- Pac-Man
- Perfect Dark, though it's just code name for agent Joanna Dark.
- Pickory
- Pocky & Rocky
- Q*bert
- Rance
- Ratchet and Clank
- Rayman
- Ristar
- Scaler
- Serious Sam
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Spyro the Dragon
- Super Mario Bros..
- And before that, Mario Bros..
- The Great Giana Sisters
- Toejam and Earl
- Tomba
- Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
- Vexx
- The Mega Man series, with a few exceptions:
- Mega Man Legends
- Mega Man Battle Network, although said series was named Rockman.EXE in Japan.
- Mega Man Star Force
- The only true aversion was Mega Man Zero which was about Zero, who had no relation to Mega Man and it wasn't his name at all.
- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Ironically, the game which truly explored Solid Snake's character was Metal Gear Solid, which perhaps also counts.
Western Animation[]
- Aladdin
- Anastasia
- Bagpuss
- Bambi
- Beetlejuice
- Bod
- Bravestarr
- Chowder
- Courage the Cowardly Dog
- Danny Phantom
- Daria
- Doug
- Dumbo
- The Flintstones
- Freakazoid!
- Heathcliff
- The Jetsons
- Jonny Quest
- Johnny Bravo
- Johnny Test
- Kim Possible
- The LeBrons
- Martin Mystery
- Mulan
- Napoleon Dynamite
- Pocahontas
- Rocko's Modern Life
- Shrek
- The Simpsons
- Space Ghost
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- The Venture Bros
- Woody Woodpecker
- Kaeloo
Web Animation[]
Web Comics[]
- Axe Cop
- Bug
- Checkerboard Nightmare
- Dominic Deegan
- Erma
- The Fourth takes it's title from Lord Tiberius Skarva IV.
- Gene Catlow, though it focuses on secondary characters much more often... Gene probably has plurality of screen time, at least.
- Jack
- Keiki (Same name as the smart girl among the main characters, who herself is named after the Hawaiian word for "child." Thus, the title could refer to any of the Hawaiian children among the main characters, which is convenient since Keiki's prominence has decreased over the years.)
- Poharex
- Problem Sleuth
- Ratfist
- Rice Boy
- Wigu (although the character's name is derived from the acronym of a former strip, When I Grow Up)
- Zap!