plot armor

[ plot ahr-mer ]

noun

1. a character’s indispensability to the plot of a novel, game, movie, etc., making the character impossible to kill or eliminate:

   Without the constant protection of plot armor, our trusty Z warriors would’ve been dead long ago.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plot armor¹

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

So, I don’t mind the plot armor.

From Los Angeles Times

The intense but bloated 81-minute pilot runs up a high body count, making clear that there is minimal plot armor to go around here.

From New York Times

Unarmed and protected only by plot armor, Schofield runs across an open battlefield, dodging bombs, bullets, and his fellow British soldiers as they go over the top.

From Slate

He’s a Stark, and his proximity to the other main characters might give him plot armor so he isn’t killed off.

From The Verge

The plot armor is down and the plot trap is set.

From Slate