plot armor

American  

[plot ahr-mer] / ˈplɒt ˌɑr mər /

especially British, plot armour

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.

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Etymology

Origin of plot armor

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

So, I don’t mind the plot armor.

From Los Angeles 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

The show’s core characters had acquired what fans call “plot armor,” which meant that any time the odds seemed truly hopeless, when they were backed against a wall and there seemed to be no way out, we knew the question wasn’t if they’d escape but only how.

From Slate