A mostly comprehensive analysis of characters in Klei's DST animated trailers.

[WenericMember]

Skip to bottom for my TLDR

Ever Feel like your character isn't featured much in Don't Starve Together Trailers?
Want a comprehensive list of which character is featured where?
No? Too bad. I was bored so here's every time a survivor was featured in a trailer Since a new reign.

Each appearance is given 1-3 points based on which criteria it best fits into:

1 Point is for background appearances, never the focus of the scene, and few to one total scenes in a trailer.
2 Points is for scene appearances, being the focus of a scene and multiple additional appearances.
3 Points is for main characters, usually the ones featured on the thumbnail, but generally the ones the trailer should be considered from the perspective of.

By its nature this is kind of subjective and I've probably missed some appearances, so treat this as a general estimate rather than an absolute rule.

Wilson: Basically all of them.  I am not listing pretty much every single short.
Willow:

• From the Ashes (3)
• The forge (3)
• Reap What you sow (2)
• Encore (1)
• One for the books (2)
• Eye for an Eye (2)
• Troubled Waters (3)

WX-78:

• Disconnected (3)
• Hook line and Inker (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Host of Horrors (3)
• Eye for an Eye (2)

Wolfgang:

• The forge (1)
• Inevitable (2)
• Reap what you Sow (2)
• Survival guide - firewood (3)
• The incredible strongman (3)
• Salty Dog (2)

Wickerbottom:

• The forge (2)
• The gorge (3)
• Inevitable (2)
• The Monster Marsh (2)
• One for the books (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• She sells sea shells (2)
• Eye of the storm (3)
• Terrors Below (2)
• Disconnected (2)

Woodie:

• Trees a Crowd (3)
• Survival guide - firewood (3)
• Eye of the storm (2)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Disconnected (2)
• Constant Companion (1) {Technically he doesn't really appear, but I'll give it to him}

Wendy:

• The Forge (1)
• The Gorge (3)
• Inevitable (2)
• Wish you were here (3)
• The Monster Marsh (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Curse of Moon Quay (3)
• Disconnected (1)
• Encore (1)
• Host of Horrors (2)

Wes:

• A 1st for everything (3)
• C'est La Vie (3)
• Inevitable (2)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Salty Dog (3)
• Waterlogged (3)
• Host of Horrors (2)
• Possessions (2)

Maxwell:

• Inevitable (3)
• Forgotten Knowledge (3)
• The Curtain Calls (1)
• Along came a spider (1)
• The incredible strongman (2)
• One for the books (2)
• Encore (3)
• Terrors Below (3)

Webber:

• Along Came a Spider (3)
• The Monster Marsh (3)
• Curse of Moon Quay (3)
• Reap what you Sow (2)

Wigfrid:

• The Curtain Calls (3)
• The Forge (3)
• Turn of Tides (3)
• Salty Dog (2)
• Taking Root (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Disconnected (2)

Winona:

• Next of Kin (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Turn of Tides (3)
• Forgotten Knowledge (3)
• Eye of the storm (3)
• Disconnected (3)
• Terrors Below (3)

Walter:

• Constant Companion (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Waterlogged (3)
• Encore (2)

Warly:

• Taste of home (3)
• Salty Dog (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Disconnected (2)

Wormwood:

• Lunar Roots (3)
• Reap what you sow (2)
• Survival guide - firewood (3)

Wurt:

• The Monster Marsh (3)
• Eye of the storm (2)
• Disconnected (1)

Wortox:

• Possessions (3)
• Eye for an Eye (3)

Wanda:

• Long Shadows (3)

Fun Facts:

• Wilson finally skipped a main trailer entirely with the release of terrors below. He was only ever missing in character specific shorts.
• Wigfrid's main prominent trailer appearances are during the start of all arcs - the forge, turn of tides and taking root
• Webber has not had an individual scene without Wendy other than his Solo short.
• Wurt has actually appeared in 3 Trailers, she's given a scene in Eye of the storm, while cameoing alongside Wendy in Wx's Short
• Wendy's appearance in Host of Horrors marks the first time a human child survivor has appeared in a main story trailer.
• Wendy also appears in the most cameos, having background appearances in 3 separate shorts.
• Wormwood was the only DLC survivor to appear in Reap what you sow, while Maxwell is the only free survivor missing.
• Wanda is the only survivor yet to appear outside their solo short, probably due to potential plotholes.(Wortox, who had a similar fate, finally escaped this fate with the Terraria crossover).
• Wickerbottom is by far the most prominent Non-Wilson character. Tying in total appearences with Wendy, yet much more prominent.
• With the exception of Winona, base game survivors seem pretty heavily favored over DST survivors, especially in the case of DLC

Based on this official playlist here:

(+ Curse of Moon Quay, The Forge, The Gorge, Inevitable and Reap What you Sow, Which Weren't Listed for some reason, Klei please fix)

The TLDR:

Overall thoughts after doing this?

Honestly, a lot more evenly distributed then I first thought.

I think wickerbottom should stop appearing as much. Her appearances are almost never needed and considering how limited time in these shorts are she should share screentime with more of the cast. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Winona and Maxwell really feel like they've been in more shorts than they have. It probably helps that they're easily more active than any other characters in similar positions.

Also, Wes is in a SURPRISING amount of shorts. He's almost never the focus, so I guess that throws it off, but I didn't expect him to be near the top. He's helped along by having two character refresh shorts though. Webber needs more time away from Wendy. I absolutely adore their dynamic, but Webber has only a singular appearance without her, and that's his own short. 

I also think diversification during the animated plot points should be more important. Currently, only Wigfrid, Winona, Maxwell, Wickerbottom, Wilson and FINALLY Wx-78 feel like they are invested in the larger schemes of the constant. I hope not all of the skill spotlights are just survival guides, because while they are fun, they miss out and a fairly rare chance to explore potential affinities.

While I understand the Wanda and Wortox would cause problems if they appeared in most shorts, I really hope Wurt and Wormwood can appear more with the regular cast.

 

[Gashzer]

Always felt like Willow and Walter would be a good duo for shorts. Willow always up to dangerous, no good shenanigans and Walter being fearless would tag along for the sh*ts and giggles with woby freaking out in the background.

[Ohan]

I like how often wickerbottom appears in the shorts. Shes the wisest and most knowledgable of the survivors it makes sense for the group to send her out with the expedition team when new content is “discovered”. 

I wish theyd showcase wormwood in the lunar content shorts though.

[WenericMember]

8 hours ago, Gashzer said:

Always felt like Willow and Walter would be a good duo for shorts. Willow always up to dangerous, no good shenanigans and Walter being fearless would tag along for the sh*ts and giggles with woby freaking out in the background.

Really good pairing Idea tbh.

My personal wish is for Wendy + Maxwell.

The shorts have always made a big deal whenever characters knew each other prior to the constant, (Winona and Charlie, Maxwell & Charlie, Wilson and Wagstaff, even stuff like Walter and Woodie) and yet the closest they've come to sharing a short is Wendy appearing in a group shot in Encore.

Beyond that, I really want Wurt and Webber to share a short. They're very alike in a lot of ways buthaven't interacted.

7 hours ago, Ohan said:

I like how often wickerbottom appears in the shorts. Shes the wisest and most knowledgable of the survivors it makes sense for the group to send her out with the expedition team when new content is “discovered”. 

I wish theyd showcase wormwood in the lunar content shorts though.

Yeah. Wicker seems to be pushed as the "responsible adult" of the group, alongside Wilson.

I understand why she appears so much, but at the same time I just feel like  it's a missed opportunity to give other characters investment.

I think at least in terrors below she should have been switched for Willow or Walter, considering they were on the menu animation.

[NoodlemanNed]

13 hours ago, WenericMember said:

Wilson: Basically all of them.  I am not listing pretty much every single short.

wilson was absent in most character refresh shorts (maybe he wasnt in any of them i dont feel like checking)

[WenericMember]

15 minutes ago, NoodlemanNed said:

wilson was absent in most character refresh shorts (maybe he wasnt in any of them i dont feel like checking)

I mean yeah but that kinda goes with out saying. I think he appears briefly at the end of Maxwells, but that's about it.

I did clarify that here:

 

[Waoling]

I would love to see the character do more animation exculsive power. Like Tree Guardian attack, or Winona fixing ability. 

[Retepeter]

Oh my god Wes is featured more then the main character of the entire story and the literal king of the world this is messed up

[WenericMember]

3 minutes ago, Retepeter said:

Oh my god Wes is featured more then the main character of the entire story and the literal king of the world this is messed up

Yeah wes surprised me a lot too.
Wes is helped significantly by getting 2 seperate rework trailers due the to the April fools one,  While also being incredibly common as a secondary character. This is compared to Maxwell, who both shows up randomly in characters Solo shorts, and is almost always the star of the show when he does show up fully.

[Retepeter]

To be honest I don't know why they don't show the weaveable characters considering they want players to buy them