The neutral character who establishes the rules of the Strange World in the first half, then returns to enforce the verdict in the second.
Also known as: The Judge (in Sequence CC)
Applies to: All story types
Definition
A neutral character who appears in Sequence C to establish what the Strange World values most and what it will reward. The Referee has no emotional stake in the Protagonist’s journey — they simply explain and enforce the rules of the world.
In Sequence CC, the Referee is promoted to the Judge: no longer just explaining rules but actively enforcing them, deciding who wins and who loses, and raising the stakes to their highest point.
Why This Term Matters
The Referee is what makes the Strange World legible. Without them, the audience does not know what the competition is, what the rules are, or what winning would even look like. The Referee makes the McGuffin official — they are the authority who says: this is what the world is chasing, these are the conditions, and here is what it will take to win.
The distinction between Referee and Judge matters structurally: the Referee sets up the game in the first half; the Judge enforces it in the second. The same character often serves both functions, which is why they are listed together — but the role shifts from description to verdict.
Key Properties
- Neutral: no personal stake in who wins
- Appears in Sequence C (as Referee) and Sequence CC (as Judge)
- Makes the McGuffin official by explaining the rules
- Knows what the Strange World values — but not necessarily what the Universe values
- The Judge raises stakes to their highest point; the Muse’s soul is often what hangs in the balance
In a Kind Comedy — Examples
Ratatouille: The food critic Anton Ego is the ultimate Referee/Judge. He sets the standard of what the culinary world values (in his review of Gusteau's). In Sequence CC, he returns as Judge — the most feared critic in Paris, deciding whether Remy's cooking is real. He knows what the Strange World values but discovers in the verdict that the Universe values something deeper.
In Bruges: The criminal underworld hierarchy acts as the Referee — the code is the rulebook, and Harry is its enforcer. In Sequence CC, Harry becomes the Judge: he arrives in Bruges himself to carry out the verdict.
In a Tragedy
Coming soon.
Related Articles
- What Should Happen in the First Act — how the Strange World’s rules are established before the Referee appears in Sequence C
Learn More
The Referee and Judge are developed in the Kind Comedy Course, including their role in Sequences C and CC. The free Fundamentals Course introduces the structural roles of the Strange World.