blandbart

Blandbart is a term used in online discussions, fan fiction, and game design to describe a bartender character whose demeanor and presentation are deliberately bland. A blandbart typically speaks in neutral, uninflected language, shows minimal affect, and provides service with little flair. The concept is used as a narrative or design device to set a contrast with more vivid patrons, to comment on routine labor, or to foreground other elements of a scene while the bartender remains largely unobtrusive.

The word blends bland with bartender, and possibly borrows the given name Bart. Its origin is not precisely documented; earliest attested uses appear in user-driven glossaries and world-building guides in the 2010s, though the term has since gained wider circulation on forums and social-media discussions about character archetypes.

In practice, blandbarts are described as foil characters, placeholders, or environmental flavor in settings where a non-player character must perform tasks without overshadowing main action. In role-playing games, a blandbart NPC might offer a quest or information with little personality, enabling other players to project their own interpretations onto the scene.

Critics and commentators use the trope to examine themes of labor, monotony, and customer service, or to reflect on the design of social spaces in fiction. The term remains informal and is primarily found in contemporary online communities rather than formal scholarship.