The article introduces a new concept called necessary players in axiomatic studies, replacing equal players in existing axioms. By requiring that certain players must be included in coalitions to have any value, the researchers show that necessary players can replace equal players in many well-known characterizations. They also provide new insights into the Shapley value, positively weighted Shapley values, Solidarity value, and Equal Division value. This challenges the traditional idea of equal treatment of equals in the axiomatic literature.