Tropescilloscope: Adaptational Villainy
A character is more of a villain in an adaptation than they were in the original material. (read more at tvtropes.org)
More Tropes
Due to the Dead
Dissonant Serenity
Deliberately Monochrome
Taking the Bullet
Mundane Made Awesome
Broken Pedestal
Face Death with Dignity
Action Girl
Scare Chord
Ascended Extra
Bolivian Army Ending
Redshirt Army
Psycho for Hire
Male Frontal Nudity
Would Hurt a Child
Accidental Murder
Improbable Aiming Skills
Kids Are Cruel
Hooker with a Heart of Gold
Super Strength
Manchild
Superhero
Redemption Equals Death
Shower Scene
The Remake
In the Back
Deus ex Machina
Obfuscating Stupidity
Oh, Crap!
Lock and Load Montage
Take a Third Option
Everyone Has Standards
Stealth Hi/Bye
Vomit Discretion Shot
La Résistance
Flipping the Bird
The '90s
Love Triangle
Big "NO!"
He Who Fights Monsters
Japanese Films
And the Adventure Continues
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner
Pretty Little Headshots
You Killed My Father
Mugging the Monster
Vitriolic Best Buds
Real Life
Death of a Child
Fish out of Water
Hollywood Darkness
Mr. Exposition
Video Credits
Drowning My Sorrows
Composite Character
Rousing Speech
Deal with the Devil
Disappeared Dad
Drives Like Crazy
Daylight Horror
No OSHA Compliance
Dual Wielding
Badass Bookworm
Sacrificial Lion
Action Genre
The Casanova
Black and Gray Morality
Epic Movie
Handicapped Badass
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
All Just a Dream
Red Oni, Blue Oni
Random Events Plot
Maybe Ever After
Early Installment Weirdness
Facial Horror
Advertised Extra
Easily Forgiven
Bowdlerise
I'm a Humanitarian
Did Not Get the Girl
Humans Are Bastards
Cluster F-Bomb
Karmic Death
Anti-Hero
Dramedy
Vomit Indiscretion Shot
Fate Worse than Death
Riddle for the Ages
Adult Fear
Suspiciously Specific Denial
Overprotective Dad
Bald of Evil
Wham Shot
Abhorrent Admirer
Big Eater
FaceHeel Turn
Beard of Evil
Villain Song
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Trailers Always Spoil
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
Eyepatch of Power
Auto Erotica
Adaptational Attractiveness
Logo Joke
Jerk Jock
Humiliation Conga
Eldritch Abomination
Madness Mantra
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
Mooks
Foil
Nice Guy
Spared by the Adaptation
Groin Attack
Really Gets Around
Cloudcuckoolander
And Starring
A.I. Is a Crapshoot
Fainting
Stuff Blowing Up
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!
Parental Abandonment
Title Drop
The Stinger
Hidden Depths
Artistic License Biology
Psychological Thriller
Call-Back
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
Storming the Castle
Adaptation Dye-Job
Spiteful Spit
Tap on the Head
The Great Depression
Nice Hat
Heroic Sacrifice
Rich Bitch
Police are Useless
Never Trust a Trailer
aka: Trailers Always Lie
Tagline
Military and Warfare Films
Totally Radical
Death by Irony
British Films
Get Out!
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
Those Two Guys
Thriller
Noodle Incident
Smoking Is Cool
Politically Incorrect Villain
Morality Pet
She Cleans Up Nicely
Lampshade Hanging
Dropped a Bridge on Him
Double-Meaning Title
Imagine Spot
Unspoken Plan Guarantee
Antagonist Title
Action Prologue
Dumb Blonde
Improbable Infant Survival
aka: Infant Immortality
Grievous Bottley Harm
Artistic License Geography
Only Sane Man
Reality Is Unrealistic
Mexican Standoff
Mercy Kill
Historical Hero Upgrade
Posthumous Character
Credits Gag
Red Shirt
Kick the Son of a Bitch
Foregone Conclusion
The '80s
Celebrity Paradox
Artistic License Military
The Quiet One
Animal Motifs
Blackmail
I Have Your Wife
Match Cut
Dogged Nice Guy
Faking the Dead
Men Are the Expendable Gender
Our Vampires Are Different
Empathic Environment
Needs Wiki Magic Love
Dramatic Irony
Outrun the Fireball
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!
Martial Arts Movie
Hypocrite
Cool Guns
Arranged Marriage
The Cameo
Author Appeal
Bad Boss
Flashback
MacGuffin
Bond One-Liner
Green-Eyed Monster
Not What It Looks Like
All There in the Manual
Four-Temperament Ensemble
The Chessmaster
Combat Pragmatist
Bloody Hilarious
Mind Screw
Enemy Mine
Air-Vent Passageway
Evil Sounds Deep
Novelization
Disney Villain Death
Break the Haughty
Rated M for Manly
Neck Snap
Knife Nut
Cowboy Cop
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Hell Is That Noise
Freudian Excuse
Love at First Sight
Yandere
Despair Event Horizon
Fanservice Extra
Developing Doomed Characters
Stealth Pun
Refuge in Audacity
Bad "Bad Acting"
The '50s
Manly Tears
Every Car Is a Pinto
Genre Savvy
The Ditz
Dwindling Party
Ungrateful Bastard
Guile Hero
Woman in White
Your Head A-Splode
A Minor Kidroduction
Big Damn Heroes
Death Seeker
The Lancer
The Mafia
Big Brother Instinct
Even Evil Has Loved Ones
Bury Your Gays
Historical-Domain Character
Final Girl
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
The Ghost
Plucky Comic Relief
Fatal Flaw
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?
Russian Films
Star-Crossed Lovers
Framing Device
Jerkass
Gold Digger
Adaptational Villainy
Villainous Breakdown
Improbable Weapon User
The Smurfette Principle
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
The End... Or Is It?
No Name Given
The Starscream
Hoist by His Own Petard
Decoy Protagonist
Smug Snake
What You Are in the Dark
Defrosting Ice Queen
Central Theme
Body Horror
Twist Ending
Small Name, Big Ego
Fatal Family Photo
World of Ham
Beta Couple
Black Comedy Rape
Darker and Edgier
Jump Scare
Crapsack World
Sassy Black Woman
Ambiguous Disorder
The Ace
Captain Ersatz
Affably Evil
Distracted by the Sexy
Interrupted Suicide
Drill Sergeant Nasty
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
Too Dumb to Live
Visual Pun
Rape as Drama
Homage
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good
Motor Mouth
Beauty Is Never Tarnished
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
Serious Business
The Smart Guy
Heroes Want Redheads
Wham Line
Monumental Damage
Horror Comedy
Laser-Guided Karma
Bar Brawl
Break the Cutie
Evil Laugh
Punny Name
Belligerent Sexual Tension
Evil Counterpart
Back from the Dead
Frame-Up
The Bully
Closed Circle
He Knows Too Much
Depraved Bisexual
Malevolent Masked Men
Cold-Blooded Torture
Not Using the "Z" Word
Kubrick Stare
Animated Credits Opening
Mr. Fanservice
Butt-Monkey
A God Am I
Mistaken for Gay
Christmas Movies Index
German Films
Spell My Name with an "S"
Brutal Honesty
Taking You with Me
Disney Death
Pay Evil unto Evil
Non-Indicative Name
Revenge
Department of Redundancy Department
Music Stories
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
Expository Hairstyle Change
Attempted Rape
Bi the Way
Toplessness from the Back
Naked People Are Funny
Only a Flesh Wound
Ambiguously Gay
Rule of Symbolism
Agony of the Feet
Silent Movie
The Dragon
Stock Footage
The Cavalry
Lighter and Softer
Laughing Mad
Actor Allusion
Rule of Cool
"Well Done, Son!" Guy
20 Minutes into the Future
Shipper on Deck
The Sociopath
Tempting Fate
Death Glare
Insult Backfire
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown
Almost Kiss
Aluminum Christmas Trees
Shell-Shocked Veteran
Chase Scene
Badass Longcoat
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism
Jerkass Has a Point
A Father to His Men
It's All About Me
Ominous Latin Chanting
Dark and Troubled Past
Villain Protagonist
From Nobody to Nightmare
Self-Deprecation
For the Evulz
Sanity Slippage
Biopic
Make It Look Like an Accident
Anachronism Stew
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Wretched Hive
Femme Fatale
Spanner in the Works
Camp Gay
Pre-Mortem One-Liner
Badass Grandpa
Fingore
Henpecked Husband
Bloodier and Gorier
Only in It for the Money
Unusual Euphemism
Would Hit a Girl
Reckless Gun Usage
Daddy's Girl
Affectionate Parody
Running Gag
Adorkable
Annoying Younger Sibling
Ax-Crazy
Alpha Bitch
Death by Sex
An Arm and a Leg
Based on a True Story
Creative Closing Credits
MayDecember Romance
It's Personal
BrotherSister Incest
Leitmotif
Meet Cute
Camera Abuse
Show Within a Show
Not So Stoic
Shut Up, Hannibal!
In Name Only
Pun
aka: Incredibly Lame Pun
Married to the Job
Once More, with Clarity!
Early-Bird Cameo
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Heroic BSoD
Sinister Minister
I Need a Freaking Drink
Skewed Priorities
Only Known by Their Nickname
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
Vacation Films
Ms. Fanservice
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
As Himself
Creepy Child
Toilet Humour
aka: Toilet Humor
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
Author Avatar
Dies Wide Open
Sports Stories
Re-Cut
Room Full of Crazy
Broken Aesop
The Faceless
Historical In-Joke
Ambiguous Ending
Worthy Opponent
Shirtless Scene
Paper-Thin Disguise
Mythology Gag
Adaptational Badass
Naïve Newcomer
BFG
Arc Words
Crazy-Prepared
Playing Gertrude
Plot Hole
Never My Fault
Damsel in Distress
Together in Death
And I Must Scream
Those Wacky Nazis
Offscreen Teleportation
Greater-Scope Villain
Awesome, but Impractical
Stylistic Suck
Retirony
Heterosexual Life-Partners
Parental Substitute
Black Best Friend
The '70s
Does This Remind You of Anything?
Cool Shades
The Chick
Adults Are Useless
The Reveal
Dramatic Gun Cock
Evil Brit
Costume Porn
She's Got Legs
Gratuitous English
The Brute
Gorn
Apocalypse How
Deconstruction
Sadistic Choice
Evil Plan
Light Is Not Good
Corrupt Corporate Executive
Those Two Bad Guys
Amusing Injuries
Soundtrack Dissonance
Adaptation Distillation
Missing Mom
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique
Age Lift
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!
Horror Films
B-Movie
Italian Films
Major Injury Underreaction
Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome
The Dreaded
Film Series
The Hero Dies
Instant Death Bullet
Manipulative Bastard
Stepford Smiler
Earn Your Happy Ending
Guns Akimbo
Exact Words
Real Life Writes the Plot
Danny Peary Cult Movies List
Cool Old Lady
Loophole Abuse
Kill 'em All
The Bad Guy Wins
Moment Killer
Bound and Gagged
Slashed Throat
Pyrrhic Victory
Boom, Headshot!
Red Right Hand
Evil vs. Evil
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience
aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience
Becoming the Mask
The Dog Bites Back
War Is Hell
Bavarian Fire Drill
Gory Discretion Shot
Retired Badass
Cat Fight
It Can Think
Artistic License Gun Safety
Funny Foreigner
The Mole
Fantasy Films
For Want of a Nail
The Hero
One-Man Army
Dark Reprise
Continuity Nod
Idiot Ball
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
Killed Mid-Sentence
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
Truth in Television
Rasputinian Death
Dirty Old Man
The Lost Lenore
Fake Shemp
Fanservice
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
Amoral Attorney
Took a Level in Badass
Brainless Beauty
Be Careful What You Wish For
Casting Gag
My Beloved Smother
Gone Horribly Right
Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday
Babies Ever After
Even Evil Has Standards
As Long as It Sounds Foreign
Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene
As the Good Book Says...
Crucified Hero Shot
Chewing the Scenery
Nothing Is Scarier
Artistic License History
Country Matters
Evil Is Petty
Abusive Parents
Bloodless Carnage
Blood from the Mouth
French Films
One-Word Title
Pretty in Mink
Villain with Good Publicity
Male Gaze
No Ending
Pragmatic Villainy
Arch-Enemy
Bait-and-Switch
Wrong Genre Savvy
Covers Always Lie
Never Found the Body
What the Hell, Hero?
True Companions
Fantastic Racism
Comically Missing the Point
Big-Bad Ensemble
Works Set in World War II
Badass in a Nice Suit
Overly Long Gag
Meaningful Background Event
Domestic Abuse
The Alcoholic
The Place
Unreliable Narrator
Suddenly SHOUTING!
Kick the Dog
Training Montage
Fire-Forged Friends
Made of Iron
Hollywood Law
Dressing as the Enemy
The Alleged Car
Retcon
Disproportionate Retribution
Let's Get Dangerous!
Sequel Hook
Catch-Phrase
Chekhov's Gunman
Straight Gay
Blood Knight
The Un-Favourite
aka: The Un Favorite
Informed Ability
Obstructive Bureaucrat
Heel Realization
Shout-Out
The Vamp
Beware the Nice Ones
Death by Adaptation
Mama Bear
Not So Above It All
Scenery Porn
Cassandra Truth
Didn't Think This Through
Adapted Out
Leave the Camera Running
Soft Glass
Funny Background Event
Accidental Misnaming
Double Entendre
Knight Templar
Canon Foreigner
Mood Whiplash
Off-into-the-Distance Ending
Hair-Trigger Temper
Anyone Can Die
Throwing Your Sword Always Works
Book-Ends
Jitter Cam
Science Fiction Films
I Did What I Had to Do
Big Applesauce
Older Than They Look
Gainax Ending
Zombie Stories
Insane Troll Logic
Wounded Gazelle Gambit
Our Zombies Are Different
Downer Ending
Crazy Jealous Guy
Rule of Funny
Precision F-Strike
Romantic Comedy
Happily Married
Not Even Bothering with the Accent
Berserk Button
Sole Survivor
In Medias Res
Extreme Doormat
Famous Last Words
Contrived Coincidence
Alliterative Name
Expy
Irony
Not Quite Dead
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Film Noir
Ripped from the Headlines
Off with His Head!
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
Pimped-Out Dress
Badass Normal
Hero of Another Story
Destination Defenestration
Foreshadowing
Fan Disservice
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!
Hate Sink
Adaptational Heroism
You Have Failed Me
Whole Plot Reference
Villain Ball
Artistic License Law
Red Herring
Honor Before Reason
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy
More Dakka
timeperiod
Time Skip
Demonic Possession
Dark Is Not Evil
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Bittersweet Ending
Sealed Evil in a Can
"Shaggy Dog" Story
All Girls Want Bad Boys
Loads and Loads of Characters
Exactly What It Says on the Tin
Last-Name Basis
Gilligan Cut
One Steve Limit
No Antagonist
Wicked Cultured
Man on Fire
Bring My Brown Pants
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead
Immune to Bullets
Victoria's Secret Compartment
Badass Boast
Take That!
Scenery Gorn
Australian Movies
Sci-Fi Horror
Dull Surprise
Stalker with a Crush
My Greatest Failure
Spiritual Successor
Papa Wolf
There Is No Kill Like Overkill
Fiery Redhead
Ship Tease
Large Ham
Defiant to the End
Unresolved Sexual Tension
Word of God
Made of Explodium
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
Narrator
Card-Carrying Villain
Chekhov's Skill
Documentary
Roaring Rampage of Revenge
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Evil-Detecting Dog
Index of Film Westerns
Armor-Piercing Question
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?
Recycled IN SPACE!
Adaptation Name Change
Chiaroscuro
Children Are Innocent
Public Domain Feature Films
Cain and Abel
Catapult Nightmare
Evil Is Hammy
'80s Hair
Black Dude Dies First
Good Is Not Nice
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
Peek-a-Boo Corpse
"Awesome McCool" Name
Conspicuous CG
NO INDOOR VOICE
Punch-Clock Villain
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
Improvised Weapon
Award-Bait Song
Coming-of-Age Story
Race Against the Clock
Television Movie Index
Translation Convention
Hypocritical Humor
Freeze-Frame Bonus
Well-Intentioned Extremist
The '60s
Put on a Bus
Call-Forward
HeelFace Turn
Brick Joke
I Just Shot Marvin in the Face
Hero Antagonist
Car Fu
Meaningful Name
Establishing Character Moment
Chekhov's Gun
The Atoner
Animal Title Index
Curse Cut Short
Blatant Lies
Unusually Uninteresting Sight
Bland-Name Product
Tranquil Fury
Your Cheating Heart
Film Noir Index
Dirty Coward
N-Word Privileges
Bottomless Magazines
Karma Houdini
Never Trust a Trailer
Eye Scream
Betty and Veronica
Bunny-Ears Lawyer
Eiffel Tower Effect
Ghost Fiction
Curb-Stomp Battle
Broken Bird
Big Fancy House
Sequel Escalation
Slap-Slap-Kiss
Cruel and Unusual Death
Friend to All Children
Disguised in Drag
Authority Equals Asskicking
Suspiciously Similar Substitute
Sexy Discretion Shot
The Stoic
An Aesop
Dirty Cop
Does Not Like Shoes
Dying Moment of Awesome
Bond Villain Stupidity
Market-Based Title
Determinator
aka: The Determinator
Properly Paranoid
Eureka Moment
The Load
Black Comedy
Calling the Old Man Out
Reasonable Authority Figure
Girl-on-Girl Is Hot
Left the Background Music On
Gender Flip
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
All for Nothing
Intrepid Reporter
Serial Killer
Deliberate Values Dissonance
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
Parental Neglect
No-Sell
What Happened to the Mouse?
Ass Shove
Cat Scare
Faux Affably Evil
Here We Go Again!
Undying Loyalty
Red Eyes, Take Warning
Villain Opening Scene
Slasher Smile
Anti-Villain
Line-of-Sight Name
Half the Man He Used to Be
Action Survivor
Hope Spot
Character Development
Genre Shift
Slasher Movie
Fun with Acronyms
The Un-Reveal
An Axe to Grind
Obviously Evil
The Musical
Took a Level in Jerkass
Actually Pretty Funny
Psychopathic Manchild
Failed a Spot Check
The Voiceless
Hong Kong Films
Alas, Poor Villain
Insistent Terminology
Deadpan Snarker
Kill It with Fire
Captain Obvious
Eagleland
Mighty Whitey
Important Haircut
Cool Car
Pragmatic Adaptation
Setting Update
Drugs Are Bad
The Big Guy
Roger Ebert: Great Movies List
From Bad to Worse
Woman Scorned
The Film of the Book
Say My Name
Better to Die than Be Killed
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
How We Got Here
Race Lift
Darkest Hour
Offscreen Moment of Awesome
Implacable Man
The X of Y
Bare Your Midriff
Aside Glance
Corpsing
Rewatch Bonus
Same Language Dub
Vampire Fiction
As You Know
Police Brutality
Reality Has No Subtitles
It Will Never Catch On
Asshole Victim
Recap /
RiffTrax
aka: Riff Trax Movies
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer
My God, What Have I Done?
Getting Crap Past the Radar
Epic Fail
Romantic False Lead
Demoted to Extra
Grey and Gray Morality
The Power of Love
Silence Is Golden
Canadian Movies
Mad Scientist
No Celebrities Were Harmed
All There in the Script
Big Bad Duumvirate
Up to Eleven
Genre Throwback
Adaptation Expansion
Scary Black Man
Fat Bastard
Token Minority
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!
Anachronic Order
Five-Man Band
Rule of Three
Reality Ensues
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
Poor Communication Kills
Diabolus ex Machina
Driven to Suicide
After the End
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue
Only One Name
The Stoner
Pet the Dog
Parental Incest
Extremely Short Timespan
Cool Old Guy
Sir Swears-a-Lot
The Oner
A Date with Rosie Palms
Fourth Date Marriage
Batman Gambit
Big Bad
Intergenerational Friendship
Dutch Angle
Bilingual Bonus
Neck Lift
Artistic License Physics
This Is Gonna Suck
Have a Gay Old Time
Historical Villain Upgrade
Bullying a Dragon
Creator Cameo
Shown Their Work
Ironic Echo
Determinator
Meaningful Echo
All Men Are Perverts
Dark Action Girl
Protagonist Title
Product Placement
Anguished Declaration of Love
Mystery and Detective Films
Not So Different