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