Tropescilloscope: Armor-Piercing Question

Question that forces a character to consider their actions. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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