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