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