Tropescilloscope: Developing Doomed Characters

Spending too much time developing characters that are likely going to die later on. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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