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