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