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