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