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