Tropescilloscope: Guile Hero

A smart hero who uses wits to gain victory. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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