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