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