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