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