Tropescilloscope: MacGuffin

An object that, while not relevant to the main narrative, is frequently pursued throughout it. (read more at tvtropes.org)

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