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