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