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