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