Tropescilloscope: The Lancer

The Hero's foil and The Leader's trusted companion. (read more at tvtropes.org)

Film Frequency (%) Film Frequency (#)

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