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